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Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted he was unaware of Marcus Rashford's campaign to extend food vouchers for vulnerable children until the day the United Kingdom government made a U-turn, with the England international saying they had "done what is right" in changing their minds.

Manchester United striker Rashford wrote to members of parliament on Monday, imploring the government not to stop free school meals for around 1.3 million disadvantaged children from next month.

The food voucher scheme only normally runs during term time but was used during the Easter holiday because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and Rashford had asked for the government to extend it again.

On Monday, shortly after Rashford tweeted his letter, the Department of Education posted a blog on its website reiterating that the scheme was not due to run over the school summer holidays in the UK.

However, after support for Rashford's campaign continued to grow on Tuesday, the government announced a six-week, £120million "Covid summer food fund".

Speaking at the government's daily briefing, Johnson said: "I talked to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign which, to be honest, I only became aware of today. I thank him for what he's done. I think he's right to draw attention to this issue.

"We've got large numbers of kids who haven't been able to get back into school, we're got a problem in getting kids back into school in the way that we would want for the reasons that people understand - though actually there are lots of kids that aren't going back to school and I'd like to see that happen.

"I do think it's right that we should be looking after the families of the most vulnerable, the neediest right now and that's why we have got the Covid summer fund plan that we've announced today, and I hope it will make a big difference to those kids and those families."

Rashford, who has also helped charity FareShare reach a goal of supplying three million meals by the end of June, had spoken about his own reliance on free school meals and food banks growing up.

The 22-year-old - praised widely social media - wrote a message to MPs on Twitter that said his campaign was "never about politics".

Rashford said: "This was never about me or you, this was never about politics, this was a cry out for help from vulnerable parents all over the country and I simply provided a platform for their voices to be heard.

"I stand proud today knowing that we have listened, and we have done what is right. There is still a long way to go but I am thankful to you all that we have given these families just one less thing to worry about tonight.

"The wellbeing of our children should ALWAYS be a priority."

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Lars Veldwijk has expressed interest to one day play in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Currently plying his trade in the South Korea K League 1, Veldwijk has spent much of his club career in the Netherlands where he was born and bred, having also previously played for Nottingham Forest in the Championship as well as other stints in Norway and Belgium.

Although he is a South Africa international, the 28-year-old has never played in the PSL.

“I would love to stay in Asia for maybe two or three years. It’s a great place for a football player. I am also open to maybe one day play in South Africa,” Veldwijk told BBC Sport.

“I love to see the world and to see other places and in combination with football. I think I have the best job in the world.”

With the 2020 K League 1 currently underway, Veldwijk is heavily involved in action for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors while most South African players around the globe are inactive due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The attacker has started two of his six league appearances for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, scoring just a goal.

He assures that life is “back to normal” in South Korea and they are adhering to strict measures to try and stay safe from the virus.

“For the past month, it’s [the coronavirus] very good, and under control here, cases are low and everything is normal and the restaurants are full, the supermarkets are with people. People here follow the rules of the government really good. So yeah, life went back to normal.

“Everybody had to be tested before the league could start, so everybody went through the drive-through and that is a corona test. When we come to the training ground, we get this temperature check. If you are not feeling well or if you have been to places where there is a little bit of more coronavirus, they are really careful with that.

“And in games here it’s really strange, everybody is wearing a mask on the bus and at the stadium, you are not allowed to shake hands. Everybody has to have his own [water or energy drink] bottle with his number on it, so we are not allowed to drink from another bottle.

“We are checked every day and like in training it’s always been normal for example we play duels, we don’t have to be distant. Tackles are allowed so yeah in that kind of thing I am really happy that training is still normal.”

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lead the K League 1 standings so far after seven rounds of games as they bid to reclaim the league title they last won in 2018.

To celebrate the return of Premier League football following the coronavirus suspension, Goal Africa are excited to introduce our latest venture: African Football HQ, a weekly podcast exploring the remarkable world of African football.

In association with the guys at African Football HQ, we’ll be tackling the big questions in the African game, keeping up to date with the continent’s top stars in Europe’s major leagues, and profiling some of the stars of the future.

Each week, we’ll run down the top headlines involving African players around the world—keeping you up to date with your favourite heroes—and also preview the stand-out fixtures over the coming seven days.

We’re looking to welcome guests aplenty—players, legends, coaches, pundits and fans alike—and will also be reviewing some of the in-depth topics explored by Goal Africa’s editorial team on site during the week.

In episode one, ahead of the return of the Premier League, African Football HQ will look ahead to the first round of fixtures and preview what’s in store for some of the continent’s big names.

On Wednesday, Mbwana Samatta and Trezeguet will relaunch Aston Villa’s battle against relegation when they face high-flying Sheffield United, before Arsenal and Manchester City collide in the evening’s second kick-off.

Can Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inspire the Gunners to an unlikely triumph, or will Riyad Mahrez and the Citizens return to action with a win?

Arsenal’s transfer dealings also come under the microscope, as the pod ask what the future holds and assesses the rumours linking Atletico Madrid powerhouse Thomas Partey with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Are rumours that the Ghana FA are keen to convince Eddie Nketiah to commit to the Black Stars true?

We also assess the chances of Africa’s biggest Premier League stars ahead of this season’s Golden Boot race, asking whether Auba can overhaul Jamie Vardy to top spot.

Could one of the league’s other big name players also be in with a shout? Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will both certainly be keen to retain the Golden Boot they shared last season.

The pod debate whether Salah or Riyad Mahrez has made the biggest impact in the top flight, and we also ask whether either man can already be considered a Premier League great.

Finally, we examine the unlikely transfer rumour linking Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser with a move to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Will the Scotland international really be gracing the PSL when his Cherries contract comes to an end?

Football Kenya Federation Presidential aspirant Sam Nyamweya has accused the current regime led by Nick Mwendwa of using the courts in the country to extend their stay in office.

On Tuesday, FKF was handed a temporary reprieve after a High Court in Mombasa barred the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) from entertaining any proceedings against the Federation until a petition before it is mentioned on June 29.

The petition was filed by FKF Coast National Executive Committee Members Gabriel Mghendi and Lilian Nadundu as the first and second petitioners respectively.

The petitioners are set to file their submissions on June 19 with the first interested party (Football Kenya Federation) ordered to file their submissions by June 25.

The latest decision by FKF to move to court has irked Nyamweya, who has shown a keen interest to unseat Mwendwa from the top position when elections are held. He has maintained they will not be affected by the many court cases filed by the Federation and will fight to make sure justice is served to Kenyans.

“Whatever Nick Mwendwa and his cronies do, it does not matter how many courts they will go to on this land, they will never escape from the justice and it does not matter, they can go to 15 or 20 courts but we will not leave them and even those courts will not help them,” Nyamweya told Goal on Tuesday.

“We very well know they want to cling onto power to hide many of their bad deeds, but Kenyans and football stakeholders will not accept, we will smoke them out, we will go to those courts, wherever they go, they have filed more than five cases, and we will follow them there.

“It does not matter, justice will follow them, it does not matter how they conflict themselves, they file a case in Kericho, they file a case in Muranga and another one in Mombasa, but we will follow them there, that is in Kenya and unless they go to the moon, and no matter what they do, we will follow them, and justice will have to prevail.

“They will never hide away from the truth and justice must be done to Kenyans to regain their football, and elections will be done, a free and fair exercise, let them know that from today. We will follow them to Mombasa, even in Wajir, they have been going to court and not us, but their time is running out.”

Apart from Nyamweya, other aspirants for the top seat include ex-Cecafa secretary Nicholas Musonye, ex-Vihiga governor Moses Akaranga, Sammy Sholei, former FKF official Herbart Mwachiro, and Gor Mahia CEO Omondi Aduda.

Aduana Stars forward Yahaya Mohammed believes derogatory remarks concerning the Ghana Premier League from the likes of coach JE Sarpong has contributed to the top-flight's challenges in attracting a headline sponsor.

The Ghana international was reacting to an allegation by the coach which claimed 60 per cent of players in the nation's top two football divisions smoke marijuana, also known as weed.

The Premier League went without a headline sponsor between 2015 and 2018 after First Capital Plus Bank, now Capital Bank, prematurely ended a partnership over restructuring purposes.

Xylofon took over the mantle in 2018 but a turbulent corruption scandal crashed the partnership in less than a year. The league has since been without a lead sponsor.

"How can we get sponsorship if an experienced coach like JE Sarpong brands our local players as weed smokers?” Yahaya quizzed during an interview with Light FM.

“This type of utterances does not help the league to attract sponsorship, so coach Sarpong should desist from that.”

After Sarpong made his controversial claim, Ghana striker Yahaya, current second top scorer in the Premier League expressed disappointment in the coach and called on Sarpong to retract his statement and apologise.

The coach has, however, remained unapologetic, rather lashing out at the former NC player. He has worked with top-flight outfits Asante Kotoko, Aduana, Liberty Professionals and Ebusua Dwarfs. 

Former Hearts of Oak and Free State Stars striker Louis Agyemang spoke to Angel TV on the matter.

"Weed smoking among Ghanaian footballers is nothing new. Even some colts footballers smoke before playing, so Premier League footballers smoking in Ghana is no news. It didn’t start today. We just have to be honest with ourselves and take measures to end it," said Agyemang.

“When I was in Ghana, I witnessed many footballers doing it but when I went to South Africa, I realised that at the end of every game, they’ll invite one or two players and test their [blood and urine] samples. It is because we don’t test in Ghana that’s why most of the players feel free to smoke. I can say it is one of the reasons some players cannot excel when they travel outside Ghana."

The 2019-20 Ghana Premier League is currently at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi says that is interested in a return to Germany someday, as he believes the Bundesliga has made great progress since he left his home country.

Mustafi has spent the entirety of his senior career away from Germany, having left the Hamburg academy as a 17-year-old in 2009 to move to Everton.

He made one senior appearance for the Merseyside club, as a Europa League substitute in 2009, before moving to Sampdoria in 2012.

After shining with the Italian club, he truly broke through with La Liga side Valencia, emerging as a regular with the Spanish club while earning a place with Germany's national team in time to be a member fo the 2014 World Cup-winning side

Now at Arsenal, Mustafi has made 133 appearances in four seasons with the Gunners, including 40 appearances last season across all competition as the London side reached the final of the Europa League.

However, with 28-year-old's contract set to expire in 2021, the defender's next move is uncertain as he could be set to depart the Emirates.

As a result, Mustafi is considering his future, with the Bundesliga being one potential landing spot if he were to leave Arsenal.

"The Bundesliga is always interesting for me," Mustafi told Sport Bild.  "In terms of sport, it has made great progress. It's also my home."

He added: "In the current situation, it is difficult to predict how the transfer phase will go."

Mustafi, who has made 18 appearances for the Gunners this season, has watched from afar as German sides have kicked off with the early return of the Bundesliga from the coronavirus break.

The Bundesliga became the first major league to return from the break, with the Premier League among those gearing up for a return, with Arsenal set to return to play against Manchester City on Wednesday.

"Many are amazed at the level there," Mustafi said. "In England, they were very surprised at how well the Bundesliga managed to restart. The Premier League has certainly taken this as an example."

After facing Manchester City in their return match, Arsenal will then visit Brighton over the weekend. The Gunners currently sit ninth in the Premier League, eight points behind fourth-place Chelsea with a game in hand on their London rivals. 

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has been handed a temporary reprieve after a Mombasa High Court barred the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) from entertaining any proceedings against the Federation until a petition before it is mentioned on June 29.

The petition was filed by FKF Coast National Executive Committee Members Gabriel Mghendi and Lilian Nadundu as the first and second petitioners respectively.

The petitioners will file their submissions on June 19 with the first interested party [Football Kenya Federation] ordered to file their submissions by June 25.

In an order dated June 16, the matter will be mentioned on June 29 to confirm and fix the date of the ruling. 

"An interim conservatory order staying all the proceedings and further proceedings against Football Kenya Federation at the Sports Disputes Tribunal and is hereby granted forthwith until June 29, 2020," read part of the order obtained by Goal.

As a result, the SDT is expected to postpone the KPL vs FKF ruling regarding the annulment of the Kenyan Premier League. 

The Federation had cancelled the top tier on April 30, crowning Gor Mahia in the process. However, the league managers were not happy with the move and after trying to engage the Federation in vain, they raised the matter with the Tribunal in conjunction with Chemelil Sugar.

Submissions were made on Friday, June 12, with chairman John Ohaga setting the end of June as the day for the ruling.

The SDT had twice cancelled the FKF elections citing a failure to meet set standards.

A couple of weeks ago, the incumbent Nick Mwendwa hit at Tribunal Chairman Ohaga stating he should stop interfering with the Federation business.

"The Tribunal has now been turned into a consultancy firm asking stakeholders to give the way forward, since when did a court ask stakeholders to speak on matters of FKF?" Mwendwa told Goal.

"Ohaga should simply stay away, keep off anything to do with football in the country, I have never seen a judge meddling into football matters the way Ohaga is doing, he is even telling stakeholders he will do away with the FKF constitution, to bring another constitution which is not possible."

The agitated FKF boss wondered why Ohaga had placed so much effort to arbitrate on football matters whereas he has a case – for a swimming association before him - which he is yet to make a ruling.

"It is unfortunate even with several cases lying in his desk, Ohaga has decided to put much effort on football matters," Mwendwa continued. 

"He [Ohaga] has even gone ahead to create a forum where he wants people to discuss FKF elections. Who is he?

"If he wants to contest for the top seat, let him come clear, we have other associations suffering the same issues but he has decided to ignore them.

"As FKF, we don’t have any faith in the tribunal anymore, we are asking the chairman of the tribunal [Ohaga] to stop interfering with football matters once and for all, and allow us to do the elections. He is not a member of football and cannot host a meeting for stakeholders."

Azam FC coach Aristica Cioaba has explained the reason they must beat Young Africans (Yanga SC) in their next Mainland Premier League.

After the Tanzanian top-flight resumed on Saturday, the two giants will square off in a top of the bill clash set for the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday.

Both teams won their respective opening matches, Azam beating Mbao FC 2-0 at Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam while Yanga picked up vital points away from home after edging out Mwadui FC 1-0 at Kambarage Stadium in Shinyanga.

The Romanian coach has now stated his desire is to make sure they cruise past the Jangwani Street-based side in the second round fixture so as to help them cement second position in the 20-team league table.

“I am working on the few mistakes we committed in the win against Mbao as my main aim now is to win against Yanga on Sunday,” Cioaba is quoted by the club’s official website.

“It will be a difficult game because Yanga will also be keen to win but I want my team to get ready for the maximum points, we have started off well after the league resumed and I want us to keep the momentum going.

“I also want Azam to finish second in the table, we are currently sitting second and that is the position we want to finish in unless miracles happen, then we can eye the top position but for now I can see ourselves finishing second and must protect that position.”

Despite releasing their lead striker Donald Ngoma, whose contract runs down on June 14, Azam have received a major boost with two of their foreign players - Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere – arriving from their native Zimbabwe on Monday where they were stranded owing to the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

The ‘Ice-Cream Makers’ will also welcome back Ugandan Nicolas Wadada, whom the club chartered a flight to airlift him from Kampala, where he had relocated to when the league was halted in mid-March.

Azam are currently sitting second on the log with 57 points, 15 fewer than table-toppers Simba SC, while Yanga are third on 54 points.

Uchenna Kanu penned an emotional farewell message to Sevilla on Tuesday morning after completing her move from the Spanish outfit to Swedish side Linkopings on Monday.

Kanu joined Sevilla from the United States in January, featuring in six matches in all competitions and inspired Cristian Toro's side to the Women's Cup semi-final before the coronavirus outbreak.

The premature end of the 2019-20 season in Spain due to the Covid-19 pandemic brought an end to her five-month spell with the Spanish Primera Iberdrola outfit.

The 22-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Swedish Damallsvenskan club before the window shut last Saturday and she has described her time at Sevilla as a 'short but great experience'.

"I just wanted to say a big thank you to Sevilla for everything," she wrote on her official Twitter page. 

Kanu had represented Nigeria at the age-grade competitions, finished as the top scorer with 10 goals as the West Africans won their maiden Wafu Women's Cup last year in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Nigeria international made her debut at the senior Women's World Cup in France, where she featured in four matches as Nigeria reached the Round of 16 for the first time since 1999.

Before her move to Spain, the winger shot into prominence during her scholarship studies in the USA, where she emerged as the all-time top-scorer with 157 goals and 366 points.

Her excellent showing last year with the country and college saw her nominated for the African Women's Footballer of the Year 2019 award.

Former South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena says he “always put his body on the line” for his country and cannot be held accountable for the opening goal in the 3-0 defeat by Uruguay at the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

It was the hosts South Africa’s second match of the tournament and the 24th-minute goal by Diego Forlan paved the way for the former Manchester United forward’s brace and another goal by defender Alvaro Pereira.

As Forlan unleashed his shot from outside the box, Mokoena stood in the way of the attempt but swerved his body to avoid the ball hitting him, before it flew past goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

“I did not duck that ball,” Mokoena said as per New Frame.

“You have followed my career long enough to know that I always put my body on the line whenever I had the national team jersey on. I have never been afraid to throw myself into where it hurts for the sake of protecting the team.

“That Forlan goal was just something special. He simply got the technique of kicking that ball right and that is why it beat both myself and Itu [Khune].

“I was trying to close him down but he took the shot. He was very far from the goals and I didn’t think he would shoot. It has always been my way that I must never allow an opponent to shoot. And I was sure Forlan would not dribble past me as I got in to close him but he took the shot as I was going in on him.”

It was a match which also saw Khune being red-carded after being adjudged to have fouled Luis Suarez inside the penalty box, earning Uruguay a penalty which was converted by Forlan to complete his double.

But it was the first goal which remains a topical issue and then Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane feels Forlan could have been prevented from taking his shot had he been closed in earlier.

“It was a game of moments, hey. I think we could have closed Forlan a little earlier,” said Mosimane.

“We were too late to get to him and that allowed him to take the shot. But what most people did not realise is that the ball deflected off Mbazo’s [Mokoena] back, hence it went slightly higher. Otherwise, Itu could have saved it.”

The defeat jeopardised Bafana’s chances of reaching the next round after they had drawn 1-1 with Mexico in the opening game of the tournament.

A 2-1 victory over France in their final group game was not enough for South Africa as they went on to become the first World Cup hosts to be eliminated in the group stages.

Manchester United players have been consulted over music to be played at Old Trafford during the behind closed doors games in the hope it will give them a boost.

Club chiefs have been in consultation with the players, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, fan groups and the Premier League over the best ways to try and create as much of an atmosphere in Old Trafford as possible for the Premier League restart - despite no fans being allowed inside. 

Wraps will be placed around the lower tiers and some of the second tiers of Old Trafford with pictures of thousands of fans that the club have been collecting over the past week.

Fans were asked to send in their pictures to the club to be part of the mosaic which will be on the wraps along with messages of thanks to the NHS, Premier League branding and club messages. Pictures of fans celebrating will also be shown on the electronic boards which are around the side of the pitch at Old Trafford.

Clubs have been given permission to use creativity so each will have different aesthetics inside their stadium.

Tottenham, who United play on Friday, are set to have images of fans celebrating on their huge screens. That is something which is not an option at Old Trafford as they only have small scoreboards with no screens.

Cardboard cut outs of fans, which have been used in other countries, is something that has been dismissed. 

Fans watching at home will have the option to listen to crowd noise on their television and while that will not be pumped into the stadium, music will be played at different points of the game, for example when a goal is scored.

It is understood a final decision has yet to be made on what audio will be used at what points the players have been consulted over what they would like.

Plans are expected to carry on evolving up until United’s first home game of the restart, against Sheffield United next Wednesday, but plans are well underway to ensure fans are represented inside the stadium.

The club hope that while they are not looking to replace fans inside the stadium their pictures being part of the wrap gives them the opportunity to feel apart of the restart while supporting the team from home.

The mosaic will be made up of pictures of season ticket holders, members and those who have never been able to attend a game at Old Trafford before.

Pep Guardiola has defended Kyle Walker after criticism of the Manchester City defender's behaviour in the lockdown period.

The England international was reported by The Sun to have committed three breaches of coronavirus stay-at-home rules in 24 hours last month. That came after he apologised in April for hosting a party with a friend and two women at his home in Cheshire.

City said at the time of the first allegations they were "disappointed" by the claims and would conduct an internal investigation.

Walker, 30, later said he felt "harassed" by the media attention on his private life, claiming his behaviour was being "scrutinised without any context".

It was claimed that in May he visited his parents and sister before lockdown rules were eased, and also took a bicycle ride with a friend.

City manager Guardiola said in a news conference on Tuesday: "I judge my players with what happens on the pitch.

"I think Kyle made a brave statement. What I want is the best for him and especially his family. His wife and kids, parents - that is what we want. As a human being that always goes first [rather] than the football player, and I think Kyle expressed his thoughts in his statement."

City face Arsenal on Wednesday night in one of two Premier League games, the first top flight action in England following the enforced break in the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Guardiola, however, has warned his City team will be undercooked for the return of the Premier League because they were given "not enough" time to prepare.

"If you ask me how the team is, I don't know," Guardiola said. "Tomorrow we will see the level. From there, we are going to see and suggest what we can do better.

"All Premier League teams have three weeks. Of course we know it is not enough but it is what it is.

"We are ready to play one game, but three days after another, four days after another, we are not ready. That's why you have to rotate. But we have to start, we have to finish the season, because the damage economically can be reduced."

Timo Werner remains in RB Leipzig's plans for the Champions League, despite Goal understanding he informed the club he wants to move to Chelsea before the competition restarts.

Leipzig eliminated Tottenham and booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Europe's premier club competition is expected to continue in August once the major domestic seasons have been completed.

According to a report from German newspaper Bild on Monday, Werner has told Leipzig he wants to join Chelsea, who are reportedly set to activate a £54 million ($68m) release clause in his contract, following the conclusion of the Bundesliga season this month.

However, Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann told a news conference he still considers the Germany striker available for Champions League selection.

"He is currently, as usual, in my plans to play the Champions League. He is our player and has not signed for anyone else," said Nagelsmann. "His importance to RB Leipzig is extraordinary. He has an incredibly good goalscoring rate, which you always hope for from a striker."

The transfer window in England will open at the conclusion of the Premier League season in July, meaning Werner could move to Stamford Bridge ahead of the resumption of the Champions League.

UEFA is yet to clarify rules regarding transfers of such nature, with it unclear whether Werner would be able to represent Chelsea in the competition.

Nagelsmann only plans to deal with that situation when a deal is on the table, saying: "Then both parties will sit down and see what happens next. There are no regulations at the moment."

Leipzig face relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf in the Bundesliga on Wednesday and a win could guarantee their place in next season's Champions League.

However, they will be without attacker Yussuf Poulsen for the rest of the campaign with a ligament injury, while the possibility of Dayot Upamecano returning to the line-up will depend on his performance in training.

"Yussi will not be used this season," said Nagelsmann. "If [Upamecano] goes full throttle, he will play. If he doesn't go full throttle, he won't play."

Steven Gerrard has listed five Premier League stars who "deserve" to win PFA Player of the Year, while also picking his preferred candidate for the award.

The Rangers boss has watched from afar as his old club Liverpool have dominated the English top flight in 2019-20, picking up 27 wins from their opening 29 fixtures before the coronavirus outbreak halted their progress in March.

Jurgen Klopp's men will be crowned champions if they secure six points from their final nine fixtures, with a Merseyside derby clash against Everton on Sunday marking their first game back following a three-month hiatus.

Jordan Henderson will hold the famous trophy aloft once Liverpool get over the line, and it has been suggested that the club captain will be acknowledged for his contribution to their cause by the PFA come the end of the campaign.

Gerrard would "like to see" his former team-mate named Player of the Year, but he also believes three other Reds would be worthy of the accolade, along with Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne.

The former Liverpool captain says Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander Arnold have been just as consistent as Henderson, but the 29-year-old's "leadership skills" could see him get the final nod.

“If he got it I don’t think anyone could argue or grumble,” Gerrard told The Athletic. “He would deserve it as much as anyone else who is in the running for it.

“I try to be non-biased when I talk about things like this. Kevin De Bruyne has been superb this season. The same goes for Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan and Sadio Mane.

"Any of them would deserve it. Would I like to see Jordan win it? Yes, I would.

“I’d also like to see him win the Football Writers’ award. In this day and age, with what we’re going through and what we’ve seen of late, he’s someone who commits himself to the game and is a real ambassador and role model on and off the pitch.

"It’s the way he goes about his work, the quality he has shown consistently and his leadership skills.

“With these individual awards, I just think sometimes they have to be about more than what just happens on the pitch.

"I think Jordan is certainly deserving to be in the running for both. If he got both I’d be very pleased for him.”

Pep Guardiola has warned his Manchester City team will be undercooked for the return of the Premier League because they were given "not enough" time to prepare.

The former Barcelona boss is poised to see his City team officially dethroned as champions by Liverpool, and on top of that says his stars are not up to handling the intensive demands posed by the restart.

Guardiola, whose mother Dolors died after contracting Covid-19, will take charge of City against Arsenal when English football resumes on Wednesday after three months in lockdown.

He is relishing the Etihad Stadium reunion with his former City number two Mikel Arteta, who left to take charge of Arsenal in December, and hopes they can enjoy a post-match drink together.

And while Guardiola is hopeful his team can be competitive, he says rotation of his squad over the remaining weeks of the season will be imperative.

City will be back in action on Monday against Burnley, and the games will come thick and fast after the condensing of the schedule.

"If you ask me how the team is, I don't know," Guardiola said. "Tomorrow we will see the level. From there, we are going to see and suggest what we can do better."

He said the big worry since teams were allowed to train again was the "lack of preparation" they were afforded before games returned - "not like in Germany or Spain where they worked five or six weeks".

"All Premier League teams have three weeks," Guardiola said. "Of course we know it is not enough but it is what it is.

"We are ready to play one game, but three days after another, four days after another, we are not ready. That's why you have to rotate. But we have to start, we have to finish the season, because the damage economically can be reduced."

The same circumstances seem sure to apply to Arsenal, who have not lost a match in domestic football in 2020.

Guardiola said he was "so excited" to see Arteta, describing his fellow Spaniard as "one of the nicest people I have ever met" and "an incredibly important part of our success".

He would love to be able to share an evening tipple with Arteta but was unsure if that would be permitted.

"We sent a message one hour and a half ago. I can't tell you what that message said. It's about the wine we're going to drink after the game, if social distance allows us to drink," Guardiola said.

Guardiola has had to grieve during football's absence, and he said: "All the people who have been lost are important."

And he stressed "not even the best scientists in the world" had realised what a toll Covid-19 would take.

"At the end, the Premier League like in Spain and Germany, like other countries, decide we have to play, so we are going to play. We are going to adapt as quick as possible," Guardiola added.

Achraf Hakimi's agent Alejandro Camano has denied holding talks with Bayern Munich over a possible summer move for the Real Madrid loanee.

Hakimi rose through the youth ranks at Madrid before graduating to the senior squad in 2017, but has since made just 16 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The Blancos decided to send the 21-year-old out on loan to Borussia Dortmund in 2018, where he has established himself as one of the most technically proficient full-backs in European football.

Hakimi has contributed five goals and 10 assists to BVB's cause in 31 games in 2019-20, helping them challenge Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga while also reaching the Champions League knockout stages.

Dortmund are reportedly interested in making the Moroccan's move to the Westfalenstadion permanent when his two-season loan deal expires this summer, but Bayern are also being tipped to launch a bid for his services.

Camano has confirmed that a number of elite clubs are monitoring Hakimi's situation, but he claims to have heard nothing concrete from the German champions as of yet.

The Madrid defender's agent told Goal and SPOX: "There is interest from top European clubs, but I don't know where the rumours with Bayern have come from. It is not a topic.

"Nobody from Bayern or Real Madrid spoke to me about a possible move for Achraf to Bayern.

"We are totally relaxed and calm about the future of Achraf. He has a great relationship with Real Madrid and there is currently no reason for any talks because Achraf has a contract with Real Madrid until 2022.

"We'll see what happens when he returns to Madrid in the summer."

Camano went on to hint that Hakimi could still have a future at Santiago Bernabeu, while insisting that his client still enjoys a strong relationship with Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

He added: "There is no problem with Zidane at all. Achraf gets along with everyone at Real Madrid. And Zidane has known Achraf since he was a child.

"He likes him as a person and as a player. For me, Achraf is the best in his position."

Call of Duty: Warzone has quickly become one of the top-played games in the weeks since its release, with over 60 million players to date.

This free-to-play title features dynamic and frantic battle royale and Plunder gameplay with up to 150 players on the largest Call of Duty battleground ever.

On June 11, the season four of Warzone went live, and it brought an array of new content and changes. A new season also means a brand new battle pass with a bunch of items to earn and equip. The Season 4 battle pass has new operators, new weapons and blueprint, customization items, and a lot more.

Download Call Of Duty: Warzone

The game features two main factions of the Operators: the Coalition and the Allegiance. Both factions include a variety of Operators to choose from. The Coalition is a multinational alliance that consists of operators from SAS, Warcom and Demon Dogs, while the Allegiance is made up of the remnants of the Russian Forces in Urzikstan, foreign mercenaries and rogue NATO soldiers.

And while the Operators are getting famous among the gamers, Goal.com has teamed up with Call of Duty to make the "Coalition vs Allegiance" ultimate team. The concept consists on choosing 11 characters from both the Coalition and Allegiance who are featuring in Warzone.

We'll then analyze the specific traits of each character and potential Footballers who fit the mould and resemble well with the character. The audience will be involved by voting for their favorite Operator-Footballer combo to make it feature in the Ultimate team.

For our new poll, we are going to be looking at Mara from the Coalition faction and SYD from the Allegiance one.

Mara - Alex Morgan : Morgan is a forward whose game is built on speed and direct play. The USWNT star's flair and pace, along with her dribbling ability, make her a consistent goal threat. Mara is also a speedy operator. She relies on a her vast experience and knowledge of the battlefield to always make the right move and her shooting accuracy makes her lethal in the field.
 

SYD - Renard : Not only is Wendie Renard widely considered to be the world's leading central defenders, she poses a formidable threat to the opponents' goal with her aerial presence, particularly from set pieces. SYD, like Renard, is known for her toughness and an unwillingness to take unnecessary risks while attacking. She likes to have a clear plan in place before entering the battlefield.

Who should feature is the Coalition vs Allegiance utlimate team? vote below

Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri has revealed he gets “annoyed” when his critics say he has “won nothing” during his career in Italy.

Sarri was appointed Juve boss last summer after winning the Europa League with Chelsea – his first major piece of silverware as a coach.

He is preparing for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia final against Napoli and is also aiming to lead Juve to the Serie A title this season, and is irked by criticism of his CV.

“I get annoyed when they say, ‘In Italy, he has won nothing’,” said Sarri. “I earned eight promotions from one division to another, and I achieved them all on the pitch.

"That is perhaps a small thing compared to the Champions League and the Scudetto, but it is not easy.

"It's always an important incentive to win important trophies and there is a desire to lift the cup. I am happy that we are in the final."

Ahead of the meeting with his former club Napoli in Rome, Sarri has praised his opposite number Gennaro Gattuso, while urging his Juventus players to turn their fine season into something "concrete".

Sarri is under no illusions over the quality of Napoli, now led by Gattuso after he coached them between 2015 and 2018.

The Partenopei have only lost once in 10 matches and are bidding to win their first piece of silverware since 2014, while Juve are top of Serie A and still in the Champions League as they target multiple trophies.

"Napoli are a difficult team to face," Sarri said.

"They are solid when they close the spaces and dangerous on the counter. They won against us, against Inter and drew with Barcelona, they know how to play at a high level.

"Napoli are a team of dribblers, on Wednesday we must remain compact and not allow easy counterattacking situations. 

"I like Gattuso a lot, he is straightforward and direct. I'm not surprised by what he's achieving."

Sarri believes his approach has changed during the lockdown enforced by the coronavirus crisis.

He added: "From a mental point of view it's been a difficult period for everyone but I've seen the guys at their best: open, smiling and ready to play. 

"Maybe I've also improved too, I'm more patient and less uncompromising. I am completely focused on the final and on our team, with the right concentration and conviction.

"We've played for seven months, and then have had a long break in order to play these remaining matches. 

"Therefore, we'll have to give everything that we have and give that little bit more to win as many trophies as possible. 

"Apart from a few games that haven't gone our way the results have been good so far. 

"We have an excellent points average so we can be pleased with that, but now we want to transform it into something concrete."

Joao Felix would be "at a higher level" if he had joined Real Madrid instead of Atletico Madrid, claims Carlos Carvalhal.

Atletico shelled out €126 million (£122m/$142m) to sign Felix from Benfica ahead of Antoine Griezmann's departure for La Liga rivals Barcelona last year.

However, the 20-year-old has only contributed six goals and three assists in 28 appearances, with ankle and hamstring injuries sidelining him for separate short spells.

Carvalhal, who is the head coach at Primeira Liga side Rio Ave, does not think the style of football played under Diego Simeone suits Felix.

He believes a move to their arch-rivals Real Madrid would have put a fellow Portuguese in a better position to develop his game.

"Joao Felix is​​a great player and I don't want to create controversy with my statements. He is a player with incredible technical ability, with a great level. But I'm not sure Atletico's way of playing is the best for him," Carvalhal said on Cadena SER.

"That was my doubt when he signed for them. Diego Simeone is a great coach, his teams are very strong, very competitive, but Joao Felix does not seem to be the perfect player to be there.

"In a different situation, we would see a great Joao Felix. It will be a little difficult and it will take time more time. He will have to transform as a player.

"If he had gone to a team like Real Madrid, he would be at a higher level. The context would be more favourable for him.

"It's not a criticism of Simeone, there is no doubt about what he has achieved. The work speaks for itself, I just believe this marriage is not the best."

Felix was suspended as Atletico returned from a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic with a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

He is, however, in line to make his first appearance since the stoppage when Simeone's men take on Osasuna in Pamplona on Wednesday.

Atletico are sitting sixth in the La Liga standings at the moment, a point behind Real Sociedad in the race for a top-four finish and 15 behind leaders Barcelona, with ten fixtures remaining.