All posts by n8rngtd.top

Reflecting on the career of Matt Derbyshire, you could safely say that is has had it’s ups and down, bumps and bruises, commiserations and jubilations along the way.

Despite emerging as one of the country’s most promising talents, the former Football League man finds himself a very long way from home now and a far sight from his days as a prospect star – but, by his own admission, he does not mind (as per Planet Football).

How Derbyshire came to be is a classic tale of boy achieving dream. The forward had been a Blackburn man his whole life; born there, raised there, taught how to play there and found his love for the beautiful game there. It was only right that he also made his career there, and that is exactly what he did in 2003 – slotting straight into the academy system from humble non-league side Great Harwood.

Clubs are always careful when exposing their most promising assets to the melee of first-team football too soon through fear of burnout and other such complications. So Matt Derbyshire had to wait for his big moment. First, he found himself tested in the second tier playing for Plymouth Argyle where minutes were hard to come by and despite making 12 appearances failed to register a single goal. Lesser players may have been overcome with disappointment with that embarrassing showing, but Derbyshire jumped back on the horse and targeted League Two Wrexham next. Clearly having learned from his previous experience, the Englishman bagged an impressive 12 times in 16 league games. He was ready.

Or was he?

In his opening season of Premier League football he only managed a paltry five goals in 22 appearances. The following year was not to be any more fruitful either. With exotic talents hailing from far and wide in Roque Santa Cruz, Benni McCarthy and Carlos Villanueva, the boy next door found it difficult to really establish himself in the side.

He may have scored twice against Manchester United at Old Trafford but as soon as Sam Allardyce arrived on the scene, the young lad from Blackburn’s dream was over.

‘We all know Big Sam and I won’t take anything away from him, but I went from playing every week to being fifth-choice striker,’ he recalls (via Daily Mail)

‘He said I had to fight for my place, but I knew and we all know what centre-forwards he likes, the one big man up front.’

For the man who scored one of the opening goals at the ‘new Wembley’ (as per The Guardian), some may consider his career trajectory to be a little underwhelming. From the point he was exiled from the Blue and Whites’ squad, he spent time in Greece with Olympiakos, then back to England with Birmingham, Nottingham Forest and Oldham Athletic. After bouncing around the lower tiers of English football, however, his time was up. From Rotherham, where he was frozen out by former manager Alan Stubbs, he moved his family 3000 miles away to most unlikely of locations – Cyprus.

Derbyshire now turns out for Omonia Nicosia having been bought by former Newcastle man John Carver, and with a tally of 50 goals in 84 games we think it is fair to say he has found his level.

[ad_pod ]Reported Liverpool target Joao Felix became the youngest hat-trick goalscorer in Europa League history on Thursday night when he netted a treble against Eintracht Frankfurt, and Reds fans are clearly impressed with what they saw.Correio da Manha reported back in January that the Reds had a €70m (£60.5m) bid rejected for the exciting 19-year-old, who continues to make waves in his breakthrough season in the Portuguese outfit’s first team.As well as his three goals in the first leg of the quarter-final tie, the forward also provided an assist to prove his quality on the European stage.The teenager now has 15 goals and seven assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for Benfica this term, and the vultures will surely be beginning to circle.Should the versatile forward end up arriving at Anfield he would be competing with the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for a spot in the starting XI given he can play on either wing, while he could be the answer to their No.10 issues as he has featured and shone in a position behind the striker.Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…Liverpool supporters on social media were certainly impressed with what they saw on Thursday, with one saying “Joao Felix plays like a classy, young, quick Fernando Torres”. High praise indeed.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur legends will team up in Soccer Aid for Unicef!

Ex-Spurs striker Robbie Keane and Gunners icon Robert Pires will be a part of the World XI for the charity game at Stamford Bridge.

Keane is Spurs’ 11th highest goalscorer, while Pires was a member of Arsenal’s Invincibles side that went through a Premier League season unbeaten.

Keane said: “I’m thrilled to be playing in Soccer Aid for Unicef once again. Last year was such great fun and we gave the crowd an amazing game to watch, but importantly we raised a huge amount of money for Unicef to help children across the world.

“Our Soccer Aid World XI is looking really strong, so fingers crossed!”

And Pires is also looking forward to again being a part of the charity encounter, adding: “I can’t wait play again for the Soccer Aid World XI.

“I enjoyed my first appearance last year, so I’m delighted to be invited to play again. The importance of a game like Soccer Aid for Unicef cannot be understated.”

The match will take place on Sunday, June 16th.

Along with the Spurs and Arsenal stars, ex-Chelsea star Michael Essien has also signed up to play for the World XI, which will be jointly managed by Harry Redknapp and TV personality Piers Morgan. They will be joined by former Chelsea heroes Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho, sprint king Usain Bolt, pop star Niall Horan, actors and TV stars Martin Compston, Danny O’Carroll and Kem Cetinay, along with football freestyler Billy Wingrove.

Susanna Reid and Sam Allardyce will take control of the Three Lions.

The England team is currently comprised of ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole, Jamie Redknapp, Olympic hero Mo Farah, football freestyler Jeremy Lynch, and TV stars Joe Wicks, Mark Wright and Ben Shepherd.

Visit www.socceraid.org.uk to find out more and follow @SoccerAid on Twitter and Instagram, ‘Soccer Aid’ on Facebook and use the hashtag #SoccerAid for regular player and match updates.

They might be undisputed champions right now, but Celtic always need to keep an eye for the future.

To maintain their dominance in the long-run, the Hoops have to give more attention towards the young talents and overseeing their rise within the club.

As they’re impressive academy’s capable of producing some top-class players, Liam Morrison’s the latest gem to have come through the system. The 16-year-old’s been touted as the best up and coming centre-half in Scottish football, especially after watching his solid work for Scotland’s U-17 team.

Yet, the Hoops are in danger of losing this prized talent. According to reports (via The Scottish Sun), German side Hoffenheim are keen on signing him this summer, with the Bhoys reportedly fearing an exit after being braced for interest. They want to get the benefits from the hot-property, but Celtic cannot allow that. For a side who gave rise to Virgil van Dijk in the past, they could mould Morrison into another top-class defender.

Or maybe they won’t. That’s the thing with young players but why risk it? Keep young talent in-house, it’s the smart thing to do.

While the German side may be able to offer the new somewhat hipster route of young British talent heading to the Bundesliga, Celtic needs to stamp their authority on this one. They cannot allow themselves to be ousted again, that too when it comes to keeping their own young star. The Hoops need to make the 16-year-old sign his professional contract soon and continue his stunning development.

Morrison has all the skills to be a commanding centre-back very soon. He’s already disrupting attacks and leading the defensive line superbly. With their own defenders leaving almost every passing year, the Hoops need to retain this golden prospect to make him their long-term defensive general.

Celtic fans, do you think Morrison is in line for big things at Parkhead? Join the discussion by commenting below..

After two years away from the Football League, Leyton Orient are back where they belong.

Saturday’s stalemate with Braintree Town was enough to secure Orient the National League title and sent them back to League Two after being relegated from the division nearly two years to the day, and now the historic east London club can start planning for a new era.

With owners who are willing to invest money into the club, a group of senior players who have the quality to do well in League Two and talented youngsters who can make an impact in the division, Orient have all the elements needed to be a success.

With only one game left to play this season in the form of the FA Trophy next month, Orient can now begin to lay out their plans for their returning campaign to League Two, and what steps can be made to ensure the club not only remain in the division, but also can continue their journey up the Football League.

Orient have all the tools necessary to succeed in League Two and beyond, and with one of the most passionate fan-bases in the English capital and a heritage and reputation that make them a favourite amongst neutrals, promotion back to the Football League is truly going to be the beginning of a new era for the O’s.

Leyton Orient fans, what are your hopes for next season? Let us know!

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Leeds United fans have been left furious after large sections of the faithful were turned away from Elland Road ahead of the Under 23s’ PDL national final against Birmingham City.

The game took place on a Bank Holiday and locals came out in their droves to cheer on the youth team.

The U23s were, in the end, victorious on penalties but the day was marred by the treatment of supporters outside the ground.

The Whites had previously offered free tickets to those who wished to attend the cup final, but they underestimated how many people would turn out for the match.

There was understaffing of stewards, which in turn led to hundreds of supporters being turned away.

Understandably this left many furious with the club, and after they tweeted that everyone who queued up got into the ground there was a serious backlash.

Many were disappointed that the club was lying on Twitter and sharing their accounts of being told they were not able to attend at Elland Road on Monday.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

Celtic have a lot of work to do this summer and it could be a historic one for the club, dependent on who the permanent manager will be. Clearly, the Bhoys are at a crossroads in every sense of the word right now, regardless of their domestic dominance. 

Obviously, Neil Lennon has secured Celtic’s eighth consecutive Scottish Premiership title but it is unknown as to whether he will be staying on permanently. Surely, the Hoops will be aiming to come to that decision quickly, so all attention can then be on who Celtic will sign to aid yet another treble push and European progress.

A number of big transfers are sure to be in the making but the capture of soon-to-be free agent and former Celtic forward Gary Hooper would be shrewd business for the club. While not the most inspiring name, let’s not forget that Hooper, (who is valued at £2.2 million on Transfermarkt) was a firm favourite in Paradise right up until he left in 2013.

In a short three years at the club, Gary Hooper scored a stunning 82 goals in 138 appearances, a record he can build upon with a move back to Celtic Park. With it being confirmed that Hooper will leave Sheffield Wednesday on a free this summer, Celtic must assert themselves as favourites (the Scottish Sun believe there could be a transfer tussle) to be his next destination, given all the experience he has.

Accompanied with Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths for sure next season, Celtic would then have a healthy mix of youth and experience to get them through another campaign.

Despite only making five appearances this season because of injury, Gary Hooper on a free transfer would be relatively risk-free for Celtic, especially if they ended up getting up the same man that left them six years ago.

Do you agree Celtic should try and re-sign Gary Hooper? Let us know!

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Yorkshire Evening Post writer Phil Hay has given his opinion on the future of Kemar Roofe.

The striker is entering the last year of his contract, and he is yet to discuss new terms with the Whites, leading to speculation that he may be headed elsewhere this summer.

What’s been said then?

Hay was asked on Twitter if he thinks Roofe will leave the club this summer to which he replied:

“Going to be a question mark over him. Down to his last 12 months. Doesn’t have a new deal yet and would be due a substantial increase.”

The Scot seemingly doesn’t know what is going to happen with the 26-year-old, and with all the insight the journalist has into the ongoings at Elland Road that should be concerning for Leeds fans.

Uncertainty

The fact that Hay doesn’t know what is going to happen probably means that the club have no idea either.

Of course, the Whites would like to keep hold of their top goalscorer, but after failing to gain promotion to the Premier League, the striker could move on in order to fulfil natural top flight ambitions.

There certainly wouldn’t be a lack of interest if the attacker became available. He has netted 15 goals this season for the Yorkshire club and has looked impressive in doing so.

A lot of the striker’s future may also depend on who the manager is at Elland Road next season. Question marks also remain over the future of Marcelo Bielsa with worries supporters wondering whether he will be willing to have another stab at promotion.

The Englishman has had his most prolific campaign under the tutelage of the 63-year-old and, if he was to depart the club, then Roofe may quickly follow suit.

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Unless Zinedine Zidane has taken exception to Gareth Bale’s hairstyle or something, the Real Madrid head coach’s recent conduct towards the attacker points to one thing – a summer exit.

Indeed, Bale has been left out of the squad for Madrid’s last two La Liga games against Villarreal and Real Sociedad.

The 29-year-old has scored a respectable 14 goals this season, but it has been a largely disappointing campaign for the Wales international.

According to The Sun, former club Tottenham Hotspur are exploring a possible loan move for Bale this summer.

Indeed, the report claims that Madrid are so desperate to shift him that they would be prepared to accept a £10m loan offer, in addition to covering more than half of the Welshman’s huge wages, which are said to be in the region of £600,000 a week.

The Spurs fans, however, are not interested.

Bale was once regarded as one of the top players in world football, but it might well be that the former Southampton youngster’s best days are behind him.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Tottenham fans, in relation to the potential loan proposal, can be seen below:

He’s come quite a way, hasn’t he? Coventry City has a knack of developing promising youthful talents, none more so than James Maddison of late. 

Having come through the Sky Blues’ academy, Maddison made his first-team debut in the EFL Cup defeat to Cardiff City, early in the season of 2014. It was that campaign where he built up the number of outings for Coventry but after being sent off on Boxing Day and suffering a back injury, it was only at the back end of that season where he strung together a further six substitute appearances in the League.

It was the next campaign where he really developed his trade, though. The local lad started the season brightly with three assists in his first three games. Having impressed even more so over the festive period, Maddison signed for Norwich City and was loaned back to Coventry for the remainder of the season in which time he was developing well and will have learned a lot from the experienced Joe Cole who donned the Coventry shirt at that time.

Upon signing for Norwich, Maddison told the media that “as a young boy my dream was always to play in the Premier League.” Now, he would have to wait a little longer for that dream to come true as Norwich were relegated from the Premier League and in his opening season at the Canaries, he was loaned out to Aberdeen for the first half of the campaign.

It may not have been the ideal scenario for Maddison, but in some ways, it proved to be a blessing in disguise. Who knows if Maddison would have been able to make the grade in the Premier League at that time, or get the opportunities to do so with it being such a results-centric environment.

He excelled at Aberdeen, netting twice and assisting seven times in 14 games during a spell which will have been sure to mature him as a player. Maddison returned to Norwich to only make substitute appearances at the very back end of the season though.

Under Daniel Farke the following season, Maddison took his game to a new level in which time he netted 15 times and provided 11 assists in all competitions, that form earned him a spot in the Championship Team of the Season, Norwich’s Player of the Season and a move to Leicester City.

The reported £22m deal, rising to £24m meant that Coventry would benefit from a fee in excess of £2.2m resultant of a sell-on-clause placed in his deal when he signed for Norwich in 2016.

Maddison is now excelling at the Foxes, not only will his deal have helped Coventry’s financial state greatly, but it also gives the Sky Blues faithful another player to shout about as the club played a pivotal role in his development so far.

What were your standout memories of Maddison as a Sky Blue? Join the discussion by commenting below…