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Celtic-linked centre-forward Daizen Maeda would provide Ange Postecoglou with yet another exciting string to his attacking bow at Parkhead.

What’s been said?

That’s according to a claim made by Stuart Hodge, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that the 24-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to Glasgow in the January transfer window, is a player who thrives when playing on the break, something that will prove extremely useful for the Bhoys when they face more challenging opponents.

Speaking about the ability of the Yokohama F Marinos striker, Hodge said: “He looks like a player that excels on the fast break. He seems to be really good on the counter-attack and in transition situations. I saw that he scored a hat-trick in a game not too long ago, so he’s obviously full of goals.”

Big coup

With Kyogo Furuhashi having done the heavy lifting in terms of goalscoring for Celtic so far this season – bagging 13 times over his 19 appearances for the Bhoys, six more than any other Hoops player – the addition of an out and out centre-forward to match the Japan international’s returns in front of goal this January would appear to be a very wise move for Michael Nicholson.

And, considering just how impressive Maeda has been in Japan this season, in addition to the fact that the centre-forward is already well known to Postecoglou – having played under the 56-year-old during his time at Yokohama F Marinos – the 24-year-old would very much look to be the perfect signing for Celtic.

Indeed, over his 34 J League appearances this term, the £990k-rated man has scored 21 goals, registered three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Kevin Muscat dubbed a “dream” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as his club’s seventh-best performer in the top flight of Japanese football.

As such, should the Japan international go on to continue this form following a potential switch to Parkhead in January, not only would he be a big coup for the club, his arrival would undoubtedly provide Postecoglou’s chances of securing the Scottish Premiership crown with a rather substantial boost – an outcome that would delight everyone involved with Celtic.

In other news: “Celtic will..”: Journo drops exciting Hoops transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing

Leeds United remain top of the Championship despite suffering defeat against Stoke City last weekend, and with just a few days remaining in the transfer window to strengthen the squad Victor Orta is facing a race against time to give Marcelo Bielsa what he wants. 

Bielsa has made no secret of his preference to keep his squad tightly-knit and promote talented youth players to deputise for injured senior players. That attitude has served Leeds well so far but, considering how physically demanding the season has been and Bielsa’s history of faltering in the final months of the season, the club need at least one more signing to maximise their chances of clinching promotion.

The arrival of Kiko Casilla was widely regarded as a timely coup for the club, and if anyone is likely to join him at Elland Road this month it seems it will be Swansea City’s Daniel James.

Indeed, a recent report from the Daily Mirror suggests Bielsa has left Orta in charge of concluding a deal for James this month, with no further signings requested from the enigmatic Argentine.

Orta’s success in the final days of the transfer window has the potential to be season-defining in the context of Leeds’ promotion bid.

The succession of injury problems this season have been compounded by the departures of both Samu Saiz and Lewis Baker, and with the squad wearing thin the arrival of James could be priceless.

James is relatively inexperienced at this level but he has rapidly demonstrated a sound ability to perform well in the Championship, with his technical quality and willingness to work hard off the ball making him an ideal fit for Leeds.

His arrival would add greater depth in wide positions and consequently help to facilitate a permanent role for Pablo Hernandez at number ten, which is where Bielsa understandably wants him to operate.

The same report also claims that Leeds will happily walk away from the negotiating table if they believe a potential deal is not good value, but with promotion on the line it’s vital that Orta manages to strike an agreement to hand Bielsa a priceless asset during the final months of the season.

Orta has completed a handful of smart deals in the transfer market since becoming the club’s director of football, but a successful bid for James could be crucial in the context of Leeds’ bid to end their top-flight exile.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Newcastle United return to action in the Premier League tonight as they face off against Manchester United at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies head into this match off the back of three straight defeats in the division, conceding four apiece to Manchester City and Leicester and three to Liverpool.

Eddie Howe’s team lost 4-0 to City in their last outing, with the Premier League leaders easing their way past them with relative comfort.

How many changes will Howe make to the side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the team, with Fabian Schar, Sean Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin coming in.

Starting off in the defence, Schar could come in for Ciaran Clark. The £42k-per-week dud was abysmal against Manchester City and should now be axed from the XI for this match. He only won one duel in the entire game against Pep Guardiola’s side and gifted them the opener as he allowed a cross to go over his head as he ducked and Ruben Dias was on hand to nod into the back of the net.

This catastrophic error may now lead to him being kicked out of the team, which opens the door for Schar to return alongside Jamaal Lascelles. The Switzerland international has averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.59 this season but Howe’s options are limited and it could be a chance for the defender to turn his campaign around.

In midfield, Isaac Hayden is suspended and will need to be replaced. The ex-Arsenal man has averaged 3.0 tackles and interceptions per game, which highlights the defensive hole that his absence will leave.

Longstaff, however, could fill that void as he has averaged 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game, showing that he has the ability to win the ball back for his side, much like Hayden does.

Finally, we are predicting that Allan Saint-Maximin will come in for Ryan Fraser on the left. He has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.11 (highest in the squad) this season and produced three goals and three assists from out wide for the Magpies.

This shows the threat he can provide to the team, whereas Fraser has zero goals and one assist – which is why the Frenchman should be brought back into the fold.

AND in other news, NUFC must sign new Steven Taylor in £64k-p/w gem who Shearer dubbed “outstanding”…

Shane Bond has announced his retirement from all forms of the game, less than a year after making his international comeback from the ICL wilderness

Brydon Coverdale13-May-2010Shane Bond has announced his retirement from all forms of the game, less than a year after making his international comeback from the ICL wilderness. Bond ended his Test career in December, when he felt that his body could not handle the rigours of the five-day game, and he has now decided to step away from the shorter formats as well.After returning home from the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, where he collected five wickets at an average of 29, Bond said he was unwilling to compromise his own standards for the sake of prolonging his career. Bond turns 35 next month and he will leave the game nearly nine years after his international debut, with 259 victims across all formats for his country, and he is not planning to continue in the IPL.”I know the time is right for me to step down,” Bond said. “I have given it everything when playing for the Black Caps. I will miss the camaraderie because it has been a privilege to play along such a great bunch of guys who are so committed to do their best for New Zealand. Playing with pride for the Black Caps over the years has meant so much to me.”I dreamed of playing for New Zealand when I was six. The reality of what has unfolded was more than I could ever hope for and I have been extremely proud to represent New Zealand. I am going to miss a lot of this but I know now is the time to bow out. I am very keen at some stage to put something back into the game in New Zealand.”Persistent injuries meant Bond played far fewer internationals than he or New Zealand would have liked, and he departs with 87 wickets at 22.09 in 18 Tests, 147 at 20.88 in 82 ODIs, and 25 at 21.72 in 20 Twenty20 internationals. His absence from late 2007 until 2009 due to his ICL contract also deprived New Zealand of their best fast bowler.Despite his impressive record in a small number of Tests, Bond’s impact was felt as much in one-day cricket, where for a time he was the No. 1 ranked bowler in the world. His highlights included 6 for 23 in a World Cup game against Australia in 2003, when Ricky Ponting’s men went through the tournament undefeated.A genuinely quick bowler, Bond took a one-day international hat-trick, also against the Australians, and helped New Zealand to a World Cup semi-final in 2007. In an interview with Cricinfo this week, Bond said when he quit Tests he was unwilling to slow his pace and reduce the wear and tear on his body in an effort to extend his career, and he has now added 20- and 50-over cricket to that list.”I find it difficult to hold back,” Bond said earlier this week. “I just go hard. It hurt me. But I wanted to keep playing. I have had enough injuries. I am sick and tired of being in rehab, and if I did that one more time I would’ve been probably finished. I wanted to finish playing [Tests] rather than get injured and fall by the side. I’d rather have a shorter career and be successful than stretch it out and let my performance drop.”Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has felt more than most the regular absences of Bond over the years, as the other main weapon in the attack. Vettori said it was disappointing to lose Bond so soon after his comeback.”For me personally it is a big loss,” Vettori said. “I think he could still be a really good player for us for some time to come. But I know how much effort he puts in to stay on the park. He knows his body and he knows what he needs to do to prepare for international cricket. Sadly for us he has decided his time has come to an end.”Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, played against Bond in his final year for Auckland, when Bond was enjoying his first season for Canterbury in 1996-97. Vaughan said Bond would be a big loss for New Zealand.”We shall all miss Shane in the international arena,” Vaughan said. “His speed and ability struck fear into batsmen from every team in world cricket. He has been a real match-winner. Shane has had an inspirational presence about him and has been a great role model for younger team-mates. Shane will leave a huge gap that will be almost impossible to replace. We are saddened by his decision, but we support him and wish him all the best in his future.”

Manchester United minority investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has echoed Sir Alex Ferguson by vowing to knock Liverpool and Manchester City "off their perch".

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Ratcliffe wants United to chase down City & LiverpoolBut says it will take three years to win another titleAlso defended the unpopular Glazer familyWHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford gave a series of interviews on Wednesday after finally completing his purchase of a 25 percent stake in United. As well as addressing the future of Mason Greenwood, Ratcliffe vowed to restore United to their former glories and chase down local rivals City and Liverpool.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RATCLIFFE SAID

"In the north west we have two neighbours who are really impressive football clubs. I want to knock them all off their perch," Ratcliffe told the . "We are friends in the sense we're all in the north west but they are our biggest enemies. They are clearly our biggest competitors in the UK. [We are] a long way behind. It's not going to change tomorrow. People unfortunately need to give us time to get back. It will be two to three seasons. Patience is needed. Spending money lavishly in the summer is not the solution, it is much more complicated than that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ferguson famously said his greatest achievement as United manager was "knocking Liverpool off their perch" after ending almost two decades of dominance from the Red Devils' greatest rivals. Since retiring in 2013, City have overtaken United as the premier force in Manchester while Liverpool have staged a resurgence, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020. They currently lead the Premier League title race, closely followed by City and Arsenal, with United way back in sixth.

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Getty DID YOU KNOW?

To buy his stake in United, Ratcliffe had to beat off competition from Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, who was only interested in purchasing the club outright. Ratcliffe's deal instead allowed the much-hated Glazer family to remain in control of the club. And the INEOS chief risked the wrath of supporters by calling the Glazers "very nice people." He added: "I only know Joel and Avram and they are, despite what you might read in the press, very nice people, very courteous and they are avid supporters of Manchester United. I understand the frustrations and the anger [of supporters] but I am looking forward not backward."

Leicestershire’s bowlers held their nerve to deny Gloucestershire victory on a thrilling final day

21-Jul-2012
ScorecardLeicestershire’s bowlers held their nerve to deny Gloucestershire victory on a thrilling final day. Set 222 to win in 53 overs, the hosts faltered badly at the death, finishing 13 runs short of their target.Gloucestershire looked to be favourites after half-centuries from skipper Alex Gidman and Dan Housego but, needing 47 off the final 10 overs, they lost four quick wickets before putting up the shutters and settling for the draw. Leicestershire were indebted to veteran South African spinner Claude Henderson, who bowled unchanged from the Chapel End after tea to return figures of 4 for 80 and undermine the chase.Gloucestershire were well and truly in the hunt after Gidman smashed 62 from 55 balls in a stand of 94 in 18 overs with Housego, who made exactly 50. Gidman was brilliantly caught by Ned Eckersley at short midwicket off Henderson and Housego followed him back to the pavilion soon afterwards, caught at the wicket fending at a rising delivery from Robbie Joseph, who claimed 3 for 36.Joseph then removed Hamish Marshall and Ian Cockbain in quick succession, while the wily Henderson accounted for Ed Young and Ian Saxelby to halt Gloucestershire in their tracks. Rather than risk defeat, the ninth-wicket pair of James Fuller and David Payne played out the last three overs with a minimum of risk.Resuming their second innings on 142 for 5 – just 75 ahead – bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire were under pressure from the outset on a two-paced pitch that was offering assistance to spin. But any thoughts Gloucestershire might have had of achieving a quick and decisive victory were dispelled by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Matt Boyce, who staged a restorative stand of 83 for the sixth wicket.Gloucestershire were becoming frustrated when they were gifted a much-needed breakthrough in unexpected fashion, Boyce being run out for 23 by Benny Howell’s throw from deep midwicket following a farcical mix-up.Sarwan still stood between the home side and a third Championship win of the summer and Gidman, Gloucestershire’s captain, played his trump card in a bid to remove the former West Indies batsman, throwing the ball to occasional bowler Howell. The ploy paid almost instantaneous dividends, Howell’s medium pace inducing Sarwan to offer a catch to Housego at extra cover via a leading edge.When Paul Dixey was pinned on the front foot by paceman Fuller in the last over before lunch, Leicestershire were 240 for 8 and Gloucestershire were clearly fancying their chances.Wayne White and Henderson offered up further defiance in a gritty ninth-wicket partnership of 48 but the new ball did for them both. Saxelby located White’s outside edge and Cockbain held on at second slip, while Liam Norwell wrapped up proceedings in the very next over, clean bowling Henderson with a ball that jagged back. But, by then, they had done enough.

Andy Flower has backed Craig Kieswetter, the 22-year-old wicketkeeper batsman, to push for a place in the senior squad having impressed for England Lions during their tour of UAE

Cricinfo staff15-Feb-2010England coach Andy Flower has backed Craig Kieswetter, the 22-year-old wicketkeeper batsman, to push for a place in the senior squad having impressed for England Lions during their tour of UAE.Kieswetter qualifies to play for England on Tuesday having appeared for South Africa Under-19s before moving to England four years ago. He has performed well for Somerset in both first-class and limited-overs cricket and has been in fine form for the England Lions during the tour so far, making 31, 40 not out and an unbeaten 77 in wins over Pakistan A and UAE A and has the chance to face the full side on Wednesday.”Craig Kieswetter has had a really good start,” Flower told reporters in Dubai. “He’s got runs in all three of his Lions games so far, so Wednesday is a chance for him to impress. I think he qualifies tomorrow for England and, of course, he’ll be excited about that challenge.””All of the Lions are under consideration and, quite rightly, they’ll be very hungry to press forward their case for selection. I’ve spoken to David Parsons, who is in charge of that group, and it’s been nice to see them play such powerful cricket. It is a good opportunity for them to impress, a good opportunity for them to challenge us so they’ll all be quite excited.”Kieswetter will find it difficult to dislodge Matt Prior from the Test side, but could find an opening in the shorter format, where Prior’s form has been far less prolific. Prior has moved up and down the batting order without impressing in any position, averaging 24.24 from 52 games. If Prior does keep his spot at No. 6, Kieswetter could conceivably play as a specialist batsman, after making 634 runs at 48.76 for Somerset in 50-over cricket and 248 runs in 12 Twenty20 games in 2009.His selection for England would stir some controversy after the inclusion fellow South-African raised players Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen. Geoff Miller, the national selector, admitted in January that England must be ‘careful’ about picking too many South Africans.The Lions will face the senior side on Wednesday with Pietersen eager to re-establish his position as the linchpin of the batting. Having been forced out mid-way through last summer’s Ashes series with an Achilles injury he struggled on his return to the side against South Africa and has now gone 11 months without a Test hundred. Flower, however, feels it won’t be long until Pietersen is delivering again.”He’s very hungry, he had quite a chunk of time out of international cricket and he’s come back hungry,” said Flower. “Things didn’t go perfectly well for him in South Africa but he did make some contributions, especially at the start of the series.”It was a difficult challenge for him to come back from playing no cricket to facing the South African attack on sporty wickets. It was difficult for him. This is an opportunity for him to get some serious time in the middle and for him to start contributing again in his dominant way in England victories.”

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has revealed why Lionel Messi was not allowed to parade the World Cup at Parc des Princes.

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Argentina beat France in 2022 World Cup finalMessi did not parade the trophy afterwardsKylian Mbappe beaten in finalWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 but was not allowed to parade the trophy on the Parc des Princes pitch after his return to France, seemingly due to a fear of a backlash from fans. Of course, Argentina beat Les Bleus in the final and Al-Khelaifi has now revealed that he could not allow Messi to celebrate at Parc des Princes because his PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe was on the losing side.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT AL-KHELAIFI SAID

During an interview with RMC TV, Al-Khelaifi said: "For me, like I said, if anyone talks about the fact that we didn't celebrate him enough after he won the World Cup, we're in France and he won against Kylian. We are a French club. I don't want the whole stadium to be against him either. I think we have to respect that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi's time in the French capital ended on a sour note, as he was booed by fans before his move to Inter Miami, and he has recognised that he caused a "rift" among the PSG fanbase. However, Al-Khelaifi has claimed that the World Cup winner does not "respect" the club, insisting he should not be speaking about them following his exit.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Messi is currently waiting for the resumption of club football in the United States. Inter Miami face FC Dallas in a friendly on January 22nd, before heading to the Middle East for the Riyadh Cup, which will see Messi face his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano played for three different national teams…

Switching clubs for better opportunities and offers is a very common phenomenon for professional footballers during their playing career.

But switching national teams is not a very common practice for players yet some of the biggest names in world football have played for two or more national teams.

The practice of changing national teams have always been encouraged by FIFA yet there are certain guidelines which need to be followed in order to switch one's loyalty in international football.

While the rules were more lenient in the earlier days when players were allowed to represent more than two national teams, it has now become a lot more strict.

In 2020, FIFA announced at its 70th annual congress that the eligibility rules had been updated, in what administrators have described as the "first wholesale modernisation" of the rules, with added codification and clarification.

From Alfredo Di Stefano to Ferenc Puskas, Michel Platini and Diego Costa, here are some of the top players who represented two or more national teams.

Goal.comDiego Costa

Brazil: 2013

Spain: 2014-present

AdvertisementGettyAlfredo Di Stefano

Argentina: 1947

Colombia: 1949

Spain: 1957-1962

Getty ImagesFerenc Puskas

Hungary: 1945-1956

Spain: 1961-1962

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Getty ImagesMichel Platini

France: 1976-1987

Kuwait: 1988

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having been reunited at Arsenal, Goal looks back at other devastating pairings…

Getty ImagesDwight Yorke & Andy Cole (Manchester United)

First brought together early in the 1998-99 season, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole combined to devastating effect as Manchester United won the treble under Sir Alex Ferguson, albeit with their back-ups – Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – sealing the deal in the Champions League final.

Cole and Yorke started 36 matches together in that campaign, with the Red Devils losing on just one occasion. Between them, they scored 53 goals in all competitions and followed that up with 46 in the next campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFernando Morientes & Raul (Real Madrid & Spain)

During a period around the turn of the millennium, Fernando Morientes and Raul were one of Europe's most feared strike pairings, with their telepathic connection up front leading the Blancos into the 'Galactico Generation'.

Such was their close friendship, Raul was one of the witnesses at Morientes's wedding, while after Morientes was dropped for the 2002 European Super Cup following the arrival of Ronaldo, Raul wore his great friend's No.9 jersey as a show of solidarity.

Getty ImagesIan Rush & Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)

Given his legendary status at Liverpool, it is hard to believe that Kenny Dalglish went on a 10-month scoring drought during 1981, with the Scot contemplating a move into midfield as he struggled for form in the aftermath of his 30th birthday.

That all changed when Ian Rush arrived on the scene, however, as Dalglish became more of a withdrawn forward in behind Rush, and the pair ran riot. Liverpool won the title in each of their first three campaigns together, with the deadly duo scoring 59 goals between them as the European Cup was also secured in 1983-84.

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Getty ImagesXavi & Andres Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain)

One of the greatest midfield partnerships of all time, Xavi and Iniesta changed the way the modern game is played with their precision passing for both club and country.

Together they won four Champions League titles among a whole host of other trophies at Barcelona, as well as helping lead Spain to two European Championships and their first World Cup, in 2010.