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Yanga SC have reportedly completed the signing of Kaizer Chiefs forward Lazarous Kambole on a one-year loan deal.

The Zambia forward has struggled to cement his place at Amakhosi and with new signings expected, his playing time will be further limited.

It is for this reason the PSL heavyweights have accepted to let the forward leave, albeit on loan.

"Everything between the player and the club has been agreed and it is a matter of time before it is made official," a close source from Yanga SC told Goal on Monday.

"Kambole is a good striker who we believe will thrive in the team and will help in finishing the numerous chances created. There is an option to buy him after the completion of the loan deal.

"The most important thing is having him in the team, as we work on having a more competitive Yanga for next season in all the competitions we will be taking part in."

Recently, the investment director of GSM - Yanga's partners - Hersi Said, had plans of completing the talks with Chiefs over Kambole's transfer.

A few days ago, Said was in DR Congo where he negotiated Djuma Shabani's transfer from AS Vita to Yanga and was set to travel south to meet Amakhosi officials for talks over the Zambian star.

The Zambian has failed to settle at Naturena and has scored just a single goal in 39 appearances for Chiefs, and this season he hasn’t scored in 22 appearances.

Apart from Kambole and Shabani, Goal understands AS Vita's Jean-Marc Makusu Mundele is also a primary transfer target for the record Tanzanian champions.

Timu ya Wananchi are expected to prioritise the signing of strikers after Fiston Abdul Razak and Michael Sarpong failed to live up to expectations.

Sarpong was signed before the season began and so far does not feature among the top five best scorers. Abdoulrazak came during the mid-season transfer window but has been unable to challenge Saidi Ntibazonkiza and Yacouba Sogne for a starting berth.

Makusu is expected to return to AS Vita after he failed to replicate his previous goalscoring form while at Premier Soccer League side Orlando Pirates on loan.

Akwa United coach Kennedy Boboye has explained the situation that led to the abandonment of their Nigeria Professional Football League encounter against Kano Pillars on Sunday evening.

The former Super Eagles assistant coach disclosed that fans invaded the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in an attempt to beat the referee and his assistant after they ruled out a goal scored by Nwagua Nyiwa for Sai Masu Gida in the closing stages of the match. 

The pitch invasion forced both teams to walk off the pitch as they sought safety in the dressing room.

However, the game was concluded on Monday morning and it ended in a goalless draw with just a point separating the two teams at the top of the league table. 

Boboye, in a chat with Goal, gave his account of the incident which he said will lead to a "bad reputation" for the NPFL.

"Around the 87th minute, their player was offside and they scored an offside goal," Boboye told Goal. 

"The assistant referee flagged it and the referee blew his whistle. Before we know, the crowd invaded the pitch and started chasing the referee and his assistant to beat them up so that was why we stopped the game and walked off.

"We finished the game this morning and it was 0-0. Such behaviours should be condemned and we are yet to hear anything from the LMC. Crowd invasion brings bad reputation for the league."

Kano Pillars resorted to social media to narrate their side of the story and they claimed they were denied two clear penalties in the match and they maintained their late goal was not offside.

Meanwhile, the League Management Company are yet to comment on the situation, or clarify whether either of the teams will be charged for the misconduct. 

Akwa United remain at the summit of the Nigeria top-flight table with 50 points after 27 matches and Kano Pillars follow in the second spot with 49 points. 

The Promise Keepers will aim to boost their push when they host Adamawa United on Saturday while Pillars travel for a date with Jigawa Golden Stars on Sunday.

Gianluigi Buffon is set to re-join Parma on a two-year deal after leaving Juventus, Goal can confirm.

Buffon announced that he would be departing Juve for a second time in May, having returned to the club in 2019 following a one-season stint at Paris Saint-Germain.

The 43-year-old goalkeeper also said that he was considering retirement, but has now shelved those plans to seal a return to Parma, the club where he began his career back in 1995.

What's been said?

Goal has learned that Buffon will be officially unveiled at Stadio Ennio Tardini this week on a deal set to run until the end of the 2022-23 season.

The Italian was quizzed by reporters on the move while kicking off the ‘Buffon Summer Camp’ at his goalkeeping academy in Marina di Pietrasanta, and said: "I decided to continue playing because I still feel good."

Buffon's record for Juve in 2020-21 & legacy in Turin

Buffon played in just 14 matches across all competitions for Juve in 2020-21 as he had to make do with a back-up role behind Poland international Wojciech Szczesny once again.

The World Cup winner conceded nine goals while keeping six clean sheets, and also picked up Coppa Italia and Supercoppa winners' medals to add to his illustrious CV.

Buffon's legendary status in Turin had been secured during his first spell at the club between 2001 and 2018, which saw him make 656 appearances and pick up nine Serie A titles.

Only Alessandro Del Piero has featured in more games for Juve than Buffon, who won a total of 22 trophies while on their books and also appeared in three Champions League finals.

Buffon's first stint at Parma 

Buffon made his senior debut for Parma at the age of 17 in November 1995 and went on to feature in 220 games for the club before being snapped up by Juve for a then-record fee of €52 million (£45m/$63m) in 2001.

The ex-Italy international helped Parma win the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana and UEFA Cup, recording 85 clean sheets along the way, and will now be tasked with helping them try to win promotion back to Serie A following their relegation last term.

Further reading

Baroka FC coach Matsimela Thoka believes the club is reaping big for their trust in youngsters.

Goodman Mosele and Evidence Makgopa, who are 20 and 21 years old, have been voted the PSL's young players for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, respectively. The latter played 28 matches for Bakgaga and scored seven goals in the process. 

He also scored a brace on debut as Bafana Bafana defeated Uganda 3-2 in an international friendly match played at the Orlando Stadium on June 10.

"Our boys Mosele and Makgopa have a bright future in football," Thoka told Sowetan.

"As a team, we are very proud of them. The awards these boys have won are the ultimate recognition the club gets for believing in young blood.

"This is the nature of Baroka, we believe in youngsters. Actually, we look at potential rather than to say ‘no, this one is for the future’. We don’t do that, we believe that the future is now."

The tactician went on to explain how his club chairman Khurishi Mphahlele has supported the technical bench in their bid to nurture upcoming talents.  

"I know other coaches are scared to take that risk of trusting youngsters because they are afraid that young players might be overwhelmed by the big stage and underperform, which could result in a job loss for coaches," Thoka continued.  

"However, here at Baroka we have the full support of the chairman. He believes in younger players, so it’s easy for us as coaches to throw them in the starting XI."

Thoka has further revealed the team will be aiming at promoting more youngsters into the senior team for the upcoming campaign.

"We will promote two or three youngsters from our development team. At this stage, we can’t give out their names because that could make them think they’ve already arrived, whereas they still have to show if they’re ready for [the] top flight or not," he added.

Baroka finished 10th in the concluded season having managed 34 points. They managed seven wins from the 30 games played, with 13 draws and 10 losses.  

They scored 28 goals in the process and conceded 36.

Paul Pogba is the kind of player that "any club would be happy to welcome", admits Presnel Kimpembe, with the current Paris Saint-Germain star reacting to talk that the Manchester United midfielder could join him at Parc des Princes.

Speculation around France's World Cup-winning midfielder is nothing new, with another transfer window set to bring with it fresh rounds of rumours.

Pogba is entering the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, which is fuelling the exit talk, and a return to his homeland for the 28-year-old France international has been mooted.

What has been said?

PSG defender Kimpembe told reporters when asked if a switch to Paris has been discussed: "I didn't discuss it with him.

"He's a big boy, he doesn't need anyone to make up his mind. Any club would be happy to welcome him.

"It only depends on him, his agent and his future club."

The bigger picture

For now, Pogba's thoughts are locked on the present and another shot at major international glory.

He has an important role to play in Didier Deschamps' plans, with the reigning world champions going in search of continental glory.

France's squad is stacked with world-class talent, but Pogba is a talismanic presence on and off the field and will be looked to for guidance by those around him.

Kimpembe added on his charismatic colleague: "We know his talent as a natural leader. When we have to speak, he is not going to say govern, he does so naturally.

"He always speaks at the right times."

Further reading

Malawi assistant coach Bob Mpinganjira has blamed the team’s 2-0 defeat to Tanzania in the international friendly on lack of concentration from his players, especially in the second half.

The Flames went into the match at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium seeking to end a bad run of result against the Taifa Stars at the same venue but despite dominating most of the first half, they ended up losing after goals from captain John Bocco and Israel Mwenda.

Mpinganjira, who was handling the team in the absence of head coach Meck Mwase, has told Goal lack of concentration from his players allowed the Taifa Stars to punish them with the two goals they scored.

“Tanzania have given us a good game, we wanted to test our players and we have learnt a lot of things from the friendly which when we go back we will try and rectify and get ready for next assignment,” Mpinganjira told Goal.

“But we played a very good game especially in the first half but we didn’t score any goal, come to the second half same thing happened, we started very well and we didn’t score any goal but then we conceded those two goals, we lost a little bit of concentration that is why we conceded the goals.

“We conceded the goals and could not recover but all in all football is like that, when you make mistakes you get punished, so we have learnt something for the future.

“A point to take note of is this game was also an opportunity for us to try some of our new players who have never played for the national team, so we have done that, we have seen what they can offer the team and it was a good show from them.”

It was Bocco, who is enjoying a good run of form at his club Simba having managed to score eight goals in his last five games for the club, who scored the opener after unleashing a right-footed effort from outside the box.

Six minutes later Mwenda made it 2-0 through a brilliant free-kick which beat the wall and keeper Brighton Munthali.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana believes Kaizer Chiefs can use the underdog tag to go all the way and surprise many by winning the Caf Champions League.

Amakhosi had a tough PSL season and laboured to an eighth-place finish. However, they have done well in the African competition and after eliminating Simba SC 4-3 on aggregate, they will play Wydad Casablanca in the semi-finals with the first leg on Saturday.

The South African heavyweights are seen as outsiders in their bid to win their first-ever Champions League title, but the Masandawana skipper believes they can use that as an advantage.

"It is a good place where they find themselves and if you look at the chances, they are very high because you are playing a team which is fearless – that is Kaizer Chiefs," Kekana said in a recent interview. 

"They have never been in that space and, for me, I believe they have little to lose in that match. 

"Expectations of them are not high, and it is always nice to play as underdogs in a competition like the Champions League, where many don’t expect you to do the business. So, I believe they stand a chance of going to the final.  

"If they play the way they normally do, they stand a chance, to be honest."

The 36-year-old midfielder has further advised Chiefs on players who should not be given space since they will hurt the team's chances of advancing.

"Wydad are very tricky customers to face. Their front three are so tricky, [Mohamed] Ounajem, [Ayoub] El Kaabi, and [Simon] Msuva; they know how to play within their spaces," Kekana continued.

"They have to guard the three and once they deal with the three, I don’t see them having problems with Wydad. The front three are very dangerous, as I said, and Chiefs need to look out for them."  

Amakhosi played the North Africans twice in the group stage; they lost 4-0 away before winning 2-0 at home.

Saturday's game away in Casablance, Morocco, will also give new coach Stuart Baxter a chance to guide the team for the first time against one of the best teams in the continent.

John Barnes does not expect Liverpool to make marquee signings this summer and says the Reds do not "need to buy an Erling Haaland unless they lose one of the first XI".

Jurgen Klopp may be backed into that corner with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah linked with moves, but he remains well-stocked for now.

Additions are being sought, with Ibrahima Konate already added to the defensive ranks, but big-money arrivals in the final third of the field are considered unlikely for the 2019-20 Premier League champions.

What has been said?

Reds legend Barnes, speaking in association with BonusCodeBets, told Goal on summer recruitment at Anfield: "I don’t see Liverpool making a marquee signing this summer, unless one of their marquee players goes.  

"Having Virgil van Dijk back to fitness is like a new signing. Ibrahima Konate has come in to play alongside him, and Liverpool still have Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. Once Liverpool get their defenders and midfielders back, as long as they keep the nucleus of the team, they have what they need.  

"With the Konate signing, Diogo Jota, who can play in the front three or midfield three, and players like Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaquiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still in the squad, unless Liverpool lose players, it’s difficult to determine what they need.  

"There are teams, like Arsenal for instance, who need to bring players in to go straight into their team. Liverpool don’t need that. They don’t need to buy an Erling Haaland to come into the team, unless they lose one of the first XI."

The bigger picture

Liverpool have been linked with big names heading into another window, but Klopp is expected to favour a frugal approach to recruitment.

Reinforcements will be sought if the right options become available, but Barnes points out that any further business on Merseyside may be shaped by those heading for the exits - with Georginio Wijnaldum having already left for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

Further reading

Zinedine Zidane has snapped back at a Spanish journalist for asking questions over the acrimonious nature of his Real Madrid departure, stating: "your work is shameful".

Zidane took the decision to step down from his role as head coach at Santiago Bernabeu following Real's trophyless 2020-21 campaign.

The Frenchman, who guided the club to three successive Champions League crowns in his first stint in charge between 2016 and 2018, has since written an open letter explaining why he chose to cut short his contract.

What did Zidane say in the open letter?

Zidane criticised club president Florentino Perez for failing to support him during Real's worst period of form last season, while also expressing his belief that his previous work for the club had been disregarded.

"I’m leaving because I feel the club no longer has the faith in me I need, nor the support to build something in the medium or long term," the 48-year-old's message to supporters read.

"I understand football and I know the demands of a club like Real Madrid. I know when you don’t win, you have to leave. But with this a very important thing has been forgotten, everything I built day-to-day has been forgotten, what I brought to my relationships with the players, with the 150 people who work with and around the team. 

"I want there to be respect for what we have achieved together. I would have liked my relationship with the club and the president over the past few months to have been a little different to that of other coaches."

Zidane's clash with the media

Zidane was quizzed on the letter while in Vallecas to watch his son Luca play for Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish Segunda play-offs at the weekend.

A journalist from Directo Gol asked him: "Mister, how are you? How is everything going? You left Real Madrid badly with the letter."

Zidane then responded angrily, saying: "Are you going to follow me with the same questions? Really, your work is shameful. You know me and I know you.

"You stop recording and you come here to talk to me."

The former Real manager was then seen grabbing the reporter in question and talking to him as they walked away from the cameras.

What did Zidane achieve in his second spell at Real?

Zidane returned to the Bernabeu in March 2019 following the Blancos' swift decline in his absence, and quickly managed to steady the ship.

He delivered the club's first La Liga title since 2017 in his first full season back at the helm, along with the Supercopa de Espana.

However, the 2020-21 campaign was far less successful for Real, who finished second to arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in La Liga and exited the Champions League at the semi-final stage after being outclassed by eventual winners Chelsea.

Further reading

Chelsea have been warned by former Germany striker Klaus Fischer that Kai Havertz "doesn't feel comfortable" filling a false nine role, but the Blues' club-record £70 million ($99m) star is still being backed to shine in English football.

A testing debut campaign at Stamford Bridge for the highly-rated 22-year-old ended on a European high as a match-winning goal was scored in a memorable Champions League final win over Premier League rivals Manchester City.

Havertz proved decisive in that contest when operating as a central forward, but his blossoming reputation was established as a deep-lying playmaker and Fischer believes Thomas Tuchel would be best advised to drop his fellow countryman back into a more natural berth.

What has been said?

Fischer, who helped West Germany to the 1982 World Cup final has - in association with NetBet - told Goal of Havertz: "I saw him in the Champions League final against Manchester City and he played brilliantly. 

"He's a young player who has a great left foot, but he's not a real centre-forward, that's clear to see. 

"He certainly doesn't feel comfortable there, but he's a huge talent, he plays in one of the best teams in the world at Chelsea and he will continue to develop."

Can Havertz thrive at Chelsea?

A sizeable show of faith was made by Chelsea when they prised Havertz away from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer of 2020.

Little return was offered on that investment through the opening months of a difficult adjustment period, but potential was always there to be unlocked.

Tuchel has started to bring the best of his compatriot, with Havertz ending the 2020-21 campaign with nine goals and six assists to his name, with there still the promise of more to come.

Fischer added on a hot prospect: "When you come to a different country and to a different team as a young player, you have to establish yourself.  

"I think that he prevailed, seeing as he scored the deciding goal in the final in the Champions League and also because he has a German coach who teaches him the German virtues. 

"He needs to demonstrate these virtues in England too, because they probably play the best football in terms of speed and physicality. 

"I do believe that he has what it takes to assert himself because he can score goals.  

"He's also a smart player who knows how to play, but a young player who is not the finished article yet in his development. That goal has probably given him an incredible boost and he will continue to score goals in England."

Further reading

Former Tanzania Prisons star Eliud Mpepo has compared Simba SC's transfer targets Moses Phiri of Zanaco FC and Cape Town City's Justin Shonga.
 
The two are among the primary targets to fill the boots of Luis Miquissone, who could leave Wekundu wa Msimbazi at the end of the season. Miqussone, who was signed in 2019 from UD Songo, has impressed in Tanzania and has attracted offers from North Africa.
 
Simba are willing to let the Mozambican leave should the unnamed Egyptian and Moroccan sides meet their $700,000 to $1 million valuation of the star. Mpepo, who played with Phiri at Buildcon, has said the Simba targets are good but their output will largely depend on the coach's playstyle.

"I know Phiri very well because we played together before and he can launch an attack from any given area on the pitch. He can play behind a centre-forward and can also execute the responsibilities of a centre-forward quite easily. He can easily manoeuvre around defenders just as Miquissone is doing," Mpepo, a former Singida United star, told Mwanaspoti.

"The only problem he has is he rarely performs on poor pitches, but he will have to cope with that if he does play in Tanzania. But he might have changed since it was many years after we played together. 
 
"Between him and Shonga, I can not really state who between the two is far better than the other. The coach is the person to tell who is better, considering his style of play or how he would want to use them individually. But honestly, from where I am, I can say both are good."
 
In a recent interview, a source within Simba confirmed they are interested in Shonga and Phiri.

"We are having a debate about Shonga and Phiri and the majority of the board members seem to agree that we should approach the two," the source said. "We are now looking at the number of foreign players that will be in our team given that we have 10 at the moment."

"We are also looking at the possibility of letting Perfect Chikwende leave on loan and his position will be filled by one of the players to be signed and that is either Phiri or Shonga.

"What is holding us back from starting the Shonga and Phiri negotiations is that we are waiting to see which of the interested clubs will be ready to acquire Miquissone at our valuation of $700,000. The winger can even fetch up to $1 million but we will also be convinced if the interested party will offer him competitive salaries."

Simba are expected to bolster the squad by signing players who can push their continental ambitions.

Gor Mahia coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto has revealed why he did not panic when his team was forced to penalties by Bidco United in their FKF Shield Cup semi-final clash on Sunday.

K’Ogalo managed to keep their hopes of winning the double this season alive following a 4-1 penalty win against the Thika-based side after a 1-1 score in regulation time at Utalii grounds.

It was Gor Mahia who scored first through midfielder Kenneth Muguna but Bidco levelled matters through David Orem to take the game to penalties.

K'Ogalo then scored all their penalties through Alpha Onyango, Clifton Miheso, John Macharia, and Samuel Onyango to set up a Mashemeji Derby final against AFC Leopards who beat Equity FC 6-5 on penalties on July 4.

But what caught the eye of the Portuguese tactician is goalkeeper Gad Mathews, who saved a Zacharia Gathu penalty with Orem shooting wide while Anthony Simasi managed to beat the goalkeeper.

Pinto has told Goal he did not panic even a minute when the game went to penalties because he knew "penalty specialist" Mathews will save a couple and they had also trained enough on penalties heading into the last eight fixture.

What has been said?

“I was very calm [when the game went to penalties] because I knew our goalkeeper is good in penalties, Gad [Mathews] is a specialist in this type of things and we have seven or eight players they kick very well the penalties and very calm,” Vaz Pinto told Goal on Monday.

“We also prepared for the penalties ahead of the game and we prepared very well because of that we decided to bring Samuel [Onyango] because we know Samuel is good in penalties and because of that one we changed some players and we put in James [Macharia] and Samuel because they are very good in penalties.

“We also put in Sydney [Ochieng] if they go more than five, then Sydney can kick the extra one.

“Because of that when we made the substitutions we made them thinking about the penalties because it can happen and is important to put the strong players out there, so we knew how to handle the penalty situation.”

What about the Bidco United game?

On the overall game against Bidco United, Vaz pinto said: “It was a tough game, always tough and I just say it was difficult for Bidco and for us because we have played a lot of matches and this schedule is very tough for the players, some players are tired and we knew the game will be tough.

“We conceded one goal they [Bidco] didn't have many chances to score but got one chance and used it and we had more players in the box than Bidco but we conceded that goal but in the first half, we needed to score more goals, two or three, Miheso had two chances, Karim [Nikiema] one more but we don’t score and of course after it becomes tough.

“But we are in the final and that is the most important thing.”

The winner of the final will take home Ksh2million from the title sponsors and a ticket to represent the country in the Caf Confederation Cup next season.

Azam FC have confirmed they have dropped their interest in Kenya midfielder Francis Kahata.

The 29-year-old experienced playmaker is currently a free agent after being released by Mainland Premier League champions Simba SC, who regarded him as surplus to requirements and immediately after he left the Msimbazi giants reports emerged he was a target for the ‘Ice Cream Makers’.

A top official at the Chamazi-based club has told Goal in an exclusive interview that they are not keen to sign the player, who was part of the Wekundu wa Msimbazi squad which reached the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League where they were eliminated by Kaizer Chiefs.

What has been said?

“We already have a list of players we want to sign and Francis [Kahata] is not part of them,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Monday.

“We don’t want to sign a player who did have a chance to play at Simba in the league, and to make it clear, Kahata was once brought to sign for Azam but the deal fell through because we already other plans because we had already seen the targets we wanted.

“For now it is official we have stopped any plans to sign the player and have allowed him to go get another team, wherever he wants to go but not Azam.”

The former Gor Mahia midfielder left the reigning champions after they opted against extending his contract which is ending at the end of June.

What did Kahata say after Simba exit?

On leaving Simba, Kahata told Goal: “There are many offers that have come my way and I am free to choose where I will be playing.

“However, I will let my agent handle everything and when time is ripe, I will let my fans and supporters know where I will be playing.”

Kahata joined Simba from FKF Premier League champions Gor Mahia in the 2019 season and went on to play a vital part for the Tanzanian heavyweights, winning the Community Shield, the Tanzania Cup, and the league title. 

Apart from Azam, Goal also understands the creative midfielder is also in talks with Al-Merrikh of Sudan, among other clubs.

France have "seven musketeers in attack", according to Jean-Pierre Papin, who has expressed his excitement over the forward talent in his country's ranks and the return of "wild card" Karim Benzema.

Les Bleus are being billed as the favourites to win Euro 2020, with Didier Deschamps having named a star-studded squad for the tournament as they seek to go one better than their final appearance five years ago.

Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele, Wissam Ben Yedder and Karim Benzema all made the final cut, with Papin left in awe by the attacking riches at Deschamps' disposal.

What's been said?

The former France international told German publication Suddeutsche Zeitung: "We have seven musketeers in attack. There is enough firepower."

Papin added on Real Madrid star Benzema's return to Deschamps' squad after a six-year exile: "If you are one of the best players in Europe, then you have your place in the national team.

"For me, he was the most consistent attacker in Europe alongside Robert Lewandowski.

"Whether with Benzema or without, not a single piece of the puzzle was missing. Benzema is a plus - like a wild card."

Who will France play in the group stage?

France will open their latest European Championship campaign with a heavyweight Group F clash against Germany at Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday night.

The reigning world champions will then look forward to fixtures against Hungary and Portugal, who beat them in the 2016 final, as they bid to qualify for the knockout stages.

Papin on Mbappe & Giroud rift

The only issue threatening to derail France at the moment is the rising tension between Mbappe and Giroud in the wake of their final warm-up victory against Bulgaria last Tuesday.

Giroud accused his team-mates of not passing him the ball after the 3-0 win, with Mbappe subsequently expressing his unhappiness with the Chelsea star for criticising him publicly.

Papin is certain that Deschamps will be able to mend relations between the pair, though, having seen how tough he can be first-hand during their playing days together at Marseille in the 1980s.

"Deschamps is so experienced that I trust him to cope with it," he said. "He was more than just a player. He was someone who pulled everyone along.

"He talked a lot and almost everything he said made sense. That gave him a natural authority that he kept as a coach."

Further reading

Scott McTominay has worn the No.39 shirt at Manchester United since breaking into the senior set-up at Old Trafford, and the Scotland international has no intention of changing despite some iconic numbers being up for grabs.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who is another product of the Red Devils' famed academy system, burst onto the scene when handed his big break by Jose Mourinho.

He is now up to 133 competitive appearances and has become a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans, with his game taken to new heights in 2020-21, but there are no plans on his part to drop down the squad number list from out of the high 30s.

What has been said?

Quizzed during a Q&A on United's official website on whether a change of shirt number could be on the cards, McTominay said: "No.39 obviously is special, when you first get your number.

"Nobody has ever said change your number – there’s not been a single conversation about changing my number. Not three years, two years or a year ago. 

"Nothing has ever been said about it. I’m perfectly fine with that. I’ve never even asked myself and never thought or brought it up in conversation to change my number. I’m perfectly fine, so 39. I see 39 everywhere now, I can’t get it out of my head!"

Who wore 39 before McTominay?

The Scotland international would be treading a familiar path if he were to trade No.39 in for a different jersey.

Prior to McTominay taking on that position in United's squad, fellow academy graduate Marcus Rashford had made a stunning breakthrough while filling the same shirt.

The England forward is now the Red Devils' No.10, with only the 2015-16 campaign spent donning 39.

Which numbers are available at United?

The Red Devils currently have the 1-11 spots filled in their squad.

Juan Mata is, however, yet to sign a new contract and could vacate the No.8 spot this summer, while serious questions have also been asked of No.4 Phil Jones and his future.

Elsewhere, 12, 14, 15 and 20 are all up for grabs, but it may be that 16 is the best fit for a player of McTominay's ilk.

He would be following in illustrious footsteps were that shirt to be taken on, with a couple of iconic midfielders previously taking on that number.

Roy Keane, a seven-time Premier League title winner, spent 12 memorable years as United's No.16.

That jersey was then passed on to Michael Carrick, who filled it for another 12 as he collected five top-flight titles and a Champions League crown.

Further reading

Wayne Rooney has praised England for getting off to a winning start at the European Championships in a "professional" manner.

England won their opening fixture at the Euros for the first time ever thanks to Raheem Sterling's second-half goal against Croatia at Wembley on Sunday.

Gareth Southgate's side are now in a strong position ahead of fixtures against Scotland and the Czech Republic, and Rooney believes the squad will be in high spirits after overcoming the nation that knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage.

What's been said?

England's all-time record goalscorer told Sky Sports: "It was a good positive start, a solid professional performance. With the heat it was never going to be an end-to-end game, it was always going to be a game of moments.

"To win that was massive, Croatia are a good team and it will give the players a relief that they are comfortable in the group now. They'll be a bit more relaxed going into the game against Scotland and if they didn't win they could have been a bit anxious."

Pressed on the Three Lions' chances of winning the tournament, Rooney added: "Scotland will be tough but after winning the game (against Croatia) I think England will comfortably go through to the next round.

"That's when I think it could get difficult for England - when you come up against a France, Portugal or Belgium - one of those top teams.

"There's a lot of quality in the squad, my only worry is a lack of experience - it's important Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson get fit because they will be vital moving forward. Quality-wise they have as much as anyone in the competition and they have a great chance."

Sterling fires England to victory

A few eyebrows were raised when Southgate named his starting XI for the clash with Croatia, as he opted to start Kieran Trippier at left-back ahead of Luke Shaw while leaving Ben Chilwell out of the squad entirely.

Jadon Sancho was also a surprise omission, while Sterling was tasked with occupying one of the forward roles ahead of Jack Grealish despite his struggles for form at Manchester City last season.

Southgate was ultimately vindicated, watching his side produce a disciplined, controlled display that limited Croatia's attacking threat.

Further reading 

Former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan says a young Billy Gilmour rejected his career advice telling him to stay in Scotland before choosing a move to Chelsea.

As first reported by Goal, Chelsea won the race to sign Gilmour in 2017 among a host of superclubs ahead of his 16th birthday by offering him a pathway into their first-team.

Still just 19, the midfielder recently made his Scotland debut and has established himself as a senior player at his club, but Strachan admits that upon meeting Gilmour, he told him to stay at Rangers.

What he said?

"I remember meeting him when he came along to Scotland training," Strachan told Goal, speaking at Betfair’s Euro 2020 launch. "Everyone was asking me to have a word with him to keep him in Scotland. I had that talk and it didn’t work!

"I remember meeting him at Hampden as well and he was just a small, skinny wee lad, but he was determined to follow his own path, not what coaches were telling him. He was like at 15, right I am off to Chelsea.

"It can be scary. I had a chance to join Manchester United as a young boy and I joined Dundee at 16. Luckily, I got the chance again as a man. If you look at it, you can get to the top in many different ways. It is up to you how you go about it.

"There will be hurdles but you smash you way through it. Look at all these players like Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Andy Robertson and John McGinn, they all had different problems in their life but made it.

"Kane did it on loan, or be like Phil Foden and stay and watch the great players. He has become a brilliant footballer himself. There’s not a set way to get to the top."

What's Gilmour's next move?

Having started just five games for Thomas Tuchel, the exciting young midfielder will hope for more next season despite ending the season with a Champions League medal.

Golmour considered a loan move in January in a bid to make the Steve Clarke's squad for the European Championships, but Tuchel opted to keep him around despite an offer from Southampton. He got more games at the end of the season due to injuries to N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.

His talents haven't got unnoticed by his rivals either, with England, Czech Republic and Croatia in his country's Euros group.

"He’s a great talent," Foden said when asked about Gilmour ahead of the international tournament. "He is still so young, still a lot to learn. I’ve played against him a few times and every time I’ve played against him I’ve been impressed. He is definitely going to be a great player in the future and he will be a great player for Scotland."

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Further reading