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Harvey Elliott has “got the lot”, says former Liverpool star Jason McAteer, with the 17-year-old considered to be capable of scaling the same heights as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Wayne Rooney.

Premier League heavyweights at Anfield bought into the teenager’s potential when snapping him up from Fulham.

Jurgen Klopp handed the promising midfielder senior minutes in 2019-20, with Elliott taking in eight appearances across all competitions.

Big things are expected of the England U17 international in the future, with McAteer of the opinion that he could follow in the footsteps of Barcelona and Manchester United legends.

The former Reds star told Off The Ball: "Obviously we have got Harvey Elliott - who is going to be an absolute superstar.

"He's 17... what an attitude, what a player. He's playing wide at the minute but I can see him slotting into that midfield central area. Maybe as a Xavi or an Iniesta [type].

"If he develops the right way, he could be as good as one of those players. And that's saying something. This kid has got the lot."

McAteer added: "[Elliott] can play with both feet. He has got that ability to see things, to open things up, to play that little killer pass.

"What I love about him is he never spends longer than four or five seconds on the ball. He knows what he is doing. He knows what he sees beforehand.

"His execution more often than not, is on point.

"They come around every once in a while. I had the privilege of playing with [Michael] Owen, the privilege of playing with [Robbie] Fowler. I saw [Wayne] Rooney at a young age being on Merseyside.

"I put him in that bracket. Absolutely."

Elliott is not the only youngster to be breaking through at Liverpool, with Neco Williams and Curtis Jones stepping out of a famed academy system to see competitive game time.

Rhian Brewster is also looking to earn a regular role, with the 20-year-old frontman having netted 11 goals during a productive loan spell at Swansea to suggest that he is ready to make his mark on Merseyside.

McAteer added on the U17 World Cup winner: "I believe he is training really, really well. I think he has now stepped a little bit ahead of Divock Origi, which might raise some eyebrows.

"But I think he is ready to slot in to give a bit of rest to the front three that usually pick themselves. You can rely on him for 20 to 25 minutes.

"I wouldn't say any of these youngsters are pushing for starts. Curtis may be the one you would look at. But there is plenty of talent coming through."

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller claims there is “nothing new” to report on Kai Havertz, amid ongoing talk of interest from Chelsea, with all suitors of the talented 21-year-old warned that no “corona discount” will be handed out this summer.

A highly-rated Germany international playmaker has emerged as a top target for leading sides across Europe.

Leverkusen are aware that they have a much sought-after asset on their hands and have made it clear that they will not be parting with Havertz without a fight.

If their demands are met then a sale could be sanctioned, but a hot prospect will only be allowed to move on if the price is right.

No side has tabled a suitable offer as yet, with Chelsea still some way short in their efforts to get a deal over the line, and that means that Havertz is staying put.

Voller told Sport Buzzer when asked for an update on a long-running transfer saga: “There is nothing new in this regard, and we are still very relaxed about it,.

“Of course, we would be very happy if he stayed for another year. It is clear that the departure of such a player, despite the high transfer fee, always means a loss - see Leipzig and [Timo] Werner.”

Leverkusen are aware that their resolve is likely to be tested on a regular basis before the next deadline passes.

They will, however, not be relaxing their stance for anyone.

Financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic are forcing many clubs to tighten their belts, and asking prices to drop, but Voller says Havertz will only leave his current surroundings for full market value.

He added: “In times of corona, it may actually be that the transfer fees have decreased for many players.

“But corona or no corona, this is not the case with exceptional players like Havertz or Jadon Sancho. There is no corona discount for them.

“What makes Kai Havertz so interesting is the fact that he embodies world-class in four or five positions.”

Chelsea have already wrapped up deals for Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, while Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell is closing on a switch to Stamford Bridge, and the Premier League heavyweights are expected to retain their interest in Havertz as Frank Lampard seeks to land another exciting performer.

Lionel Messi would have already left Barcelona had his contract expired this summer, claims Camp Nou presidential candidate Agusti Benedito, with Josep Maria Bartomeu’s regime slammed for edging the captain towards the exits.

As things stand, a six-time Ballon d’Or winner remains tied to the Blaugrana.

Contract extension talks have been shelved, though, and serious questions are being asked of Messi’s ongoing presence in Catalunya as he enters the final 12 months of his current terms.

A fresh start elsewhere is being mooted for the mercurial Argentine, with the likes of Inter, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City said to be keeping a close eye on his situation.

Benedito fears Messi may have grown disillusioned with life in a testing era for Barca, with the club’s current board having failed to address the issues which resulted in a humbling finish to the 2019-20 campaign.

“Unfortunately, I think Bartomeu will finally achieve Messi's departure from Barcelona,” Benedito, who finished second in Barca’s 2015 presidential vote, told Sport.

“It would be the latest error on a long list and the most tragic of the Bartomeu-Rosell era, which has been a nightmare for the history of our club.

“If Messi was out of contract this summer, I am sure he would leave. Since Neymar left, Messi's not been as happy.”

Barca will be holding another round of elections in March 2021, while they are currently looking into fixing faults on the field which delivered no major silverware in 2020.

Ronald Koeman has been returned to familiar surroundings as part of that process, with the Dutchman signing a two-year deal as the club’s new head coach, but the expectation is that another former favourite in the form of Xavi will be handed the reins at some stage in the near future.

Benedito believes that will be the case, saying: “Look, I think he's been the most important player in Barca's history after Messi. I admire him a lot.

“He's spent five years in Qatar now and I honestly think before he takes charge he should do what other legends did: Luis Enrique and [Pep] Guardiola. That's to say coach the B team or join Koeman's staff.”

Benedito added on Koeman: “If I won the elections in 2015, he would have been our manager. I went to see him in London when he was at Southampton and signed a pre-agreement.

“If I win this time, Koeman will still be the Barcelona coach.

“He's a club legend and an experienced coach with great character. He has the advantage of being a disciple of Cruyff and could open a glorious era at Barca, as Johan did in the 90s.”

Barcelona have shown an interest in Manchester City full-back Angelino, who is available for around €30m (£25m/$33m).

The Spanish full-back spent the second half of last season on loan at RB Leipzig and helped the German club to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Barcelona are looking to rebuild after sacking coach Quique Setien following their humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Ronald Koeman has been appointed as the new coach at Camp Nou and needs to strengthen after Barca also lost out on the Spanish title to Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants have already made young City centre-back Eric Garcia their top target, with the 19-year-old in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

And according to sources, the Spanish giants are now keen on his team-mate as Koeman looks to address the problems in their defence.

Leipzig had an option to buy Angelino and Goal reported that they were keen to strike a permanent deal if they could renegotiate the asking price.

Julian Nagelsmann confirmed this week that the Bundesliga club would like to complete a deal for the 23-year-old after both clubs were knocked out of Europe.

"I'm very confident that we can reach an agreement with Manchester City, now that both clubs are out of the Champions League and the focus is no longer on the tournament," Nagelsmann told German newspaper Bild.

"Angel is a very interesting player for us and he wants to stay with us.”

City re-signed Angelino from PSV for €6m in the summer when they triggered a buy-back clause after an impressive season that saw him contribute 10 assists for the Dutch club.

The left-back position has been a problem area for Pep Guardiola, with Benjamin Mendy fighting his way back to his best form after a serious knee injury and Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo deputising in the role.

Angelino first signed for City in 2012 but spent much of his time away from the club with loan spells at New York City, Girona, Real Mallorca and NAC Breda before his 12-month switch to PSV.

He had a poor pre-season with City and didn’t make his first Premier League start until November, and was a surprise starter in the defeats to Liverpool and at home to Manchester United.

Barca are facing a summer of upheaval with there doubts over the futures of many of their first-team players including Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique.

Manchester United “can’t rely on Anthony Martial” and need to be looking at bringing in another proven frontman, says Paul Parker.

The Red Devils handed the French forward their No.9 shirt on the back of Romelu Lukaku’s departure in the summer of 2019.

Martial was awarded the central striking role he craved and justified that show of faith with a personal-best return of 23 goals across a productive campaign.

Questions have, however, continued to be asked of whether the 24-year-old can be considered a long-term option to lead the line for United.

Parker is not convinced that Martial fits that bill, as he could easily be moved back into a wide attacking post, and feels Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be targeting more firepower and another centre-half in the current transfer window.

The former Red Devils defender told Eurosport: “Jadon Sancho would represent a decent signing, but it will be expensive and United need at least one good centre-half and probably a striker too because you can’t rely on Anthony Martial.

“When things are going well with Martial it’s fine, but when things aren’t you worry about whether he’s going to put himself or the team first.

“Solskjaer has done better than other managers have with him, but I still see Martial as the type of player who wants to operate out wide and come into the middle.

“However, their most pressing priority is a centre-half. Manchester City seemingly pipped United to sign Nathan Ake for £40 million and that is good business, particularly in comparison to what was paid for Harry Maguire.”

While United are yet to show their hand in the latest recruitment market, Parker is encouraged by the progress that has been made under Solskjaer and is hoping to see the 13-time Premier League champions kick on from this point.

He added: “The manager has come in and lifted the club, now the next bit is to sustain the level he has them playing at and then improve on it.

“He needs to kick on and make sure United are competing in that top four to then build towards competing for the league too. There’s no dropping out of the top four now.

“A lot of the players have been the same players that were there under the previous two managers, yet Solskjaer has consistently got performances out of them.

“For example, he’s got the best out of Nemanja Matic - he’s now one of the key players in that midfield. The midfield three are very important to United at this moment in time.

“However, Bruno Fernandes’ impact is immeasurable. United have been a completely different team with him; even when he has had fatigue - which you’d expect - he’s enhanced and improved other players’ performances just by being on the pitch.”

Pistone Mutamba has revealed he has already moved on after being fired by Wazito FC at the end of the last campaign.

The former Sofapaka and Harambee Stars striker was among the eleven players released by Wazito after they failed to challenge for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title.

Others axed alongside Mutamba were the foreign quartet of Augustine Otu, Piscas Kirenge, Issifou Bourahana, and Paul Acquah, former Tusker winger Victor Ndinya, Harambee Stars trialist Teddy Osok, former Sony Sugar striker Derrick Otanga, goalkeepers Kevin Omondi, and Steven Njung’e.

Mutamba has now said he did not have any bad feelings towards the club for the decision they took to fire him and says he is now working hard to get a team and kick-start his career.

“I believe whenever one door closes, another one opens elsewhere. I have received some offers from top clubs in the country but it’s still early to make a decision,” Mutamba is quoted by The Star.

“When I joined Wazito, it wasn't easy for me to break into the first eleven. I remained patient learning and working hard until I cemented my position in the team. I received full support during my time with Wazito and I want to wish them well in their new endeavours.”

Mutamba, who managed to score eight goals for the promoted side last season, has also revealed several clubs from Kenya and the East African region have shown keen interest in his services and he will make up a decision soon.

“It’s true I have received several offers within Kenya and outside the country from several clubs which I can’t mention now because I’m yet to settle on the suitable offer,” Mutamba continued.

“It’s not all about money but I want a club where I can develop and realise my potential as a player.”

Wazito have so far unveiled seven new signings in a bid to have a good campaign once the new season starts.

After promotion in 2019, the Nairobi-based club made big-name signings in the last two transfer windows but they failed to make much of an impact in the top league.

Jackson ‘Pogba’ Juma, a defensive midfielder and who is an alumnus of Kisumu Day High School and a former AFC Leopards star, is the latest player the former National Super League (NSL) champions announced on Friday.

Former AFC Leopards’ Vincent Oburu, Mark Otieno from Leads United, Kevin Kimani from Mathare United, former Gor Mahia winger Boniface Omondi, ex-Western Stima’s Edwin Omondi, and Kevin ‘Chumsy’ Okumu from Nairobi City Stars are the players Wazito have signed.

Robert Lewandowski is “the best player in the world right now” and the perfect role model for Paris Saint-Germain forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe when it comes to “longevity”, claims former Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

The prolific Polish frontman was considered to be a leading contender for the 2020 Ballon d’Or before France Football took the decision to cancel the handing out of a prestigious Golden Ball in a coronavirus-impacted calendar year.

While disappointed to have been ruled out of the running for that prize, Lewandowski has already helped Bayern to the Bundesliga title this season and could finish the campaign with a Champions League crown to his name.

At 32 years of age, one of the most consistent performers of the modern era has taken his game to never before seen heights, with a personal-best return of 55 goals plundered in 2019-20.

Hargreaves considers Lewandowski to set the standard for all other frontmen, including those he is about to line up against in a European showpiece in Lisbon on Sunday.

The ex-Bayern star told talkSPORT: “He’s ageing like a fine wine. He’s been around forever and it's his best season ever, which seems ridiculous really. Everybody talks about goalscorers and he’s got heaps in his own rights but even in those games against Chelsea, he scored or set up every goal.

“I think his overall game hasn’t got enough credit. As much as Mbappe and Neymar on the pitch on Sunday are the two most talented players in the world, the best player in the world right now is Lewandowski.

“You couldn’t think of a better role model for those guys to model themselves on to say ‘yeah I’m a good player and I’ve got talent but the way to get longevity is to work’.

“The work to his craft to improve his training and his diet and all aspects of his game has created a season where if we had a Ballon d’Or it would be his.”

Hargreaves believes Lewandowski will inspire Bayern to a first Champions League triumph in seven years when they take on PSG, with Hansi Flick’s side having already disposed of Chelsea and Lyon in the knockout stages while also humbling Barcelona 8-2 in the last eight.

“I think it’s impossible to get a 0-0. I heard Thiago Silva say that they want to keep a clean sheet,” Hargraves, who savoured continental glory with Bayern in 2001, added.

“Bayern, even before they went to Lisbon, is the most complete team in the competition in terms of the goalkeeper, defence, and everything.

“They have a blend when you think about the experience in [Manuel] Neuer, [Jerome] Boateng, [David] Alaba, [Thomas] Muller and Lewandowski but then you have these young guys who play like you’ve taken their dinner away, in [Alphonso] Davies, [Joshua] Kimmich and [Serge] Gnabry. The blend is perfect.

“The biggest difference with Bayern is the intensity of their press. They suffocated that Barcelona team. They just looked like they didn’t know what they saw. They couldn’t get out. They physically overran them. You look at Barca and think ‘they’ve got no power in their team’.

“They played a high line, no disrespect to Suarez and Messi, but they couldn’t get beyond them.

“I think it’s going to be a hell of a game. I think if those chances come PSG’s way and they take them they will win but I think Bayern will tip it.”

Simba SC chairman Mohammed Dewji has revealed his ambitions with the club ahead of the new campaign.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi sealed a treble last season – Community Shield Cup, Mainland Premier League title, and the FA Cup – and will thus be the country’s flag bearers in the Caf Champions League for the third season in a row.

Dewji has now openly stated they are tired of winning trophies in Tanzania and their main target this season is to make sure they reach the group stage of the Champions League and if possible win the trophy.

“I am not pleased with winning the domestic titles,” Dewji is quoted as saying by Daily News. “My goal is the Caf Champions League.

“Our goal is to keep on the pace to compete and win the Mainland Premier League, but also to reach the Champions League’s group stage and if we can win it.”

Dewji further revealed he was happy the club had made a decision to keep the players in one camp, saying it will help him to easily monitor their physic, health, and mental strength.

“We have currently set GPS to our players that monitor the players’ performance by measuring heartbeats per second, resting heart rate and average heart rate to get each player statistics,” Dewji continued.

In a separate interview on Friday, Dewji revealed plans to launch a Simba Academy.

“We are going to start a football academy and soon we will have people going around the country to scout talent for the institution,” Dewji told reporters.

“Those who are going to be selected will be brought to Dar es Salaam and Simba will take care of all the costs. We are going to nurture their talent and pay for their school fees as well.

“Our policy of restructuring is not yet complete. I already have TSh20 billion and in every year, I channel TSh30 billion as sponsorship money for the club. I believe a high percentage of Simba fans and members understand what I do.

“Soon we are going to declare vacant positions at the club and one of them is the office of the Chief Executive Officer.”

Simba are without a CEO after Senzo Mazingiza quit the club to join rivals Yanga.

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes his team is struggling to cope with Themba Zwane's loss of form since the return of football. 

The Tshwane giants are winless in their last four league games - three draws and a defeat - and according to Mosimane, this is because Zwane hasn't been as influential as he has been in the last eight years for his club. 

The Tembisa-born attacker was left on the bench in the 2-2 draw against Maritzburg United with Promise Mkhuma taking his place in the starting XI, and Mosimane explained he had to make the necessary changes.    

"If you're honest Themba Zwane is our most important player. Since we came back he hasn’t had much influence on the game as much as he has for the last eight years. We have to be honest with it and make some necessary changes. We had Promise [Mkhuma] in his place. Promise played well," Mosimane told the media.

Mosimane said Zwane has also been honest enough to himself to admit that he hasn't been at his best. 

And the 56-year-old said while this is the reality he's currently facing, he offered Zwane the support he feels the midfielder needed because he still an important member of his Sundowns squad alongside the likes of Gaston Sirino and Sibusiso Vilakazi.  

"He understands also. We had our talk and he accepts. He said, 'coach I am not at my best. I don’t know what is happening’.

"I said, 'look it’s the way it is so we move on. You have done so well for us for all these years that tonight we can feel different about you'.

"We need him. He is an important player. Same as Vilakazi, we need him. He is an important player. Sirino, we need him. He is an important player. They are not at their best at this point in time. They are key players," added Mosimane. 

Sundowns are five points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs and their inability to win matches has given Ernst Middendorp the advantage in the title race.  

They could find themselves eight points behind Middendorp's charges on Sunday afternoon provided Chiefs beat Stellenbosch FC. 

Uganda Premier League (UPL) outfit Express FC have announced yet another new signing during the August transfer window.

Mustapha Kiragga is the player who joins Wasswa Bbosa’s side ahead of the new season, set to start on October 17. He is the fifth new player to join the Red Eagles.

“Express FC are delighted to announce the capture of forward Mustapha Kiragga,” the club announced.

The 19-year old has been signed from South Africa’s Alexandria FC and has agreed a two-year deal with the UPL side.

“I am happy to be a Red Eagle. As a striker my target is to score as many goals and also help the team perform well,” the forward said as he was unveiled on Saturday.

Bbosa has been keen to strengthen the striking area that yielded 30 goals in the cancelled season. Frank Kalanda, with 11 goals to his name, was Express’ top scorer and Kiragga’s arrival is expected to offer more options to the technical bench.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) has already declared October 17 as the date when the new season will begin but the same is dependent on the government’s next announcement concerning the ban on sports and public gatherings.

Meanwhile, Wakiso Giants are unaware of Richard Wasswa’s departure to Vipers SC.

Reports in the country had it that Wasswa had left since he is set to be appointed as a youth team coach for Vipers and St Mary’s Secondary School.

“We are unaware of that development, he has not written to us. He is still contracted with this club,” a Wakiso Giants official is quoted as saying by Sports Nation.

When Douglas Bamweyana was appointed as Wakiso Giants head coach in July, he chose to stick with Wasswa as his assistant but the recent reports may indicate the two will not be partners at the club.

Bamweyana had praised Wasswa when he was confirmed as a head coach saying they had common values, beliefs and philosophy as tacticians.

According to the Waksio Giants official, Wasswa will owe the club money equal to three months of his salary if he discontinues his contract.

Robert Lewandowski is the only possible option to be named the world's best player this year after his "sensational" performances for Bayern Munich, says former midfielder Friedhelm Funkel.

The 32-year-old has scored 55 times in 46 appearances this season to help fire the Bavarian outfit to the Champions League final as well as Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal success.

This year's Ballon d'Or award has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, while FIFA's The Best awards ceremony, originally scheduled for September, was postponed in May. 

Regardless, ex-Eintracht Frankfurt and Hertha Berlin manager Funkel is convinced that Lewandowski has been by far the best player on the planet this season, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in his dust. 

"Yes, there are no two ways about it. Lewandowski's performance in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League this season has been sensational," he told Sky Sport. 

"There is no one this year who has even come close to achieving what Lewandowski has shown. He scored many, many goals, but also assisted a lot of goals. He has also become an absolute team player, but that hasn't stopped him from scoring goals. Lewandowski is predestined to become the world player of the year.

"Ronaldo was eliminated early [from the Champions League], Messi was eliminated early, Messi also did not become a champion in Spain. There was no European Championship or World Cup, so the Champions League has to come into focus and Lewandowski is an outstanding player, the outstanding player."

Lewandowski will come up against Brazil star Neymar when Bayern face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Sunday.

But even the PSG attacker cannot come close to Lewandowski's quality at the moment, says Funkel.

"Neymar is also a world-class player. But this consistency, which Lewandowski has shown over a whole year, cannot be seen in Neymar. He's also an extraordinary - I would almost say - artist," he added.

"What bothers me about Neymar, however, are his dramatics. As soon as he is touched, he goes down, makes drama on the pitch to impress the referee, to shout for fouls. That's not the fine English way, no other player does it like him.

"Lewandowski is completely different, who isn't easily knocked over or let himself be kicked over or dives to provoke something. None of that is worthy of a world football star. That's why there is really only Lewandowski for me this year and, for the reasons described, not Neymar."

Jadon Sancho claims to be ignoring the transfer “noise” that he is generating, amid ongoing links to Manchester United, with the Borussia Dortmund winger focused on his own game and chasing down Ballon d’Or glory.

Speculation continues to suggest that the England international could soon be returned to his homeland in a big-money deal.

United have been frustrated in their efforts to get an agreement in place, but the summer window remains open and a club-record package could be pieced together at some stage by those at Old Trafford.

Sancho is prepared to let that saga play out without him getting involved, with the 20-year-old turning a deaf ear to the rumours which are raging around him.

Asked for his take on the “noise” by SoccerBible, Sancho said: “I try not to look at the media because I think once you start looking at all that it would be easy to get carried away with it. It can affect players.

“For me it’s about not looking at those things and just focusing on trying to do the best I can on the pitch. Especially in training.

“For me it’s about improving every single day. It’s important for me to keep a smile on my face and keep happy. I don’t really look at all the noise and all that stuff. I’d rather keep my head down, keep focus and improve every day.”

Sancho’s efforts on the field for Dortmund have made him one of the most sought-after talents in world football.

He is determined to maintain those standards, while raising his game to even greater heights, with there a desire on his part to be recognised as the best player on the planet.

“Obviously every young kid growing up, that’s something they’re looking at,” Sancho added.

“For me though, if I win a couple [of Ballons d’Or], then I’ll feel like I’ve achieved what I wanted to do in this life. Obviously there’s other great goals I want to accomplish like winning the World Cup, the Champions League and all these other great things but yeah, Ballon d’Or is just like… there’s so many players in the world and to win that you would have been selected to be the best of the best.

“That feeling… Obviously I haven’t been in that situation so I don’t know what it’s like but looking at other people's reactions when they’ve won it - it’s an emotional moment. I just have to keep on working on myself to get there.”

Former Manchester United defender John O'Kane has revealed he suffers from autism and opened up about its effect on his playing career.

O'Kane, 45, began his career with the Old Trafford side but was sent on loan to Wimbledon, Bury and Bradford City.

He ended up making just a handful of appearances for the Red Devils before leaving for Everton in 1998 but lasted less than two years before he joined Bolton.

O'Kane retired in 2006 because of kidney problems, but says he had other issues to juggle throughout his career.

“They’ve got me on pills for my kidney condition and everything is under control. What was never under control when I was playing was my mental state because of autism," the ex-United defender, who was involved in a Twitter argument with Gary Neville last year, told The Sun.

“My team-mates would call me The Spaceman, because at times I seemed a bit detached. Sir Alex Ferguson — in a good way — would whack me to get me going. There was a battle with Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest to sign me when I was 15.

“I came from Nottingham but Sir Alex got me after he invited me to his home. There was this surreal experience of us having a game of snooker together before we went to a game against Arsenal.

“He always liked me, always said: ‘Come on, you are my best right-back — go out and prove it’. I knew I was more gifted than most but I was never as committed because I was constantly battling things in my head.

“All my managers and team-mates knew there was something ‘different’ about me. I always knew I was autistic but I just tried to get on with it. But it was always such a mental drain. Nobody knew what I was really going through.

“Howard Kendall signed me for Everton in 1998, then got sacked and Walter Smith took over. By then I had the reputation of being too laid back, not committed enough, not hungry enough and Smith made his feelings clear.

“We never got on and he got rid of me as soon as he could. I never said there was pressure in my brain as well as on my body — I was just ‘lazy’ John O’Kane who threw his career away.”

Over a year after O'Kane departed, United went on to claim the domestic and European treble under Ferguson, and O'Kane feels he could have been part of the side if not for his autism.

He added: “Had I been able to be more emotionally committed, I might have been winning the 1999 treble."

Monaco manager Niko Kovac has lauded Henry Onyekuru and believes he is one of the best wingers in Ligue 1.

The 23-year-old joined the Monegasques in the summer of 2019 after ending his two-year stay with Premier League club Everton following his inability to acquire a work permit in England.

The Nigeria international struggled for game time with the Stade Louis II outfit on his arrival, owing to illness and other factors.

He had to rejoin Galatasaray on loan in January for a change in fortune, having impressed with the side during his first spell, where he helped the club win the 2018-19 Super Lig title.

Onyekuru has returned to Monaco after his loan deal with the Yellow and Reds expired and has been delivering convincing showings for the club during their pre-season games.

The forward has formed a productive partnership with Gelson Martins to the admiration of their manager Kovac.

“You have certainly seen how we played against AZ. We played well, we were well prepared to line up in a 4-3-3,” Kovac told the club website.

“But the system is not important to me, it is mainly the attitude of the players that I watch. Henry and Gelson bring us work on the wings, we know their qualities.

“I have confidence in them, and I think we have one of the best pair of wingers in France.”

Onyekuru will hope to replicate his eye-catching pre-season performances when Monaco take on Reims in their opening Ligue 1 game of the 2020-21 season on Sunday.

The winger started his career with Aspire Academy before he joined Belgian First Division A side Eupen in 2015.

He delivered sparkling performances for the Pandas during his two-year stay with the side and in the 2016–17 season he finished as the league’s joint top-scorer with 22 goals, which caught the attention of EPL side Everton and he was subsequently signed in 2017.

Onyekuru has 11 caps for Nigeria since he made his debut against Togo in a friendly in 2017 and was part of the Super Eagles side that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp is aware his team will come up against a very good Stellenbosch FC side that has come a long way in their first season in the PSL. 

While Amakhosi hammered the Stellenbosch-based outfit 4-1 in the first round, Middendorp feels they cannot be underestimated, especially after beating Golden Arrows upon the resumption of the season last week. 

"It's a team that is playing in its first PSL season and I think [they are] in a very good position; not really having anything to do with relegation," Middendorp told the Amakhosi media team.  

"It shows already that they are a good team, a qualified team, a team that has been successful in their opening game against Golden Arrows."  

Middendorp said the setup of the teams they have come across since the return of football has made it difficult for Chiefs, and he's expected an element of surprise from almost all of the teams they are going to face in the remaining five games. 

"The setup of these teams is always different. If you compare them with the selection and setup in other games, what we've seen when it comes to a game, where we compete it's always something... and it's not new... it's always something where you have to be prepared knowing that the elements of surprise will come." 

However, he believes the match will depend on how much Amakhosi will show their ambition on the pitch, and he has urged each and every player of his squad to stand up and be counted. 

Middendorp added they should forget about their 3-1 defeat to Bloemfontein Celtic and focus on doing well in the next five games, starting with the clash against Steve Barker's men.  

"But it's up to us. As I said before, it's up to everybody in this selected team to really sharpen up and to really show that ambition. Forget about the last defeat and look forward," added Middendorp.     

The Glamour Boys could open an eight-point gap between themselves and second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns with a win over Stellenbosch.

This after the Brazilians dropped two crucial points when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Maritzburg United on Friday night. 

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have revealed reasons why they will not face Europa League champions, Sevilla, during the Yanga Day celebrations.

The Yanga Day celebrations are expected to culminate on August 29 and going by the traditions the club has always welcomed a foreign team to crown the moment with a friendly tie. 

According to their media liaison officer Hassan Bumbuli, Yanga had planned to invite their Spanish partners for the friendly but the coronavirus pandemic made the whole idea hard to implement.

“Our main hope was that our senior team would play Sevilla because we have entered into a partnership agreement with them,” Bumbuli told Soka Letu.

“But things have been hard to organise that match especially because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic disorganised a lot of things and made it even hard to get a team that is ready to travel and play in a friendly match.

“We are able because Yanga are a big team that is capable of organising big things as we are the record champions so we do not have any reason to fear anyone.

“Because we have failed to secure the Sevilla friendly, we are in talks with other teams so that we can have to play a bigger team at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium. We will need a good game.

“We are going to announce the team that we are to play against in due course but for now, we have sent a letter of invitation to Rayon Sports of Rwanda. They are also a big team.

“If things go according to plans we will announce the same.”

Meanwhile, Yanga have lauded Sevilla for their Europa League 3-2 final victory against Inter Milan.

“We are proud to learn from the best exemplary and successful club. Congratulations,” Yanga's congratulatory message read.

Yanga and Sevilla entered into a partnership that will see the La Liga team offer advice on sporting management, economic management and fans with an aim of helping the Tanzanian record league champions in their transformation journey.

The agreement will also see Sevilla contribute its strategic vision to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Yanga‘s resource management, and complete its evolution into the leading club in Tanzania.

The Yanga-Sevilla consultancy agreement is set to last for three years and digital transformation, marketing and sales, economic control, digitalisation or international development policies are also part of the agreed plans for Timu Ya Wanachi.

Former Nigeria coach Emmanuel Amuneke believes Huesca midfielder Kelechi Nwakali will have learnt lessons from his time at Arsenal.  

The 22-year-old teamed up with the Emirates Stadium outfit after his eye-catching performances at the U17 World Cup in Chile in 2015.  

The midfielder captained the Golden Eaglets to win the title for a record time and won the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.  

Nwakali spent three years with the Gunners without featuring for the Premier League club and had to make do with loan spells at MVV Maastricht, VVV-Venlo and Porto B.

The midfielder left the Emirates Stadium outfit permanently in the summer of 2019 to team up with Huesca in an effort to reignite his career.

Nwakali was part of Míchel’s side that gained promotion to La Liga last season after emerging as champions of the Segunda Division.

Amuneke, under whom the midfielder broke into the limelight, feels the Diamond Football Academy graduate should have learnt lessons from his situation at Arsenal which will help to stabilize his career.

“I think Kelechi is a gifted player with the quality he has but, of course, after the world cup, he was signed by Arsenal which everybody believes that with his quality and the style of Arsenal kind of football, he would be able to find a way but unfortunately things didn’t work out the way people expected,” Amuneke told Brila FM .

“It’s a kind of lesson to him because when success comes a lot of people come around those with good intentions and bad intentions.

“Everybody comes with different ideas, but if you are not able to sit down and analyze things at the end of the day it looks as if you are jumping from one direction to another.”

After featuring for Nigeria at the U17, Nwakali also played for the West Africans at the U20 level and has one cap for the Super Eagles.

The midfielder will hope to shine for the Oscenses in the Spanish top-flight to boost his regular call-up to the Nigeria national team.

Posta Rangers coach Sammy Omollo believes Anthony Akumu should be in the starting team of Harambee Stars.

The Kaizer Chiefs midfielder has been one of the best players in the country but still underrated, and was controversially omitted from the Harambee Stars squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) held in Egypt.

"I feel this is the right time to give Akumu an opportunity to play for the national team," Omollo told Goal on Saturday.

"He is one of the active players currently, and he has been consistent at club level; only that he has not been given an opportunity to replicate his performance with Harambee Stars. However, I feel, the Afcon qualifiers scheduled for November will be a perfect moment for the player to be given a first-team chance.

"It has been a challenge for coaches to pick him because he plays in the same position as the captain [Victor Wanyama], but I am confident Akumu can be considered this time around."

With the Confederation of African Football (Caf) setting November as the month for qualifiers, the 50-year-old believes preparations should commence as soon as possible.

"Players should be called to camp," Omollo opined.

"Despite the Covid-19 situation, it is possible for the Federation to engage the respective authorities to come up with a plan and guidelines to enable the team to get prepared.

"We have slightly more than two months for the technical bench to ready the team, but without proper planning, it will not be enough and we will end up struggling in the qualifiers."

Does Kenya have a chance of playing in the Afcon in 2022?

"Of course yes, we have what it takes, it goes down to preparations," the former defender stated.

"We have a game away to Comoros which I am optimistic we can win, then at home against Egypt. We need maximum points at home and at least four away, and we will be dining with the big boys in Cameroon." 

Kenya started their Group G campaign with a 1-1 draw away to Egypt before being held 1-1 by Togo at home. 

Comoros are leading the pack with four points while Harambee Stars and Egypt are on two points each. Togo are at the bottom with one point.

Asisat Oshoala insists she is solely focused on helping Barcelona win football matches rather than putting pressure on herself to score for the Catalans in the Women's Champions League.

Despite only managing to score once in four previous appearances for Barcelona in this year's European competition, the Nigeria international still boasts of 26 goals in 26 outings across all competitions.

Oshoala, who had last played a competitive match in 1-0 win against Deportivo la Coruna in February before coronavirus lockdown, was handed a starting role by manager Lluis Cortes against Atletico Madrid on Friday evening. 

The 26-year-old missed two good chances but contributed an inadvertent assist after her miscued acrobatic attempt fell to Kheira Hamraoui and she went on to score the winner 10 minutes from time..

In spite of struggling to find the target against Atletico, the forward, who scored three goals in recent 9-1 aggregate win over Montipeller attributed their unconvincing win to a five-month hiatus.

"This was our first game in a very long time so a lot of things could have been better," Oshoala told Uefa.com.

"Coming from a couple of months without playing, trying to get our rhythm going, we don't expect everything to be perfect but we can be better, for sure. 

"Getting a goal at the end of the game was a very good one for us. That's what big teams do. Just make sure you get the goal whichever way you can. 

"You have to respect every side, they're a very good team – one of the best in Europe. It was a tough game, but at the end of the day we were victorious and that's the most important thing. 

"It will give us a lot of confidence and a different mindset going into the next game. 

Friday's quarterfinal win in Bilbao confirms Barcelona's semi-final date with Wolfsburg, who thrashed Glasgow City 9-1 to advance.

Tuesday's tie will see the two teams meeting for the third time in the competition, and the first since 2014 when the Spanish side suffered a 5-0 quarterfinal aggregate defeat to the German giants.

With Wolfsburg aiming to reach their fifth final appearance this year, Oshoala has backed her side to ruin the German's dream and realise a back-to-back final qualification at Anoeta Stadium.

"It's still the same mindset, we want to go in and give our best all the time," she continued.

"We want to make sure we play good football and try to get through the next round. We have to enjoy the moment now and work harder for the next game.

"I think we're one of the best teams in Europe. Each game we try to give our best.

"Winning games is something that comes from hard work from the team. As a team, we just hope to keep getting better."

Luis Suarez says Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu should tell him if he wants the Uruguayan striker to leave the club.

After Ronald Koeman's appointment as coach, the Catalan side are expected to make more big changes to the first-team following their second-place finish in La Liga and 8-2 humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final.

The 33-year-old forward scored 21 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions in the last campaign, having been hindered by a knee injury, while he has also entered the final year of his contract at Camp Nou.

The ex-Ajax and Liverpool star says he wants to remain at the club for the time being, but wants clarity from Bartomeu as rumours about his future continue to circulate. 

“There is talk of some names that the president gave, of changes that can be made, but nobody told me that they want to do without me,” Suarez said in an interview with El Pais . 

“If this is the desire of the club, it would be good if the person in charge speaks directly to me. I've been at Barca for six years, enough time to say what they think. It's better to tell me if I am one of the ones that they want out. It remains to be seen.

“I also want the best for the club and my plan today is to continue, but if the club thinks that I am expendable, I have no problem speaking with those who decide.

“[I want to stay], as long as I am counted on, I want to continue contributing as much as I can.

“I have felt the support of the fans since I arrived and that also gives me a lot of strength to continue.”

Suarez added that he would accept a substitute role next season should the Blaugrana strengthen in attack during the transfer window.

“I would accept it here as I have always accepted it in my career,” he said.

“Competition is always good and if the coach considers that I should start from the bench, I have no problem helping with the role they give me. I think I can still contribute a lot to this club.”