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Jordan Henderson admitted that he is hurt to see Liverpool finding success without him but has no regrets over leaving Anfield for Al-Ettifaq.

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Henderson chose to move to Saudi Arabia last summer Struggled to adapt and was forced to return to Europe Liverpool flourishing after his exit Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

After 12 years with Liverpool, Henderson bid farewell to the club in the summer transfer window to move to the Middle East. However, his days in Saudi Arabia were numbered as he eventually headed back to Europe to join Ajax in January.

Despite leaving Anfield, Henderson has been closely monitoring Liverpool's progress this season, as they vie for a quadruple. Reflecting on his departure, Henderson acknowledges the emotional difficulty of leaving a club he cherished but believes it was the right decision for both parties and wished Jurgen Klopp all the luck in his farewell season.

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“It was the best thing for the club and the team, and you can see that in the performances and how they’ve done, as much as that hurts me," he told

“It’s football and you move on. I’m so happy it’s worked out for them so far and I’ve just got my fingers crossed it can be a fairytale end for Jürgen because he deserves it."

However, Henderson insisted that he has no regrets and added: "Looking back, I think it was the right time for me as a player [to leave] but also for them as a team and for them as a club, as much as that hurt at the time.

"I was very emotional. Looking back in that period of time, looking back now, it is easy to see that it was the right decision made by the manager and the club. It was the best decision to freshen things up. If you look at Virgil [van Dijk] becoming captain, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] becoming vice-captain, and how they’ve stepped up again this season, I think it has given them another lift."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite his departure from elite level of football, Henderson remains focused on his international career with England. With Gareth Southgate travelling to watch his debut in the Netherlands, Henderson remains assured that the manager is keeping an eye on his performances. And boosted Southgate's gesture, the midfielder backs him to secure a spot in the squad for the upcoming European Championship.

“It was good for him to come and watch, to see that he’s keeping an eye on me,” Henderson said. “It is always a privilege to play for my country and I want to do that for as long as possible, but ultimately I’ve got to focus on my job here. If I’m doing that well and performing well, then that gives me the best possible opportunity to get in the England squad.

“I definitely feel I can offer something to the national team, but I have got to be playing and doing my job here. That is my main focus. But of course, I feel I can help the squad and the team going forward in the next camp and hopefully in the summer.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT?

Looking ahead, Henderson is gearing up to face familiar opponents as Ajax takes on Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League round-of-16 tie on Thursday.

Saha, who hurt his thumb during the IPL, is likely to miss at least part of India’s five-Test series in England, with Karthik likely to replace him in the team

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2018Wriddhiman Saha is understood to not have fully recovered from his thumb injury and hence is likely to miss at least part of India’s five-Test series in England beginning in August. Saha, who hurt his left thumb while playing in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad, not only missed majority of the second leg of the tournament including the final but also the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June.Dinesh Karthik, who took Saha’s spot and kept wicket against Afghanistan, is likely to retain the spot. Karthik is already part of India’s limited-overs squad for the UK tour and should play as the wicketkeeper-batsman for the first Test starting at Edgbaston from August 1.Rahane, Vijay to play against English Lions

Some of the India Test players who are expected to be part of the squad have already arrived in England this week. ESPNcricinfo understands vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane and opener M Vijay will feature in the India A match against England Lions, which begins at New Road (Worcester) from July 16.
Meanwhile, the England selectors have named a strong Lions XI, featuring six international players: Alastair Cook, Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Dom Bess, Jack Leach and Sam Curran, to take on India A.

While ruling out Saha for the Afghanistan Test, the BCCI had said that his recovery would take five-six weeks. The Afghanistan Test started on June 14, and by the BCCI estimate Saha would be fit by the end of July. Although the BCCI has not issued any fitness update on Saha, the selectors as well as the India team management will want him to not just test his fitness but also his match-readiness.The only chance Saha would have had to do that would come during the four-day warm-up match against Essex, which starts on July 25 in Chelmsford. In all probability, Karthik will test himself in that game, which is likely to feature all the Test specialists.It is not clear who would be the back-up keeper for Karthik in case Saha is ruled out. If Saha does recover and misses only a match or two, then he could even come in as the reserve keeper. Otherwise that spot is likely to go to Parthiv Patel, who played in the Test series earlier this year in South Africa.India started their UK tour with the limited-overs series against Ireland and England, the last game of which, the final ODI, will be played in Leeds on July 17. It is understood that the BCCI will announce the India Test squad after ODI series against England.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been tipped to make the funds available that will allow Wrexham to remain competitive in League One.

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Red Dragons soared out of National LeagueAre now flying high in League TwoHollywood stars funding thrilling adventureWHAT HAPPENED?

The Hollywood superstars have enjoyed a dream ride since completing a takeover of the Welsh outfit in 2021. A record-breaking National League title triumph returned the club to the EFL ranks, with Phil Parkinson’s side now riding high in League Two.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JORDAN SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Questions have been asked of whether Reynolds and McElhenney have the stomach and money for a third-tier fight, with former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan telling : “Let’s see how that plays out if they manage to get promoted out of League Two this season into League One where the costs go up and everything goes up exponentially. Let’s see how much appetite they’ve got because we know this is a project that’s being funded by an underpinning TV deal and when it becomes that the TV deal only goes so far, you’ve got to write out proper cheques with due respect to the scale of worth they’ve got, we’ll see how much ambition and how much enthusiasm they’ve got for it. Right now, what they've done is turned an ailing Welsh football club into something people are talking about. The other fella [McElhenney], well he carries his bag but Ryan Reynolds is the audience grabber. Profile carries you so far, in the end you’ve got to know what you’re doing and you’ve got to be prepared to put your hands in your pockets.”

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Reynolds and McElhenney have not shied away from any challenge so far, and former Wrexham striker Lee Trundle has told the podcast when asked if an upward trajectory can be maintained in League One: “I don't think it does sound silly, because when I joined Swansea, we were still at the Vetch Field. If you look at Wrexham, then they’ve probably got a better backing than Swansea had. I said at the start of the season that they would get promoted again this year. I don't think they’re a League Two team, if you look at the players that they've got and how the club's run. I definitely think that they can bounce up again and get themselves into League One and then have another push. As the football club grows and goes up the leagues, the fan base will too. The way Ryan and Rob do things, especially on the social media side, I think it’s excellent.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham have 11 games left this season in which to collect enough points that will secure a top-three finish and automatic promotion. They will be aware that the playing field starts to level out in League One, with even more work required on and off the pitch in a bid to hit the ultimate Premier League end goal.

The NLCS kicked off Sunday night in Los Angeles with the Dodgers rolling over the Mets, 9-0, in a game that was pretty much over after the fourth inning. The Dodgers have now gone 33 straight innings without giving up a run, which ties a postseason record set by the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.

While the Dodgers' pitching staff has been lights out, they did get some help from the Mets on Sunday night, specifically from Jesse Winker, who made a mind-boggling decision on the basepaths.

With the Mets trailing 6-0 in the fifth inning with nobody out, Jose Iglesias hit a single to center field. Winker got a good jump off of first base and it appeared he'd easily got to third base when he suddenly stopped halfway there and ended up getting thrown out at third.

Check this out:

Not great.

MLB fans blasted him:

Game 2 is Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.

Patience is the key word when it comes to Chelsea so far this season. They’ve shown glimpses under Mauricio Pochettino, but only glimpses as they saw any building momentum gained from victories over Fulham and Burnley, before a dramatic draw against Arsenal, come to a crashing halt in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford.

Things don’t get any easier for the Blues, either, who travel to an unbeaten Tottenham Hotspur side in the hope of placing the first dent in their London rivals’ Premier League title chances. As ever, whilst results are inconsistent on the pitch, Todd Boehly reportedly already has an eye on the transfer market and one particular summer target.

Chelsea transfer news

Chelsea once again stole the headlines in the summer transfer window as Boehly gave Pochettino’s new squad a major rebuild. The likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount were all shown the exit door as Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Jackson, alongside many others came through the door at Stamford Bridge.

It would come as little surprise if it was the London giants dominating next summer’s window as well, given their financial power and consistent need for reinforcements following poor results. According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are already eyeing a move for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens in the summer. The Blues reportedly consider the Borussia Dortmund player to be someone with exceptional potential and could make their move.

If Chelsea are to sign the English teenager, however, they’ll reportedly have to win the battle for his signature against both Newcastle United and Arsenal in a deal that could reportedly be worth €40m (£35m) in the summer. The winger will certainly have a lot to think about regarding his future, having initially left Manchester City in the Premier League in favour of a move to Dortmund.

Chelsea interested in Bynoe-Gittens

Chelsea’s reported interest in Bynoe-Gittens comes as little surprise. After all, this is a 19-year-old player who has already featured at one of Europe’s top clubs in the form of Borussia Dortmund, making 30 appearances in all competitions. Ticking the homegrown box, too, this is simply a deal that could make perfect sense from a Chelsea perspective. (Jamie Bynoe-Gittens stats – Transfermarkt)

Of course, those at Stamford Bridge will have their current focus on fixing issues within their squad, but they can then turn their attention back towards the future and potentially landing Bynoe-Gittens in 2024. The winger has already been at the centre of praise throughout his Dortmund career, including from teammate Karim Adeyemi who said: "He has no fear. For me, he is one of the best players one-against-one I have ever seen, to be honest. He will be a really good player."

Chelsea may well be hoping to be in a strong enough position to convince Bynoe-Gittens when next summer arrives. As of right now, they do not look on course to qualify for the Champions League, something that Dortmund can consistently offer. The Englishman has also seen just how badly a return to the Premier League from the Bundesliga can go, courtesy of Jadon Sancho, so it could be a tricky transfer.

Australia great wants the Indian team management should exercise caution on how they pick and drop players

Sreshth Shah in Bengaluru09-Sep-2018With India’s tour of England coming to an end, there’s now a buzz around their tour of Australia in November, where they will play four Tests and a limited-overs series. If Adam Gilchrist, the Australian great, is to be believed, the tour may be shaped up by how Australia’s replacements for David Warner and Steven Smith, who are in the middle of a year-long ban for the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, can step up and perform.”It’s a big setback to lose your highest run-scorers for a few years, to lose two people who have scored a high percentage of your runs, so that’s going to be the challenge for our guys against India,” Gilchrist told ESPNcricinfo in Bengaluru. “It’s a great opportunity for a few people, to come in and fill the void, but they’re big shoes to fill and that will have a big impact on the series. The big challenge for Australia will be to get the runs that their pacers and Nathan Lyon can defend.”In hindsight, and certainly after the time that has passed, the general feeling is that the punishment was a bit too harsh. But at the time everyone was really upset by it and everyone wanted stern action to be taken.”But what I’m really impressed by is how the fantastic the players have accepted it. They’ve shown the cricketing world that they know they did the wrong thing and they’ve copped a harsh ban, but they’ve just got to move on with it and return as better people and players.”Of particular interest, Gilchrist thinks, will be the battle between the quicks from both sides. In saying that, he’s been impressed with how India’s fast bowlers have performed in England.”In England, they’ve shown the potential to rip through the batting line-up,” Gilchrist said. “And they’re all fit, strong and aggressive young men so those are all the virtues you need to take on Australia in Australia.”And from an Australian perspective, we have (Mitchell) Starc, backed up by Pat Cummins, who is outstanding, and (Josh) Hazlewood is almost (Glenn) McGrath like with his methodic repetitious bowling, so there’s three guys there, and there are a couple in the wings as well. As the series goes on, we’re going to find out who has the better pace attack, and that is going to be the most intriguing part of the series.”Gilchrist was also empathetic towards India’s struggle to find a permanent wicketkeeper-batsman after MS Dhoni’s Test retirement in December 2014, but said that the Indian selectors must exercise caution on how they pick and drop players.He’s seen Australia adopt the revolving door policy since Brad Haddin’s retirement in 2015. Australia have tried Graham Manou, Matthew Wade, Peter Nevill and Peter Handscomb, before eventually recalling Tim Paine. It’s a mistake he hopes India don’t make, calling for them to instead be patient with Rishabh Pant. The 20-year old wicketkeeper so far has scores of 24, 1, 0, 18 and 5 in five Test innings.”It may take some chopping and changing, but if you churn through players too quickly, it can leave a psychological scar on their minds,” Gilchrist said. “And that can limit their efforts in producing their best. So hopefully Pant gets a nice run with the Test side.”It’s like when Shane Warne finished, it left such a big hole in the team because of the quality of player and person that Shane was. And it was the same in India when the big batting four departed. So they’re not easy gaps to fill, and Dhoni’s been as good as any in the keeper-batsman category.”

Bayern Munich will reportedly let Joshua Kimmich leave the club in the summer, with as many as five European clubs already interested.

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Bayern to let Kimmich leaveNo progress on contract talksFive European giants vying for signatureWHAT HAPPENED?

The German midfielder sees his contract at Bayern expire in 2025 with no progress as yet of an extension. As a result, Florian Plettenberg of reports that the midfielder is thought to be exploring his options this summer. Furthermore, Plettenberg states that Bayern would be willing to sell Kimmich should a "suitable offer" arrive.

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Kimmich is vastly experienced and is one of the world's best in his position, and at 29 years old he still has plenty to offer at the highest level. As a result, news of his potential departure has sent alarm bells ringing across Europe. Plettenberg lists Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona as all interested, with some reportedly having already made contact with the midfielder.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Kimmich could become hot property in the summer, Plettenberg notes that not all top-level clubs will move for him. He singles out Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain as not currently being in the race for the Germany international.

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getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR KIMMICH?

While European giants circle there is still, of course, the possibility that an agreement may be reached with Bayern over a contract renewal. Should those talks fall through, however, the Bavarian giants will likely want a healthy return on a player who has become a club legend since signing for €8.5 million (£7.2m/$9.2m) in 2015.

This is the second time in succession that he has been added to the ODI squad midway through a series

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2018Bangladesh have included Soumya Sarkar in the squad for the third ODI against Zimbabwe in Chittagong. Soumya left Khulna on the third day of his side’s ongoing first-class match against Rajshahi Division.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Soumya was the only addition to the current squad.This is the second time in succession that Soumya has been added to the ODI squad midway through a series. He was flown to the UAE to join the team during the Asia Cup as “batting reinforcement” after Bangladesh were hit by an injury to Tamim Iqbal and were grappling with the form of their top order. In his two outings, however, he opened the batting only once, with a five-ball duck against Pakistan, before chipping in with a handy 33 in the final against India, where he batted at No. 7.Since then, he has made a century and three fifties in the NCL first-class competition, apart from an unbeaten 102 for BCB XI against Zimbabwe in the practice match in BKSP last Friday. He also took a five-for in the last match for Khulna against Rangpur.Khulna have called upon Robiul Islam Robi as his replacement for the remainder of the first-class match.Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Nazmul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Abu Hider, Mohammad Saifuddin, Fazle Mahmud, Soumya Sarkar

Joe Denly and Sean Dickson both it hundreds and to make matters worse for Warwickshire Keith Barker ran foul of the umpires

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-2018
ScorecardSecond-innings centuries by Sean Dickson and Joe Denly helped Kent to build a potentially game-defining lead of 431 runs as the hosts closed on day two of their top-of-the-table Specsavers County Championship clash with Warwickshire on an impressive 359 for 6.Kent’s position is especially strong because Keith Barker has been forced out of the attack by the umpires after two warnings for running on the pitch.In a complete volte face to the opening day when 20 wickets fell, Kent’s third-wicket pairing found batting at The Nevill in Tunbridge Wells a pleasurable pastime once the shine went off the new ball and the wind and sunshine took effect in helping to harden the top surface.Earlier, opener Daniel Bell-Drummond had succumbed cheaply to Keith Barker – the clear pick of Warwickshire’s attack first time around with 5 for 32. Barker saw two worthy leg before decisions turned aside before running one across the right-hander and enticing him to nick one to the keeper.Barker also accounted for in-form Heino Kuhn, moving one back in through the air to snare the former Proteas Test opener flush in front to bring acting captain Denly and Dickson together.The pair, who had notched Kent’s only other championship centuries of the summer at Bristol during the previous round of matches, combined to add 208 trouble-free runs and set a Kent third-wicket record against Warwickshire, surpassing the 186 made by Bill Ashdown and Les Ames at Edgbaston in 1934.Jeetan Patel, the Warwickshire captain might have made life tougher for the pair by posting a third man when something like 25 per cent of their runs came through the gap, but instead they were allowed to bat through the middle session unfettered.Patel made amends by removing both soon after tea with his off-spinners. Dickson’s 229-ball stay for 133 ended when he played across a quicker ball to depart lbw. Then, turning one in from well outside off, he won an ambitious lbw shout that ended Denley’s 88-ball stay for a polished 119.Patel mystified some pundits later on by delaying taking the second new ball for five overs before finally throwing the new cherry to Keith Barker, comfortably his most potent threat in taking five for 32 in Kent’s first innings.When Barker did get the new ball he quickly removed Darren Stevens, following one outside off to be caught behind, before trapping Rouse leg before with a full in-swinger.With Kent six down and already leading by 410 runs, Barker blotted his copybook by running on the pitch for the second time to be taken out of the attack by umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy.With Barker out of their attack, Kent rookie Zak Crawley reached an eye-catching 47 through to stumps to deepen Warwickshire’s parlous position.The visitors will know they will have to bat superbly to save this game, let alone win it.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some Tottenham Hotspur transfer news as Spurs cast their eyes on an "interesting" £39m star

Spurs striker targets

The departure of star forward and club-record goalscorer Harry Kane has scarcely been noticed so far. Instead of suffering without their former talisman, Spurs have reinvented themselves as a more fluid attacking team, with new captain Son Heung-min thriving in a more central role. Tottenham, after their latest 2-1 win on Friday night, have extended their unbeaten run to 10 games; winning eight of them in a real statement to the rest of the Premier League.

New manager Ange Postecoglou is seemingly transforming the club, and things haven't looked better than this for quite a long time. However, despite thriving without a traditional number nine of Kane's ilk, there have been suggestions that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and incoming new transfer chief Johan Lange could still sign a new striker next year.

Tottenham are interested in Brentford's Ivan Toney, for instance, who looks set to become one of the hottest commodities in English football once he returns from his ban for alleged gambling breaches. Spurs are eyeing Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez as well, according to recent reports, with one agent even saying this week that Spurs are among the "closest" sides to getting him.

Gimenez really "interesting" Tottenham

Now, a very reliable transfer source in Romano has shared his own update on the matter. While he confirms that Gimenez is being watched by Spurs, things don't appear as advanced as previously suggested. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the journalis backs that he's a player really "interesting" Postecoglou's side. Romano also says that Gimenez could leave for just £39 million.

“We know very well that many top clubs around Europe are keeping an eye on the boy,” said Romano.

“From what I’m hearing, something around €45million (£39million) could be the right fee to make it happen. Let’s see if (it’s) in the January window or in the summer window it depends on Feyenoord, more than on the player. The interest of many clubs is there. I think we saw Tottenham linked, because from what I’m told, Tottenham scouts have been following the player already last year.

“While they were following the manager (Slot) they saw that Santi Gimenez is absolutely a very good striker. So Santi Gimenez for sure is a player interesting for Tottenham, but also for many other clubs around Europe, and this is why decisions will be made in the next months. But at the moment, no statement from people close to the player and the only person (handling his transfer business) is the father.”

The 22-year-old has stood out as one of Europe's most in-form strikers this season. Scoring 13 goals and notching a further three assists, his tender age and pedigree could make his reported £39 million valuation a price really worth paying. Gimenez's departure from the Netherlands is surely one to watch as we head into 2024.