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By any measure, Kolo Toure had a noteworthy playing career, and certainly exceeded expectations after joining Arsenal in a bargain deal from ASEC Mimosas in 2002.

The former Ivory Coast defender, who is currently to be found in his capacity as an assistant coach to Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, was signed by Arsene Wenger in February 2002 but didn’t feature for the Gunners for the remainder of the 01/02 season.

While statistics will show he made 27 appearances in 02/03, only nine were starts, and a young Toure had to play second fiddle to Martin Keown and Sol Campbell in a campaign that saw the North London side throw away an eight-point lead with nine games remaining.

At the time, the Ivorian was deployed in defensive midfield, central defence and right-back and often looked unconvincing. In fairness, this was probably due to being moved around across different positions, his age and relative inexperience at the top level.

Before his introduction to the English game, there was a perception that Wenger had inherited a great defence at Arsenal – Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Keown and Lee Dixon – and the feeling was the Frenchman was going to struggle to build another strong defensive unit once those players aged and declined.

However, the ASEC graduate grew into a solid centre-back and completed a new backline comprising Ashley Cole, Campbell and Lauren. German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann replaced long-serving David Seaman in the summer as well, but the Gunners improved defensively and conceded 26 times in an unbeaten campaign that saw them keep 15 clean sheets.

Only Claudio Ranieri’s Chelsea with 21 had more, and the Gunners’ development from the previous campaign was apparent. In 02/03, Wenger’s side conceded 42 goals, keeping only 10 shut-outs, which was the ninth-highest in the top flight.

A year later, with Toure a mainstay at the back, their progress was marked.

Admittedly, while the North London club’s meaner rearguard can’t be attributed to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winner alone, his influence was significant.

His growth from the ropey defensive midfielder, adept at playing different roles, to consistent head alongside Campbell was truly impressive, and the West African joined a list of bargains by Wenger who turned out to be important players for the club.

Despite Arsenal’s decline, which coincided with their move away from Highbury, Toure went from strength to strength, and he eventually moved to nouveau riche Manchester City in 2009.

Earlier, the central defender had narrowly missed out on a Champions League winners medal in 2006, where the Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona, having been part of the side that kept 10 successive clean sheets in Europe from matchday three till Barca netted twice in the decider at the Parc des Princes. 

The Arsenal backline kept out Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal en route to their decider with the Catalan giants.

For context, Los Blancos had Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Raul and David Beckham in their ranks, while the Old Lady were blessed with David Trezeguet, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pavel Nedved, while the talented maverick Juan Riquelme and Diego Forlan starred for the Yellow Submarine.

Nevertheless, Toure and co. prevented the aforementioned stars from finding the back of their net during their run to the final, an extraordinary feat.

The West African had played in nine of the 10 fixtures, only missing out on the 1-0 win at FC Thun in matchweek five, and scored the decisive goal of the London side’s semi-final tie with Villarreal, a first-leg finish that sealed progress to Arsenal’s first and only Champions League final to date.

Leaving North London was imperative given Wenger’s side's struggles to compete with their rivals, while a falling out with the firebrand William Gallas made his stay at the Emirates extra uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the Ivorian’s Man City spell, which produced another Premier League title win in 2011/12, is somewhat overlooked owing to the turbulence that ensued after an encouraging 2009/10 campaign.

Fears over his weight led to the apparently unwitting ingestion of a banned substance, prompting a six-month doping ban in March 2011, while a two-year clandestine affair before and after his marriage further damaged his reputation in Manchester.

The first, though unacceptable, can be put down to naivety but infidelity, and the manner of the facade, certainly dented Toure's image, and he struggled to shake a certain comedic perception for the rest of his career.

Certainly, the opprobrium that followed the player has meant his legacy in English football may forever remain tainted, and still, at 40 - almost four years removed from his playing career - he doesn't truly get the credit he deserves.

Accepted, he failed to adhere to professional and social mores, but so did Rio Ferdinand who was banned in 2004 for missing a drugs test, while John Terry and Ryan Giggs have fallen foul of their marital vows by engaging in affairs in the past.

The aforementioned players are widely regarded among the best players of the Premier League era, despite their shortcomings, owing to their various qualities and what they brought to their teams.

This argument isn’t being brought forward to give Toure a pass, nor can the ex-Ivory Coast star’s achievements in the English game match up to those icons, but merely to put everything in perspective.

The former defender falls into an 11-man list of players who won the Premier League with two different clubs. This group includes Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole with Arsenal and Chelsea respectively, Carlos Tevez at both Manchester clubs, and N’Golo Kante (Leicester City and Chelsea) and Riyad Mahrez (Leicester and Man City).

James Milner, a league champion with Liverpool last season, is the most recent addition to this list.

With 353 top flight appearances, Toure ranks as the African with the most games in the division; 55 appearances more than Shola Ameobi who comes in second.

Why, then, aren’t observers focusing on the aforementioned feats, but are rather choosing to remember the off-field incidents when he failed to live up to social norms?

As Toure turns 40, Goal celebrates one of the Premier League's most enduring players, and an African talent who deserves more!

As part of our NxGn India series, Goal takes a closer look at the most promising young talents in the country. 

Next up on this feature is the talented Indian Arrows midfielder Harsh Patre who is starting to make a name for himself and is being considered one of the most promising players in the country.

Harsh Patre began his football with professional grassroots training at the Goa Football Development Council's (GFDC) Mayem center in 2013. He played in GFDC Rising Stars Football Festival - first of a kind grassroots league in India and then selected for a three-year GFDC Residential Academy program in 2016.

His fantastic display during his time at the academy won him laurels such as the Subroto Cup in Goa on two ocassions while playing for Holy Spirit School in the U-14 and U-17 categories. At club level, before joining the Indian Arrows, Patre won the Goa Zone in the U-15 I-League qualifiers for two successive seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19 while representing Churchill Brothers.

How it all began for Harsh

"I started playing football when I was seven or eight years old, and started training (professionally) for the first time at a GFDC centre near my house. The first time I represented Goa was at the U-14 level and had the opportunity to captain the team. I was also the youngest player in the team at that time," the Goan who hails from Bicholim narrated to Goal.

Despite helping Churchill Brothers qualify for the U-15 I-League finals, Harsh wasn't able to continue with the Goan club as an opportunity at the national team set-up was beckoning him. He was selected on his second attempt.

"I gave the trials for the junior national team conducted by the AIFF (All India Football Federation) and GFA (Goa Football Association) for the first time in 2017 but wasn't selected. However, next time (the following year) I was among the players chosen and was part of the AIFF Academy set-up in Bhubaneswar (Odisha). I was there for one and a half years and learned a lot as a player during that time," he recalled.

Enter the international stage

While at the AIFF Academy, Harsh participated in various domestic and international competitions and was also part of several exposure tours. He participated in the 2018 U-15 SAFF Championship in Nepal where he scored against Bangladesh from about 30 yards out. He was also part an exposure trip to UAE before partaking in the 2019 Future Champions Tournament in South Africa and in the same year went on another tour to Malaysia with the India Colts.

"The exposure we got was incredible and the chance to play against high-quality teams was amazing. The facilities we had in Bhubaneswar were top-class and we really grew as players during our time there and learned how to compete at a higher level," Patre professed.

What's next for Harsh?

Now at the Indian Arrows set-up in the I-League, the midfielder has set eyes on the teams preparations for the 2022 AFC U-19 Qualifiers. Harsh is known for his shots from distance, dead-ball deliveries and ball control in midfield. 

“Harsh has a very good vision, creativity in passing and good reading of the game," Derryl D’souza (GFDC's residential coach) once remarked. 

This season, he has scored thrice including a brace against NEROCA and has also scored during the SAFF U-15 Championship.

The Arrows started their current season with an appearance in the 2020 IFA Shield where they were ousted from the group stage after a 1-1 draw against Southern Samity and a 0-2 loss to eventual finalists George Telegraph. In the ongoing I-League, the team has 10 points from 13 games and have beaten former I-League champions Aizawl FC. 

It must be noted that this is an entire fresh batch of players with no prior experience against the big boys in the I-League. They have so far picked three wins - a 1-0 win over Mohammedan Sporting, a 3-0 drubbing of NEROCA, besides their recent victory over Aizawl. And although it came in a 1-5 defeat against TRAU, Harsh scored a peach of a goal off a direct free-kick.

"I want to keep progressing from here. The Indian Arrows is a great platform for young players like me and I want to make the most of this opportunity. My ambition is to contribute for the team in the 2022 AFC U-19 Qualifiers that we are preparing for. Personally, I want to play for a top club in the near future and in the long run, fulfil my dream of playing for the senior national team," Patre signed out.

In a rare instance in Indian football, a club has received monetary compensation from FIFA for one of its player's long-term injury. The club in question is Kerala Blasters and the player is Sandesh Jhingan. 

Jhingan missed the entire 2019-20 Indian Super League (ISL) season with a knee injury that he picked up during a practice match while playing for the India national team against NorthEast United ahead of the Blue Tigers' FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The 27-year-old twisted his knee in an off-the-ball incident, causing a rupture in his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and it was confirmed that the defender will be out of action for months. 

This was a big blow for his employers Kerala Blasters who was preparing to head into the ISL season under the then coach Eelco Schattorie. Jhingan was a vital cog in the squad, the skipper and a massive fan-favourite.

He was also a well-paid member of the squad and the clubs are expected to take care of all the necessary expenses including his wages during the length of the contract regardless of whether the contracted player is fit to play or not after he is signed.

Some clubs also usually have contract insurances in place to cover emergency situations but in this particular case, the officials at Kerala Blasters, under the guidance of Director of Football Mohammed Rafik, knew their rights very well. The club received compensation from FIFA with the help of one of their protection plans. 

What is the Club Protection Programme? 

Blasters management made use of FIFA's Club Protection Programme (CPP) which is designed to provide compensation for football clubs if a contracted player gets injured while representing his association (in this case, the Indian national team) during the FIFA window of international matches and is ruled out for more than 28 consecutive days. 

Under CPP, football clubs can claim compensation when their players pick up a long-term injury when they are away with their national team. The amount received will be based on the player's fixed salary mentioned in his contract and the maximum compensation clubs can get amounts to EUR 7,500,000 per football player per accident. The maximum of EUR 7,500,000 is calculated with a daily limit of up to EUR 20,548 which is payable for a maximum of 365 days.

How did Kerala Blasters proceed? 

Blasters were aware of CPP and filed a claim request within 28 days from the date of the injury incident, as per the FIFA mandate. The player picked up the injury on October 9, 2019. The club filed for the claim on November 6 and received the first instalment of their compensation a year later. The club is compensated for the period that starts from the 29th day of the injury to the day he returns to training. 

Claim requests under CPP are handled by a UK-based third-party administrator QuestGates. It is believed that the club sent them all the required documents including a copy of the player's contract and medical documents along with a calendar and day-to-day schedule of the player's treatment and rehabilitation, signed off on by the national team doctor following the nod from the Indian FA. The process also requires the player's signature at the time of filing the request but then after that, the communication is fully between the club and the administrator. 

They received a sum of INR 70 lakh.

During a period when clubs are struggling with their finances, Kerala Blasters have made use of the FIFA policy that is still unknown to many Indian clubs. They are the first ISL club to pull this off and arguably the first Indian club to avail themselves of this benefit.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard said midfielder Glen Kamara told him he had been racially abused by Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela in Thursday's Europa League last-16 match, a claim Gerrard backed with "100 percent" confidence given the trust he has in his player.

A scuffle broke out between sides in the final five minutes after Kudela appeared to whisper something in Kamara's ear.

The tie had already been effectively decided by that point, with Rangers down to nine men and down 3-1 on aggregate.

What did Gerrard say?

"I feel angry," Gerrard told reporters. "It’s difficult to describe how I feel now because I know Glen and I trust him 100 per cent. It’s extremely disappointing.

"Glen Kamara to me is one of my own. I 100 per cent believe what he is saying in terms of the accusation.

"Other players around him heard it so I will stand toe to toe with Glen Kamara and I’ll deal with this however Glen wants to deal with it. I am proud of all my players showing solidarity and from the top of this club to the bottom we stand with the players.

"This situation is over to UEFA now. I just hope it doesn’t get brushed under the carpet.

“All I can confirm is that my player tells me he was racially abused. I tried to call Glen over during the game, he didn’t come over. I was going to ask him did he want to leave the pitch and I would have backed him whatever his decision was but the players stayed on the pitch, that was their decision and the game came to a conclusion."

How did Slavia Prague respond?

“Slavia categorically opposes the fact that Ondrej Kudela racistly insulted the players’ opponents in any way," wrote Slavia president Jaroslav Tvrdik in a statement. "It tells us that our player was physically attacked after the match. At the request of Slavia, the case was resolved by the local police. We would like to see a detailed investigation of the whole situation by UEFA.”

Further reading

Hugo Lloris said Tottenham's poor form "reflects what's going on inside the club" after their shocking Europa League exit on Thursday, while branding their latest display "a disgrace".

Spurs crashed out of the continental competition after losing the second leg of their last-16 tie against Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 in extra time. They had entered the match up two goals on aggregate, fully expecting to advance to the quarter-finals.

In the wake of Tottenham's collapse at Maksimir Stadium, Lloris admitted that internal issues are adversely affecting the squad's performances and general morale.

What's been said?

"It's just a disgrace. I hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible," the Tottenham goalkeeper told BT Sport.

"The team at the moment just reflects what's going on inside the club.

"We have lack of basics, lack of fundamentals. All performance is just in relation to that.

"The way we play is just not enough. We had a great moment in the past because we could trust the togetherness in the team.

"Today, I'm not sure about that."

Tottenham's turbulent 2020-21 campaign

Talk of a potential tilt at the Premier League title started to build after Spurs' flying start to the season which saw them arrive at the top of the table in November.

Tottenham laid down a marker by beating Manchester City 2-0 at home, but a dramatic downturn in fortunes was to follow over the festive period.

Mourinho's men only one of their next six top-flight games, and an impressive 3-0 win against Leeds United in their first game post-new year turned out to be a false dawn.

Spurs lost five of their subsequent eight matches, including big six encounters against Liverpool, Chelsea and City, slipping out of the Champions League places in the process.

The Lilywhites also exited the FA Cup during that period, and although Mourinho then oversaw a mini-revival in the form of a five-game winning run across all competitions, Sunday's derby defeat to Arsenal brought the team crashing back down to earth.

Dinamo compounded Tottenham's misery in Europe to leave the team with only the Carabao Cup left to play for, but they will be major underdogs against City at Wembley in the final on April 25.

The bigger picture

Mourinho's position in the Spurs dugout has been called into question amid his side's erratic form, with it suggested that the Portuguese's defensive tactics are holding back several key players.

He was handed a three-and-a-half-year contract when he replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the hot-seat back in November 2019, but the pressure is building with each passing game and another bad result against Aston Villa on Sunday could be the final straw.

Mourinho was brought in to bring Tottenham's 13-year silverware drought to an end, but they are now in real danger of another trophyless season and another year without Champions League football.

Further reading

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Marcus Rashford was withdrawn in Thursday's Europa League match against AC Milan with a "little twinge".

Rashford was replaced by Paul Pogba at half-time at the San Siro, sparking concerns about the England international’s fitness. His manager was keen stress the issue was not too serious but said that the club couldn’t take any risks with the the 23-year-old.

Despite Rashford being forced off, the Red Devils advanced past Milan 2-1 on aggregate.

What did Solskjaer say?

“Marcus a little twinge - we couldn't take a chance on him," Solskjaer said of Rashford.

Though it was forced upon him, Solskjaer’s substitution proved inspired, with Pogba scoring the only goal to send Manchester United through to the quarter-finals.

The 28-year-old, who was making his first Europa League appearance of the season, had been sidelined since the start of February with a thigh injury.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Solskjaer said he didn’t want to take any risks with Pogba’s fitness either.

“He couldn't have played more than 45 minutes,” said Solskjaer. “[His return is a] big boost. The boys have done fantastic without him but we know his qualities.”

The bigger picture

Rashford has been a near ever-present for Manchester United this season, making 45 appearances in all competitions, with the only game he has missed being last week’s round of 16 first leg against Milan.

He has scored 18 goals and has a further 10 assists to his name, with the Red Devils also through to the FA Cup quarter-finals and currently sitting second in the Premier League.

His importance to the team is therefore without question and would explain why Solskjaer refused to take any risks, despite describing the injury as a minor.

There has been speculation that a long-standing shoulder problem may require surgery in the close season, though Rashford was keen to play down rumours about his fitness earlier this week, saying he “can rest when he retires.”

However, his early exit from the San Siro must place his participation in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final trip to Leicester in doubt.

Gareth Southgate will also be minoring the situation closely, with Rashford due to link up with the England squad next week for World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

Further reading

Comoros Football Federation president Ali Said Athouman is unhappy that his country will be missing the services of five players during March’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo and Egypt.

The quintet namely Faiz Mattoir (AC Ajaccio), Mohamed Youssouf (AC Ajaccio), Mohamed M'Changama (Guingamp), Yacine Bourhane (Niort) and Younn Zahary (Pau) would be unavoidably absent from Les Coelacantes’ last two games.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) had confirmed that French teams would prevent their players from travelling for any international games outside Europe.

That agreement was reached following a meeting between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs on Wednesday – a verdict that will affect most African countries who have their star players in France.

One of such nations is Comoros Island who are on the cusp of qualifying for their maiden appearance at the biennial African football showpiece.

“It is a very, very difficult situation for us and it is terrible to deprive the players who have been involved for years in the national team, some of whom are close to the end of their careers, of this game,” Athouman told L’équipe.

“We are a small federation, a small country. We've worked hard to get to this point, so we're suffering more than others from these absences (five players).

“We do not have the ability to replace certain frameworks. We're very affected.”

He also disclosed that he had been in touch with Ajaccio boss Christian Leca, nevertheless, the situation remains the same.

“[My meeting] went very well with him and he understood the situation,” he continued.

“For clubs that don't play anything, I thought we would let them come but no. I had (Fred) Legrand, the president of Guingamp, I was even ready to make sure that our player (Youssouf M'Changama) plays against Togo (Thursday) and we would have let him go afterwards.

“I would have lived up to my commitment. And that's where we're at. These are players who have given themselves for their selection. It breaks a player like that.”

As it stands, Comoros are second in Group G with eight points and a win in any of their last two outings would assure them of a place in Cameroon.

Ghana’s Premier League and Championship contingent including Arsenal midfielder Thomas Teye Partey, Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew and Swansea City forward Andre Ayew have been left out of the Black Stars’ final squad for upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against South Africa and Sao Tome e Principe.

Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp, Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu, Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, Reading right-back Andy Yiadom and Brentford attacker Tariqe Fosu have all been dropped, but League 2 midfielder Kwame Afriyie Poku, who plays for Rochdale has been called up for the first time.

A final squad of 29 players have been summoned for the March 25 away clash with Bafana Bafana in Johannesburg and a home encounter with Sao Tome in Accra three days later.

The Premier League and Championship contingent have been left out of the new roster over reluctance of the clubs to release them for the trip to South Africa, a country on the United Kingdom’s red list of coronavirus risky countries.

A travel from such a country into the UK will require 10 days of mandatory hotel quarantine, a directive that will see the players miss a number of club matches on their return from international duty.

Amid speculations of Premier League/EFL-based players being exempted for the South Africa trip but be made available for the home game against Sao Tome, Swansea, on Thursday, interestingly announced an Ayew Ghana call-up, suggesting his imminent trip to Africa.

France-based duo Nicholas Opoku and Emmanuel Lomotey have been called up despite a unanimous decision on the part of French Ligue 1 and 2 clubs to reject all international call-ups for players from Africa.

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Richard Ofori, who picked up an injury during a Caf Champions League clash with ES Setif of Algeria, has also been summoned.

Former Bayern Munich striker Kwasi Okyere Wriedt makes a return to the Black Stars for the first time since 2018 while there are maiden call-ups for Italy-born striker Emmanuel Gyasi, Gent winger Osman Bukari, Manchester loanee Kamal Sowah and 17-year-old Ghana second-tier league sensation Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who won the Best Player award at the recent Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament in Mauritania.

German-born Hamburg centre-back Stephen Ambrocius, who has been named in Germany’s squad for upcoming European U21 championship also features on the Ghana squad – his first ever call-up top the country of his parents.

Full Ghana squad:

Goalkeepers: Richard Ofori (Orlando Pirates – South Africa), Razak Abalora (Asante Kotoko - Ghana), Eric Ofori Antwi (Medeama SC - Ghana), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko- Ghana)

Full Backs: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK – Greece), Gideon Mensah (Vitoria de Guimaraes – Portugal), Benson Annan (MLK Zilina – Slovakia), Philemon Baffuor (Dreams FC – Ghana)

Central Defenders: Nicholas Opoku (Amiens SC – France), Kasim Nuhu (1899 Hoffenheim – Germany), Ganiyu Ismael (Asante Kotoko – Ghana), Stephen Ambrosius (Hamburger SV – Germany)

Central Midfield: Kudus Mohammed (Ajax Amsterdam – Holland), Mubarak Wakaso (Jiangsu Suning F.C - China), Afriyie Acquah (Yeni Malatyaspor - Turkey), Emmanuel Lomotey (Amiens SC - France), Iddrisu Baba (RCD Mallorca – Spain), Gladson Awako (Great Olympics -Ghana), Kwame Afriyie Poku (Colchester United – England)

Left Attacking Midfield: Osman Bukari (Gent – Belgium), Joseph Esso (Dreams FC - Ghana)

Right Attacking Midfield: Kamal Sowah (OH Leuven - Belgium), Fatawu Issahaku (Steadfast FC – Ghana)

Attackers: Emmanuel Boateng (Dalian Professional - China), Emmanuel Gyasi (Spezia – Italy), Kwame Opoku (Asante Kotoko – Ghana), John Antwi (Pyramids FC – Egypt), Kwasi Okyere Wriedt (Willem II – Holland), Caleb Ekuban (Trabzonspor – Turkey)

Jean-Pierre Nsame’s strike was cancelled by the Video Assistant Referee as Young Boys lost 2-0 to Ajax in Thursday’s second leg Round of 16 of the Europa League fixture.

The attacker was handed his eighth appearance in the European competition but could not add to his four goals in the tournament this season.

The forward made a frantic effort to try and rescue his side from crashing out from the competition but to no avail.

Despite losing the first leg 3-0, the Swiss club started the encounter on the back foot allowing the Dutch side to dictate proceedings.

Ajax soon opened the scoring in the 21st minute through a fine strike from David Neres after benefitting from Dusan Tadic’s assist.

After the restart, the Sons of the Gods continued to dominate the encounter and got their second in the 49th minute.

Erik ten Hag’s men were awarded a penalty and Tadic swiftly dispatched home his effort past goalkeeper Guillaume Faivre.

Nsame then fired a fine strike into the back of the net but after a check by Video Assistant Referee, the effort was ruled out for offside.

The Cameroon international featured for the duration of the game while his teammate and the Democratic Republic of the Congo forward Meschack Elia played for 65 minutes before he was replaced by Felix Mambimbi.

Nsame has scored 20 goals and provided eight assists in 32 appearances across all competitions this season, amid other dazzling displays.

The forward has been with Young Boys since the summer of 2017 when he teamed with the side from another Swiss club, Servette.

Nsame has helped the Wankdorf Stadium outfit won a number of accolades since his arrival, including three consecutive Swiss Super League titles.

The attacker will be expected to feature prominently when his side takes on Zurich in their next league game on Sunday.

Nsame has made only two appearances for Cameroon and will hope his impressive performances will help him win more caps for the Central African side.

Luke Shaw says he's "extremely happy" to have earned a recall to the England squad, characterising it a "massive honour" to represent his country again after enduring a difficult personal period that had kept him out of contention for more than two years.

Shaw hasn't played for the Three Lions since September 2018, with his struggles for form and fitness at club level forcing Gareth Southgate turn to alternative options at left-back.

However, the Manchester United star has been drafted back into the fold ahead of England's opening 2022 World Cup qualifiers later this month, and he can't wait to make his mark on the international stage again.

What's been said?

"I'm extremely happy, it's a massive honour to get selected for your country," Shaw told BT Sport.

"I've been out of the fold for a while but I've always had ambitions to get back into the squad.

"Now I’ve done that and I’m really looking forward to being there with the lads."

Shaw's record for England

Shaw was handed his England debut way back in 2014 when Roy Hodgson was in charge and served as the youngest player in the squad at the World Cup finals in Brazil that year.

Unfortunately, the talented defender has only won seven more caps since then, the last of which saw him leave the field with a head injury during a friendly defeat to Spain in 2018.

How has Shaw performed for Man United this season?

Shaw has worked his way back into the England squad by playing a key role in United's assault on multiple trophy fronts in 2020-21.

The 25-year-old has already featured in 34 games across all competitions this term, recording one goal and six assists along the way.

His latest stellar display came in the second leg of the Red Devils' last-16 Europa League tie against Milan on Thursday night, which they won 1-0 thanks to a Paul Pogba strike to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition 2-1 on aggregate.

The visitors ultimately managed to scrape through despite being well below their best at San Siro, and Shaw has called on his team-mates to raise their level heading into the business end of the campaign.

"Obviously, we're very happy we’re through. I’ll be honest, and the lads and staff would agree, we weren’t good at all especially the first half we were awful," he said.

"The first 10-15 minutes, we started well, kept control of the ball but it was like a switch - we turned off, kept giving away balls, bringing pressure on ourselves and we were lucky.

"Second half it always helps to have a world-class player like Paul (Pogba) to make a difference and he did that. But we know we need to be better than tonight.

"It’s a very good win and the positive is that we are through, we have players coming back and the squad looks better."

Further reading

Leon Balogun was shown the red card as Rangers crumbled 2-0 at home to Slavia Prague in Thursday’s Europa League encounter.

Following a second caution at the Ibrox Stadium, the Nigeria international got the marching orders from referee Orel Grinfeld.

Balogun had earlier been cautioned in the 18th minute, however, he got the second of the encounter following a horror tackle on Lukas Masopust.

His teammate Kemar Roofe – who was a 55th minute replacement for Scott Arfield - was shown the way out 12 minutes earlier following a serious foul play against Ondrej Kolar.

The Jamaican forward stamped his stud on the face of the visitors’ goalkeeper while on a goal-bound move.

This is the first time the Scottish Premiership giants have had two players (Keemar Roofe and Leon Balogun) sent off in a single game in major European competition for the very first time.

Having played a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Round of 16 clash at the Sinobo Stadium, Steven Gerrard’s men needed just a win or a 0-0 draw at least to qualify for the quarter-final, nevertheless, they were unable to stop the strong-willed Czech First League outfit.

14 minutes into the encounter Nigeria’s Peter Olayinka handed the Red and Whites a well-deserved lead – heading past goalkeeper Allan McGregor a delightful cross from Jan Boril.

The hosts tried all they could to level matters but having two of their players shown the way out decelerated their fighting spirit.

A minute after Balogun’s dismissal, Nicolae Stanciu scored the important second goal to hand Jindrich Trpisovsky’s side a vital away victory – thus, scaling through on a 3-1 aggregate.

Nigeria’s Joe Aribo was in action from start to finish for Rangers, albeit, his presence could not rescue his side from elimination. Whereas, South African midfielder Bongani Zungu was brought in for Alfredo Morelos with eight minutes to full time.

For Slavia Prague, Olayinka was substituted for Masopust in the 58th minute, while Cote d'Ivoire's defender Simon Deli and Senegalese forward Abdallah Sima were on parade from start to finish.

Having crashed out of the European club championship, Rangers will shift their attention to the Scottish Premier League where they have been declared as champions of the 2020-21 campaign.

Jose Mourinho questioned the "attitude" of his Tottenham players and apologised to club supporters after Thursday's shock Europa League exit.

Spurs blew a 2-0 aggregate lead in Croatia as Dinamo Zagreb emerged 3-0 winners in the second leg of the last-16 tie at Maksimir Stadium.

Mislav Orsic scored a stunning hat-trick to complete the upset, with the last of his goals coming in extra time, and Mourinho bemoaned his team's lack of hunger to win the game after the final whistle.

What's been said?

"If I forget the last minutes of extra-time, where we did something to get a different result and go through, in the 90 minutes and first half of extra-time was one team that decided to leave everything on the pitch," Mourinho told BT Sport.

"They left sweat, energy, blood. In the end they left even tears of happiness. Very humble and committed. I have to praise them. On the other side, my team. I repeat, my team. They didn't look like it was playing an important match. If for any one of them it is not important, for me it is.

"For the respect I have for my career and my job, every match is important. For every Tottenham fan at home every match matters. Another attitude is needed. To say I feel sad is not enough.

"What I feel is much more than sadness. I just left Dinamo dressing room where I went to praise the guys and I feel sorry one team is not my team won the game based on attitude and compromise. I feel more than sad. That is it.

"Football is not just about players who think they have more quality than others. The basis of football is attitude. They beat us on that. I told the players the risk of playing the way we were. It happened because I believe the players only realised it was at risk when they scored the second."

Mourinho under pressure?

Spurs have only got one trophy left to play for after being dumped out of the Europa League, and they are in real danger of missing out on a top-four Premier League finish.

Mourinho's side fell six points behind Chelsea, who currently occupy the final Champions League spot, following a 2-1 derby defeat to Arsenal at the weekend, which marked their ninth top-flight loss of the season.

Tottenham could have qualified for the continental competition by winning the Europa League, but they will now have to win the majority of their remaining ten games to have any hope of making the cut.

The Lilywhites will also be heavy underdogs when they take on Premier League leaders Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final in May, and Mourinho's position could come into question before then if results don't pick up immediately.

"I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters," The Portuguese boss added on his team's latest setback. "I hope they feel the same way I feel.

"Today is live or die and in this moment we die. In some other matches, I have the same feeling. Until the last day of the season we have to try and do our best."

What's next?

Tottenham will now turn their attention to a must-win top-flight fixture away at Aston Villa on Sunday, with the international set to come into effect thereafter.

Further reading

Olympiacos striker Youssef El-Arabi has become the fourth player to score in three consecutive matches against Arsenal in major European competitions after Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich duo Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski.

On Thursday, El-Arabi’s goal handed the Greek giants a 1-0 victory over the Gunners in the second-leg of their Uefa Europa League round of 16 fixture but it was not enough to help them progress into the quarter-final stage.

Olympiacos bowed out with a 3-2 aggregate score following their 3-1 loss in Athens a week ago.

After a goalless first-half at the Emirates Stadium, the Morocco international placed his right-footed shot to the back of the net in the 51st minute, courtesy of an assist from Giorgos Masouras.

The strike was El-Arabi's third goal against Mikel Arteta's side after scoring the last-minute goal that sent them packing in the Europa League last February and his team's only goal in their first-leg loss a week ago,

The 34-year-old is currently the leading top scorer for Olympiacos with 19 goals in 23 league appearances which stretched his tally to 23 goals across all competitions this season.

Towards the end of Thursday's encounter, Senegalese defender Ousseynou Ba was left in tears after he was shown a red card for throwing the ball away.

Ba was first shown a yellow card for a challenge on Gabriel Martinelli but the referee opted to give him marching orders immediately for his reaction.

Guinea's Mohamed Camara was also in action for Olympiacos while Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ghana's Thomas Partey, Ivory Coast's Nicolas Pepe and Egypt's Mohamed Elneny featured for Arsenal.

On the international scene, El-Arabi is among the 24 players called up by Morocco for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Mauritania and Burundi on March 26 and 30 respectively.