Category Uncategorized

Winning the European Championship and reigning victorious over the continent is something only a select group of nations can boast.

England are yet to do it and the Germans haven’t done it in nearly 30 years, showing just how difficult it can be.

The Three Lions have come close in the past two tournaments, being beaten in the final by Italy in 2021 and Spain in 2024.

But who are the best champions in the competition’s history? Football FanCast has decided to take a trip down memory lane and rank every team to win the tournament since the inaugural edition in 1960.

17 Italy – 1968

One of the very early European Championships back in 1968 saw the Italians pick up their first of two triumphs in this tournament.

Solely for the fact that Italy only made it through to the final thanks to the flip of a coin in the semi-finals after they played out a stalemate with the Soviet Union on the field, this team has to be rock bottom.

The final tournament only consisted of four teams, with England among the qualifiers after seeing Spain off over two legs. The Three Lions were beaten by Yugoslavia before securing third place in a play-off against the Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Italy, who still had to qualify despite having hosting rights – this was chosen once the finalists had been confirmed – came from behind to beat Bulgaria in their quarter-final play-off to make the final four.

With penalty shootouts not existing until the 1970s, a coin toss gave Italy a shot at glory on home soil. A late equaliser set up a replay against Yugoslavia, and just two days later, the Italians prevailed 2-0 to claim their first European crown.

16 Portugal – 2016

Bringing it back to the modern era with a Portuguese team who weren’t expected to go all the way, in truth. Cristiano Ronaldo was of course their poster boy, but after suffering an injury during the final, he spent the remainder of the night doing Fernando Santos’ job for him on the touchline. Eder’s goal in the final was thrilling, though they never really blew anyone away.

This was best demonstrated by the fact that they only won one game within 90 minutes – their semi-final victory over Wales. Of course, this Portugal team is perhaps best known for winning the tournament despite drawing all three of their group games and scraping through as one of the best third-placed teams, having finished behind Hungary and Iceland in Group F.

A shootout victory over Poland and extra-time triumphs over Croatia and France in the final saw them write their way into footballing folklore in the most underwhelming of manners.

15 Soviet Union – 1960

The first European Championship – then known as the European Nations’ Cup – took place in France in 1960, where the Soviet Union prevailed as the inaugural winners.

Not that it is necessarily their fault, but with the tournament being much smaller and there being fewer teams in the finals (four), it is hard to put them in the same conversation as some of the more recent teams who have had to play up to seven times on their way to victory.

Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union went toe-to-toe in the final at the Parc des Princes in the French capital. It was the former who took the lead, before the Soviet Union hit back through Slava Metreveli and Viktor Ponedelnik’s winner in extra-time.

14 Denmark – 1992

Denmark’s triumph in 1992 as the ultimate dark horse has to go down as one of the greatest achievements in men’s international football.

Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel played a major role in his country’s success whilst midfielder Henrik Larsen was joint top-scorer along with three others.

This victory is made all the more remarkable when one considers that the Danes didn’t originally qualify to take part. It was only after Yugoslavia were removed from the tournament due to the breakup of the country amid the outbreak of war that Denmark – second to Yugoslavia in their qualifying group – earned their spot, and they certainly grabbed this unlikely opportunity.

The tournament also saw the end of the backpass rule, which the Danes were all too keen to exploit – leaving them lower on this list than their victory perhaps merits.

13 Italy – 2020

Italy are the first team to feature on this list more than once and their success three years ago isn’t this low down solely because it was England that they beat in the final.

That may play a minor role, but it has more to do with the fact that whilst they were a good side that scored seven unanswered goals in the group stages, they didn’t really reach the heights of a great team, having sneaked their way to victory with just one win inside 90 minutes in the knockout stages – albeit an impressive one against Belgium.

The Azzurri won’t care whether they were good or great given that they got their hands on the trophy, and on top of that, it has to be said that they had some excellent performers including the likes of Federico Chiesa, Nicolo Barella, Leonardo Spinazzola and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

12 Spain – 1964

Our journey through time takes another major leap as we arrive in 1964, the year of the competition’s second edition.

This was the first time that Spain were able to complete a whole campaign after they were booted from the previous tournament for their refusal to face the Soviet Union four years prior whilst under the rule of Francisco Franco.

Luis Suarez was the star player for the Spaniards in ’64 and so whilst again, there were limited matches in comparison to the modern game, the Euros still bore witness to some true excellence from one of the very best.

11 West Germany – 1980

When combining the exploits of West Germany and the unified nation of Germany as they are now, it is a tie between them and Spain for the most trophies.

The second of two as West Germany came in 1980 – they beat Belgium in the final in the ancient city of Rome thanks to a brace from Horst Hrubesch, who has recently managed Germany Women and the Hamburg men’s side.

Hrubesch was second in the scoring charts for his country and the overall tournament as Klaus Allofs was the only man to reach a tally of three.

This side have ended up in the middle of the pack due to the fact that they weren’t exactly blowing any teams away – they won three of their four matches by a single goal alongside a goalless draw with Greece. Nevertheless, they still seized a great opportunity and earned a coveted European Championship title after seeing off the likes of the Netherlands and then-reigning champions Czechoslovakia along the way.

10 Germany – 1996

Sticking with Die Mannschaft as they won their third title in 1996.

After beating England in the semi-finals following Gareth Southgate’s miss from the penalty spot, the Czech Republic awaited the Germans at Wembley.

Patrik Berger, formerly of Liverpool, opened the scoring in the final with a penalty of his own. Oliver Bierhoff scored his only two goals of the tournament on the biggest stage, the first levelling things up and then the second being a momentous golden-goal winner in extra-time.

Having seen off the likes of England, Italy, Croatia and the Czech Republic (twice), it is hard to begrudge them their place as one of the better championship-winning teams.

9 Czechoslovakia – 1976

Czechoslovakia weren’t the most spectacular of teams and certainly weren’t the favourites in 1976, but for one moment alone that was truly iconic, they deserve to be remembered fondly.

This moment in question is of course the chipped finish from the penalty spot that decided the final in their favour which has now come to bear a certain name.

Antonin Panenka did something so audacious and unexpected that he is now etched into the history books of the sport, with the Panenka name carrying such significance for this action from 12 yards out alone.

8 Spain – 2024

Spain won their third European Championship in 2024, winning all seven games on their way to the trophy.

Having been dumped out of the World Cup by Morocco in 2022, La Roja had something of a point to prove as they jetted off to Germany 18 months later – and they certainly did that.

They won all their group games without conceding a goal, but came alive during the knockout stages. They came from behind to smash tournament newcomers Georgia before a dramatic 119th-minute winner saw off hosts Germany in the last eight.

Their tournament truly came alight in the semi-final stage with arguably the moment of the competition, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal scoring one of the greatest goals in European Championship history to equalise against France, before Dani Olmo’s goal set up a grand final against England.

Spain’s winning experience appeared to serve them well as they defeated the Three Lions in Berlin to secure a third European crown in five attempts, with this iteration of the team hugely impressive and looking like favourites to defend their title in 2028.

It is also looking rather rosy as far as Tottenham Hotspur are concerned, with new boss Ange Postecoglou having enjoyed a stunning start to life in the dugout after picking up four successive Premier League victories to leave his side firmly in the mix at the summit.

The ex-Celtic boss appears to have benefitted from the bold and brave decisions he has made over the last few months or so, notably handing a reduced role to the likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, while also replacing long-serving asset, Hugo Lloris in the sticks.

That trio are not the only figures to have suffered from the 58-year-old's appointment, with Brazilian full-back Emerson Royal another to have slipped down the pecking order of late down the right flank.

How much did Tottenham pay for Emerson Royal?

The former Barcelona man – who arrived from Camp Nou back in the summer of 2021 – has started just a solitary league game this season after losing his place to Pedro Porro at right-back, with the 25-year-old unable to build on his mini-resurgence last term.

The £25.8m signing overcame his early woes in English football to prove a standout figure in the second half of last season's tumultuous campaign, with club insider John Wenham suggesting that it looked as if the defender had initially been "spurred on" by the signing of Porro.

While also described as "unbelievable" by Wenham following his display against Manchester City earlier this year, it may be hard to forget the £40k-per-week man's prior grim performances, however, with talkSPORT's Jamie O'Hara branding him a "disaster" back in November.

Journalist Josh Bunting was even more critical of the one-time Real Betis man the previous month, having stated that Emerson is "maybe the worst player to play for Tottenham in my lifetime", such were the "dreadful" nature of his performances.

For all his possible improvement since then, there were still claims made over the summer that Spurs were looking to cash in on the player, hence why it may not be too long before he is replaced in Postecoglou's squad.

If the Greek-Aussie is looking to find a suitable alternative to challenge Pedro Porro at right-back, then he may want to consider academy sensation, Tyrell Ashcroft…

Who is Tyrell Ashcroft?

Previously described as "promising" by journalist Andy Preston after joining the north Londoners from Reading last year, the 18-year-old had been handed four senior appearances for the Royals prior to that departure, receiving hefty praise from then-boss Veljko Paunovic:

"He is a fantastic lad, young, confident and has quality. He has an engine and is a very intelligent kid, so he has it all. I think he has a big future for our club. He is a big asset so we have to keep nourishing his talent and provide him with the best possible support so he can keep growing."

While yet to feature for the first team in his new surroundings, the hope will be that the teenage right-back can also have a 'big future' at N17, having notably started all four Premier League 2 games so far this term for the club's U21 side.

That consistent run of games will come as a real bonus to the talented youngster following his injury setback last term, with the full-back having missed the majority of the campaign after suffering an ACL injury in September 2022.

Thankfully for both his sake – and for Spurs – Ashcroft is now back fit and firing in the youth set-up, with the aforementioned Emerson likely needing to watch out if the Englishman can replicate the strong early impression that he showcased during his time at Reading.

With Postecoglou already putting faith in the likes of Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr this season, it would be no surprise if another youngster, like Ashcroft, is brought into the first-team fold sooner rather than later.

Hasin Jahan, the fast bowler’s wife, is understood to have backtracked on her original allegation about her husband accepting money during a recent stopover in Dubai

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2018

Hasin Jahan, Mohammed Shami’s wife, is understood to have backtracked on her original allegation about her husband accepting money during a recent stopover in Dubai. That allegation was the basis for the BCCI anti-corruption unit’s (ACU) investigation into the matter while the board withheld Shami’s central contract.On March 13, the BCCI had asked the ACU, headed by former Delhi police chief Neeraj Kumar, to complete a limited-mandate probe, “preferably” within a week, to verify if Shami had breached its code of conduct. Kumar submitted his report on Wednesday, absolving Shami of any corrupt practice, following which the BCCI handed the fast bowler a Category B contract.One of the primary leads for the ACU to verify was whether Shami had indeed accepted any money, as alleged by Jahan, from a woman named Alisba, a Pakistan national, in Dubai, on his way back from India’s tour of South Africa. Jahan had said in her statement to the Kolkata Police that money had been sent by a certain Mohammad Bhai, who is based in the UK. Shami had vehemently denied the allegations, and is understood to have done the same to the ACU during his interrogation.The ACU team travelled to Kolkata and met Jahan in person. According to a BCCI official familiar with the investigation, Jahan is believed to have told the ACU that she never meant to say what she had. “During the ACU inquiry she [Jahan] herself said, “I never meant to make this allegation that he took money for match-fixing”,” the official said.The ACU then spoke to both Mohammad Bhai and Alisba by phone. The ACU found that the two did not know each other. The ACU also ran both names through their internal database and that of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit. “Their names were run through the databases and there was no match found for either Alisba or Mohammad Bhai. Nothing came up which showed their antecedents could be shady. They are not elusive, underground, unknown people. Both have proper identification and documentation.”According to the BCCI official Mohammad Bhai is “known to several other” Indian team players and is a British passport holder who hails originally from Gujarat. Alisba, too, was “up front” and clear about events during her chat with the ACU.

With the transfer market still open for another few weeks, it's always useful to know big players would be open to joining your team – just ask Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp how that can derail any summer spending plans…

Well, the good news for Arsenal is that a Premier League striker has gone on the record as saying likes the way the Gunners play, suggesting he'd be keen on a move in the future.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta's men have already completed some big bits of business this summer with the likes of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya all heading to North London.

However, the club may not be done there and with Folarin Balogun expected to make a big move away in the near future, this could potentially open the door up for a new attacker to arrive either this summer or perhaps in January.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

One man who appears to be putting himself in line for such a move is Brentford striker Ivan Toney. Indeed, when talking recently on The Diary Of A CEO podcast, despite admitting he is a fan of Liverpool since his childhood, he shares a certain level of respect for Arsenal and their "passionate" fans.

You can see the specific clip below via Twitter, as Toney opens up on his feelings about the club and his plans for the future, as he appears to drop a bit of a come-and-get-me plea, saying: “The next club I go to, if I was to move, it would be… the right club.

He continued with a smile: "I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal, I like watching Arsenal, how they play and how passionate the fans are.”

Ivan Toney: “The next club I go to if I was to move, it would be the right club. I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal, watching Arsenal, how they play & how passionate the fans are.” [The Diary Of A CEO]Full episode: https://t.co/chp6qL6vj5 pic.twitter.com/ONyygzbzey— afcstuff (@afcstuff) August 21, 2023

How much does Ivan Toney earn?

The Brentford striker earns a reported £20k-p/w on a contract that runs out in the summer of 2025, so he may well soon be ready to seriously consider a move away from the Bees. But of course, this might not be easy due to his current ban from football.

The 27-year-old is currently serving an eight-month suspension after accepting that he broke Football Association betting rules – he is not allowed to play again until 17 January next year but can return to training on 17 September.

In the same Diary Of A CEO podcast (via BBC Sport), he opened up on how he is "counting down the days" before he returns to training and said the wait is like "being in football prison".

He said: "The whole football community is big on mental health and then the FA are going to do this and push me away. It's not a place I want people to feel sorry for me. That's the last thing that I want

"So, what if someone not as strong as me in the head is going through this situation and their punishment is they are not allowed at the club – that would break them.

"Right now, not being around the training ground, it does hurt me. I just know when I'm at the training ground, I train harder. It's not a nice feeling. Not being allowed at the training ground is baffling to me.

"I'm counting down the days until I can be training and around the boys. It's like being in football prison at the moment."

Leeds United may be enduring a tough time of late, but there is one potential addition they could make that at the very least would give them the perfect balance in midfield…

Who are Leeds United signing this summer?

Having already welcomed Ethan Ampadu into that area, Daniel Farke kicked off his summer spending with a mammoth coup, bringing in the experienced 22-year-old for just £7m.

However, since then things have gone decidedly downhill, with numerous first-team stars jumping ship given the various relegation clauses put in well before they dropped out of the Premier League.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

The new boss now has to contend with the already-started Championship season as well as managing a squad that seem to mostly be looking towards the exit door. He desperately needs another win to get his tenure back on track, and there marks no finer option than reigniting their interest in Rangers gem Glen Kamara.

FootballTransfers value the Finland international at just €2.6m (£2m), suggesting that another stellar piece of business could be conducted to bolster the engine room.

How good is Glen Kamara?

Despite only joining in 2019, the midfield general took little time to acclimatise to life at a club the size of the Gers, having become a mainstay.

He now boasts 193 appearances in a blue shirt, with his ability to dictate play arguably second to none.

However, he pairs that technical brilliance with a steeliness, which former boss Steven Gerrard lauded:

"He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack.

"But what pleased me most is what I spoke about when we signed him in terms of how he’ll be out of possession. Will he hunt the ball back, be aggressive, work hard for the team and be a monster in the middle of the park? He showed signs of that against Kilmarnock and potentially he can become a top midfielder."

Such praise was warranted, as his performances throughout the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season were outstanding. Maintaining a 7.01 average rating, the 27-year-old posted six goal contributions on top of his ever-economical 91% pass accuracy, with one tackle and 1.3 key passes per game too, via Sofascore.

To compare this with the exploits of Leeds' squad last campaign, and his average rating and pass accuracy would have made him their best performer in those fields of those who featured in five or more league games, with only Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson posting more key passes per game, via Sofascore.

Pairing his creativity and defensive know-how with Ampadu could prove a frightening prospect for the rest of the division, especially given how the former Chelsea man has started this league term.

He too has recorded one key pass per game alongside his 86% pass accuracy, but his 3.5 tackles per game suggest that he would offer even more solidity and therefore a finer foundation to gain control over matches, via Sofascore.

Hard-working, brilliant in possession but tough in the tackle, both Kamara and Ampadu have enough quality to dominate most opposition engine rooms that they will come up against throughout the Championship season; this should come as no surprise given both boast experience at a level far beyond it.

James Anderson will step up to act as Joe Root’s deputy in Australia for as long as Ben Stokes remains unavailable

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2017

James Anderson has been named as England’s Test vice-captain. He will act as Joe Root’s deputy in Australia for as long as Ben Stokes remains unavailable.Anderson, 35, is the leader of the bowling attack and, although he does not have much experience of captaincy, one of the squad’s most senior players. With Stokes currently out of contention while police continue to investigate his part in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub, Anderson has been preferred as vice-captain to other candidates such as Alastair Cook, Root’s predecessor in charge of the Test side, and Stuart Broad.”It’s a really nice thing that Joe has asked me to do,” Anderson said. “I don’t think it changes my role in the team. As a senior player I’ve always felt that I’ve a responsibility to help out other guys. Myself, Stuart and Alastair who have been here before – and had success here before – have an important role on this trip. So I don’t see that role changing my role much.”England suffered the latest injury setback of their tour on Thursday, when Jake Ball sprained his ankle while bowling against a Cricket Australia XI. Ball was sent for a scan on Friday and could be a doubt for the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane, starting on November 23.The mood in the England camp was hardly improved by a second-innings batting collapse, but England’s remaining seamers rallied in Ball’s absence, reducing the CA XI to 25 for 7 before an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 45 carried the match into its final day.”It was outstanding, I thought,” Anderson said. “The three seamers bowled really well. We knew we had an important job to do, especially being a bowler down with Jake Ball injured.”Having seen the movement the Australians got earlier in the day, we were encouraged by that. We knew we could challenge them, and that’s what we did.”England’s success under the Adelaide floodlights augurs well for their prospects in the second Test which gets underway at the same venue in three week’s time.”We’ve seen the batsmen struggle a little bit round the twilight period,” Anderson said. “There’s not much more swing, potentially it seams a little bit more as the dew comes down. [But] there’s not a lot of difference … it’s just getting used to that light and the pink ball.”We just tried to stay patient … and we created pressure from both ends very well, and deserved those seven wickets.”It’s a first-class game, so we want to win it – you create a winning environment, [and] that’s important going into a huge series like theAshes.”With the current contest more or less over, England have one more four-day game at Townsville next week ahead of the first Test. Stuart Broad is expected to play in that game having sat this one out, with Anderson hinting that he is likely to make way for his new-ball partner.”Some batsmen have got some really good time out in the middle; there are some guys who haven’t,” he said. “The bowlers seem to be getting better every spell they bowl.”The batsmen’s form isn’t too much of an issue now, as long as they are scoring runs in that first Test at the Gabba. Personally, I feel like I’ve got enough bowling in my legs, and the ball is coming out well.

West Ham United have been handed a boost in their efforts to sign Jonathan Tah this summer, with Kicker, via TeamTalk reporting that the defender wants to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

What is the latest West Ham transfer news?

The Hammers may be heading into this season off the back of a Europa Conference League success, but with more European football looming and other Premier League outfits recruiting, they may need to act fast to add some more fresh faces to their squad. They are actually yet to make a single addition to their team over the course of the transfer window thus far, although that hasn't stopped them from being linked with a host of different names.

For starters, it looks like a deal is edging closer to send Scott McTominay to the club from Manchester United. The midfielder has himself been linked with a number of different sides this summer, but it appears that the Hammers are currently in the driving seat to land the Scot.

Discussions have reportedly been held over a transfer and how much he could potentially cost, with the Red Devils wanting "big bids" to even consider a sale. The same applies to Harry Maguire, another member of that United squad who has been on the wishlist of West Ham.

Are West Ham signing Jonathan Tah?

Maguire isn't the only defender the Hammers have been tailing either. They've also kept a close eye on Tah at Bayer Leverkusen, with the Premier League outfit asking about his availability earlier on in the window. Having made that initial contact towards the beginning of the summer – and been quoted his release clause of 18 million Euros (£15m) – there is now an update on the defender's situation in Germany.

According to Kicker, via TeamTalk, Tah has admitted he is "open" to a potential deal away and wants out of his club this summer, although he is also "aware" and content enough with his current situation in Leverkusen.

However, he could not hide his interest in perhaps securing a switch to England and the Premier League, as he also added that it has "always been his goal" to play in the top flight. With the Hammers having expressed this previous interest in his services then, they would provide a pathway for the centre-back to make his dream move into the division – and it might give them a bit of a boost in terms of luring him to club this transfer window.

If the Hammers did manage to sign him, then they would be getting a player who has often proved a reliable presence at the back and someone that has a lot of experience under his belt to boot. Tah, lauded as "excellent" by journalist Josh Bunting, has ten seasons of Bundesliga action to draw upon, having featured in a whopping 243 league games in total in that division.

However, he has never played away from Germany over the course of his career – and this summer could be the time he finally branches out and heads to England with West Ham.

ScorecardAlex Wakely will be confident of a final-day victory•Getty Images

Centuries from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire an excellent chance to pick up a fifth victory in the Specsavers County Championship. They set Leicestershire 394 to win at Wantage Road but the visitors survived for 16 overs under the lights until the close of day three at 9.57pm, reaching 44 for 0.Both Wakely and Keogh made their first Championship centuries of the season as Northants quickly built up a big lead. They declared in perfect time with the skies dark enough to encourage the pink ball to swing but unlike on the first evening where the hosts took four wickets, they failed to find a breakthrough as Paul Horton and on-loan Surrey batsman Arun Harinath got through a very tricky period, several edges falling short of the slips cordon and strong lbw appeals from Richard Gleeson against Harinath and Azharullah against Horton turned down.Until the wicketless final hour, it was a perfect day for Northants. After a three hour delay due to a wet outfield, Wakely and Keogh resumed with their side 60 for 3 and the game still in the balance. But Leicestershire couldn’t swing the ball and didn’t bowl accurately enough to even contain Northants – 146 runs came in 28 overs before tea.Wakely suggested Northants would look to be positive before the start of play and was true to his word. He made half-centuries in the second innings of Northants’ previous two matches and here went past fifty again in 55 balls with five fours – only after being put down by Harinath at point on 44.He looked in excellent touch – rocking back to pull Dieter Klein over midwicket and lifting Rob Sayer’s off spin over long-on for six. A fierce cut against Matt Pillans raced to the cover point boundary to raise a century in 108 balls. Wakely was eventually caught at short third man for 112 trying to reserve sweep Sayer.With Keogh, Wakely shared 171 for the fourth wicket – a partnership that took the game away from Leicestershire, who bizarrely only used their strike bowler Klein for seven overs in the second innings.Keogh’s day began with a clip to fine leg for four and he played the shot of the match – a gorgeous extra-cover drive off Clint McKay – on his way to just a second Championship fifty of the season in 77 balls with seven fours.He then skipped down the pitch to lift Sayer over mid-off before sweeping the same bowler for another boundary in front of square. He took tea 70 not out and after the break was forced to work the bowling around against a defensive field, eventually going through to his seventh first-class century in 136 balls – a very pleasant innings and much-needed after a poor first half of the Championship season.

Everton youngster Thomas Cannon could be in line for minutes next season according to Paul Brown.

The 20-year-old forward could be called upon this season depending on the Toffees transfer business.

Who is Thomas Cannon?

Born in 2002, Cannon is arguably one of the Merseyside club's brightest prospects.

The player has risen through the Toffee's youth teams, where he impressed right from the start, making his U18's debut at just 16 years old. The following season Cannon enjoyed a remarkable campaign, scoring 16 goals in 16 games, and that level of goalscoring prowess continued right through all the youth sides. Many within the club were impressed, and after signing a professional contract with Everton in 2021, the youngster made his first-team debut against Bournemouth in 2022.

In the January transfer window, the Republic of Ireland youth international secured a loan move to Deepdale with Championship side Preston North End. During his short stint with the club, the striker impressed plenty, managing eight goals and one assist in 20 Championship appearances. Preston midfielder Ryan Ledson, who used to play for Everton at youth level, was full of praise for Cannon when asked about his impact, stating:

"Tom Cannon has been absolutely brilliant, He’s a credit to himself and Everton Football Club. Since the second he’s come through the door, he’s worked hard, got his head down, and he’s a nice kid. He’s 20 years of age, has the world at his feet, and all he needs to do is focus on himself and scoring goals because he can go wherever he wants to be. I’m absolutely made up for him. I’d snap your hand off for him back next season! Whether that will happen or not, I don’t know. We can only try, can’t we?"

Speaking to FootballFanCast, Paul Brown revealed that whilst the plan for Cannon is for him to go on another loan, should Everton fail to add a striker to their ranks this summer, opportunities could become available for the forward.

What did Brown say about Tom Cannon's future?

When asked about the 20-year-old's future, the journalist stated: "I don't know really what the plan is for next season, whether he's likely to get much game time, I suspect possibly not. But it all really depends on if and when Everton sign another forward because they're a bit light up front still. So there could be opportunities there if he sticks around. Otherwise, I think a full season on loan in the championship, and we might really see what the kids got."

What striking options do Everton have currently?

As Brown stated, Everton have limited striking options currently.

Following the sale of Ellis Simms to Coventry City, the Toffees only have two recognised strikers at the club in Neal Maupay and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and both options have their flaws. The Englishman has been struggling with major injury problems the previous two campaigns, limiting him to just 36 appearances across the last two seasons, with Transfermarkt stating the forward has missed 30 games with three separate injuries across the last two seasons.

When it comes to Maupay, the forward has struggled following his £15m move from fellow top flight side Brighton and Hove Albion last summer. The Frenchman made 29 appearances in all competitions for the club but managed just one goal against West Ham United. Reports now suggest that the club are looking to offload the striker this summer, with manager Sean Dyche often preferring winger Demari Gary up front to the natural striker.

The Merseyside club are looking to buy a striker this summer, with El Bilal Toure and Wilfred Gnonto being the two players most heavily linked. However, reports state that Everton had an opening offer for the Italian rejected by Leeds United, with the recently relegated side not wanting to sell the forward, whilst the club are not willing to match Almeria's asking price for Toure according to reports from Spain.

Should Everton fail to add either of those targets this summer, first-team opportunities for Cannon could become available, which may convince the forward to stick around this season.

أصدر نادي تشيلسي الإنجليزي لكرة القدم، بياناً رسمياً حول مقطع الفيديو المنتشر لـ لاعب الفريق الأول، كونور جالاجير، قبل مباراة بيرنلي الماضية.

وانتهت مواجهة بيرنلي وتشيلسي بنتيجة 2/2، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”، ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ30 من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحتل تشيلسي المركز الثاني عشر في ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، برصيد 40 نقطة بشكل مؤقت.

اقرأ أيضاً.. نقتل أنفسنا.. كول بالمر ينتقد زملاءه في تشيلسي بعد التعادل مع بيرنلي

وانتشر مقطع متداول عبر مواقع وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي أثناء تواجد لاعبي الفريقين في الممر المؤدي إلى ملعب ستامفورد بريدج، حيث رصدت الكاميرات رفض كونور جالاجير مصافحة أحد الأطفال ذات البشرة السمراء.

وتعرض اللاعب الإنجليزي للهجوم عقب انتشار هذا المقطع في مختلف مواقع وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي.

وأصدر نادي تشيلسي لكرة القدم بيانًا رسميًا حول هذا المقطع، وجاء في البيان: “نادي تشيلسي لكرة القدم على علم بمقطع الفيديو الذي تم تداوله على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي من مباراة يوم السبت ضد بيرنلي، والذي تم إخراجه إلى حد كبير من سياقه”.

وأضاف البيان: “إن المستوى اللاحق من الإساءة والتعليقات التشهيرية الموجهة إلى كونور جالاجير أمر غير مقبول على الإطلاق، نحن فخورون بكوننا ناديًا متنوعًا وشاملًا يشعر فيه الأشخاص من جميع الثقافات والمجتمعات والهويات بالترحيب”.

Gallagher 😅

pic.twitter.com/emaKvdnm0s — CentreGoals. (@centregoals) March 30, 2024