Latest news with #Evertonian
Scotsman
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
The man driving the Rangers revolution - 'make some hard and fast decisions'
Thelwell comes in from Everton with a clear remit at Ibrox 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... Born in Autumn 1973, Kevin Thelwell is of a vintage that he vividly remembers when Rangers shocked the football world to appoint Graeme Souness as player-manager in 1986. Although growing up in the north-west of England in what he has described as an 'Evertonian household', it would have been hard to remain unaware of the Ibrox club's policy around the time of signing some of the best players from the top clubs in England. Indeed, a couple of them were playing for Everton. Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven were among those attracted to Ibrox by wages and the prospect of European football. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is a different era now, of course. Thelwell has made the circuitous route to Ibrox, via Everton of all places as well as New York and Wolverhampton, having made his mark in the world of football strategy and operations rather than as a professional player, which was the dream. He came through the youth ranks at Crewe Alexandra but failed to make a competitive appearance either there or at Shrewsbury Town, the club he later joined. Kevin Thelwell is Rangers' new sporting director. | SNS Group As Sporting Director at Rangers, he is seeking to revolutionise the club in a quieter way than when Souness implemented his less than subtle strategy in the mid-to-late 1980s. Ideally, though, it will prove as effective in the long-term. The coming weeks will reveal a lot as Thelwell gets to work alongside Russell Martin, the manager who he had a significant say in choosing to take Rangers into a new era. They have already started sifting through the first team squad of 27 players, many of whom fans would suggest have overstayed their welcome. It's been speculated that as many as 12 might be exiting with another 12 brought in to replace them. Players such as Conor Coady, from Leicester City, and Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman have already been strongly linked. 'I probably wouldn't want to put a number on it in this moment,' said Thelwell, when asked about the extent of the squad overhaul. 'I think clearly there's been some work being done behind the scenes. We've been evaluating and reviewing the current group that we've got. There's some very, very good players in that group. But then also, as at every football club, there's room for improvement, isn't there? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers' 'real opportunity' 'Now that Russell is in as the head coach, we've got a real opportunity now to sit down very, very quickly and talk more about what that group looks like currently and what we need to do going forward. Make some hard and fast decisions and then start to hopefully build a team very, very quickly that helps us to win.' There are clearly players Rangers would rather keep because of what they can do on the pitch, although the new strategic model is hinged on a more sensible approach to selling players at the right time to accumulate the maximum profit possible. Nico Raskin, who has shone for Belgium in recent days, falls into the category of a young player attracting admiring glances and who would attract a decent fee. 'From my perspective, we want the strongest team possible, don't we?' said Thelwell. 'Of course, I think we all understand there's going to be some players that come and also there will be some players that leave. That has to be part of any plan, effectively. But in reality, where we want to be is we want to make sure that by the time that transfer window closes the team looks stronger for the work that we've done during that trading window. And that's what we'll be working on.' Swapping Goodison Park for Ibrox means changing one iconic venue for another. Stadium architect Archibald Leitch's criss-cross balcony motif, as conspicuous at Ibrox as it is at Everton's ground, will make him feel at home. There are some crucial differences, however – principally the pressure to win trophies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've been very lucky over the course of my career to visit Rangers and Ibrox many, many times,' said Thelwell. 'Clearly, it's a huge club with an unbelievable fan base. The atmosphere when things are going well here is like no other place. I'm very lucky that I've experienced an unbelievable football club most recently in Everton. Goodison is very, very special, but Ibrox is very, very special as well.
Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Rooney's ex-Man Utd teammate set for Plymouth job after icon's disastrous spell
Tom Cleverley is poised to become the next Plymouth boss after emerging as the best candidate with Wayne Rooney's former Manchester United team-mate looking to lead them back to the Championship Tom Cleverley is set to become the next Plymouth boss after holding productive talks with the club's bosses as they look to bounce back from their Championship relegation. The former Manchester United star is expected to succeed Miron Muslic, who masterminded the FA Cup win over Liverpool but left for Schalke last month. Cleverley meanwhile is out of a job having been sacked by Watford last month. He had led the Hornets to a 14th-place finish in the second tier in his first full season. Plymouth had spoken to four candidates about their vacancy with Cleverley emerging as the frontrunner. Former Arsenal star Jack Wilshere, who had been caretaker boss at Norwich, was also interviewed but looks set to miss out according to the Guardian. Plymouth's managerial search has been led by David Fox, their former player who was recently appointed head of football operations, and the former Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber. The Pilgrims knew their relegation was all but confirmed ahead of the final day with a hugely inferior goal difference meaning they were ultimately down. They were beaten by Leeds at Home Park which bought an end to their two-year stay in the Championship. Their demise began with Wayne Rooney at the helm. Cleverley's former team-mate at Old Trafford was handed another managerial gig in the Championship but struggled for results. He won five of his 25 games before he was shown the door just after Christmas. He left Plymouth sitting in the relegation zone and, despite an upturn in form that saw them down the likes of Sheffield United, they couldn't save themselves and will hope to bounce back at the first time of asking. They are among the pre-season favourites for promotion. Rooney has said on his stint: "I loved my time there - I think the fans were great, the staff were great. We just hit a bad run of form and the players actually you know I can't fault them, they were trying everything. Maybe we just lacked that bit of quality." Rooney's successor, Muslic, appeared to take a swipe at the Evertonian and claimed that the club would never have gone down had he been in charge all season. "I think if I'm the head coach from day one we will be far, far away from the relegation zone," he said previously.
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
The man driving the Rangers revolution - 'make some hard and fast decisions'
Thelwell comes in from Everton with a clear remit at Ibrox 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... Born in Autumn 1973, Kevin Thelwell is of a vintage that he vividly remembers when Rangers shocked the football world to appoint Graeme Souness as player-manager in 1986. Although growing up in the north-west of England in what he has described as an 'Evertonian household', it would have been hard to remain unaware of the Ibrox club's policy around the time of signing some of the best players from the top clubs in England. Indeed, a couple of them were playing for Everton. Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven were among those attracted to Ibrox by wages and the prospect of European football. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is a different era now, of course. Thelwell has made the circuitous route to Ibrox, via Everton of all places as well as New York and Wolverhampton, having made his mark in the world of football strategy and operations rather than as a professional player, which was the dream. He came through the youth ranks at Crewe Alexandra but failed to make a competitive appearance either there or at Shrewsbury Town, the club he later joined. Kevin Thelwell is Rangers' new sporting director. | SNS Group As Sporting Director at Rangers, he is seeking to revolutionise the club in a quieter way than when Souness implemented his less than subtle strategy in the mid-to-late 1980s. Ideally, though, it will prove as effective in the long-term. The coming weeks will reveal a lot as Thelwell gets to work alongside Russell Martin, the manager who he had a significant say in choosing to take Rangers into a new era. They have already started sifting through the first team squad of 27 players, many of whom fans would suggest have overstayed their welcome. It's been speculated that as many as 12 might be exiting with another 12 brought in to replace them. Players such as Conor Coady, from Leicester City, and Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman have already been strongly linked. 'I probably wouldn't want to put a number on it in this moment,' said Thelwell, when asked about the extent of the squad overhaul. 'I think clearly there's been some work being done behind the scenes. We've been evaluating and reviewing the current group that we've got. There's some very, very good players in that group. But then also, as at every football club, there's room for improvement, isn't there? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers' 'real opportunity' 'Now that Russell is in as the head coach, we've got a real opportunity now to sit down very, very quickly and talk more about what that group looks like currently and what we need to do going forward. Make some hard and fast decisions and then start to hopefully build a team very, very quickly that helps us to win.' There are clearly players Rangers would rather keep because of what they can do on the pitch, although the new strategic model is hinged on a more sensible approach to selling players at the right time to accumulate the maximum profit possible. Nico Raskin, who has shone for Belgium in recent days, falls into the category of a young player attracting admiring glances and who would attract a decent fee. 'From my perspective, we want the strongest team possible, don't we?' said Thelwell. 'Of course, I think we all understand there's going to be some players that come and also there will be some players that leave. That has to be part of any plan, effectively. But in reality, where we want to be is we want to make sure that by the time that transfer window closes the team looks stronger for the work that we've done during that trading window. And that's what we'll be working on.' Swapping Goodison Park for Ibrox means changing one iconic venue for another. Stadium architect Archibald Leitch's criss-cross balcony motif, as conspicuous at Ibrox as it is at Everton's ground, will make him feel at home. There are some crucial differences, however – principally the pressure to win trophies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've been very lucky over the course of my career to visit Rangers and Ibrox many, many times,' said Thelwell. 'Clearly, it's a huge club with an unbelievable fan base. The atmosphere when things are going well here is like no other place. I'm very lucky that I've experienced an unbelievable football club most recently in Everton. Goodison is very, very special, but Ibrox is very, very special as well.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hartley back with England after shifts in garden centre
Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of 2024. The leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned home. When Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre. "I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport. Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston. He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials. "It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley says. "They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day. "It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times. "If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me." The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business. Hartley's father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day. "My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he says. "It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade. "It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit. "If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world." Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since India. After the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter". Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree. "It beat any of my expectations," he says. "To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on." On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of Australia. He turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign. "I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he says. "It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag." Time out of the side has also provided moments for reflection. Under Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where the message is always to hunt wickets. Hartley does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths. "Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he says. "Personally I have to think 'that is not me'. "I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets." Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs cricket. They have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy exit. In the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball game. They have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets. The result has been Hartley's recall to England's ODI squad and Dawson's return for the T20 series against West Indies that follows. "You look at a lot of the top sides around the world and they do have a left-arm spinner," Hartley says. "For whatever reason it seems to work." At 35, Dawson's recall looks to be one with an eye on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. With Hartley, nine years Dawson's junior, in the ODI squad, he has the first chance to stake a claim for a place at the 50-over World Cup in 2027. "Bumble [the former England coach and iconic commentator David Lloyd] came up to me the other day and said you don't know anything about spin bowling until you are 27," Hartley says. "You don't realise you are learning but you are, always. "It comes up in certain situations and then pops into your head what you have to do. "You end up having more options, especially when it is not spinning as much - come over, go wide, use the footholes more, change the fields. "You need that experience and game knowledge." Blooms and bowling might be more similar than he knows...
United News of India
27-05-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Hartley back with England after shifts in garden centre
London, May 27 (UNI) Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of 2024, the leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned home. When Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre. "I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport. Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston. He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials. "It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley said. "They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day. "It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times. "If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me." The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business. Hartley's father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day. "My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he said. "It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade. "It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit. "If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world." Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since India. After the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter". Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree. "It beat any of my expectations," he said. "To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on." On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of Australia. He turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign. "I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he said. "It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag." Time out of the side has also provided moments for reflection. Under Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where the message is always to hunt wickets. Hartley does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths. "Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he said. "Personally I have to think 'that is not me'. "I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets." Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs cricket. They have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy exit. In the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball game. They have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets. UNI BM
