Of course there is pressure when you are the No. 1 ODI team in the world. Of course there is widespread expectation to beat a Sri Lanka in some disarray. But so what, asks Jos Buttler. After decades of being expected to be swept aside in the format, especially when playing in South Asia, it’s nice to go in to a series the much more fancied team.”I like being favourites – it shows we’ve been doing good stuff,” Buttler said on the eve of the first ODI in Dambulla. “It’s been tricky in the past for England sides to come here. But we are full of confidence, we look forward to adapting our play.”There’s always pressure being No. 1. Once you get there, I think that’s when the hard work really starts. You’ve got a bit of a target on your back. It’s down to you to keep improving and try to stay there. That’s the challenge and it has its own pressures. I think in the dressing room we have a good understanding of what that is and who we are as a side, and know that we need to keep improving and pushing the boundaries, and putting no limitations on what we’re capable of. That should stand us in good stead. A lot of the guys enjoy the pressure in the dressing room.”So many of the major trepidations that England teams of yesteryear had, are simply not a worry for this ODI outfit. A relatively modest spin contingent, for example, will have worried previous England captains, but not this lot. In Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, England almost certainly have a better-heeled slow-bowling outfit than Sri Lanka, for whom Akila Dananjaya has been a consistent performer, but Lakshan Sandakan and Amila Aponso have been sporadic ones.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“In England if you look at the two guys who have played well consistently for us are usually the two spinners,” Buttler said. “Adil takes a lot of wickets, Moeen is economical, and they’re a big strength of the side for us, even in home conditions. Seam is going to have a big part to play as well. Maybe there are few different roles for the seamers and the spinners, but the guys are excited for that.”And the conditions may not be overly spin-friendly anyway. During the South Africa series, Sri Lanka made the decision to play on good batting tracks at home, to better prepare themselves for the challenge of next year’s World Cup, and the New Zealand and South Africa ODI series on the horizon. Whatever the conditions, England are confident they have enough know-how in their squad to tackle them.”A lot of the squad have been a part of the IPL and experienced that,” Buttler said. “Not just for the conditions, but touring this part of the world and the chaos that comes with the IPL – stuff like weather and not allowing it to impact your performance and preparation. Guys have travelled the world a bit as well. Hopefully you’ll see some return on investment on guys have been part of that competition.”

The Red Devils have more than a few players at the tournament in Germany. Here's how you can follow each of their stars at Euro 2024

With a total of eight players competing at the European Championship in Germany this summer, Manchester United are well represented at the major international tournament.

Indeed, the likes of Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund are among the Red Devils stars who will be present at Euro 2024 and each will be fighting for glory with their respective national teams.

Here, GOAL shows how you can follow each of the Old Trafford heroes present at Euro 2024.

• Getty
  

  Scott McTominay | Scotland | Group A

  Midfielder Scott McTominay is looking to help Scotland progress past the group stage of a major competition for the first time in the nation's history.

  Fresh off a season in which he played 43 times for Erik ten Hag's United, the 27-year-old is expected to be a key figure for Steve Clarke's team, having shaken off a slight injury concern heading into Euro 2024.

  With 49 caps to his name, he is one of Scotland's more senior players and will be kicking off the tournament with a headline showdown against hosts Germany in the opening game at the Allianz Arena in Munich on June 14.

  The Tartan Army then travel to Koln to face Switzerland at the Koln Stadium on June 19, followed by a trip to the Stuttgart Arena on June 23, where they will take on Hungary in the final game of Group A.

Advertisement

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Rasmus Hojlund | Denmark | Group C

  After a promising debut season at Old Trafford, Rasmus Hojlund will spearhead the Denmark attack as they look to improve on their third-place finish at Euro 2020.

  The 21-year-old has just 14 caps to his name and has scored an impressive seven times. Amazingly, all seven of those goals came across his eight Euro 2024 qualifying matches.

  The Danes will be hoping the striker can carry that form into the final tournament in Germany, where they start with a match against Slovenia at Stuttgart Arena on June 16, followed by a rematch of their Euro 2020 semi-final against England in Frankfurt. They then round off Group C with a meeting with Serbia in Munich.

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Christian Eriksen | Denmark | Group C

  At 32 years old, Christian Eriksen has made a whopping 130 appearances for Denmark's senior team – Simon Kjaer, 35, is the only member of the squad with more caps than the midfielder, having featured 135 times.

  Eriksen remains an important figure for the Nordic nation, having scored a goal and set-up another to mastermind a 2-1 win against Scandinavian rivals Sweden in their Euro 2024 warm-up on June 5.

  He is expected to line up in the attacking midfield role when they kick off their campaign in Stuttgart and will hope to put in solid displays in Frankfurt and Munich, too, as the Danes aim to progress beyond the group stage again.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  Luke Shaw | England | Group C

  Luke Shaw endured an injury-disrupted campaign with United, managing 15 appearances in all competitions. The 28-year-old, has, however, made England boss Gareth Southgate's final squad for the Euros, and is in contention to play a part in the group stages.

  England are short of options at left-back and have opted to play natural right-back Kieran Trippier in Shaw's position in recent friendlies, so Southgate will undoubtedly be eager to have the United defender back in action soon.

  Indeed, with the full-back having taken part in the Three Lions' first training session in Germany, fans will be hoping he may even be available for the trip to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen for their opening game against Serbia. Otherwise, they will be desperate to have him in the starting XI when they meet Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20, or at least the June 25 match against Slovenia in Koln.

Kalvin Phillips' nightmare loan spell at West Ham continued as his foul sparked a remarkable Newcastle comeback at St. James' Park.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Phillips comes on at 3-1 upConcedes penalty after seven minutesHarvey Barnes equalises moments laterWHAT HAPPENED?

Phillips was substituted on in the 69th minute and then just seven minutes later conceded a penalty for a foul on Anthony Gordon. Gordon was too quick for Phillips and nipped in to poke the ball away from the West Ham player whose missed clearance took the winger out. Alexander Isak, taking his second penalty of the game, converted another the spot-kick to take his side within one goal of the Hammers. To make matters worse for Phillips and the Hammers, Harvey Barnes scored a brace to win the game for the Magpies in the dying embers.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Bemused by Phillips' misfortune, fans flocked to X to share their opinion on the midfielder. @UtdEra_ said: "Kalvin Phillips to West Ham could go down as the worst loan of all time. He’s shocking."

West Ham fan @alanrzepa could not believe it. He said: "Kalvin Phillips can’t play for us ever again."

@HughMurray1894 added: "I actually feel bad for Kalvin Phillips at this point."

@thomasjrennie believes there are higher powers at stake. He said: "Never, ever bring on Kalvin Phillips. He’s cursed."

Jamie Kent drew comparisons to another awful loan signing. He said: "Kalvin Phillips is having genuinely one of the worse loan spells I’ve seen since Denis Suarez at Arsenal."

West Ham's luck with loan signings has been hit and miss in the past. @JackElderton tweeted: "I don't want to see Phillips again. He has cost us so many points since joining. Roberto the only other player to have such a bad run at West Ham in my lifetime."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Things have gone from bad to worse for Phillips, who has been dropped from the England squad since his loan move to West Ham. While he can feel unlucky to have conceded the penalty given he was unaware of Gordon behind him as he went to clear the ball, he could have reacted faster and could have no complaints when the spot-kick was given. Phillips' debut came in the 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal and in his second game he was sent off against Bournemouth for a challenge labelled 'stupid' by former referee Mike Dean. A series of calamitous and costly mistakes for the Hammers will have done little to impress England boss Gareth Southgate.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PHILLIPS?

Time is running out for Phillips for demonstrate he is still good enough to play for England at the European Championship in the summer. Yet, at the moment, every time he does play his chances seem to diminish. Since his nightmare move to Manchester City, the former Leeds captain's career has been derailed and it remains to be seen if he will have any suitors come the summer.

The arrival of a highveld thunderstorm, and the threat of lightning that came with it, brought the first game of the Sunday double-header to a premature end

The Report by Liam Brickhill25-Nov-2018

The arrival of a highveld thunderstorm, and the threat of lightning that came with it, brought Tshwane Spartans’ game against Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Centurion to a premature end with Giants seven runs ahead on DLS. Just as heavy, grey cloud rumbled over the ground Giants nipped out two Spartans wickets in three balls – including the prized scalp of AB de Villiers – to derail Spartans’ chase just as five overs were completed and the umpires stopped play.Giants had been kept to 143 for 9 by a clinical effort with the ball from Spartans, with Jeevan Mendis’ legspinning variations proving too much for the middle order as he collected 4 for 22. Seamer Lutho Sipamla chipped in with 3 for 29, getting rid of Marco Marais for 47 and Chris Morris just as he set himself to cut loose in the final over, and were it not for the approaching weather, Spartans’ chase should have been an easy one.It had been predicted that rain would reach the ground at 4pm, but the clouds started to roll in much sooner and the early loss of Gihahn Cloete stalled Spartans’ efforts to stay in touch with the DLS par. Even more troublesome were the quick dismissals of Tony de Zorzi and de Villiers moments before the game was stopped.Struggling to pierce the cover field, de Zorzi edged a cut at Sisanda Magala in the fifth over, and with Spartans just behind the DLS par, Carmi le Roux struck the knockout blow with his first ball. De Villiers walked across his stumps, looking to attack the fine leg boundary, but le Roux beat his paddle with a full ball that struck his boot. It was a marginal call, and the ball may well have missed the off stump, but Umpire Bongani Jele upheld the appeal to set Spartans even further back.Lightning had been visible to the south of the ground, and it has struck the floodlight towers during a domestic game at Centurion in the past so before another ball had been bowled, with player safety in mind, umpires Jele and Johan Cloete removed the players from the field.The weather spoiled what had been an excellent day in the field for Spartans. Both Mendis and Sipamla found themselves on hat-tricks, and though neither completed the milestone Spartans never let Giants off the hook.Giants captain Jon-Jon Smuts and fellow opener Marais had got their team off to a flier first up, but the opening stand was quickly snapped by Corbin Bosch, who has been picked up by Spartans as a replacement for the injured Lungi Ngidi. With his third ball, he found the top edge of Smuts’ pull, and Mendis then got to work on the middle order.Ben Duckett was stumped for 3, having wandered out of his crease looking for a single unaware that the ball had ricocheted off his body and rolled into wicketkeeper Cloete’s gloves. In his next over, Mendis bowled Christiaan Jonker with an arm ball, and he ended his spell with the dismissals of Rudi Second and Sisanda Magala with consecutive balls.With Spartans’ bowlers tight on the yorker at the death, Sipamla returned to repeat the trick in his final over, getting rid of Morris and Tahir with successive deliveries to dent Giants’ charge. He had also removed Marais three runs short of his fifty, and Giants stumbled a little to get to their total. Bad weather, and last-minute wickets, meant it was just enough.

Ireland will begin their first overseas Test match on St Patrick’s Day – March 17 – when they take on Afghanistan next year, in what will be a second Test outing for both of the game’s newest senior nations.The Test will be the culmination of a nine-match itinerary, which will also include three T20Is on February 23, 24 and 26, and five ODIs on March 2, 4, 7, 9 and 12 – all in the northern India city of Dehradun, Afghanistan’s home from home.Both teams made their Test debuts in 2018, with Ireland taking on Pakistan in Malahide in May, before Afghanistan played India at Bangalore in June.”Afghanistan are a quality side with world-class players – it’ll be a great challenge in their ‘home’ conditions,” said the Ireland batsman, Andrew Balbirnie.”The Afghanistan series is a major step forward for Irish cricket as the tour is the first one as a Full Member.””It will no doubt be a test for the entire squad – taking on Afghanistan in subcontinent conditions will require a level of adjustment by both our batting and bowling units.For Afghanistan, the limited-overs leg of the tour will form part of their preparations for next year’s World Cup – a tournament for which they qualified in remarkable circumstances in Zimbabwe last year.Ireland missed out on that showpiece event, but their highlight of 2018 promises to be a maiden Test match against England at Lord’s in July, a four-day affair that will form part of their hosts’ preparations for the Ashes which get underway on August 1.”The level and regularity of top-quality international cricket in 2019 will be exciting for Irish cricket fans,” said Balbirnie.”The year will start with this Afghanistan series, and will involve a busy home schedule of matches involving multiple Full Member nations – starting with an ODI against England at Malahide in May.”There’s also the Lord’s Test against England in July, and the year will end with the T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in October.”

Lack of support from Cricket Victoria leaves Cricket Australia lacking the united front it has been desperately striving for since David Peever’s exit

Daniel Brettig28-Nov-2018Earl Eddings, the Cricket Australia chairman, has begun his permanent tenure the same way his predecessor David Peever ended his – without unanimous support from the six state associations that own the governing body.Cricket New South Wales and its chairman John Knox, who advised Peever that his position was untenable following the release of the independent cultural review into CA earlier this month, advised Eddings of their support for his position on Tuesday. However, his own state of Victoria declined to support a process by which the chairman moved from interim to permanent while two vacancies remained on the Board.These roles, left by Peever and the long-serving Mark Taylor, are to be filled through a nominations committee process that would feature the involvement of NSW but has yet to begin. Cricket Australia’s Board ultimately determined that it needed to move ahead with Eddings’ appointment through until the end of 2019 for reasons of stability, and also to allow the chairman to fulfill his substantial ICC duties – the next meeting of the global body’s executive board is set to take place in February.Nevertheless, the lack of support from Cricket Victoria, which has a new chairman in Paul Barker, following the retirement of Russell Thomas earlier this year, and two other recently appointed directors in David Hussey and Phil Hyde, leaves CA lacking the united front it has been desperately striving for since Peever’s exit.Extensive consultation with the states around the chairman’s status has been accompanied by an overdue peace summit with the Australian Cricketers Association, and the new chief executive Kevin Roberts’ removal of two polarising senior executives in Pat Howard and Ben Amarfio.”Cricket Victoria has made its view clear and our preference remains that the interim Chairman arrangements were maintained while Australian cricket undertakes a thorough process to fill the recent Board vacancies,” Barker said. “We have actively encouraged Cricket Australia to pursue this opportunity through an established nominations committee – a process that Cricket Victoria firmly believes would deliver the best outcome for Australian cricket.”The Board director Jacquie Hey, who accompanied Peever at his public announcement of the cultural review’s findings, said CA was trying to now establish a measure of continuity. “There’s no question this year has been a challenging one for cricket and for Cricket Australia,” she said. “Our aim is to ensure management are empowered to rebuild trust and strengthen the game.”Earl’s involvement over the past decade provides continuity in a time of change and enables the Board to maintain strong relations with the ICC, other member countries and our valued partners. Earl is a well-regarded member of the team with a solid understanding of our history and the need for better working relationships across the cricket community.”A CA director since 2008, Eddings had accompanied Peever to this year’s ICC annual conference in Ireland before being formally appointed deputy chairman at the AGM a few days before the review was released. “Cricket is only what it is in Australia because of the commitment of our people, the fans and the thousands of volunteers around the country,” he said. “I am honoured to serve in this position and am committed to making cricket stronger and a game that we can all be proud of.”It’s important that, along with our owners, the State and Territory Associations, the players and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, that we work harder than ever before to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds across the country and continue to strengthen cricket’s privileged position as Australia’s favourite summer pastime, whether you are a spectator, player or volunteer.”

The Danes continued the trend of sides winning the toss and losing the match, becoming the ninth team in ten matches to do so at Division Three

Peter Della Penna in Muscat15-Nov-2018Crucial half-centuries from captain Chetan Suryawanshi and Manpreet Singh rescued Singapore from an early hole to take them to 204, which was easily defended in a rousing 63-run win over Uganda.Uganda won the toss and sent Singapore in, and Frank Nsubuga again heaped pressure on the opposition by bowling offspin with the new ball, ending with figures of 2 for 16 including five maidens. When Riazat Ali Shah struck with the final ball of the Powerplay, Singapore’s top three were gone with just 36 on the board.But Suryawanshi steadied the innings by dominating a 56-run stand with Rezza Gavnavi, who blocked at one end to make 10 off 53 balls while Suryawanshi counterattacked to eventually finish with 57 off 61 balls. The medium pace of Kenneth Waiswa and Deus Muhumuza eventually claimed both batsmen to put Singapore in a hole at 115 for 5 after 32 overs.However, Manpreet scored 59 off 79 balls and anchored the rest of the innings, doing an excellent job of shepherding the tail into the final over before he was last man out slogging across the line to be bowled for Riazat’s third wicket.The Oman house of horrors continued for Roger Mukasa as he was the second of three Uganda top-order batsmen to fall for a duck inside the first five overs to leave their chase reeling at 8 for 3. Ronak Patel and Muhumuza were dismissed off consecutive balls as Uganda slipped to 21 for 5. Their last recognised batsman, Dinesh Nakrani, fell in the 17th to make it 35 for 6.Singapore were on the verge of a massive net run rate boost for the tournament tiebreaker until Kenneth Waiswa showed some spine down the order, cracking an unbeaten 61 off 63 balls. But Riazat was the only one to offer him any support with 16 as nobody else crossed double-figures. New-ball medium pacer Janak Prakash came back for a late spell and dismissed Nsubuga for the eighth wicket to claim his third of the day before legspinner Anantha Krishna knocked over the rest of the tail as Uganda eventually subsided for 141 in 42 overs.Peter Della Penna

The Bajan pair of Hayden Walsh and Aaron Jones dug USA out of a deep hole at 87 for 5 with a 131-run partnership in a hard-fought 16-run win over Denmark. The Danes continued the trend of sides winning the toss and losing the match, becoming the ninth team in ten matches to do so at Division Three after sending USA in.USA had a methodical start from Jaskaran Malhotra and Monank Patel as Denmark opened with spin from both ends. It resulted in 42 dot balls in the Powerplay and though USA reached 61 for 0 in 15 overs, the pressure from Denmark’s spinners continued to build until both openers cracked.Monank was stumped for 22 charging Bashir Shah while Malhotra was run out for 39 two overs later after being sent back by Steven Taylor on a ball pushed to point. Three more wickets fell in quick succession as USA’s slide reached 26 for 5 by the time Walsh and Jones came together in the 26th over.The match was evenly balanced at the second drinks break at 134 for 5 in 37 overs, before pair took 70 off the next nine overs to swing momentum USA’s way. Walsh eventually fell for 57, scooping Jino Jojo to short fine leg to end the stand, before Jones was cleaned up by a yorker from Jonas Henriksen on the final ball of the 49th. Seven more runs off the final over took USA to 230 for 8.Denmark gave USA a scare in the chase, with openers Taranjit Bharaj and Hamid Shah reaching 46 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay. But Timil Patel struck a double-blow to start the 11th. The first of his four wickets was an lbw decision against captain Hamid for 12 that appeared to be going down leg.The next delivery, Timil had Freddie Klokker edging a googly to Taylor at slip. Klokker came into the match with 404 runs in six matches v USA at an average of 101 including two unbeaten centuries, but with their greatest batting nemesis gone, USA became favourites once again.Bharaj and Abdul Hashmi fought hard with an 87-run partnership to keep USA sweating in the field on the hottest day of the tournament. It took the return of Timil to break the stand as Hashmi fiddled across the line to be given leg before for 48. Bharaj seemed set to go past three figures but fell in the next over to Saurabh Netravalkar as a leading edge ballooned to mid-off for a simple catch for 69.Denmark’s tail wagged valiantly before Ali Khan’s direct hit from the long-off boundary in the 49th put USA one wicket from victory. With 17 to win off the final over, Ali clinched the match off the third ball by inducing a skier off Jonas Henriksen to extra cover.

Ruben Amorim has vehemently refuted reports that suggested the Sporting CP manager has already reached a verbal agreement to join Liverpool.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Liverpool intensely linked with Amorim
• Reds pursuing him after being snubbed by Alonso
• Amorim distanced himself away from the rumours

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Known as one of the brightest young talents in European football management, Amorim has emerged as a frontrunner to succeed Klopp at Liverpool. This comes after Klopp announced his decision to step down as Liverpool's head coach in January, prompting the club to search for his successor.

  Initially, Xabi Alonso was considered a top candidate for the position. However, Alonso, who has had a successful start to his managerial career, confirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen, dismissing any possibility of a move to Liverpool.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Recent reports claimed that Amorim reached a “verbal agreement in principle” to take charge at Anfield from next season. It was even touted that he has been offered a three-year contract and everything is in place at Merseyside, barring his signature.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  However, during a press conference, Amorim denied these reports, insisting that he has had no discussions or agreements with Liverpool officials.

  "There was no interview, much less an agreement [with Liverpool]," he told reporters. "The only thing we want, all of us here, is to be champions with Sporting, and nothing will change. I'll say it again: I'm Sporting's coach. There was no interview with any club, no agreement with any club. I am focused, as always, on defending my club."

  Amidst the speculation, Amorim urged the media to refrain from further inquiries about his future, expressing his determination to focus on Sporting's pursuit of the Portuguese league title.

  "Since I really have nothing to say: there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. The matter is resolved, whether for this club or another. This is the last time I talk about my future," he said.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Amorim is contracted with Sporting until 2026, and Liverpool may need to trigger his €20 million (£17m/$22m) release clause to secure his services. The former Portuguese international has enjoyed success at Sporting, guiding the team to the Primeira Liga title in the 2020-21 season. Currently, Sporting sit four points clear of Benfica at the top of the table this season, with a game in hand.

Mason Greenwood continues to thrive for Marseille in France, leading to growing speculation over whether a return to the Premier League could be possible for the former Manchester United outcast. Links with a move to La Liga have also gathered pace, while tentative links with both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have led to questions after the highly controversial circumstances which led to his exile from Old Trafford in 2022.

Greenwood's chances of Premier League return revealed

Reports by TEAMtalk state that sources reveal a Premier League return for Greenwood is still believed to be 'off limits', despite his strong goalscoring record with French giants Marseille.

Greenwood is still just 24 years-old and netted 21 Ligue 1 goals in his debut campaign in the competition, following that on with another 13 in all competitions this term, 10 in the league to lead the division’s top scorer charts at present.

Marseille are currently third in Ligue 1, four points behind PSG and five behind leaders Lens, while Roberto De Zerbi’s men have won successive Champions League games to reach nine points in the competition and rise comfortably into the play-off places.

Greenwood’s form has led to ‘hope’ that he can ‘step up to a bigger stage’, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid reported to hold an interest in the former Carrington academy graduate. However, reports of a return to the Premier League are not believed to be viable for the forward.

AdvertisementGettyLa Liga or Saudi moves a possibility for Greenwood

TEAMtalk’s report continues that major stumbling blocks between Greenwood and a return to England include ‘his controversial history from his time at Manchester United and any backlash to his signing’.

Following serious accusations made towards Greenwood back in January 2022 and his subsequent arrest, fans almost unanimously rejected the prospect of the young forward returning to the Red Devils set-up when the charges were ultimately dropped the following year.

The situation is unlikely to change less than three years on – or at any stage in his career – and reports continue that sources close to both Tottenham and West Ham confirm that it is unlikely either club step up a pursuit for Greenwood at this stage. Though some, such as manager De Zerbi, have come to the defence of Greenwood's character.

The report continues that Greenwood is likely to ‘put himself in the shop window’, though, and a return to La Liga is possible. The Marseille forward hit double figures on loan at Spanish top-flight outfit Getafe in 2023/24, following a near 18-month break from competitive football.

Reports have also suggested that a bid of €100million (£87m/$116m) has been tabled for Greenwood from the Saudi Pro League, with United set to pocket 50% of Marseille’s profits on their former wonderkid.

'He helps me improve' – Greenwood praises De Zerbi in rare interview

Greenwood recently spoke to Téléfoot about the positive impacts which De Zerbi has had on him in his time at Marseille thus far, in what was reportedly his first interview since departing United.

“I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates,” said Greenwood

“I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day.

“We’ve signed quite a few players, very, very strong players,” he added. “We’ve improved in certain areas. I feel like we’re a bit more of a team this season; we’re all on the same wavelength, you can see it. We’re [third] and I hope we can keep fighting to be number one.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWhat next for Greenwood?

If his strong form in France continues, it is an increasing possibility that we could see Greenwood at the centre of a major transfer story in 2026. It is highly unlikely that will involve a Premier League club, though, as it appears that his bridges in England have been burnt for the foreseeable future.

The 24-year-old has evidently been accepted in Europe, however, and may yet forge a successful career for himself outside of his country of birth. He might also return to the international stage, after successfully switching his allegiance to Jamaica earlier this year.

Setting aside the ongoing negotiations, the PCB CFO asked the teams to fulfil their outstanding financial obligations, failing which they stand to lose their bank guarantees

Umar Farooq29-Nov-2018

PSL franchises have been asked by the PCB to clear all outstanding dues by next week, despite ongoing negotiations between them to re-look at the financial model underpinning the league.The PCB’s chief finance officer Badar Manzoor Khan has asked in an email seen by ESPNcricinfo that all the teams pay up by December 3, failing which the board reserves the right to encash the franchises’ bank guarantees.The move has angered franchises who, in their recent meeting with the PCB in Islamabad, had formed a three-member committee to revisit the revenue-share model on which the PSL was founded, including an effort to gain tax breaks from the government. The email asking for payment has come even as the committee works towards a resolution.One of the primary bones of contention is the franchise fee they pay every year, mainly because those payments are required to be made in US dollars. The value of the rupee, fairly stable against the dollar over the first three years of the PSL at around PKR 105 per dollar, has gone to PKR 134 now.Though all the teams signed a ten-year contract in November 2015, according to which they were liable to pay in US dollars, the franchises want to peg the rate to 2015 standards or pay in Pakistani rupees at the same rate when the contracts were signed. None of the franchises have broken even so far, crippled they feel, by the exchange rate as well as the taxes they are having to pay.The first set of commercial and sponsorship rights deals the PSL signed when it launched have now ended, and with enhanced deals now being inked in, as well as the scare caused by Multan Sultans’ financial meltdown, the remaining five have sensed this is the time to push for a greater slice of the revenue pool. The current financial model adopted by the PCB in 2016 offers equal shares from a central revenue pool to all franchises, despite the difference in franchise fees.After Multan Sultans’ ouster, the PCB is yet to invite a tender to bring in an owner for the sixth side, but various investors in Pakistan including Ali Tareen – the son of Jahangir Khan Tareen, a key figure in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party – and Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, a prominent businessman, are among those to have shown their interest. The sixth team is presently being regulated by the PCB on its own and with the tender, the board will transfer the ownership to the buyers, allowing them to choose the name of the city.