مايكل إيسيان: سأختار إنهاء مسيرتي في الزمالك.. وأبو تريكة أسطورة رغم عدم احترافه

أكد الغاني مايكل إيسيان نجم تشيلسي الإنجليزي السابق، أن محمد أبو تريكة لاعب الأهلي ومنتخب مصر الأسبق، كان أحد أساطير الكرة الإفريقية، مُشيرًا إلى أنه كان يُفضل أن يختتم مسيرته الكروية في الزمالك.

وقال إيسيان في تصريحات لبرنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “واجهت العديد من اللاعبين المصريين مثل ميدو وأبو تريكة، والأخير واحد من أعظم اللاعبين في تاريخ القارة الإفريقية، ومن الجيد دائمًا مواجهة لاعبين من هذا المستوى، لأنه يُعطي المباريات مذاقًا أفضل”.

وبسؤاله، بعد حصول محمد الشناوي حارس مرمى الأهلي على لقب جائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا، هل لو كان يلعب في أوروبا كان من الممكن أن يحرس مرمى تشيلسي مثل ميندي؟، أجاب: “لا أستطيع قول ذلك، ولكن لو كان يلعب في الخارج الأمور كانت ستصب في صالحه، ولكنه يلعب هنا في واحد من أكبر الأندية بإفريقيا ويؤدي بشكل طيب ويستحق الجائزة التي حصل عليها”.

طالع أيضًا | إيسيان: محمد صلاح لم يتعرض للظلم في سباق الكرة الذهبية.. وهذا أفضل لاعب في تاريخ إفريقيا

وأضاف: “انظروا إلى أبوتريكة، إنه لم يحترف في الخارج ولكنه يبقى واحدًا من أفضل اللاعبين الأفارقة وأحد أساطير كرة القدم”.

وعن الفريق الذي كان من الممكن أن يختاره لإنهاء مسيرته فيه الأهلي أم الزمالك، أجاب نجم تشيلسي السابق: “كل فريق من الفريقين لعب أمام أندية غانية، ولو اخترت سأختار الزمالك، لأنه أول اسم يأتي إلى ذهني لأنني عندما كنت صغيرًا شاهدتهم يلعبون أمام فريق من أفضل فرق غانا”.

واختتم: “أتمنى أن تكون بطولة كأس العالم القادمة مشوقة، وأن تُحقق المنتخبات الإفريقية شيئًا أفضل من النسخ السابقة، وعلينا أن ندعمهم جيدًا، وأتمنى أن يذهب منتخب غانا بعيدًا في هذه البطولة”.

Newcastle transfer news on Botman

Newcastle United reportedly bid €40m (£33.3m) for Sven Botman a day before they signed Dan Burn, and could now come back in for him in the summer.

The Lowdown: Burn one of five in

Burn was one of two players signed by the St. James’ Park faithful on Transfer Deadline Day, as well as Matt Targett on loan from Aston Villa.

Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes were all brought in prior to Monday, making it five signings in total in the January transfer window.

Nonetheless, providing that they can avoid relegation from the Premier League down to the Championship, the spending is likely not to stop in the summer with the new riches that the North East club have at their disposal.

The Latest: Botman bid

As per Calciomercato’s Daniele Longo, the Tyneside outfit bid €40m (£33.3m) for Botman on Sunday night, but he wants to settle his future in the summer:

“Newcastle’s €40 million bid for Botman last night.

“No of the player who wants to choose the future starting from next summer and is attracted by the strong interest of Milan.”

The Verdict: Sign in summer

Providing that they stay up of course, Botman is certainly a player that the Magpies should be looking to sign in the summer.

The Daily Mirror are already reporting that they will indeed try to do this, but they may face tough competition from Serie A giants AC Milan, of whom their director Frederic Massara has already labelled Botman an ‘amazing’ central defender.

He has also been described as a ‘machine’ who ‘doesn’t make mistakes’ by Lille teammate Jose Fonte, and so seems certain to thrive in the top flight, should the Toon still be there come next season.

In other news, find out which NUFC players rejected moves away here!

Ireland wiser in Twenty20 – Simmons

Phil Simmons, Ireland’s coach, believes his side are wiser going in to the third edition of the ICC World Twenty20 than they were in last summer’s competition. For Ireland the trip back to Jamaica also allows them to recapture memories of their 2007 World Cup campaign when they famously beat Pakistan to progress to the Super Eights, and Simmons was hopeful they could pull off a few more upsets.”I think it’s easier to pull off a shock in Twenty20 because recovery time is less than in 50 overs,” said Simmons. “We have played that little bit more Twenty20 than we had going into the last World Cup – so we are slightly wiser about Twenty20 cricket. That has to be a good thing.”Ireland have maintained consistent performances in recent times despite a number of high profile retirements and injuries, having lost players of the ilk of Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce to England, and with Boyd Rankin – who is also on England’s radar after being included in the ECB’s England Performance Programme – sidelined since January with a stress fracture to his right foot. Yet they have the likes of veteran Trent Johnston, who captained during the World Cup, and his successor William Porterfield, as well as players with county cricket experience.”It’s nice (for me) to be playing in the West Indies and for the players to be taking on England too,” Simmons said. “But this is the group we would have taken too; we are happy with that. From our point of view, it is about trying to improve our performance every time we take on teams at this level – and Twenty20 is no different. It is a format we are not experienced in, but we have to keep picking things up as we go and make sure we use them.”Ireland’s preparations ahead of the tournament have not been too successful. They won just one of six tour games, lost an ODI to West Indies, and won one of two warm-up Twenty20 matches. Against the backdrop of calls in certain quarters to push for Ireland’s Test status, Simmons did not feel there was added pressure on the team. “Yes, the pressure is on; but that is inevitable on these occasions,” he said. “The stakes are always high, whenever you are taking on these full member top teams with a chance to show you are improving. It’s not something we even think about. We just go out to play as well as we can and make sure we take our opportunities.”Ireland have been grouped with West Indies and England during the initial phase of the World Twenty20, which starts on April 30.

تشكيل يوفنتوس أمام تورينو في الدوري الإيطالي.. بونوتشي وميليك على الدكة

أعلن ماسيمليانو أليجري المدير الفني لفريق يوفنتوس عن تشكيل اللاعبين الذين سيواجهون تورينو، في ديربي مدينة تورينو ضمن الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإيطالي.

تشكيل يوفنتوس شهد مشاركة مويس كين أساسيًا لأول مرة هذا الموسم، بجانب دوسان فلاهوفيتش، مع جلوس ميليك على مقاعد البدلاء.

طالع أيضًا.. أليجري يرد على أنباء تمرد لاعبي يوفنتوس قبل ديربي تورينو

ويجلس بونوتشي بديلًا أيضًا، ويترك مكانه لـ بريمر ودانيلو في قلب الدفاع البيانكونيري، بينما ماكيني ورابيو ولوكاتيلي في وسط الملعب. تشكيل يوفنتوس اليوم أمام تورينو في الدوري الإيطالي

حراسة المرمى: تشيزني.

الدفاع: دانيلو، بريمر، ساندرو، كوادرادو.

وسط الملعب: لوكاتيلي، ويستون ماكيني، أريان رابيو.

الهجوم: كوستيتش، مويس كين، دوسان فلاهوفيتش.

Everton missing 11 players vs Burnley

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some early team news has emerged ahead of their game away at Burnley in the Premier League on Boxing Day.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at Turf Moor, Rafa Benitez has now revealed that as many as 11 players are currently out for his team, with six injured and a further five who have tested positive for Covid-19.

Considering that they had a depleted squad in their last game in their 1-1 draw away at Chelsea, in where they could not fill the bench and had to field some youngsters, including starting debutant Ellis Simms (BBC), this is yet another kick in the teeth for the Goodison Park faithful, who may not fancy their chances against the Clarets with so many squad players still unavailable.

Nonetheless, the fixture still goes ahead at this moment in time, much to the anger of some Merseyside club supporters.

Everton fans on team news

These Toffees fumed as the team news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it was ‘scandalous’:

“The league is a joke, it should be all teams play or they don’t. Not pick and choose what clubs they can force to play. Integrity of the league has gone for me”

Credit: @lee_efc78

“Scandalous tbh”

Credit: @MainManMina

“Farcical that it hasn’t been called off, if that’s the case”

Credit: @victoriacarlin_

“Ridiculous that it won’t be called off when other teams “sky 6” teams have been able to get them called off !! Joke”

Credit: @robbiethetoffee

“Madness”

Credit: @mcnallyc95

“League should be suspended. 2 weeks at least. This is absurd.”

Credit: @IamFidgell

In other news, find out what transfer news has been lauded by Evertonians here!

Jesse Ryder faces extended lay-off

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, will not be considered for selection for the home series against Bangladesh as he continues to struggle with a lower stomach muscle injury. Ryder had a recurrence of the injury while training, and there are serious doubts over his availability for New Zealand’s home series against Australia as well as the ICC World Twenty20 in May.”Unfortunately Jesse is not fit at the moment,” the national selector Mark Greatbatch said. “He has had a bit of a relapse with his injury. He has still got quite a bit of work to do to get back and play club cricket and for Wellington.”Ryder recently took a significant step in his recovery from an injury that has troubled him since the Indian Premier League in March 2009, appearing for Wellington A in a practice game against the England Under-19 team. He has been sidelined since suffering an abductor strain that he aggravated during the Champions Trophy in South Africa.New Zealand team physiotherapist Kate Stalker met Ryder in Christchurch, along with other New Zealand Cricket medical staff. “He has some abdominal pain again. He hasn’t reinjured it to the same extent he had in the past, but he’s certainly tweaked it,” she told the . “Biomechanical faults take a long time to sort out. It’s not an overnight fix.”Stalker’s comments indicate that Ryder could easily be out of action for the next few months, but as she put it, there was a much bigger picture looming ahead in 13 months. “Is it more important to have him playing against Bangladesh or playing in the World Cup? … my goal is the World Cup,” she said.”Anything else we can have players ready for, like the world Twenty20, that’s fantastic, but our focus is the World Cup and I want the New Zealand selectors to be able to choose from every player we have to make that squad. It’s really important for its longevity that we sort this out now”.New Zealand host Bangladesh for a Twenty20, three ODIs and a one-off Test in Hamilton during February.

Ange drops David Turnbull injury update

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped an injury update concerning David Turnbull.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Football Scotland, the Bhoys boss revealed that the midfielder’s hamstring injury picked up in the first half of the League Cup final victory over Hibernian on Sunday came as a result of fatigue, something which is down to the midfielder having started all but one of Celtic’s 34 fixtures so far this season.

Speaking about the 22-year-old’s knock, Postecoglou said: “David suffered from the number of games we are playing at the moment. We are suffering because of that. We have not been able to rotate the squad a lot and that is hurting us at the moment, picking up these injuries. We will just see how he is.”

Fans will be furious

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Turnbull has become under the management of Postecoglou, the fact that the midfielder looks set to spend a spell on the sidelines is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful furious.

Indeed, over his 18 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £4.5m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of a whopping 4.1 key passes – the most of any player in the league – and taking 3.7 shots – the second-most in the division – per game.

These returns have seen the £14k-per-week Scotland international average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.87, ranking him as the joint-best performer in the entirety of the top flight.

As such, with several crucial fixtures coming up for the Hoops in the next few weeks, including January’s clash with their Old Firm rivals, the midfielder’s absence is sure to come as a major blow to Postecoglou and his side.

Without Turnbull’s creativity in the middle of the park, Celtic are undoubtedly a far poorer outfit.

In other news: Bye-bye Boli: Celtic must seal deal for “massive talent” who “the sky’s the limit” for

Leeds: Bielsa must unleash Klich v Arsenal

Following on from their crushing 7-0 defeat against Manchester City in midweek, Leeds United are back at Elland Road this evening for their latest Premier League fixture. They face Arsenal, who have won their two previous league games, scoring five and keeping two clean sheets in the process. 

In terms of which players Marcelo Bielsa could pick in his starting XI, one man who didn’t start against City but should be in the team to face the Gunners is Mateusz Klich, who is currently earning £34k-per-week according to Salary Sport.

Klich must start

Despite not starting in midweek, the midfielder still got a significant number of minutes under his belt after coming on for the injured Jamie Shackleton shortly before half-time and seeing out the remainder of the match.

Even though the Poland international only had 32 touches of the ball, he still did his best to try and drive Leeds forward, and he contributed defensively as well. As well as completing 19 of his 23 passes, the 31-year-old also had one shot at goal whilst winning three duels and making two successful tackles and one interception.

This performance ultimately earned the midfielder an overall match rating of 6.4/10, higher than many Leeds players who started the game, according to SofaScore.

With this in mind, if Klich does start today and is given the freedom to roam forward and cause problems for Arsenal’s defence whilst helping out at the back for Leeds, he could be a frightening prospect for Mikel Arteta’s players to come up against.

Described as a player “who runs more, more intense movements and makes more movements at maximal speed” according to Bielsa, the 31-year-old has made 12 league appearances for the Whites so far this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

As well as Shackleton, Leeds have  Kalvin Phillips out injured, so Bielsa may have little choice but to play Klich this evening. However, with an average of 1.1 key passes and 1.6 shots at goal per game in the league so far this season, the Polish beast could be just what the Whites need to secure a result after their two defeats over the past week.

In other news: Leeds handed much-needed injury boost ahead of Arsenal clash which will leave fans delighted

Celtic interested in Joe White

Celtic are interested in a move to bring attacking midfielder Joe White to Parkhead.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Scottish Sun, who claimed that Ange Postecoglou’s side are among a host of clubs from the Scottish Premiership, Premier League, Eredivisie and Bundesliga keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Newcastle United playmaker ahead of the January transfer window.

The report added that, with the 19-year-old’s deal at St. James’ Park expiring at the end of the current campaign, any interested parties outside of England will be able to submit pre-contract offers for the midfielder at the turn of the year, before paying Magpies a small compensation development fee upon his potential arrival.

Dream deal

Considering the sheer volume of interest that White is generating, and that attacking midfield is an area of the park in which Postecoglou lacks considerable depth, it is not difficult to argue that the signing of the teenager would be a dream deal for the 56-year-old Celtic manager, especially on what would practically be a free transfer,

Indeed, while White is yet to make a first team appearance for Newcastle, the 19-year-old has impressed in the club’s youth teams, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists over 33 appearances for the under-18s, as well as bagging one goal and registering four assists over 27 fixtures for the under-23s.

Speaking about White’s potential, his grandfather Peter Hampton – who made 206 top-flight appearances over spells with Stoke City and Don Revie’s Leeds United – said: “He’s very talented technically. For me, he’s got a range of passing that I’ve not seen and that many people don’t have.

“Many don’t have the ability to play the passes which he plays, and, with a bit of luck, he might have a decent future. He’s fortunate that he’s got some great attributes; a left foot which is second to none, a good physique and in a couple of years I think he will develop into a really strong player – he’s about 6ft 1… nothing seems to faze him.”

As such, despite his tender age, it is clear that White is already a very physically mature player, as well as boasting the passing ability which The Athletic journalist Kieran Devlin suggested that Celtic should be seeking in an attacking midfield addition this January.

Considering his sheer amount of potential, his availability on a free transfer and that the Hoops are currently lacking a player in his mould, White would indeed appear to be something of a dream transfer for the Bhoys to get over the line this winter.

In other news – Huge blow: Celtic dealt double injury setback ahead of semi-final, fans will be gutted

Leeds keen on Eddie Nketiah move

Leeds United are still reportedly interested in signing Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah, bringing him back to Elland Road in the process.

The Lowdown: Nketiah struggling at Arsenal

The 22-year-old may be England under-21s’ all-time record goalscorer but his stock has fallen in recent times.

Nketiah has found himself out of favour at Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta opting for the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette ahead of him. The striker is yet to play a single minute of Premier League action this season and his only two appearances have come in the Carabao Cup.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Leeds return on the cards?

According to TransferMarketWeb, Leeds have contacted Nketiah about a move to Elland Road, with West Ham, Crystal Palace and other European clubs also mentioned as potential suitors.

The young striker enjoyed a spell on loan with the Whites back in 2019/20, scoring five times in 19 appearances.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-24/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Added squad depth

There may be question marks about whether or not Nketiah is good enough to regularly lead the line for a Premier League club, but he could be a good squad option for Leeds.

He could provide competition for the likes of Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo, and at 22 and having broken the England under-21 goalscoring record, there is no reason why he can’t still reach his potential, with Arteta once describing him as ‘extraordinary’.

Nketia has played under Marcelo Bielsa before at Elland Road during that loan spell and the Argentine could be the perfect man to get the best out of him.

In other news, Leeds have been mentioned as possible suitors for one exciting player. Find out who it is here.

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