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Jack Grealish is "better off" staying at Aston Villa if he's called up to the England squad, according to Tony Daley, who says a rumoured target for Manchester United needs to be playing regularly.

United are reportedly weighing up a summer bid for Grealish after his outstanding 2019-20 campaign at Villa.

The 24-year-old helped Dean Smith's side retain their Premier League status by scoring eight goals and laying on six assists in 36 appearances, and he is now being tipped to take the next step forward in his fledgeling career.

Grealish is also being touted for a spot in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad ahead of upcoming UEFA Nation's League matches, with international football finally set to resume after the postponement of the European Championships.

The tournament has been rescheduled to take place in 2021, and Daley believes the Villa talisman will have a better chance of featuring if he snubs a big-money move to Old Trafford.

Grealish has also been linked with Spurs, but a former Villa star has urged him to stay put due to the fact he is guaranteed a starting berth under Smith.

“If Jack goes, he’ll have everyone’s blessing here at Villa because of what he’s just done for the club,” Daley told the Daily Star.

“But if he’s been picked for England already, he might think he’s better off staying with Villa, where he’s settled and plays every week.

“The Euros are coming up next summer – and Jack needs to be playing to stay in Southgate’s plans.”

The ex-Villa winger added on Grealish deserving an opportunity on the international stage: “I agree Jack now warrants a place in the England squad. He gave consistently good performances last season.

“When he was in the Championship, there were doubts if he could do it in the Premier League. Fair enough. But he’s now proved he can.

“Yes, there were ups and downs last season but people need to understand the immense pressure on his shoulders to keep Villa up. Everyone looked to Jack to deliver every game.

“But, when it mattered in the final few games, there was this new maturity about Jack, which really came to the fore.

“He didn’t try to do everything on his own. He realised Villa had to play as a team – and you could see how others around him responded to that.

“It seems England will have a bigger squad than normal next week. That means Jack must get in, surely? I believe he’s done enough to be picked in this squad.

“He’s shown what a talent he is at Villa - and he’ll go up another level with the national team, with even better players alongside him."

ATK Mohun Bagan defender Pritam Kotal has learnt the importance of self-belief from his side's victory against Bengaluru FC in the 2019-20 Indian Super League (ISL) play-offs.

The Kolkata based club, then ATK, went on to win their third ISL title in a final played behind closed doors in Goa after beating Chennaiyin FC 3-1. However, they needed to a stunning turnaroudn after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their semifinal play-off against Bengaluru FC. 

In the reverse leg in Kolkata, Kotal and his teammates knocked Bengaluru out after scripting a drmatic 3-1 win with David Williams scoring a late winner.

Bengaluru FC had scored early through a fifth minute strike by Ashique Kuriniyan but goals from Roy Krishna (30') and David Williams (63', 79') ensured that ATK won the double-legged semi-final 3-2 on aggregate.

"Self-belief is very important and this is what sport teaches us. For example in the semi-finals against Bengaluru FC, in the away match we lost 1-0. When they came to Kolkata (for the second leg) also, they scored first. So we had to score three to qualify for the final," Kotal said in a Live instagram chat with Apollo X Sports.

"When we entered the dressing room at half-time, there was not a single player who thought that we would lose this match. Everyone believed that we will score three goals and go to the final. This is what self belief is all about," he insisted.

Kotal, one of the leading Indian defenders at the moment, feels that the privilege of playing the game itself is a huge motivation for him.

"My motivation itself is football. I chose football to play and become something. The moment I see football I get motivated. Everyday, the thought comes to mind that I can improve further," he said.

Kotal, who runs an academy in Kolkata, feels that not everybody makes it into the top levels of professional football. As such, Kotal puts across the point that aspiring footballers should never ignore their education.

"Whoever plays football but is not as good in it, we encourage them to get educated further. So I tell them to keep playing football but don't neglect education. If not a player, one can become a physio (physiotherapist), fitness trainer, manager or anything else in the sport as well," he added.

Kotal also paid tribute to his national team partner Sandesh Jhingan who has been recently conferred the Arjuna Award.

"I want to congratulate Sandesh Jhingan for winning the Arjuna Award. We have been playing together from the India U-19 team and I feel very proud to have played alongside him," Kotal expounded.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) have confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Jamil Malyamungu.

Malyamungu, who joined the 13-time Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions in 2017, becomes the latest player to leave the 2019 league winners.

He joined KCCA as a free agent and signed a three-year deal which has now ended without renewal especially after failing to stamp authority on the first team.

He and Ali Mwirusi played secondary roles at the club last season as coach Mike Mutebi preferred Charles Lukwago as his first-choice goalkeeper.

The experienced goalkeeper has previously played for the Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF FC), Water FC and Bugerere FC in the Masaza Cup tournament.

He was key when Maroons won the Fufa Big League title in the 2016/17 season and consequently were promoted to the Premier League alongside Masavu FC and Mbarara City.

Mustapha Kizza is the other player who has left the Kassasiro Boys but will remain at the club on loan from Major League Soccer (MLS) side Montreal Impact until December.

Eric Ssenjobe left for league rivals Police FC while goalkeeper Tom Ikara, who spent a loan stint at Mbarara City last season, has left and joined Police too.

Jackson Nunda exited and has so far been confirmed at top side Uganda Revenue Authority FC (URA FC).

Mike Mutyaba ended his career after he was released by KCCA. Other players who are reportedly set to be released are Nicholas Kasozi, Erisa Ssekisambu, Saddam Juma and Muzamir Mutyaba.

In the ongoing transfer window, the 2019 Caf Champions League participants have already made seven signings. Brian Aheebwa, Samson Kigozi, Charles Lwanga, Ashraf Mugume, Denis Iguma, Bright Anukani and Stefano Mazengo Loro have been confirmed.

Lately, the Kampala-based outfit has not made any new announcement on whether more new players are coming.

Meanwhile, BUL FC have confirmed the signing of five players.

Davis Mutebi, Kenneth Kibaale, Peter Onzima, Paul Mbaziira and Douglas Bithum are the stars who have joined the Jinja club that is coached by Arthur Kyesmira.

Mutebi and Mbaziira have been signed with two-year deals each whereas Onzima, Bithum and Kibaale have been handed one-year contracts each.

He has been brought on board to compete with Sanon Mulabi and Abdul Kimera. The goalkeeping department is under a former Uganda international James Magala.

“I am very happy to join BUL FC family, I have come to win trophies and push harder as a player,” Mutebi said as was quoted by Kawowo Sports.

“As I aim for a place on the national team, I will do what it takes to help the club achieve their goals so the fans should expect a lot from me.

“I thank the management of the club for trusting me.”

Mbaziira, Bithum and Kibaale have been signed from Edgar’s Youth Academy.

Stan Collymore says that Kevin De Bruyne "would be the perfect fit for Liverpool", with it his belief that the Manchester City star could turn the Reds into a "truly great side".

De Bruyne was the standout player for City throughout their 2019-20 campaign, as he hit 13 goals while also recording a staggering 20 assists in 35 top-flight outings.

The 29-year-old picked up the Premier League Player of the Season award for his efforts, and also added a fourth League Cup winners' medal to his collection of domestic honours.

He was, however, unable to inspire City towards a third successive title or Champions League glory, with Liverpool emerging as the new dominant force in England and Lyon humbling Pep Guardiola's men in Europe.

Collymore thinks it is about time that De Bruyne moved onto a new challenge, and that Anfield could be the ideal next destination for a player "at the height of his powers".

The former Liverpool striker says the Belgium international is capable of elevating Jurgen Klopp's side to an even higher level, and he wants to see his old club test City's resolve with an audacious approach.

"Kevin De Bruyne fully ­deserves to have been named PFA Player of the Year – he has been Mr Consistency at such a high level," Collymore wrote in his latest column for The Mirror.

"But that makes me wonder: Isn’t it time he tested himself at Real Madrid, a rejuvenated Barcelona or – here’s one to put the cat among the pigeons – Liverpool?

"De Bruyne hasn’t yet played for a massive club because Chelsea and Manchester City come with B-grade expectations. At Wolfsburg, it’s a C and Belgium are more of a dark horse than front-runner.

"The only way he can really stamp his greatness on the game is by joining a club at which he’d have A* ­expectations and, at the height of his powers, there isn’t a better time for him to do that. De Bruyne would be the perfect fit for Liverpool.

"He could go in and run a midfield which already has all the attributes to get the best out of him. He could make them a truly great side, one which wins multiple Premier League and Champions League titles.

"I can hear City fans screaming: ‘Nonsense, Stan’. But it’s only ­nonsense if Liverpool don’t have the brass neck or finances to go for it."

Collymore added on the extra dimension De Bruyne could bring to the current Liverpool squad: "Having a nibble at De Bruyne ought to be a no-brainer for Liverpool ­because he would make a midfield that was excellent last season even better.

"Most Liverpool fans would tell you their midfield is 8/10 as things stand, compared to rearguard and forward lines that are 9/10. To go on and truly dominate at home and in Europe, Liverpool are going to need more goals and assists from midfield.

'And in De Bruyne they would have a player who is always going to find a forward with a pass and is always ­going to weigh in with goals and ­free-kicks, too."

Police FC have confirmed defender Reuben Kimera has extended his contract for another two years.

Kimera’s contract had expired in June but following on and off negotiations, the two parties have now agreed on a two-year deal.

Although Kimera has been unable to get regular playtime as a first-teamer under coach Abdalla Mubiru, he can play both at left-back and at right-back.

He engaged in 15 matches last season as the cops finally managed to keep their Premier League status after on-pitch struggles.

“I feel so good for renewing my contract. I’m ready to work hard for the team and I’m hoping for the best this coming season,” Kimera told the club’s website after signing the new contract.

“I hope to score and create more goals compared to the previous seasons.”

The fullback is the ninth player Mubiru has agreed to extend his contract as he strengthens the team for the 2020/21 season that is tentatively set to start on October 17.

Musa Matovu, Mubarak Nsubuga, Yusuf Ssozi, Dennis Rukundo, Joseph Ssentume, Edward Kiryowa, Joseph Odong, and Bashir Kabuye have also agreed to renew their contracts with the club.

Police have signed experienced Tony Mawejje, Tom Ikara, Arnold Ssembuya, Sammon Oloka, Eric Ssenjobe, Hassan Mohamood, Derrick Ochan and Muwadda Mawejje.

On the other hand, Onduparaka FC have signed three new players to bring the total number of signings to six.

Augustine Akoch a defender, midfielder Jasper Okello and winger Nelson Opio are the new members of the Caterpillars family.

Akoch has signed a two-year contract while Okello agreed to a one-year deal. Opio is the player who was handed a longer contract as his will run for three seasons.

“We have had players from the central region and within West Nile but our fan base has been all over the country,” Onduparaka FC head of marketing and Public Relations Mercy Munduru said as was quoted by Football256. 

“Therefore, it is a good thing for us to extend to these regions and how best to do this besides identifying players from them?

“Our scouts have done well and obtained for us players from these regions and we believe these players will add a lot to the team.

“We are continuing to scout players and we will unveil more in the coming days. We want to build a new team that will be here to last.”

Kennedy Atibuni, Jerry Jakisa and Bony Musema are the previous signings confirmed by Onduparaka.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described his side's goals in a 3-0 friendly win over Bundesliga club Stuttgart as "absolutely exceptional".

In the Reds first hit out of pre-season, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Rhian Brewster all got their names on the scoresheet in Austria. 

Firmino opened the scoring for Liverpool before claiming the assist for Keita's goal with Brewster then wrapping up the victory with a close-range finish in the 68th minute. 

For a pre-season match in wet weather, Klopp liked what he saw from his side as they began their long journey to defend the Premier League title. 

"How we made the goals, I would say that was absolutely exceptional," Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.

"Obviously Taki [Takumi Minamino] is in pretty good shape, Kostas [Tsimikas] showed some nice glimpses of his talent. We know we have good boys here and that looked well. How I said, they had to work today and that's what they did, so I'm fine with the performance.

"I'm very happy, very happy. It was a super intense session for us today because the weather, wow, it rained like crazy, the pitch was really difficult – you could see the water was still on the pitch. That makes football games always tricky.

"Good organised opponent obviously but we scored nice goals and for me most important was that we felt 45 minutes [of] football is different to a 90-minute session, because in sessions you make breaks, drinks break. Here is no break, so you just have to go through. That was the most important thing to do today and the boys did it, they felt the intensity of the game – very good.

"Tomorrow we do a little bit less, Monday two sessions, Tuesday is Salzburg, interesting. So, it's all good.

"I think Ki-Jana [Hoever] rolled the ankle a little bit but apart from that they all should be fine, which is obviously very important."

Klopp was also impressed by new signing Kostas Tsimikas, who made his debut for the Reds after joining the club from Olympiacos.

"He is a pretty quick player and pretty confident, how you will hear in his [post-match] interview, but he is a good player – a really good player – and he did well," he said.

"The next challenge for him is now to get used to our defending and things. It will take time, no doubt, but when he has the ball it looks not so bad." 

Jose Mourinho has praised the work of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in securing the "amazing" signings of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Joe Hart.

The duo made their Spurs debuts on Saturday in a 3-0 friendly win over Ipswich Town with Hojbjerg playing 63 minutes and Hart playing the entire second-half. 

Hojbjerg was a £15 million ($19m) signing from Southampton, while Hart arrived as a free agent after departing Burnley. 

With Tottenham set to play in the Europa League this coming season should they get through the qualifying rounds, Mourinho feels the acquisitions were crucial as he looks to secure his first piece of silverware with the club. 

"The club found very intelligently the moment to do it," Mourinho told Tottenham TV. "It was the last year of contract for Pierre, his club was in a difficult situation in terms of negotiation so I think Mr Levy did amazing for us getting such a good player for us.

"I think the club did amazing in both because they are going to make our squad stronger. To bring Joe, 75 caps for England and lots of experience, he is great protection for us to have three goalkeepers.

"All internationals for their country, all good goalkeepers, you can sleep well because any injuries or problems that we have, we have three good goalkeepers.

"With some of the crazy fixtures we are going to have, playing all the competitions, the Carabao Cup at the same time as Europa League and Premier League, even goalkeepers cannot play every match so it is very, very good business for us."

Spurs finished sixth in the Premier League last season and Mourinho was quick to put their pre-season win in perspective. 

“It was good, positive and really some very good things that I don’t want to go into in detail, but we put into practice some of the things we worked on during the week," he said. 

“We managed to save the majority of the players from playing 90 minutes, which is too premature in this first week of pre-season. Ipswich play in League One, but they have trained for a few weeks, they played two teams, so they kept lots of intensity in the game. So, I think it was good.

“We gave the opportunity to lots of young players to play, some really young, Alfie [Devine] was playing for Wigan Under-16s a few months ago, and [Dane] Scarlett is 16, and closer to 15 than 17. So, it was good overall."

Reinildo Mandava was shown a straight red card as Lille played a 1-1 draw Rennes in Saturday’s French Ligue 1 clash.

The left back was dismissed by referee Clement Turpin in the 43rd minute after he launched a fatal tackle on Brazil’s Raphinha. That was the first time the Mozambican would be given the marching orders since he began his career in 2012 at Ferroviario da Beira.

Rennes had earlier been reduced to 10 men after Sacha Boey was sent off in the 35th minute for stamping his foot on Reinildo’s face.

In the keenly contested affair at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Christophe Galtier’s men commenced life without Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen who joined Italian topflight side Napoli.

Despite taking the lead through Cote d’Ivoire prospect Jonathan Bamba in the 40th minute, they struggled to put the ball past Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Rennes restored parity in the 74th minute courtesy of Damien Da Silva as the hosts laboured in vain to get the much-needed win.

While Bamba saw every minute of action, Senegal’s Cheikh Niasse was not listed for the encounter.

For Rennes, Naif Aguerd was on parade from start to finish while M’Baie Niang started the game but was replaced by Favien Tait in the 64th minute, while the duo of Mali's Hamari Traore and Congo DR's Pepe Bonet were not pencilled down for the game by manager Julien Stephan.

"In the first half, I think we scored a nice goal. I found our first half interesting in what we wanted to do and what we decided to put in place,” Galtier told media as reported by club website.

“We had the opportunity to open the scoring, to play 11 against 10. If we had gone back to the locker room in this configuration, I think it would have been more difficult for the Rennes.

“Unfortunately, we suffered a lot in the second half. I think my players raised their level in the first half but lacked precision in the second.”

Lille will be hoping to secure their first win of the 2020-21 campaign when they travel to Stade Auguste-Delaune II for a date with Reims, while Rennes welcome Montpellier to the Roazhon Park on Saturday

Terengganu FC forward Dominique da Sylva turned in a five-star performance to help the Turtles win their Malaysia Super League match against Petaling Jaya City (PJ City) on Saturday, August 22.

In the match that was held at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium, the Mauritanian scored in each half to help the visitors come away with a 2-0 win, and take his personal league tally this season to six goals after four matches.

READ: Petaling Jaya City FC vs Terengganu FC player ratings

It was the first Super League match to be played after the competition was suspended back in March due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to the press after the match, da Sylva downplayed his starring role in the encounter, but lamented the absence of supporters from the ground. The remainder of the season will be played behind closed doors for health and safety reasons.

"I'm just playing my game, helping my team. The coach knows me and my character. It's not easy to return to action after stopping for five months but we did our best to get the three points. And that is more important.

"Earlier, I had been pestering the competitions organiser people by constantly asking them 'when is the league starting again?', and now it has restarted and I'm happy to be able to play again, and happy for the players, the staff and the fans.

"I'm happy [for the resumption of the league] because football is our life. The absence of fans is something we can't do anything about, but at least now the league is restarting again.

"It's very hard to play without fans because everything they shout affect us, even the coach. Their cheering motivates us to push through when we're tired, gets us to focus again when we lose concentration on the pitch. We've lost this atmosphere; the fans talking, shouting and supporting us, but they're inside our hearts when we play. I know they still watch our game, so we need to give our best to satisfy them. I hope they're satisfied with the three points today."

The match was held earlier than the August 28 official restart date as it is a postponed matchday four fixture from before the lockdown.

Inter's blistering Europa League campaign last season, in which they reached the final and lost the exhilarating contest to Sevilla, is yet another proof of the change in football philosophy in Italy. 

Vincenzo Alberto Annese, Gokulam Kerala's new head coach and one of the few Italians to take up a coaching role at an Indian club (the last notable name being Marco Materazzi at Chennaiyin), believes Italy's fascination with defending is now nothing more than a myth that has been busted.  

"The concept of Italian teams being known for their strong defence is 10 years old. Right now, Italian teams have an international style of play. Inter is playing 'international' football under Antonio Conte and reached the final. We don't focus on defences alone. I like my teams to attack and dominate games," the 35-year-old coach told Goal, a day after his move to the Kozhikode-based club was revealed. 

A series of injuries at the age of 22 brought Vincenzo's professional playing career to a disappointing end. However, being a man with a keen interest in the technicalities of the beautiful game, he decided to embark on a challenging journey. He has so far coached clubs in Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Latvia and Palestine.  He has also coached the national teams of Armenia U-19 and Belize. 

He started out in the third division of Italy in 2010 and 10 years later, he has earned a ticket to the southern part of India. Not only is he looking forward to the trip but the man is not bothered about I-League not being the country's top division anymore. 

He said, "​Gokulam are a big club with a lot of supporters. India was always an attraction. ​It was always my focus. There were many good football players who coached in India like Roberto Carlos and Marco Materazzi. It is a dream to start coaching in India. 

"Each team I sign for is at a high level. Everything is possible in life. Gokulam Kerala are also at a high level. Next year, we will see (what happens). I am not thinking about the difference between the leagues. 

"I heard positives things about Indian football. Stephen Constantine (former India national team head coach) helped me think more about (coaching in) India."

Gokulam made a mark as giant-killers soon after they were launched three years ago and has since come to be known as an ambitious bunch. They won the Durand Cup, reached the semi-final of the Sheikh Jamal Cup in Bangladesh and were involved in a tightly-contested top-four race last season in the I-League before the Coronavirus pandemic abruptly ended the season. 

"The teams are competitive. Gokulam were sixth when the Coronavirus stopped the I-League last season. They would have gained positions (with matches left to play). I want to do what's best for my players and I want to help them get into the national team," Vincenzo set up his objectives for the season. 

Nothing short of a title victory will please Vincenzo and Gokulam, especially given how the Malabarians have harboured title ambitions in the past and fallen just short of the finish line on every single occasion. Perhaps, under a new coach, fourth time is the charm.

The new head coach is not too bothered about changes in personnel in the squad and is fully focused on implementing his methods in training. 

"In many countries right now, it is difficult to sign players on long term deals. They try to sign one or two-year contracts and teams change completely every season. I don't care so much about this. I am focused on my team right now.

"I don't think we will make wholesale changes at Gokulam, we have limited time and the squad is already competitive. We will change the way we train, that is for sure, to push the team to win trophies. We will try to win the title."

Who else cannot wait to watch Malabarians with an Italian twist? 
 

Kerala Blasters midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad believes that there should be a healthy competition between the Indian and foreign footballers playing in the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs. 

The foreign player quota in Indian football has been a hot topic up for debate this year. The ISL has been gradually decreasing the number of foreign players each club can sign every year and it will once again follow that process for the 2020-21 season which will see a maximum of four foreigners on the field at a time. 

The idea behind such a move is to ensure is that the clubs recruit quality foreigners from their budget, among other factors.

While some believe that foreigners are eating into the minutes of Indian players, the argument against the notion is about how their experience may be helpful to the local talents in the team. 

"I can proudly say that quality foreign players are important for the development of Indian players," Sahal told Goal. "The experience they bring helps us cope with the challenges on the pitch. Reducing the number of foreigners has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. There will be more opportunities to play for Indian players. Such a healthy competition will be helpful for Indian football in the long run," he weighed in.

Sahal was part of a Kerala Blasters squad that had the likes of Bartholomew Ogbeche, Sergio Cidoncha and Mario Arques but struggled for regular first-team minutes under Dutch head coach Eelco Schattorie who was replaced at the end of the season. 

Despite the diminished role after a 'Player Of The Year' award-winning season, the Malayali midfielder feels he learnt a lot from the Dutchman and is keen on putting the learnings into practice next season. 

"It (first-team role) is up to the coach and the tactics for each game. I am happy with my performances last season. If I did not start regularly, it was for the team. I followed my coach's instructions and I am pleased with everything I learnt under Eelco Schattorie," the 23-year-old said.

Neymar has played a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain reaching their first Champions League final but La Liga analyst Scott Minto still believes that the Brazilian should have stayed at Barcelona.

The forward became the most expensive player in history when he sensationally swapped Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2017 and he has since won eight domestic honours in France.

However, on Sunday he will have the chance to lift the trophy that he and PSG crave the most, the Champions League, with Thomas Tuchel's side scheduled to take on Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

Given former club Barca are in the midst of a sporting, financial and institutional crisis, many pundits believe that Neymar's decision to leave Catalunya has been vindicated.

Minto disagrees, though, arguing that both Barca and Neymar would be better off today had the 28-year-old stayed at Camp Nou.

"PSG have their best chance ever to win the European Cup," Minto told Goal speaking at Hotels.com Dream Screen. "But would it justify Neymar's decision to move to PSG? I would still say no.

"I still think Barcelona would have won more Champions Leagues and he would have won more Champions Leagues had he remained in a front three alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

"I think that was the best front three in the history of football, so it is a shame he left."

Minto was impressed with PSG's performance in their 3-0 semi-final win over RB Leipzig and feels they have every right to be confident of winning a maiden European Cup, given they also boast Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria in attack.

However, he still feels that Bayern are the favourites to prevail in Portugal, particularly in light of their stunning 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

"Messi is the best player in the history of the game but that game showed that one great player can't beat a great team," Minto argued. "Against Bayern, Messi's team-mates were unable to step up."

Should Neymar's colleagues also fail to meet the formidable challenge facing them, Minto believes Robert Lewandowski will be recognised as the best player of 2020.

"Lewandowski has 55 goals," he pointed out, "and I think you would have to give him all of the individual honours for winning a treble, especially with no international competitions this year."

Anthony Martial believes increased game time at Manchester United and the trust of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer resulted in his most successful season in front of goal. 

The 24-year-old ended the 2019-20 campaign with 23 goals to his name to make him the club's top scorer - one more than Marcus Rashford. 

Martial's previous best season in front of goal saw him strike 17 times across the 2015-16 season after he first joined the Red Devils from Monaco. 

The Frenchman made 10 more appearances this season than the campaign prior and admits that increase, combined with the manager's faith, played a big part in his strong goalscoring return. 

"I think it’s down to the fact that I’ve enjoyed more game time. I’ve played in practically every game and so I think it’s all about consistency,” Martial told the Inside United magazine. 

"In previous seasons I haven’t been able to feature as regularly; I’d be on the bench quite a bit and other times I’d be starting, which was quite difficult. Whereas right now I know that the coach has faith in me and I’m confident of starting the next match. So, I’m giving everything I can in order to pay back that trust he has shown.

"[I'm hungry for all goals] because for me, a goal is a goal. So simply by managing to score more of a simple kind of goal, I know that I’ll score a lot more in total. It’s something that we work on a lot in training and I then try and reproduce that in a match situation."

Martial has struck up a good relationship with Rashford and believes they're now able to link up selflessly in the final third. 

“With Marcus, I think that we’ve been playing together for five seasons now and so, yes, we have that good understanding. It’s a real positive for us that we have this great connection,” Martial added. 

"We just try to help each other out. For example, there are some games where maybe a shot is on and then I decide to wait and see, and I give him the ball because I want him to score. And he does the same thing for me, so you see, we’re not just focused on scoring all the time.

"We’re always going to do everything we can for the team to win which means that, if he is better placed than me or I’m in a better position than him, we’ll always give each other the ball in order to score.

"There is healthy competition, but the biggest thing is the positive rapport that we have with one another."

Young Red Devils attacker Mason Greenwood has also shown his promise in front of goal over the past 12 months with Martial impressed by what he's seen from the 18-year-old. 

"The thing that strikes me about Mason is how effective and clinical he is. I get the feeling that whenever he shoots on goal, he scores," he said.

"It’s up to us to keep training hard and working to perfect how that trio works together. We mustn’t forget either that there are other players [in the squad] who are pushing really hard to get a game. So, as I say, we need to keep going and have to perform well in order to be able to play and win our games." 

Dieumerci Mbokani scored his maiden goal in the 2020-21 Belgian First Division A campaign to give Royal Antwerp a 1-0 victory against Gent on Saturday.

The DR Congolese striker ended his four-game goal drought in all competitions with his 17th-minute effort at the Bosuilstadion.

Mbokani who scored 18 goals in the Belgian top-flight last season, was assisted by Faris Haroun in opening his goal account for the new campaign after two games.

The 34-year-old was in action for 90 minutes alongside Senegal's Abdoulaye Seck while Nigeria's Junior Pius and Cameroon's Martin Hongla came on as second-half substitutes for Antwerp.

Gent, meanwhile, had DR Congo's Jordan Botaka, Cameroon's Michael Ngadeu-Nhadjui and Ivory Coast's Anderson Niangbo on parade but their contributions were not enough to save them from bowing to their third straight league defeat.

While they await their first point of the season after three matches, the Buffalos sit at the bottom of the First Division A standings and Antwerp, on the other hand, moved up to eighth in the table after gathering four points from three outings.

Mbokani will be aiming to inspire Royal Antwerp to back-to-back wins when they visit league leaders Sporting Charleroi for their next fixture on August 30.

The first Malaysia Super League match to be played following the lockdown saw Terengganu FC record a crucial away win over Petaling Jaya City (PJ City).

PETALING JAYA CITY

Ahmad Syihan - 5/10

The goalkeeper did little that was wrong in the match and could have come away with a clean sheet, if not for the in-form Terengganu forward Dominique da Silva.

D. Kugan - 5/10

A forgettable outing for the right wingback, who failed to defend and attack well down his flank.

Aaron Kumar - 5/10

The right back had a forgettable night.

Kim Bong Jin - 5/10

The foreign centre back could not defend against da Silva successfully.

Elizeu - 5/10

The defender managed to keep out almost all of Terengganu attackers, but the one he failed to mark properly ended up hurting his team. 

Filemon Anyie - 4/10 

The left wingback looked out of place in the match and failed to provide an attacking channel down his wing for his team, and was substituted off just before the hour mark.

K. Gurusamy - 5/10

The midfielder managed to control the middle of the park somewhat, but was often let down by his own decision making, failing to distribute the ball to his awaiting teammates in a timely manner. He also earned a booking in the first half.

Anawin Jujeen - 6/10

The midfielder was one of the best performers of the night for PJ City with his possession-keeping just outside the opponents' penalty area, but that isn't saying much on a night that many of his teammates were objectively poor.

Mahalli Jasuli - 4/10

The experienced winger looked sluggish in his first competitive match since March, and failed to provide a bigger threat against the visitors' defence. More embarrassingly, it was his poor back pass in the first half that led to the Turtles' goal.

Washington Brandao - 5/10

He was not able to do what is usually expected of foreign strikers in the Malaysian league; score a goal or two, or at the very least use his physique to keep the ball up the pitch.

Kogileswaran Raj - 5/10

The forward's contribution was minimal on a night PJ City forwards could not combine well, and he was substituted off at half time.

Substitutions:

Christie Jayaseelan, R. Barathkumar, K. Thivandaran, Amer Saidin, Safee Sali -

Second half substitutions who failed to turn things around for the Phoenix.

TERENGGANU FC

Shamirza Yusoff - 7/10

The custodian was not troubled too often by the hosts' forwards, and was able to keep a clean sheet.

Hafizal Mohamad - 7/10

The right back did just enough to keep out the decidedly average PJ City attackers throughout the night.

Argzim Redzovic - 8/10

The centre back, plucked from their reserve team in the Premier League to fill in for Babacar Diallo in this encounter, ensured that PJ City's Washington was unable to threaten his goalmouth  

Muhammad Faudzi - 7/10

Partnered well with Redzovic to help the visitors keep a clean sheet and record a win.

Arif Fadzilah - 7/10

The left back was not troubled too badly by the ineffective PJ City's attacks down his flank.

Nasir Basharudin - 6/10

Provided ample support in midfield.

Lee Tuck - 7/10

The midfield general was not as dangerous as he usually had been before the competitions suspension, but his performance made things difficult for the hosts.

Sanjar Shaakhmedov - 6/10

A relatively quiet night for the support striker.

Faiz Nasir - 7/10

Despite his one assist for the second goal, the diminutive winger could have helped the Turtles score more goals had he been less selfish with his possession in counter attacking situations.

Dominique da Silva - 9/10 (Man of the Match)

The Mauritanian forward showed what he was capable of, both his goals bagged thanks to good technique. He got his first after intercepting a poor back pass, his second a cheeky lob over the goalkeeper after latching on to a decent through pass by Faiz.

Dominique da Silva. Photo by Sports Regime

Syafik Ismail - 6/10

The young forward did not shine in his first competitive match of the season for Terengganu and was taken off midway through the second half, but in all performed adequately.

Substitutions:

Rahmat Makasuf, Darren Lok, Azam Azmi - NA

Second half changes who did enough to help the visitors keep a clean sheet and bag the precious three points on the road.

Real Madrid great Ronaldo believes the La Liga champions should sign Kylian Mbappe ahead of Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Neymar.

Mbappe has been tipped to make the move to Madrid at some stage in his career, with Los Blancos reportedly eyeing a 2021 transfer.

Former Barcelona forward Neymar – who joined PSG in a world-record deal in 2017 – has also been linked to Madrid previously.

But Brazilian legend Ronaldo, a La Liga winner with Madrid in 2002-03, prefers France's Mbappe over countryman Neymar due to age.

"Right now, it is not that one is better than another, but if Real Madrid had to make a big investment, they should do so thinking about the future," Ronaldo said during a webinar hosted by Santander.

"Neymar is 28 years old and Mbappe is 22. As an investment, it would be more logical to bring the younger [of the two]."

Mbappe and Neymar are preparing for Sunday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

French powerhouse PSG will feature in their first Champions League decider, having dominated domestically.

Neymar – who won the 2015 Champions League with Barca – and PSG have already claimed Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophee des Champions in 2019-20.

"He needs to win the Champions League to complete his season," Ronaldo said of Neymar.

"He has played very well in the last few games, especially in this final phase in Portugal.

"He has created many scoring chances, but he has lacked calmness to finish off moves. With luck and calmness, he can find himself scoring in the final."

Ronaldo, meanwhile, also believes Lionel Messi won't be leaving Barcelona anytime soon despite reports suggesting he's considering a Camp Nou exit. 

"It is very unlikely that Messi will leave Barcelona, especially with the financial crisis in Europe," he said.