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Tim Howard made more than 350 Premier League appearances for Everton between 2006 and 2016, before leaving to join current club Colorado Rapids.

The United States international made 45 Premier League appearances for Manchester United before joining Everton – initially on loan, before making the move permanent in the summer of 2007.

The 39-year-old enjoyed a brilliant career at Goodison Park, and it was not long until he became a favourite with the supporters due to his all-action style of goalkeeping.

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It was Howard’s birthday on Wednesday, and Everton’s official Twitter account took the chance to have a look at some of the great saves that the American made during his time with the Merseyside club, who have recently been lasted by a well-known pundit for their current struggles.

As expected, the Everton fans were on hand to hail the experienced goalkeeper, who is still going strong in the professional game despite his advancing years.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Stewart Downing has revealed that he’s determined to maintain his good form at West Ham and stay in the England set-up.

The Hammers ace has thrived in a central attacking role for the Hammers this term, which led to a shock call-up for the Three Lions’ recent double-header against Slovenia and Scotland.

Although he didn’t make it onto the pitch at Wembley to take on the Eastern Europeans in EURO 2016 qualification action, Downing won his 36th cap – his last came way back in 2012 – last night as he started the game in Glasgow.

WANT MORE? >> West Ham transfer news | Latest transfer news

The converted wide-man came off at half time as Roy Hodgson rotated his team for the friendly tie, but he is insistent that he’ll do all he can to stay in the hunt for a role when England next play in 2015:

“It is all about people’s opinions. As long as I am picked and playing then I am happy.” He is quoted by the Daily Mail. “That is enough for me. Everyone has an opinion in the world of football. Of those picked last night (Tuesday) some will think he should be in or it should be him and so on. That is just the way people talk but I am happy to be back in the squad and just have to stay there now.

“It was good to be out there and play some minutes and good to be back.

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“Now it’s the same for everyone. You need to keep playing well to be picked. That’s what the manager said to the players after the game. Carry on your form to be picked so I’ll go back to West Ham and try to carry on playing the way I have been playing and hopefully that will be enough to be in the next squad.”

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With the festive season fast approaching and the planning of Christmas parties being top of the agenda for most people, I have been thinking about the Premier League players I would like to invite to my Yuletide shindig.

Parties need a mixture of good and bad dancers, practical jokers, story tellers, good and bad drinkers, the ones that try it on with all the ladies and those that enjoy dressing up.

So the fifteen I’ve chosen all meet these criteria, while there are also some surprise names on the list. Apologies to John Terry for not getting an invite, it’s just many wouldn’t come in fear of him trying to leave with their wives or girlfriends.

Click on Princess Leia (Michael Duberry) to start the full countdown of party animals, snappy dressers and dance-off champs

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For some time, Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini was rumoured to be a target of Arsenal.

The Belgian international divides opinion among football fans, with many regularly frustrated by his bullish antics on the pitch.

The link to Arsenal was a surprising one, particularly as it emerged when Arsene Wenger was still manager.

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Fellaini does not feel like a natural Wenger-type player, and when Unai Emery took over at the Emirates, the speculation cooled.

According to The Times, the midfielder did hold talks with Arsenal’s head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, but instead opted to sign a new two-year contract at United, which includes the option of a further year.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255574″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Four World Cup myths debunked”]

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The overwhelming reaction from the United fans has been one of dismay, but it has been the complete opposite from Arsenal supporters.

Once the news was announced by their rivals, the Gunners’ following took to social media to express their relief and joy.

Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.Comment from discussion Gunners rejoice! Fellaini continuing journey as a Manchester United player.

According to Diario Gol, Manchester United will move for Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

United boss Jose Mourinho is said to be desperate to sign a new centre-back this summer to play alongside Eric Bailly at the heart of the defence.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have both had their problems this season, whilst Victor Lindelof has struggled to justify his £30m price tag following a move from Benfica.

Mourinho is believed to be a keen admirer of Varane’s talents, with the United manager rating the France international as one of the best centre-backs in Europe.

According to Diario Gol, the 20-time English champions will press ahead with a move for Varane in this summer’s transfer window, and they are confident that a bid in the region of £54m would convince Real Madrid to sell.

That said, it is not entirely out of the question that Los Blancos would attempt to use United’s interest in Varane to finally secure a deal for David de Gea.

Is Varane the answer for United?

Jones and Smalling have had plenty of excellent games for United, but there remain question marks over their abilities to perform consistently at the highest level.

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When fit, Bailly is a certain starter for the Red Devils, but the likes of Lindelof and Marcos Rojo have not really convinced on a regular basis.

Varane has made more than 200 appearances for Real Madrid since a move from Lens in 2011, and it is understood that the defender had interest from United before eventually joining the Spanish giants.

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At 24, Varane is the perfect age to arrive at Old Trafford, and there is no question that he has the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.

Standing 6ft 3inches and boasting a stunning turn of speed, Varane is everything that United need at the heart of their defence, and the thought of the Frenchman lining up alongside Bailly is something that will surely excite the club’s supporters.

A lot would have to fall into place for this particular deal to occur, but it would be a stunning capture if United managed to pull it off.

Paul Scholes says that he’s “scared” Manchester United will be unable to reverse their current decline and slide into the footballing “wilderness”, as their bitter rivals Liverpool did in the 1990s.

The Red Devils have endured a woeful year and a bit since the exit of Sir Alex Ferguson, with David Moyes having sat in the dugout as the then champions of England slid to a sixth placed finish.

Louis van Gaal has since been drafted in, but even the experienced Dutchman seems to be having trouble following a shock defeat at home to Swansea in his first competitive game, despite talk of a genuine title challenge from the club.

WANT MORE? >> Manchester United transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

Liverpool enjoyed massive success through the ‘70s and ‘80s – as United did in the ‘90s and ‘00s – but some poor off-field decisions and a bad run of form saw them slip from the pinnacle of the game as the Theatre of Dreams became the playground for the top side in the country.

And now Scholes is fearful that the same fate could befall his old side if things don’t change quickly:

“I am scared for United. Genuinely scared that they could go into the wilderness in the same way that Liverpool did in the 1990s.” he wrote in his column for The Independent.

“Let us be clear about one thing. I am sick of having to criticise the club to which I gave my life as a footballer.

“But this is a United team that lost seven league games at Old Trafford last season and began on Saturday by losing at home to Swansea.

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“United need to arrest their decline. In those years under Sir Alex Ferguson, when trophy followed trophy, this sort of mediocrity was unthinkable. But it is happening.”

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Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez celebrated his team’s 3-2 Premier League comeback against Aston Villa.

United trailed 2-0 early in the second-half, but rampaged to victory with two efforts from Hernandez and a Ron Vlaar own goal.

When asked about the Red Devils’ comeback, he replied:

“It’s the lucky story of Manchester United. You know that!” He is quoted by The Metro.

“You never want to give up because games are 90 minutes and you need to fight until the last minute.

“Thankfully we got the three points. We need to improve because we’re conceding a lot of goals but this result is going to give us a lot of confidence.”

Chicharito has been in fine form of late for the Manchester club, netting against the likes of Chelsea and Braga.

However, the Mexican didn’t press the matter as to whether he should be a first-team regular at Old Trafford:

“The most important thing is that United are top of the league and after being 2-0 down that is a good result.”

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Andreas Weimann netted twice to put the Midlanders 2-0 up at Villa Park.

But, substitute Hernandez pulled one back after 58 minutes, before seeing another effort deflect in off of Vlaar five minutes later.

He then added the winner with three minutes to play with a close-range header.

England captain stands down from Hundred duty to manage workload

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2025Nat Sciver-Brunt has opted not to captain Trent Rockets in the Hundred this year to manage her workloads.ESPNcricinfo understands that Sciver-Brunt has made the decision to play for her Hundred team but will step aside as their skipper to ease the pressure of her responsibilities, having been appointed as the England Women’s captain two months ago.England’s T20I series against India, starting at Trent Bridge on Saturday, will be her third in charge after leading the side to twin 3-0 sweeps of the T20I and ODI series against West Indies.Trent Rockets are yet to appoint a replacement captain, but options could include Australian allrounder Ash Gardner, who led Gujarat Giants at this year’s WPL and stood in for one game at WBBL side Sydney Sixers while Ellyse Perry served a suspension for over-rates penalties in 2023.Grace Scrivens, the former England Under-19 captain who has been mooted as a potential senior captain despite being yet to make her international debut at that level, could take the next step in her leadership development after she led England Women A on the T20 and four-day legs of their recent tour of Australia.Related

• Deepti Sharma pulls out of Women's Hundred to manage workload

• Hundred sale process encounters delay over future TV rights

• Heather Knight ruled out of home summer after hamstring injury

• Nat Sciver-Brunt 57* leads England to 3-0 sweep in rain-wrecked final ODI

• ECB consider 'de-coupling' Women's Hundred in bid for standalone sell-outs

Sciver-Brunt played as a batter only through the West Indies series while continuing her recovery from a long-standing Achilles tendon injury which she hopes will allow her to return to an allrounder role at the 50-over World Cup in India later this year.She also became a mother in March when wife Katherine gave birth to their son, Theo. It is a role that team-mate Tammy Beaumont told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast she had taken to with admirable ease.”Nat is just a complete natural,” Beaumont said. “She’s always been great with kids and being with her own son is absolutely no different.”She’s almost superhuman at times, just to be able to be a mother and a new England captain and perform at the level that she always has done. I think it’s just a testament to her character that she can always take anything and everything in her stride.”Sciver-Brunt scored three fifties during West Indies’ tour of England, including the first ODI, which was dominated by a 222-run opening partnership between Beaumont and Amy Jones. She scored an unbeaten 55 in the second T20I at Hove.India are expected to pose a more difficult opposition for England and new head coach Charlotte Edwards, who replaced Jon Lewis in the aftermath of a dire Ashes campaign, in which Australia won the points series 16-0.England and India will play five T20Is followed by three ODIs, the latter series starting at Southampton on July 16.

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

• Rohit backs under-fire bowlers after three-day loss in Centurion

• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

• How India can bowl better in the second Test against South Africa

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

Billy Root adds 77 not out in clash between third and fourth-placed sides in Division Two

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2022A career-best double-century for Glamorgan captain David Lloyd put his side in the driving seat in this third vs fourth clash.Glamorgan finished the first day on 380 for 3, gaining four batting bonus points, with Lloyd on 203 not out, his second century coming off just 101 balls as Derbyshire’s bowlers toiled.Glamorgan first class debutant Tom Bevan offered good support with 48 in a century partnership which set the platform, while Billy Root made the most of a move up the order to No. 5 by contributing 77 not out in a partnership of 197.Derbyshire needed a win to overtake Glamorgan and stay in contention for promotion going into the final round of fixtures, but now find themselves with their backs against the wall with the Welsh County looking to push on to a huge first-innings total.Glamorgan were without India’s Shubman Gill with a heavy cold, while they also brought in off spinner Andrew Salter for all-rounder Kiran Carlson. Derbyshire gave a debut to South Wales-born paceman Adam Sylvester.Related

• Sean Dickson to join Somerset from Durham

• Matthew Potts, Ben Raine give Durham upper hand against Sussex

• Good day's work for Middlesex as batters share fifties around

• Gareth Roderick, Brett D'Oliveira make Nottinghamshire wait for fulfilment

With a winner between these sides having a chance to challenge second-placed Middlesex in the final round of matches, Lloyd’s day did not start so well when he lost the toss and was asked to bat on a pitch which had a greenish tinge.Three balls later and Derbyshire had lost opening bowler Ben Aitchison with a rolled ankle, which made the decision to bowl seem a little unfortunate. He did return to bowl one more over, and fielded at slip, but his future fitness in the game is doubtful.Anuj Dal took over the rest of that over and also made the first breakthrough, getting opener Ed Byrom caught behind.Bevan made his first class debut having made his breakthrough this season with a century against Hampshire in the Royal London Cup.He was slower than Lloyd at the other end, but also showed enough promise to mark him out as one for the future. While he has helped steer local side St Fagans to the South Wales Premier League title this season, he is likely to be otherwise engaged next year.He would have been disappointed to miss out on a half-century, attempting to get there in style hitting across the line at spinner Alex Thomson and skying the ball instead.Sam Northeast looked comfortable until he was clean bowled out of the blue with Luis Reece getting the ball to move off the seam.While wickets fell at the other end, Lloyd got better and better. Having moved to his half-century just before lunch, he moved to three figures comfortably before tea, no sign of nerves about his first hundred of the season as he smashed the ball aerially through mid on off Thomson to bring up the landmark.His previous highest score this season was 84, his average in the mid 20s with the allrounder having moved to regularly opening the batting.Soon after tea he surpassed his career-best score of 121 and carried on past 150, with Root offering steady support in another century partnership. Root moved to his half-century off 94 balls as the run rate increased with the second new ball.