Du Plessis made 91 before retiring out while Milne’s five-wicket haul skittled Orcas for 137 in chase of 189

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2025Texas Super Kings produced a dominant all-round performance to crush Seattle Orcas by 51 runs and finish, for now, at the top of the table. With 14 points, Super Kings have a superior net run-rate than San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom, who are placed second and third respectively but have a game to play in the group stage.After being put in to bat, Super Kings were powered by a sensational 91 off 52 balls from captain Faf du Plessis, who retired out in the penultimate over of the innings. His innings included six fours and four sixes. Du Plessis was well supported by Shubham Ranjane, who smashed 65 off 38 balls as the pair stitched together a 131-run stand off just 71 balls that laid the foundation for Super Kings’ imposing total of 188 for 4.Orcas’ bowlers had no answers once du Plessis and Ranjane got going, struggling to contain the run flow or break the partnership. Orcas did manage to take a couple of late wickets, but the damage was already done.In the chase, Adam Milne led the charge with the ball, producing a spell that tore through Orcas’ top and middle order. The fast bowler finished with 5 for 20, including a three-wicket 18th over.Orcas made a sluggish start and were always behind the game after racing to 42 for 2 in the powerplay. Kyle Mayers top-scored with 35. But David Warner struggled to find any rhythm, while Shayan Jahangir fell for a duck. Shimron Hetmyer showed some intent, but with the required rate climbing rapidly and little support from the other end, the odds were heavily against him. His solo effort of a quick-fire 26 couldn’t rescue the innings in their must-win clash. By the time Sikandar Raza walked in, the game had already slipped away with Orcas needing 98 runs off 47 balls. His impact came far too late.Only three batters managed to pass 20 as Orcas were bundled out for 137 in 18.4 overs.With a seventh loss in ten games, Orcas slipped to fifth with six points. Super Kings have to wait till tomorrow to see if they can hold on to the top-two position.

Long-term finger injury forces keeper-batter to quit the sport with immediate effect

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2025Harry Swindells, the Player of the Match in Leicestershire’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final victory in 2023, has been forced to retire with immediate effect following medical advice on a finger injury.Swindells, 26, sustained the injury while keeping wicket during the 2024 campaign, but after numerous examinations and treatments to rectify the injury, he has been advised to end his playing career after eight seasons as a professional.He graduated from Leicestershire’s Academy system in 2017, and made 102 appearances, scoring 2,717 runs across formats in the years that followed.His finest hour came against Hampshire at Trent Bridge in 2023, where Swindells made an unbeaten 117 from No.8, to rescue his team from 89 for 6, and set them on course for a thrilling two-run victory. The triumph ended the club’s 38-year wait between List A trophies.”I’ve been immensely proud to represent the club I’ve loved since I was five years old over the past eight seasons,” Swindells said. “I’ve achieved my dreams, played with and against some incredibly talented people, and made lifelong friends along the way.”As a Leicester lad, I know what it meant to wear the shirt. I tried to give my best in every game, and I hope I did the badge proud. It’s obviously been a tough period, but I’d like to thank Leicestershire CCC and the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) for their support and advice throughout.”Finally, I want to thank the Foxes fans for their unwavering support across my career. I’ve always felt their love, and hearing them sing ‘Harry Swindells, he’s one of our own’ was always an amazing feeling. Their passion that day at Trent Bridge was truly unforgettable, a shared memory I will treasure forever.”

Lord’s-based team will stick with Spirit name but new branding expected for 2026 season

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2025The Lord’s-based Hundred franchise will continue to be known as London Spirit following the sale of a 49% stake to the Silicon Valley consortium known as the “Tech Titans”, with former England performance director Mo Bobat announced as the incoming director of cricket.MCC has been in discussions with its new equity partner for some time and is expected to unveil new team branding – possibly including the club’s famous egg-and-bacon colours – ahead of the 2026 season. But they have opted to keep the name as part of an identity that reflects “the capital’s energy, diversity, and cricketing heritage”.Bobat’s appointment is the first significant move by any of the Hundred teams after six of the eight equity sale deals were signed off by the ECB last month. Bobat, who will retain his role in the IPL as Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s director of cricket, is set to join up with Spirit from October.Related

• Andy Flower replaces Justin Langer as London Spirit head coach

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• Warner, Spirit take spoils despite Bairstow fire

“It’s an honour to join London Spirit at such an exciting time,” Bobat said. “The opportunity to shape the cricketing future of this franchise, working with MCC and our new partners, the Tech Titans, is incredibly exciting. I’m looking forward to building something special – on and off the field.”London Spirit chairman, Julian Metherell, said: “Today marks a significant moment for London Spirit. Mo Bobat brings unmatched expertise and vision to the role of Director of Cricket, and we’re thrilled to welcome him. At the same time, retaining the London Spirit name reflects our belief in the identity that’s been built – one that resonates with the capital, our fans, and our values. We now look ahead to a new era, with fresh energy and clear purpose.”London Spirit men, currently coached by Justin Langer, lost their opening game of the 2025 season after being bowled out for 80 in front of their new owners – but bounced back to record victory against Welsh Fire at the weekend.

Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the squad

Danyal Rasool17-Aug-2025Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the side.Salman Agha will lead the 17-member squad, which will also participate in the tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In PSL 2025, he scored 288 runs in ten innings for Peshawar Zalmi. It included knocks of 56*, 53* and 94 but his overall strike rate was 128.57. He was part of the recent ODI series against West Indies where he had scores of 47, 0 and 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rizwan, like Babar, has not been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I squads for the home and subsequent away series against Bangladesh, followed by the T20Is in the West Indies. He made 53 in the opening game of the ODI series against West Indies, followed by scores of 16 and 0.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar had been challenged with improving his T20 game. I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form on three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”Shaheen Afridi, who had also found himself out of favour in T20 cricket of late, retained his place for the tri-series and the Asia Cup, though Naseem Shah missed out once again. Naseem is currently in action in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Salman Mirza, who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with eight against Bangladesh in the away T20I series, was included in the side. Ahmed Daniyal, who also impressed briefly, though was not part of the squad. Both specialist wristspinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, kept their place.The squad is something of an amalgamation of the sides that have played T20I cricket under Hesson in the three T20I series over the summer. The recent ODI series – which Pakistan lost 2-1 in the Caribbean – appears not to have influenced decision making either way. Hesson said he intended to stick to the aggressive top-heavy approach he has championed in the format, and repeated that Pakistan’s game was suited to such a style.”We were challenged with three different surfaces [in each of the three series]” Hesson said. “In Lahore, the surfaces were flat and the batting excelled. We went to Bangladesh where they were incredibly challenging and low-scoring games. Our top order sets the game up. All the games we won the top order performed really well. The third game in the West Indies, our openers put on 140 [138]. We need that at a run rate that gets us ahead of the game. T20 is all about setting the game up and being ahead of the game all the time in case you get yourself out. From a batting point of view we’ve got a line-up that can continue to do that.”The tri-series in the UAE between the hosts, Afghanistan and Pakistan will serve as a warm-up to the T20 Asia Cup, which will begin on September 9. Pakistan have never won the T20 version of that tournament; they reached the final when it was last played in 2022.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

Bangladesh will hope to create an upset after beating Sri Lanka in their first Super Four game

Sidharth Monga23-Sep-20254:47

Chopra: India lives in Bangladesh’s head rent free

Big picture: Can Bangladesh challenge India?

Even though they haven’t been close games, the tension during the two India-Pakistan matches has made players do and say things they otherwise wouldn’t. One of them is based on facts but lacks professional humility. After beating Pakistan once again, India captain Suryakumar Yadav invoked a dominant head-to-head in recent years in order to call for an end to the term “rivalry” for these contests.There is good reason to believe Suryakumar, or any India captain, would not have said what can be interpreted as arrogant had it not been Pakistan and the current relations between the two countries. For where is a rivalry for India in recent times? Since the start of 2024, India have won 32 and lost three matches of T20I cricket.The sheer talent, now coupled with the appropriate intent, has turned India into perhaps the most formidable T20I side ever assembled. Add to it the slowness of the Dubai pitches, and India are able to experiment with just one frontline quick and getting him to bowl three overs in the powerplay.Related

• Jasprit Bumrah doing 'exceptionally tough job' at Asia Cup

• Bangladesh ready to 'ride the hype' in high-stakes India clash

• Fizz at the finish: Mustafizur Rahman is on a roll, but can he keep India quiet?

• Bangladesh solve the middle-overs riddle

• Suryakumar: India vs Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore

Those who market the sport will not be too thrilled at such numbers because the biggest draw in sport is the possibility. If there is any consolation, though, one of the three defeats India have suffered in these two years has come against Zimbabwe.Bangladesh will go in believing they can cause an upset. They have just done that to the leaders of their group in the first round, Sri Lanka. They did so using the slowness of the conditions with Mahedi Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman combining for figures of 8-0-45-5. The reward is massive. If they can somehow beat India, Bangladesh will be a good shout to enter the final. Can they do the unthinkable, beat India for the first time since 2019, repair their 16-1 head to head, and somehow initiate a rivalry?

Form guide

India WWWWW (last five T20Is, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLWW

In the spotlight: Sanju Samson and Mustafizur Rahman

Another experiment that India are able to work on is Sanju Samson in the middle order. Clearly, the team management seems to have decided that Samson is too good a player to be sitting out, so they are trying to create a place for him in the side now that the top order is packed with Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar and Tilak Varma. The one innings he has played there is no sample size to draw any conclusions, but there were signs he wasn’t quite at home when starting against an older ball. So eyes will be on him whenever he gets a chance to bat.4:20

Chopra: India need to give Samson a long rope

One of the challenges for Samson and the rest of the middle order will be the canny bowling of Mustafizur Rahman, who becomes double dangerous on slower pitches. He showed that against Sri Lanka with figures of 4-0-20-3. An encore could give Bangladesh a strong chance against India.

Team news: No changes expected for India

In the first round, India experimented with their combination only once their progress to the Super Four was confirmed. So don’t expect any changes to their first-choice XI, which they returned to against Pakistan.India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun ChakravarthyCaptain Litton Das complained of a back strain during training two days before the match, but he should be okay to play. The one change Bangladesh are pondering is Tanzim Hasan for Shoriful Islam, who travelled for 49 runs against Sri Lanka.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Saif Hassan, 2 Tanzid Hasan, 3 Litton Das (capt. & wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Mahedi Hasan, 8 Nasum Ahmed, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Tanzim Hasan, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

As expected, the pitches have been slow, making it difficult to score quickly in the middle overs. Expect more of the same in the extreme heat of Dubai.

Stats and trivia

• With the wicket of Fakhar Zaman, Hardik Pandya went past Yuzvendra Chahal to become India’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, now only three behind Arshdeep Singh’s 100.
• Mustafizur is tied with Shakib Al Hasan as the most prolific wicket-taker for Bangladesh. When he does go past Shakib, he will become only the fourth bowler in T20Is to reach 150 wickets.

Leeds United could be taken over very soon.

Rumours of QSI and James Pallotta have circulated for a long time, but Phil Hay stated earlier this month that the San Franciso 49ers may also have an interest in purchasing a controlling stake in the club.

The journalist said that the NFL franchise owners have the right sporting expertise to come in and do a good job, and of course, that leads to a number of questions about what their pedigree actually is.

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The 49ers are historically an incredibly strong NFL side, winning five Super Bowls, but it’s been 26 years since their last triumph.

The San Francisco outfit have been going through a few years of transition after the opening of Levi’s Stadium.

As you can imagine, opening a new ground of that size and grandeur was a bit of a financial drain on the team, but they’ve managed to come through that period and they’re now back at the big time as they’re due to play in the Super Bowl after winning their conference final.

So how does this affect Leeds?

Well, NFL owners buying an English football team is nothing new, but often when it happens we see similar strategies implemented at the club’s they purchase.

Whether it’s Stan Kroenke trying to make a personal financial gain from Arsenal and the LA Rams (STL Today, via Daily Cannon) or the Glazer family running up debts with Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Take for example, the Khan’s at Fulham. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ use of analytics and stats when recruiting players is widely known, and the Khan’s attempted to use the same model at Fulham to very little success as they’ve wasted millions of pounds on players before inevitably being relegated from the Premier League.

Fortunately, the 49ers sporting business sense seems to be spot on. John Lynch was named as 2019’s NFL executive of the year for the work he did in American Football’s equivalent of the transfer market.

It’s paid off on the field as well as the 49ers have a real chance of lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy at the end of the season.

Add onto that the fact that their net worth is around $3.5bn (£2.7bn), and it’s seemingly a recipe for success.

Guiding an NFL team to a Super Bowl and a football team to the Premier League may seem like two very different tasks, but a lot of the same attributes are needed on the business side of things to be a success.

The 49ers’ recent triumphs may have just proven that the owners in San Francisco are the right men to take the Elland Road outfit forward.

In other news, Danny Pugh has been discussing what a takeover could mean for Leeds United.

Everton face Liverpool today looking for their first win over their rivals in five years.

Roberto Martinez’s side go into the derby on good form, having won their last game, coming from behind to beat West Brom. They’ve also taken scalps from Chelsea and Southampton in great style over the last few months, and things are looking up from last season. With no Europa League to contend with, and the good form of key players like Lukaku, Barkley and Stones, Everton are a form team in the League just now and will feel they have the chance to indulge against their Merseyside rivals today.

Stones, however, doesn’t make the squad today, and Funes Mori gets his first taste of the Merseyside derby’s rough and tumble alongside Jagielka in the heart of the defence. Even more worrying for Everton is the fact that Coleman doesn’t make the lineup either. With both Coleman and Baines missing, two youngsters, Galloway and Browning, make the starting XI. Everton will be facing Coutinho, Ings and Sturridge without three of their starting back four.

Everton v Liverpool – Live

Liverpool, meanwhile, are under huge pressure. Brendan Rodgers is a target in the crosshairs of the press who think he’s ripe for the chop, and the poor form coupled with the money he’s spent make him vulnerable.

Rodgers sticks with three at the back today, but Liverpool fans will probably rejoice at the fact that Lovren is injured. They’ll be doubly rejoicing at the return of Daniel Sturridge, who played last week, but wasn’t fit enough to be included in Roy Hodgson’s England squad. They also have a solid midfield pairing of Lucas Leiva and James Milner who will, theoretically, shore up the team and stop the dangerous Everton front four from ripping Liverpool up on the counter attack.

Here are the lineups:

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After experiencing a rather fragmented start to the 2015/16 campaign, now that Brendan Rodgers has finally been ousted at Anfield in favour of the charismatic figure of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool Football Club seemingly have a great deal of re-building to carry out this term.

Although Klopp may not see fit to rid Merseyside of all the rather pointless additions his ill-fated predecessor brought to the club, the Reds will surely have to endure another busy transfer window this January in order to restore some undoubted quality back among the core of their starting XI.

The current season has seen a whole host of different names linked to Anfield, many of whom are likely to entice Liverpool fans ahead of what could be a very exciting period in their club’s upcoming history. However, although he certainly grabbed a few significant headlines whilst representing AC Milan in Serie A not so long ago, the potential signing of Alexandre Pato may not necessarily achieve quite the same effect…

As the Reds have certainly witnessed their fair share of transfer flops under the past succession of different managers at their club, would Pato really represent a bright move for Liverpool this winter, or should Jurgen Klopp ultimately look elsewhere to ensure a better deal for his new side?

Well, although this particular transfer story may seem somewhat like a non-starter on the surface, there could in-fact be something truly meaningful behind the Reds’ reported interest in the former Brazilian international. Pato remains just 26-years-old and he was once considered one of the standout strikers of his generation, so and if there’s still life in the current Sao Paulo man as we speak right in the here and now, Liverpool could potentially be on the end of a very shrewd move.

This is Jurgen Klopp we are talking about in charge of Liverpool nowadays of course, rather than the often lost looking figure of Brendan Rodgers in the Anfield dug-out. The former BVB manager is notorious for getting the very best out of his respective squad, especially among the flair players at his disposal. With a fit and firing Pato on board in 2015/16, Liverpool could well find themselves in much better shape indeed.

As the situation currently stands on Merseyside, the Reds somehow still look distinctly unable to score goals when they really need to. Christian Benteke remains a solid asset for Klopp, however, but he isn’t always fit to lead the front-line at Anfield. Danny Ings is another name to be struck with some frustrating injury woes this term and as for the now forgettable figure of Daniel Sturridge at Liverpool – well, the extent of his bizarre injury concerns seem to be growing more and more worrying by the week for the Anfield faithful.

Whilst Divock Origi also potentially represents a striker who could well impress under Jurgen Klopp one day, the up and coming Belgium international simply needs work at this stage in the proceedings.

Alexandre Pato could therefore embody a very smart move for Liverpool this winter, just as long as the club don’t spend way over the odds on the striker, as they have done with many previous transfer targets in the past. Lord knows when the South American front-man has performed to the very best of his ability very few top class strikers have come close to replicating his overall impact out on the pitch.

The 26-year-old star can prove a player every genuine football fan would honestly pay to watch. His level of technical ability inside the final third often works wonders for his team and the confidence displayed by Pato in one-on-one situations has been truly admirable to say the very least – so if the Brazilian striker somehow manages to rediscover his best form among the English top-flight this January, Liverpool fans could subsequently find themselves smiling rather heavily as a result.

That said, we all know that Pato isn’t exactly the most reliable and consistent asset in the modern era. He fell dramatically off the boil with AC Milan just a few short seasons ago, and as the Premier League will likely provide many more physical tests than any Serie A had to offer. Some sincere work on the training pitch must be carried out by the striker if he is to ever become a success in England.

As this deal could well represent a relatively low risk one for the Reds, however, Jurgen Klopp may as well cast his eye over the former Brazil international as he looks to improve the current options available to him at Liverpool across the January transfer window.

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It’s been a strange week if you’re a Villa fan. A manager sacked over a week ago, and only now hasÂa replacement actually beenÂnamed.

Yet the name of the man who will replace Tim Sherwood in the Villa dugout has been known the whole time. The problem, apparently, was the refusal of Monsieur Remi Garde’s former employers, Lyon, to release two of their current coaching staff, freeing them to join Villa and team up with Remi Garde again.

Fair enough, really. Who wants to lose their coaches in the middle of the season?

Now the question must be whether or not Remi Garde is actually the right man for the job. And given the situation Villa are in, maybe that’s not a silly question. After all, no wins since the opening day and some very poor performances, not to mention questionable tactical decisions.

Not everyone thinks Garde is the right man, though. Stan Collymore doesn’t. He thinks David Moyes should be brought in instead. Fair enough too. He’s entitled to an opinion.

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But very few people seem to be saying that Garde is the wrong man for Villa, or at least, very few seem to be saying that with an argument any more sophisticated than ‘he’s never managed under the scrutiny and pressure of the Premier League before.’

Well, no. He hasn’t. But it’s an odd argument.

Had Villa brought him into the club in June I don’t think the same argument would have been made.

After all, the club weren’t in the midst of a relegation battle back then, there was no need for fear and pessimism. So I’m not really sure why it’s needed now.

Remember that there are only ten games of the season gone. Tonight will be the Villains’ 11th game of the season. That means they still have 27 games left to save themselves. They have a lot of time left to sort it out, and a new manager with the right ideas should be able to do it.

Villa are four points from safety right now. Do Villa fans really think that their team isn’t good enough to finish the season four points above Bournemouth or five points above Norwich, for example? Because, frankly, if they aren’t good enough to do that then I’m not sure even Pep Guardiola can help.

Villa are much better than that. And in Remi Garde they’ll be getting a man who has worked under perhaps even more serious pressure than he’ll face at Villa. During his time at Lyon he had to sell his best players to make ends meet as the club were in dire financial straits following the 2008 financial meltdown.

Surely that’s a lot tougher than having 27 games to save a club that really and seriously shouldn’t be getting relegated anyway. He’ll have 27 games to make sure that a team that made it to the FA Cup final last season can gain four more points than at least three other teams in the league. Of course the situation facing Villa is serious, but it’s not critical just yet.

Others think Garde will be a good appointment, and like former Villa manager Paul Lambert, they think Garde will be a good appointment because he can get a grip on the French players already at the club, and help them to bed in.

It’s another easy argument to make, really, and it sounds a bit strange. Why can’t any other manager handle french players? Wasn’t Eric Cantona a great player when he played under Sir Alex Ferguson?

Yes, Garde will help the French guys bed in, yes he’ll help with the language, and yes he’ll be familiar with a core group of players from his time in Ligue 1. They’re all players who excelled in that league and who Garde should know quite well.

But the bigger question is, will he keep them up? And I think that he has enough quality in the team, that he has enough intelligence as a manager to make the tactical decisions that so hopelessly escaped Tim Sherwood (like bringing off Carles Gil when 2-0 up at Leicester even though he was the only player in the entire XI who seemed capable of holding onto the ball).

Villa can look forward to a more cohesive dressing room, and I think that means more cohesive play on the pitch. But what is more important is that they can look forward to smart tactical attacking football. And that’s what will get them far.

Under Garde, Villa can flourish. They don’t have a bad team, and if they can go out and play to their potential, they’re much better than a team who will only finish four points off Bournemouth. Relegation shouldn’t be an issue if they play well, and Remi Garde is a man who can make Villa play well.

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Although no one quite expected Newcastle United to set the Premier League alight this season, the current campaign has certainly proven a tough one for the St. James’ Park faithful to endure so far.

The team look void of confidence across almost every area of the pitch for their manager, Steve McClaren himself arguably fails to represent a coach worthy of operating in the English top-flight – and although the Premier League plays host to several other significant strugglers near the bottom of the table, the Magpies could still find themselves in real trouble come the end of the season.

Although Sam Allardyce’s current Sunderland outfit have shown a fair interest in the player in question of late, could former Newcastle United captain and fan-favourite Kevin Nolan be needed down at St. James’ Park this winter?

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Whilst several voices throughout the Magpies support may indeed turn their noses up at such a proposition, maybe Kevin Nolan is an asset Steve McClaren should at least consider.

As the former Bolton and West Ham skipper currently goes down as an available free agent, Newcastle wouldn’t necessarily have to acquire his services throughout the January transfer window, leaving the club’s resources open for any other player that may take McClaren’s fancy this month.

Kevin Nolan isn’t exactly the most technically gifted player out there, however. He often fails to offer a great deal from a pure footballing perspective and arguably stops the more exciting flair based players from doing their thing.

The now 33-year-old obviously isn’t operating within the prime years of his career anymore, and as many West Ham fans grew increasingly frustrated with the midfielder’s presence throughout his playing days at Upton Park, maybe any potential move bringing the former Bolton man back to St. James’ Park would have to go down as a somewhat desperate one.

Yet, because the word ‘desperate’ seemingly arrives as a rather adequate description of Steve McClaren’s struggling outfit at the minute, perhaps Nolan could be seen as a viable option for the Magpies after all.

Although the Liverpool-born attacker sometimes disappoints with the ball at his feet, Kevin Nolan arguably represents one of the best out-and-out leaders to have made a case for themselves in the Premier League. His captaincy skills have always served to solidify whichever team he has played for in the Premier League, which could potentially make him a standout option for the Newcastle hierarchy.

He wouldn’t necessarily have to start every single match for McClaren’s side of course, but he could very well influence proceedings behind the scenes and in the St. James’ Park dressing room. As Nolan also experienced a strong relationship with the Newcastle fan-base during his spell in the North East, Steve McClaren could possibly win some supporters over with the 33-year-old back within the first team set-up.

WANT MORE? >> Newcastle transfer news | Latest transfer news

The Magpies are clearly lacking a strong sense of leadership all across the park this season. Although a selection of McClaren’s players do in-fact possess all the necessary technical skill to make it in the Premier League, the Tynesiders simply need a no-nonsense leader within their squad in order to guarantee survival.

Newcastle have ultimately come across as slight push-overs this term. They have lost certain matches that could have possibly been saved with a strong skipper out there, for although Fabricio Coloccini has been a great club servant on Tyneside, his overall ability as captain has often failed to bring about the desired impact.

So although the potential capture of 33-year-old Kevin Nolan wouldn’t exactly go down as a bright new signing for the future at St. James’ Park, the former Bolton and West Ham man could easily do a job for Newcastle this season.

With a further selection of fresh new players drafted in this January, Steve McClaren’s side could very well benefit from the subtle inclusion of their former leader throughout course of the current campaign.

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