Gustaf Lagerbielke 'set' for Celtic exit as medical planned
Lagerbielke isn't in Brendan Rodgers' long-term plans, and according to Sportbladet, he is set to join Braga, with the Portuguese top-flight side and Celtic close to an agreement.
The 25-year-old is expected to undergo a medical later this week.
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Lagerbielke joined Celtic two years ago from Elfsborg in his homeland. He played just 10 times in his first 12 months at Parkhead before being sent out on loan. He now looks set to depart permanently.
The defender will follow Greg Taylor out the departure door.
His move to PAOK was confirmed on Tuesday, and he has since explained the reasons behind his switch: "It's obviously a new chapter for me and my family, but I'm very excited to be here now," Taylor told his new club's official media channel.
"The love I was shown from the club, many of the directors, the manager, they showed that they believed in me and were very excited for me to come to the project with such a historical season, the 100 years of the club.
"It made me really want to take the jump to be here. We want to be the best team in Greece, we want to win the league and hopefully be successful in Europe. That would be our aim for this season."
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The Guardian
23 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘Truly awful': rival fans united in grief at Anfield after death of Diogo Jota
Outside Anfield, where Diogo Jota's name recently soared from the stands, fans stood in a sombre, stricken silence. Barely five weeks ago they had watched their Portuguese hero lift the Premier League trophy, singing and dancing with his soon-to-be wife, their two sons, four and two, and their six-month-old daughter. Now, in a tragedy that puts the fleeting glories of football into shocking perspective, fans were laying floral tributes. 'It's just devastating,' said Gary Mann, 48, a season ticket holder, as he struggled to contain his emotions. 'He's a 28-year-old kid. He just always came across as a really nice human being – and that's the worst part of it. It's tremendously sad for his family.' Men, women and children were in tears as they hung scarves from trees and laid football shirts alongside an ever-growing bank of flowers outside Liverpool's main stand in the hours after Jota's death was announced on Thursday morning. Balloons bearing the number 20 – Jota's shirt number – were among the tributes, with several fans asking for the club to retire the number in his memory. 'He was an honorary scouser,' said Elliot Francis, 19, wearing his Liverpool jersey with Jota's autograph on the back, signed by the Kop favourite after one of the many home games when he would stop and talk to supporters. Jota's death – in a car crash in Spain alongside his 26-year-old brother, André Silva – is one of those shocking events that cuts through club rivalry and transcends football. Everton shirts were among those laid alongside those of Liverpool, Leeds United, Glasgow Rangers, Crystal Palace and other clubs opposite Anfield's Hillsborough memorial, dedicated to the 97 killed in the 1989 stadium disaster. 'My stomach turned this morning when I heard the news,' said Liza, 47, who would be raising eyebrows by wearing her Everton shirt at Anfield on any other day. 'It's not about that today. It's horrible for Liverpool fans and for the city. It's just absolutely heartbreaking.' In just the past six weeks, Jota had lifted the Premier League title with Liverpool and the Uefa Nations League trophy with Portugal. Two months ago he scored the winner in a tense home derby against Everton – his final goal. But it was the personal tragedy, rather than the onfield heroics, that left fans dumbstruck on Thursday. Jota married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, only 11 days ago, posting a video of their wedding on social media on Wednesday, along with the caption: 'A day we will never forget.' 'He had only just got married and had kids. Now his wife's a widow. It's truly awful,' said Anthony Ferns, 43. 'I live 10 minutes away and rushed over when I heard the news. I still can't believe it. It's like something from a disaster movie.' After laying down a Leeds United shirt, Maz Ferguson said she last saw Jota scoring two goals at Anfield against her club. 'But he was a player that you liked,' she said. 'He's gone out at the height of his career but football's irrelevant. He's got a wife and three young children, a mum and a dad who've just lost two sons.' Ferguson, 34, a lifelong Leeds fan, added: 'If any club has been through everything it's this club but Liverpool fans will come together for Diogo's family. This club knows how to put its arms around people.' Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, said she was 'absolutely devastated' for Jota's family after she laid a large red-and-white bouquet alongside the tributes. 'It's absolutely heartbreaking. It just shows how life events can change really quickly. I'm absolutely devastated for his wife, his children and his family. I can't imagine what they're going through at the moment. My son is 28 and it's just really shocking.' Denise Cook, a season ticket holder for 41 years, had written a line from Jota's famous chant – 'And his name is Diogo' – on her floral tribute. 'It will go down as one of the tragic days like Hillsborough,' she said. 'He just gave everything. He never gave up, he was always chasing the ball. He was very integral. He was just always there and always trying. At the time I thought it was one of the best signings we'd made.' Amber McKendry, 30, and her partner, Roger McBurney, 34, both Liverpool fans, had flown from their home in Belfast with their three young children for a long-planned tour of the Anfield Museum when the news broke on Thursday morning. They had to break the news to Freddie, seven, Max, five, and Farrah, four, all wearing their Liverpool shirts at the stadium. 'They're still digesting it,' said McKendry. 'They haven't really dealt with much death in their life. They've all went a bit quiet. It's become a very different day for us all.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Lionesses left in shock by Diogo Jota death as Lucy Bronze leads tributes
Lionesses star Lucy Bronze has shed light on the camp's reaction to the tragic death of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota as they prepare for their Women's Euros opener England star Lucy Bronze says the Lionesses were left in shock when they learned about the death of Diogo Jota. The Liverpool star and his brother Andre Silva were tragically killed in a car accident in Spain, with the Portugal international passing away on Thursday morning. A moment's silence will be held before tonight's and tomorrow's Women's Euro 2025 matches, including Portugal's group stage opener against Spain. England will begin their own campaign on Saturday against France, and Bronze reflected on how she and her team-mates reacted to the news. 'Yeah it definitely shocked all the squad when we woke up this morning and the news started to spread,' Bronze said. 'Obviously we have a lot of Liverpool fans in our team and football fans, but for people in general, everyone is just thinking of them – him and his brother. 'They were so young as well. We have seen all the messages on social media and stuff so you can tell what a great guy he has been. It's just really sad and we were shocked by the news, really.' She added: 'We'll be watching the games tonight and Portugal play their first game against Spain and I know there will be a minute's silence held before that game. I think everyone in an England shirt and everyone in the tournament will be supporting the Portuguese team because they will be a lot closer to this than we are. 'It is just a really sad moment for everyone involved in football, knowing what a great guy he is and what an amazing year he's had – not just in football, but he got married a few weeks ago and he's got some little kids. It's just so sad.' Jota, who was 28, was part of Liverpool's Premier League title winning squad under Arne Slot. He also won the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League with Portugal, playing 15 minutes of the final victory over Spain. "Just three weeks ago, I had the honour of presenting Diogo Jota with a medal after the UEFA Nations League final – a moment of joy, pride, and celebration that will now forever be burned in memory with sorrow,' UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin said. "His passion, energy and spirit on the field inspired everyone around him. It is devastating to think that a life so full of joy and potential has been taken far too soon. Rest in peace, dear Diogo. You will not be forgotten." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Lawrence Shankland gets honest over Hearts return reasons as striker admits he just couldn't close the door
The Scotland international has penned a three-year deal after ongoing talks with Derek McInnes over his future Lawrence Shankland admits he could NEVER close the door on Hearts after walking back through it to sign a new contract. The Tynecastle skipper has committed the next three years of his career to the Gorgie club after his previous contract ran out at the end of last season. It brings the summer signing saga to an end and Shankland revealed that talks with his family led him to the conclusion that home is where the Hearts are. "At the end of last season, I ran my contract to its end so I knew the situation I was in," he said. "I took a couple of weeks holiday to get married and after that I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options and had a couple that popped up. "The way it worked out, the family side of things meant they just weren't right for me. "In the mean time, I'd been speaking to the manager about coming back here and I'd always left the door open. I couldn't seem to close the door behind me and that gave an indication of where my head might have been at. "After speaking to the family and where they want to be - especially my four-year-old Eva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo - it was back here. "So I'm happy with my decision and just looking forward to getting started again." New Hearts boss Derek McInnes never hid his desire to have Shankland in his ranks for this season. The pair worked together before at Aberdeen when Shankland was a youngster who didn't quite make the grade at Pittodrie. But McInnes now knows he has a lethal Scottish Premiership marksman at his disposal and Shankland said the key to their discussions over his future was honesty, "Just throughout the time, keeping in contact and being honest with each other," he told Hearts TV. "As long as there was honesty in the situation, I think both parties were happy to see how things went. "I always always keen to keep that door open for myself and it was important for me that the manager was happy to do that as well. "because of the situation when he came in and my contract was coming to an end, he understood where I was at as well. The honesty between us worked out in the end. "When it came to making my decision, it was an easy one really to get my head around." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
