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Everything you need to know about the new Gers kits for 2023-24

Rangers and Castoreare set to team up again for their 2023-24 kit range as the Ibrox club seeks to bounce back from a barren campaign that saw them end the term empty-handed. With rivals Celtic completing a domestic treble to lock up all the major silverware on hand, the Glasgow club failed to build on the success of their Europa League final appearance in 2021-22 during the 2022-23 campaign.

👕 Shop the Rangers 2023-24 kits at Castore right now 

Now, with Michael Beale ready for a first full pre-season at the helm following his arrival last November, the Gers will be determined to kick back on for success this coming campaign and will be determined to ensure they look good while doing it too.

The Rangers already unveiled their 2023-24 home kit in early June, with little change visible as Castore stick to a tried-and-tested formula. The Rangers 2023-24 away kit was then unveiled on June 23, a fresh take on the popular red, white, and blue.

So, what new kits will Rangers wear in 2023-24? GOAL looks at the jerseys set to be sported by James Tavernier, Ryan Jack and more while giving you the lowdown on rumours and leaks alongside details on how to buy them online.

Rangers 2023-24 kit collection

Rangers officially unveiled the first of their 2023-24 kits in early June, with the Scottish Premiership side releasing their home strip for the upcoming campaign ahead of what is set to be a busy pre-season schedule.

Commonly associated with blue against the green of rivals Celtic, there has been little change from Castore in their designs for the new term, with the apparel provider opting to stick with a tried-and-tested formula.

However, the 2023-24 home kit does come with revisions upon its classic design. A lighter shade of blue forms a full-bodied effort from the sportswear company this time around, alternated with thin stripes for a double-texted effect across the chest.

In further addition, the red-and-white decal trim has been scaled back around the neck, dramatically reduced to a minimalistic twin-pipe loop and removed entirely from the sleeve cap.

Lastly, the collar has reverted to a V-neck approach following last season’s rounded effort, more in line with the designs initially favoured by Castore when they took over from Hummel in 2020.

The kit is available to purchase from Castorenow, with a replica shirt generally retailing at £70.00

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The Rangers 2023-24 away kit was unveiled by the club on June 23. The all-new away kit is a fresh take on some of the Rangers' most popular red, white, and blue away kits of the past.

The away shirt features a clean, minimalist design which is elevated with thin stripes. The white base of the away shirt, adorned with a subtle touch of red and blue stripes at the base, makes for an instant classic away kit for the club, pairing nicely with their new home kit.

The Rangers 2023-24 away kit is available to buy now from Castore, with a replica men's shirt retailing at £70.00.

Much like the club’s away strip, the Rangers 2023-24 third kit remains under lock and key, with the Gers yet to officially confirm what their alternative strip will be for the upcoming season.

Fans can expect it to likely offer a sharp contrast however to the home and away options offered by Castore, with the apparel provider previously plumping for black, purple and orange-hued numbers since they took over.

Last year’s fiery tangerine effort harked back to the Diadora away strip of the 2002-03 season, when Alex McLeish led a side that included Mikel Arteta and Barry Ferguson to a domestic treble.

As with the home kit, fans can expect this one to retail at £70.00 from Castore officially unveiled.

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In addition to their home strip, Rangers have debuted a 2023-24 matchday strip expected to be used by players for training and warm-ups ahead of kick-off in the Scottish Premiership.

Matching a muted colour palate with a soft, curvy design, it is a reined statement from the club while branching out from traditional options, draping faint blue wave patterns over a white-bodied number and plain sleeves.

The pre-match jersey is already available to buy at the Rangers store, and retails at £50.00.

Mahmudullah and Anamul Haque were picked for the Bangladesh ODI squad for the first two of the three matches against South Africa

Mohammad Isam07-Jul-20151:59

Isam: A spin-heavy Bangladesh squad for SA ODIs

Mahmudullah and Anamul Haque have been recalled in Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the first two of the three matches against South Africa. Rony Talukdar, Mominul Haque and the injured Taskin Ahmed made way in the 14-man squad.Mahmudullah had fractured his left index finger in June ahead of the India series and was out for more than a month. Chief selector Faruque Ahmed said that the physios had cleared Mahmudullah.Squad changes for SA ODIs

IN: Mahmudullah, Anamul Haque

OUT: Taskin Ahmed, Mominul Haque and Rony Talukdar

Anamul was out after injuring his right shoulder during the World Cup match against Scotland on March 5. He recovered from the shoulder operation to play three first-class matches for South Zone, scoring a hundred and three fifties. Mahmudullah, on the other hand, trained with the Bangladesh team during their T20 series against South Africa.Talukdar could count himself unlucky after he was picked for the ODIs against Pakistan and India but only got to play the second T20 against South Africa in which he made 21 off 22 balls on debut. He sat out for six ODIs. Mominul, too, was left out without having played an ODI since the World Cup, while Taskin is still recovering from a left side tear.Faruque said Anamul had discussions with the captain about his batting approach and would bat in the top order. But he said that Talukdar could still come back because he was among their preferred players. He added that although Litton Das and Anamul have similar roles, Litton was a better choice than Rony.”We think [Anamul Haque] Bijoy is in form,” Faruque said. “We need him for a particular position. We discussed with the team management before picking him. Bijoy will play in the top order.”Rony came in a circumstance where we didn’t have Bijoy and Mahmudullah. Soumya [Sarkar] was successful as an opener. We are thinking for these two matches, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he is out. He is among our best 17-18 players. He will return when we need him. Litton kept well against India, scored a couple of 30s in the ODIs and a 40-odd in the Test. Litton is more effective than Rony, so we kept him in the squad.”The team is spin dependent with Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain to provide assistance to the specialist spinners. Mashrafe Mortaza will lead the pace attack alongside Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman.Bangladesh ODI squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan (vice-captain), Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Litton Das, Jubair Hossain, Anamul Haque, Mahmudullah.

Alastair Cook has hailed James Anderson as “the most skilful bowler in the world” and the best “England have ever produced”

George Dobell14-Aug-2014Alastair Cook has hailed James Anderson as “the most skilful bowler in the world” and the best “England have ever produced”.Anderson comes into the fifth Test of the Investec series against India requiring just seven more wickets to equal Ian Botham’s England record of 383. Cook, the England captain, admitted that Anderson might not have the pace of South Africa’s Dale Steyn but suggested his ability to swing the ball both ways rendered him almost as dangerous.”He is the most skilful bowler in the world,” Cook said. “There have been some very good bowlers I’ve played with but, for pure out-and-out skill, there is no doubt. He is the best bowler England have ever produced.”No disrespect to Dale Steyn, but the way Jimmy can swing the ball both ways – I don’t think Dale can do that quite as well as Jimmy but Dale has the advantage of being able to bowl quicker. Dale has been the No. 1 bowler in the world for quite a long time in terms of the number of wickets he takes. He always picks up wickets. And those two are in the same class.”Anderson will soon be the leading wicket taker in Test matches for England. That is quite a glowing reference. It’s an amazing achievement. If he does it in this game, it will mean England are in a very strong position.”You saw his guts and determination last week at Manchester when he was bowling when he wasn’t very well. That was extraordinary. That pretty much tells me, tells everyone, what a bloke he is and to back it up with his talent and skill means he is a very fine bowler.”Cook also confirmed that Stuart Broad would play despite sustaining a broken nose during the Manchester game.”We think he’s going to be absolutely fine,” Cook said. “You don’t get a partnership like he and Jimmy Anderson have had without being a world-class bowler. They’ve taken over 500 wickets together. Any captain would want those two in the team if possible, so it’s great news for us as a team that Broady has come through that blow.”

A round-up of the second day of the Group A Ranji Trophy matches on December 8, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2014Group A
ScorecardFile photo: Dinesh Karthik and Abhinav Mukund added 90 for the third wicket to help Tamil Nadu recover from a rocky start•ESPNcricinfoJaffer suffers finger injury

Wasim Jaffer sustained a hairline fracture while fielding and may not feature in the second innings of Mumbai’s Ranji clash against Jammu & Kashmir at the Wankhede Stadium.
Jaffer hurt his right index finger while attempting a catch from centurion Shubham Khajuria in the slips, off Abhishek Nayar. Khajuria was on 104 then. Though the batsman was eventually dismissed, the regulation drop injured Jaffer’s finger, and is likely to take two weeks to heal.
However, with Mumbai in a precarious position with a lead of 48 in their second innings, Jaffer may try and give it a go with the bat. A decision will be made on the third morning.

In a dramatic collapse at the Wankhede Stadium, Jammu & Kashmir lost five wickets for just one run and squandered a strong position to restrict their first-innings lead to only 18 runs after they were all out for 254. However, they fought back by reducing Mumbai to 66 for 4 by the end of the second day, which means the hosts lead by 48 runs.J&K were cruising at 204 for 2 on the back of Shubham Khajuria’s maiden first-class hundred after they lost Bandeep Singh in the fourth over of the day. Khajuria struck 12 fours and three sixes but was run-out for 107 at the score of 204 and captain Parvez Rasool fell five runs later. However, the collapse came when J&K lost three wickets at the score of 253 and two at 254. Left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar took three of those – Samiullah Beigh and Waseem Raza in the same over for ducks – to finish with 3 for 30. Dhawal Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur and Iqbal Abdullah took two each. Ian Dev Singh, who came out at No. 4, resisted with a 70 but was one of the batsmen to fall at the score of 253.Mumbai would have liked to capitalise on the turnaround but medium-pacers Ram Dayal and Umar Nazir struck twice each within 23 runs. The new opening pair of Kevin Almeida put on 34 before Dayal broke the stand, and Aditya Tare and Shreyas Iyer were soon sent back for 1 each. Nazir pegged them back further by getting Almeida caught behind for 27. Suryakumar Yadav and Kulkarni played out 3.5 overs before stumps. Wasim Jaffer did not come out to bat because of an injury he sustained while fielding.
ScorecardFifties from Abhinav Mukund and R Prasanna guided Tamil Nadu to 240 for 5, within 50 runs of Karnataka’s first-innings score of 290.The visitors began the day at 22 for 0, but were dealt two early blows. S Aravind, bowling from around the wicket, had Kaushik Gandhi trapped lbw six overs into the day, although replays suggested the ball may have been going over. B Aparajith, coming in at No.2, pushed the first ball he faced past point for four, but did not last too long, as his lack of footwork resulted in him edging Vinay Kumar behind to CM Gautam, who was keeping with Mumbai Indians gloves.Tamil Nadu were struggling at 39 for 2, but Dinesh Karthik and Abhinav led a recovery with a third-wicket partnership worth 90. Mukund batted for nearly six hours, stroking nine fours to make 84, while Karthik’s 38 featured seven fours. Karthik’s innings, however, was far from flawless as he survived two close caught-behind decisions, before running out of luck the third time – replays indicated that HS Sharath’s delivery had only brushed Karthik’s pads on the way back to the keeper.Karnataka were without Vinay Kumar after lunch, but their spinner Shreyas Gopal made the breakthrough, dismissing B Indrajith in his first over. Prasanna, though, put up 40-plus stands for the fifth and sixth wickets with Abhinav and V Shankar to ensure that Tamil Nadu were in a promising position heading into the penultimate day. He remained unbeaten on 51, having muscled seven fours.
ScorecardAn unbeaten century by Arindam Ghosh and his 129-run seventh-wicket partnership with Avinash Yadav revived Railways from a delicate position and helped them take a first-innings lead at the Karnail Singh Stadium. In response to MP’s 181, Railways’ openers had added 54, but the run-out of Abhishek Kaushik triggered a collapse that saw the home team lose five more wickets for 44 runs, three of them to Puneet Datey.However, Ghosh and Yadav dropped anchor and led the slow build past MP’s score. Yadav scored 50 off 133 deliveries, his first half-century at the senior level, and was dismissed in the 81st over of the day. By that time, Railways were already ahead by 46 runs. Ghosh continued to build on his innings and was unbeaten on 113 that included 13 fours and one six when the day ended.
ScorecardSwapnil Singh marked his return to first-class cricket after three years with a five-for. It helped Baroda stage a collapse in the latter stages of Bengal’s first innings. Still, Sudip Chatterjee’s big hundred and late strikes by the visiting captain Laxmi Shukla meant Bengal clearly held an upper hand at the end of the second day’s play at the Reliance Stadium.To read the full report, click here.

Christian Pulisic has been told by Thierry Henry that he must “try to make mistakes” in order to replicate his USMNT form in club action at AC Milan.

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American forward left Chelsea in summer windowTaking on a new challenge at San SiroHoping to put creative qualities to good useWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international enjoyed a bright start to his time in Italy following a summer transfer from Chelsea, with a flurry of pre-season assists followed by two goals in as many Serie A appearances. Pulisic was, however, benched for Milan’s opening Champions League fixture of 2023-24 against Newcastle.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There is no doubting Pulisic’s creative ability, as he remains a talismanic presence for his country, but there are suggestions that the 25-year-old is too risk-averse in domestic football and needs to shake those shackles in order to become a superstar at San Siro.

WHAT THEY SAID

World Cup winner Henry – who represented the likes of Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona and the New York Red Bulls in his playing days – has told the new of what Pulisic needs to do in order to thrive: “As a creative player if you don’t try to make mistakes, you cannot succeed. I can see on the national team, [Pulisic] feels like, ‘I can make mistakes.’ When you play on the big club [team], you play the ball one time and it’s a mistake and the next time you touch it is 15 minutes after. People remember every time you touch the ball that you lost it. The international team, he plays with that confidence. We were all creative players, so you have to score. So if you feel like in your head you can’t lose that ball, then you might as well step out of the field and don’t play.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Pulisic was prevented from showing his true colours at Chelsea as he struggled to nail down a regular starting berth and will be eager to avoid seeing history repeat itself in Italy. Milan will be back in Serie A action on Saturday when playing host to Verona.

The diminutive Belgian made it two goals in as many games as he inspired the Gunners to a gritty 3-1 victory over their stubborn visitors

Leandro Trossard was the protagonist as Arsenal moved second in the Premier League courtesy of a gutsy 3-1 win over Burnley on Saturday, repaying Mikel Arteta's faith with a goal and assist after replacing Eddie Nketiah in his manager's Premier League XI.

Bukayo Saka went closest in a dominant first period when his strike was tipped onto the woodwork, but the hosts would have to wait until first-half stoppage time to make the breakthrough, as Trossard put his body on the line to bundle the ball home at the back post.

Burnley had threatened on occasion, and Arsenal were stunned early in the second period when Josh Brownhill's strike deflected in. However, it took Arteta's side just three minutes to restore the lead when William Saliba rose highest to meet a Trossard corner. Oleksandr Zinchenko then wrapped up the points with 15 minutes to go as he improvised with an exquisite finish on the bounce after the ball had come off the Burnley bar.

The shine was somewhat taken off the victory late on as substitute Fabio Vieira was shown a straight red card for an ugly, high foul on goal-scorer Brownwood.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (7/10):

Made two very important stops in the first half which were ultimately key to the victory. He had no chance with the goal.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (6/10):

Provided support in attack at every opportunity but was too easily shrugged off in the build-up to Burnley's goal.

William Saliba (8/10):

Made a sublime recovery challenge right at the start of the second period and rose majestically to restore the lead.

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

Not unduly tested but his half-clearance led to the Burnley leveller. Caused a problem from set-pieces.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (8/10):

Operated as an auxiliary centre-midfielder for the most part. Wonderful, technical finish to wrap up the points.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Jorginho (6/10):

Metronomic without setting the world alight, but that is generally his modus operandi. Took a heavy blow late on.

Declan Rice (7/10):

The bloke is ubiquitous. Generally a quiet shift defensively, but he still seemed to be mopping up at every single opportunity.

Kai Havertz (5/10):

Often found himself swarmed by defenders and headed a good chance over from close range. Didn't do anything wrong, per se, but very much no frills.

Getty ImagesAttack

Bukayo Saka (7/10):

Tormented his full-back at every opportunity and was rewarded with yet another assist, this time nodding the ball across goal for the opener.

Leandro Trossard (8/10):

Forced to come searching for the ball initially but popped to make a telling contribution, putting his body on the line as he bundled the ball in. His corner was nodded in by Saliba, too.

Gabriel Martinelli (6/10):

Electric as always but for someone so talented he should perhaps be providing end product on an even more regular basis.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Fabio Vieira (1/10):

Not the desired effect! Shown a straight red card for an ugly, high foul on Brownhill.

Reiss Nelson (N/A):

Didn't see much of the ball as the red card two minutes after his introduction changed Arteta's gameplan.

Eddie Nketiah (N/A):

Ditto Nelson. Isolated up front as the 10 men were forced to see out the game.

Jakob Kiwior (N/A):

Brought on late to shore things up.

Mikel Arteta (8/10):

The decision to start Trossard was richly rewarded, as his side reflected their manager's passion and bite with a gutsy display to recover from being hauled level and take all three points.

Premier League shareholders are meeting in London to discuss point deductions, FFP breaches and potential transfer rule changes.

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Toffees stripped of 10 points for breaking rules115 charges hanging over the championsIssues raised with associated clubs dealsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The meeting, which is taking place at The Churchill Hyatt Regency Hotel in west London, has been lined up a matter of days after Everton were stripped of 10 points as a result of their failure to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. The Toffees have slipped to joint-bottom of the table as a result.

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Everton are appealing that ruling, but things could get worse for them yet as Leeds, Leicester and Burnley are preparing to seek £300 million ($377m) in compensation as they believe bending the rules allowed the Toffees to preserve their top-flight status at the expense of law-abiding rivals.

(C)GettyImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The situation on Merseyside is expected to be one topic of discussion as Premier League stakeholders come together. West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady and Burnley chief Alan Pace were among those spotted arriving at the crunch talks.

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WILL MAN CITY BE PUNISHED?

Those in attendance are also expected to discuss Manchester City and the 115 charges hanging over them for allegedly breaking financial rules. The reigning English champions may have cause for concern after seeing Everton punished for far less than they were charged with back in February. The reports that Premier League board members will ask for updates on how that saga is progressing.

The Brazilian marked his final home appearance for the Reds with a late equaliser in front of the Kop, on an otherwise frustrating afternoon

Roberto Firmino marked his farewell Anfield appearance for Liverpool with a goal but the Reds' Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Firmino, who was given an emotional send-off by the home fans, emerged from the bench to secure a point for Jurgen Klopp's side, who had trailed to Jacob Ramsey's first-half strike, with an 89th-minute leveller in front of the Kop.

The result, mathematically at least, keeps Liverpool alive in the race for the top four, but they will need either Manchester United or potentially Newcastle to lose each of their last two matches, as well as winning themselves at Southampton on the final day of the season, if they are to sneak in.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (7/10):

Good save from Ramsey at 1-0, and swept up outside his box well. Should have gone up for a late corner, surely.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):

Overloaded for Ramsey's goal and his passing radar was nowhere near as sharp as it normally is. Looked increasingly frustrated as the game wore on.

Ibrahima Konate (5/10):

Caught out badly for the penalty. Did OK generally.

Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

Early clash of heads with Watkins didn't prevent him dominating in the air. Unfortunate to be penalised for offside when Gakpo thought he'd equalised.

Andy Robertson (6/10):

No impact offensively, did OK defensively.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Jordan Henderson (4/10):

Not up to scratch with or without the ball. Did well to last as long as he did.

Fabinho (6/10):

Strong in the tackle and won lots of headers. One of Liverpool's better performers.

Curtis Jones (5/10):

Couldn't have the impact he's had in recent weeks, despite his endeavour.

Getty ImagesAttack

Mohamed Salah (5/10):

Not able to get into the game at all. Lacked bite and conviction, but produced a fine assist for the equaliser.

Luis Diaz (4/10):

Struggled to impact the game, despite seeing lots of the ball. Decision-making was poor.

Cody Gakpo (6/10):

Denied an equaliser by a controversial VAR intervention. Quiet otherwise but showed fight.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Declined to shoot with a decent chance from Gakpo's pass.

Roberto Firmino (8/10):

On for an emotional farewell, and delivered the perfect finish to make it 1-1. The ovation he got at the end said it all. A legend.

James Milner (6/10):

Another goodbye, he came on with Liverpool losing their way in the game and helped force a leveller. Another legend.

Kostas Tsimikas (6/10):

Fresh legs and corners.

Harvey Elliott (N/A):

Tame effort from 25 yards as Liverpool pushed for a winner.

Jurgen Klopp (6/10):

Team were flat and outmanoeuvered by a streetwise Villa side. Subs forced the result.

The England international has scored three goals in his first two La Liga appearances, wasting no time in making his mark on Los Blancos

The image is becoming familiar for Real Madrid fans. Their new signing, a 20-year-old Englishman standing before them, arms spread in celebration, smirking slightly after watching the ball hit the net. It is a move equal parts humble and cocky, a pose that looks like greatness, in a position marked by humility.

Jude Bellingham has done that very thing in La Liga on three separate occasions — once for every time he has found the net in Madrid white. It has become his signature celebration, his recognisable move. Bellingham, the €103 million (£88m/$110m) signing, now has a brand.

And it's something that Madrid have badly needed since Karim Benzema signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in June. He, too, had a signature reaction, flailing limbs and shouts of delight — a player who celebrated all of his 354 Madrid goals like they were his first.

There are, theoretically, contenders in this side to replace — or at least, offset — the goalscoring void left by Benzema's departure. Bellingham, and his eight Bundesliga goals for Borussia Dortmund last season, didn't appear to be one of them.

Now, though, he has three in his first two. Throw in an assist — provided for Vinicius Jr to round off Madrid's 3-1 handling of Almeria — and Madrid have an all-round attacking threat from what is essentially a new position in this side.

Bellingham is not Benzema, nor is he Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo or Raul. But so far, he's looked like a nine-figure bargain, a player who can provide in the final third and ensure that Madrid don't miss their biggest departure in years.

Getty ImagesLiving in a Benzema-less world

Bellingham's signature was more or less sewn up by the time Benzema announced his departure in early June. Liverpool had previously pulled out of the race in early April, and Madrid made it clear that they would pay Dortmund's asking price soon after. Bellingham would later claim himself that he wanted to move to Santiago Bernabeu since early 2023.

And he was supposed to walk into a team led by Benzema — at least, for one more year. The Ballon d'Or winner's departure came as a surprise for Madrid, who perhaps planned for his exit in 2024, a summer that could perfectly coincide with the arrival of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer — the exchange of one great Frenchman for another.

Instead, Madrid entered the summer window without a striker, having spent a large chunk of cash on the world's best young midfielder. For a side that already had five top-class players in that position, it suddenly appeared slightly imbalanced.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti did little to quell those fears when he announced that Madrid wouldn't dip into the market for a new striker. Madrid, he claimed, had enough resources to succeed. He referred to the goalscoring talents of Rodrygo and Vinicius, and suggested that loan signing Joselu could chip in, but, pointedly, made it clear that those 35 goals per season would be made up by committee.

AdvertisementGettyTactical tweaks

Bellingham didn't really crop up in those conversations. Ancelotti repeatedly referred to the England international's ability to "make the most of the free space", but alluded to the fact that his new midfielder was brought in as an all-round presence, not necessarily a creative or prolific threat. It is credit to Ancelotti, then, that he has found a way to get the best out of Bellingham in the final third so quickly.

For some time, the manager has been a 4-3-3 loyalist. Benzema's tendency to roam, and Federico Valverde's propensity for cutting inside off the right made things flexible. But, effectively, the manager lined up with a recognised striker, two wingers, and three central midfielders — a simple enough formation made complex by the interpretation of the players he deployed.

Now, though, the manager has changed things up. Madrid's depth in the heart of the pitch has effectively forced the Italian to play with four midfielders. The lack of a clear No.9, meanwhile, has been used as an advantage, allowing Ancelotti to go back to his tactical roots. Los Blancos now play with Bellingham as a No.10 behind two split strikers. It is the kind of system Ancelotti made use of in his formative days in Serie A, coincidentally, using the man who would also later wear Bellingham's No.5 for Real Madrid: Zidane.

LaLigaCoaxing goals out of Bellingham

It seemed, at first, that the change was made out of necessity. After all, a tactical switch is the only way to keep of his talent happy. But it turns out that the four-time Champions League winner, and only manager to win a title in every one of Europe's top five leagues might know a thing or two about football…

Bellingham's ability to do a bit of everything is the driving reason behind his signature. Ancelotti himself admitted that the Englishman is a "complete midfielder". It's well known that Bellingham wore the No.22 shirt at both Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund because he sees himself as a No.4, No.8 and No.10 all rolled up into one player.

At Dortmund, he proved as such, albeit playing mostly as a No.8 and spending most of his time eating up ground between the boxes. He was a solid contributor in the attacking third — bagging eight league goals from an expected goals (xG) total of 8.2, though calling him a constant scoring threat would be a stretch. His creative numbers were also agreeable, with Bellingham finishing the season with four Bundesliga assists and averaging one key pass per game.

Getting him into the right spaces, though, has only amplified his attacking output. Against Almeria, almost all of his touches came in the attacking third as Bellingham received the ball in between the lines and strode forward. He scored twice, assisted once, played three key passes, and put four shots on target.

Of course, giving a player more opportunities in an attacking sense will undoubtedly make them more likely to contribute by volume alone. But Bellingham hasn't stumbled his way into four goal contributions in two games. This is a calculated change to bring goals out of someone who didn't score as much as he maybe could have previously.

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Winning the hearts of Madridistas

It's something of a calculated risk to give Bellingham such a crucial role. Here is one of the biggest signings in club history, being handed the reins instantly, entrusted to lead Europe's most successful club at just 20 years old. This is not normal.

That this 20-year-old is also English, also has significance. Spain has long been suspect of English midfielders — and with good reason. La Liga is far more technical than the Premier League. Midfielders in Spain aren't always powerful or athletic, mostly because they don't have to be.

Bellingham, for his part, is over six foot tall, stronger than the average centre-back, with a powerful running form — more Steven Gerrard than Andres Iniesta. That he came to a club that has a mixed history with English players (see Jonathan Woodgate), bred some scepticism in the Spanish capital. Bellingham's quality was undeniable, but this was a teenager from Birmingham, who had never won a major domestic title, possessing the audacity to take Zidane's number.

As it turns out, being good at football has silenced Bellingham's detractors. Madrid fans and players alike have embraced their new star man. He took selfies with local police officers after his side's win on Saturday; has helped the club gain four million new social media followers, while Vinicius is already copying his celebration after scoring. As one Madrid source told: "He’s not only growing because he’s at Madrid, but Madrid is growing because he’s at Real Madrid."

Tymal Mills could be forced to retire from first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition

George Dobell21-May-2015Tymal Mills could be forced to retire from first-class cricket after being diagnosed with a congenital back condition.Mills, who is thought to be the fastest bowler in English cricket, moved to Sussex from Essex over the winter and has been thought of as an England bowler of the near future. But, after breaking down in the early weeks of the season, he has been diagnosed as having a narrow spinal cord, which he has been warned could, in a worst case scenario, eventually cause substantial mobility problems if he continues to bowl.For a man with so much natural talent, who had started to find the accuracy to complement his pace, it is crushing news.”I have accepted that I might not have a future in first-class cricket,” Mills told ESPNcricinfo. “It is absolutely gutting and I had a very difficult 48 hours when I first heard the news.”I haven’t completely given up on the dream of playing Test cricket but, realistically, it looks as if my future may be in the shorter formats. I still want to play 50-over and T20 cricket.”Sussex have already announced that Mills will play no first-class cricket for a couple of months, but specialists have advised that he will probably have to limit his bowling load significantly if he is to enjoy a prolonged career.Mills bowled in Sussex’s NatWest T20 Blast victory over Gloucestershire on Sunday and took three wickets – all bowled – and could feature in the side to play Somerset on Friday. He is travelling with the squad and hopes to shake off a minor ankle injury.With that in mind, a career as a T20 specialist seems the most likely solution for a 22-year-old who, only weeks ago, was thought of as one of the most exciting prospects in England.”I just hope nobody portrays me as a mercenary,” Mills said. “This isn’t a case of me not wanting to bowl; it’s a case of me having a medical condition would could affect my future. It’s all been pretty hard to take.”