It hasn't been the best of seasons for the Manchester United faithful, but the victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals has given the Red Devils a real chance of lifting a major trophy for the second year running.

It wasn't a vintage performance from Erik ten Hag's side, but the drive and desire to get one over their biggest rivals was obvious, and it serves as encouragement that this team can play better than they have for much of the campaign.

That said, there were a couple of notable players, including Alejandro Garnacho, who were genuinely impressive and are now surely undroppable for the rest of the season.

Alejandro Garnacho's performance against Liverpool

The young Argentine started the game against the Reds on Sunday afternoon, and while such an occasion might be too overwhelming for most 19-year-olds, Garnacho looked like he was thriving with the pressure, as he so often does.

The Madrid-born gem looks as if he was made for games such as the one on Sunday, and the fact he has already scored or assisted against Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds United over the last two years is a testament to that.

Minutes

120'

Assists

1

Touches

54

Key Passes

5

Long Balls(Successful)

2 (2)

Fouls Drawn

2

In his 120 minutes of action on Sunday, the 5 foot 11 winger provided one assist, took 54 touches, played five key passes, completed both of his long balls and drew two fouls.

However, while the stats can tell some of the story, they can't tell it all, and while he didn't score, the former Atlético Madrid prospect was comfortably United's most dangerous attacker, which is an opinion shared by GOAL's Richard Martin, who awarded him a 9/10 on the day, writing that he 'ran his heart out and dug deep in defence when needed.'

In all, Garnacho proved yet again that he is one of, if not the biggest, attacking threats at the club, and so long as he is fit to play, Ten Hag must select him, alongside another youngster, that is.

Kobbie Mainoo's growing importance

Kobbie Mainoo was one of the other stars of the show on Sunday afternoon and one of the few bright spots from United's season.

The 18-year-old academy gem started alongside Scott McTominay in the middle of the park, and while the Scotsman scored, the Englishman was far and away the better player.

GOAL's Martin awarded the youngster an 8/10 on the day, claiming that he was 'a class act' and that his performance was 'further proof that he can step up against the top opponents,' a trait he shares with his Argentine teammate.

In his 80 minutes of action, the "special talent", as described by football creator Liam Canning, took 57 touches, played one key pass, was successful in all four of his dribbles, won seven of his ten duels, made three interceptions and made two tackles.

Minutes

80'

Touches

57

Key Passes

1

Attempted Dribbles (Successful)

4 (4)

Duels (Won)

10 (7)

Interceptions

3

Tackles

2

However, perhaps what was most impressive about the talented teen's performance against Liverpool and in plenty of others this season, for that matter, is his ability to remain extraordinarily calm on the ball regardless of his surroundings.

This brilliant attribute was highlighted by teammate Rasmus Højlund last month, in the aftermath of United's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, when he said: "You can see his composure, he is so relaxed on the ball. So much quality on the ball."

Man Utd now already have their best midfielder since Paul Scholes

The youngster has the potential to become a Man United legend.

ByTom Lever Mar 10, 2024

Ultimately, in Mainoo and Garnacho, it looks like the Red Devils have two superstars in the making, and as such, Ten Hag must give them as much game time as he can, and they might just end the campaign with some silverware.

Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Gary Neville have urged Cristiano Ronaldo to step away from international football after Euro 2024 debacle.

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• Ronaldo told to step away from international football
• Did not score any goal in Eurp 2024
• Portugal crashed out after losing to France

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo and Portugal's journey at Euro 2024 came to an end last Friday as they lost to France in the tie-breaker and crashed out of the quarter-final. For the first time in his illustrious career, the Al-Nassr star failed to score even once in a major competition.

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  There have been speculations over the 39-year-old's future in international football and whether the European Championship in Germany was the legendary forward's last dance at the international arena. Now pundits and former players Keane, Wright and Neville have joined the bandwagon as they want the Portugal captain to take a step back from the national team.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Speaking on Stick to Football: The Overlap Special from Sky Bet, Wright first said, "Portugal should be very disappointed about that [going out of EURO 2024] simply because of how good their team is – when you look at them from defence to attack. The way he [Cristiano Ronaldo] played in EURO 2024, as great as he's been, surely Diogo Jota must be disappointed that he couldn't get on that pitch.

  "What I saw of him [Cristiano Ronaldo], he can't cut it at this level now. As good as he is, as fit as he is, as driven as he is, you can see he just can't quite get it out of his feet to get a shot in, the movement with a header, he can't get past a defender now."

  Keane then added, "He [Cristiano Ronaldo] should have a break and step back from international football, and if he's still playing at club level, then have a look at the World Cup when it comes around. We look at [Harry] Kane when Kane's quite off it, and your main goal scorers not at it, you're playing with ten men. When you're playing at the highest level, you really can't carry anybody. His [Cristiano Ronaldo] movement is still there – against France, brilliant.

  "He [Cristiano Ronaldo] can carry on playing, but just not international football. How many footballers do we know that have stopped playing international football at a younger age and obviously carried on having a club career? Part of your decision-making [when you're coming to the end of your career] is to step back to let other players learn. You could be holding people back and that's not good for the bigger picture [of the team]."

  Neville then concluded the discussion by saying, "This dynamic of unbelievable desire, self-fight, determination – all those things that you love about him [Cristiano Ronaldo] – how overbearing is it for the rest of the players and the manager and the country? There are two things – one, the player sometimes knows when to let it go, but there are some players who don't and need telling but there is an element of who tells him [Cristiano Ronaldo].

  "I don't think he's [Cristiano Ronaldo] got it in him. At the end of the day, I'm not saying that if they [Portugal] had played with Diogo Jota they would have done better at this tournament or not do better, but that overbearing nature of his presence is huge – it was at [Manchester] United at the end."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

  The former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar is currently on holiday with his family before he returns to Saudi Arabia to prepare for the 2024/25 Saudi Pro League season.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians aguarda a resposta de Renato Gaúcho para as próximas horas sobre aceitar ou não treinar o time pelos próximos anos. Embora ainda não se tenha discutido valores, alguns números já foram colocados para conhecimento do técnico, que terá de reduzir significativamente seus vencimentos se de fato topar trabalhar no clube do Parque São Jorge.

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>Ranking com valores: veja os 30 clubes mais valiosos do futebol brasileiro

Segundo apurou o LANCE!, a proposta salarial do Timão está na casa dos R$ 650 mil, o que significa pouco mais da metade do que recebia do Grêmio até abril deste ano, quando deixou o clube gaúcho. Este seria o “limite” salarial que o Alvinegro pode oferecer, mas não está descartada a possibilidade de incluir premiações e bônus para incrementar o montante para o treinador. Deve ser nesses termos que a negociação deve acontecer quando houver sinal positivo.

No entanto, não é somente isso que a oferta corintiana inclui. Baseado no que já acontecia no Grêmio, o Corinthians propõe um número de passagens mensais para que Renato possa ir ao Rio de Janeiro, onde tem residência fixa. Não é algo incomum que o clube ofereça esse tipo de “mimo”, mas nesse caso se trata de uma das principais exigências contratuais do ídolo gremista.

Além disso, o Timão oferece um “auxílio moradia” para Renato Gaúcho durante sua estadia em São Paulo, mais precisamente na Zona Leste da cidade, de modo a facilitar a ida e a volta do CT Joaquim Grava, que fica em Guarulhos. No Grêmio, durante sua última passagem de quase cinco anos, o técnico morava em um hotel em Porto Alegre, com tudo bancado pelo clube tricolor.

Diante desses números, somados ao projeto esportivo e aos seus desejos pessoais e de sua família, Renato deve responder ao Corinthians nesta quinta-feira ou, no mais tardar, na sexta. Ele sabe que é o plano A a Z do clube neste momento e não tem pressa para a resposta. A expectativa dos dirigentes corintianos é de que o “sim” possa ser dado para prosseguir com o negócio.

Leeds United had the weekend of their dreams arguably, watching Ipswich Town's late collapse away at Cardiff City knowing that their grip on second spot in the Championship would remain secure.

That was managed also due to Daniel Farke's Whites picking up a confident three points away at a resurgent Sheffield Wednesday, Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto in on the goalscoring act in the 2-0 away day win.

Gnonto continues to shine in the first-team fold for his German boss, the Italian attacker now onto six goals for the season in the second tier off the back of his strike at Hillsborough on Friday night.

Still, although Gnonto's importance to the Leeds first team continues to rise, the 20-year-old winger finds himself on a lower wage than a reserve Whites figure who has only made two appearances this campaign for Farke's promotion hopefuls in the league and four overall.

How much Karl Darlow earns at Leeds

Playing the role of back-up goalkeeper to Illan Meslier, who continues to dazzle alongside Gnonto with 17 clean sheets next to his name, Karl Darlow is on a far heftier wage than he needs to be considering his standing in the Whites set-up.

The ex-Newcastle United shot-stopper comes in at a handsome £30k-per-week, which puts him just outside the top earners at Elland Road despite his limited first-team action.

1. Georginio Rutter

£70k per week

2. Patrick Bamford

£70k per week

3. Junior Firpo

£60k per week

4. Daniel James

£50k per week

5. Pascal Struijk

£50k per week

Darlow does come in at £20k shy of the likes of Daniel James and Pascal Struijk, but with the 33-year-old keeper only making two appearances all season long for Farke's men in the Championship, the time could come soon when the need to ditch the 6 foot 3 fringe figure becomes strong.

This also puts Darlow on a wage that's £10k more than Gnonto at £20k per week, alongside earning double that of Crysencio Summerville who has been devastating down the left flank this season alongside his Italian teammate.

It's not as if the ex-Magpies man has shone when called into action this season either, the £400k signing struggling in the Leeds spotlight when he's been needed on occasion to step up and perform.

Karl Darlow's season at Leeds

Darlow was thrown into the firing line away at Preston North End earlier this season in truth, thrust into the action at Deepdale after Meslier had been red-carded.

The stand-in option would only make one save in total from his 35 minutes on the pitch as Ryan Lowe's hosts picked up a narrow 2-1 win however, Darlow unable to inspire his ten-man side to a gritty point or win.

Darlow's only other second-tier appearance of the season was equally timid against West Bromwich Albion, the Whites number 28 making just one solitary save again with the Baggies picking up a 1-0 victory.

His insecure position in the Leeds camp is made even more shaky when you consider the heroics of Kristoffer Klaesson when Farke has relied upon his third-choice shot-stopper over Darlow, the 23-year-old picking up a clean sheet against Birmingham City at the very start of 2024.

Coming in at a more reasonable £10k-per-week wage too, the Norwegian number 13 could now be viewed as the more stable back-up for the future when contrasted with the underwhelming Darlow.

The former Newcastle man's purchase did look like a bargain at the time, considering his experience of playing Premier League football, but – in the here and now – the 33-year-old's future at Elland Road could soon be up in the air especially when you look at his extortionate pay packet.

أعلن المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، هانز فليك، عن قائمة اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة بايرن ميونخ في الجولة الثالثة من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف برشلونة مساء اليوم في العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” منافسه بايرن ميونخ على ملعب “منتجويك” بقيادة الحكم السلوفيني، سلافكو فينشيتش.

وشهدت قائمة برشلونة عدم تواجد المدافع، إريك جارسيا، للإصابة، مع استدعاء للمرة الأولى قاريًا للحارس الجديد، فوتشيك تشيزني.

اقرأ أيضًا | كيميش يثير الغموض بشأن موقفه من الانتقال إلى برشلونة.. ويعترف: اللعب ضد فليك أمر غريب

¡La convocatoria para el #BarçaBayern! 👊 pic.twitter.com/DJ2IbuJWgh — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) October 23, 2024

قائمة برشلونة لمباراة بايرن ميونخ اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

حراسة المرمى: فوتشيك تشيزني، إينياكي بينيا، دييجو كوشين.

الدفاع: باو كوبارسي، أليخاندرو بالدي، إينيجو مارتينيز، جول كوندي، هيكتور فورت.

الوسط: جافي، بيدري، بابلو توري، فيرمين لوبيز، مارك كاسادو، داني أولمو، جيرارد مارتينيز، سيرجي دومينيجز، فرينكي دي يونج.

الهجوم: روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، رافينها، أنسو فاتي، باو فيكتور، لامين يامال.

Cole Palmer has broken the record for the biggest price increase in Fantasy Premier League history after his breakout season for Chelsea.

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Palmer joined Chelsea from Man CityEnjoyed breakout season at the BluesEngland man has record FPL price increaseWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer swapped Manchester City for Chelsea last summer in an initial £40 million ($52m) deal. When he made the move to Stamford Bridge, his Fantasy Premier League price was £5m, and after chalking up 244 points last season, that has now risen to £10.5m.

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Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Chelsea splashed the cash on Palmer, who had scored just six goals in 41 games for City. However, the 22-year-old was a revelation for the Blues, scoring 25 goals and bagging 15 assists in 2023-24. Now he is starring for England at the Euros as his career continues to hit new heights.

DID YOU KNOW?

Prior to Palmer's record FPL price jump, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah had the biggest increase from £9m to £13m for the 2018-19 campaign. As for the most expensive player in the game for 2024-25, that honour has been given to Erling Haaland, who is valued at a mammoth £15m.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Palmer, who came off the bench to provide the assist for Ollie Watkins as England beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the semi-final of Euro 2024, is now preparing for their Euros final against Spain in Berlin on Sunday night. As for FPL, the game is expected to reopen soon to allow virtual managers to assemble their squads ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Tottenham Hotspur will enjoy a sojourn away from competitive action this weekend with their Premier League opponents, Chelsea, attending to obligations in the Carabao Cup final.

It's a double-edged sword. Influential full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie both missed out last weekend as Ange Postecoglou's side slumped to defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and with both stars likely to have missed out this weekend, a break isn't a bad thing.

That said, Spurs need fluency after fluctuating in results and performance, last securing successive victories in the league before Christmas Day, and after Manchester United's shock Old Trafford loss against Fulham, fifth-placed Tottenham could now create some breathing space.

Securing top four is the incentive but Postecoglou's project is definitely moving in the right direction, with some exciting improvements to the first team and some incredible development within the academy ranks.

Tottenham's development squad have so many talented youngsters pushing for prominence, and while the likes of Jamie Donley perch at the top, Tyrese Hall might just be the club's most precocious starlet.

Tyrese Hall could be a bigger talent than Jamie Donley

Hall might only be young but he has been riding the crest of a wave recently as he continues to sparkle brightest among many high-quality peers, having joined the club from London rivals Chelsea during his formative years.

Stepping up to thrive at U18 level across the 2021/22 campaign – while still a schoolboy – Hall is clearly destined for the top level and now he must just ply his trade industriously to continue the growth that has whipped relevant circles into a frenzied buzz.

This season, the 18-year-old has scored six goals and supplied five assists in all competitions, principally in the U18 Premier League but recently being promoted to the Premier League 2 and supplying two assists on his debut.

While Jamie Donley is the creme-de-la-creme of Wayne Burnett's development squad right now, having posted six goals and 12 assists from 17 matches this season, the 19-year-old might just find himself leapfrogged if Hall continues in his ascendancy.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Hall has received a glowing endorsement from Tottenham insider Superhotspur, who outlined his best attributes, writing that he is 'a player with great ability on the ball' and that he is 'capable of creating chances out of very little, and he with his consistently impressive weight and vision for a pass, he is also capable of making those all important forward passes.'

Such qualities spring a certain Phil Foden to mind; just imagine, for one moment, if Spurs have such a player on their hands.

Phil Foden's season in numbers

Manchester City are not quite firing on cylinders after winning the treble last season, but the Etihad side are still the best team on the continent and are competing for the biggest honours, with Foden's elite contributions among the most important.

With Kevin De Bruyne sat on the sidelines for large portions of the campaign, the 23-year-old has proved his worth and then some, unceasingly productive.

Moreover, to illustrate this point, the mesmeric England international ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 7% for assists, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 8% for passes attempted and the top 20% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

More succinctly: he is a world-class player. Praised for his "immense" quality by The Times' Henry Winter, Foden continues to thrive at the heart of one of the finest football teams across Europe in a generation, a dynamic dancer through the lanes, balletic in his gait and deadly in the final third.

Hall, while naturally a more defensive-heavy midfielder, has a similarly prodigious sheen to his play and he might just find himself earning comparisons as he continues to rise to the fore.

Manchester City eyeing Hall

On the topic of Man City, Guardiola's side have been reported to be big admirers of Hall by Football Transfers, who have revealed that scouts had been dispatched earlier in February to observe him in action.

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The Barnet-born teenager's seamless transition through the levels has suggested that he is of a standard that would not be out of place at the nest of City's system, and while a move might be forthcoming, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy must be steadfast in repelling the advances.

Spurs are currently at the Premier League 2's summit and are creating a mouth-watering youth fold of immense ability, and while Hall would – and should – be confident in his ability to follow the likes of Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis (and Foden) in Greater Manchester, opting to remain in London might prove to be the more prudent route in the end.

Hall's composed finish against the young Citizens – a clutch of players that the Manchester City powers-that-be wish for him to join – was sadly not enough to prevent a cup exit as the adversaries turned the game on its head.

But it's just another example of his stunning potential, and while Hall is safely ensconced in his fledgling phase as a U18 star (he need not worry about a promotion to the senior squad at this stage), there is no question that the teenager is among the finest midfielders of his age bracket and the vested interest of Manchester City can attest to that.

Spurs must fight fiercely to retain Hall's services, guiding the flickering flame of his development and ensuring that he is clad in Tottenham white when, if all goes to plan, he breaks into the senior set-up and catches the eye.

South Australia pacer takes 13 wickets in the match but Larkins 91 leaves them with mountain to climb

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2019

A handsome 13-wicket match haul for South Australia’s dependable spearhead Chadd Sayers still left them facing a steep fourth innings chase ahead of the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.Figures of 5 for 67 gave Sayers 13 for 131 for the match, the best analysis since Jason Behrendorff’s 14 for 89 for Western Australia against Victoria in 2017, and the best at Adelaide Oval or for SA since Paul Rofe scooped 13 for 112, also against New South Wales (NSW), in 2002.However another sturdy NSW innings, this time anchored by Nick Larkin’s 91, meant that the hosts were presented with a chase near enough to 300. At no stage were South Australia able to claim a rapid sequence of wickets, which might have reduced their target to somewhere less than 250.Left with three overs to survive to the close, South Australia lost Jake Weatherald lbw for the second time in the match, this time to Josh Hazlewood, with the nightwatchman Nick Winter accompanying Henry Hunt to the close.

Nottingham Forest have endured an up-and-down spell under boss Nuno Espírito Santo, with the Reds still right in the middle of a relegation battle.

The former Wolves boss took over from Steve Cooper on 20th December last year, with Nuno making an instant impact, winning two of his first three Premier League games with victories against Newcastle United and Manchester United.

Those two victories were undoubtedly the peak of his time in charge so far, with the Reds' form dropping as they entered 2024.

Forest have only won one league game so far this calendar year, which came in the 2-0 home win against West Ham United back in February, with the Reds suffering back-to-back defeats since.

Nuno will be wanting a response to the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool last weekend as they travel to face Brighton this afternoon, with the Reds head coach needing to unleash one member of the Forest squad.

Why Ryan Yates should be dropped to face Brighton

Midfielder Ryan Yates came through the Forest academy, with the 26-year-old being a consistent part of the Reds' squad so far this campaign.

He took the armband for the game against Jürgen Klopp's side last weekend and brought a needed physical presence to the midfield. However, his clumsy playstyle saw him commit four fouls during the 90 minutes, with Yates often overstepping the line with his tenacious attitude.

Yates failed to win a single tackle against Liverpool and was poor in possession, completing just 20 passes at a success rate of only 69%.

He's a solid player to have in games against sides who like to control possession, but with the return of one Forest player, he should make way and take his place on the substitutes' bench.

The man to replace Yates this afternoon

Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare joined the Reds in a £35m move from PSV last summer. His time at the City Ground has been a stop-start one, with Sangare having a good start, but his progress was halted with the Ivorian joining up with his nation for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

His last game for Nuno's side came in the away victory at Newcastle on Boxing Day, with the 26-year-old given extended time off after the Elephants' triumph last month. He's yet to feature since his return, with his ball-winning abilities potentially the difference in what could be yet another tough away trip for the Reds.

Despite his up-and-down start to life with the Reds, Sangare has shown glimpses of what he's capable of out of possession, with the midfielder brilliant at regaining possession, as demonstrated by his tally of 3.5 tackles per 90 – ranking him within the top 4% of midfielders in Europe this season.

The "unstoppable" midfielder, as dubbed by Dutch journalist Roger Schmidt, cost the Reds a lot of money in the summer, with the Forest fanbase yet to see the best of the former Toulouse man, with the trip to Brighton a great opportunity to kickstart his career on Trentside.

Despite New Zealand’s disappointment, there is no animosity between them and England ahead of first Test

George Dobell in Mount Maunganui19-Nov-2019

Kane Williamson feels that deciding the result of the World Cup final on boundary countback was “not really cricket”.New Zealand and England could not be separated after a Super Over ended in a tie, but England were awarded the game – and the World Cup trophy – on the basis of a boundary countback. They had hit 26 boundaries to New Zealand’s 17.While Williamson, the New Zealand captain, accepts “those rules were already in place” before the tournament started, he admits losing in such fashion was “hard to take”.He has also suggested the full implications of using boundary countback as an eliminator may not have been adequately considered. As a result, he says it is no real surprise that the ICC has decided to abolish the method. In future, Super Overs will be repeated until one team has more runs than the other.”I genuinely think that no-one ever thought that was going to happen and it did,” Williamson said from Mount Maunganui. “At times, you think about how some of those decisions are made; probably sitting in a room a little like this and throwing a few ideas around. That’s all I can imagine. And then for it to actually happen is a pretty scary thing.”I guess it highlighted something and it will probably never happen again. It’s not really cricket and I think both teams appreciated that. It was hard to take. But at the same time those rules were already in place.”It was a fantastic game to be a part of and a really competitive match. I think everyone has played hundreds of games of cricket and never had one decided quite like that. It is what it is and they were the rules at the time. What you sign up for. But, yeah, it’s no surprise that it’s changed.”Despite the disappointment, it is clear there is no animosity between the New Zealand and England teams. Williamson and the England Test captain, Joe Root, forged a mutually respectful relationship while playing together for Yorkshire, while England’s limited-overs captain, Eoin Morgan, has never made any secret of his admiration for the way in which Brendon McCullum’s side played their cricket. Morgan’s World Cup-winning side was, by and large, built on a template McCullum’s side showcased when reaching the 2015 World Cup final.”Culturally, socially, there are a lot of similarities between the Kiwis and the English,” Williamson said. “If you go back to people who go to uni and do their two-year visa over there, it’s a common thing. People travel and spend a lot of time with the English. A number of guys have played county and franchise cricket. A few friendships have been built through that.”When Joe was around at Yorkshire, we would chew the fat and discuss cricket. I’d ask ‘How do I become as good as you, Joe?’ and try to pick his brains. I loved my time over in county cricket. The social part and the environment is similar. It’s a brilliant place to learn your game.”At the same time, they are really competitive matches and the guys enjoy playing against England.”