Former Liverpool winger Jordan Ibe has signed with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia. The 29-year-old will represent the club until 2027. The sensational switch comes just two weeks after Ibe put pen to paper at Kent-based side Sittingbourne. Once considered a future star of English football, the nomadic midfielder has bounced around non-league football in recent years.
A Phillies fan went viral for all the wrong reasons earlier this month when a home run ball close their seat was snatched by another fan who returned to his seat to give the ball to a young fan he attended the game with.
The fan who initially sat closer to the ball took exception to the move and marched over to the group to get the ball back. The man who initially ended up with the ball relented and passed it back in what was an awkward exchange. You can watch the moment below:
The internet, and even ESPN's anchors, had their day going off on the woman for her lack of perceived ballpark etiquette. It all worked out in the end, as the young fan who had the ball taken was given a new ball and a prize pack from the Marlins staff. Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader, who hit the controversial home run, sent him home with a signed bat too.
Nick Castellanos, another Phillies outfielder, weighed in on the moment with a different approach in an appearance on the podcast.
"Whenever I'm playing catch or I go, I always aim for a kid," he said via . "You always have that ambitious adult sometimes that will come and grab it but when I see that I don't just see a ball. I see a very frustrated lady for years that probably felt like she was getting the s— end of the stick. And now this thing happened, and she's like, 'I'm not finishing second here. I need this for me.'"
Betts and Castellanos discussed that the public doesn't know what's going on with the angered woman and maybe she was trying to get the ball for someone else. It's nice to see them giving a stranger the benefit of the doubt because you never know when someone else is having a bad day, but you have to hope that bad day doesn't impact a memorable moment for a young fan.
A different, closer angle of the moment came out where you can hear the fan arguing, "that was ours, you took it from me, that was in my hands." She probably didn't think the moment would gain as much steam as it did, especially to the point where players on the team she roots for are discussing it. The internet definitely let her have it, but it seems like Castellanos is giving her the benefit of the doubt.
Arsenal have learnt some worrying news on Martin Odegaard's fitness after Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealed a concerning update on the midfielder's injury progress, casting serious doubt over when the 26-year-old will return to action with fears he could be sidelined beyond the international break.
The New York Mets have not been playing their best baseball as of late, but they're in the heat of the NL East race as the All-Star break quickly approaches.
First baseman Pete Alonso has been a big part of New York's success this season. The Mets waited until late in the offseason to decide to bring Alonso back, and they're surely happy that they did.
Alonso is hitting .287 with 20 home runs and 73 RBI, and was named to his fifth All-Star team on Sunday. The slugger also was invited to participate in the Home Run Derby during All-Star week in Atlanta for a sixth time, but Alonso declined this year's invitation. He won Home run Derby back in 2019 and '21.
"I just decided not to do it this year," Alonso said Sunday. "I have never really fully enjoyed the three off days, so I just want to be in the best possible position to help this team win in the second half. I'm in a groove with certain things. I definitely will do it again. It doesn't mean no forever."
Alonso is the latest player to decline an invitation. Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, and New York Yankees MVP candidate Aaron Judge also turned down the opportunity to participate in the event.
So far, the only known participants for the July 14 Home Run Derby are Seattle Mariners catcher and MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, Washington Nationals star James Wood and Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
Craig Ervine to lead Zimbabwe’s 16-member squad for their first ODIs since February
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2025Wicketkeeper-batter Brendan Taylor is set to make his ODI comeback for Zimbabwe in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka after completing his ban for breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code. He had made his international comeback earlier this month, in the second Test against New Zealand in Bulawayo, and his previous ODI appearance was against Ireland in September 2021.Zimbabwe have named a 16-member squad led by Craig Ervine for the two ODIs in Harare on August 29 and 31. The teams also play three T20Is in Harare on September 3, 6 and 7.”We are delighted to welcome Brendan back into the fold,” Zimbabwe convener of selectors David Mutendera said in a statement. “His experience and quality are invaluable, especially in pressure situations, and his presence will no doubt lift the dressing room.”Zimbabwe have not played ODIs since the series against Ireland in February. Clive Madande, Tony Munyonga, Brad Evans and uncapped seamer Ernest Masuku are the new additions to the squad.”This squad has been selected to give us the best chance against a strong Sri Lankan side,” Mutendera said. “We have combined proven match-winners with players who are hungry to make their mark, and that mix of experience and energy will be crucial as we transition from red-ball cricket to the fast pace of ODIs.”Zimbabwe’s recent results have been poor. Since June, they have been beaten heavily in two home Tests against South Africa, lost all their games in a T20I tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand, and suffered heavy defeats in two home Tests against New Zealand.”We’ve just come off a tough red-ball series and now it’s about adjusting to the tempo and intensity of one-day cricket,” Zimbabwe’s head coach Justin Sammons said. “Clarity in roles will be key – each player must understand exactly what’s required. Get that right, and I believe we can compete strongly against a very disciplined Sri Lankan outfit.”
Craig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Trevor Gwandu, Wessly Madhevere, Clive Madande, Ernest Masuku, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams.
After back-to-back wins at The Oval and in Galle, they are third. They have tough assignments ahead but will now know those games are not unwinnable, mainly thanks to their versatile bowling
Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Sep-2024In July last year Sri Lanka began their World Test Championship cycle, and the start could barely have been more disheartening. In Galle, they ran into a Saud Shakeel double-hundred, losing by four wickets. At the SSC next up, they fell over meekly twice, though in one of those innings they had had to contend with some furious Naseem Shah reverse-swing.Fourteen months on, they are third on the WTC table, their 63-run victory in Galle over New Zealand taking them to a 50% win rate in this cycle, out of eight matches played.Where that Pakistan series had been played under the leadership of Dimuth Karunaratne, who was desperate to give up the captaincy at the time (and only captained that series because the selectors convinced him to keep going), Dhananjaya de Silva appears to have brought fresh energy to the role.Related
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In 2024, they’ve won twice in Bangladesh – no mean feat these days – produced their best Test win in years at The Oval, and now have made a winning return to their own shores. They have five Tests to go in this cycle – one more, starting on Thursday in Galle, then a two-Test tour to South Africa at the end of November and start of December, plus two home Tests next year against Australia.These are all difficult assignments, but there is hope now that they are not unwinnable matches. Primarily, this is down to the depth and versatility Sri Lanka now possess on the bowling front. At The Oval, in a Test that began less than three weeks ago, a quartet of fast bowlers delivered a resounding win in seaming conditions. On a surface that was exceedingly dry even by Galle’s standards, their lead spinner Prabath Jayasuriya – not needed for The Oval – claimed nine wickets and delivered another match-winning second-innings spell.”The bowling unit has been very successful. In England they did justice to all the bowling plans we gave them. And then we came to Galle and we were probably the underprepared side. New Zealand had been in India and training for these conditions.”But Prabath adapts very quickly – that’s one of his big positives. He had a different role in England, where he was the holding bowler. Here he is back to taking wickets.”Getty ImagesWhen their second spinner Ramesh Mendis lacked for control in Galle, de Silva himself took the ball and claimed three wickets through the match, even opening the bowling on day five, when New Zealand could still have snuck through to victory.And although, from his demeanour, it would be easy to assume de Silva is a soft touch, he has an edge to him as a leader too, as this answer shows:”Ramesh Mendis occasionally bowled well, but he didn’t bowl as well as I expected – I think that’s fair of me to say. So this is why I had to take the ball. I know what my skills are and what the team needs. I had to apply them at that time. When we play in Sri Lanka I think the team gets a bit out of my bowling. So I tried to support Prabath as best as I could. I took wickets when they were coming, and tried to do the holding job at other times.”So far as captain, de Silva has batted better than his average, and now contributed meaningfully to a victory with the ball. Nothing on a cricket field has ever really seemed to phase him – leadership may be no different.Which is all to say that their results this year – four wins and two losses (plus a win against Afghanistan that was not part of the WTC programme), have given them an outside chance of charting a path to the final at Lord’s in June 2025. They will go into the second Test in Galle with serious confidence, but will not be overawed by what looms for them in South Africa, either – having won at Kingsmead and St George’s Park when they last played at those venues in 2019. If anything, their seam attack is stronger now than then. (Though – and it is worth putting this disclaimer on every sentence discussing Lankan seam bowling – they have to stay fit.)
So far as captain, de Silva has batted better than his average, and now contributed meaningfully to a victory with the ball. Nothing on a cricket field has ever really seemed to phase him – leadership may be no different.
Sri Lanka have had an easier Test Championship cycle this time: they have not had to play India or Australia away from home, which are the two toughest tours in cricket. Still, having been a modest Test team for almost a decade, even if one capable of delivering shock victories, and now have a chance to build on back-to-back wins achieved in dramatically different conditions.And it is their bowlers, primarily, who have brought them this far.
Juggling formats with a growing list of injured players is South Africa’s concern, but Pakistan are on a high in ODIs and have their best side to pick from
Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2024Temba Bavuma will not play the first fixture of South Africa’s three-ODI series against Pakistan as he manages his workload ahead of two crucial Tests over the festive season. Aiden Markram will captain the team for the ODI opener in Paarl, with Bavuma set to return later in the series.Though these matches are the first and last South Africa will have with their strongest available squad before the Champions Trophy, they will have the challenge of juggling between preparation for the big event and ensuring their Test players are kept fresh. Eight of the ODI squad – Bavuma, Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada – were involved in the 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka and are expected to play against Pakistan as well.South Africa will be concerned about their quick bowlers in particular because they already have four on the sidelines and cannot risk one of Rabada and Jansen joining them. Wiaan Mulder (broken finger) is in a race against time to be fit for Boxing Day while Lungi Ngidi (hip injury) and Gerald Coetzee (groin niggle) are out until January, and Nandre Burger (lower back stress fracture) is out for the season. Anrich Nortje, who may have been considered for the ODIs to relieve Rabada and/or Jansen, is out with a broken toe and has also opted out of red-ball cricket for now as he works his way back from a series of injuries.Related
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Bavuma acknowledged that South Africa find themselves in a “tricky” position, knowing that the Tests are the priority of the summer. They need one more win to guarantee a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. At the same time, they need to finalise their Champions Trophy combination, especially since they will not have a full-strength side available for the tri-series in Pakistan (with New Zealand) that precedes the tournament. That takes place in the latter stages of the SA20.”Not everyone that we’d normally call upon is around because of injuries,” Bavuma said in Paarl where the first ODI will be played on Tuesday. “We’ve got bowlers within the squad so we’d like to be in a position where we can give guys those opportunities, rest certain guys and give other guys opportunities. We’ll try to balance it out as best as we can.”Apart from Rabada and Jansen, South Africa have seam-bowling allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo, variation specialist Ottneil Baartman, and 18-year-old left arm tearaway Kwena Maphaka available for the ODIs. Maphaka, who was called into the squad against Sri Lanka when Mulder was injured, was particularly impressive with his pace and could also be considered for the Pakistan Tests.If the bowling concerns were not enough, South Africa are also waiting on the results of David Miller’s fitness test after he injured his calf ahead of the third ODI. If he is unavailable, it may give South Africa an opportunity to trial what they will do if Miller has to miss parts of the Champions Trophy. That is a possibility as he and his Camilla await the birth of their first child, due in February.South Africa’s also have a few other things to consider as their top order will be without Reeza Hendricks, who was dropped and then scored a T20I hundred, or Quinton de Kock, who has retired from ODIs. Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton will likely share the opening duties, with Stubbs, Miller (if fit), Heinrich Klaasen and an allrounder making up the middle order.Pakistan go into the contest on the back of consecutive come-from-behind series wins•Getty Images
While South Africa have some problem-solving to do, Pakistan will be looking to get some stability going after a period of intense upheaval.They would have been looking forward to touring South Africa with Gary Kirsten in charge and the inside knowledge that would have given them, but those hopes ended in late October when he resigned. They have since been on a roundabout of coaching and administrative changes – Jason Gillespie is gone now, too – but their results have trended well.Pakistan go into the contest on the back of consecutive come-from-behind series wins in Zimbabwe and, more impressively, Australia. While they rested Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi Naseem Shah and some of their other senior players for the series against Zimbabwe, they have got their full-strength squad back for these ODIs.They will look to repeat the template that worked wonders in Australia. In that series, they went into each game with just four fast bowlers and no specialist spinner, effectively banking on pace to wrap the opposition innings up inside 40 overs. It worked a charm, with no Australia innings lasting longer than 35 overs, and Australia bowled out in each of the last two games as Pakistan sealed a series win. If their quicks are in similarly lethal form, they will sniff an opportunity to do that again in South Africa against a batting unit that will not have their in-form captain to call upon. However, they will be mindful the first two venues are Paarl and Cape Town, where spinners tend to do well, and so may need a rethink.It is also the last bilateral series Pakistan will play ahead of the Champions Trophy they host early next year, with only the short triangular series to go before that tournament begins. But Pakistan have got their weakest format out of the way, and they now begin a series in their strongest, which can only be good for them.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has won his first three Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the club, after Russell Martin failed to string back-to-back wins together.
The Gers beat Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park on Sunday in the last game before the international break, and there was a first league goal for winger Djeidi Gassama.
He cut in from the left wing to curl a brilliant finish into the far corner, as show in the clip above, after he had failed to score in his first ten appearances in the division after his move from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.
Gassama has now scored six goals in all competitions for the Light Blues, having scored four goals in the Champions League qualifiers and one in th Europa League, per Transfermarkt, after a £2.2m move from the Owls.
The French winger will be hoping that his goal against Dundee will be a platform to build from for the rest of the season, as he looks to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch on the left flank.
Rangers will also be hoping that is the case so that they can mark him down as another successful attacking signing, of which there have been a few in recent seasons.
Since the Gers won the Premiership title under Steven Gerrard in the 2020/21 campaign, the Scottish giants have not had too much success on the pitch or with managers.
A couple of domestic cup wins has not been enough to see continuity in the dugout, which is a cause for concern, but the Light Blues have had some exciting players to watch in the last few years.
It is hard to look past Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane as being two of the biggest talents at the club since the last league win. Cerny provided 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions, whilst the Morocco international managed 16 goals and three assists.
Calvin Bassey, who was sold to Ajax for £19.6m, also has to be up there because he is the club’s most expensive sale of all time, and is currently playing consistently in the Premier League with Fulham.
Arguably the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, though, is attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, who was on loan from Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 campaign.
|
Biggest Rangers talents since they last won the league |
|
|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
|
1 |
Malik Tillman |
|
2 |
Hamza Igamane |
|
3 |
Calvin Bassey |
|
4 |
Vaclav Cerny |
|
5 |
Abdallah Sima |
The USA international provided 12 goals and five assists in all competitions for the club during his loan spell, per Transfermarkt, and provided many moments of quality for the supporters to enjoy.
On top of his excellent performances for Rangers, Tillman has gone on to enjoy a successful career away from Ibrox. He currently plays for German giants Bayer Leverkusen and is valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, which is more than any other player on that list.
It is, therefore, hard to argue against the goalscoring midfielder being the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, because he is currently the most valuable former or current Gers player, per Transfermarkt, from then to now.
Whilst Gassama will be hoping to follow in Tillman’s footsteps in the months and seasons to come, there is another Gers star who could be the club’s biggest talent since the American.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Mikey Moore has not had the perfect start to his career at Ibrox, since signing on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, but recent performances suggest that he is turning a corner.
The England youth international failed to provide a goal or an assist for Russell Martin in five Premiership appearances, in what was a very difficult opening couple of months for him at the club.
Since Martin’s exit, though, Moore has scored one goal and provided one assist in four appearances in the division, matching Gassama’s tally from 11 league outings this season, per Sofascore.
Like the French forward, the Spurs loanee scored his first goal for the club in the 3-0 win at Dens Park on Sunday, as he picked up the ball in a central position and finished brilliantly into the bottom corner.
The 18-year-old starlet is still learning and developing each week as he gains vital first-team experience, and it is showing in his improved performances on the pitch, with two goal contributions in the last four league matches after none in the first five.
Moore is getting better each week, as evidenced by his improved form in front of goal, and that is an exciting prospect when you consider his form for Spurs at academy level.
The English forward scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches at U18 level for the Premier League side, per Transfermarkt, which shows the kind of output that he has the potential to offer if he can get to his very best.
Moore, who Como scout Ben Mattinson claimed has “superstar potential”, could develop into a brilliant forward for Rangers if he can add the consistency that was shown in his performances at academy level, after finally getting off the mark in the Premiership on Sunday.
|
Most valuable Glasgow Rangers players (25/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Market value |
|
Mikey Moore |
£14m |
|
Nicolas Raskin |
£10m |
|
Mohamed Diomande |
£7m |
|
Youssef Chermiti |
£7m |
|
Nasser Djiga |
£7m |
|
Valuations via Transfermarkt |
|
As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee is currently the most valuable player in the Rangers squad, at £14m, and that is whilst he is also the youngest player in the team.
At the age of 18, Moore has so much time left ahead of him to progress and develop, and he is already showing signs of growth in his performances for the Gers.
Rangers launch first enquiry to sign versatile defender who dominated Chermiti
The Gers desperately need reinforcements.
By
Tom Cunningham
Nov 7, 2025
That is why the English winger could be the club’s biggest talent since Tillman because he is a future “superstar” who could go on to be worth as much, if not more, than the American star.
Breaking into Didier Deschamps' France squad is one of the toughest tasks in international football, but Tottenham’s Wilson Odobert is rapidly forcing his way into the conversation. After battling through injuries, thriving under Thomas Frank, and emerging as a decisive presence for Spurs and France’s U21s, the 20-year-old winger is now reportedly on Deschamps' radar and the timing may finally be on his side.
Head coach says there is “no mental block against India” after defeat meant Sri Lanka lost all three games in Super Fours
Shashank Kishore27-Sep-20252:04
Maharoof: Nissanka had answers for every bowler
Head coach Sanath Jayasuriya couldn’t believe Sri Lanka had bottled yet another last over against India in their Asia Cup Super Fours game in Dubai.Their loss instantly brought back memories from July 2024, when they squandered what should have been a straightforward chase against India. On that scarcely believable night in Pallekele, Sri Lanka needed just nine runs from two overs with six wickets in hand. Yet, they stumbled against the bowling of Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav as the game went into a Super Over, where they managed just one run, which Suryakumar took one delivery to score.On Friday, Sri Lanka needed 12 runs to win in the last over with six wickets remaining and centurion Pathum Nissanka on strike. But he fell immediately and when Dasun Shanaka hit the last ball towards wide long-on with Sri Lanka needing three to win, there was a chance of closing out the game in regulation time. Except, Shanaka sprawled a full-length dive to complete the second run to level the scores, anticipating the throw to be fired at his end, completely unaware that Kuldeep Yadav had misfielded and that there could have been a chance for a third. It meant the game was to be decided in the Super Over, where Sri Lanka stumbled again.Related
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“I would’ve preferred to finish games in normal time,” Jayasuriya said at the post-match press conference. “No captain or coach wants to go to a Super Over. Unfortunately, Dasun missed completing the third run. But no, there’s no mental block against India. Our batting line-up is strong, and we’ve given them confidence. Chasing 200 (203) is never easy, but we almost did it, which shows the quality we have.”There is no doubting Sri Lanka’s class or quality, and few embody it better than Nissanka. Having first broken through as a Test batter in 2021, he has since blossomed into a formidable white-ball player. Just last week, after the group stage, Nissanka spoke glowingly of Jayasuriya’s influence, and the freedom the coach has given him to develop a niche, along with a leeway for mistakes. On Friday, he repaid that faith in style, turning what looked a daunting chase of 203 into a stroll at one stage with a sublime 107 off 58 balls.What made the innings even more remarkable was the character behind it. Jayasuriya revealed afterwards that Nissanka had been carrying groin and hamstring niggles since the group stage. Yet, his determination to deliver for the team drove him through the pain. On a muggy night when as many as three Indian fielders cramped up, Nissanka put his body on the line.It took an ill-judged flick straight into the hands of Varun Chakravarthy at short fine leg with 12 needed off the final over to finally stop him. Jayasuriya was all praise for Nissanka and Kusal Perera, who scored 58 off 32 balls during their second-wicket stand of 127 in just 70 deliveries.2:01
‘SL will surprise some teams in T20 World Cup’
“When you’re chasing 202 (203), you have to keep finding boundaries,” Jayasuriya said. “Their partnership was the key. The momentum shifted when we started losing wickets. That’s natural in a chase because someone has to take risks. Sadly, Pathum got out at the wrong time, and later on, the ball began to turn more. Still, it was a very good game of cricket.”Kusal is one of the best players of spin in our team. He played that role well again, though I’d have liked him to bat longer. Both took calculated risks, and when they wanted boundaries, they executed them. Pathum also had a bit of a hamstring issue recently but still gave 100% for the team, which shows his commitment.”Sri Lanka will return home without a win in the Super Fours from their three games; such a result didn’t seem likely when they went through the group stages unbeaten, following wins against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Hong Kong in what was dubbed as the group of death. Reflecting on their campaign and looking ahead to the next six months leading into the T20 World Cup in February, Jayasuriya stressed on the need for the batters to adapt faster to challenging conditions.”In T20 cricket, assessing conditions quickly is everything,” Jayasuriya said. “In Abu Dhabi, for example, the first-round pitches had pace and bounce, but in the second round, things changed, and we were too slow to adapt. That cost us. The disappointment was the Bangladesh match in the Super Four – 168 on that pitch was a good score, but we didn’t bowl well enough to defend it. Against Pakistan, we didn’t assess the conditions [in Abu Dhabi] quickly enough, and were late to adapt.”Today, India played very well to get over 200. Our boys showed they’re capable of chasing that, but again we just fell short. Apart from that Bangladesh game, I’m fairly satisfied, though disappointed not to reach the final. We have the batting and bowling quality. The key is to execute plans according to conditions and opposition. If we do that consistently, this team can go very far.”