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5 CommentsFor Spanish football enthusiasts, the returns of Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander and Malaga to La Liga are a welcome sight.All three have featured strongly in Spain's top flight in the past 30 years, before various factors meant they dropped out of professional football.Of the trio, Malaga seemed the least likely to recover.Ten years after stunning Europe's elite in the Champions League, the Andalusians had no owner, no money, and seemingly no future.Yet thanks to a hungry group of youngsters, an unconventional teacher and a fanbase that refused to let their club die, 'los boquerones' are back.On 9 April 2013, Malaga were minutes away from reaching the Champions League semi-finals.The competition debutants led 2-1 at Borussia Dortmund, but were dumped out in heartbreaking fashion after two stoppage-time goals from Jurgen Klopp's fearsome side.Regardless, Malaga looked set to achieve what countless others had tried and failed to - consistently challenge Spanish football's 'big three' of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.In 2010, Qatari Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani bought what was traditionally a second-tier club and began transforming them into a European contender.Manuel Pellegrini was installed as manager and provided with quality players including Santi Cazorla, Jeremy Toulalan, Ruud van Nistelrooy and promising youngster Isco.But Pellegrini joined Manchester City and Isco signed for Real Madrid in summer 2013 - and hopes of a golden era at Estadio La Rosaleda morphed into a decade of decline.The following season Malaga were banned from the Europa League for breaching Uefa's financial fair play (FFP) rules regarding overdue payments.Mounting debts necessitated player sales, and relegation from La Liga followed in 2018. Two years later a regional court ordered Al-Thani's removal because of alleged misappropriation of funds.European and international arrest warrants have been issued against the Sheikh and his three sons, with prosecutors seeking prison sentences totalling 14 and a half years for alleged misappropriation, unfair administration and abusive corporate decisions.Court-appointed administrator Jose Maria Munoz has overseen operations since 2020.Fire sales and years of relying on free agents and loan signings helped steady Malaga's financial position, but in 2023 a threadbare squad slipped into the regionalised third division."I was at the last game in the second division against Ibiza. Both teams were already relegated and it was like a funeral," said podcaster and Malaga season-ticket holder Matt Harrison.Spain's third tier is known as 'el pozo' - the well - because it is notoriously difficult to climb out of. Fearing the worst, a group of local businessmen discussed plans to form a phoenix club in the event Malaga faded into obscurity.Fortunately, a hungry squad of youth-team players and local lads secured promotion at the first attempt.After finishing third in the south division of the third tier, Malaga faced a two-legged play-off final against Gimnastic Tarragona.With the Catalans on top in the dying moments of extra time in the second leg, Antonio Cordero bundled the ball home to send the travelling fans wild and Malaga back to the second tier."The city exploded with promotion back to the second division," said Harrison. That season in el pozo seemed to reignite the city's love for its football team."Disgracefully, in Malaga there have always been lots of Real Madrid and Barcelona fans," said Malaga supporter and journalist Jose Luis Sabatel."But when Malaga flew lower, an enormous quantity of 'Malaguenos' [residents] became 'Malaguistas' [supporters]."Sergio Pellicer - in his second spell as manager - followed promotion with a 16th-place finish in the second division, but began the next season with just four wins in 14 games.He was replaced by reserve-team boss Juan Francisco Funes, who had never played or coached in professional football.A few weeks earlier the former teacher had considered returning to the classroom with his side bottom of their fourth division group.After beginning the Funes era with one win and two draws, the gamble began to pay off as Malaga won their next six games and surged to third in the table.Not only did the results improve, but what had been a restrained side started playing some entertaining, attacking football."That style of football combined with local players made a perfect cocktail that energised the fans," says Harrison.Those players included academy graduates like striker Chupe - scorer of 25 goals - winger David Larrubia, and defender Diego Murillo, as well as others who grew up in the stands at La Rosaleda.Knowing many of his younger players from the academy certainly helped Funes turn things around."He already knew their strengths, weaknesses and personalities from the outset. There was virtually no adaptation period, so they hit the ground running," says Radio Marca journalist Juanje Fernandez.Funes drew on his teaching experience, using historical quotes and films to motivate and convey ideas to a young group.He is likely not the only coach to draw inspiration from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but he might be the first to use Kung Fu Panda to aid a promotion push."The players bought into Funes' ideas from day one," adds Fernandez."Footballers tend to perform at their best when they genuinely believe in what they're being asked to do, rather than simply following instructions."Funes speaks about his players like they are his children, once affectionately describing them in an interview as 'los bichos'. The colloquial term used to describe talented people soon became the team's nickname.'Funesbuque' is another name that stuck - 'the good ship Funes'.After finishing fourth, the 2025-26 season boiled down to a play-off final against Almeria.Malaga had one of the smallest budgets in the division and had spent just £325,000 on permanent transfers since 2020. Almeria spent more than £10m that season alone.After a goalless home draw in the first leg, hundreds of fans lined motorway bridges heading out of the city to wave the team on their way to Almeria.It was a sight symptomatic of the strong bond forged between the team and its fanbase in recent years. It became a common occurrence for fans to welcome the team bus to the stadium with flags and pyrotechnics.A song adopted by the club's Fondo Sur ultras, borrowed from the ultras scene in Morocco, became the soundtrack of the season. 'Es la Vida Loca' - the crazy life.Malaga's average attendance last season was the 11th-highest in the country, but only a few hundred tickets were available for the game in Almeria.Yet when Chupe steered Malaga in front before Larrubia curled in a stunning second, the whole fanbase did too - kit supplier Hummel incorporated the names of all 26,550 season-ticket holders into a special one-off strip.The 2-1 victory sparked mass celebrations in Malaga. After partying all weekend, an estimated 185,000 fans lined the streets to give the team a triumphant welcome."It was a once-in-a-generation moment. Many young fans had never seen Malaga play in La Liga," says Fernandez."An entire generation had grown up after the club's Champions League years knowing little more than financial turmoil, sporting disappointment and uncertainty surrounding the club they loved."After a second night of partying, several players took to social media to challenge fans to meet them at 07:00 on Monday at a roundabout in a western suburb. Hundreds answered the call."That connection between the squad and the fans was one of the defining features of the campaign," adds Fernandez."It helped create a sense that everyone, from the dressing room to the streets of the city, was pulling in the same direction."Given their financial constraints, Malaga's preparations for the top flight have been low-key.Several important players have renewed their contracts, while sporting director Loren Juarros has made some astute loan signings.Promotion winner Carlos Dotor returned on loan from Celta Vigo, while £256,000 was spent on loaning winger Juan Cruz from Leganes.Malaga fans know their club are favourites for relegation.They open the season with daunting trips to Atletico Madrid (Wednesday, 20:00 BST kick-off) and Real Madrid, but after what they have been through that should not faze them."Malaga's story is beautifully convoluted, with plenty of plot twists and the most enchanting ending," says Sabatel."From now on, we can only enjoy."Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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"Straight away I thought - what a lovely bloke. He knew everything about the club. All the history."It's not taken Marco Rose long to get his feet under the table at Bournemouth. Why would it? This is a club whose succession planning is among the best in the Premier League. Who lost more than £250m of playing talent in one season - and still made it the most successful in their 123-year history.The German is not the second coming of Andoni Iraola but the intention is that he is not far off. Certainly, he is keen to get to know the place as well as his predecessor."Right from the start, not just him but his staff went round every department, gave them a time of day," club legend and ambassador Steve Fletcher tells Sky Sports. "It didn't matter if you were a groundsman or in the accounts or media or marketing or you're a chef."He went up and he chatted to them all. And it's not just lip service, I can see he has a real interest in everybody."On the pitch, if you want to continue his high-pressing legacy then a student of Jurgen Klopp isn't a bad option to pick.Given their shared philosophies, perhaps it is no surprise Iraola is also a fan of his work. "Marco Rose's Gladbach was one of my favourite teams," he said back in 2023.The Spaniard's Cherries produced the third-most direct attacks in the Premier League last season, and ended with the fourth-most shots from high turnovers."Andoni didn't leave a lot of space to improve," admitted Rose in pre-season. "The pressure is on."He has certainly attempted to address that, with 21 goals scored across five friendlies and even new centre-back Antonio Silva praised for his attacking input.Evanilson's role appears to have moved back from leading the line to more of a False 9, leaving the two wide men - likely Rayan and Ben Gannon-Doak or Justin Kluivert - to run beyond him and to good effect from what we've seen so far. Klopp's Liverpool, anyone?How much you can read into any friendly, least not a 10-1 win over Genoa - who conceded fewer league goals than Bournemouth in Serie A last season - is always limited. But they do give an idea of the direction of travel and if Rose is looking to improve anywhere, in front of goal appears his prime target.That should not be a surprise. Rose's solitary season in charge at Borussia Dortmund five years ago saw them break their league scoring record by netting 85 goals, more than any campaign under even mentor Klopp.It was the his side's poor defending, particularly in Europe, which instead cost him and it is balancing his squad's continental endeavours where Rose will face his biggest test this season.Even as the Cherries' third-highest all-time goalscorer, Fletcher sees it that way too."We've got to acclimatise to playing Thursday and Sunday. Your fixtures could get changed rapidly and we've got to be very adaptable and that's going to be new for this football club," he said, speaking as MrQ celebrated becoming AFC Bournemouth's new official sleeve partner."Fortunately the manager is very experienced but for a lot of the players who are not experienced to playing in Europe it's going to be a big adjustment. It's going to be one hell of an occasion. I'm sure there'll be a few tears shed by everybody."A settled summer has helped Rose get his ideas across early with two of three current additions brought in at least three weeks before the start of the Premier League season, which kicks off live on Sky Sports at Manchester City on Sunday.But perhaps the best business of the summer, to use the old cliche, is the players who haven't left. Alex Scott has spent much of the transfer window being linked with a move to a big-six club, but Bournemouth have made their desire to keep him at the Vitality Stadium crystal clear.Eli Kroupi Junior looks set for a spell at the top sooner rather than later but is going nowhere fast after suffering a foot injury on a training camp in Austria last month.If Iraola could produce what he did after a summer of losing his best players, imagine what could be possible now Rose has kept his? The one thing that's certain is that it's unlikely to be a dull season at the Vitality.

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Since the summer of 2022, Manchester United have signed eight defenders for a combined £219.7m - and yet, the starting back four could be the same that lined up on the opening day of the season four years ago.On 7 August 2022, Erik ten Hag started Lisandro Martinez - an arrival that summer for £56.7m - Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot, but suffered a 2-1 loss to Brighton.And in six of his 17 Premier League matches in 2026, Michael Carrick opted for the same back line and it could be again for this weekend's opening game against Hull City on Saturday.While much has and continues to change at Man Utd, these four players have remained - although there has not always been consistency.They have played just 10 times together in four years - although 60 per cent of those games have come under Carrick - with a variety of factors playing their part.Martinez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot lost their first two games together. A 4-0 defeat to Brentford struck particularly hard.After that, the quartet did not play together again until October 30, 2022 - a 1-0 win against West Ham.Stream the Premier League with no contractTyrell Malacia - who had joined the club in the summer of 2022 - Rapahel Varane and Victor Lindelof were some of the players rotated into the defence, with a combination of the other four.Maguire - especially in the early part of the 2022/23 season - found himself benched, while also spending a month out with a hamstring injury.The same campaign saw both Martinez and Dalot missing out with various injuries. Since then though, Dalot's injury record has not been too bad.However, the same cannot be said for Martinez and Shaw. The Argentine spent most of the first half of the 2023/24 season out with a foot injury, before rupturing his ACL in February 2025. He made his return in November after nine months of recovery.Shaw has also found himself regularly in and out of the squad with an array of ailments. In the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons combined, he made just 27 appearances in all competitions.The summer of 2024 saw the likes of Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka leave and three defenders - Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt - arrive with a further two in the January 2025 - Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu.There remained little consistency though among the back four, which could also be attributed to a mid-season change of manager.Ten Hag departed in October 2024 and replaced by Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese lasted just 14 months and in that time, never used the combination of Martinez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot.He was also a staunch proponent of the 3-4-3 formation, and often refused to change it, despite it clearly not working at Manchester United. Amorim eventually relented in December 2025, playing a back four for the first time against Newcastle and keeping a clean sheet for the first time since early October.But just under two weeks later, he left - clearly unhappy at having his hand forced - with Carrick coming in.In his first game, he chose Martinez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot when Man Utd beat Manchester City 2-0. The former midfielder went on to choose that defensive combination a further five times - and they did not lose any of those games (W5, D1).However, they kept just two clean sheets in that time, and three of the wins were by a 3-2 scoreline, showing that there is still work to do defensively.It should also be noted that De Ligt's long-term injury is also a contributing factor. He has not played since November 2025 due to a back issue - meaning he has never been available to Carrick - but was back in first-team training this week.But there have been no major defensive incomings since Dorgu 18 months ago. Malacia left this summer, while Lindelof and Jonny Evans departed last year. If Carrick is to continue with the gameplan he set out in the last six months, he might need to start considering reinforcements.Since he arrived, it was quite clear that the team would largely defend on the edge of their own box. They were extremely solid and compact which underpinned some huge wins.What we've seen in pre-season has been a deviation - or, perhaps, progression - from that. Man Utd are pushing higher and working harder to press and counter-press the opposition, especially to win the ball back quickly after a loss of possession.They were slightly found out against Amorim's Milan in pre-season, with the press not quite sharp enough - the fourth goal, in particular, came from just one ball over a high-lined defence.The game was the perfect illustration of why Man Utd need to invest seriously in a left-back. Shaw will need to be rotated with the increased number of games that comes with European competition. Fans are keen to see Dorgu play there, but he has mostly been used as a left winger under Carrick so far.He might go some way to help Man Utd play the way they want to. They need serious recovery pace in the back-line for the times they do occasionally get caught out with this gameplan.There is also the question of age. Maguire and Shaw are over 30, with Martinez and Dalot 28 and 27 respectively. Prime years for a footballer, but can they adapt to yet another change in style?Ultimately, a lot has changed at Manchester United but defence is one area that remains eerily similar. Four years on, Martinez, Maguire, Shaw and Dalot remain a viable option for Carrick - although for how long remains to be seen.

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After finishing a disappointing ninth in the Women's Super League last season, Aston Villa have freshened things up by adding Scandinavian talent to their squad.Players from Scandinavia are no novelty in the WSL, it is a well-sailed passage across the North Sea for players from the region.But Villa signing four Scandinavian players this summer - three from Norway and one from Denmark - among eight senior arrivals, having previously had none, is notable.The total number of senior players from Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark in the WSL is 42 across 14 clubs, and Villa now have the fourth largest contingent behind Tottenham (10), Manchester United (seven) and Liverpool (six).Manager Natalie Arroyo and the Villa recruitment team have turned to Scandinavia to help plug senior squad gaps left by the departures of Kirsty Hanson to Spurs and Ebony Salmon to West Ham, and the retirement of Lucy Staniforth, among others.And they hope the new arrivals can bump Villa back into the 'best of the rest' conversation. The Villans have not matched the heights of fifth place in 2023 and last year's ninth was their lowest WSL finish in five years.Three of the new arrivals are Norway internationals - defender Mathilde Harviken and midfielders Kamilla Melgard and Justine Kielland.Also arriving is Denmark striker Amalie Vangsgaard. She joins from Juventus, as does Harviken.Kieland hopes these pre-existing relationships can provide immediate results at Villa Park."I knew Mathilde from the national team, we are good friends, so we spoke about joining the team," she told BBC Sport."It's nice having a lot of fellow Norwegians, Scandinavians - we speak the same language."But all three of us are quite independent, we are looking for what is the best fit for our career, so it is a good sign we have all decided this is an attractive club and a good place to be."For many Scandinavian players, England is a good place to be as it is a competitive league, every week you are able to perform at a higher level."I am comfortable in midfield with Mathilde behind me, but we have to integrate that into the whole team, to have all the players working together."In Norway we have grown up with the fact England is a great footballing nation, and we see there is a competitive league. If players want to develop, England is a good place to be."It is not the first time a WSL club have turned to Scandinavia to try to improve results.Former Manchester United boss Marc Skinner brought in Hanna Lundkvist and Ellen Wangerheim during the January transfer window and believes Sweden's Damallsvenskan acts as the ideal incubator for young talent."They play many games at a young age so they learn to make mistakes," he said."Their exposure is at a high level and that gives them a head start into that early pressure. Dealing with that and the resilience they learn allows them to come and play here."In January, Spurs manager Martin Ho also brought in four players from Norway and Sweden to boost his team as they finished fifth in the WSL.Under previous manager Brian Sorensen - a Dane - Everton had eight Scandinavian players on their books during the 2023-24 season.At Everton, the Swedish players would meet up to walk their dogs. Kieland says the Norwegians at Villa are going to live in the same part of Birmingham, while Harviken says shared interests are helping them settle in their new city."It's nice to have other Norwegians and Scandinavians I knew before," Harviken adds. "I spoke with Kristine and Amalie before I came here, we know each other well, that makes things easier to get settled. They are a nice group of people; after training we will have coffee or dinner."It's positive to know each other's strengths, the balls they like to receive."Scandinavians fit in this league because it is physical and competitive, and we often have a lot of strength."Of Villa's 27-player senior squad, 18 have joined the club since 2025. Arroyo, despite last year's disappointing finish, is being trusted with a major overhaul project. It now needs results.If Villa are to succeed, then the experience of their longer-serving players - including WSL mainstays such as defender Anna Patten, midfielder Missy Bo Kearns and star striker Rachel Daly - will have a major role to play."We have a lot of new players from different leagues, so I can integrate and drive them, show them what the standards are to be a top WSL team," Kearns told BBC Sport."I have played a lot of football in the WSL and English football, it helps a lot. And as the league develops, we grow with the league and develop."Villa may not be WSL founder members but, entering their seventh year in the top flight, they are mainstays. Having played all their home league games at Villa Park since 2024, they have looked to position themselves as one of the league's bigger sides.Like their WSL mid-table rivals, their summer investment shows their desire to push towards the top four.We should be careful not to conflate the expectations of a club's men's and women's teams, but the men are in the Champions League this season and Villa's women also have eyes on Europe."The top teams of course invest and sign players for a lot of money, but you also have mid-table teams pushing for those top spots," goalkeeper Emily Ramsey - one of the eight summer signings, from Everton - tells BBC Sport."London City have invested a lot of money, they will expect to challenge. Spurs and Brighton showed they could do it at times last season. There is no longer so many expected outcomes, the top teams feel that which is why they are investing."For Aston Villa, there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to trying to push up for those European spots.""I don't think that is out of reach. We want to play with the shackles off; we want to make Villa Park a hard place to come and play. If we play with confidence, I don't see why we can't reach those top spots."Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed

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Two clubs are far ahead in wages and turnover, but London City Lionesses could be new force after big transfer movesAfter reviewing eight seasons’ worth of Women’s Super League clubs’ financial accounts, it seems appropriate to start by offering a sincere apology to any reader who has become accustomed to seeing the phrase “the big four” in Women’s Super League coverage in reference to Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. Financially speaking, that is a myth. There has actually been no such thing in recent times. There has, in fact, been a big two: Arsenal and Chelsea.On the pitch that quartet have lifted every major domestic women’s trophy since 2014 but, off it, the two London clubs have left the rest of the pack in their dust in regard to wages and turnover, together recording more revenue in 2024-25 than the rest of the division combined.There are several other striking trends across the data. Namely, rapidly rising revenues and rapidly rising expenditure, as well as a heavy reliance on club owners to fund the sizeable losses. Cumulatively, WSL clubs have recorded post-tax losses of more than £111m when combining all of the figures available since the division switched to a winter calendar in the summer of 2017.Resisting that pattern are Manchester United, who have recorded a profit of £1.34m since relaunching their senior women’s team in the summer of 2018. In contrast, Chelsea have lost more than £36m over the same timeframe, and there are four further clubs – Brighton and Hove Albion, Leicester City, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur – who have each lost eight-figure sums when adding up their losses across those years.United, who this summer have made clear their intention to focus on youth development in an attempt to build long-term success, believing current levels of spending in the transfer market are unsustainable, are a unique case study. In the 2022-23 campaign, when they finished second, missing out on the WSL title on the season’s final day, their wages amounted to under 50% of their revenue, in a season when Manchester City, Tottenham and Brighton all spent more than 100% of their revenue on wages. This is not uncommon across men’s and women’s football. A recent report from Deloitte, for example, highlighted that 13 men’s Championship clubs spent more on wages than their revenue in 2024-25, with that division’s collective wage bill growing to more than £900m and to 96% of revenue.Wages for elite women’s players are soaring – – on average across the WSL they quadrupled between 2019 and 2025. Revenues rose strongly over that timeframe too, with the largest chunk of matchday revenue growth coming at Arsenal, whose gate receipts were just £45,000 per season nine years ago and totalled nearly £6m in 2024-25. On average across WSL clubs, for whom data is available, wages rose by 28.2% between 2023-24 and 2024-25, while over the same period post-tax losses increased by more than 53%, albeit a large chunk of that can be apportioned to Chelsea’s purchase of their former home ground, Kingsmeadow, from their parent club for about £12m during 2024-25.Chelsea – who won the league for a sixth straight year in 2024-25 – had a total wage bill that was more than five times larger than an Everton side who finished eighth in the WSL, and just under three times that of Manchester United, who finished third that season. Arsenal were the only other club, along with Chelsea, whose wage bill exceeded £10m. Both clubs recorded turnover that was around twice that of their Manchester rivals. Significantly, that came before their respective spending in the summer 2025 window, when Arsenal broke the £1m barrier to land the Canada winger Olivia Smith and Chelsea followed suit later that summer with the signing of Alyssa Thompson.Overall, the WSL has had a 75% increase in agents’ fees year-on-year, according to data released by the Football Association, with Chelsea exceeding the £1m mark last season. In comparison, West Ham, who finished 10th in 2025-26, spent £97,000, while relegated Leicester spent less than a tenth of what Chelsea did.Soon then there could be a new force in the WSL in the shape of London City Lionesses. Their wage bill for 2024-25, when they won promotion from the second tier, has not been made public, but their operating loss of £10.6m was more than 10 times their revenue of £902,000. That came before dramatic moves in the transfer market across the past three windows, which have included the signing of former Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.As the WSL now gears up for the 2026-27 campaign – the first in which there are expected to be points penalties on the line for any teams whose player wage bills exceed a threshold of “80% of your revenue plus up to £4m of owners’ contributions” – the season ahead is one where the financial accounts will matter more than ever.

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Want to win your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) mini-league but need some expert advice?Introducing Erik Ibsen, the 23-year-old Danish medical student who, out of the 11 million players who took part last season, finished first overall despite never playing the game before.In between his summer exams Everton fan Ibsen has already planned out his entire chip and transfer strategy for the upcoming season, but stresses inexperience and a more laid-back approach can end up being a huge advantage."1,000% being new to the game helped me win," he told BBC Sport."I didn't pay for a service or listened to influencers, I used all my own reasearch and choices."But what exactly were those magic "choices" that led Ibsen to glory?Buckle up - the reigning FPL champion has agreed to share his secrets with the BBC."The biggest thing is being consistent," says Ibsen."A lot of people have one bad week and then give up on the game."I didn't start well and was eight millionth in the world after week one, whereas the person who came second was in the top 100."It's easy to forget there are 38 gameweeks and that things can change so much."Many people have a bad week and then burn everything trying to fix things immediately."Instead, be patient. If you could plan three or five weeks ahead by looking at upcoming fixtures that's a great start."Concentrating your funds on a few superstars or spreading out your budget to get 16 dependable players? Ibsen believes it's the latter."Every single draft I've made so far has been about value across the whole team," he said."One of my biggest tips is to find those cheaper enablers - those budget players who provide value while also enabling you to include more big-money players."Pascal Gross of Brighton is an amazing choice if you want to save money, but also have a great player at the same time."He takes penalties, free-kicks, corners and only costs £5.5m. You need these kind of picks."Also, think about players likely to get plenty of defcon (defensive contribution) points, external."This is something I targeted from the start last season and it paid off. There was never a terrible week. Every week was pretty much OK because I had defcon points coming in."What has changed in FPL for 2026-27 season?"But if you really want to be competitive and still have players from your own team, you need to do an extra step of research."As an Evertonian I really like Thierno Barry, but he shares minutes with Beto so as an FPL asset it's not a great idea."Mixing these two worlds is possible although it it will be harder for some teams."If you're a Manchester City fan, of course you can pick Erling Haaland. If you support Hull, well, good luck."Speaking of Haaland, Ibsen says last season's highest-scoring player was "pretty much constantly" in his team last year.The City forward is currently the most expensive FPL player of all time at £15.5m, but Ibsen is still planning on including him."There's no-one else like Haaland," said Ibsen."Yes there's no-one as expensive as him, but you can still make a great team around him because everyone else is so cheap."I don't have to sacrifice a lot. A team with Haaland, Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joao Pedro, a good keeper and a good defence is possible."Plus, he makes the game really straightforward. If you're in doubt about who to captain, you always have him. He's a really nice player to have."Is Haaland worth the price? Pick Rogers or Palmer? Five key FPL questions"You can sit on five transfers one week which is incredible because it becomes like a mini-wildcard," he said."Last season my strategy was to mostly transfer two or three players at a time."I'd be very patient, saving up to make big rotations."If Chelsea are playing against Hull and then Ipswich and you want to triple up on Chelsea players for those two games, you need to be able to have two or three moves to make that happen."Nine clubs are set to begin the upcoming Premier League campaign with a new permanent manager - the highest number ever for the top flight's opening weekend.Ibsen believes the new Premier League season is "the most difficult to predict ever".But, when pushed, which players does the reigning champion expect to excel?"I'm a very big fan of the Tottenham defence," said Ibsen."If Spurs play the same way they did at the end of last season, at around £5m per player their defence picks will be of huge value."Manchester City and Chelsea's attacks look incredible. With Liverpool, it hurts to say this an an Everton fan, but I'd go heavy on their attack."Andoni Iraola had such a good attacking system under Bournemouth which I think he will replicate at Liverpool."Go with their attack, but I wouldn't trust their defence."Of course you have to be lucky with your predictions. I mean, I wouldn't have won if I wasn't lucky. Everything I touched was gold."You can join the BBC Sport League on the official Fantasy Premier League game using the code bbcfpl - or by clicking this link, external.These eight players will help you win FPLWho to pick, who to avoid - your team's FPL assets analysedHow I won fantasy football in my first ever season - without using AIAll our Five in Five football quizzes in one placeCan you name the players with most Premier League appearances?Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?Can you name every team to have played in the WSL?

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished38 minutes agoNorthern Ireland goalkeeper Jackie Burns is the number one for her country and has just signed for Burnley - but she is already thinking about her next steps.At some point, the 29-year-old will leave football and she is doing what she can now to prepare herself for a new career.Across 15 years so far, Burns has built experience playing in leagues across the world, including Iceland, Canada and Sweden.Along the way she has faced challenges off the pitch, as well as on it, and wants to help players in the future in similar situations.Speaking about life after football, Burns said: "I have definitely thought about it. I still want to be a part of football in whatever aspect that may be."It will probably be in more of a player-care role, just helping players as they progress through a team, and not so much on the football aspect."It's just making sure they are comfortable so it's not a challenge for them coming in. They are a player in a team - but a person too."Burns chose to join newly-promoted Women's Super League 2 club Burnley this summer having left Bristol City.She hopes to use her experience to help others settle in and said a big part of her decision to join was Burnley's willingness to support her post-career ambitions.The goalkeeper feels that support from Burnley puts "value on her" as a person."[I want to] feel heard as a person and they really inspire me in that aspect," said Burns."I've been to a few places and while you're always excited to go, sometimes it can be a challenge. You don't know what way things work."It's basic stuff like getting a house or a car which can be quite complicated if you're not from that country."If you have someone in a club who can help take that stress off you, it just makes the experience a lot easier."It can go unseen sometimes. For a lot of players, as soon as they feel valued, it just turns into an easier experience."

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Royal family-backed Johor Darul Ta’zim are on the verge of a world-record 109 league games unbeaten and their former Watford manager is aiming higherMany Watford fans felt Xisco Muñoz was dismissed too soon after leading them into the Premier League as Championship runners-up in 2021, only to be ousted less than two months into the new season. He is remembered fondly at Vicarage Road, an emblem of the churn-and-burn of the Gino Pozzo era.But unless you continued to follow the Spaniard’s career closely, you would struggle to guess where he manages now. The life of a football manager is varied and unpredictable, but how has the former Watford head coach ended up in charge of a club 6,500 miles away and on the verge of an extraordinary world record?Not one averse to adventure – since moving into coaching Xisco has taken jobs in Georgia, Cyprus and Slovakia – the former Valencia and Betis midfielder agreed last summer to take over at the Malaysian Super League side Johor Darul Ta’zim, based just across the border from Singapore.A remarkable amount of pressure rests on their opening game of the Malaysian Super League season against Kuching on Friday. Avoid defeat and they will set the world record for unbeaten league matches, 109, surpassing the benchmark set by the Ivorian side Asec Mimosas that has stood for 32 years.Xisco likes the idea that, in a football world dominated by the financial clout of European clubs, this is a record none of the household names are ever likely to surpass.But he stresses that while JDT are backed by the resources of the Malaysian royal family – ever since His Royal Highness Major General Tunku Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, known more aptly as the Crown Prince, bought the club in 2013 and turned them into a sort of Manchester City of Malaysia – it is by no means easy.“It’s difficult to not lose one game,” Xisco says from his office in their 40,000-seater Sultan Ibrahim Stadium. “Something might happen – one day someone is sleeping, or after 10 minutes the whole team is sleeping, or maybe you don’t 100% concentrate in the first minutes and you concede two goals and it’s difficult to change the game.”He credits “the work of the boss in the last 13 years” for putting them in this position. Their 108-game unbeaten streak started in April 2021. “Now it’s only one game. The line is very close between success or frustration. This is important. We are so close to making history for unbeaten games in a row. This isn’t normal in football.”When Xisco was first approached by the Crown Prince, he was sold on “the project” – not only winning trophies in Malaysia but raising the standards of the country’s football and its standing on the global stage. There has been a deliberate effort to follow the European model. JDT’s chief executive is Luis García, the former Champions League winner with Liverpool. The academy director, Javier Ribera, arrived from Valencia. Xisco says JDT’s facilities are comparable to those in the Premier League.In Europe finances have created a rigidity that is hard to break, with the best players ending up at a handful of clubs. By contrast Xisco believes Asian football is filled with growth potential. He points to the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Paris Saint- Germain in France, a clutch of clubs in England. “Every day it’s more difficult to find good players. It’s totally different here. Asia is a place for the future. Europe has problems with their economies. They are in one place and it’s difficult to progress.”Xisco finds it refreshing to work for an owner who demands the highest standards and supports them financially. If he or his staff need something – a new piece of gym or medical equipment, anything they believe could raise their level – the Crown Prince provides it. “Sometimes you are in some jobs, every time trying to cut some things because you have problems. Here, no. Always try to give the best to reach a high level,” Xisco says.The Crown Prince is relentlessly ambitious, signs off on everything and even attends many training sessions, arriving with scores of security staff, either in supercars or lengthy motorcades.“I like everything about him. It’s true. I don’t know how long I will be here. I never know, because football is about results. But right now I’m happy. I feel well with him. He’s a positive voice. He pushes us. He helps me a lot.”JDT have completed Malaysian football – winning 12 consecutive titles – but the next frontier is the Asian Champions League. Last season, they reached the quarter-finals, the furthest so far by a Malaysian club, losing to the Saudi giants Al-Ahli, whose team included Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez. The competition represents another significant cultural shift from Europe. To play the Japanese J1 League side Machida Zelvia away is a 6,000-mile round trip.“In England, you have one hour 30 minutes by plane to get back. Here maybe you need 10 hours or 12 hours if you go to Japan in the Champions League. You need to manage a lot of situations that are totally different. The culture is totally different between Europe and Asia.”Their domestic dominance can also become a hindrance when a team so used to attacking is forced to defend and players struggle to adapt to new tactical requirements. To counter this, Xisco organises competitive XI v XI training matches, utilising JDT’s vast 40-player squad – a necessity given how many competitions they play – to work on deficiencies.It helps having Arif Aiman – a 24-year-old known in these parts as the “Asian Messi” who scored in the recent friendly against Chelsea, which ended 3-3. He reminds Xisco of João Pedro, whom he coached at Watford.Xisco loves his unpredictability and invention, how you can’t take your eyes off him because you might miss him completely change the game. “In modern football, sometimes we don’t have this type of class.”He adds: “He was one of my big surprises. Sometimes you have a young player, like João Pedro at Watford, in 10 minutes you say, wow, this player is different. Arif is the same. Arif has the same capacity – the capacity to change the game.”

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Plus: goalkeepers sent off far from their penalty area, and the fastest spot-kicks ever awardedMail us with your all of your questions and answers“Birmingham’s August Priske scored the only goal at Swansea in the League Cup on 8 August. Can you think of any other examples of players scoring in their namesake months?” wonders Paul Tiffen.Our wonderful readers have managed to cover the entire year, pretty much, so let’s get going. The list below includes just some of the many examples you sent in.January“Not all last names exist for English months, so I also took month names in some other languages,” writes Mykola Kozlenko. “I only accepted exact spellings, [so] I don’t accept Auguste or Augustin for the month of August, but Agosto is fine.” As is Janvier, which gave Mykola their first goalscorer: “Nicolas Janvier. Scored on 30 January 2016 for Lannion v Rennes Reserves.”February“Jayden Fevrier. Scored on 3 February 2024 for Colchester against Forest Green Rovers,” writes Mykola.March“In German, March is ‘März’,” writes Dirk Maas. “In the 1992-93 edition of the 2. Bundesliga, Heiko März scored twice in March, for Hansa Rostock against St. Pauli and Darmstadt.” Dirk also points out that Solly March’s portfolio of goals in March includes two for Brighton in FA Cup quarter-finals: against Millwall in 2019 and Grimsby in 2023.April“April Heinrichs scored twice for the USA on April Fools’ Day 1991 against Yugoslavia in the Grand Hotel Varna Tournament in Bulgaria,” writes Dan Almond. “She also scored on 3 April against Hungary and again in the final as the USA beat USSR 5-0.”May“David May scored the opening goal in Manchester United’s final game of the 1995-96 season,” writes Sinan Eccles. “The 3-0 win against Middlesbrough at the Riverside on 5 May 1996 secured the title for United. Andy Cole and Ryan Giggs scored the others. Eric Cantona got the late winner in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup final to secure United their second domestic double in three seasons.”Matt Beaumont points out that Alfie May scored on 7 May 2023 for Cheltenham Town v Charlton – and then joined the Addicks two months later, leaving as Cheltenham’s record goalscorer.JuneBack to Mykola Kozlenko: “Brazil’s Edigar Junio scored on 22 June 2019 for Yokohama F Marinos against Matsumoto Yamaga in the J-League.”JulyThree goalscoring Julios in July were found by Mykola …Anderson Julio (Ecuador), 13 July 2023, Real Salt Lake v Sporting KCJhojan Julio (Ecuador), 31 July 2019, LDU Quito v OlimpiaJunior Julio Bueno (Armenia), 20 July 2023, Ararat-Armenia v EgnatiaAugustMichael St John-Mcalister offers August Lohapresert, the Sweden-born midfielder who won an under-23 cap for Thailand. Turns out the internet isn’t entirely bad, for it has provided details of Gais Under-19’s 2-1 victory over Kalmar FF Under-19s on 16 August 2012. Both Gais’s goals were scored by their substitute, the aforementioned Lohapresert.SeptemberBack to Mykola for the last few. “Mateusz Wrzesien (Poland). Scored on 26 September 2018 for Baltyk Koszalin v Rozwoj Katowice.” We should probably clarify that Wrzesien is September in Polish.October Pasquale Ottobre scored a brace on 25 October 2009 for Fidelis Andros against Virtus Lanciano in Italy’s Lega Pro. (Note: Pasquale is a name usually given to those born around Easter or Passover, although Ottobre was born in … November.)November Tymofiy Lystopad (Ukraine). Scored on 7 November 2015 in Desna Chernihiv v Naftovyk-Ukrnafta Okhtyrka. Lystopad is November in UkrainianDecemberThis was the only month for which we didn’t receive a goalscoring answer, but Mykola Kozlenko did find a manager: Frantz Décembre, the Haitian who managed several clubs in the 2010s. We don’t have a specific game, but it’s probably a fair bet that at least one of his teams scored at least one goal in December.“In the recent Leagues Cup clash between Tigres and Vancouver Whitecaps, Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán received a straight red card for pushing the referee. The incident took place near the halfway line. What is the furthest upfield that a goalkeeper has received a straight red card?” asks Eoin Fegan.Back in 2015, West Ham’s Adrián came forward for a corner late on against Leicester at Upton Park – but when the ball was cleared and the visitors threatened to break, the keeper caught Jamie Vardy with a high boot, and was shown a straight red card. Adrián insisted that the foul was accidental, tweeting: “Never in my career I have kicked nobody with bad intention to deserve a red card.” West Ham appealed the decision, but it was upheld and Adrián received a three-match ban.In the Highland League match on 8 August between Forres Mechanics and Fraserburgh, Forres defender Ewan Neil was sent off for a foul just seven seconds after the match kicked off, and Fraserburgh awarded a penalty kick,” writes Sid Bright. “What is the quickest penalty ever awarded in a match?”We previously looked at this topic in 2017, after a similar question from Stephen Yoxall. He saw his team, Witton Albion, win a penalty after six seconds in an FA Trophy tie against Chester FC when Tolani Omotola was fouled by Blaine Hudson.Here’s what we wrote at the time: “Witton’s penalty was awarded after just 6.18 seconds. It was saved, but Bradley Bauress followed up his own spot-kick to score the rebound. Omotola was then sent off later in the first half, before Hudson – probably fortunate to avoid a dismissal with the initial penalty – picked up a second booking during the second period. Witton’s coach Paul Moore was later sent to the stands, before the visitors’ Matthew Devine gave away a late penalty, which earned him a red card, and Chester an equaliser. The nine men were beaten when Chester’s Elliott Durrell grabbed an injury-time winner.”We found a number of other early examples, but nothing to beat 6.18 seconds – we even had a word with the people behind the Guinness Book of World Records. Forres Mechanics went close with their recent effort, but we have found a quicker penalty, awarded to Tanzania in a World Cup qualifier against Madagascar in September 2021.As reported by the BBC, Tanzania launched it long from kick off, and Simon Msuva was brought down on the edge of the area by Madagascar keeper Melvin Adrien. The foul was committed after just four seconds, with the spot-kick given a second later. Erasto Nyoni stepped up to convert it, setting the hosts up for a 3-2 victory.Are there any faster penalties we’ve missed? Get in touch …“Marquinhos won his 40th trophy in club football when Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa in the Super Cup,” notes Paul Gage. “Has any player won more?”“The last full-time England manager to have won the English top flight as a coach was Don Revie (1974-77). Does any country have a longer drought?” asks Albert from Vienna.“Midnite are the 26-27 shirt sponsors for three Championship sides; Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Wolves,” notes Peter Skilton. “This means they will be the sponsors of at least one of the teams in 24% of Championship fixtures this season. “Is this a record, and which brand has sponsored the most different teams in a single league?”“On 11 July 2010, Maarten Stekelenburg and Gregory van der Wiel played in the World Cup final against Spain,” begins Dirk Maas. “Seventeen days later came their next match, for Ajax against PAOK in the Champions League qualifiers. Have any other European players played their next competitive game so soon after a World Cup final?“Arsenal Tivat have truly embodied the boring, boring Arsenal stereotype by starting the Montenegrin league season with three successive 0-0 draws. Has any side ever managed to start a season in a less entertaining manner than this?” asks Richard Wilson.“When watching the new Mourinho documentary on Netflix, there was some footage of old Portuguese football – I think it was Vitória Setubal or Belenenses – and the goalmouth had a weird sand triangle within the six-yard box. The triangle started at each post and ended in the middle of the six-yard box. It looked like a baseball field. I’ve never seen this before. Was it commonplace in Portugal or anywhere else?” asks Chris Ward.“Xavi Simons was named after Xavi Hernández, who will be his coach at international level after taking the Netherlands job,” notes Niall McVeigh. “Are there any other examples of footballers playing for coaches they are named after (but not related to)?”“Has a club’s player-manager ever been called up for an international cap, or travelled to play during an international break in the club season?” asks Frederick Sondheimer-Acosta.

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But he quickly clarified, "we want to be excited - that's why we love this club. I'm fully aware that we need to do it in a certain way".Carrick echoed the sentiment of the architect of United's most successful era, Sir Alex Ferguson, who in 2017 said: "I think you have a duty to entertain. We have to always remember there's a public to be entertained."'United DNA' has often been referenced when fans, ex-players and pundits have discussed the club in recent years.And after failed attempts from managers to mould the team into a slower, more measured, possession-heavy side, Carrick is aiming to create a style and system that mirrors United's traditions.Before the Red Devils kick off their Premier League season at Hull City this Saturday (12:30 BST) what have we learned from how Carrick has approached pre-season tactically?Breakouts & wildcards - 13 surprise stars for new seasonIn build-up play, United have looked to play short.Former manager Ruben Amorim's solution to the increase in man-to-man pressure across the Premier League was to encourage goalkeeper Senne Lammens to play long. This was to avoid the risk associated with short passing - something he tried to mixed results early in his tenure.Carrick has instead looked to revert United's mindset here, asking them to take that risk again.The shape his team have used from goal-kicks has been a 4-2-4 with Lammens between the two central defenders. The front four play in a very fluid manner with the four defenders and two central midfielders taking up more consistent positions behind them.Overall, building out from the back has been a promising part of United's game in pre-season and where we have most clearly seen some of the principles Carrick has tried to instil in his squad.Going back to Amorim's United once more, when they did play out from the back, they would execute pre-planned passing routines.Carrick's United instead look to escape pressure through trios of players passing the ball between each other in a less choreographed manner.Pre-season coaching has reinforced the players' understanding around supporting team-mates to create clusters of threes.Which three players converge differs throughout the game and the players are given a level of personal responsibility to interpret the match during it.Once United have broken the opposition's initial pressure in the described manner, they often find themselves in open space with pacy attackers ahead of them ready to attack in a more direct fashion.The signings of technical, deep-lying midfielders aid these overarching concepts.Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount in particular have combined well to help United get up the pitch. This style of play suits the strengths of Kobbie Mainoo too, who returned to action with a cameo in Saturday's 4-2 defeat by AC Milan.Previous imageNext imageSlide 1 of 3, Screen grab showing Manchester United's passing combinations in build-up against AC Milan in pre-season., In pre-season, United have played good combinations in threes - making use of third-man runs. Here we see a vertical pass into Bruno Fernandes dropping deep, something central midfielder Youri Tielemans notices.End of image galleryThe increased responsibility players have to interpret the game has benefits and trade-offs as with all tactical approaches.Against Milan, we saw the introduction of arguably United's best player last season, Bruno Fernandes. Alongside Tielemans and Santos, the midfield trio struggled to build up and create a solid platform upon which United could dominate the ball.The natural instincts of these players in the conditions of the game resulted in a United side that looked to play forward too often and too early - resulting in turnovers and a lack of control.Carrick wants United to maximise the quality of their fast attackers by playing more vertically - pleased when his side transition from their half into the opponent's with as few passes as necessary, while also hoping United do not lose the ball carelessly.Out of possession, United have looked to press high. Starting in a 4-2-4 formation again, players hold their positions before springing to press certain opponents when the moment is right.We have established that Carrick is keen to embrace United's front-footed DNA, looking to be proactive in their set-up this season rather than giving the opponent too much respect by sitting deep. Their defensive tactics feed into this.The 4-2-4 leaves four attackers high and narrow. This is for a number of reasons. First, defending in this way blocks the centre of the pitch making it difficult for opponents to find players through the middle. Generally coaches, including Carrick, are more willing to concede possession in wide areas, considering the middle of the pitch more dangerous.Secondly, the front four are positioned with United's counter-attack in mind. If United are able to win the ball back, they can quickly find four attackers closer to goal against fewer defenders. Their press becomes a method of chance creation.This paid dividends in the 1-1 draw against Paris St-Germain, resulting in their equaliser. After winning the ball, United found themselves four against four in PSG's final third, before Bryan Mbeumo scored.Previous imageNext imageSlide 1 of 3, Screen grab showing Manchester United's press in the build up to their equaliser against PSG in pre-season., Manchester United began in a zonal 4-2-4 shape against PSGEnd of image galleryAC Milan's win against United, however, may have provided clues as to how teams might counteract Carrick's defensive set-up - notably with the use of a 5-2-3 formation.United's two central attackers would look to block passes into Milan's midfield two before pressing the defenders.Milan's wing-backs would drop very deep, making it easy for the central defenders to find them around United's narrow front four.This required United's full-back to cover a large distance to close down the wing-back on the ball. By the time pressure was applied, the ball had already been moved on.With how fast the tactical landscape changes in the Premier League, Carrick will have to be nimble in how his side defends against such solutions.Looking at both the tactics Carrick has used in pre-season and the signings United have made, the story of the season will likely revolve around the difficult task of moving away from relying solely on the counter-attack, something they used so effectively towards the end of last season.After starting brightly, Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stumbled when they looked to bridge that same gap in the hopes of remaining direct and dangerous when needed, while also controlling games for longer periods.

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1 CommentsIt did not take long for Kieffer Moore to underline once again his importance to Wrexham's hopes of success.Less than three minutes into the new Championship campaign, the Wales forward was wheeling away to celebrate his first goal of 2026-27.Even after Rubin Colwill's punishing Cardiff City equaliser denied Wrexham the Welsh derby bragging rights in the last moments of Monday's game, it was hard to shift the smile of a striker who knows the importance of a fast start in front of goal.Moore's early goal had left former Wales international Nathan Blake purring on punditry duty and manager Phil Parkinson praising his "brilliant" leading of the line.So far, so good – and similar to the impact from a key role last term.But for Moore, the key now will be to stay the distance.The 34-year-old has revealed he has taken extra precautions in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the fitness issues that affected his first year at the Racecourse."The injuries took their toll where I couldn't perform how I wanted to. It took the momentum away," Moore says."I want to do the exactly the same as last season and start well, but this time get rid of those injuries and hopefully I can just carry that form the whole way through."Last-gasp Cardiff salvage dramatic Wrexham drawParkinson's double frustration as Wrexham deniedAs well as being a physical outlet and platform for Wrexham's attacks, Moore notched up 12 goals by 26 December as Parkinson's side showed they could hold hopes of a push for the Premier League.But as injuries crept in – including a hamstring problem - things became a little more stop-start.Moore managed only one more goal before the bid for promotion ended on the final game of the season in a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough.Injury also meant Moore missed Wales' World Cup play-offs, with the 54-cap international saying "it hurt" watching on as Bosnia-Herzegovina denied Craig Bellamy's side on penalties.But instead of stewing during a summer as others took to football's biggest stage, Moore has been hard at work to avoid a repeat of the disappointment felt for both club and country."I've taken extra measures to see if I can look after myself and get myself in the best possible fitness to last the season," he explained."I've bought some extra recovery stuff, some things I've invested in to hopefully give me that extra 1% that's needed to fill a gruelling Championship season."Moore shied away from revealing the exact details of his new regime, although he was pictured being put through his paces in private off-season sessions - and says his young son has ensured he has been kept on his toes."I had some rest as well which is needed, but I've made sure I got myself in a great position," he explained.Parkinson will no doubt welcome that news, especially given Moore again looks like being his go-to man up top.Before his first prolonged absence from the side last winter, Moore had played more minutes than any other out-and-out striker in the Championship.And against Cardiff, his ability in the air (no player won more duels) plus a superb finish to start the season suggested he could be a key asset once more, even with Wrexham tipped to spend again before the transfer window closes.Parkinson has acknowledged a side who dropped 24 points from winning positions need to show a more ruthless edge, though he was quick to point out that last season's top scorer, Josh Windass, is due to return to action soon after injury.With no fresh faces expected before Saturday's visit of Watford (15:00 BST), Parkinson said: "Like any manager, everybody's looking for that bit extra - but I feel we have a lot in the building to take those moments."An injury-free Moore might well prove Parkinson right.Latest Wrexham news, analysis and fan viewsListen to the latest Wrexham interviews, news and discussion on BBC Sounds

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The rules are simple. Each day, there's a new footballer - and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.After each wrong guess, you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.So take part and return for more tomorrow.Today's player and clues set by BBC Sport's Joe Rindl.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Get in touchSend us your quiz ideasContact formContact formRelated topicsFootballPremier LeaguePlay more quizzesAll our Premier League Who Am I? quizzes in one placeAll our Five in Five football quizzes in one placeCan you name the players with most Premier League appearances?Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?Can you name every team to have played in the WSL?