India lift title after rained out final

India were declared winners of the Tri-Nation Under-19s Tournament in South Africa after the final against South Africa was rained out in Johannesburg

Cricinfo staff05-Jan-2010India were declared winners of the Tri-Nation Under-19s Tournament in South Africa after the final against South Africa was washed out in Johannesburg. This was the second match between the two teams that was abandoned due to rain after the last league match met a watery grave on Sunday.India dominated the tournament from the outset having gone undefeated in the league phase. The hosts got off to a winning start against Sri Lanka but lost the momentum, crashing to defeats against them and India.Paceman Saurabh Netravalkar was adjudged Player of the Series for his excellent returns. Netravalkar picked eight wickets including a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka, making him one of the players to watch out for in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Buddika from Sri Lanka and Colin Ackermann for the hosts gave good accounts of themselves with the bat and will take confidence into the tournament.

Bellerin injury throws Arsenal’s Champions League hopes into doubt

According to The Mirror, Arsenal have been dealt the bitter news that defender Hector Bellerin may miss the rest of the season. 

The 23-year-old picked up a knee injury in The Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Chelsea at The Emirates on Saturday, and his manager Unai Emery indicated that it is a very serious injury. He is yet to have a scan on the knee, but Arsenal are fearing the worst.

The victory on Saturday put The Gunners within three points of fourth place Chelsea, as their hunt for Champions League football next season continues. However, this injury could serious curtail those hopes.

The Spaniard has been integral to Emery’s team this season, registering five assists in 19 Premier League games, as his pace and ability to get forward make him a real asset to the brand of football that Emery is trying to deploy in north London. There is no comparable replacement to Bellerin at Arsenal, and as a consequence, their performances may be weakened slightly.

The Gunners already have injury concerns in their defence, with centre-back Rob Holding set to miss the rest of the season as well. To lose Bellerin suddenly leaves their defence looking very sparse indeed. This was the biggest area of concern for Arsenal at the beginning of the season, and this latest setback is perhaps the biggest loss of all to The Gunners. This suddenly throws the club’s top four hopes into doubt, and it looks very unlikely that they will do anything this transfer window to remedy their problems.

Leeds eye Championship colossus in January

Leeds United are one of many teams interested in Rob Dickie ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic, who claim that the Yorkshiremen are among several sides keen to sign the Queens Park Rangers defender. Many of their Premier League rivals, including West Ham, Southampton, Wolves and Burnley are also mentioned.

Whilst no asking price is specifically mentioned by the report, it’s believed that the Championship outfit would command at least eight figures – give or take £10m – though Transfermarkt value him at just £2.7m.

QPR managed to squeeze nearly £20m out of Crystal Palace for Eberechi Eze last summer, so they are capable of driving a hard bargain.

Bielsa needs him

On the face of it, another centre-back addition is perhaps the last thing on Victor Orta’s agenda but given the injury nightmare that manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered, it wouldn’t go amiss to add a talent like Dickie.

The likes of skipper Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente have all faced time on the sidelines since the start of the season. It’s gotten so bad that Luke Ayling had to partner the German in the middle against Arsenal last time out, despite both only just returning from their own injuries.

Standing at a whopping 6 foot 4 and right-footed, the 25-year-old would hand the Argentine a very reliable option to his backline, especially as he’s equally adept in a four and a three.

“Rob is so comfortable on the ball. Physicality, aerially strong, passing: his technical base is so sound. He’s a very talented player,” claims his manager, Mark Warburton.

The Athletic go as far as comparing him to Manchester United defender Harry Maguire in terms of playing style.

Currently, Dickie ranks as the Rs’ best performer on the season so far, averaging a 7.16 rating on WhoScored. An average of 3.9 aerial duels won, 1.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 82.2% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, would certainly back up the aforementioned praise and likeness.

Also lauded for his leadership and being an “unbelievable man” by his former Oxford boss Karl Robinson, the QPR star would surely be a player that Bielsa would love to have at his disposal.

For a little over £10m, it could be quite the steal.

AND in other news, Bielsa dealt gutting Leeds United transfer blow ahead of January…

Bell fifty leads Warwickshire win

Ian Bell’s fourth Clydesdale Bank 40 half-century of the season maintainedWarwickshire’s 100% record with a convincing six-wicket victory over Kent atEdgbaston

Cricinfo staff16-May-2010
ScorecardIan Bell’s fourth Clydesdale Bank 40 half-century of the season maintainedWarwickshire’s 100% record with a convincing six-wicket victory over Kent atEdgbaston.The England batsman contributed a stylish 55 from 71 balls before the Group Cleaders – unbeaten in 40-over cricket since August 2008 – wrapped up their fifthstraight win in the competition. The margin would have been greater but for a substantial Kent recovery after 6ft 8in pace bowler Boyd Rankin had taken three wickets in five balls in their collapse to 73 for 7 after 19 overs.Skipper Robert Key survived to reach 87 from 98 deliveries and eventually foundsubstantial support when Rob Ferley made 52, his highest score in all forms ofcounty cricket with Kent and Nottinghamshire.Their partnership of 94 in 17 overs lifted the Spitfires to a more respectable192 for 9 – but this was nowhere near enough to stretch Warwickshire. Bell put on 68 with Jim Troughton (24) and even when he was run out, going for a single after Darren Maddy played the ball to point, the untroubled home side finished the job with five overs to spare.Maddy, adding an unbeaten 43 to his bowling return of 2 for 31, and IanWestwood (21 not out) cleared off the last 65 runs from 45 balls. Kent had struggled from the outset as Warwickshire’s front-line seamers wobbled the new ball around in favourable bowling conditions.Key and Joe Denly played and missed as Neil Carter and Chris Woakes opened upwith successive maidens and the slide set in as soon as Denly guided a ball fromCarter to Troughton at backward point.Woakes, warming up for England Lions duty against Bangladesh this week, hadMartin van Jaarsveld taken at slip and Kent’s middle order caved in withRankin’s intervention in a dramatic second over.The Irishman’s bounce and movement accounted for Geraint Jones and DarrenStevens, both caught behind by Tim Ambrose, and young left hander Alex Blakeedged to Darren Maddy at second slip. Ambrose took a third catch as Woakes removed Azhar Mahmood in a spell of 2 for 29 and Rankin had four wickets in a List A innings for the first time when Simon Cook holed out to deep square leg.Warwickshire’s charge was at last held up when Ferley, in his first countymatch of the season, dug in with Key and gradually built up the momentum tolaunch a sustained counter-attack.Key hit 10 fours before falling at extra cover for the first of two wickets forMaddy. The former Leicestershire all-rounder bowled Ferley with the nextdelivery after he reached 50 with a reverse sweep for his fifth boundary.

VIDEO: Are you watching, Gareth Southgate?! Jarrod Bowen stakes claim for England spot after bagging first career hat-trick for West Ham

West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen sent a clear message to Gareth Southgate on Monday night after bagging his first career hat-trick in stunning style.

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Bowen scores trio of goals against BrentfordFirst hat-trick of careerWest Ham man sends message to SouthgateGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England boss will still have plenty of decisions to make ahead of this summer's European Championships, and Bowen gave himself the best chance of selection against Brentford on Monday. The West Ham star scored twice before the break, the first a sliced effort at the near post before an instinctive close-range finish. He completed his hat-trick three minutes past the hour mark with a deft header to meet Mohamed Kudus' cross.

Brentford twice clawed back in the match through Neal Maupay and Yoane Wissa, before a stunning strike from Emerson Palmieri rounded out a 4-2 win for David Moyes' side – their first of 2024.

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Bowen had been going through somewhat of a dry spell in the league, having not scored since December in a 2-0 victory over Manchester United. But with Monday's trio of goals the 27-year-old is far and away the Hammers' top scorer with 14 efforts to his name, as he stakes his claim to be in Southgate's squad for Euro 2024. His best spell in the Three Lions squad came in their 2022 Nations League campaign, where he made four appearances, but he has collected just one cap since.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BOWEN?

To be in with an outside shot at making that squad Bowen simply needs to keep putting in performances such as these. England's last camp before Euro 2024 comes between March 18-26, which Bowen will be aiming for if his fine form continues.

Troubled Leicestershire take the plunge

Leicestershire are in a desperate financial position after a Twenty20 campaign officially described as “gruesome.”

George Dobell10-Jul-2012News that Leicestershire’s captain and chairman are to throw themselves out of a plane might, at first glance, be suspected as a response to the desperate financial position in which the club finds itself after a Twenty20 campaign officially described as “gruesome.”As it happens Matthew Hoggard and Paul Haywood are not jumping out of a plane as an act of despair, but as an attempt to raise money for an impoverished club which is fighting to remain solvent in increasingly testing times.The pair, plus Greg Smith, Michael Thornley, Josh Cobb and his father, former Leicestershire player and coach Russell Cobb, will undertake a sponsored parachute jump at Langar Airfield on Monday September 17 as part of a benefit year for the club itself.Leicestershire have endured a Friends Life t20 campaign that their chief executive, Mike Siddall, described as “gruesome.” Not only did their defence of the title never really get off the ground – they won just two of their 10 qualifying games and finished bottom of the group – but spectator numbers were hugely disappointing. The club fears that it achieved only around 40% of its budget from the competition.Such figures will only increase the clamour for a change to the domestic T20 schedule. Siddall, for one, endorses the view of Richard Gould, the chief executive of Surrey, that the competition should be spread across the summer and played, where possible, at a regular time so spectators are able to predict forthcoming games.”Without a doubt, we need to be playing T20 over a longer period,” Siddall told ESPNcricinfo. “We need to have an appointment to view on Friday nights, with one or two midweek games to keep the broadcasters happy.”We all understand the reasons behind the short window, but they haven’t worked. It leaves us at the mercy of the weather and the idea that we might be able to attract the most exciting overseas players has not been borne out by experience.”Leicestershire’s problem this year was not that games were abandoned. Had they been, insurance payments would have covered the club for their losses. Instead, it was that matches took place in the sort of gloomy conditions that deterred spectators from attending.”A typical example came in our game against Derbyshire,” Siddall said. “It rained until 2.30pm and, while we eventually had an 8-over a side game starting at 7.35pm, no-one had hung around to watch it. It’s hit our catering budget, it’s hit our sponsors and it has left us with some very difficult budget decisions to make in the coming weeks. Times are very tough and they’re not getting any easier.”After a terrible 2010, when Leicestershire lost over £400,000, they returned to profitability in 2011 with a surplus of nearly £300,000. Much of that was built on some exceptional items: £135,000 in donations; £43,000 in extra hospitality income thanks to their T20 success; £60,000 thanks to a sell-out T20 game against India and an increase in £282,000 from the ECB. There is little prospect of a repeat this year.”We have little prospect of making up the T20 losses,” Siddall admitted. “We have three CB40 games and four championship games to come. All the CB40 games are at a weekend or on a Bank Holiday, which is good for general spectators but not good for corporate hospitality.”The club at least have a fine record of producing players – Stuart Broad, Luke Wright, James Taylor and Darren Maddy are among those to have developed through the club’s youth system – and spirits have been buoyed by the recent selection of Ben Collins in England’s U19 World Cup squad. Test-hosting clubs such as Hampshire, Middlesex, Surrey and Yorkshire were all without representatives in the squad.Long term the club have “embryonic plans” for a ground redevelopment that might revolutionise their business plan. In the meantime, however, Leicestershire are overly reliant on the continuing goodwill and generosity of their supporters and initiatives such as this parachute jump. It is not a comfortable position.

Proud Cook warns against complacency

Alastair Cook has done all the right things in preparation for his first full series as England captain

Andrew Miller in Dhaka27-Feb-2010Alastair Cook has done all the right things in preparation for hisfirst full series as England captain. He’s been in the runs with twohalf-centuries in the warm-ups in Fatullah, and he’s captained theside to a pair of trouble-free victories. At Mirpur on Sunday, he willlead them out for the first time in a 50-over contest, fully aware ofthe pitfalls that await against a Bangladesh side that know, justoccasionally, how to put together a matchwinning performance.Cook’s only previous experience of the England captaincy was achastening one – he took over the role at short notice in South Africain November, when Paul Collingwood pulled out of the second Twenty20at Centurion, and was left gesturing with the futility of a Dhakatraffic cop as Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith powered their side to anincredible total of 241 for 6.Three months down the line, however, and this time Cook is ready forthe challenge that awaits. Despite not having played in an ODI sinceNovember 2008, he looked, on the eve of the series, like a man who wasgrowing in authority – even if, as Stuart Broad pointed out, he hasyet to vacate his seat among the lads at the back of the team bus.”It’s a hugely proud moment for me,” said Cook. “I’m nervous andexcited. It’s a challenge, but the night before the first warm-up Iwas really nervous. Once I got through that game I felt far moresettled in terms of being comfortable in field positions, and littlethings. That game was the start of my captaincy proper in terms ofordering the lads around and making the decisions. In an internationalgame there’s obviously more pressure, but a week into it I feel morecomfortable.”The Twenty20 game [in South Africa] I only found out I’d captainthree hours before the game with Colly pulling up with his back,” herecalled. “It was very chaotic that whole day and the lads were justtrying to help. Now I feel more comfortable in the role and they feelmore comfortable in me. These things take time. It was a mad day and amad game, and it does not help that we got panned.Cook’s personal excitement ought to go a long way towards squashingany tendency towards complacency that might otherwise have set inagainst their unfancied opponents. “Anyone can beat anyone on any day,but if we turn up just thinking we are going to win, then we are goingto come very much unstuck. We’ve got to respect them – we arerespecting them, because they are an excellent side – and we’ve got toplay better cricket than them.””The biggest lesson from this week is definitely sticking to yourinstincts,” he added. “You’re only judged on the decisions you make.You’re only judged on the right or wrong ones. You’ll never knowbecause hindsight is the easiest place to captain. You never quiteknow the right answer, but the only way you can find out is byresults.Though the chance to lead the side in Fatullah was important in takingthe edge off Cook’s nerves ahead of Sunday’s match, perhaps the mostimportant aspect of the build-up period has been the chance to tightenthat all-important captain-coach bond with Andy Flower. And, havingplayed alongside each other during Cook’s early days as a professionalat Essex, the pair have had a head-start in that regard.”I’ve known Andy since I was 18, I’ve grown up all my playing dayswith him and when I came into the England team he was assistantcoach,” he said. “He’s fantastic, a true thinker of the game and it’sa pleasure to work with him. We’re making strides on building thatrelationship as captain and coach, these things do take time andhopefully we will get the chance to work more on that and improve aswe go on.”Although Cook was not able to take a proper look at the wicket untilEngland practiced under the floodlights later in the evening, thereseems little doubt about what they can expect. Bangladesh’s coach,Jamie Siddons, stressed that his team play at their best in their ownconditions, which means that the Dhaka track is likely to be somethingof a pancake.”I imagine it will be a very typical subcontinent wicket,” said Cook.”It will be slow, I imagine it might turn a little bit, but I’m notsure it will change too much in 100 overs. It will be a fair wicketwith something in it for the batters to start with, but with thebowlers coming into it when the ball goes soft. Obviously Bangladeshconditions are totally different to what we are used to at home, butwe spent this last week getting used to that, both here and in Dubai,and hopefully we can go out and play some good cricket.”Craig Kieswetter will make his international debut on Sunday•Getty ImagesEither way, England will have to be on their guard, particularlyagainst a sizeable Bangladeshi spin contingent lead, of course, by thecaptain, Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently rated as one of the leadingallrounders in the world. He will doubtless pose a challenge to thedebutant Craig Kieswetter, who is certain to open alongside Cook, andit is highly likely that Matt Prior will also feature, although itremains to be seen which of the two will be asked to keep wicket.”There’s a possibility of playing two wicketkeepers,” said Cook.”Kiesy’s come in and that Twenty20 [against the Lions] made everyonestand up and take notice. To come in on his England debut and playwith so much composure and not seem fazed. The way he went about it,not the runs he scored, has impressed a lot of us. He will be openingthe batting. He deserves that with the runs he’s got. I’ve been veryimpressed with him.”Prior’s retention means no place for Jonathan Trott, whose stock hasplummeted since he became an instant England hero with his debutcentury against Australia at The Oval back in August. A tailing-off ofform in South Africa was couple with an unexpectedly anxious demeanourat the crease, but Cook was sure that he’d come back stronger for theexperience.”Trotty’s a tough character and he proved that in the Australiaseries,” Cook said. “He started really well at the start of the SouthAfrica tour before fading. That was his first international tour as anEngland player and it was a long and tough one too. It’s a differentangle playing three months on tour to county cricket. The things helearnt from South Africa will help in good stead – in terms ofmanaging intensity as a player, to prolong himself for three months.”Cook himself is coming back into the limited-overs set-up after aspell on the sidelines, but he believes he is a much more completeplayer than the slightly one-dimensional character who was last seenin coloured clothing. Extensive work with Graham Gooch at the end ofthe English summer resulted in a tweaked technique, and Cook himselfcredits the domestic Twenty20 Cup for coaxing him out of his shell.”I’m desperate to show to people I can play one-day cricket,” he said.”Last summer when I played Twenty20 cricket for Essex it really helpedand in that form you just express yourself. You don’t have time tothink about failure, and you just go out and belt it. I was playingshots I didn’t think I could play and for three weeks I suddenlythought: ‘I can!’ When I went back to Essex after the Ashes, I scoredtwo hundreds, and it’s amazing what confidence does.”Such sentiments might apply equally to England’s opponents, whobelieve that the gulf between the sides is narrower than at any timein their previous eight ODI meetings. “They are a full internationalside and we’ve got to respect that,” said Cook. “They’ve got someexcellent players without a doubt, but it’s up to us as the Englishside to play better cricket than them.”We’ve improved as players of spin, and we’ve played against the bestin the world and done well. Obviously it’s going to be tough here,Bangladesh have some excellent spinners, but we as players, asbatters, we have to score the runs against them.”

Harry Kane has finally found a house! English striker to settle in Munich as he moves into a villa previously owned by a former Bayern star

Harry Kane has finally found a permanent house in Germany to live in whilst at Bayern Munich – the former home of PSG defender Lucas Hernandez.

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Kane will move into Lucas Hernandez's old villaKane had been living in a hotelEnglish striker is top scorer in the BundesligaWHAT HAPPENED?

Since his blockbuster summer switch to Bavaria, the English striker has broken records and found himself atop the Bundesliga goalscoring charts. While he had settled into life at Bayern Munich and finding the back of the net freely, the Englishman had been living in a hotel and struggling to find a home to live in. However, as reported in , Kane's hunt for a new abode has finally come to an end and he is set to move into a villa previously occupied by former Bayern defender Hernandez.

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Despite Kane's flying start to his time in Germany, he and Bayern sit second in the Bundesliga – two points off Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen. Despite living in a hotel, Kane has been able to settle into the footballing culture and style at Bayern. The German champions will be hoping a permanent residence for their star striker will only help the player settle further.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kane's 18 goals in the first 12 games of a Bundesliga season broke the record of 17 set by Bayern legend Gerd Muller. The English striker is also chasing down former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski's record of 41 goals in a single Bundesliga season.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KANE AND BAYERN?

Bayern host strugglers Union Berlin on Saturday as they hope to put pressure on league leaders Leverkusen. Kane, now free from house-hunting, will resume his pursuit of more goals and records.

Everton vs Tottenham: Where to watch the match online, live stream, TV channels & kick-off time

How to watch Everton against Tottenham in the Premier League in the US, as well as kick-off time and team news.

Evertonwill host Tottenhamin aPremier League fixture at Goodison Park on Monday.

▶ Watch Everton vs Tottenham live on Sling TV today!

The Christian Stellini era begins at Tottenham after Antonio Conte departed following a wild rant against his own players and the club hierarchy. He has his task cut out as the Lillywhites desperately want a top-four spot at the end of the season.

Currently, in the fourth spot, they lead Newcastle United by two points but have played two more matches than the Magpies at the time of writing.

However, Spurs have kept more Premier League clean sheets against Everton than against any other opponent (24), shutting them out in each of their last three meetings which should further boost their morale.

Meanwhile, under Sean Dyche, Everton have either kept a clean sheet (three times) or conceded at least two goals (five times).

Harry Kane will definitely fancy his chances against an inconsistent Everton defence as he has already netted six braces against the Toffees.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the US as well as how to stream live online.

GettyKick-off timeGame:Everton vs TottenhamDate:April 3, 2023Kick-off:4:00pm EDTVenue:Goodison Park

The game is scheduled for April 3, 2023, at Goodison Park. It will kick off at 4:00pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Everton vs Tottenham online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.USA Network, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo, UNIVERSOFubo, Sling TV, NBC Sports App/website

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on USA Network (English-language), Telemundo Deportes en Vivo (Spanish-language), Fubo, Sling TV and NBC Sports App/website.

GettyTeam news & squadsEverton team news

Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still unavailable, and manager Dyche has not specified when the striker might be back.

As a result, Demarai Gray is expected to lead the attack once more, despite the impressive performance of substitute Ellis Simms against Chelsea.

Keeper Andy Lonergan and winger Andros Townsend are also unavailable.

Position

Players

Goalkeepers

Pickford, Begovic.

Defenders

Tarkowski, Mina, Godfrey, Coady, Holgate, Keane, Mykolenko, Vinagre, Coleman, Patterson

Midfielders

Onana, Doucoure, Davies, Gueye, Iwobi, Garner,

Forwards

Maupay, Simms, Gray, McNeil.

Tottenham team news

Ryan Sessegnon, Emerson Royal, Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur are out due to injuries.

Brazilian winger Richarlison is also unfit and will not be able to play against his former club.

"We have Richarlison with a problem. He's not training with the team," informed Stellini.

However, they will be boosted with the return of Ivan Perisic and Hugo Lloris.

Position

Players

Goalkeepers

Forster, Whiteman, Lloris

Defenders

Romero, Dier, Sanchez, Lenglet, Tanganga, Porro

Midfielders

Skipp, Hojbjerg, Sarr, Perisic

Forwards

Son, Kane, Kulusevski, Moura, Danjuma

Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

15/10/2022Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 EvertonPremier League8/03/2022Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 EvertonPremier LeagueDecember 28, 2021Everton 0-0 Tottenham HotspurPremier LeagueSeptember 11, 2021Everton 2-2 Tottenham HotspurPremier LeagueFebruary 22, 2021Everton 5-4 Tottenham HotspurFA Cup

In their last five meetings, Tottenham have won two times, Everton on one occasion, whereas they have shared the spoils during two other encounters.

However, Everton have won just one of their last 20 Premier League games against Spurs (D9 L10), picking up a 1-0 away win in September 2020.

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(C)Getty ImagesUseful links

Everton team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Tottenham team page

La Liga Team of the Decade: Messi, Ronaldo & Griezmann form deadly attack

As the 2010s come to an end, Goal casts its eye back to pick out the best players in Spain's top flight over the past 10 years

GettyGK: Jan Oblak

Arriving in La Liga in 2014 as the then most expensive goalkeeper in the league, Jan Oblak was viewed as the man to replace Thibaut Courtois for Atletico Madrid. It quickly became clear, however, that he would surpass the Belgium international in the Spanish capital. 

The Slovenian shot-stopper has been named La Liga's Best Goalkeeper for the past four seasons and is the most consistent keeper in Spain's top-flight – rarely making the type of errors number ones at Real Madrid or Barcelona have become prone to. 

Oblak's best domestic campaign came in 2015-16 when he conceded just 18 times across 38 league games, with his performances enough to see him selected in our team ahead of the likes of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Victor Valdes and Keylor Navas.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Dani Alves

While his time in La Liga came to an abrupt end with Barcelona in 2016, Dani Alves had been a key part of the Catalans' treble-winning side. 

The Brazilian's speed, technical ability and physical strength made him a massive asset for Barca down the right flank. 

While he was named in the La Liga Team of the Year just once, Alves' ability and influence was often under-rated and his recent form for Brazil is a reminder the 36-year-old was and is a special talent. 

GettyCB: Gerard Pique

From a fringe player at Manchester United to a star at Barcelona, Gerard Pique's move to La Liga has paid off handsomely. 

A rock in the Catalans' backline and a rallying figure for the club, the Spanish defender has been key to Barca's success over the past decade. 

Pique has eight La Liga titles to his name and is a man that knows how to step up when his side needs him most. 

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Getty ImagesCB: Sergio Ramos

Talking of stepping up, Sergio Ramos has become an expert at doing just that for Real Madrid. The veteran defender is not only ruthless at the back, but surprisingly clinical in attack.

Ramos' ability in front of goal has proven regularly crucial for Los Blancos over the past decade with the Spaniard chipping in with 37 league goals since the start of the 2010-11 season. 

In defence, he has become infamous for poor discipline and is the most carded player in La Liga history, but those 'dark arts' have also often proved decisive for his side.

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