England’s women cricketers have been recognised in the New Year Honours following their World Cup victory at Lord’s this summer.

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2017England’s women cricketers have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours following their World Cup victory at Lord’s this summer.Heather Knight, the captain, and Mark Robinson, the head coach, have both been awarded OBEs, while Tammy Beaumont, the player of the tournament and Anya Shrubsole, whose six-wicket haul sealed a pulsating final against India, have been awarded MBEs.In addition, Clare Connor, the ECB’s Director of England Women’s Cricket, has been awarded a CBE in recognition of her role in the remarkable growth of women’s cricket in this country. The former England captain, who won the Ashes in 2005, has previously been awarded an MBE and an OBE.”Our sincere congratulations to Heather, Tammy, Anya, Mark and Clare on their inclusion in today’s New Year’s Honours List,” said Colin Graves, the ECB chairman. “It’s fitting recognition for the way in which the team’s magnificent achievements this summer captured the imagination of the sporting public.”Winning the World Cup in front of a capacity crowd at Lord’s was a truly game-changing moment not just for the team, but for the wider women’s game.Clare Connor said: “I am immensely proud of our England players and staff for their incredible hard work, dedication and passion which came together this summer to create something very special.”The memory of Anya Shrubsole claiming the final Indian wicket, arms out-stretched and screaming in celebration to the sky, will stay with us all for a long time. And for that moment to have been seen by a full Lord’s cricket ground and by a television audience of 180 million around the world is testament to the vast progress our sport has made.”

Glasgow Rangers got their first victory of the 2023/24 Premiership campaign at the weekend, defeating Livingston 4-0 at Ibrox.

With a vital Champions League qualifier to come on Tuesday evening, it was a step in the right direction and Michael Beale will be turning his attention to not only securing a win but also bolstering his squad.

Who could Rangers sign this summer?

According to Bristol Live, the Light Blues are showing interest in a centre-back heading into the final few weeks of the transfer window.

That player happens to be Zak Vyner. Indeed, he has entered into the final year of his current contract and while ‘fresh terms’ were offered earlier this year, the defender has yet to sign them, fuelling talk of a potential exit in the coming weeks as it represents the last chance Bristol City have of securing a fee for him.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

Beale will face competition from Championship side Southampton, yet the lure of European football and the chance to win trophies should be more than enough incentive for the 26-year-old to choose Ibrox over St Mary’s.

Who is Zak Vyner?

The Gers have so far been linked with moves for Jake Cooper and Harry Souttar as Beale aims to bring in another defender, and Vyner is the latest name touted with a move.

By signing a player from an EFL club, the Ibrox side could certainly repeat their Todd Cantwell masterclass before the end of the window.

The former Norwich City starlet arrived from the Championship in January and although he was once linked with a move to Aston Villa just two years ago, his form had dipped in the second tier.

Under Beale’s leadership, however, the 25-year-old was revitalised upon arriving in Glasgow. He registered 11 goal contributions across 20 games – six goals and five assists – while also ranking third for overall rating (7.36) and fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.5), demonstrating how much of a positive influence he had by moving north of the border.

Vyner has already experienced Scottish football, spending a brief spell on loan at Aberdeen during the 2019/20 season and he has grown into a solid centre-back who could give Beale another option at the heart of the defence.

The 5 foot 10 gem averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game last season in the Championship and these statistics would have ranked him seventh and first in the Rangers squad respectively.

He also offered a decent attacking threat, creating three big chances, which would have placed him joint-second across the defenders at Rangers while he registered four goal contributions, again, ranking him joint-second compared to the centre-backs at the Glasgow side.

It’s evident he could fit in well, especially with these statistics and his manager, Nigel Pearson, lauded him last term, saying: “Zak’s a good player, he’s come through the academy, and he’s probably suffered from being versatile. He’s matured this season there’s been more reliability.

“He’s gained experience and developed through the players that he’s played alongside as well so those things together are all a part of a player’s development. Even players in their 30s can develop and improve themselves if they’ve got an open mind.”

With the chance to secure his signature for a knockdown fee, Beale could bring a player who is arguably heading into his peak years to the club for a pittance, replicating the successful Cantwell deal in the process.

It would be a shrewd investment, no doubt about it.

England quick Anya Shrubsole has become the first woman to feature on the cover of

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2018

Following a landmark year for the women’s game, in which the most high-profile Women’s World Cup ever was won by England in a thrilling climax in front of a packed house at Lord’s, 2018 has begun with another ground-breaking accolade. Anya Shrubsole, whose six-wicket haul led England to victory over India in the final, has become the first woman to feature on the cover of .Wisden

Shrubsole is pictured in the familiar primrose hues of the Almanack, holding the Women’s World Cup aloft at Lord’s. Her spell of five wickets in 22 balls had ripped the trophy from India’s hands, as England held on for a nine-run win amid scenes of high drama.It was seen as a watershed moment for the sport, following the advent of professional contracts and increased profile of competitions such as the Kia Super League and Women’s Big Bash League. Lawrence Booth, editor of , said that Shrubsole was the standout candidate to be showcased on the 2018 edition, which will be published in April.”The choice of Anya Shrubsole as Wisden’s cover star for 2018 was reassuringly easy,” Booth said. “She’d bowled the spell that won England the World Cup, so in my mind it was going to take something pretty extraordinary to topple her from the perch. And the fact that she wasn’t a token pick was important.”Women’s cricket underwent a revolution in 2017, so if we weren’t going to reflect that with a photo of an English cricketer brandishing a global trophy, we might as well have given up and said cricket is for men only and always will be. The old-school pick might have been Steve Smith, but cricket has moved beyond that now. Anya was thrilled when I told her, and to judge by the instant reaction on Twitter this morning a lot of people are thrilled on her behalf.”In a similar move, has chosen to put two members of the India side who made it to the Women’s World Cup final – a high-fiving Sushma Verma and Shikha Pandey – on the cover of its 2018 edition.The tradition of putting a photo on the sleeve of the Almanack only began in 2003, with Virat Kohli last year’s cover star. In 2009, Claire Taylor became the first female to be named one of ‘s Five Cricketers of the Year, awarded for performances during the preceding English summer. A number of players from the side led by Heather Knight, including Shrubsole and star allrounder Nat Sciver, are potential recipients in 2018.

Big Picture

After losing the ODI series, a journalist asked Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur what the first thought on his mind was. “When is our flight?” replied Arthur instantly. That’s the kind of gallows humour prevailing in New Zealand among the Pakistan camp. Nearly a month-long tour has turned into a miserable campaign, with Pakistan now having lost 13 consecutive completed international matches against New Zealand.This gloomy tour to New Zealand has undone all the hard work Pakistan have done over the last six months. They were blown away in the ODI series, and, with a change of format, the world No. 2 T20I side was dismantled in the opening game. They have a chance to keep the series alive and head into the third and final game with some pride, and something worth playing for. They have already tried every player on the tour barring Ahmed Shehzad – given ample time to adjust to the conditions, to no avail.New Zealand, meanwhile, have continued their ruthless domination and must be overflowing with confidence given their form this season. It’s hard to pick a flaw in this impossibly dynamic side, which has every base covered. They have also nailed the rotation policy so far. Their bench strength has been superb, and coach Mike Hesson’s aims of improving the depth in the New Zealand squad are being quickly realised. Pakistan will attest to that.

Form guide

New Zealand WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWW

In the spotlight

Ish Sodhi is the world’s top-ranked T20 bowler, but can’t seem to get a game for New Zealand in any of the longer formats. That may frustrate him, but so would his bowling in the first T20I. The legspinner failed to cash in as Pakistan fell for 105, conceding 25 in four overs and ending up wicketless. There have been calls within New Zealand to give Sodhi more game time across formats. With stellar performances in the next two T20Is, those calls will only grow louder.Former PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, who had appointed Sarfraz Ahmed captain, has hinted that the management needs to assess if the captain is being overburdened. He has looked particularly miserable on what has come to look like a long, arduous tour. He has tinkered with the combination, batted first and bowled first, and made every possible move to spur Pakistan on to their first win on the tour. But his own performance with the bat as well as the gloves has been uninspiring and, while that remains the case, he’s unlikely to spur the team on successfully. He will be intelligent enough to recognise that.

Team news

Kane Williamson is likely to return after sitting out the first game with a side strain. Trent Boult will come back into the side too, while it is Tim Southee’s turn to have a rest.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Glenn Phillips (wk), 5 Tom Bruce, 6 Ross Taylor, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ben Wheeler/Seth Rance, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish SodhiPakistan played a somewhat surprise XI in the opening game, leaving out two experienced batsmen in Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez. The move didn’t work out and there will be another reshuffle, with Shehzad expected to return.Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Aamer Yamin, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Nawaz, 10 Hasan Ali/Rumman Raees, 11 Mohammad Amir

Pitch and conditions

Eden Park is a small ground, where even mis-hits can comfortably clear the rope. The pitch may offer assistance to the spin bowlers, but batsmen will fancy their chances after a low-scoring game in Wellington. Rain is not expected to play a part.

Stats and trivia

• Martin Guptill needs 72 runs to become only the second batsman to make 2000 T20I runs
• Pakistan’s last win against New Zealand came at Eden Park, in January 2016, in a T20I. New Zealand have won 13 completed matches in a row against Pakistan since then

Quotes

“Don’t take anything away from the West Indies, I think we played really well against them. Pakistan were obviously whitewashed in the one-dayers, but they were very competitive all the way through.”

“You come here after two three years and it becomes difficult sometimes to adjust early on. But we should admit that we are not playing the way we should be playing.”

Leeds United are “one of the clubs” in the race to sign Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer this summer, and a reliable journalist has revealed when to expect developments on a potential move.

Where was Cameron Archer born?

Archer was originally born in Walsall and has been at Villa Park since his childhood days having graduated from the club’s academy to get promoted to the first team back in 2021, but having only ever made 13 senior appearances, he’s spent most of his career out on the road.

The England youth international has carried out three development loans since bursting onto the scene, the first at Solihull Moors, the second at Preston North End and the third and most recent being last season at Middlesbrough, and it sounds like he could now be heading for a permanent exit despite still having four years remaining on his contract.

Read The Latest Leeds Transfer News HERE…

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported that the Midlands outfit are “open” to selling the 21-year-old as a result of strong interest from the likes of Sheffield United and Michael Carrick’s side once again, but if the following update is to be believed, Daniel Farke has entered the race with the aim of bringing him to Elland Road.

Are Leeds signing Cameron Archer?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs delivered an update on Archer’s future at Aston Villa and name-checked Leeds as a team firmly in the running to secure his signature. He said:

“With Archer, what's interesting is that he's been made for sale now. So there is an opportunity to do that deal. He's had a couple of good loan spells in the Championship including with Middlesbrough and now, Aston Villa are willing to let him go. I think that he put himself in the shop window with I believe, a couple of goals and an assist at the under 21 Euros for England.

"He also scored plenty of goals, he got into double figures for Middlesbrough last season and I think that was only in about 20-odd appearances and he added several assists on top of that. So that can be one to watch because Aston Villa are now prepared to sell him. Leeds are one of the clubs no doubt Middlesbrough are another. So I would expect movement on Archer between now and the end of the window."

How many goals has Cameron Archer scored?

At Middlesbrough last season, Archer posted a remarkable 17 goal contributions (11 goals and six assists) in 23 appearances, with this form having seen him hailed “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so should he put pen to paper, it would be a massive coup for Leeds.

Villa’s £20k-per-week earner also has the versatility to operate everywhere across the frontline so he would be a great option for Farke to have in the building, not only in terms of being able to cover for injuries in other roles but additionally if the boss ever wanted to switch up his team selection to have multiple top players out on the pitch together.

Furthermore, the centre-forward shares the same agent, Unique Sports Group, as Karl Darlow, 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.

The Whites have also been heavily linked with a swoop for Everton striker Tom Cannon, but with the need for attacking reinforcements strong, Archer could be following in the formerly mentioned player’s footsteps to walk through the doors as a pair before September 1st.

Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo made a poor error as Blackburn came from a goal down to lead 2-1 in their FA Cup tie at Ewood Park.

• Wrexham taking on Blackburn
• Take shock lead at Ewood Park
• Goalkeeper gifts hosts goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Okonkwo had a moment to forget during Wrexham's FA Cup tie with Blackburn. The goalkeeper came racing out of his penalty area but sold himself short, allowing Sam Gallagher to calmly stroke the ball home and put his side 2-1 up in the tie, having previously cancelled out Andy Cannon's brilliant opener.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham had enjoyed a dream start as Andy Cannon fired the visitors into a shock lead. However, Sammie Szmodics levelled before Okonkwo's error saw Blackburn go ahead. Szmodics then struck again just before half-time to give the visitors a mountain to climb.

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  The winners of the tie progress to a fifth round match against Newcastle. Wrexham's next game is a League Two clash against Salford City.

Shardul Thakur dominated with the ball, Virat Kohli with the bat and India cruised to an eight-wicket win in Centurion, taking the six-match series 5-1

The Report by Nikhil Kalro16-Feb-2018

Confidence and form are two of the most influential factors in batting. They often dictate timing and placement – requisites for scoring runs. South Africa have lacked both after their sub-par performances this series. Therefore, in good batting conditions in Centurion, South Africa’s batsmen grappled with their own lack of confidence and India’s disciplined bowling, resulting in another mediocre total. Shardul Thakur, playing his first match of the series, led another clinical display from India with figures of 4 for 52 as South Africa were bowled out for 204.On the other end of that form spectrum lies Virat Kohli. With 429 runs in five games prior to the final ODI, Kohli was oozing confidence. Against a jaded bowling attack, and with all that belief, his 35th ODI hundred was almost a formality. It helped India coast to an eight-wicket win, and take the six-match series 5-1. Kohli finished with 558 runs in six matches, the most by a batsman in a bilateral series.Just like in the second ODI at the same venue, South Africa began cautiously to suss out conditions early. What their openers, Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram, found was a surface that was sluggish, with strokes on the up taking the inside and outside halves of the bat. In the thin air of the Highveld and under some pressure, Amla saw an opportunity to hit Thakur over fine leg for six in the seventh over. His attempt to pull, from bottom to top to get underneath the ball, cost him a fraction of a second, and he could only strangle a leg-side delivery to the keeper.Markram played some fluent strokes, including a well-timed six over square leg, but like in Port Elizabeth he was caught in the circle trying to force the pace. He was caught, looking to clear cover, a shot that was preceded by two languid drives off overpitched deliveries that found the same fielder.South Africa’s best period of batting followed, with AB de Villiers and Khaya Zondo attacking India’s wristspinners. In the 18th over, de Villiers hit Kuldeep for three successive fours – a drive through point, an inside-edge just past the stumps, and a reverse sweep. Zondo pulled Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes over midwicket in the next over. They had added 62 off 65 balls before de Villiers missed a straight, flat delivery, trying to cut.Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen, after the loss of South Africa’s best ODI batsman and with a fragile middle order to follow, were overly cautious, accumulating 30 in 58 balls. Klaasen then drilled a slower delivery to short cover. Farhaan Behardien, playing his first match of the series, holed out to third man in the next over. Zondo’s spirited fight ended when he chipped Chahal to sweeper cover, for 54. South Africa’s score hadn’t progressed much since de Villiers’ dismissal and their momentum had been sucked out.Andile Phehlukwayo and Morne Morkel pleased the sparse Centurion crowd with an exciting 36-run partnership, the second-highest of the innings. Then Morkel scythed a cut to sweeper cover, and Imran Tahir and Phehlukwayo were caught off slower balls. Even though they did reasonably well against the wristspinners – scoring 89 runs for three wickets off 20 overs – South Africa fell well below the target they must have aimed at, ending up with 19 unutilised deliveries.Fresh off a match-winning hundred, Rohit Sharma began the chase with a few exquisite cuts behind and in front of point. South Africa’s short-ball ploy worked as he gloved a bouncer from Lungi Ngidi to the keeper. They persisted with that length thereafter which, on a slow pitch, was always fraught with risk.Kohli pounced on that length. With attacking fields and the short deliveries sitting up, Kohli laid into cross-batted strokes on either side of the pitch. He blazed away to 38 off 25. Dhawan, on the other hand, struggling for timing, was 14 off 30. Dhawan’s 34 ball struggle ended when he nailed a cut to backward point, for 18, South Africa’s last moment of respite in an effortless chase.Kohli and Rahane added an unbeaten 129 off just 117 balls. Rahane contributed 34 off 50 balls, playing adeptly around the belligerence of Kohli. In stark contrast to his usual mode of operation in ODIs, Kohli’s ton was filled with boundaries: 19 fours and two sixes, making up 68.21% of his runs. The trouble he faced in mustering all those runs, though, was nearly zero.

Legspinner Eddie Leie ended up conceding the second-most runs in a single over in List A cricket history

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2018JP Duminy broke the South African List A record for most runs scored in a single over when he hit Eddie Leie for 37 runs in a Momentum one-day cup match on Wednesday.It happened when the Cape Cobras were comfortably placed at 208 for 2 in the 36th over of a chase of 240 against the Knights. But Duminy, batting on 34 off 30 balls, sensed the opportunity to steal a bonus point. And it helped that the man he was facing was a legspinner, turning the ball into his hitting arc.The carnage began with a slog sweep. It continued with a biff straight down the ground. Then came a couple of heaves into the grass banks on the leg side. Four balls. Four sixes. Two more and he would match Herschelle Gibbs’ feat in the 2007 World Cup.Duminy took strike again as excitement built around Newlands. But Leie doused it all by making sure his fifth delivery cost only two runs. There was only one ball left in the over and it seemed like the record wouldn’t be broken.Except Leie coughed up a no-ball, and Duminy hit it for four through extra cover. That took the tally to 31 runs off the over and it was game on again.Duminy took his stance. Leie ran in. A split second later the ball was soaring away for six. Duminy had not only won the match but secured his place in history as the batsman to hit the second-most runs in an over of List A cricket. In October 2013, Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura had played a big hand in ransacking 39 runs against Bangladesh’s Alauddin Babu in the Dhaka Premier League.”It is not every day you get the opportunity, so of course I was trying to go for the six sixes in an over,” Duminy said after finishing unbeaten on 70 off just 37 balls. “I initially thought it was all about the bonus point. I looked up at the scoreboard and we needed 35 with four overs still to go to get the bonus point, so I just decided to take Eddie on. I was striking the ball really cleanly, and when the first two went for six, I figured I might as well give it a full go now because regardless whether I get out we would still have secured the bonus point. It was enjoyable.”

Trent Boult has been rested from the final ODI against Pakistan on Friday as well as the first T20I that follows next week

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2018New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult has been rested from the final ODI against Pakistan on Friday as well as the first T20I that follows next week. To ensure the team has left-arm cover, the selectors have brought in Ben Wheeler, who last played international cricket in February 2017.New Zealand T20I squad v Pakistan

Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult (2nd & 3rd T20I only), Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (2nd & 3rd T20I only), Martin Guptill, Anaru Kitchen, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (1st & 3rd T20I only), Ross Taylor (1st T20I only), Ben Wheeler

Seth Rance, the seamer who made his debut against Ireland last year, will join the ODI squad in Wellington for the final game and stay back for the first T20I as well. New Zealand’s selectors continued their policy of rotating many of their first choice players with Tim Southee being given the second T20I off. Ross Taylor will be available for the first T20I only, while Lockie Ferguson will take that day off.”Ben’s ability to swing the ball makes him a threatening bowler and his batting power and athleticism in the field compliments that nicely,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “It will be nice to see more of Ben and Seth while we manage the workloads of Tim and Trent.”Tom Bruce retained his spot in the squad to deny Mark Chapman, who has played two ODIs and 19 T20Is for Hong Kong, a maiden call up to the New Zealand squad. Chapman has been in sizzling form in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition, tied for second place with 300 runs at an average of 37.50, including an innings of 101 off 58 balls three matches ago against Canterbury.Bruce made 28 runs in three T20Is against West Indies earlier this year. His best score of 59 not out came in his second T20I against Bangladesh last January and, since then, has only crossed 30 once in eight innings.”We have three guys who were seriously considered for that specialist batsman spot at number five, however we’ve backed the incumbents who have performed so well of us in recent times,” Larsen said. “Mark has been really impressive for Auckland, but with the form that Tom and Ross have been in we felt they deserved to continue getting opportunities. We’d like to see Mark continue to work on his bowling, which could open up other opportunities for him outside of just that number five spot.”Chapman’s non-selection for New Zealand means he remains eligible to represent Hong Kong. He has not played for the country of his birth since a loss to Scotland at Nagpur in the opening round of the 2016 World T20, though there remains faint hope in Hong Kong circles that he may make himself available to play the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe this March.New Zealand Cricket also announced that players who are not part of the ODI squad for the ongoing series against Pakistan but have been named in the T20I squad – Wheeler, Bruce, Anaru Kitchen, Glenn Phillips and Ish Sodhi – will be free to play in the Super Smash T20 final on January 20 in Hamilton but would be unavailable should the match be pushed to a reserve day.

Leeds United need offensive additions fast, but Daniel Farke must be wary to avoid failures of the past in his transfer haste…

Who else will Leeds United sign this summer?

Already this summer has been a tumultuous one for the Whites, with the hope that their new four additions brought quickly offset by the numerous departures of many of their key first-team stars.

If anything, the Whites simply need bodies in at this point, given that their recent Championship clash with Birmingham City saw them only name eight substitutes, two of which were goalkeepers.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

In an effort to bolster their ranks, they could reignite a transfer rumour of old, with their interest in AC Milan's Divock Origi having only been referenced back in July.

However, with the Belgian having struggled since swapping Liverpool for Milan, perhaps the Yorkshire outfit should look elsewhere rather than opting for the shiniest name being sold from the biggest club. The 28-year-old is valued by FootballTransfers at €8.4m (£7m).

How many goals did Divock Origi score for Liverpool?

Having only moved to the San Siro last summer, to see him touted for another transfer so soon is a damning indication of his recent form in Italy.

The former LOSC Lille star was handed plenty of opportunities to shine during the 2022/23 campaign, with 36 appearances across all competitions. However, for whatever reason, the former Reds favourite could only muster two goals.

Such profligacy on a £84k-per-week wage is the last thing Farke needs, given he is already suffering from some of the club's high-profile failures of the past.

One such name that remains at Elland Road is Dan James, who was brought in from Manchester United back in 2021.

Signed for a mouth-watering £25m fee, the Welshman was an outcast at Old Trafford and has hardly taken to life in Yorkshire with ease either.

It was a doomed deal from the start, and by signing Origi from a similarly huge team would mark a repeat given his clear exile from the first team.

A club like Leeds, who crave an upturn in their fortunes and a brighter future, should be focusing on investing shrewdly in the unknown, with data backing up their purchases. Then, given the quality and frequency of games in the Championship, these unproven stars can be allowed to adapt and one day shine.

Bringing in these stalwarts might seem like the attractive option, but the chances are it would only end poorly.

Especially when using James as an example, with the winger having made just 43 appearances, scoring a measly four times.

Such abhorrent form even saw the 25-year-old shipped out on loan, where he fared no better for Fulham.

This has been a financial disaster for the club, who have a history of imploding when tumbling down the divisions.

The only benefit that Origi and the huge fiscal burden he would bring has relies on fans misremembering his time at Anfield, as whilst he scored important goals, he was hardly proficient.

A tally of 41 goals in 175 games made it abundantly clear whilst he was never a starter, yet his Champions League semi-final brace against FC Barcelona, and subsequent strike in the final, has understandably made him the "cult hero" that pundit Laura Woods suggested he was.

However, he does not have that consistent scoring touch to offset the reasons against such a signing, which would once again see Leeds take a big club's unwanted dud.