All posts by h716a5.icu

Encouraging signs for England batting as West Indies suffer on unforgiving surface

Andrew Miller16-Mar-2022England 244 for 3 (Root 119*, Lawrence 91) vs West IndiesTwo Tests into the red-ball reset. Two Test centuries for the one man in England’s ranks who really didn’t require the Ctl-Alt-Del treatment. By the time the shadows had begun to creep at a rowdy Kensington Oval – a venue more packed with England fans than his own stomping ground of Headingley may end up being this summer – Joe Root had marched imperiously along to his 25th Test hundred, and his eighth in 19 Tests since the start of 2021.An anomalous Ashes campaign stands squarely in the way of Root’s otherwise normal service, but if the pressure of hoisting this Test team onto his shoulders had caused those knees to buckle in Australia, then Root has reaffirmed his desire to lead England’s rebuild in no uncertain terms.In six hours of ever-mounting authority, Root reaped what he himself had sown – in partnership with, first, the doughty Alex Lees, then the more free-spirited Dan Lawrence – as a morning session of 47 grimly-conceded runs gave way to returns of 89 in the afternoon and 108 in the evening, during which Lawrence’s 91 from 150 balls, the highest score of his young career, reinforced the can-do attitude that he had displayed in his declaration slog in Antigua last week.Related

Mahmood handed Test debut as Wood, Robinson ruled out

Fortress Bridgetown beckons after Antiguan appetiser

Strauss: ECB to launch high-performance review of English game

West Indies docked two WTC points for slow over rate

How the Caribbean remains England's final frontier

Alas for Lawrence, his innings would end in agonising anti-climax, from what would have been the penultimate ball of the day. He had reined himself in for much of the final hour, surviving in the process a spill at slip off the persevering Jayden Seales on 72. But then, with his blood pumping after racing into the 90s with back-to-back boundaries, Jason Holder lured him on the drive once more, and Lawrence stalked off cursing himself after picking out extra cover. Like Zak Crawley in the first Test, he may reflect that opportunities for Test centuries don’t come much better than this, least of all when you are privileged enough to share in a 164-run partnership with an acknowledged modern master of the game.For there aren’t many measures left by which to assess the zone that Root has entered into in the past 14 months. By the time he left the field with 119 from 246 balls to his name, Root had racked up 2018 runs since the start of 2021. England play more Tests than most opponents of course – and that can be a curse as much as a blessing when it comes to managing burn-out – but of his contemporaries, only Rishabh Pant (1077) and Dimuth Karunaratne (1068) have even crossed even the 1000-mark.Just as Root had begun his 2021 annus mirablis with scores of 228, 186 and 218 against Sri Lanka and India, and the sense that nothing and no-one could dislodge him, so he finished this first day as if in a force-field. West Indies delayed their new ball until the 85th over as Seales in particular began to locate some reverse-swing, but Root’s footwork was imperturbable as he sashayed himself into line, and set his stall for Thursday’s resumption.And yet, it hadn’t been quite such plain-sailing for Root in a choppy opening gambit, and after being offered nothing from another dog of a deck, West Indies were left to rue two priceless opportunities either side of lunch that could potentially have cracked open the rest of England’s still unproven batting.Joe Root and Dan Lawrence upped the tempo•Getty ImagesRoot’s first big let-off came on 23, in the second hour of the morning, when Jason Holder wriggled a length delivery through to the keeper via a tangle of bat and pad. West Indies, perhaps chastened by the misuse of an early review, chose not to send it upstairs, and sure enough, replays showed that Root had indeed got a thin inside-edge as the ball went by.Root’s big reprieve, however, came on 34 in the fourth over after lunch, when he deflected a leg-sided delivery from Kemar Roach straight off the face of his bat, only for Joshua da Silva to spill a low but catchable chance, diving to his left. Roach dropped to his haunches in despair, perhaps recognising how fleeting such opportunities would be on this unforgiving deck. Sure enough, Root barely offered another glimmer as he brought up a 125-ball fifty five balls after the drinks break with a punched single into the covers.After winning the toss, Root had had little hesitation in batting first, even though there was a hint of early assistance for West Indies’ seamers, not dissimilar to that which England had encountered in crumbling to 48 for 4 on the first morning of the first Test. At 4 for 1 in the fourth over, with Zak Crawley caught in two minds by a good seaming delivery from Seales, there was just the slightest threat of a repeat performance.Lees, however, settled quickly into his day’s work as the threat of the new ball dissipated, with another innings of self-denial that would be familiar to anyone who tuned into his warm-up maiden fifty at Coolidge last month. West Indies were perhaps guilty of bowling too few deliveries that were targeting his stumps after his consecutive lbws in Antigua, but Lees left the ball well with his minimalist footwork, and picked off his runs with uncomplicated resolve – his three boundaries, in fact, came via a clip, a cut and a push down the ground, a hat-trick of strokes that served Alastair Cook perfectly well in his under-stated career.But just when Lees seemed to have done the hard part, he was nailed plumb in front of middle for 30 as Veerasammy Permaul cramped him from over the wicket to break his drought after a wicketless second innings in Antigua.However Lees’ departure, at 80 for 2, singled a marked change-up in tempo, as Lawrence romped out of the blocks with a desire to bring the action. He came close to running himself out for 11 as he took off for a tight single to mid-on, moments after battering Holder for back-to-back fours, Holder’s first such indignity of the series (but not, as it would turn out, his last). But he was far from chastised when, three overs later, he skipped down the track to Permaul to launch England’s first six of the innings, to confirm the intent with which the remainder of a gutsy innings would be compiled.Until the relative fireworks of the evening session, England’s most dramatic developments arguably took place off the field, with the news that Yorkshire’s Matt Fisher had been drafted in for a last-minute debut, after Craig Overton had fallen ill overnight.With Saqib Mahmood already inked in for his own debut, England are fielding two debutant fast bowlers for the first time since the Lord’s Test of 2009, also against West Indies, when Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan made their bow. On this early evidence, the new pair will not be expecting quite the same assistance from the conditions that their forebears enjoyed.

Jack Grealish has been a “huge success” at Manchester City, says Richard Dunne, despite questions being asked of value for money in a £100m transfer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2021Won the Treble in second season with CityEnd product has been in short supplyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England international forward became the most expensive player in British football when moving to the Etihad Stadium from boyhood club Aston Villa in 2021. He now has three Premier League titles to his name and formed part of a historic Treble triumph in 2022-23.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Grealish has, however, faced accusations of changing his game under Pep Guardiola – with the 29-year-old seemingly reluctant to carry the ball as much as he did at Villa. His end product has also dried up since swapping the West Midlands for the North West.

DID YOU KNOW?

Just 16 goals have been registered for City through 151 appearances, with his last effort in the English top-flight coming over 14 months ago on December 16, 2023. As many headlines have been made off the field of late as on it.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT RICHARD DUNNE SAID

Quizzed on whether Grealish has justified his nine-figure price tag, former City captain Dunne – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “The price tag is what it is, that’s the business of Premier League football at the moment.

“If you look at any player that is involved in a Treble-winning team, they have justified their reasons for being there. Jack was a huge part of that Treble-winning side, so I don’t think anyone can doubt that he has been a success at Man City. He has been a huge success.

“He has probably not had the goals and assists that everyone wants to look at and see, but his performances and what he’s brought to the club and the team have been exceptional. If he was to leave in the summer, I don’t think people would say it has been a failed move. He’s had a really successful time and hopefully it will continue for more years, rather than thinking that’s the end this summer.”

Getty Images

Leeds United are on a roll as they aim to put together a tilt at promotion from the Sky Bet Championship and their good mood is spreading throughout the squad, as latest developments now indicate at Elland Road.

What's the latest news involving Leeds United?

The Whites have gone on a six-match unbeaten streak in the Sky Bet Championship and sit sixth in the league standings, representing a solid start to proceedings for Daniel Farke since taking charge at Elland Road.

As per Sky Sports via Leeds Live, pundit Don Goodman has claimed that Leeds United trio Joel Piroe, Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter are too good for the Sky Bet Championship.

Goodman stated: "In those forward areas, we’re starting to see genuine Championship quality. Quality that’s probably too good for the Championship in Joel Piroe. I’m glad that Georginio Rutter has found his feet and found his confidence, throw into the mix (Wilfried) Gnonto and more behind that as well, their options are brilliant. Look, it was a really, really unsettled pre-season with all the comings and goings, contract clauses, and who was going to be there when the transfer window shut."

Piroe in particular has impressed for the Whites since joining from divisional rivals Swansea City in the summer transfer window, racking up six goals in his opening nine appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, journalist Phil Hay has indicated that the 49ers could look to pay up the remainder of out-of-favour star Helder Costa's contract at Elland Road after a move to new surroundings failed to materialise for the Angola international during the summer transfer window.

Next up for Leeds United is a trip to St Mary's Stadium to face an out-of-sorts Southampton, with Russell Martin's men coming off the back of four straight defeats in the English second-tier.

What have Ethan Ampadu and Luke Ayling said?

Taking to Instagram, Leeds United forward Georginio Rutter posted a compilation of his best moments from their 3-0 win over Watford last weekend, in which he claimed a stunning late assist to set up Jaidon Anthony for the Whites' crowning third goal.

In reply, Leeds United right-back Luke Ayling replied with a comment which read: "Love that happy face of yours!!" Further down, Wales international Ethan Ampadu also chimed in with a simple one-word response that said "Wow" in reference to the France Under-21 gem's exploits in the victory.

Looking like a man full of confidence all of a sudden, Rutter has managed to appear eight times in all competitions for Leeds United, registering two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt. Acting as a foil for Piroe in attack against Watford, Rutter managed to complete seven of his nine dribbles attempted during the clash and also laid on three key passes against the Hornets, according to Sofascore.

Leeds United boss Farke said that the 21-year-old was "top-class" across proceedings last weekend and he now slowly looks to be paying back the club-record £35 million fee shelled out for his services in January, as per talkSPORT.

Ayling and Ampadu have clearly caught a buzz off of his recent performances and everyone connected with the club will hope he can play a key part in their push for promotion over the coming months.

Ireland have named a 14-man squad for the one-off Test against Pakistan that begins next Friday

Danyal Rasool04-May-2018An experienced squad led by long-time captain William Porterfield will face Pakistan at Malahide Cricket Club when the two sides meet next week in what will be Ireland’s first Test match.Cricket Ireland’s 14-man squad includes many stalwarts of the Irish game, including the O’Brien brothers, Andy Balbirnie and Paul Stirling. Left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who has struggled for form and had a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign in Zimbabwe, was left out.Ireland’s best chance of troubling Pakistan in home conditions lies in the quality and strength of their seam bowling, and unsurprisingly, players with that skill set feature heavily in the squad. Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh, Stuart Thompson, Tyrone Kane, and Kevin O’Brien are all handy options in their own conditions. Less than a week ago, Pakistan were bowled out for 168 against second division Kent, their troubles to handle seam bowling particularly evident.Despite this being their first Test match, Ireland probably won’t go into it with eleven debutants. Veteran fast bowler Boyd Rankin has played one Test – for England – over four years ago. That came against Australia in Sydney, the fifth match of a series England lost 5-0.Ireland will become the 11th side to play Test cricket, after the ICC last year approved them, along with Afghanistan as ICC Full Members. They have been a consistently impressive side around the fringes of the top ten for the past decade or so, and Pakistan, of all nations, need no reminding of their potential to cause an upset. In the 2007 World Cup, Ireland stunned Pakistan in the group stage by three wickets, knocking them out of the competition on St Patrick’s Day. They claimed a Full Member scalp in each of the following World Cups, beating England by chasing down 329 in 2011, and trouncing West Indies in the sides’ opening game in 2015.Squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andy Balbirnie, Ed Joyce, Tyrone Kane, Andy McBrine, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, Nathan Smith, Paul Stirling, James Shannon, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson

With the tournament scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10, SLC is also attempting to lure second-string India players to participate

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Apr-2018Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman, and commentator, has been appointed tournament director for the Lankan Premier League, to be played in August and September. Having officially signed on several days ago, Arnold’s work begins in earnest in May.”We consider bringing in a person in the caliber of Russel as the Tournament Director of the LPL will help the process of making it a successful tournament, especially considering his experience as a player and also his knowledge in promoting the game,” said Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president.Although planning remains in the early stages, Sri Lanka Cricket is also attempting to lure second-string India players to the tournament, with Sumathipala having repeatedly stated that he plans to appeal to the BCCI about the issue. The presence of Indian players – even those of lesser renown – would be a substantial boon, particularly as LPL match times will be ideally suited for Indian viewers. The BCCI has never allowed its players to participate in foreign leagues, although SLC hopes to change that given the recent co-operation between both boards.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva also said that the board would insist that all its players take part in the LPL instead of the Caribbean Premier League, which is set to take place at the same time.SLC has not had a high profile T20 tournament since the SLPL, which had a lukewarm reception on the island in 2012, and was never played again. The LPL is scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10.

Nottingham Forest failed to secure a move for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah over the summer, but a reliable journalist has now delivered an update on the chances of a deal taking place in January.

How much does Trevoh Chalobah earn?

At Stamford Bridge, Chalobah currently pockets £50k-per-week which he isn’t really earning considering that he’s yet to make a single appearance this season, and he’s never been able to nail down a regular senior spot having carried out three loans with Ipswich Town, Huddersfield and FC Lorient.

Mauricio Pochettino’s centre-back still has another five years remaining on his contract, but due to his lack of game time which highlights just how low down in the pecking order he is, Evangelos Marinakis and Steve Cooper looked to recruit him over the summer.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett revealed that the Reds had enquired about a deal for the 24-year-old on transfer deadline day, but with the player opting not to accept the move, they instead swooped for Norwich City’s Andrew Omobamidele as an ideal alternative.

The Premier League side, however, may have now been gifted the perfect second chance to secure their target should they want to make another attempt to bring him to the Midlands in January 2024.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Trevoh Chalobah?

Taking to X, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea are set to release Chalobah for an exit in January, and whilst it's unknown whether this would be on a temporary or permanent basis, Nottingham Forest should be on high alert. He wrote:

“Trevoh Chalobah rejected Nottingham Forest move on Deadline Day because he wanted to join Bayern; then his preference was to stay at Chelsea despite £25m deal agreed between clubs. He'll fight for his place but sources expect Chalobah to leave the club in January.”

Is Trevoh Chalobah a good defender?

Despite Chalobah not being able to get a look in so far this season at Chelsea, Nottingham Forest will know that he is still a “diamond”, as once labelled by talent scout Jacek Kulig, especially Cooper, who previously managed him during his time with England’s international youth set-up.

The Freetown native, who is sponsored by Nike, was averaging 2.2 clearances alongside 1.2 tackles and 1.2 aerial wins per top-flight game last term, via WhoScored, not to mention his calmness and composure on the ball having recorded an 88.5% pass success rate which was higher than any of the regular features at The City Ground.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the young colossus is also a versatile operator having been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the backline and even three roles in the midfield, so he would be a great option for the manager to have at his disposal should any unexpected injuries occur.

Finally, Chalobah shares the same agent, CAA Base Ltd, as Chris Wood, so this existing connection that his representative already has to the club could give them a small advantage should they try to get a deal over the line at the start of the new year.

Tymal Mills was last year’s IPL ‘belle of the ball’, but he has no regrets about missing out on the tournament this year

Andrew Miller04-Apr-2018A year is a long time in the world of a T20 freelance cricketer. Twelve months ago, Tymal Mills was gearing up for his first crack at sporting superstardom, after being snapped up by Bangalore Royal Challengers for a whopping GBP1.4 million at the 2017 IPL auction – a true rags-to-riches tale for a player who had feared, due to a degenerative back condition, that he might be forced to retire before he had even reached his prime.But now, Mills is back to being on the outside looking in where the IPL’s concerned – he was snubbed at this year’s auction after an underwhelming run of form for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash, and overlooked too in the draft for the Caribbean Premier League (although, as he later clarified on Twitter, a partial clash with his county commitments at Sussex meant he had never fully expected a gig).But Mills insists he has no complaints about the way in which his life has reverted to the norm, or indeed about the process of the IPL auction itself – which has attracted criticism in some quarters, most notably from the chief executive of New Zealand’s players’ association, Heath Mills, that it is “undignified” and “cruel” to parade players like “cattle”.Mills takes pride in Pakistan trip

Tymal Mills says he is pleased to have made the decision to travel to Pakistan for the latter stages of this year’s PSL, having opted out of travelling for last year’s final.
“It was a great experience,” Mills said, after his Karachi Kings side lost their semi-final to Peshawar Zalmi in Lahore. “I was only out there for 2-3 days but the security was like nothing I’d seen before. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the country but just saw the airport, hotel and ground. But I felt incredibly safe.
“As with all Asian countries, it was a full stadium, 25-30,000 there, noise all throughout the game. It was really good for Pakistan cricket that these games went well and were well received.”

“It’s a little bit tough, but don’t put yourself in it if you’re scared of being humiliated or embarrassed,” Mills told ESPNcricinfo. “If you don’t get picked. It’s just the way it is. I’ve felt the good and the bad of the auction, I was obviously the belle of the ball last year and this year I wasn’t involved. That’s okay. We’re all big boys and we have got take the rough with the smooth.”It’s not like that in any other league because there’s not the money elsewhere that there is in the IPL,” he added. “The only way to spread out that type of money is through the auction system, I think. Obviously with other leagues, it’s capped and there’s less money involved so you can split it – you can do it in a draft and it’s a bit more regimented – but with the money that the IPL generates and the passion and everything that India brings to cricket, it’s just the way it is.”And Mills certainly has no reason to bite the hand that chose not to feed him this year. After all, it’s not as if the vast sum of money that RCB coughed up for his services last year has gone up in smoke, KLF-style.”I was very, very fortunate last year,” Mills said. “I invested it well, bought myself a property and all those nice things. I’ve definitely experienced both sides of the coin – obviously things couldn’t have been better last year with the contract I was able to get, and obviously this year I didn’t get one, so it works both ways, but I wasn’t expecting to get one.”Going into the auction I was in pretty bad form playing in the Big Bash, and how you perform leading up to the auction really determines how well you go or don’t go – last year I had a really good series with England in India; this year bowled pretty poorly. I’m not upset about it or anything, it’s just the way it goes. I’m still very happy with how my life is, still very fortunate, and I’ll be ready to go if guys get injured or get international call-ups.”In the meantime, Mills’ IPL mantle has been passed to his Sussex team-mate, Jofra Archer, who was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for GBP800,000. And seeing as they were both playing for Hobart when the news from the auction landed, Mills has been on hand to pass on some of the lessons he learned about such a life-changing windfall.”It’s great for Jofra,” Mills said. “We come from quite similar backgrounds, not overly well off, then you get given all this money and you don’t quite know what to do with it. I saw at first-hand how good he was in the Big Bash, and as I was in the exact same situation 12 months ago, I’ve put him in touch with some people who helped me get stuff in order. I’m sure he’ll be fine as well.”Mills was speaking at Hove during Sussex’s pre-season media day, having just returned from Lahore where he was one of a contingent of English players who committed to taking part in the knock-out stages of the Pakistan Super League. And despite being eliminated by Peshawar Zalmi in the semi-finals, his haul of 2 for 23 in three overs capped a personally satisfactory campaign, and perhaps more importantly given his medical history, proved his ability to remain fit across back-to-back tournaments.”I’ve had an up-and-down winter in terms of form and selection, but I have to be very grateful I’m still playing,” he said. “Last year I struggled, I tore my hamstring three times and it was a real problem for me. So to get through back-to-back tournaments, even though I didn’t bowl as well as I would have liked in the first half, that’s a big plus for me, to stand here right now, in good shape and really looking forward to the English season.”And despite so much talk in the English off-season about the increasing divide between red-ball and white-ball cricket, Mills reiterated he was fully committed to playing for Sussex in this season’s Blast, in spite of putting himself forward for the CPL which clashes with the latter stages of the competition.”I’m fully committed to Sussex,” he said, “They’ve treated me really well since I moved down here, but it’s just about being smart and having all bases covered.”The way the CPL draft works, to be a replacement player you have to be in the draft in the first place. So if Sussex weren’t to qualify for the knock-outs, I could then be available for over half of the CPL if there was an injury.”Overall, Mills believes that the specialist route that he was forced to take through injury, and that the likes of Alex Hales and Adil Rashid have since chosen, will be the exception rather than the rule for county cricket.”Halesy and Rash have their England white-ball contracts, and they’ve still got contracts with their counties,” he said. “If the worst comes to the worst and they don’t get picked in a single league around the world, they are financially able to live. Whereas a guy here at Sussex who says he won’t play red-ball anymore would be running a big risk.”So I don’t think it’ll be that big a deal at domestic level, it’s just whether the guys at the international level maybe decide to go down that route.”

There's a long list of talented academy graduates that have risen through the age groups at Aston Villa, taking their chance in the first-team and leaving for a substantial fee later down the line.

Creating a legacy for blooding through the youth, Villa have seen a number of their very own become household names.

Gareth Barry, who graduated through the club's academy and made his debut for the club in 1998, went on to become one of the most iconic midfielders in the Premier League – and his record of 652 appearances still stands as the most in the competitions' history.

Likewise, Gary Cahill, Gabby Agbonlahor, Lee Hendrie and Steven Davis have all emphasized the academy's success, particularly during the early 2000s as Villa showcased their ability to churn out talent at a rapid rate.

In the present day, Jacob Ramsey is the latest academy star to become a revelation in the first-team, while Carney Chukwuemeka, Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene all departed the club for big money moves this summer, and they aren't the only ones to have done so in recent times.

After making a club-record £100m move to Manchester City in 2021, Jack Grealish became the most prolific example of the gems that Villa have unearthed.

When did Grealish make his Villa debut?

On May 7th 2014, a teenage star was born as Grealish made his Premier League debut against his future employers, Man City and although many knew of his precocious talents, few would have envisaged him achieving the success he has today.

Having made his senior debut at 18 years old, the Englishman went on to make 213 appearances for the club, chalking up 32 goals and 43 assists, propelling him towards the realm of club legend status.

During his 19-year association with the Villains, Grealish produced several memorable moments that saw him rise to prominence as the most talented graduate to come from the club's academy.

In Villa's FA Cup semi-final tie with Liverpool, a 19-year-old Grealish served up a stellar performance, notching up an assist which helped his boyhood club to their first FA Cup final in 15 years.

While Villa would struggle in the years that followed, suffering relegation to the Championship in 2016, Grealish was instrumental in their rise back to England's top table, becoming the figurehead of their success and the player for the big occasion.

Having captained the club back to promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, he registered 37 goal contributions in the following two seasons as his magnificent performances earned him the opportunity to work under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

What has Grealish achieved at Manchester City?

In their first season working under Guardiola, many players have struggled to acclimatize to the Catalan's demands, including Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias.

After joining in the summer of 2021, Grealish was no different as he only managed six goal contributions in 36 Premier League appearances, albeit most of his playing time was restricted to substitute appearances.

That soon changed as the following season saw the £300k per-week star become instrumental to their stunning treble-winning campaign as the 28-year-old recorded 18 goal contributions in all competitions with Guardiola hailing him as "exceptional".

While Grealish has seen his output dramatically increase in the final third, he's also producing world-class numbers for an array of his attacking attributes, ranking in the top 4% for progressive carries, fouls drawn, progressive passes and carries into the penalty when comparing him to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref.

From dreaming of playing in front of the Holte End to joining an exclusive bracket of treble winners, it's been some journey for Grealish and despite what he goes on to achieve across his illustrious career, he'll always bleed claret and blue.

As for the Villans, despite suffering the frustration of losing their prized possession, to have raked in such a sizeable for an academy product is further evidence that they did truly strike gold by nurturing the fleet-footed sensation.

Aston Villa have been a club on the up since the arrival of Unai Emery in November 2022, with the Spaniard rocketing the Villans to a European finish in his first spell in the Midlands.

The former Arsenal boss has transformed the outlook at Villa Park, even more so after the summer transfer window, in which he made some stellar signings, most prominently the record-breaking capture of Moussa Diaby.

As well as welcoming five new faces to the squad, Emery bid farewell to a host of talent through sales, with one academy star in Cameron Archer leaving after rumours of him eventually breaking through.

How much did Aston Villa sell Cameron Archer for?

Archer worked his way from the academy to eventually gain minutes with the first team and then thrive on loan.

However, despite penning a new deal in 2022, the Englishman departed to Sheffield United on a permanent basis.

In a deal worth £18m, the striker has already shown his worth with the Blades, scoring on his Premier League debut at Bramall Lane.

Who could replace Cameron Archer?

While the sale of the 21-year-old was a good move for the player due to the current pecking order in the position at Villa, his move leaves a door open for another up-and-coming talent to eye a sporadic role around the first team.

The club have a list of budding talent currently excelling at Bodymoor Heath, as well as those that are relishing loan spells, with one being Louie Barry, who has already had a contrasting journey in the early days of his playing career.

From the highs for departing for the infamous La Masia set up in Barcelona to struggling loan moves following his switch to Villa, Barry looks to be finding his feet again in League Two, with the hope that his future could still be in claret and blue.

How good is Louie Barry?

Lauded as “very intelligent” by former manager Ben Garner during his loan at Swindon Town, the versatile forward could have a part to play under Emery in the future.

The 20-year-old, who can play on either flank or as a striker, impressed back in the 2020/21 Premier League 2 season, in which he showcased his goal-scoring prowess by netting 13 goals in 17 appearances at academy level.

Such success prompted the loan move to Swindon, where he continued to impress in League Two, scoring six in 14 appearances as he rediscovered his form back in England after his quick spell in Barcelona.

Last term was a difficult one for the youngster, who endeavoured on two loans, firstly in League One with MK Dons in which he netted one goal, followed by a drop-down to League Two where he only scored twice for Salford City, via Transfermarkt.

It seems as though his current spell at Stockport County back in the fourth tier could decide his future with reference to his parent club.

With three goals in six appearances so far, things are going swimmingly for the winger, who could still make an impact at Villa Park should he be given a route to success, earned by his application while at Stockport.

Given Archer’s successful stint in the Championship prior to his move, the striker was a far more accomplished forward for the Villans to call upon if needed, with Barry’s claim to replace him still far from considerable at present.

A strong loan spell can make the difference, and at just 20 years old, the future is bright for the winger, who could find sanctuary under Emery, with other Premier League managers having already sung his praises.

Back in 2021, Jurgen Klopp dubbed Barry a “proper threat” after he scored against Liverpool in the FA Cup, telling of how high his potential is should he get the ball rolling once more.

Stuart Broad averaged over 36 with the ball in 2017, his worst year since 2010, but currently sits on 399 Test wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2018Stuart Broad has been honing his bowling action ahead of England’s Test series in New Zealand next month where he will arrive sitting on 399 wickets.In a pair of tweets posted on Tuesday, Broad explained how he was working on getting more side-on on his delivery stride. In recent times he has found it harder to move the ball away from right handers.”Working on my action to get more side on. More twist in my shoulders to get my front arm more towards the target, helping my feet align much better,” Broad wrote alongside a short video. “Walk throughs give me a great feel of how my body is moving. Some balls come out great, some horrible, but I always say try different things in training cause if something clicks for you it can help your game, no one cares if you get it wrong in the aim for improvement!”The Ashes was largely a struggle for Broad as he claimed 11 wickets at 47.72 – five of them coming in the fourth Test at Melbourne – his most expensive return in a series of more than three matches, while he finished with his worst Test figures of 0 for 142 in Perth.

Working on my action to get more side on. More twist in my shoulders to get my front arm more towards the target, helping my feet align much better. Walk throughs give me a great feel of how my body is moving. Some balls come out great, some horrible, but I always say try… (1) pic.twitter.com/P2cJDlgYBX

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) February 13, 2018

Broad came in for heavy criticism after the performance in Perth, with former England captain Michael Vaughan questioning his place in the team, but responded with his best outing of the series in Melbourne.Throughout 2017, Broad found Test wickets harder to come by than previous years, finishing with 30 scalps at 36.06 – his highest average since 2010.Broad claimed his 399th Test wicket early in Australia’s first innings at the SCG last month – when he bowled Cameron Bancroft with his second delivery – but remained short of his next landmark through 29 overs as Australia amassed 649 for 7. He will become the second England bowler after new-ball partner James Anderson to reach 400 wickets.The first Test against New Zealand, a day-night match at Eden Park, starts on March 22.