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England trio James, Hemp and Maya Le Tissier headline the six selections for PFA Women's Young Footballer of the Year

The PFA Awards have been a highlight of the footballing calendar for 50 years, and the organisation have now revealed the shortlist for the 2023 Women's Young Player of the Year, with six brilliant players fighting it out for the award.

The 2021/22 winner, Lauren Hemp, looks to retain her title for the second-year running while three new nominees enter the fray along with two returnees in Chelsea star Lauren James and Manchester United ace Maya Le Tissier. Newcomers Katie Robinson from Brighton, Liverpool's Missy Bo Kearns and Aston Villa's Laura Blindkilde round out the top six.

Find out more about the six-woman shortlist below…

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  Lauren James | Club: Chelsea | Nationality: England

  The Chelsea star was nominated for the award for the second year running after her 2022/23 campaign. Across 38 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, she scored eight goals and added five assists en route to a WSL title and an FA Cup final win.

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  Lauren Hemp | Club: Manchester City | Nationality: England

  Hemp, a four-time winner of the award, comes back as a nominee once again as she looks to retain her title. Her campaign for Manchester City this season saw her net 10 goals and 11 assists across all competitions.

• Maya Le Tissier | Club: Manchester United | Nationality: England

  Le Tissier's 2022/23 campaign saw Manchester United fall just short of both a WSL title and an FA Cup as the Red Devils lost out to Chelsea in the league and the final. A key presence in the Red Devils' backline following her move from Brighton, Le Tissier helped the club to their best-ever finish in the league, ensuring they'll be playing Champions League football for the first time this season.

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• Missy Bo Kearns | Club: Liverpool | Nationality: England

  Kearns scored five goals and added two assists across 28 appearances for the Reds last season, helping them to a seventh place finish in the WSL. Kearns netted four goals in the WSL and one in the League Cup.

Sri Lanka’s loss of five wickets in what is now an unlikely run chase was sparked by a run out involving two players fropm the same club who would normally trust their understanding

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Dec-2016From early on in the innings the intent was clear: Sri Lanka were chasing 488 for victory, rather than drawing shutters and playing for the draw. But as play ended on 240 for 5 on day four, at least four batsmen were left rueing dismissals that might have been avoided.Dimuth Karunaratne, perhaps was chief among them, having been run out for 43, after seeming comfortable at the crease. He and Kaushal Silva had also put on 87 for the first wicket – Sri Lanka’s best opening stand in the country – before Silva called Karunaratne through for a quick single to cover. Karunaratne would have made his ground had he not initially hesitated, but was eventually found to be a few centimetres short at the striker’s end, despite having dived.”It was all my mistake I think,” Karunaratne said of his run out. “Kaushal and I both play for the SSC, so we bat together and there’s no misunderstanding. But I tweaked a muscle playing a reverse sweep earlier, and that was playing on my mind a bit. I stopped and tried to start again, and that’s why I was run out.”Karunaratne has been short of runs in 2016, averaging 29.29 for the year, and only 16.77 if his 280 runs against Zimbabwe are removed. His failure to progress to a big score at Port Elizabeth has stung.”I did the hardest part in the earlier overs. I was beginning to see the ball well and then got run out and things were getting easier. The worst thing to do in a Test match is getting run out in a situation like that. I will have to start again in the next matches and survive the early overs again. But it’s part and parcel of the game and there’s nothing you can do.”Three other batsmen were out playing expansive strokes, and from those, Dinesh Chandimal’s dismissal shortly before the second new ball was due perhaps hurt Sri Lanka the most. Chandimal had been fenced in by South Africa’s tight fields and Keshav Maharaj’s tight lines – kept scoreless for a Maharaj over before he attempted a lofted on drive and sent the ball into the hands of mid on. He was out for 8 off 38 deliveries.”Chandimal will be disappointed but he will learn,” Karunaratne said. “These are mistakes and we need to play better cricket. The wicket is good. We don’t have to play risky shots. We have to spend enough time in the middle and see how it goes.”Sri Lanka’s last recognised batting pair of Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva were at the crease at stumps, a highly improbable victory still 248 runs away. Karunaratne said Sri Lanka stood a chance if those batsmen could remain unbeaten in the first session of day five.”If we can get through the morning session, who knows – we could win this match,” Karunaratne said. “For me, Kyle Abbott was the toughest bowler. He is quick and he moves the ball both ways. Vernon Philander also moves the ball both ways, but because he’s a bit slower, he can be managed. But Abbott and Kagiso Rabada will be tough. If the batsmen can play them well, we have a chance.”

Stats highlights from the third day’s play between South Africa and India at Johannesburg

S Rajesh17-Dec-2006

0 & 0 – Herschelle Gibbs’s score in the innings at Johannesburg. It’s the first time he has bagged a pair in 80 Tests.39 – Jacques Kallis’s aggregate in this match. It’s his lowest in a Test against India, against whom his average has now dropped from 82.71 to 68.67.8 for 87 – Sreesanth’s match figures so far. The only Indian bowler to take more than eight wickets in a Test in South Africa is Venkatesh Prasad, who took 10 for 153 at Durban in 1996.54* – Ashwell Prince’s score at the end of the third day. All his three previous half-centuries in Tests have been in matches South Africa have lost. Of his four hundreds, though, South Africa have won one, drawn two and lost one.5 – The total of the first-wicket stand in two innings for South Africa. India were marginally better with the openers adding 14 and 20 in the two innings.37 – Zaheer Khan’s contribution with the bat, which is his fourth Test score of more than 35, all of which have come overseas. Zaheer averages 15.11 when batting abroad; at home his average drops to 9.28.48.50 – VVS Laxman’s Test average in South Africa. His 73 at Johannesburg was his second half-century there in eight innings.

Vincent Kompany has explained why it's a "luxury" for Bayern Munich to have Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson at their disposal. The Belgian coach is pleased with how Jackson is contributing to Bayern's assault on three trophy fronts, but has also confirmed he will be heading to the AFCON with Senegal.

• Jackson slowly adapting to new conditions

  The Senegalese striker joined the German champions on a year-long loan deal for a fee of £14.2m on the summer transfer window deadline day. Initially, Bayern fans were not pleased to see Jackson in their club colours as they were sceptical of his abilities, especially after it was revealed that the deal had a €65 million (£57m) obligation for Bayern to buy the player permanently next summer.

  However, it has now been revealed that the obligation can only be triggered if the ex-Villareal forward starts in at least 40 matches across all competitions for the Bavarian side. So far, the 24-year-old has featured in 17 matches across all competitions, out of which he has started only six and has clocked 525 minutes on the pitch, scoring five goals. 

  While Jackson is not a regular starter under Kompany due to the presence of star attackers like Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise in the club's ranks, the striker has delivered a decent level of performance whenever he has had an opportunity. 

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  'I have a very positive impression of Nicolas'

  Despite not handing him regular starts, Kompany heaped praise on Jackson as he told reporters: "I have a very positive impression of Nicolas. He’s helped us a lot – his goals-per-minute ratio is good. Of course, with Harry Kane up front, you have a bit of competition, and that’s part of the game. So, as a coach, it’s a real luxury to see how Nicolas is handling that. What many people don’t see is what Nicolas does in training and every time he comes on. Against Sporting, I was planning to sub him on, but then Lenny scored, and I had a completely different game plan. Hopefully, he’ll continue to capitalise on the chances he gets."

  Jackson, like many other African footballers from Europe, will be busy with their national team commitments later this month as AFCON 2025 is all set to kick off on December 21. Jackson has been called up by the Senegal national side and Kompany revealed when the striker will leave for Morocco.

  The Belgian coach added: "My understanding is that he will travel after the game against Mainz. We hope he goes as far as possible. Of course, I hope Congo will win the cup, but otherwise I wish him all the best. The importance of this competition for African players shouldn’t be underestimated."

• Will Jackson return to Chelsea?

  Jackson is likely to return to Chelsea next season as he still has to start in 34 matches for the obligation in his contract to get triggered. Bayern would roughly play around 30 more matches across all competitions, which means the Blues can't force the German giants to make the purchase. The only way Jackson can stick around at Bayern is if he shows exceptional form in the second half of the season and wins over Kompany and the club management's trust.  As of now, it seems Jackson will head back to Stamford Bridge next summer.

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  What comes next for Jackson?

  As revealed by Kompany, Jackson's final game for Bayern in 2025 will be against Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The German champions will then play one more game on December 21 against Heidenheim, before the winter break in Germany kicks in. 

The Melbourne Renegades kept their BBL campaign alive with a dramatic one-run win over hosts Brisbane Heat

The Report by Alex Malcolm in Brisbane20-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSunil Narine picked up two wickets in the 19th over and set up a dramatic finish•Getty Images

Nine deliveries, 16 runs and three wickets featured in one of the most bizarre final overs in BBL history. But the Melbourne Renegades kept their finals hopes alive with a nail-biting one-run win over the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.The equation was simple at the beginning of the final over. The Heat needed 18 runs to secure a home semi-final. Nathan Rimmington needed to defend 16 or less to keep the Renegades alive.Rimmington did his job, but only . He bowled four wides, conceded two sixes, took the wicket of Joe Burns and completed two run-outs in roller-coaster ride that would have left the most adventurous of thrill-seekers feeling nauseous.It had been a night for the batsmen. The Renegades had set a big total of 199 on the back of a stunning opening stand from Aaron Finch and Marcus Harris. They scored 106 runs in just nine overs before Harris fell.The Heat then trumped that start with the second-highest score in the Powerplay in BBL history. Brendon McCullum and Sam Heazlett took 84 from the first five overs of the chase. The Renegades, though, pulled Heat back courtesy outstanding spells from Thisara Perera and Brad Hogg. Extraordinary hitting from Ben Cutting and Joe Burns and some rain then added to the drama of the final overs but the Renegades somehow held their nerve. 1wd 6 6 W 1wd W 1wd 0 W(1wd)
The final over of the match from Rimmington had to be seen to be believed. The Renegades had lost three final-over thrillers this season with Finch, Perera and James Pattinson all entrusted with the final six balls and all conceding the winning runs. Finch turned to Rimmington for this over instead of Pattinson after Perera, one of their best bowlers on the night, had bowled out. Rimmington had bowled an excellent 18th over, conceding just eight runs and removing Cutting, who had scored a rampaging 35 from 18 balls and was threatening to end the Renegades’ season. Burns was 23 from 19 balls and had only found the boundary once, so the Renegades were favourites.But Rimmington bowled a wide first ball, attempting a yorker. 17 off 6 balls. Burns then nailed two short balls over the long boundary at midwicket for sixes. 5 off 4. He got a third in the slot but mis-hit it to long-off and Perera held on to keep things interesting. 5 off 3. Rimmington bowled another wide. 4 off 3. Buchanan nailed the next – a full wide ball – to cover where Finch gathered and fired at the non-striker’s end. Rimmington’s collect to break the stumps was superb as Buchanan was run-out. 4 off 2. Rimmington bowled another wide to Mark Steketee. 3 off 2. He tried the wide yorker for a sixth time in the over and finally got it inside the guideline beating Steketee, who strangely backed away to leg, for a dot ball. 3 off 1. Rimmington went wide again for the final ball. Swepson got a running start at the non-striker’s end, hoping to run two for a super over if Steketee made contact, but he instead left alone another wide only to look up and see his team-mate charging at him. Debutant wicketkeeper Andrew Harriott threw the ball to Rimmington and the run-out ended the game. Although not everyone on the ground was certain of the result, with Finch admitting later he thought it was only the eighth wicket.Aaron Finch gave the Renegades a blazing start with 71 off 35 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Finch’s fireworks
Finch has responded to his axing from the Australian one-day side in the finest possible fashion with three half-centuries in his last four BBL innings. This was the most destructive. He clubbed 71 from 35 balls with six fours and four sixes. He started in the first over with a mammoth hit over cover that landed in the second tier. Incredibly, he played second fiddle to Harris for the next three overs. At the end of the fourth over Harris was 30 from 15 balls while Finch had scored just 18 from nine balls. But he took charge in the eighth over. He was gifted a life, and six runs, from Burns in the deep during a hat-trick of bombs off Marnus Labuschagne. Callum Ferguson also played a vital hand scoring 31 not out from 15 balls to help get the total up to 199.Now the waiting begins
The result puts the Renegades into the top four on the table for now. The Heat’s loss means a home semi-final is in jeopardy. Everything now hangs on Saturday’s matches. If the Scorchers beat the Hurricanes and the Stars account for the Sixers, the Renegades will play in the finals. But if the Sixers beat the Stars, then the Renegades will likely be squeezed out due to an inferior net run-rate. The Hurricanes are now likely to miss out on the finals after the Heat’s loss even if they beat the Scorchers due to a very poor net run-rate. Peter Nevill might be available for a potential final after being cleared of a facial fracture. He could come back in for Harriott who did a fine job having been plucked from NSW premier cricket to make his T20 debut at the Gabba. He took two catches and kept well throughout.Brendon McCullum shellacked a fifty off 18 balls – the second fastest in BBL history – but it was not enough for the Heat to secure a home semi-final•Getty Images

Hogg, the unsung hero
While Finch was named Man of the Match, his 71 was just one of a number of blistering knocks on a night where the batsmen were very productive. McCullum also set the Gabba alight with a fifty off 18 balls, but, arguably, it was Hogg who turned the game. McCullum was a runaway freight train in the first five overs before Perera arrived and bowled a brilliant sixth over, conceding just a single. Hogg then spun his web. His first three overs cost only eight runs, all singles, although there were five leg byes. McCullum scored just six runs from his next 17 balls after reaching fifty. Overall, Hogg bowled nine balls to McCullum and conceded only two runs. He also removed the dangerous Alex Ross to apply additional pressure on the Heat.

It’s the most favourable thing to do with my fiance in Johannesburg, says recently-engaged Test batsman

Firdose Moonda24-Apr-2018South Africa’s middle-order Test batsman Temba Bavuma has moved from Cape Cobras to the Highveld Lions ahead of the upcoming domestic season.Bavuma, originally from the Western Province, spent his entire professional career upcountry but moved back to the Cobras for the 2017-18 summer, even though he rarely played for the side owing to international commitments.”I made the decision to ply my trade for Cape Cobras to fulfill a childhood dream of donning the blue colours, but there have been developments in my personal life that have led me to reconsider that decision,” Bavuma said. “I recently got engaged and feel that with my fiancé in Johannesburg it’s the favourable thing to do.”Bavuma spent most of his time with the Cobras playing T20 cricket, where he scored 195 runs in 10 matches. He featured in just one first-class and one fifty-over fixture for the team. An opportunity to open the batting in List A cricket in a bid to push for an ODI berth, ESPNcricinfo understands, was one of the reasons for Bavuma to move to the Cobras last season.Now, it remains to be seen if Lions will have a spot for him up the order. However, with their trophy cabinet bare after a tough previous season, they will welcome a player of Bavuma’s experience.”We welcome Temba back with open arms. He is a player with special skills, experience and a star of his calibre is hard to find,” Greg Fredericks, Lions CEO said. “We did not have the best of seasons, so it is a step in the right direction to have him back in our system.”Bavuma’s decision also comes at a time when the six franchises are scrambling to secure player contracts that have been delayed because Cricket South Africa and the South African Cricketers’ Association are yet to agree upon a new MOU. Unless an interim agreement is formulated between both parties by the end of April, most of South Africa’s professional cricketers, including those from the national team, will be out of contracts.In March, CSA announced the names of the 18 players who they intend to contract, but those won’t come into effect without a binding MOU. Although the situation remains tense, a temporary agreement is expected to be put in place to avoid a player walkout and non-payment of May salaries.Since Bavuma is among those awarded a national contract, he is allowed to choose the domestic franchise he’d like to represent. The Lions, therefore, will not have to contract Bavuma. None of South Africa’s six franchises have been able to announce their contracted player lists and no other players have made public any intentions to change domestic teams.

Bangladesh, coming off a heart-breaking loss, will look to claim their first win in the Super 10s against New Zealand, the form side of the tournament

The Preview by Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2016

Match facts

Saturday, March 26, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)

Big picture

Bangladesh are carrying the most heart-breaking result on their back, but now take on the form team of the competition. New Zealand, who are in the semi-finals after three consecutive wins, have relied on combined efforts with both bat and ball, rather than individual performances.New Zealand have read conditions and balanced their side well on pitches that have primarily suited their spinners, and leaving out Tim Southee and Trent Boult has been seen as a right move. Legspinner Ish Sodhi, who has been a revelation with his loop and control, and Mitchell Santner’s have produced the goods when required.However, Martin Guptill has been New Zealand’s shining light with the bat, having scored 125 runs with the next being Corey Anderson’s 58. The likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Colin Munro have struck cameos and will require their services in the knockouts.Bangladesh’s bowling attack has their work cut out with the absence of key figures. Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib Al Hasan’s economy rate is directly proportional to the returns produced by Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain.Their batsmen, particularly Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, will have to distance themselves from their nightmare shots in Bangalore. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar will have to finish the jobs they start. For Bangladesh to beat New Zealand for the first time in T20Is, a lot has to go their way. They can’t leave it to chance, not at least against Kane Williamson’s side.New Zealand will hope that Corey Anderson, who occupies a vital role in the side, finds some form ahead of the knockouts•IDI/Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWW
Bangladesh LLLWW

Watch out for

Corey Anderson has been used at No. 4 in the recent past but has faced roughly 18 deliveries per innings. He has had to adjust to match situations and slow pitches, but he is more likely to get a better base than many No. 4s in this tournament.Al-Amin Hossain has shown the tendency to bowl at least one bad ball in every over, reflected by his economy rate of 9.14 in six innings. His catching too has been a problem, but he has another chance to improve upon both aspects of his game.

Team news

New Zealand could unleash Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who have sat out all three of their group matches. Offspinner Nathan McCullum and batsman Henry Nicholls, who have played one game between them, could get a chance.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson, 3 Colin Munro, 4 Corey Anderson, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Luke Ronchi, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Adam Milne, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Ish SodhiNurul Hasan could be given a game but given this is their last chance to register a win in the Super 10s, they are unlikely to tinker too much.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk)/Mohammad Mithun, 8 Shuvagata Hom, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Al-Amin Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata had served up two batting pitches before a rank turner for the India-Pakistan game. Still ,there will be runs available if batsmen can be mindful of the turn. There’s no rain in the forecast but the temperature would hover around 35 degrees during the game.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have scored 50-plus runs in the Powerplay in the last two games while Bangladesh haven’t conceded less than 42 during the same period.
• Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal is the highest run-getter while Shakib Al Hasan is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the World T20 so far.

Quotes

“Recovery from last match is difficult (so soon) but boys have had some time. They have had 48 hours to think about it. Obviously you can’t return to it. I think you have to play hard.””Most of the times when we have played in these conditions, they have been a really good opposition. I think the last game is just a highlight of how strong they can be in these conditions. I don’t think anyone can take them lightly.”

Everything you need to know about French superstar Antoine Griezmann!

Antoine Griezmann is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga club Atletico Madrid and the France national team.

Born on March 21, 1991, in Mâcon, France, Griezmann is widely regarded as one of the best attackers in the world. He has dazzled football fans over the years thanks to his instinctive finishing, playmaking ability, range of passing, work-rate, and creativity on the pitch.

He began his football journey at a young age, joining the youth academy of his local club, UF Mâcon. His potential caught the attention of scouts, and at the age of 13, he moved to Spain to join the renowned youth academy of Real Sociedad. It was here that Griezmann honed his skills and developed his unique playing style.

Griezmann worked his way up the ranks and made his La Liga debut in the 2009/10 season. He quickly established himself as a key player, showcasing his technical abilities, vision, and goal-scoring instincts. His breakthrough season came in the 2013-2014 campaign when he scored 16 league goals and helped Sociedad secure a Champions League qualification spot.

His performances drew attention from top clubs, and in 2014, he joined Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of €30 million after a famous phone call from head coach Diego Simeone. Griezmann flourished and became a central figure in Atletico's success.

During his first stint at Atletico, Griezmann won several trophies, including the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. His most notable achievement came in the 2015-2016 season when he helped Atletico reach the UEFA Champions League final, scoring a crucial goal against Real Madrid. Although Atletico fell short in the final, Griezmann's performances earned him the tournament's Golden Boot as the top scorer.

In 2019, he made a high-profile move to Barcelona, joining the Catalan giants in a €120 million deal. However, he failed to live up to expectations, scoring just 22 goals in 74 La Liga games for the Catalan club.

After three turbulent years at Camp Nou, he returned to Wanda Metropolitano on loan last season, which was made permanent by Atleti at the start of the current season as he has rediscovered his confidence and peak form back under Simeone.

As for his exploits on the international stage, he made his debut for the French national team in 2014 and has since become an integral part of the squad. He played a crucial role in France's journey to the final of the 2016 UEFA European Championship, where they narrowly lost to Portugal. In the tournament, he won the Golden Boot as the top scorer and was also named the Player of the Tournament.

However, the pinnacle of Griezmann's international career came in 2018 when he played a vital role in France's FIFA World Cup triumph. Griezmann's performances earned him the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player and also shone as arguably the best French player after Kylian Mbappe at the recent 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he helped them reach the final.

Here are 13 fun facts about Griezmann you need to know!

• Nicknamed as 'The Little Prince' 🤴

  Griezmann is nicknamed "The Little Prince" because of his diminutive stature, exceptional playmaking skills, and intelligent footballing brain. He stands at a modest height of 5 ft 9in, which is relatively short for a professional footballer. However, Griezmann's small size does not stop him from being one of the best players in the world.

  The nickname is also a reference to the famous French novel of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The novel narrates the story of a young prince who travels to different planets in search of knowledge and wisdom. Griezmann has said that he likes the character of the Little Prince, and he sees himself as a kind of "little prince" on the pitch. Thus, the moniker is a fitting one.

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• Difficult start in French Football

  Griezmann struggled to get his first opportunity in the world of football, as scouts in France considered him too small and skinny to make it through to the professional game. Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Metz, Auxerre, Sochaux and Montpellier all scouted him, but none were willing to take him in.

  Thankfully, Real Sociedad’s French scout Eric Olhats saw the youngster and his supreme technical skills that he was offered a chance to join an elite academy.

  The teenager had to move to continue his football development and even stayed with Olhats during his initial years at the Basque club's academy after making the move to northern Spain.

  Had things gone differently, he could have been playing for PSG or Lyon but well, Ligue 1's loss was La Liga's gain as he has gone on to represent several Spanish giants throughout his career so far.

• Getty Images
  

  Pavel Nedved, one of his favourite players

  Griezmann, like all young football fans, had many idols growing up, but none more so than Pavel Nedvd, whose poster he had on his wall. As a youngster, he even used to copy the Czech maestro’s hairstyle. Among his other childhood heroes were Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, Sonny Anderson – with whom he was famously photographed as a kid – and David Beckham.

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• Lyon is his boyhood club ❤️

  Lyon is a city that holds special memories for the current Atletico Madrid star, who grew up in the town of Macon, near Lyon. He was an Olympique Lyonnais supporter as a kid and often visited the Stade de Gerland to support the club. However, Lyon rejected to enroll the youngster into their academy due to his height. Needless to say, it was a painful experience for the boyhood OL fan.

  Ironically, one of his first big breakout moments came against his boyhood club French side when OL locked horns with Real Sociedad in a Champions League qualifier in 2013. Griezmann scored a spectacular bicycle kick in the away leg as Real Sociedad won the tie 4-0.

  He would also score a wonderful brace for France in Lyon during Euro 2016 and won the 2017/18 Europa League final in the city with Atletico Madrid, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over OL's rivals Marseille.

Mark Boucher had taken over as Titans coach in August last year, with his initial tenure extending until the 2017-18 season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2017Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will remain Titans coach until the end of the 2019-20 domestic season, after signing a two-year extension with the franchise. Boucher, who was recently named CSA Coach of the Year, mentored Titans to both domestic limited-overs titles – CSA T20 Challenge and Momentum One Day Cup – while the team finished a close second in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.Boucher, who has a Level 2 coaching qualification, had a stint as consultant with the national side ahead of their Test series last year against New Zealand, before joining Titans as a replacement for Rob Walter. His initial contract had extended until the end of the 2017-18 season.Assessing his performance over the past 12 months, Boucher was quoted as saying by : “It’s great to have done well in my first year. The culture in the team is one I’ve always looked up to as a player, and when I stepped into the role as coach, it was one of those ‘wow’ factors.”Titans’ assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who has been in the role since 2013, has also extended his tenure until the end of the 2018-19 season. Mashimbyi is also the assistant coach of the South Africa A side and will tour with the squad for the series against England which begins on June 1.Heading into his second season with the franchise, Boucher acknowledged Mashimbyi’s role in helping him ease into the Titans’ scheme of things.”It’s a very successful set-up. I’ve related to the players really well and, thankfully, they accepted me in a very good way. Working alongside Mandla, with all his experience and knowledge of the franchise, has helped me fit into the structures and processes that were already in place.”Meanwhile, Mark Charlton has stepped down as Northerns Seniors coach, and been roped in as the High Performance Manager for Titans Cricket. In the newly-created position, Charlton has been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating the franchise’s pipeline structures in terms of player development.

Josh Hazlewood felt a fifth bowler would allow him, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins to bowl at their best and fastest, while easing some of the load off Nathan Lyon

Daniel Brettig02-Nov-2017Josh Hazlewood’s return to fitness will mean New South Wales will field Australia’s Ashes bowling attack against Western Australia in the unassuming surrounds of Hurstville Oval from Saturday, though the tall fast man admits he would like to see some extra bowling cover in the Test squad when it is finally announced.The certainty around the shape of Steven Smith’s top four bowlers and top five batsmen is in sharp contrast to the vast speculation about who will fill the spots at Nos. 6 and 7, in recent times nominally the preserve of an allrounder and a wicketkeeper. Australia’s selectors will not be unveiling their Gabba squad until the day after the third round of Sheffield Shield matches on November 17, having gained precious little relevant information from the first, floodlit fixtures.Returning to the state team following a side strain in Bangladesh and a 10-over spell in Sydney club cricket on the weekend, Hazlewood said he would like to see a fifth bowling option present in the Australian Test side. That balance would aid him, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in bowling at their best and fastest, notwithstanding the outstanding recent displays of the spin bowler Nathan Lyon. Moises Henriques is the allrounder for NSW, while Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis seem the most likely contenders to fulfill that role in the Test team.”It’s always nice having that allrounder to maybe bowl five or six overs throughout the day,” Hazlewood said. “I think the way Gaz has bowled over the last 12-18 months has been fantastic and he’s been shouldering the workload if it does get put upon the quicks. But for balance you want runs and wickets from that No. 6 batter … you could go either way.”It’s always great to have a full-strength NSW side, a lot of Test experience, the skipper and vice skipper there as well, so yeah really looking forward to getting out there. Western Australia are really strong at the moment in all formats, so looking forward to a good game.”It’s usually one or the other [of Starc or Cummins] at different stages, so it’s great to get them together. We’ve got a pretty good record when we’re all together bowling. We’re pretty used to bowling together these days, whether it’s for Australia or NSW, so we’ll just take it as another game and try to get those 20 wickets.”In making his recovery from the side strain, Hazlewood was several weeks behind Starc’s own rehabilitation from a foot problem, meaning he was unable to play in the first Shield round. This means he will play consecutive Shield games before the Gabba Test, creating a delicate balance between the demands of Smith, the selectors and medical staff trying to manage his workload.”The other guys played last week and this week and I think they’re having a rest for game three,” Hazlewood said. “I’m playing game three since I missed the first one. It’s a good build-up, two Shield games before the first Test, and hopefully get through the first Test as well. Ideally you’d want to play the same as Mitch and Pat, the first two, but I don’t see it as much of a big deal, we’ll just bowl a little bit less in the nets leading into it if we bowl a bit more in the game.”It feels really good, it’s got better every session from when I started bowling probably four or five weeks ago, it feels good now, nice and strong, so hopefully it stays that way. Very close to, if not, 100%.”Another contender for the Ashes, Nathan Coulter-Nile, has been bizarrely withdrawn from WA’s Shield team to face NSW at Hurstville and will instead bowl a limited number of overs for an invitational XI against the Englishmen in Perth on November 4 and 5. Hazlewood, who has himself had his bowling load closely managed over numerous years, took the view that it was a chance for a speedy compatriot to place some early doubts in the minds of the touring team’s batsmen.”I see it more as a positive I think, that he can maybe crack open a few of them early and create a few scars in their top order and middle order maybe,” he said. “Disappointing he’s not playing in the Shield game against us, but he’s had trouble with injuries in the past few years so that’s the reason he’s playing there.”Their top order, it’ll be their first hit on tour, and to have a guy there like Coults there to warm them up I guess to maybe create a few scars would be nice. That’s their plan too, to start with the bounciest, quickest wicket and get used to that straight away.”Elsewhere, the national selectors named the Cricket Australia XI squad to face Joe Root’s England tourists in a pair of Ashes warm-up matches, first in Adelaide (November 8-11) and then Townsville (November 15-18). The experienced Tim Paine and the NSW seamer Gurinder Sandhu add experience to the side, which also features the more youthful talents of Will Pucovski and Jason Sangha.Cricket Australia XI squad: Jake Carder, Jackson Coleman, Michael Cormack, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Gibson, Nick Larkin, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine, Will Pucovski, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Matthew Short.