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Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made several additions to the playing squad during the summer transfer window, and Wilfried Nancy is tasked with getting the best out of them.

The Northern Irish boss made 11 signings to bolster his options across the pitch before he eventually resigned after a 3-1 defeat to Hearts at the end of October.

Nancy has to try to get the best out of those signings in the coming months and years, as many of them have failed to live up to the hype so far this season.

Ranking Celtic's summer signings

Whilst this may say more about the rest of the business done in the summer, Benjamin Nygren has been the club’s best signing of the season, as he is currently Celtic’s top goalscorer in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, with seven goals in 25 games.

Kieran Tierney, who arrived on a free transfer, and Marcelo Saracchi, who joined on loan from Boca Juniors, have also been solid additions in the left-back position, sharing duties in that role.

Callum Osmand joined from Fulham after his contract expired with the English side and scored one goal and won a penalty in three first-team matches before picking up an injury, which suggests that he is an exciting talent to watch out for when he is back fit.

Ranking Celtic’s summer signings

Rank

Player

1

Benjamin Nygren

2

Kieran Tierney

3

Callum Osmand

4

Kelechi Iheanacho

5

Marcelo Saracchi

6

Ross Doohan

7

Sebastian Tounekti

8

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

9

Hayato Inamura

10

Shin Yamada

11

Michel-Ange Balikwisha

Ross Doohan, who joined on a free transfer as a third-choice goalkeeper, is the dividing player between poor and good signings in the rankings above, as the most average addition to the squad.

We have Sebastian Tounekti in the lower half of the rankings because he is starting to look like one of the biggest wastes of money since Albian Ajeti.

Why Sebastian Tounekti looks like a waste of money

After creating four chances, completing five dribbles, and scoring one goal in his first two matches, per Sofascore, the Tunisia international looked primed to be a star for the Hoops. Rodgers even claimed that he “excites the crowd”.

Celtic paid £5.2m to sign the forward from Hammarby to make him the most expensive signing of the summer, falling just shy of the £6m mark that would have taken him into the club’s top ten most expensive signings in their history.

Unfortunately, three months later, Tounekti has recorded two goals and zero assists in 18 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has struggled to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Since Celtic paid £5m for Ajeti, who scored just nine goals in 48 games as a striker (Transfermarkt), the Hoops have signed six players for more than £5m: Jota (twice), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Arne Engels, Adam Idah, Auston Trusty, and Tounekti.

Jota was sold for £25m, before being re-signed, and Idah was sold for £6m after scoring 20 goals in all competitions last season, which shows that they were not complete wastes of money.

Carter-Vickers, of course, has been a long-serving regular starter for the club and Auston Trusty has made 50 appearances, now established as a regular starter, per Transfermarkt.

Engels, signed for £11m from Augsburg, has been fairly effective at the top end of the pitch, per Transfermarkt, with a return of 12 goals and 17 assists in 76 appearances since the start of last season.

This shows that the five other most expensive signings since Ajeti flopped at Parkhead have either been successful signings or had plenty of positives in their time at Celtic, even if it did not work out perfectly.

Tounekti, though, has one goal and no assists in his last 16 appearances for Celtic, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be a regular starter under the new manager, after he was the first player to be substituted in the 2-1 defeat to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

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For a player signed for £5.2m, he has not delivered enough quality at the top end of the pitch to suggest that he was a worthwhile signing, which is why he currently looks like one of their biggest wastes of money since Ajeti flopped at the club with his nine goals in 48 games.

West Indies will look to him to anchor their batting against India’s spin challenge on his first tour of the country

Deivarayan Muthu01-Oct-2025Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s square-on stance, crouch at the crease, trigger movement, and his propensity to often mark his guard with the bail all indicate that he is cut from the same cloth as his father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul. And much like Shiv, Tagenarine can soak up balls and wear bowling attacks down.Since his debut in December 2022, Tagenarine has faced 1433 balls, scoring 560 runs in 19 innings at an average of 35. Among West Indies batters, only Kraigg Brathwaite has faced more balls (2376) albeit in twice as many innings (39) during this period. After West Indies dropped Brathwaite for the upcoming two-match Test series in India, Daren Sammy expects Chanderpaul to step into Brathwaite’s shoes. Following West Indies’ first training session in Ahmedabad, Sammy even likened Chanderpaul’s ability to get stuck in to his father’s and Rahul Dravid’s.Chanderpaul is coming off a stint with his father, but in T20 cricket in the USA, where Shiv was the coach of Orlando Galaxy in Minor League Cricket and Tagenarine was captain of the team. He’s cagey when asked about Shiv’s impact on his batting, but he hopes that their training sessions will help him acclimatise to the conditions in India.”About the [Indian] conditions, it’s a bit similar to some pitches back home,” he says. “But just trying and getting some training sessions in and trying to adapt as much as possible…Related

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“Some of the areas where I played in the US are a bit cooler, but some places are hot as well. Especially in Florida, it could get hot sometimes. It’s just about getting your rest in the evening. Try to get as much sleep and rest and get accustomed to that time change. It’s a different quality of bowling [in India]. For sure, you need to stay sharp and make the most out of the practice sessions to get ready for the game.”Having shaken off the jet lag, Chanderpaul is ready for the red-ball grind and is hopeful of fulfilling coach Sammy’s expectations on his first tour of India.”I’m not much of a flashy player,” Chanderpaul says. “So I just try to take my time and accumulate my runs with the odd boundary here and there. I think [batting time] goes with my [natural] game. But I also spend time batting balls at the nets and hope to replicate it [in a match].”Under Brian Lara’s mentorship, Chanderpaul scored an unbeaten 207 – his first Test hundred – against Zimbabwe in 2023•CWI MediaHis old-school batting owes also to his training sessions with his paternal grandfather and first coach, Khemraj, who too put Shiv through his paces when he was growing up in the village of Unity in Guyana.”Yeah, well, obviously when I was little, my dad would be on tour playing and then he lived in the US too. I grew up in Guyana,” Chanderpaul says. “In the afternoon after school, my granddad would throw balls at me when I was small. And then as I got bigger, he’d take me to the cricket club after school. So, yeah, I grew up practising with my granddad ever since.”I don’t think I was trained on the same cement strip that my father trained on () but granddad would always throw balls at me and he always wanted to hit the ball [along] the ground. So I guess that sort of shaped me into the player I’m today.”During his short career Chanderpaul has also had the opportunity to work with Brian Lara after receiving his maiden Test cap from him in Australia in 2022. Under Lara’s mentorship in 2023, in his third Test, Chanderpaul scored his maiden double-century, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.”He always tries and gives you ideas about bowlers you can score off and who you need to be defensive against and that sort of stuff,” Chanderpaul says of Lara. “So, [the conversations with him were] about picking your match-ups.”India, though, will not offer West Indies much breathing room. In the two Tests that Chanderpaul played against India in the Caribbean in 2023, he fell three times to the spin of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin’s dismissal of Chanderpaul in the first Test, in Roseau, was a flashback to his magic ball to Alastair Cook in the Edgbaston Test of 2018. While Ashwin has retired, Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will pose a threat to Chanderpaul’s defensive technique in the Test series.West Indies dropped former captain Brathwaite and called Chanderpaul up for the India Tests in the hope of him helping see off their spin threat•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”India has a great bowling line-up,” he says. “So you can’t take them for granted. You’ve got to go out there and give them the respect and try and score when you can. In the first Test [in Roseau], I didn’t get too many runs. [In the] second Test, I batted some balls. Kind of threw it away in the first innings. But playing Ashwin and Jadeja… I can take some confidence from the second Test and do the right things going into this Test series.”Chanderpaul also had encouraging numbers on his first and only first-class tour of the subcontinent so far: in 2023 he scored 275 runs in five innings for West Indies A against Bangladesh A in Sylhet, including three half-centuries. Only Joshua Da Silva made more runs (300) than him during that unofficial three-match Test series in Bangladesh. “I had runs against two left-arm spinners and a few offspinners as well,” Chanderpaul says. “It was a fairly good tour for me. I had a few [good] scores. Hopefully I can try and get some runs in the series ahead.”What cues does he look for while facing spin? “You’ve got to try and pick the ball up from the hand, of course,” he says. “Then see what type of delivery and, yeah, where it fits and that sort of stuff. So you know, just try and get in the right positions early and see where you can turn it over and get off strike or pick up a boundary. I have the sweep but you’ve got to play what you see on the day.”It can be fiendishly difficult to pick left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep out of his hand, and Washington, who is now India’s frontline offspinner after Ashwin’s departure, can threaten both edges with turn and drift. West Indies’ presence in future World Test Championships (WTC) is looking uncertain, but there’s a sliver of hope that Chanderpaul’s staying power can make India’s attack dig deep and carry West Indies’ batting, like his father did back in the day.Despite the stint in Minor League T20s in the USA, Chanderpaul is yet to play top-flight T20 cricket, like his predecessor Brathwaite. Is featuring in the CPL somewhere in the back of his mind?”Who knows?” he laughs. “You’ve got to deal with what’s ahead of you right now.” And right now, that’s his first Test series in India.

Rahmat Shah, the Afghanistan batter, is “most likely” out of the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh because of a calf injury, according to team physio Nirmalan Thanabalasingam. Rahmat braved the injury to try to bat after Afghanistan had lost their ninth wicket in Saturday’s second ODI, after having retired hurt earlier, but he could stand at the crease for just one ball.Thanabalasingam ran out to help Rahmat, who by then couldn’t even stand. Later, the paramedics took him out of the ground in a wheelchair.”He unfortunately succumbed to his injury so he is out now,” Thanabalasingam said. “We will do the all the right things in terms of imaging and stuff tomorrow. He is going to be out for some time, I think.”Rahmat initially felt discomfort when he was trying to take a single in the 15th over after having walked out to bat at his usual No. 4. It was an innocuous looking shot, but his turn on the heel might have affected his calf. He was batting on nine at the time, and struggled to walk properly as he went off the field.Afghanistan struggled without Rahmat, who made an invaluable half-century in the first ODI, which made him the first Afghanistan batter to reach 4000 runs in ODIs. Rahmat’s absence meant regular middle-order wickets, with only Ibrahim Zadran holding things together.When Rahmat came out to bat again, it was met with applause from the Afghanistan fans at the venue in Abu Dhabi. It, however, lasted just one ball. Rishad Hossain sent in a googly that Rahmat missed, and the ball hit him in the abdomen. He was down immediately. Mehidy Hasan Miraz helped him get up but he was not able to continue as Afghanistan’s innings ended at 190 in 44.5 overs.

After his public spat with Atalanta manager Ivan Juric, Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly ready to accelerate their move to sign Ademola Lookman in 2026.

It comes as no surprise that those in North London have identified an attacking target. Thomas Frank’s side have lacked conviction at times this season, with their striker problem recently made worse by Randal Kolo Muani’s injury. Despite initial news indicating that his injury is not serious, reports are now claiming that the Frenchman has suffered a fractured jaw.

The injury comes at a frustrating time for the forward, who is yet to score a goal for Tottenham in a difficult run of form. Even in the middle of that form, however, Frank could do with having Kolo Muani available.

With Dominic Solanke still sidelined, the Dane has just Richarlison and academy graduate Dane Scarlett to call on against Arsenal in his first official North London derby in charge of Tottenham.

It’s an attacking problem that Spurs know they must address and club chiefs have already reportedly set their sights on Rodrygo to do exactly that. The Real Madrid star has an uncertain future in Spain after falling out of favour under Xabi Alonso and Spurs are reportedly willing to spend as much as £70m to secure his signature as a result.

There’s no doubt that the Brazilian would be a statement signing as one of the best wingers in the world, but he may not be the only one that the Lilywhites pursue in 2026.

In an attacking overhaul, those in North London have also set their sights on Lookman and are reportedly ready to step things up in the race for his arrival.

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The former Fulham ace was denied a move away in the summer, despite handing in a transfer request, and has since fallen out with manager Juric and removed Atalanta from his Twitter bio. Ever since he was denied a summer switch, an exit has simply looked inevitable.

As the saga continues, it’s Spurs who are attempting to take full advantage to welcome the Nigerian back to the Premier League. Although the Lilywhites won’t be the only club in the race, the fact that Lookman is represented by the same agency as Mohammed Kudus could provide them with an unexpected advantage in any negotiations.

It’s certainly a transfer race that would be worth winning, too. Before their recent disagreement, Juric went as far as to describe Lookman as “spectacular” and there’s little doubt that he’s still Atalanta’s most important player.

Forget Spence: Frank has a future superstar who can end Porro's Spurs career

يستعد منتخب العراق، لانطلاق مشوراه في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، خلال الأيام المقبلة.

ويقع منتخب العراق في المجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 والتي تضم الجزائر والبحرين والسودان.

طالع.. مجموعة منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025 بعد اكتمالها

وتنطلق منافسات بطولة كأس العرب يوم 1 ديسمبر بمشاركة 16 منتخباً، مقسمة على 4 مجموعات كل مجموعة تضم 4 منتخبات.

يُذكر أن النسخة الأولى من كأس العرب أقيمت عام 2021 في قطر، وتُوج بها منتخب الجزائر بعد الفوز بالنهائي، بينما اكتفى منتخب مصر بالوصول إلى نصف النهائي واحتلال المركز الرابع في الترتيب النهائي للبطولة. مواعيد مباريات العراق في كأس العرب

– العراق ضد البحرين، الأربعاء 3 ديسمبر 2025، 4:30 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 5:30 مساءا بتوقيت السعودية

– العراق ضد السودان، السبت 6 ديسمبر 2025، 6:00 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 7:00  مساذابتوقيت السعودية

– العراق ضد الجزائر، الثلاثاء 9 ديسمبر 2025، 7:00 مساءا بتوقيت مصر، 8:00 مساءا بتوقيت السعودية.

Glasgow Rangers are concerned about Youssef Chermiti and could let him leave in January for another Europa League side.

Chermiti's time at Rangers so far after £8m transfer

Things haven’t gone to plan for Chermiti at Ibrox so far following his £8m move from Everton in the summer, making him the club’s second most expensive signing in history.

1

Tore Andre Flo

£12m

Chelsea

2000

2

Youssef Chermiti

£8m

Everton

2025

3

Ryan Kent

£7m

Liverpool

2019

4

Michael Ball

£6.5m

Everton

2001

5

Mikel Arteta

£6m

Barcelona

2002

On £30,000-a-week, Chermiti has scored just one goal for the Gers, coming in Danny Rohl’s first Scottish Premiership win in charge against Kilmarnock.

Both supporters and those inside Ibrox were ideally hoping for more from the forward following glowing praise from ex-manager Russell Martin back in September.

“It’s a long-term investment for the football club, I think it will be a brilliant investment for the football club. I think he’ll do extremely well for us. There won’t be any expectation on him in here, I’m sure externally maybe that changes.

“He wants to learn, he wants to grow and he wants to help the team. Youssef has tools that you’d really want in a number nine. Good athleticism. Great kid. Wants to learn. Brilliant record at youth level.

“He hasn’t really had the chance he probably wanted at first-team level yet. Obviously in the toughest league in the world as well.

“We’ll judge him on here and now and what he does for us. We’re really excited to have him in because he’s a seriously talented player and also there was a lot of interest throughout Europe in top leagues for him.”

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Chermiti’s is contracted in Glasgow until 2029 and so far, he has made £300,000 in wages, working out at £60,000-a-week for every start he has made for the club in the 10 weeks he has been at Ibrox.

Rangers concerned and could loan Chermiti to Europa League side

Now according to a report from Ibrox News, Rangers have been left concerned with Chermiti’s performances and could now loan him out in January.

Europa League side Braga are eyeing up a temporary deal for the forward in the New Year, whereas clubs in Turkey could also make a move.

Should Chermiti leave Scotland for the second half of the 2025/26 season, Rohl would be left with Bojan Miovski and Danilo as his centre-forward options.

The 49ers Enterprises may then need to recruit another attacker in the winter window, and right now, the £8m fee on Chermiti isn’t looking like a smart piece of business.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

Neymar delivered once more for Santos as the Brazilian icon inspired a crucial 3-0 win over Cruzeiro to secure the club’s Serie A survival. However, he admitted afterwards that his future is uncertain as he plans to undergo knee surgery. With his contract expiring in a few weeks and transfer speculation growing, the 33-year-old’s emotional post-match comments have heightened doubts over whether he will remain with his boyhood club.

Neymar helps Santos avoid relegation with 3-0 win

Santos wrapped up their season with a decisive 3-0 win over Cruzeiro, a result that ensured the club avoided relegation to Serie B. Neymar once again played a key part in the attacking structure, influencing the game as a creator this time out rather than a finisher, having scored five goals across the two matches prior. The victory capped a late surge in form that carried Santos from danger into 12th place with 47 points.

The match itself followed a clear pattern from the outset, with Santos dictating the tempo in front of an energised Vila Belmiro crowd. Thaciano struck twice in the 26th and 28th minutes, taking advantage of the momentum that Neymar and the frontline generated with their fluid combinations. Joao Schmidt added a third shortly after half-time, sealing the win and all but confirming Santos’ mathematical safety. For Neymar, the match completed a final stretch played under physical duress, as he continued pushing through persistent knee pain.

AdvertisementNeymar casts doubt over his Santos future

After the 3-0 win, Neymar laid bare the physical and emotional weight he carried throughout the season’s final stretch: "I came for this, to try to help the best way I can. These have been tough weeks for me. I thank those who were with me to lift me up. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have played these matches because of these injuries, this knee problem. I need to rest and then we will have this knee surgery."

When addressing his future, Neymar added: “I do not know, really. I don’t know. I need some days now, I need to rest, disconnect then decide my future. For sure my priority always goes to Santos.”

Neymar's strong end to the season restores Santos' hopes

The resurgence Neymar delivered in the final weeks came after a turbulent season in which he managed only 19 appearances due to recurring injuries, as his hamstring issues repeatedly disrupted his rhythm throughout the year. Despite the fitness issues, his late-season form, with three goals and two assists in two crucial matches before the Cruzeiro clash, proved transformative in the tight relegation fight.

Neymar’s return to Santos in January had initially been framed as a dream homecoming, but pressure mounted as his fitness and form fluctuated. His outburst last month generated criticism, with claims that he was destabilising the squad rather than leading it. The narrative shifted only when results demanded a hero, and Neymar delivered exactly that.

His performances against Juventude and Sport restored hope around Vila Belmiro that Neymar can still be decisive, even as he prepares for knee surgery this winter.

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Brazil and the World Cup dream for Neymar alive?

Santos now face a pivotal decision period, as Neymar’s contract expires in just a few weeks and negotiations remain delicate due to his impending surgery. The club is expected to maintain dialogue with his representatives, but any new agreement will depend heavily on recovery estimates and clarity around his long-term physical condition. Regardless of affection on both sides, the timing complicates an immediate resolution.

A broader layer to the story is Neymar’s continued ambition to return to the Brazil national team for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has left the door open, insisting he will call Neymar if he is fit enough to contribute, which places even greater importance on a successful procedure and full recovery. For now, the coming months will determine not only his club destination but the trajectory of the final stage of his career.

Reddy has been suspended from playing and has 14 days to respond to the charges against him

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025USA cricketer Akhilesh Reddy has been charged by the ICC with three violations of the Anti-Corruption Code and is suspended from playing effective immediately.The charges stem from alleged misconduct during the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, where Reddy is playing for Aspin Stallions and has featured in two matches so far.He has been booked under the following sections of the anti-corruption code:Article 2.1.1 – Attempting to fix, contrive, or improperly influence, or being party to an agreement or effort to improperly influence, the result, progress, conduct, or any other aspect of matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.1.4 – Soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, or intentionally facilitating (or attempting to do so) another Participant to breach Article 2.1.1 during one or more matches in the ADT10 2025.Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing the investigation by deleting data and messages from a mobile device that may have been relevant to the inquiry.Reddy, 25, had only made his international debut earlier this year, when he played four T20Is for USA in the North America T20 Cup. He has 14 days to respond to the charges.

Mitch Swepson took three wickets and Lachlan Hearne scored his first Sheffield Shield century as Queensland closed on victory

AAP17-Oct-2025Alex Carey holds the key to South Australia’s hopes of manufacturing a draw on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.The Test wicketkeeper is the last realistic hope for the hosts, who lead by 68 runs with five wickets in hand at Adelaide Oval.The run out of Jake Lehmann in the last session was disastrous and the hosts went to stumps at 238 for 5. Carey is 37 and Liam Scott has made 20.Lehmann hesitated when he went for a quick single and a sharp throw by substitute fielder Hugh Weibgen to bowler Mitchell Swepson dismissed him for 12.Every other South Australia batter made a start, but so far Jason Sangha’s 55 is the only half-century.Swepson bowled superbly to take the first three wickets. The spinner trapped Henry Hunt lbw for 26, breaking up the opening stand of 57.He then bowled opener Conor McInerney for 46 and Usman Khawaja took a sharp chance at slip to dismiss Nathan McSweeney for 26.Michael Neser found the gap between bad and pad to bowl Sangha, who hit four fours in his 116-ball stay.Earlier, Lachlan Hearne scored his maiden Shield ton as Queensland made 398 in their first innings.They resumed at 319 for 6 and Hearne reached 106 before he was the eighth Queensland batter to fall.McInerney bobbled the sharp chance at first slip off Wes Agar’s bowling, but Carey took the catch to remove Hearne. It was Agar’s fifth scalp of the innings, giving him his sixth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Middlesbrough have made a manager with “an impressive CV” a top target to replace Rob Edwards, and it would be a “significant coup” if they can get a deal done.

Edwards confirmed as Wolves boss as Middlesbrough receive £3m

Wolves confirmed the appointment of Rob Edwards as their new head coach on a three-and-a-half year deal on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old left the Riverside and agreed a contract until 2029 with Wanderers after they sacked Vitor Pereira earlier this month. It is reported Boro will receive around £3million in compensation after Edwards only joined them in June on a three-year contract.

Edwards, who managed Luton in the Premier League, begins a fourth spell at Wolves after making 111 appearances as a player as well as enjoying time as a coach and interim boss. He will be joined by assistant head coach Harry Watling after the pair worked together at Middlesbrough, with the rest of his backroom staff to be confirmed in the near future.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: “I know Rob very well and I have seen his growth in different jobs. He’s a very good person, he knows the club very well, he knows the city, the fans and he is very talented.

“When he was a youth coach here, he showed his tactical awareness, but after he took first-team jobs he started to grow his own identity, character and leadership.

“We need to refresh the whole club with a new coach’s philosophy, bringing his own identity and ideas, and we can build on that. We are at a new chapter for the club and Rob will be a key piece of that.”

For Boro, it is now about finding a swift replacement as they aim to continue their Championship promotion push without Edwards.

Middlesbrough make Steven Gerrard a top manager target

As reported by Rousing the Kop and journalist Graeme Bailey, Steven Gerrard is among the top targets for Middlesbrough to replace Edwards.

Steve Gibson is a long-term admirer of the former Rangers and Aston Villa boss, who is out of work after leaving Al-Ettifaq in January.

Gerrard almost returned to Ibrox last month and is open to a return to the dugout, with a move to the Riverside something that could appeal to him.

Gerrard has never managed in the Championship, with his most successful period as a manager coming in Scotland, winning the league title with Rangers.

Club

Games

Points per game

Rangers

192

2.15

Aston Villa

40

1.18

Al-Ettifaq

55

1.33

The 45-year-old primarily plays an attacking 4-3-3 system and is closing in on 300 games as a manager. Could that benchmark come at the Riverside?