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Everything you need to know about the English sensation!

Jude Bellingham is a professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund and the England national team. Born on June 29, 2003, in Stourbridge, England, he began his professional career with Birmingham City Football Club. He quickly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in English football and was signed by Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.

Since joining Dortmund, Bellingham has continued to make rapid progress and has established himself as one of the most promising young talents in European football. He has been praised for his technical ability, his maturity, and his attitude on and off the pitch, and has been compared to some of the best players in the game. Despite his young age, he has already achieved a great deal in the sport and has a bright future ahead of him.

Bellingham made his debut for the England national team in November 2020, becoming the third youngest player to represent the Three Lions. He has since established himself as a key player for England and has shown that he has the potential to be one of the best players in the world in the years to come.

But what are the 13 things you absolutely need to know about the midfielder?

instagramHails from a sporting family

Bellingham's love for football comes from his father Mark, who was a big name in non-league football in England. He was a prolific goalscorer with more than 700 career goals in non-professional football.

Jude's younger brother Jobe is also a professional footballer who currently plays for Birmingham City.

AdvertisementBirmingham City through and through

Bellingham supported Birmingham City growing up and joined his boyhood club in 2010 at the age of seven.

Played U23 football as a 15-year-old!

Bellingham made his debut for Birmingham City's Under-23 team at the age of 15, in August 2019. He was one of the youngest players to ever play for the club's U23 team and quickly made a name for himself with his impressive performances. Bellingham's rise through the ranks at Birmingham City was rapid, and it wasn't long before he was promoted to the first team. He made his senior debut for the club in August 2019, just a few months after his U23 debut

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Getty ImagesBirmingham’s Boy Wonder

Bellingham became the youngest player to make a first-team appearance at Birmingham. He made his first-team debut for Birmingham City at the age of 16 years and 38 days, becoming the second-youngest player in the club's history to do so. He is also the youngest player to start a league match doing so at the age of 16 years and 63 days. He scored his first goal for Birmingham City at the age of 16 years and 63 days, making him the youngest goalscorer in the club's history.

Mikel Arteta admits that Arsenal “have to be in the conversation” for players like Kylian Mbappe, but accepts that he appears to be heading elsewhere.

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World Cup winner heading towards free agencyLinked with a move to the Premier LeagueAppears destined to head for Santiago BernabeuWHAT HAPPENED?

The France international forward is preparing to hit free agency in 2024. With his contract at Paris Saint-Germain running down, Mbappe has been free to enter into talks with teams outside of Ligue 1 since January.

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He has stopped short of making a public declaration on his future, but reports suggest that a deal has been agreed with La Liga giants Real Madrid. If Mbappe is to become another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu, then Premier League suitors will be left disappointed.

WHAT ARTETA SAID ABOUT MBAPPE

Arsenal fall into that category, amid talk of Mbappe being “willing” to join the Gunners in order to emulate Thierry Henry’s legacy in north London, but Arteta concedes that no move to Emirates Stadium will be made. The Spaniard has said when asked about links to the 2018 World Cup winner: “When there is a player of that calibre we always have to be in the conversation. But as you said it looks in a different way.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The Gunners are considered to be in the market for more firepower, after seeing the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah fail to convince as a leading No.9, but attention will shift to alternative striker targets heading towards the summer transfer window.

Wrexham suffered a major injury blow against Harrogate Town on Tuesday after losing goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to injury.

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Okonkwo injured in first halfTaken off at half-timeFears he's suffered jaw injuryWHAT HAPPENED?

Okonkwo started the game at Harrogate but suffered an early injury in a collision. The goalkeeper received lengthy treatment on the pitch but was initially able to continue. He was subsequently seen taking painkillers, after receiving further medical attention in another stoppage, and did not emerge after the break. Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson opted to send on Mark Howard in his place at half-time.

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There are fears that Okonkwo has suffered a jaw injury which could see him forced onto the sidelines. Wrexham will certainly be hoping that their goalkeeper is not set for a lengthy lay-off. The 22-year-old has become a regular with the Red Dragons this season after arriving on a season-long loan from Premier League giants Arsenal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wrexham's Okonkowo had the best save percentage for stopping attempts in the whole of League Two heading into the game.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR OKONKWO?

Wrexham will be sweating on Okonkwo's fitness ahead of their next match. Parkinson's side continue their FA Cup campaign next time out when they host National League South side Yeovil Town in the second round of the famous competition. If Okonkwo is ruled out then Howard will be expected to take his place between the sticks.

After centuries from Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad scored centuries, Australia’s top order crumbled in the face of a massive target

The Report by Daniel Brettig25-Oct-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAhmed Shehzad scored his second Test hundred•Getty ImagesAn Australian television promo for this series has cribbed from the film poster for Lawrence of Arabia. After four days of the Dubai Test match a suddenly mighty Pakistan have pushed Australia into a position where the avoidance of defeat seems even less likely than the taking of Aqaba.David Warner, Alex Doolan and the captain Michael Clarke all demonstrated different symptoms of Australia’s deeply entrenched malady against spin. The loss of Nathan Lyon completed a rush of four wickets for five runs, and left Chris Rogers clinging on at stumps in the company of Steve Smith. Ninety overs tomorrow seem far too many for a team so utterly and unexpectedly humiliated.So far, the loss of Saeed Ajmal has barely seemed to matter to Pakistan, so skilful have his proxies proven to be. Zulfiqur Babar and Yasir Shah ran rings around the Australian top order in the final session, much as Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad had done against their pacemen and spinners while establishing a gaping, 437-run advantage.Younis became Pakistan’s most prolific Test century-maker and also the first batsman in more than 40 years to post twin centuries against Australia – not since Glenn Turner did the trick in 1974 had a batsman saluted a century in each innings in the face of 11 baggy greens. The rarity of the feat was in line with the scarcely believable indignities being piled upon the same team that won the Ashes at home last summer before besting South Africa away.Shehzad had also soared to three figures before Younis completed his second of the match, at which point Misbah-ul-Haq declared. Steve O’Keefe claimed the only Pakistani wickets of the day, isolated moments of joy for Clarke’s tiring team.Australia’s bowlers struggled once more to pose significant dangers with either pace or spin. The lack of wickets or even appeals from the Australians has contrasted notably with their time at the batting crease in both innings, when Pakistan’s use of reverse swing and spin brought regular questions before the umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough.Mitchell Johnson occasionally beat the bat or struck the body, but neither batsman allowed these moments to affect them. Shehzad and Younis accelerated steadily after lunch, choosing the right moments to attack while also frustrating Australia’s bowlers with patient defence in between.It said much for the comfort of the batsmen that Clarke chanced an lbw referral for a Peter Siddle delivery that struck Younis well outside off stump and may have also hit the bat first. From there Shehzad sprinted towards his century, clattering four sixes along the way.But the shot of the day belonged to Younis, a low, skimming drive to the cover boundary from the bowling of Johnson. If Australia’s spearhead was unable to break through, the No. 1 spinner was barely used – Clarke ignored Lyon for much of the session in favour of O’Keefe. It had become a matter of damage limitation.After tea Shehzad perished attempting a reverse sweep at O’Keefe, but Younis was more successful in using the stroke against Lyon, on the way to a hundred that brought every spectator to their feet. Warner and Rogers began brightly against a token two overs of pace, but the introduction of Mohammad Hafeez and then Zulfiqur drew numerous false strokes.Even so, Rogers’ reprieve from an incorrect caught behind decision seemed likely to get Australia through to stumps unscathed. Little more than half an hour’s play remained when Warner danced fatally past a Zulfiqur delivery that carried on with the arm, and his exit opened up the wound.Doolan was transfixed on the crease and lbw for a duck, Clarke unable to get his bat out in front of pad against Yasir’s canny use of line and pace, and Lyon completing a dismal match by falling in similar fashion. There was the scantiest consolation in the fact that Smith twice eluded freak run outs after advancing down the pitch. Tomorrow he and Rogers must cross the sun’s anvil.

New Zealand drew strength from two players at opposite ends of their career – Corey Anderson and Daniel Vettori – as they saw off Sri Lanka at the start of the World Cup

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch14-Feb-20151:05

Anderson pays tribute to Vettori, McCullum

Corey Anderson was two years old during the 1992 World Cup; Daniel Vettori made his Test debut five years after that tournament. The opening match of the 2015 World Cup was a day for the evergreen warhorse of New Zealand cricket and one of the whipper-snappers who is evolving as part of the new generation.On his home ground, in front of family and friends, Anderson clubbed 75 off 46 balls in one of his most mature international innings. Given worldwide acclaim for his (briefly held) world record 36-ball hundred against West Indies, he continues to provide evidence that he is becoming a well-rounded batsman.Earlier in the season, on this same ground, he made 81 to guide New Zealand to a tight victory against Sri Lanka and now this innings ensured New Zealand did not falter when, almost out of nowhere, Jeevan Mendis plucked two wickets in two balls.There was a calmness about Anderson when he arrived alongside Grant Elliott. Although he took Tillakaratne Dilshan for a six, he was largely sedate for a significant period time as he reached 27 off 25 balls. Then the pedal was pushed – with the aid of a woeful missed catch by Mendis – as his next 48 runs came from 21 deliveries.”We’ve all been put in positions over the last 12 months to adapt to what we have to deal with,” Anderson said. “Everyone has chipped in. It’s all about knowing the situation you are in. It’s nice having someone like Grant out there who has played a lot of cricket. We knew we had Ronchi in the shed and how much damage he can do at the end. If one of us was in at the end we knew we could put a better than par score on the board.”If the guys up the top set a platform, and they have done in the last 12 months, it makes it a lot easier to tee off,” he said. “But if we are put in early we are good enough to get ourselves out of it.”At the other end of the experience scale stands Vettori, who has shed blood and sweat to recover from severe Achilles injuries to have a final crack at the World Cup – a tournament he was first involved in as an unused member of the 15-man squad in England in 1999. Using the subtle changes of pace and flight that have been a feature of his whole career, he made Dilshan pop a return catch then found Mahela Jayawardene’s edge.The pre-tournament consensus has been that this will not be an event for spinners, but this pitch at Hagley Oval turned more than expected, leaving both Vettori and Rangana Herath as significant weapons. This performance from Vettori was an example of why the New Zealand management gave him every chance to make this tournament.”You know, he’s just so good. It’s pretty easy to sum him up.” Anderson said. “He’s played a lot of cricket. He’s smart, and he knows how to get guys out. He’s just a clever bowler. You’d love him to bowl more than 10, especially on that wicket. It was holding quite a bit and it was tough to get away the spinners. So yeah, he bowled unbelievably.”Vettori’s spell helped to ensure that New Zealand began with a victory. Defeat would have been far from terminal, but it would certainly have burst a bubble. “We just wanted to keep what we’ve begun like a juggernaut rolling forward,” Anderson said. They could not have rolled forward any better.

The ECB has delayed the announcement of the West Indian Test and one-day tour parties, and will now unveil its squads on Wednesday afternoon

Wisden Cricinfo staff17-May-2016

Andrew Caddick: thanks but no thanks
© Cricinfo

The ECB has delayed the announcement of the West Indian Test and one-day tour parties, and will now unveil its squads on Wednesday afternoon. It had been assumed that the selectors would have completed their global consultations over the weekend – involving Duncan Fletcher in South Africa and Rod Marsh in Australia – but they have opted to delay for 24 hours.It could well be that there are one or two last-minute bleep tests to carry out. The bulk of the selectors’ conversation will have been about the fitness – or rather lack of – of their seam bowlers. The main contenders are in various states of unreadiness, and it is not inconceivable than the bulk of the front-line choices could be ruled out on medical grounds.The key man in the whole business of who goes to the West Indies is Peter Gregory, the England doctor. David Graveney, the chairman of selectors, made it clear that no player would make the trip if he couldn’t satisfy Gregory that he was fit.”We have to listen to Peter Gregory and his input will be crucial,” said Graveney. “In view of what has happened last year in Australia, we must be sure that we don’t select players who aren’t going to last. The medical team on tour simply can’t treat ongoing injuries as well as those that are bound to crop up, otherwise it’ll be chaotic.”That leaves three men – Simon Jones, Andrew Caddick and Steve Harmison – sweating by the telephone. Caddick has the most to fear – Graveney said as much – as he has still not resumed bowling following surgery last summer. Jones is reported to be bowling well in the nets but, like Caddick, he is woefully short of any match practice. The selectors will not gamble on both of them, and so Jones’s youth – and the fact that he has at least started bowling – will count in his favour.The questions surrounding Harmison’s suitability are quite different. His fitness is an issue, but perhaps no more than his growing reputation as being a difficult tourist. Stories abound that since his early return from Bangladesh he has been markedly reluctant to fall into line with what England believe is the best rehabilitation for him. Several influential members of the England camp are reported to be less than thrilled with his overall attitude.If all three were to be ruled out, England’s attack looks decidedly weak. Andrew Flintoff is a certainty, James Anderson not far short of being one, and the rest include Matthew Hoggard, Richard Johnson, James Kirtley and Martin Saggers from the autumn tours. It’s not quite scraping the barrel, but with West Indies pace attack in disarray, it will not be a battle of the world-class fast men.The spinners are easy to pick now that Robert Croft has withdrawn his hat from the ring, and the two allrounders – Flintoff and Rikki Clarke – pick themselves in the absence of any realistic alternatives. The same applies to the wicketkeepers.The batting is also more straightforward, with the same six as toured Bangladesh and Sri Lanka almost certain to retain their places.Possible squad Michael Vaughan (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Mark Butcher, Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Rikki Clarke, Chris Read (wk) Geraint Jones (wk), Ashley Giles, Gareth Batty, Steve Harmison, Richard Johnson, James Anderson, Simon Jones.

Folarin Balogun scored a goal for Monaco and set up another, but it wasn't enough to upset Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Friday.

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Balogun scores fourth of yearSets up another for MinaminoMonaco fall 5-2

Balogun and Monaco were unable to take down PSG in Friday, as they failed to take a chance to go level with the Ligue 1 giants atop the Ligue 1 table.

The U.S. men's national team star did score in the 75th minute, though, but by that point the game was effectively over thanks to a second-half blitz from PSG.

GOAL analyzes Balogun's performance from the Parc Des Princes…

GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The hosts seized an early lead in the 18th minute, with Portuguese star Goncalo Ramos netting his third goal of the season.

Monaco fought back with a goal of their own just two minutes later, with Balogun's pressing leading to a Gianluigi Donnarumma mistake. The Italian's attempt to play the ball out of the back ended in a Takumi Minamino goal, equaling the score at one a-piece.

PSG wouldn't be denied, though, as Kylian Mbappe made it 2-1 from the penalty spot in the 39th minute, giving the hosts the momentum going into halftime. It was a bit nervy in the second half, but PSG eventually put the game to bed via a world-class Ousmane Dembele goal. Moments later, Vitinha added a fourth, totally ending Monaco's hopes of a comeback.

It didn't stop Balogun, though, as the American broke through in the 75th minute go make it 4-2 and end his own day on something of a high. The goal didn't mean much, though, as Randal Kolo Muani essentially erased it with a fifth for the Parisians in stoppage-time.

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WIth the loss, Monaco squandered a chance to really make a statement in the title race, as they entered the match just three points behind league-leaders PSG with Nice sandwiched between the two. However, with the win, PSG now have a six point advantage on Monaco, who will remain in third place after this weekend regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT

Even aside from his goal, it's fair to say that Balogun did have a good game leading the line for Monaco.

His holdup play was solid throughout as he did feel involved in the attack. More importantly, his pressing was relentless, as he single-handedly created Monaco's first by pressing what should have been a lost cause. It wasn't though, as his effort led to a Donnarumma mishap for Monaco's first.

Monaco's second, though, was all him. The forward broke through all alone and provided a composed finish, leaving Donnarumma no chance.

Ultimately, there was no way back for Monaco, but Balogun certainly did his part.

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GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Folarin Balogun (8/10):

Got his goal and set up another one, even if he won't be credited with the assist. Now has four goals on the season and performances like this will certainly keep him in the Monaco XI.

Rory McIlroy has explained why he could not “go anywhere near” investment at Leeds, but is still hoping to get a “0.0001% share” in Manchester United.

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Spieth and Thomas involved at Elland RoadRed Devils fan refused to join projectForms part of Alpine investment groupWHAT HAPPENED?

The Northern Irishman, who recently helped Europe to Ryder Cup glory in another epic clash with the United States, is an avid follower of the Red Devils. As a result, he could not bring himself to join fellow golfing superstars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in forming part of the £170 million ($207m) takeover of Leeds by the 49ers Enterprises group.

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report McIlroy as saying: “They asked me if I wanted to come on board and I was like, as a Man Utd fan, can't go anywhere near that.”

WHAT THEY SAID

While steering clear of the United outfit in Leeds, McIlroy would like to get involved with the one in Manchester – with the Glazer family having opened themselves up to offers that now see Sir Jim Ratcliffe leading the race to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club. McIlroy added: “I would love to have taken a 0.0001% share. If another opportunity comes my way I will definitely look at it. To be able to own even a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of the club you grew up cheering on would be very cool.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

McIlroy is not involved in football just yet, but he is one of the investors – alongside the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Trent Alexander-Arnold – in the Alpine Formula 1 team. He has said of joining that group: “It's a great opportunity, I've always been a big fan of F1. There has been quite a bit of Northern Irish/Irish connection there with Eddie Jordan and Eddie Irvine back in the day. It's always been something I followed. And then when this opportunity came up, I just think with the popularity of F1, how much it's booming in the US in particular – and I have invested in a few things – but this has got more of a story and a journey. It's no surprise they went to market and got some investors in but I think it obviously stabilises the team and it gives them some confidence going forward. F1 as a whole they do it so well. Golf could learn quite a bit from F1 in terms of some of the set-up stuff and how they do things.”

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has cleared the national men’s and women’s teams to travel to India for the World T20

Umar Farooq and Nagraj Gollapudi11-Mar-2016Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has cleared the national men’s and women’s teams to travel to India for the World T20. The decision came after the government received letters from the West Bengal state government and Kolkata’s police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, assuring special security measures for Pakistan’s men’s team while in Kolkata, where their match against India will be played on March 19. The teams are expected to arrive in India on Saturday.*Najam Sethi, the chairman of the PCB’s executive committee, met Pakistan’s interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan on Friday and later informed the media that the government had received “solid assurances” from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.”We have got the assurances we had wanted from India [the federal home ministry and the West Bengal government] about the security around the Pakistan teams and the good news for the fans is that Chaudhry Nisar has said the teams can travel to India,” Sethi said. “Chaudhry Nisar said that the government has received solid assurances from the Indian home ministry so we can send our teams to India. The team will be leaving either tonight or tomorrow morning.”Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly had submitted the letters from Kumar and West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee to the ICC on Thursday afternoon. According to two senior CAB officials, the content in both letters, which were addressed to CAB, was brief: both Banerjee and Kumar stated they will take responsibility for the Pakistan team’s security for the duration of their stay in Kolkata for the match against India.On Thursday, India’s home minister, Rajnath Singh, had said: “Anyone coming to India will be provided security, there is no doubt about it.” Kuldip Singh Dhatwalia, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, reiterated the home minister’s statement. “Home Minister has already said it on record that government of India will provide all the due and proper security. It is not only for the Pakistani team, but for any other team also, the government of India is committed to provide the security,” Dhatwalia told ESPNcricinfo.The match was shifted to Kolkata from Dharamsala due to concerns over security of the Pakistan team. It is understood that the ICC had specifically asked the Cricket Association of Bengal, the host association for the match, to obtain the assurances.Both teams were scheduled to depart for India earlier this week, but the departure was put on hold due to the controversy over security assurances. The Pakistan men’s team is currently in Lahore, while the women’s team is in Karachi. The players were briefed by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan on Thursday about the security situation in India.The ICC moved the match from Dharamsala to Kolkata, after Pakistan asked for a change in venue. The request was based on the report of a three-member delegation from Pakistan that visited India to assess security arrangements in Dharamsala, and stated that ‘security is not assured’ at the venue.The Pakistan government had initially cleared the team to play in India, but the board decided to put the visit on hold until they were guaranteed foolproof security. The PCB’s move was prompted after the Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh had expressed concerns over providing security for the match in Dharamsala. 1203 GMT, March 11, 2016. The news piece was updated after the Pakistan government cleared the teams to travel to India

Harry Kane is making quite the impact at Bayern Munich, with the Bundesliga giants expecting their star striker to shatter shirt sales records.

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Prolific frontman moved to Germany from SpursHas already made history on the goal frontShifting jerseys at a record-setting paceWHAT HAPPENED?

The prolific England captain completed a €100 million (£87m/$109m) transfer to the Allianz Arena during the summer window when severing career-long ties with Premier League side Tottenham. Kane has hit the ground running in Germany, with three hat-tricks included in his history-making haul of 21 goals in 16 appearances.

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It is not just on the field that Kane is causing a stir, though, with Bayern benefiting considerably from his marketing appeal. On the weekend that the 30-year-old frontman moved to Bavaria, 20,000 No.9 jerseys bearing his name were shifted.

DID YOU KNOW?

That was a record in itself, while Bayern enjoyed their best ever day on the general sales front when Kane was announced – beating their previous high after winning the Champions League in 2020. According to , the club now expects to have sold more than 100,000 Kane shirts before Christmas.

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No player in Bayern’s history has ever achieved those numbers, with Kane set to break through the six-figure barrier and keep on rising through to the end of the 2023-24 campaign. The Bundesliga champions announced revenue of €110m (£96m/$120m) from merchandising for the 2022-23 season, with those figures set to soar now that Kane is on their books.