Scotland focused on 'bigger picture' with Fiji match key to world ranking
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Scotsman
27 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scotland star ends 'difficult' 636-day exile and lifts lid on 'close' relationship with ex-Hearts ace
The Scotland international has completed his return to senior first team football after a injury-enforced absence. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland defender Aaron Hickey has made his return to senior first team football after a 636-days absence, playing 45 minutes of Brentford's 1-1 pre-season draw with Gil Vicente in Portugal at the weekend. The former Hearts full-back has endured an injury-plagued last 20 months, with the £17million signing out of action since picking up a debilitating hamstring injury during the Bees' 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge all the way back in October 2023. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Expected to miss just months with the problem, he was forced to undergo further surgery in order fully repair his hamstring tendon in August 2024. Ruled out of Scotland's squad for the European Championships in Germany last summer, he hasn't featured for the national team since the memorable 2-0 qualifying win over Spain at Hampden Park close to two years ago. However, the 23-year-old's injury hell now looks to be coming to a timely end, with Scotland's opening World Cup qualifying clash against Denmark arriving in just over five weeks time. Scotland international Aaron Hickey has handed Steve Clarke a huge boost after returning to senior action at the weekend. | SNS Group 'It's been very difficult,' Hickey told Brentford's official social media channel. 'Thankfully now I am here back playing with the boys, you can't beat it. It's one of the best feelings. I feel like just getting stuck right back into it is part of my game, like I said, I'm just looking forward to started again. It feels amazing to be back out there with the boys. I've had a good few sessions over here [Portugal], getting fit and stuff, so just looking forward to starting the season.' Set to play under a new manager this season, Hickey says he is excited to work under new Brentford head coach Keith Andrews, who was appointed at the Gtech Community Stadium earlier this month following the departure of Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I have found it really enjoyable,' said Hickey. 'The sessions have been good. The intensity is slowing getting back into it. This has helped us today, match minutes. The coaches have came in, Keith [Andrews] is doing a good job keeping the boys on their toes, and not slacking off. Continuing to do what we did.' Hickey also detailed the 'close' relationship he shares with former Hearts midfielder Neil MacFarlane, who has been promoted to the role of assistant first team coach after six seasons in charge of the London club's B team. The 47-year-old, who combines his role at Brentford with being the head coach of Scotland's under-19s, played over 70 league games at Tynecastle during the mid-2000s, and the Scotland defender revealed why MacFarlane will be key in getting him back to his best. 'I'm close with Neil,' said Hickey. 'He's a really good coach. He's really good for me, we have good one-to-one chats. He's definitely going to help me. For me, being back playing with this squad, doing well, winning matches - that's my aim, and hopefully I score a few goals.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
England batter Knight signs new Somerset deal
Former England captain Heather Knight has signed a new contract with Somserset to the end of the 2026 captained her country to victory in the 2017 World Cup and has 295 caps across all has scored 7,298 runs and taken 84 wickets for 34-year-old has not played for Somserset since May after picking up a hamstring injury against West Indies."I'm really pleased to have extended my time with Somerset," Knight told the club's website, external. "It's a club that means a lot to my family and I, and I feel a huge amount of pride every time I pull on the shirt."
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Dallavalle enjoying life after captain's armband
Women's summer series: Australia v WalesVenue: North Sydney Oval Date: Friday, 1 August Kick-off: 10:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC Sport online and BBC iPlayer, listen on Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds. Hannah Dallavalle admits she was disappointed to be relieved of the Wales women captaincy, but is starting to enjoy a more relaxed role around camp. The 28-year-old took over the armband from Siwan Lillicrap at the 2022 Rugby World Cup, describing it as one of the "greatest honours" of her Test led Wales to a top three Six Nations finish in 2023, but two Wooden Spoon campaigns followed and a player contract dispute which almost forced her to coach Sean Lynn said he needed fresh leadership going into the Rugby World Cup and named Alex Callender and Kate Williams as said she was "disappointed to start" but is beginning to see life beyond the armband. "It has been a tough transition, people don't see what's happened behind closed doors," she said. "It was Lynny's decision to make that change, I had no control over it. It was a decision that I didn't take lightly but I'm working on myself, concentrating on my own performance and what I bring to the team."Unless you've done captaincy before, you don't really know what the demands of a captain are off the field, maybe that took a toll."I've definitely got more time now. I'm actually going out with the girls to the beach and stuff. "I'm still putting the work in for rugby, but I'm definitely much more relaxed off the field." One of Lynn's reasons to relieve Dallavalle was that he did not see the player he coached during his time in charge at Gloucester-Hartpury, but she said it is a difficult comparison to make as they are a different team."I don't know if I'm going to get a Gloucester-Hartpury performance in a Welsh shirt, you've got different people around you, different coaches, different environment," Dallavalle said, but is hopeful they can taste the same first win came last Saturday with Wales running out 21-12 winners in the first of two Tests against it was fitting that Dallavalle scored the decisive try in what was a statement win against a higher ranked team just four weeks out from the World Cup."I said to Lleucu [George] on the bus, 'set me up today, it's been a while' and she delivered, she was outstanding. It was her try really, I did the easy part of finishing it."Dallavalle was also full of praise for Callender who was outstanding on her captaincy debut. "Alex is a world class player, she leads by example and performed really well, I'm glad that she went well," she said. Last weekend's team sheet may have caused a few double takes as Dallavalle had continued to play under her maiden name Jones after getting married last said the decision to take her husband's name had nothing to do with losing the captaincy, it was pure coincidence."It's nothing exciting really. My passport was expiring and I didn't want to pay extra to change my name earlier, that's the real reason behind it," she joked."It was a nice little surprise for Deano because he didn't know whether I was going to take the Dallavalle name, but it was always in the pipeline. "It just happened to come at the time the captaincy changed and everyone thought it was because of that, but it's actually because I didn't want to pay to change my passport until it expired." Wales will have one final run out in Sydney before their World Cup opener against Scotland in Manchester on 23 August."The morale is really good, but we've still got to work hard and get our heads down ready for Friday because I'm sure Australia are going to come out and battle," added Dallavalle."It's an exciting week and we've got to back it up now."Dallavalle is eyeing her third World Cup, with Lynn set to announce his squad early next month."I'm only 28 so there could be another one if I keep going well," she said. "The growth in the game is brilliant, the support is unreal. It's probably the closest to home World Cup so it will be brilliant, it's just over the bridge for family and friends."
