Latest news with #Meathman
Irish Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Brighton boss discusses selling players as Ferguson Roma link continues to grow
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed that he will have to sell players in order to recoup some of the €80million he has spent on signings so far this summer. And one of the players that could follow Chelsea new-boy Joao Pedro out the door is Ireland striker Evan Ferguson, with Roma's interest in the 20-year-old continuing to grow. Hurzeler spent big to bring in Charalampos Kostoulas (€35million) from Olympiacos, Maxim de Cuyper (€20million) from Club Brugge and Tom Watson (€11.5million) from Sunderland, among others. And with less than two months remaining in the transfer window, he knows that he will have to clear out some of his current players if he wants to make any more additions. He said: 'We bought a lot of players. (But) to sell some players, I think that's the next part of this process, but we knew it would be a process. 'We are quite good at how we handled things so far, and I'm very pleased with Tony (Bloom - chairman), David (Weir - technical director), and Paul (Barber - chief executive), and how they handled things. 'So I'm quite pleased how we are, how the situation is at the moment, but for sure there still have to be some things done.' Brighton received almost €70m from Chelsea for Pedro, but more money will have to come into the coffers. Roma are weighing up a €30m swoop for Ferguson, who they see as someone who can challenge Artem Dovbyk for a first-team slot. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini has other summer targets, but is believed to be open to either a loan move or permanent swoop for the Meathman. Roma's interest in Ferguson goes back two years to when Jose Mourinho was in charge. At that stage, however, Ferguson had just signed a new long-term deal at Brighton and the club was in no mood to consider offers for the Ireland striker.
Irish Daily Mirror
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ferguson latest as Roma interest in Ireland striker is revived two years on
Roma have been once again linked with a move for Ireland striker Evan Ferguson - two years after their interest in the Brighton youngster emerged. The Serie A giants are eager to bolster their striking options and are free to dip into the transfer market now that UEFA has closed the case on their breaching of Financial Fair Play. Roma have been fined €3m by Europe's governing body, a drop in the ocean compared to the €80m punishment handed out to Chelsea - although €59m of that has been suspended. That means they can head into the summer window with certainty, and one of the first decisions facing them could relate to Ferguson. Their interest in the Meathman first emerged in Mirror Sport in May 2023, while Jose Mourinho was still in charge of I Giallorossi. At that time, however, Brighton had no desire to part company with Ferguson, and just weeks earlier they had handed him his second new contract in six months. There are still three years to run on that deal, which expires in the summer of 2028, however the Seagulls are now open to losing the 20-year-old, even on a permanent basis. Some reports state that they are willing to sell Ferguson for between €25m - €30m, well shy of previous valuations. The Ireland ace endured a difficult campaign last year. An ankle injury meant he lost ground on his rivals for a starting spot at Brighton under new boss Fabian Hurzeler. He made just two starts before another ankle injury in late December ruled him out for a month and almost scuppered his prospects of moving away from Brighton on loan. Despite his fitness woes, West Ham's former Brighton boss Graham Potter made a move late in the window, but he started Ferguson just once and played him for a total of just over 150 minutes. While another loan move this summer has been suggested - with clubs such as Celtic and Everton linked with the youngster - it appears that Brighton could opt to cash in on him. And having brushed off Roma's interest two years ago, reports in Italy suggest that the Premier League men have initiated contact this time around. Serie A side Atalanta have also been mentioned as potential suitors, should they lose Argentinean-born Italy international Mateo Retegui this summer.
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin footballer Ciarán Kilkenny ‘back smiling' after winner at Tipperary
It hasn't taken long for Dublin footballer Ciarán Kilkenny to taste success again following his county's elimination from the All-Ireland SFC on Saturday. Kilkenny's Dubs went down by 0-23 to 0-16 against Tyrone at Croke Park — meaning the eight-time All-Ireland winner's inter-county summer finishes early. Castleknock native Kilkenny is also a big horseracing fan and on Wednesday night at Tipperary racecourse a horse he owns in partnership with friends, Onemoredance, won for the second time in four months. Ironically trained by a Meathman in Johnny Murtagh, the three-year-old was well backed from 11/2 into the 10/3 favourite and won from Wonderfulwonderful in the @Tipperaryraces Handicap. Kilkenny and the Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate took home the first prize of €6,900 taking the horse's career earnings to over €16,000. The Dublin forward was delighted having missed the fillies' first win, also at Tipperary, in April as it came on the same day Dublin were playing Meath in Portlaoise. She was then disappointingly beaten into fourth when tried over a mile-and-a-half at Roscommon but bounced back to form with a runner-up placing at Gowran in the middle of last month. "It's great to have the owner (Dublin footballer Ciarán Kilkenny) here with a smile on his face after last weekend," said trainer Murtagh, who's daughters play Ladies football for Kildare. "She is much easier to manage now - she was tricky at the start of the year. I think she's just settled into the system now and likes being out in the paddock after she rides out. "She likes the track and has now won twice here. Kilkenny's passion for racing has seen him travel to many meetings and indeed he counts top jockey Keith Donoghue among his friends, and is a regular racegoer. He has enjoyed a fine season with Dublin despite their loss to Tyrone and will be now hoping he can spend more time on the racecourse, with Onemoredance a likely contender for the Galway races later this month.
Irish Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rangers legend issues warning to ‘my mob' amid growing Ferguson to Celtic links
Rangers legend Ally McCoist says he is a 'big fan' of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson - and he fears for his old club is Celtic manage to secure his signing this summer. The Scottsh champions have been with a loan swoop for Ferguson, who looks certain to be sent back out by Brighton after a frustrating spell at West Ham during the second-half of last season. The talk is that the Seagulls will demand assurances of regular game-time from any club interested in taking the Ireland striker. And that would not be an issue at Celtic, with Brendan Rodgers desperate to add to his fire-power ahead of their latest title defence. Ferguson made a total of just eight appearances, with most of those coming from the bench, during is half-season spell with the Hammers, and he failed to register a goal. However, McCoist reckons an injury-free run would see the Meathman return to the kind of form that led him to view Ferguson as one of the game's top breakthrough striking talents. Speaking in Dublin, where on Friday he completed a 555-mile cycle around Ireland as part of the Doddie'5 Lions Challenge, he told Mirror Sport: 'I'm a fan. Oh aye. 'I want him to get fit. I really like Evan Ferguson and I really want him to get fit and stay fit. 'He can finish. Out of all the younger ones coming through, I thought Evan Ferguson was the one to watch. 'Obviously he's got one or two injuries going on that have held him back a bit, but if he keeps himself fit he will score goals anywhere.' McCoist reckons Ferguson would strike fear into defences through Scotland - including across Glasgow at Ibrox. The Gers icon - who scored 355 goals in less than 600 appearances for the Blue side of the Old Firm, and won 10 Scottish titles - fired a warning to his old club. 'The unfortunate thing for my mob is, he could come in and hurt us. Definitely. It wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm a big fan,' said McCoist. Ferguson's arrival at Celtic - should the Bhoys successfully pursue the Ireland striker - would cast doubt over the future of another Boys in Green star. Adam Idah continues to divide opinion among fans of the Scottish giants, despite hitting 20 goals across all competitions - including in three the Champions League - last season. However, McCoist reckons the Corkman has done more than enough to earn the affections of the Parkhead faithful. Idah's crucial goals during his loan spell at Celtic in the 2023/24 season, including the winner against Rangers in the Scottish Cup final, earned him a permanent switch from Norwich. McCoist said: 'He's done well. He has scored important goals. 'I think one thing you have got to do as an Old Firm centre forward is, sure, you have to get goals. 'But as an Old Firm centre-forward, you have got to score against Rangers. And if you are a centre-forward for Rangers you have got to score against Celtic. 'You have got to score important goals and Adam Idah has done that.' McCoist cycled around Ireland with a crew of fundraisers from the rugby and UK media scene, including Kenny and Gabby Logan. The challenge helped raise funds for both My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Charlton beat Leyton Orient in League One play-off final to end five-year Championship absence
Macaulay Gillesphey struck the only goal of the game to beat Leyton Orient in the League One play-off final and send Charlton back into the Championship after a gap of five years to the delight of their 40,000 fans in a crowd of 76,193. No-nonsense defending from both sides led to a scrappy opening period with goal opportunities at a premium. It took 31 minutes for the game to spark into life but the wait was worth it with a sublimely executed free-kick by Gillesphey breaking the deadlock. Tyreece Campbell, always a threat, was fouled outside the penalty box and Gillesphey curled his set-piece delivery from 20 yards past the wall and wide of Orient keeper Josh Keeley - the Meathman is a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad for next month's friendlies against Senegal and Luxembourg - who got his fingers to the ball but could not prevent it from nestling into the net. Charlton, who had former Ireland under-21 caps Conor Coventry and the on-loan Alex Gilbert in their team, enjoyed the better of the possession in the first half whilst nervy Orient struggled to impose themselves on the game and the Addicks looked more comfortable on the ball. Campbell and skipper Greg Docherty exchanged passes in a potentially threatening move but Campbell's weak cross was comfortably collected by Keeley while Orient provided little concerns for Addicks shot-stopper Will Mannion. The teams came into the match in a rich vein of form, each having only tasted defeat once in each of their last 10 matches. The Addicks completed the scheduled league season in fourth spot, seven points ahead of the O's whose run of six successive victories at the death earned them the final play-off position. "I kind of pulled him aside and said to him, 'Listen, I'm not here to take your place'" @bazlastmanback on a "brilliant" call-up to the 🇮🇪Ireland squad for goalkeeper Josh Keeley 📺/🎧 Full #RTESoccerPodcast: — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 20, 2025 Orient raised their tempo in the second half, taking the game to their opponents from the restart. Jack Currie sent in a powerful drive that was deflected for a corner and then League One's leading scorer Charlie Kelman saw his goal-bound drive deflected onto the crossbar. Then Jamie Donley was brought down on the edge of the penalty area but his resultant free-kick was blocked by the resolute Charlton defence. Keeley kept Orient in the game when he dealt with an effort from Coventry before he tipped a well-struck effort from substitute Chuks Aneke over the bar but Orient kept pushing forward in search of the equaliser. However, a combination of a lack of quality to their final touch and pass and the well-drilled determined unwavering steely defending of their opponents for whom Lloyd Jones was outstanding proved too much to overcome. The return to the second tier of English football was a triumph for Charlton boss Nathan Jones. He had twice led Luton to promotions and can now add Charlton to his list of successes having taken over as boss of the club in February 2024.
