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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Jens Berthel Askou explains reason behind Lennon Miller's Motherwell absence as star posted missing at Fir Park
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) JENS BERTHEL ASKOU confirmed Lennon Miller was absent from Fir Park as he nears a Motherwell exit. SunSport understands an Italian club is now leading the race for the coveted Scotland midfielder. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 MMotherwell Manager Jens Bethel Askou Credit: SNS 3 Motherwell's Lennon Miller appears to be on the move Credit: SNS Miller was nowhere to be seen as Well beat Morton 3-0 to top Group G and book a last-16 place. Asked if he was in talks with a club, Askou said: 'There's nothing new on Lennon. 'He wasn't able to be here but I will hopefully see him on Thursday after our day off and we will take it from there. 'There are lots of rumours on Lennon. 'I have heard a lot of funny stories but he is still a Motherwell player. 'We are very happy to have him and he is happy to be here. 'When there is something concrete, we will say. But I look forward to seeing him this week.' Tawanda Maswanhise grabbed a brilliant double after Apostolos Stamatelopoulos' opener against Morton. Gaffer Askou believes his Well team are starting to click as they turned on the style at Fir Park. Scotland youth international Lennon Miller scores from his own half on his debut for the Under-16s against England He said: 'A lot of the stuff we have been trying to implement worked and we were effective in front of goal. 'We scored some beautiful goals and I am happy for Apostolos and Tawanda. 'It was a good performance as a team and we showed individual quality too. 'Our intensity was great off the ball and our counter-pressing was extraordinary at times.' On a lush surface, Well zipped the ball about as they pinned Morton back from the off. It was one-way traffic for the first half hour, with Fir Park keeper Calum Ward a spectator. Elijah Just was bright for Well and had a shot deflected wide after some nice play. Stamatelopoulos headed wide and Just had a tame effort saved by James Storer. But Well kept probing and Callum Slattery fired a free-kick wide before setting up Stamatelopoulos with a clever set-piece. The Aussie connected well enough but couldn't keep his shot down. Morton were struggling to get up the pitch but almost took a shock lead in 31 minutes. Grant Gillespie's cross was perfect for Tomi Adeloye but he scooped his shot over the bar from close range. 3 Lennon Miller looks on during the International Friendly match Credit: Getty That was a major let-off for Well - but there was an even bigger one to come before the break. Adeloye took advantage of a mix-up between Paul McGinn and Liam Gordon to race through on goal. He looked certain to score but fell under the Motherwell skipper's last-gasp challenge. The Ton players screamed for a penalty but ref Ryan Lee instead gave a corner. Boss Dougie Imrie was raging and was booked for taking his protests too far. Well's pressure finally told in 52 minutes as Stamatelopoulos bundled in the opener. Storer denied Johnny Koutroumbis with a top save but the Well striker reacted quickest to score from a yard. Maswanhise killed the game off in 83 minutes when he latched onto Liam Gordon's pass and slotted in. And there was even better to come from the Well forward in injury-time when he curled a stunner into the top corner from 25 yards. Ton boss Imrie said: 'It was a stonewall penalty and that was a big moment in the game, but Motherwell played a lot of good stuff. "It was disappointing to lose the late goals but overall, it was a step up for us." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland's nightmare in Fiji: Red and yellow cards, Suva 'graveyard' and what it means for future
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox 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... In the post-match interviews on the pitch it was put to Fiji's captain Tevita Ikanivere that 'Suva is a graveyard for Scotland'. It's fair to say that it is not a city Gregor Townsend will retain too many fond memories of, in terms of results at least. He lost there as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2017. Saturday's 29-14 defeat completes an unwanted hat-trick and could have damaging repercussions for Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Townsend had spoken regularly about this game being an important stepping stone in his side's bid to climb the world rankings and be among the top seeds at the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup which takes place later this year. Grant Gilchrist leaps highest to claim lineout ball for Scotland in the loss to Fiji in Suva. | SNS/Scottish Rugby The Scotland coach had his eye on a place in the top six but Fiji could now climb above them. Of course, there is plenty more rugby to be played before the draw and the more immediate concern for Townsend will be how his side unravelled in the Fijian capital. Scotland started both halves well, scoring well worked tries through Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan, but it was the long passages of play after that which were the problems. Fiji, who outscored their visitors by four tries to two, thoroughly deserved this win, playing with great physicality and plenty of attacking verve. They benefitted from Scottish ill discipline but it was their relentless drive that forced the visitors into conceding penalty after penalty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland played much of the match with 14 men Scotland played much of the match with 14 men. Ewan Ashman, their hooker, was yellow-carded as early as the 11th minute as the penalties totted up. They restricted Fiji to just three points while he was off the pitch but there was a far more costly spell when Darcy Graham was sent to the sin-bin for tackling centre Sireli Maqala without the ball in the 35th minute. Fiji scored two tries in this period to turn Scotland's 7-3 lead into a 7-15 deficit before half-time. Worse was to follow for Graham. In the 66th minute he shot out the line too quickly to intercept a pass from scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli as the Fijians threatened. He was offside and referee Ben O'Keeffe awarded a penalty try and issued the Scotland winger with another yellow card. Two yellows equal a 20-minute red card and Graham's game was ended. In truth, so was Scotland's. They tried to find a way back but by that stage they were trailing by 15 points with only 14 minutes remaining. There were half-chances but none of the accuracy required to add a third try, with the best opportunity squandered as Adam Hastings fumbled. George Horne and Ollie Smith combine to try stop a Fijian attack in Suva. | SNS/Scottish Rugby There weren't too many positives for Scotland to take but Fergus Burke looked decent on his full international debut. He showed good skill and speed with his assist for Jordan's try and also produced a mighty 50:22 which, unfortunately for Scotland, didn't lead to anything. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jamie Dobie, Kyle Steyn and Ashman all threatened at times but this was Fiji's day and Scotland must now regroup for their final match of the tour, against Samoa in Auckland on Friday in what promises to be another huge physical contest. Townsend knew that would be the case in Suva and his players began the match well. A flying start against the Flying Fijians would have been exactly what Townsend wanted but what followed after Rowe's third-minute try was an almost relentless slog as they tried to keep their hosts at bay. It required a huge defensive effort but Scotland crumbled during those fatal four minutes before half-time as they saw their lead wiped out. Rowe's early try came off the back of a lineout move. Scotland moved the ball wide and Graham dinked a lovely short pass to the full-back to score. Burke converted, his first points in a Scotland jersey. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kyle Rowe gave Scotland hope with an early try. | SNS/Scottish Rugby Fiji's response was immediate. They moved Scotland up the pitch, kicking to the corners and forcing the visitors into conceding a raft of penalties. O'Keeffe's patience wore thin pretty quickly and Ashman was sent to the bin for not releasing his man. Cam Redpath did well to bundle the dangerous Jiuta Wainiqolo into touch but the brilliant Fiji winger would have his moment later. For all their pressure, Fiji only had a Caleb Muntz penalty as the clock ticked towards half-time. Scotland, who had lost Jamie Ritchie to a foot injury, were clinging on but when Graham tackled Maqala who was just a little too eager as the centre hadn't yet gathered the ball. With Graham in the sin-bin, Fiji capitalised, their captain Tevita Ikanivere scoring off the back of a lineout maul to put them 8-7 ahead. It was the last they deserved. Unwanted double whammy Worse was to follow for the Scots who conceded again before the interval. This try was all about Fijian backline flair, with Muntz floating a lovely pass to full-back Salesi Rayasi who played in Kalaveti to score. Muntz's conversion made it 15-7 at the break. Scotland couldn't deal with the kick-off at the start of the second half but they recovered to score soon after. Ashman made a break but was tackled; the Scots quickly recycled and Burke showed great dexterity to flick the ball to Jordan to run in the try. Burke converted to reduce Fiji's lead to a point but they failed to build on this momentum, despite the 50:22 from the stand-off that followed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Wainiqolo scored Fiji's third try with a magical jinking run, wriggling his way past four or five dark blue jerseys, and he almost set up another try from the kick-off, storming up the left wing and passing to Josua Tuisova who was halted a couple of metres short by Rowe and Rowe. Scotland were continuing to give away penalties and captain Rory Darge was warned by O'Keeffe. Almost immediately, Graham went offside as he tried to intercept a pass close to his own line and was sent off for his second yellow card. It was a double whammy because the hosts were also awarded a penalty try which stretched their lead to 29-14 and condemned Scotland to a third ever defeat by Fiji. Teams and scorers Scorers: Fiji: Tries: Ikanivere, Ravouvou, Wainiqolo, penalty try. Cons: Muntz 2. Pens: Muntz. Scotland: Tries: Rowe, Jordan. Cons: Burke 2. Yellow cards: Ashman (Sco, 11min), Graham x 2 (Sco, 35min + 66min). 20-minute red card: Graham. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fiji: 15. Salesi Rayasi; 14. Kalaveti Ravouvou, 13. Sireli Maqala, 12. Josua Tuisova, 11. Jiuta Wainiqolo; 10. Caleb Muntz, 9. Simione Kuruvoli; 1. Eroni Mawi, 2. Tevita Ikanivere, 3. Mesake Doge, 4. Isoa Nasilasila, 5. Temo Mayanavanua, 6. Lekima Tagitagivalu, 7. Elia Canakaivata, 8. Viliame Mata. Replacements: 16. Samuel Matavesi, 17. Haereiti Hetet, 18. Samuela Tawake, 19. Mesake Vocevoce, 20. Albert Tuisue, 21. Sam Wye, 22. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula, 23. Vilimoni Botitu. Scotland: 15. Kyle Rowe; 14. Darcy Graham, 13. Cameron Redpath, 12. Tom Jordan, 11. Kyle Steyn; 10. Fergus Burke, 9. Jamie Dobie; 1. Rory Sutherland, 2. Ewan Ashman, 3. Elliot Millar Mills, 4. Marshall Sykes, 5. Grant Gilchrist, 6. Jamie Ritchie, 7. Rory Darge, (capt), 8. Matt Fagerson. Replacements: 16. George Turner, 17. Alec Hepburn, 18. Will Hurd, 19. Max Williamson, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. George Horne, 22. Adam Hastings, 23. Ollie Smith. Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ).
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hibs routes to European league phase football, possible opponents and seedings explained
Hibs will enter the UEFA Europa League in the second qualifying round but could drop to the Conference League with defeat (Pic: SNS) | SNS Hibs will have to play three rounds of qualifying fixtures to secure European football beyond the summer starting with their tie against FC Midtjylland Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Aberdeen's Scottish Cup win meant they secured the rewards of guaranteed European league phase football this season, a prize that would have gone to Hibs had Celtic triumphed in the final. However, the capital club's third place Scottish Premiership finish was still enough to secure a spot in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round where they are due to face FC Midtjylland. Win or lose, Hibs will have at least one more European tie after the Danish side with a route through the Conference League qualifiers also available. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It can be a complicated situation to try and work out and David Gray's side will only be focused on the task in front of them against their first opponents. However, supporters may be keen to understand what a route to either competition's league phase looks like so we have done our best to explain it based on what we know so far: Hibs' route to UEFA Europa League - potential opponents and seedings explained Hibs obviously need to beat FC Midtjylland to progress in the UEFA Europa League and move towards the league phase. If they do overcome what is sure to be a tough tie then they will move to the third qualifying round. That would give them two more rounds of qualifiers before securing league phase football but a win in the third qualifying round of the higher ranked competition would guarantee, at the very least, a place in the league phase of the Conference League. If they win their tie with Midtjylland and the subsequent third qualifying round tie it would advance them to the play-off round, the prize they would have won had Aberdeen not lifted the Scottish Cup, where a win would see them move to the league phase and defeat would place them in the league phase of the Conference League. That may seem like a monumental task but one positive piece of news is that the winner of the tie with FC Midtjylland are due to be seeded in the third qualifying round. Some of the potential unseeded opponents so far include Wolfsberger AC of Austria and Fredrikstad of Norway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There will be 24 teams in the play-off round section, meaning there will be 12 ties. So far the only guaranteed seeded team are Young Boys of Switzerland while Genk of Belgium, Czechia's Sigma Olomouc, Turkey's Samsunspor and Aberdeen are unseeded. The seeding of the 12 winners from third round qualifying, along with the six losers from UEFA Champion's League third round qualifying, is yet to be determined. A team's seeding at this stage is based on their 2025 UEFA Club coefficient score meaning Hibs would almost certainly be unseeded for this draw especially given they currently have a lower score than Aberdeen who are already confirmed to be unseeded. Hibs' route to UEFA Europa Conference League - potential opponents and seedings explained Hibs first route to the league phase of the Europa Conference League is as explained above. That is reaching the play-off qualifying round of the Europa League and falling to defeat in that tie. However, the opportunity to reach the league phase of the lower ranked competition will still be open to them even if they don't progress to the play-off round of the higher ranked one. It all starts with the result against FC Midtjylland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If Hibs are beaten by the Danish side then there next match will be in the Conference League third qualifying round. There seeding for this draw is also undetermined but with a lower standard of opponent across the board there is a better chance they could be seeded at this stage but there are far too many potential outcomes from other ties to determine what sort of opponents David Gray's side could be looking at here. If they win that tie they progress to the play-off round of the Conference League qualifiers. This is also the stage they enter at if they beat FC Midtjylland in their second round Europa League qualifier but lose the subsequent Europa League third round qualifier. Once again, it's too early to determine if Hibs would be seeded or unseeded at this stage but going the route of beating Midtjylland then losing their next game would give them a better chance than the other route. Whatever the outcome, it's safe to say that Hibs will want to be seeded for this draw in order to avoid some incredibly difficult ties. Five teams are already confirmed to be seeded for the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round. They are: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Fiorentina (Italy) Crystal Palace (England) Rayo Vallecano (Spain) Mainz 05 (Germany) Strasbourg (France) If Hibs were to be drawn against any of those clubs they would start the tie as massive underdogs. In total, 38 teams will compete in the Conference League play-off round, meaning there will be 16 ties with the seedings for the 26 winners from the Conference League qualifying third round ties and five losers from Europa League third round qualifying ties still undetermined.
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Hearts' Craig Gordon provides injury update and if he'll be fit to play in testimonial vs Sunderland
Craig Gordon will be honoured by Hearts later this month when Sunderland visit Tynecastle for his testimonial match (Pic: SNS) | SNS Group The former Celtic stopper will be honoured at Tynecastle later this month when the Premier League side visit Edinburgh. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Craig Gordon has provided a positive injury update ahead of his testimonial match later this month against former club Sunderland at Tynecastle. The newly promoted English Premier League side will travel to Edinburgh to honour the Scotland keeper who spent five seasons with them as a player between 2007 and 2012. The match is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 26 and will not only be an opportunity to celebrate the legendary stopper's career but also give Derek McInnes one final opportunity to see his players in action before the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season gets underway. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gordon has been unable to feature in Hearts' opening Premier Sports Cup group stage matches against Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Accies as he recovers from a shoulder injury which kept him out of the final three league matches of last season. Head coach McInnes previously confirmed he did not expect the 42-year old to be fit in time to play any part in the opening League Cup matches and that his realistic goal was to be ready to play some part in his testimonial match. Craig Gordon hoping to play some part in Hearts vs Sunderland testimonial match Speaking as a guest on 'Ha'way the podcast', a Sunderland AFC podcast produced by the team at Roker Report, Gordon has provided a seemingly positive update on his status ahead of that match. The five time Scottish Premiership winner revealed he does expect to be able to play some part in proceedings but is not sure how much game time he will manage yet. He said: "It's going to be tight, it's going to be close. I think I'll be okay to play some part in the match. I don't think I'll play 90 minutes but I'm definitely looking to try and get on the pitch at some point. 'Hopefully I'll get on, potentially in the second half, but I'll need to see closer to the time how things are going. I'm stepping up the rehab day by day at the moment so I'll just wait and see where I am when the game comes around." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Hearts vs Sunderland tickets still available Gordon added: 'It's probably only now, looking back, having this testimonial and starting to look back with people putting footage together and old photos. When you're young and making your way in your career it's always about the next things. It's about striving to get better, to improve, to get the next move or the next contract and you're always looking to get something in the future. 'It's something I've not really done till now, to look back and think of the past, until it all got displayed in front of me and I sat down and looked at it and thought 'wow, how did that all happen?'' Tickets for the match are still available at the official Hearts website and are priced at £20 for adults, £15 for concessions (over 65s for people in full time education) and £5 for under 13s.
Scottish Sun
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘He doesn't have to play every game' – Inside Brendan Rodgers' Kieran Tierney Celtic plans and why best is still to come
HE could have made a fortune by going elsewhere. But Kieran Tierney's return to Celtic was PRICELESS for Brendan Rodgers. Advertisement 5 Kieran Tierney and Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers Credit: SNS 5 Tierney returned to the pitch today The Scotland defender has just made his second debut for the club against Portuguese outfit Estrela da Amadora. And KT strolled through 45 minutes as he marked his comeback to his bhoyhood heroes. Rodgers was thrilled to see him back in action after six years at Arsenal. And he has told how the deal only happened because the 28 year-old was prepared to forego a massive pay-day. Advertisement Manchester United and Juventus were just two of the clubs who were interested in snapping him up. But Tierney ignored the mega-money on offer to put pens to paper at Parkhead. Rodgers said: 'I think in isolation, Kieran coming back is brilliant for the team. 'Make no doubt about it, Kieran has sacrificed to come back here in a financial way because he's really wanted to come back. Advertisement 'But to have that player of the quality and experience that he has now, it's going to be really big for us. 'We want to make strides in European football so to bring that level of player in will certainly help us to do that. Lisbon training camp latest as Hoops close in on sixth summer signing 'But I think it tells you everything about what he missed and that feeling that he missed when he left. 'I know the clubs involved because I was part of the process in bringing him back so I know where he could've gone. Advertisement 'But this always felt the right place for him when we spoke months ago. 'I'm really happy for him. 'He's not even at his peak age yet, he's still got a lot of years left in him and hopefully we'll have them here at Celtic which I know he's really excited about.' Some fear KT doesn't have the physicality these days to play every week. Advertisement 5 The match was played at the Benfica Sports campus They point to various injuries he's had down the years as evidence that he could struggle at the latter end of his career. Rodgers insists he WILL need to manage the 28 year-old. But he's still convinced Tierney is approaching the PEAK of his career in the coming years. Advertisement He added: 'Listen, there are certain players that will break. 'We had to look at that closely because it has to be more than the emotional side. 'The last few years, he's been unfortunate as well with some of the injuries he has picked up. 'We feel with the management, with him and with how we work, we can keep him fit for as long as we possibly can. Advertisement 'He doesn't need to be available for every single game. 'It's important that, to have a successful season, we need to have a really good squad that we can rotate and that includes him. 'I think it's just great to have him back. He's in his way through the gears and we know that a fully fit Kieran is a massive boost for us.' 5 Kieran Tierney in the Hoops Advertisement Rodgers has a tight bond with Tierney. Their close relationship helped make the deal happen with the Celts boss taking time out of his summer holiday to meet up with him and put his mind at rest ahead of his return to the club. He added: 'I've been in contact with him throughout the months. 'When I knew he was going out there for a few days before meeting up with Scotland, we arranged to meet up. Advertisement 'I tend to do that. 'I met with Callum as well. It's nice to reassure him. 'I know what that feeling's like having been somewhere and coming back and the wonder of what it might be like and feel like. 'But it's not really until you're back here that you really sense it. Advertisement 'That's probably what it's like for him. It's probably a little bit strange initially but once he gets to Celtic Park, he'll feel really at home again.' Tierney only played 45 minutes against Estrela at Benfica's training complex. But that was always the plan. Rodgers was reluctant to ask too much of the Scotland defender given he only started training again last weekend. Advertisement 5 The defender didn't make many roving runs forward and didn't step infield either, like Greg Taylor did. But it's early days and once he gets his full fitness back, he'll be desperate to pick up from where he left off when he joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019. Rodgers added: 'It was like Kieran had never been away really. Advertisement 'We know his strengths, we know his qualities and we know he's going to be a big plus for us. 'I think those guys who came in are a week or so behind. 'In that space, you're maybe ten sessions short of the other players. 'But that will come, that will take time. Advertisement 'But you can see from the 45 minutes that he's still in a good place and building fitness which is what pre-season is all about.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
