'Martin would use Southampton hurt to his advantage'
Russell Martin will use the hurt he suffered at Southampton in a positive way should he become new Rangers head coach, according to his former boss Chris Hughton.Former MK Dons and Swansea manager Martin is believed to be the frontrunner for the vacant post at Ibrox.However, many Rangers fans are underwhelmed by the potential appointment of Martin, who had a short loan spell as a player in Govan in 2018.Martin, who was captain under Hughton at Norwich, brought Southampton up to the Premier League through the play-offs in 2024 but was sacked by December as they headed back towards the Championship with one win from his first 16 games.But Hughton offered a glowing character reference, saying on Talksport: "If I'm looking at Russell's managerial background, he is known for playing a certain way, very expansive, very much a passing game and progression through the thirds."But he's a strong personality also. He's had a few knockbacks in his football career so far."I think any knockbacks, he will look at very much as experience and look to improve in every aspect he can."I think he's had a few offers, so this is somebody that's still very respected in the game. He's a very confident individual and very confident in what he wants to do on the football pitch."He was very much a leader in the changing room, vocal in the meetings we had and he was my voice when it came to any sort of direction on the players."So it's no surprise to me that he eventually went into management. He always showed those characteristics."
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Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
With stars struggling for minutes, players on the hunt for higher honours and the transfer window open for business, which player needs to leave YOUR club this summer?
The 2025 summer transfer window offers Premier League clubs a chance to rest and reflect on the season and prepare for the campaign ahead. For those not involved in the FIFA Club World Cup, the period without action provides players with the perfect opportunity to assess their futures at their current clubs. Footballers will be weighing up their ambitions and whether now is the right time to jump from a lower table side to one of the Premier League's best. Others will be contemplating their current positions in the clubs' pecking orders, pushing for a move away to secure more playing time to revitalise their careers. Managerial departures and appointments can also influence player exits such as the arrival of Thomas Frank from Brentford to Tottenham, leaving both clubs' cohorts unsure of where they stand in the early stages of transition. So, who are the Premier League players who need that summer move to progress or kickstart their careers? Mail Sport picks one player from each team who need to embark on a new adventure. Arsenal - Oleksandr Zinchenko Since his arrival in the 2022/23 season from Manchester City, Oleksandr Zinchenko hasn't reached his potential for the Gunners. The Ukraine captain arrived in north London with minimal competition, with Kieran Tierney out of favour under Mikel Arteta when Zinchenko started his Arsenal career. However, the arrivals of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna and the promotion of Myles Lewis-Skelly to the first team has seen the 28-year-old rooted to the bench. Having started just the five games during the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, Zinchenko needs to move away from the Emirates to find more game time in a bid to kickstart his career. Aston Villa – Tyrone Mings Previously the first name on the Villa team sheet, Tyrone Mings was knocked down the pecking order last season. The former England international suffered with injury last campaign, starting just 12 games in the league. Unai Emery demands ball-playing and agile central defender and regularly preferring the pairing of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa - a play style Mings has struggled to adapt to. Part of England's Euro 2020 side, the 32-year-old will want to find a way back into Thomas Tuchel's plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup, hence a transfer seems imperative if the defender wants to resurrect his career. Bournemouth – Antoine Semenyo Antoine Semenyo's second full season with the Cherries was a great success as the winger notched 11 goals and five assists in the 2024-25 campaign. The Ghanaian's speed and relentless strikes on goal have put him on the radar of many of the top Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Arsenal. Bournemouth's expected summer raid has already begun with Spaniard Dean Huijsen going to Real Madrid for £50m and Milos Kerkez also completing his move to Liverpool. Previously rejected from several of London's youth academies, Semenyo's work ethic is undeniable and a move to a Premier League giant would be the logical next step in the 25-year-old's trajectory. Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo Brentford's talisman Bryan Mbeumo is one of the hot properties of the summer transfer window after his best season to date with the Bees. The Cameroonian notched 20 goals and seven assists last season, starting every single Premier League game, highlighting his dependability and impeccable fitness. Mbeumo has been heavily linked with Manchester United with the Red Devils upping their pursuit of the winger after a new bid £62.5m, despite United finishing five places below Brentford. The allure of joining one of the greatest clubs of all-time is a tantalising opportunity for any player, regardless of Manchester United's current form, and the 25-year-old may soon be joining Matheus Cunha in Ruben Amorim's project. Brighton - Joao Pedro 23-year-old Joao Pedro has impressed since his arrival to English football in 2019-20 with Watford. His performances and talent caught the attention of Brighton, who can never resist a star with outrageous potential. Yet, despite scoring 30 goals in all competitions across two seasons for the Seagulls, it looks like the end of the road for the Brazilian forward. Near the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Pedro was reportedly involved in a training ground altercation with Jan Paul van Hecke, according to Andy Taylor. The bust-up swiftly led to his exclusion from Fabian Hurzeler's final two match day squads of the season, leaving Pedro's future up in the air on the south coast. The arrival of Greek prodigy Stefanos Tzimas from FC Nurnberg will further threaten the Brazilian's position, suggesting that the forward will leave the club no matter what. Burnley - James Trafford The Clarets shot stopper enjoyed a sensational 2024-25 season as Scott Parker's side sealed their return to the Premier League. The England international kept a league-high 29 clean sheets, conceding just 16 goals in the Championship. Trafford's performances have caught the eye of Premier League powerhouses with the former Manchester City academy keeper highly sought after. Newcastle have been closely linked with the 22-year-old, seeing Trafford as a potential successor to Nick Pope. Chelsea – Raheem Sterling It's been a real fall from grace for the 30-year-old since his move from Manchester City to Chelsea. After failing to impress for two seasons with the Blues, the then new manager Enzo Maresca opted to send Sterling out on loan to London rivals Arsenal. Upon signing, the Englishman famously said: 'People like to talk, don't they? Well, so do I. And I'll say this: you're about to see the best in me.' Unfortunately, Arsenal fans did not see the best of the winger, as he started just seven times in the league, scoring only once in the EFL Cup in a season to forget. Now back at Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old will be unlikely to push into the starting squad given the array of wingers at Maresca's disposal. The former Liverpool man will need to find a new club to find game time or otherwise let himself waste away in Chelsea's reserves. Crystal Palace – Eberechi Eze The Eagles soared last season, securing Europa League football, largely thanks to the heroics of Eze. The 26-year-old notched 14 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, including scoring the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup as Palace lifted their first ever trophy. Since his move from QPR in 2020, the Englishman has attracted the attention of a whole host of Premier League clubs every single transfer window but has stuck with Crystal Palace throughout that time. Although Eze will be eager to play a part in Crystal Palace's Europa League campaign next season, now could be the right time to make the step up to join one of the Premier League's elite. The midfielder has been heavily linked with Tottenham Hotspur and the signing of the Eagles' talisman would be a statement signing for Thomas Frank's new reign in north London. Everton – Jarrad Branthwaite After his integral loan spell with current Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, Branthwaite has become one of Everton's go-to players. The centre back has been key in ensuring Everton's survival in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 season and will be the foundation of Everton's rebuild as the Toffees look to push themselves back into the top half of the table. But, valued at £43m according to Transfermarkt, the Everton hierarchy could have decided to cash in on the highly rated defender to fund other ventures for the club. At just 22-years-old, Branthwaite may prefer to continue to develop his game under David Moyes. And it seems that is going to happen, with the defender close to penning a new deal on Merseyside. Fulham - Carlos Vinicius Tipped as the next exciting thing to come out of Benfica after his 20-goal season in 2019-20, Carlos Vinicius has bitterly disappointed in his various stints across Europe. After an underwhelming spell on loan at Tottenham, the Brazilian eventually joined Fulham as a back-up striker and has failed to impress when called upon. The ex-Galatasaray and Monaco forward started just one game in all competitions last season with Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz keeping him out of the team. Fulham do reportedly have the option to extend Vinicius' contract by a year, but with his contract set to expire at the end of June, it appears increasingly likely that the 30-year-old will leave Craven Cottage. Leeds - Illan Meslier Illan Meslier has constantly been making headlines during his six seasons with Leeds, mostly for the wrong reasons. Despite keeping 21 clean sheets in the Championship last season, the 25-year-old has made regular mistakes which saw him benched for Leeds' final seven matches as Karl Darlow stepped up. His demotion to the bench suggests the Frenchman may not be given another bite at the cherry in the Premier League under Daniel Farke. Championship title-winners Leeds will be pursuing options to bolster their team, including strengthening the goalkeeper position, potentially pushing Meslier out of the club. Liverpool – Federico Chiesa Federico Chiesa joined Liverpool at the beginning of last season from Italian giants Juventus with many fans excited by the winger's move to Anfield. Fast forward nearly a year later, ravaged by injuries and poor form when selected, time looks to be up for the 27-year-old on Merseyside. Chiesa was involved in just six games in the league, starting only one match, his performances often underwhelming and uninspiring including a shambolic display in Liverpool's FA Cup defeat by Plymouth Argyle. Arne Slot's patience has worn thin with underperforming players as the Reds have already begun a summer shake-up in their attempt to defend their Premier League title next season. Along with flop Darwin Nunez, Chiesa could be set for an exit from club, despite having just one season under his belt. Manchester City – Jack Grealish When he joined Manchester City from Aston Villa for a record British transfer fee of £100m in 2021, expectations were high for Jack Grealish's trajectory under Pep Guardiola. Yet, as the seasons have unfolded - despite playing his part in City's Treble win - the Englishman has struggled to find consistency by either being sidelined with injuries or benched by City's newer toys such as Jeremy Doku or Savinho. 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Rashford has been linked with a whole host of clubs across Europe including Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund but Barcelona seem the likeliest to acquire the Englishman's services. Newcastle – Martin Dubravka A loyal servant to the Toon for eight seasons, it could be time for the Slovakian to bid farewell to St James' Park. Last season, 36-year-old Martn Dubravka superbly deputised in Pope's absence, picking up five clean sheets in 10 games in the league. However, with Pope back to full fitness and the Magpies pursuing the services of Burnley's Trafford, Dubravka may fall further down the pecking order. In the twilight of his career, the Slovakian international could be on the move this summer to find more game time. Nottingham Forest - Taiwo Awoniyi Ousted from his starting berth by the arrival of the goal machine Chris Wood in January 2023, it appears Taiwo Awoniyi's time could be up at Nottingham Forest. Wood's arrival has seen the Nigerian see less and less action across the last two seasons, starting 12 times in the league in 2023-24 and just three times in the 2024-25 campaign. The 27-year-old will likely not want to play second fiddle for much longer, especially as Forest will be strengthening their squad ahead of a UEFA Conference League campaign in the upcoming season. Awoniyi could be even further out of Nuno Espirito Santo's plans come the start of the Premier League season in August and would be perhaps wise to seek to play football elsewhere. Sunderland - Chris Rigg 18-year-old Chris Rigg played a key part in the Black Cats' promotion to the English top flight last season, attracting interest from across Europe. The left-footed midfielder made 36 starts in the Championship last term under Regis Le Bris, notching four goals and one assist. His performances have caught the eye of Europe's top clubs including Lazio and Spurs. Whilst the young Englishman may be inclined to continue his development at Sunderland, the Black Cats could be set to cash in on the youngster with a £35m price tag, as per TEAMtalk. Tottenham – Son Heung-min The Europa League could be Spurs captain Heung-min Son Heung-min's parting gift to the loyal fanbase with the South Korean tipped for a move away from the Premier League. Spurs' fifth all-time top goal scorer has been with the Lilywhites for 10 years but, with one year left on his contract, Daniel Levy may be keen to cash in before it is too late. At 32-years-old and showing a decline in performances in recent seasons, Son has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League which would fetch Tottenham a handsome transfer sum. After finally delivering the highly coveted trophy Spurs fans desired, Son may be bidding farewell this summer. West Ham – Mohammed Kudus The highly rated Ghanaian may be on the move this summer as his ability exceeds that of his current club West Ham. The Hammers endured a miserable campaign last time out and, with Graham Potter eager to bring in new players this summer, Kudus may be the player to fund significant investment. It also appears the 24-year-old is determined to seal a move away from east London after joining a new agency ROOF, according to The Sun. While five goals and three assists last season was below expectations for the ex-Ajax man, he will be eager to prove himself at a top club, whether in the Premier League or abroad. Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle are just some of the clubs thought to be interested in the attacker, with the Hammers valuing him at around £65m. Wolves - Hee-Chan Hwang Once the main front man for Wolves after his move from RB Leipzig, Hee-Chan Hwang is now surplus to requirements. After an injury ravaged season, the South Korean struggled to reinstate his starting position under both Gary O'Neil and Vitor Pereira, starting five matches in the Premier League last season. The 29-year-old will have to contend for an attacking spot under Pereira with Jorgen Strand Larsen, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Goncalo Guedes and Marshall Munetsi all looking to fill Cunha's void in the front three. Additionally, the Brazilian's £62.5m sale to Manchester United will have raised funds to further invest in the squad, which could see Hwang's position even further in peril.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Music superstar backs Nigel Farage saying voters ‘should give him a chance'
SIR Rod Stewart says voters should 'give Nigel Farage a chance'. The 80-year-old rocker slammed Prime Minister Keir Starmer's policies on fishing rights in Scotland as he revealed he thinks the Reform leader is "coming across well". 2 2 New polls suggest Reform is on track to win the next election - with more than a third of voters saying they will support the right-wing party. And Rod 'The Mod' is no different. Ahead of his Glastonbury set this Sunday, the Maggie May singer insisted that despite his 'extreme wealth', he is not out of touch. Sir Rod was asked in an interview with The Times where he sees Britain's political future heading. He responded: "It's hard for me because I'm extremely wealthy, and I deserve to be, so a lot of it doesn't really touch me. But that doesn't mean I'm out of touch. "For instance, I've read about Starmer cutting off the fishing in Scotland and giving it back to the EU. That hasn't made him popular. We're fed up with the Tories. We've got to give Farage a chance. He's coming across well." "What options have we got? I know some of his family, I know his brother, and I quite like him. "But Starmer's all about getting us out of Brexit and I don't know how he's going to do that. Still, the country will survive. It could be worse. We could be in the Gaza Strip." It comes after the music legend hit out at Farage last June after he claimed that the West provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stewart previously said he was "outraged and dumbfounded" after Farage argued that the EU and NATO had given Putin a "reason" to tell his people "they're coming for us again'. We previously told how Sir Rod lifted the lid on exactly how much he is getting paid to play at Glastonbury this year - as well as how much money he'll lose. He is set to return to Worthy Farm for the first time in decades, having last performed on the Pyramid Stage 23 years ago. He's performing as this year's Legends slot act, joining a long list of iconic acts who've taken on the prestigious role.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025 team guides: Poland
This article is part of the Guardian's Euro 2025 Experts' Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July. One of the enduring images from the win against Austria that sealed Poland's first major tournament appearance was Oliwia Woś standing there with an enormous grin on her face. There were lots of smiles that day last December but tears of happiness, too, Ewa Pajor among those who cried at their achievement. The coach, Nina Patalon, has played a big part in the success. Against Austria they were the underdogs but showed better attitude over the two legs and, as always, came well prepared. Poland have made huge progress under Patalon. One of the coach's mantras is that the true reflection of a team is how its members support each other. Watch Poland and you will see a squad fighting for every ball, and here the defensive midfielder Ada Achcińska, for whom there are no lost balls, leads the way. Another midfielder, Tanja Pawollek, reads the game superbly and her spatial awareness is another key component. Paulina Dudek and Oliwia Woś also have important roles, launching counterattacks with incisive passing. Two fast wingers, Ewelina Kamczyk and Natalia Padilla Bidas, will be ready to pounce on through balls but also drop deep to pick up the ball, together with the star of the show, Pajor. There was a trend in recent games for players to take more opportunities to shoot from range. One major disappointment for the players is not having special jerseys for the tournament. 'We were hoping for a tournament-specific kit, that's standard for a major tournament,' said the West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik. 'It's part of the prestige of having qualified. All the others have a special jersey made so why are we treated differently?' Always the first. Nina Patalon is the first woman to coach a Poland senior team. Before that, she was the first Polish woman to get a Uefa Pro licence. And she is the first to take the women's team to a major tournament. She moved up the coaching ladder by taking charge of the under-15, under-17 and under-19 teams. In addition to her current role she is the coordinator of women's football training at the Polish FA. She believes football will become the No 1 sport for women in Poland, and if ever her motivation drops, she stops by a pitch where young girls are playing. That provides the energy to carry on, more than any Champions League game ever could. Ewa Pajor. 'One of her greatest assets is how much she enjoys playing football,' Patalon says of the Barcelona forward. 'On the pitch she's like a little girl: she forgets that she's a great footballer.' The 28-year-old made her Poland debut 11 years ago and has more than a 100 caps. Last summer she moved from Wolfsburg to Barcelona. Spanish media loved the signing, El País writing that the forward was the missing piece in the jigsaw. Pajor moved to Catalonia to win the Champions League but lost in the final for a fifth time. Overall, though, the season was a huge success. She won the league and the Spanish Cup and was top scorer. Pajor has netted 43 times this season, leading to speculation about the Ballon d'Or. Ewelina Kamczyk. A volcano of energy everywhere she goes. At times it feels like she is the first person to attack and the first person to defend and win back possession. The 29-year-old, who plays for Fleury 91 in France, is the full package: she can dribble, shoot from distance and, overall, brings a lot of positive energy. An added bonus is her understanding with Pajor. They have been playing together for Poland for a long time, winning the Under-17 European Championship in 2013. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Some games are shown on TV and some are streamed online but the level of the Ekstraliga is far from that of, for instance, neighbouring Germany. Attendances are low and games are rarely played in the clubs' main stadiums. A Polish team reaching the Champions League would help but no one looks close to achieving that. Just four players from the domestic top flight are in the squad. Most players dream of being transferred to a superior league abroad, an accurate reflection of where the competition is at the moment. To collect some points. The players are desperate to change the perception of women's football in Poland and will approach their games full of positive energy. The Poland team guide was written by Joanna Wiśniowska (Gazeta Wyborcza).
