Latest news with #Wycombe
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
I had a nagging feeling about Emmanuel Fernandez from day one and here's why his transfer to Rangers is going to work
Fernandez has the personality to handle the hard knock life at Rangers according to a man who had him on trial The road to Rangers for Emmanuel Fernandez had staging posts at Margate and Ramsgate but Gareth Ainsworth insists the signs all point towards a Glasgow success story. Fishing ports apart, Sheppey and Spalding United have also been part of the £2.5million Ibrox recruit's route from Peterborough, and Gillingham boss Ainsworth believes the giant defender's move has been timed to perfection. Ainsworth revealed he once opted against signing a teenage Fernandez during a trial spell at Wycombe and is adamant underwhelming career credentials mask the rapid progress of a player who could become a masterstroke signing by Russell Martin. He said: 'We had Manny in at Wycombe for a couple of weeks when he was a wafer-thin 16-year-old. 'He was nowhere near ready for the professional game and we didn't have an academy at that time so it wasn't an option for us to keep him. 'It was a really difficult situation and it's never nice to tell a kid he wasn't going to get anything as we didn't have the infrastructure for that. 'It's all changed now at Wycombe and if he had arrived it would be completely different. He's someone who has proved doubters wrong. 'Anis Mehmeti came into Wycombe around that time. He had been playing non-league football but we signed him and went on to sell him to Bristol City for a club-record fee so we did get some of them right. 'I had a nagging feeling about Manny. He had attributes I liked and I'm really pleased to see how much he has developed and become the player he has. 'This move to Rangers is a huge step but he's going to work with an intelligent manager in Martin, who has shown he knows how to develop and improve young players. 'It's a shrewd piece of business and makes sense.' Fernandez began his career as a youth at Brentford before beginning his tour of non-league seaside clubs after being released at Gillingham. He managed to climb back up the ladder and made 42 appearances last season at League One Peterborough Ainsworth is convinced the 23-year-old's battle through the adversity of playing in English football's backwaters has equipped him for life at the Light Blues. He said: 'Timing is a huge part of football and it can work for and against you. 'The timing for Manny's move to Rangers is perfect. I believe he can now go to Glasgow and achieve some fantastic things. 'He has the temperament to deal with whatever comes his way. He is a calm individual and I don't think there is much that fazes him. 'Manny's been though the school of hard knocks already and sometimes it's a player who's had those knocks and has played a lot of first-team games early in his career that can handle a move to a club the size of Rangers. 'Manny has been though a lot and hit setbacks in his career but is stronger for it. 'That will allow him to deal with this latest step. 'His time at Peterborough has set him up well and having worked with Darren [Ferguson, manager] will be a huge advantage – you can't be a shrinking violet when Darren's around. 'You need to have a bit of personality and something about you to play for Darren.' Fernandez scored five goals and was sent off twice with the Posh last term. He is a left-field addition by Martin but Ainsworth believes he's a key piece of the jigsaw for a Rangers boss who's made his name by deploying high-risk, possession-based football. Ainsworth said: 'I think Manny is definitely the ball-playing centre-half who will suit the possession-based style and system which Russell wants to play. 'He's a confident boy, he's someone who wants to get on the ball and is reluctant to just smash the ball anywhere. 'He's developed into a cultured defender and one of the things that stands out about him is his recovery pace. 'He can look quite slight because he is so tall. But last season, very few strikers in League One got the better of him in a physical battle. 'That was something that surprised me as I can still recall him arriving at Wycombe as this skinny 16-year-old. 'Manny is a ball-playing centre-half and I'll watch with interest. He's a great lad and I'm sure he's going to be a success.'
North Wales Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Max Stryjek is Kilmarnock hero in narrow cup win against former side Livingston
Polish goalkeeper Stryjek made a series of excellent first-half saves in a 1-0 Premier Sports Cup victory. Livingston goalkeeper Jerome Prior had a less-successful evening as some poor handling led to Mo Sylla's own goal in the 31st minute. Prior could only palm the ball out as Liam Polworth returned his half-cleared corner and it bounced off the unfortunate Sylla and into the net. Livingston made the brighter start but Stryjek was on top form on his debut against the team he left three years ago. The 28-year-old returned to Scotland after spells with Wycombe and 2024 Polish champions Jagiellonia Bialystok and he quickly staked his claim for the number one role after replacing fellow new signing Eddie Beach in the starting line-up. Stryjek pulled off an impressive double stop from Stevie May and twice denied former Killie striker Robbie Muirhead. The home side's final ball had let them down before they capitalised on some decent pressure to make the breakthrough. They defended well in the second half, although Stryjek showed some good handling when called upon and made a point-blank save from Danny Wilson's header. Prior pulled off a good late save to deny Killie substitute Marley Watkins. Victory in the only all top-flight game of the group stage puts Kilmarnock in a commanding position at the top of Group H and sets Kettlewell's side up nicely for their William Hill Premiership opener against the same opponents on August 2.
Leader Live
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Stuart Kettlewell hails Max Stryjek after Kilmarnock's cup win over Livingston
The Pole denied his former club on a number of occasions as Killie took control of Group H. Stryjek has returned to Scottish football three years after leaving Livi for Wycombe and after a season of largely playing understudy at Jagiellonia Bialystok in his homeland. Speaking after his first home match in charge, Kettlewell said of his keeper: 'You just see his experience, don't you? He's some character, but he just wants to play football. He wants to get back out on the pitch. 'He's been a guy for a number of years now that's been active in the game, playing, being involved, under pressure, doing well. 'So I think you can kind of see that in his performance. He's been really vibrant about the place and delighted that he performed as well as he did.' Killie triumphed thanks to a 31st-minute own goal from Mo Sylla, who was unfortunate to see the ball bounce in off him after some poor handling from goalkeeper Jerome Prior. 'I need to rein myself in for being negative, because I absolutely think we can play much better than what we did,' Kettlewell added. 'I think we'll have to over the course of the season. 'What the players showed us was a bit of grit, a bit of determination, to make sure they dragged themselves across the line to get the three points.' Livingston manager David Martindale was encouraged by some of his team's attacking play and is set to add to his squad in the coming days. Martindale will attend a work permit hearing on Thursday in a bid to sign 36-year-old DR Congo international striker Jeremy Bokila from Willem II, who were relegated from the Dutch top flight last season. 'I'm pretty confident it will get passed, he is coming from a real top level,' he said. 'And then there's two younger ones who I'm speaking to their parent clubs about. Whether that's going to be loans or permanent deals… 'If I can get those three players in the building this week or early next week, I'll be over the moon with what we've got, although we would need to trim the squad a bit.'
Rhyl Journal
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Stuart Kettlewell hails Max Stryjek after Kilmarnock's cup win over Livingston
The Pole denied his former club on a number of occasions as Killie took control of Group H. Stryjek has returned to Scottish football three years after leaving Livi for Wycombe and after a season of largely playing understudy at Jagiellonia Bialystok in his homeland. Speaking after his first home match in charge, Kettlewell said of his keeper: 'You just see his experience, don't you? He's some character, but he just wants to play football. He wants to get back out on the pitch. 'He's been a guy for a number of years now that's been active in the game, playing, being involved, under pressure, doing well. 'So I think you can kind of see that in his performance. He's been really vibrant about the place and delighted that he performed as well as he did.' Killie triumphed thanks to a 31st-minute own goal from Mo Sylla, who was unfortunate to see the ball bounce in off him after some poor handling from goalkeeper Jerome Prior. 'I need to rein myself in for being negative, because I absolutely think we can play much better than what we did,' Kettlewell added. 'I think we'll have to over the course of the season. 'What the players showed us was a bit of grit, a bit of determination, to make sure they dragged themselves across the line to get the three points.' Livingston manager David Martindale was encouraged by some of his team's attacking play and is set to add to his squad in the coming days. Martindale will attend a work permit hearing on Thursday in a bid to sign 36-year-old DR Congo international striker Jeremy Bokila from Willem II, who were relegated from the Dutch top flight last season. 'I'm pretty confident it will get passed, he is coming from a real top level,' he said. 'And then there's two younger ones who I'm speaking to their parent clubs about. Whether that's going to be loans or permanent deals… 'If I can get those three players in the building this week or early next week, I'll be over the moon with what we've got, although we would need to trim the squad a bit.'
South Wales Guardian
16-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Stuart Kettlewell hails Max Stryjek after Kilmarnock's cup win over Livingston
The Pole denied his former club on a number of occasions as Killie took control of Group H. Stryjek has returned to Scottish football three years after leaving Livi for Wycombe and after a season of largely playing understudy at Jagiellonia Bialystok in his homeland. Speaking after his first home match in charge, Kettlewell said of his keeper: 'You just see his experience, don't you? He's some character, but he just wants to play football. He wants to get back out on the pitch. 'He's been a guy for a number of years now that's been active in the game, playing, being involved, under pressure, doing well. 'So I think you can kind of see that in his performance. He's been really vibrant about the place and delighted that he performed as well as he did.' Killie triumphed thanks to a 31st-minute own goal from Mo Sylla, who was unfortunate to see the ball bounce in off him after some poor handling from goalkeeper Jerome Prior. 'I need to rein myself in for being negative, because I absolutely think we can play much better than what we did,' Kettlewell added. 'I think we'll have to over the course of the season. 'What the players showed us was a bit of grit, a bit of determination, to make sure they dragged themselves across the line to get the three points.' Livingston manager David Martindale was encouraged by some of his team's attacking play and is set to add to his squad in the coming days. Martindale will attend a work permit hearing on Thursday in a bid to sign 36-year-old DR Congo international striker Jeremy Bokila from Willem II, who were relegated from the Dutch top flight last season. 'I'm pretty confident it will get passed, he is coming from a real top level,' he said. 'And then there's two younger ones who I'm speaking to their parent clubs about. Whether that's going to be loans or permanent deals… 'If I can get those three players in the building this week or early next week, I'll be over the moon with what we've got, although we would need to trim the squad a bit.'
