Marcus Rashford could return to Manchester United next summer if Ruben Amorim leaves the club by then, according to former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen. Rashford left his boyhood club this year to join Barcelona on a loan deal after he was included in Amorim's 'bomb squad' during pre-season, alongside several other unwanted United stars.

• Rashford back in form following Barcelona move

  Since completing his season-long loan move to Barcelona during the summer transfer window, Rashford has rediscovered his game under Hansi Flick and has slowly established himself as a regular starter. The attacker has already recorded three goals and five assists in 11 matches across all competitions for the Catalan club and has also earned a call back to the England national team.

  It is still unclear whether Rashford would return to United at the end of his season, especially with Amorim in charge of the club, as he clearly had fallen out with the Portuguese manager this summer. The Spanish giants also have an option to but the forward permanently next season for around €35 million (£30m/$41m), although they are compelled to trigger the option.

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  Former Man Utd coach's verdict on Rashford's return

  Former United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen addressed the topic of Rashford's possible return to Old Trafford as he claimed that it is unlikely for the striker to return, with Amorim still in charge of the club.

  Meulensteens was speaking to CasinoHawks, who offer the latest online casinos, and said: "Marcus Rashford back to Man Utd? That's a real personal choice, and things can change, you don't know. I don't think it would happen with Ruben Amorim, to be fair, because I think something must have happened for that move to be forced. So I don't know, but I think Marcus, and maybe Barcelona as well, would most likely want to see if they could make it a permanent deal because Marcus is 27 now, so he's still a good age. Playing in Spain is different than in the Premier League. It's not as demanding, especially with Barcelona having maybe 70% or more of the ball, which is a nice position to be in."

• Rashford backed to become Barcelona's No.9

  Rashford has already earned Flick's trust with consistent performances in the attack in both La Liga and Champions League matches. With Ferran Torres and Raphinha doubtful for both their Champions League clash against Olympiacos on Tuesday and El Clasico at the weekend, the German coach has confirmed his faith in the England international to spearhead the attack as their No.9.

  Speaking to reporters, Flick said: "Rashford is a good option as a No. 9, but he can also play as a No. 11. That's what we thought when we signed him: he can play as a No. 9 or No. 11, and it's great to have him in our team. He's improved a lot in recent weeks. He gives us a lot of positives, and of course, he can play as a No. 9."

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  Rashford blamed Man Utd's 'inconsistent environment' for failures

  Rashford experienced a major dip in his form in the last two seasons at Old Trafford as he managed to score just 19 goals across the two campaigns. In the second half of the 2024-25 season, the winger was sent out on a loan move, where he started to regain his confidence and long-lost form.

  Addressing his issues at United, Rashford had earlier told : "For sure, consistency is a massive part of it. I feel like I have been in an inconsistent environment for a very long time, so it is even more difficult to be consistent. But I completely agree, I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game and I am looking to do that. I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible. When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything not just sport, you need consistent variables in your life and the way you train. We have just had so many changes so far in my career but I have to look forward and that it definitely one of the things I want to put right and improve on to be at my best more often. When I am at my best I really enjoy everything about the sport."

أعلن نادي الزمالك، بشكل رسمي اليوم السبت، رحيل البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا عن تدريب الفريق، بعد سلسلة من النتائج السلبية في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك كان قد تعاقد مع يانيك فيريرا، في بداية الموسم الحالي، وخاض معه 11 مباراة في بطولة الدوري، فاز في 5 وتعادل في 4 وتلقى الهزيمة في مباراتين.

وفي بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، خاض مباراتين أمام ديكاداها الصومالي، في دور الـ 32 من البطولة الإفريقية، واستطاع الفوز فيهما والتأهل إلى دور المجموعات.

طالع | جوزيه جوميز يحسم موقفه من العودة إلى تدريب الزمالك

وأعلن مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة الكابتن حسين لبيب، وبالتنسيق مع جون إدوارد المدير الرياضي للنادي، توجيه الشكر للبلجيكي يانيك فيريرا.

وفي نفس السياق، قرر مجلس إدارة الزمالك، تعيين الكابتن أحمد عبد الرؤوف مديرًا فنيًا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي.

وأضاف نادي الزمالك في بيانه: “سيقوم أحمد عبد الرؤوف بتشكيل الجهاز الفني المعاون له، خاصة وأن الفريق مقبل خلال أيام على المشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المحلي المقرر لها في الإمارات، وسيتولى عبد الرؤوف قيادة الفريق بالبطولة”.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة طلائع الجيش، غدا الأحد بالجولة الـ 13 ببطولة الدوري المصري، ثم يسافر إلى الإمارات لخوض منافسات بطولة السوبر المصري حيث يستهله بمواجهة بيراميدز في دور نصف النهائي يوم الخميس 6 نوفمبر.

What a game it was between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. The evening kick-off in the Premier League brought plenty of fireworks, with the Blues running out 2-1 winners in stoppage time, in a game that felt like it could have gone either way.

For much of the game, it was a diligent performance by Enzo Maresca’s side. The West Londoners took the lead inside the first quarter of an hour, and what a strike it was. Moises Caicedo unleashed a thunderbolt from the edge of the Liverpool penalty area, which flew into the top left corner.

Liverpool did manage to get back into the game, which coincided with the introduction of Florian Wirtz at half-time. The Reds scored through Cody Gakpo, with the Dutch winger getting on the end of a lay-off from Alexander Isak, although whether the Swede meant it is another question.

The game became incredibly open in the final 20 minutes, and Chelsea, who hit the post in stoppage time, left it until the 97th minute to score. It was Estevao who bagged the winner, which caused a huge celebration across Stamford Bridge.

It was a fantastic way for the game to end for Chelsea, with Estevao saving the day off the bench.

Estevao’s cameo vs. Liverpool

Brazilian wonderkid Estevao has already left a huge impression during his short Chelsea career so far. The 18-year-old bagged his first goal for the club against Liverpool, adding to the assists he got away to West Ham United.

What a way to win the game it was, too. The former Palmerias star capped off a good team move, sliding in at the back post to put Marc Cucurella’s cross into the back of the net.

He showed excellent instinct and understanding despite his inexperience.

It was a brilliant contribution off the bench from the teenager, which former Blues striker Daniel Sturridge described as a “top drawer” effort. Aside from the goal, he made three touches in the opposition box and made six ball recoveries.

That is why Football London journalist Bobby Vincent gave Estevao an 8/10 for his night’s work. Like Sturridge, Vincent was full of praise for the 18-year-old, describing his stoppage-time strike as a “memorable” goal.

It was certainly a night to remember for Estevao, who saved the day for Chelsea and spared the blushes of one of his fellow attackers.

The Chelsea player who was saved by Estevao

On the whole, Chelsea’s win against Liverpool was a good performance. Estevao was one of the standouts, with the likes of Caicedo and Cucurella also putting in good shifts at Stamford Bridge.

Yet, there were a couple of players in that famous Blue shirt who struggled. Centre-forward Joao Pedro was one of those. After a fast start to life in West London, the Brazilian international has now failed to score in his last five games in all competitions.

The game against Liverpool was certainly a tough outing for Pedro.

He only managed 17 touches during the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, fewer than Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The striker only had one touch in Liverpool’s box, and one shot, which was off target.

Pedro stats vs. Liverpool

Stat

Number

Minutes

74

Touches

17

Passes into final third

3

Touches in opposition box

1

Shots

1

Duels won

2/6

Stats from Fotmob

Vincent also seemed to agree with the sentiment that Pedro struggled against the Premier League champions. He gave the Blues number 20 a 5/10 for his evening’s work, and said he was ‘quiet’ overall.

Perhaps it is a concern for Maresca that Pedro is struggling to get into the game when Cole Palmer is not on the pitch. The pair have combined for two goals in seven matches so far, according to Transfermarkt.

Of course, the England international is the key creator in this Chelsea squad, and it was the case at times that it seemed Pedro could not get on the ball unless he was there linking things up.

The Brazilian has chipped in with goal involvements this season, without Palmer on the pitch. Yet, the Chelsea number 20 has already said that they look to “combine our ideas so that it works in the games.” Perhaps we are seeing the effect that Palmer not featuring in the Chelsea side can have on Pedro, with the rest of the side struggling to get him the ball.

It is certainly food for thought for Maresca, who will surely look to find a way to get Pedro more involved when Palmer is not on the pitch.

Related Outscoring Pedro: Chelsea lost one of "the best finishers" in Europe for £0

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Can Celtic start to build some momentum?

Last Sunday, the Hoops, just about, beat Kilarmnock 2-1 at Rugby Park, awarded a very controversial penalty deep into injury time by referee John Beaton, duly dispatched by debutant Kelechi Ịheanachọ.

Coming up on Wednesday, Brendan Rodgers’ side will commence their Europa League campaign, having been ignominiously dumped out of the Champions League in the play-offs by Kairat.

The Celts will take on Crvena zvezda in Belgrade this week, with games against Braga, Sturm Graz, Midtjylland, Feyenoord, Roma, Bologna and Utrecht to come thereafter.

How will they do? Who knows! Probably not great, but we’ll see.

Following the late-August trolley dash to bolster attacking options, would Celtic have been better off simply keeping hold an “astonishing” attacker now impressing overseas?

What will Michel-Ange Balikwisha bring to Celtic

Having chased him for over a year, Michel-Ange Balikwisha finally joined Celtic for a reported fee of £5m at the end of August.

The Belgian was thrown in for his debut during the drab Old Firm just a few days later, before also starting last weekend’s trip to Ayrshire, albeit he was replaced shortly before the hour mark by James Forrest.

Thus, it is very early days, but the 24-year-old is yet to showcase the full extent of his talent.

Balikwisha is clearly a player of great potential, but the biggest concern Celtic supporters had following his arrival is his injury history.

Last season, he made just 18 appearances for Royal Antwerp due to a torn thigh muscle, having also had knee problems in the past.

So, while the jury firmly remains out on Balikwisha, an ex-Celtic attacker is helping his current side make history in another continent.

Former Celtic winger thriving in America

Liel Abada joined Celtic from Maccabi Petah Tikva in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £3.6m, and he would go on to be an integral figure to Ange Postecoglou’s success in Glasgow.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

The winger scored 15 goals during his debut season at Parkhead, thereby named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year, before adding a further 13 goals during the following campaign.

He memorably netted during 3-0 and 4-0 annihilations of Rangers in 2022, meaning his name will always be etched into club folklore.

However, after tensions between Israel and Palestine escalated in 2023, he reportedly no longer felt comfortable at the club, given the public displays of support for Palestine from sections of Celtic supporters.

Thus, in March 2024, following an elongated spell on the sidelines due to a thigh injury, Abada departed for MLS side Charlotte FC for around £10m, representing a decent profit.

Still only 23 years old, the winger has continued to impress in North Carolina, scoring 13 goals in 60 appearances for the club, part of an attacking unit that also contains Wilfried Zaha; bet you didn’t know he was there!

Last weekend’s 3-0 victory over Inter Miami was Charlotte’s ninth successive win in Major League Soccer, equaling the competition’s record, with Abada featuring in all but one of these wins.

The table below documents the Israeli international’s goal scoring record, when compared to that of current Celtic winger Balikwisha.

2025

6

5

2024

7

2

2023

5

14

2022

16

7

2021

19

8

Total

53

36

As the table documents, Abada has proven himself to be a far more reliable goal scorer over an extended period of time than Balikwisha, even if the Belgian has spent a large percentage of this period in the Antwerp treatment room.

At his best, Kieran Devlin of the Athletic described Abada as “astonishing”, noting that his “all-round game has improved dramatically” and he was, at the peak of his powers, simply “undroppable”.

According to Global Football Rankings, MLS is the 14th strongest league in the world, with the Scottish Premiership down in 27th.

Thus, still only 23 years old, he is proving his quality at a high level, and would unquestionably improve the current Celtic forward line.

Now worth 1291% more: Celtic sold a homegrown O'Riley who Rodgers loved

Celtic’s homegrown Matt O’Riley, who Brendan Rodgers was in “love” with, is now starring 7 years on.

Sep 19, 2025

Gus Poyet has told a crucial Chelsea star that he might need to join Real Madrid or Barcelona for one key reason, with the former Stamford Bridge star sending a clear message.

Chelsea prepare for Liverpool as Enzo Maresca without up to eight stars

Enzo Maresca is without up to eight first-team players for their visit of Premier League title rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

The Italian won’t be able to count on star forward Cole Palmer, who remains absent with a niggling groin injury, but seven other men could also miss their face-off against Arne Slot’s side.

Alongside Palmer and Chalobah, while Maresca was cryptic in his update, it is likely the other players he’s referring to are Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos.

Maresca has been left absolutely bereft of central defensive options ahead of Liverpool, meaning he’ll most likely choose to play Benoit Badiashile and Jorrel Hato at the heart of Chelsea’s defence ahead of youngster Josh Acheampong.

Chelsea are now paying the price for not signing a centre-back in the last transfer window, despite Maresca’s wishes and spending the second-most money of any Premier League side behind this weekend’s opponents.

However, BlueCo are reportedly working on a potential defender deal for January as their priority (Pete O’Rourke).

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

Marc Guehi’s camp have received contact from Chelsea this week ahead of a potential winter swoop, according to Simon Phillips, but the England international also has Liverpool, Man City, Real Madrid and Barça hot on his trail with the Englishman’s contract expiring next year.

While the addition of a new defender is vital, so is keeping Palmer out of the clutches of Europe’s biggest sides.

Gus Poyet tells Cole Palmer to leave Chelsea for Real Madrid or Barcelona

The England star has been a revelation since joining from Man City in 2023, spearheading the team as their main attacking vocal point, which is widely seen as over-reliance on Palmer at times.

The £130,000-per-week superstar is arguably nailed on to win the coveted Balon d’Or in future if he stays on this trajectory, but according to Poyet, he needs to quit Stamford Bridge for that to happen.

Speaking to GOAL, Poyet urged Palmer to leave Chelsea for Real or Barça, in order to give himself the best chance of claiming the award.

Only two players have won the Ballon d’Or in the last 17 years — Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 and Rodri in 2024 — so Poyet could have a point.

The City midfielder’s prize shows it is not impossible for Premier League stars to clinch the award in this day and age, so Palmer could still have a real shot if he remains in West London, but he’ll have to play out of his skin.

Rodri was cut and above the best defensive midfield player in Europe when he was awarded the honour, starting nearly all of City’s most crucial games in 23/24, and this came right after his winning goal against Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final to gift the Sky Blues a treble.

The bar is set rather high for Palmer, and he’ll arguably need to achieve similar feats at Chelsea to stand any chance.

Delhi Capitals’ (DC) signing of Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for the remainder of IPL 2025 has hit a snag, with the BCB stating that it hasn’t been approached for a no-objection certificate (NOC).Usually, the IPL only announces signings after a player has received an NOC from his home board. According to its CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, however, the BCB had yet to receive a request for one.”Mustafizur is supposed to go with the team to the UAE according to the schedule,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday. “We have not received any communication from IPL officials. I have also not received any such official communication from Mustafizur either.”Related

• Bangladesh are all systems go for two-game face-off against T20I-happy UAE

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Mustafizur is part of the Bangladesh T20I squad that is due to play back-to-back away T20I series against UAE and Pakistan, both of which clash with the IPL. On Wednesday, hours after the IPL announced his signing as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mustafizur flew out to Dubai with the rest of Bangladesh’s squad.Bangladesh are due to play two T20Is in the UAE on May 17 and 19, followed by five in Pakistan on May 25, 27 and 30, and June 1 and 3. Those two series are in conflict with the IPL; DC are set to play their last three league matches on May 18, 21 and 24, followed by the playoffs should they get there.ESPNcricinfo has sought a response from DC on this development.

Mitchell Starc does not see the surface at Kensington Oval going the same way as Lord’s did in the World Test Championship final as Australia look to set a big enough run chase to avoid back-to-back defeats to West Indies for the first time since 1999.In the Lord’s final earlier this month, Australia and South Africa traded low first-innings scores before batting became significantly easier on the third day under sunnier skies where, initially, Starc himself was able to make a half-century, and then Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma marshalled South Africa’s historic chase.But though the wickets’ tally on the second day in Barbados dropped to ten compared to 14 on the first, Starc thought it unlikely that batters would suddenly start to dominate over the latter stages of this game. Travis Head and Beau Webster will resume on the third day with a lead of 82.Related

• Contentious TV umpiring calls: Sammy wants 'some clarity'

• Fast bowlers and TV umpire headline a rollercoaster day

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“I think the wicket at Lord’s was very flat when the sun came out,” Starc said. “I certainly found it easy to bat on. This [one], we’ve seen these two days, there’s so much variable [bounce] there. We saw yesterday on day one the ball shoot low and then the next over it jumped up and created a wicket. I think that’ll probably be the same tomorrow. And some good bowling that creates enough chances.”There was a little bit of a partnership there with Beau and Trav [27 so far] there at the end, so hopefully that can continue in the morning and then push it as far as we can [with] some lower-order runs and then go from there. I think there’s enough chances [being created] as we’ve seen for the last two days, that you’re never quite in and you never know what total is going to be enough.”When West Indies coach Daren Sammy was asked what he thought was chaseable, he joked: “I would love to chase 82. Somebody get a double-hat-trick or something.”It was a moment of levity from a clearly frustrated Sammy, who raised questions about the umpiring and was left exasperated by his team’s catching. They dropped Sam Konstas twice on 0, taking their tally of misses in the match to six, five of which have come off Shamar Joseph. Konstas, however, was only able to make 5 before falling to Joseph for the second time in the game.Australia’s bowlers will come into play in what they hope will be a big chase for West Indies•Randy Brooks/AFP/Getty Images

“Pretty sure they are going to get a nice bollocking. Not too angry, but for sure, it’s an attitude,” Sammy said. “The same way you practice your batting and your bowling, fielding and catching becomes equally important. Catching at slip is a skill. As somebody who fielded there, it’s a skill we constantly have to work on, putting time in it.”Good teams will make you pay. So far, it’s not been too costly, but this is something that in order for us to improve on the goals that we have for this team, this is going to continue. Our catching efficiency has to go up.”Regardless of the chances they have spurned, though, West Indies – and, in particular, Shamar Joseph – have left a significant early dent on Konstas’ series aspirations after scores of 3 and 5 with the innings on the second day proving especially awkward.”I think he had three chances and still scored five,” Sammy said. “Credit to our boys. The plans that we had against their top order and the areas that the guys bowled at him, they made it very difficult. Kudos to Shamar, [because] before the Test started, he did say he’s ready for Konstas when they asked about him.”

Essex skipper will lead A side in 50-over and T20 series

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2025

Grace Scrivens will captain England A in 50-over and T20 series against New Zealand A•Getty Images

Grace Scrivens has been named captain of England A for the upcoming 50-over and T20 series against New Zealand A. The teams will be coached by England Women’s performance batting coach Jon Lewis.Scrivens has been tipped as a future England Women’s captain, though she is yet to make a senior appearance. She led the A side in a four-day game in Australia over the winter, while Hollie Armitage was captain for the limited-overs leg.Hampshire opener Ella McCaughan was selected in both squads but will not be available for the 50-over series, which starts at Derby on Monday, as she recovers from injury. Additionally, Mahika Gaur and Grace Thompson will each only be available for one of the 50-over games.”We’re all looking forward to the series,” Lewis said. “We’ve selected a young and talented group of players, many of whom have gained recognition through their form for their counties in the first half of the season. It’s also good to see a number of players with recent experience of playing for England Women U19s.”New Zealand have brought over a strong A squad with a good amount of international experience so the challenge will be tough but I’m looking forward to seeing our players grab this opportunity against strong opposition.”50-over squad: Hannah Baker, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Mahika Gaur*, Jodi Grewock, Emma Jones, Freya Kemp, Abi Norgrove, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens (capt), Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, Alexa Stonehouse, Grace Thompson**, Phoebe Turner
*available for third 50-over game only (June 29)
**available for first 50-over game only (June 23)T20 squad: Hannah Baker (Birmingham Bears), Tilly Corteen-Coleman (Surrey), Mahika Gaur, Bess Heath, Emma Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Ella McCaughan, Charis Pavely, Davina Perrin, Grace Potts, Grace Scrivens (capt), Seren Smale, Alexa StonehouseFixturesJune 23 50-over match, Derby
June 26 50-over match, Derby
June 29 50-over match, Chelmsford
July 3 T20, Chelmsford
July 5 T20, Beckenham
July 7 T20, Beckenham

£25m very much appears to be the benchmark for any high-profile Celtic sale.

Matt O’Riley, Jota and Kieran Tierney have all been sold for that amount in recent years, with Nicolas Kühn’s move to Como this summer, for a reported fee of around £16.5m, not quite reaching that mark.

Given Celtic’s very successful player trading model, their entire business plan revolving around signing less-known players on the cheap, providing them with a platform on which to shine and then selling them for an enormous profit, many more players are set to follow suit in exiting for a big amount.

Well, could a breakout start of this season prove to be the next player to do just that, and it might not be who you think it is?

Sebastian Tounekti's start to life at Celtic

Sebastian Tounekti signed for Celtic from Hammarby for a reported fee of £5.2m, which is already looking like a bargain.

He has become the second Tunisian international to call Parkhead home, after Lassad Nouioui, who made 19 appearances for the club in 2012/13, with Tounekti, arguably, already making more of an impact, scoring his first goal for the club against Partick Thistle in the League Cup last Sunday.

In fact, Tounekti has started all three matches since making the move from Stockholm, including Wednesday night’s commendable 1-1 draw with Crvena zvezda in the Europa League, replaced in the 77th minute by fellow new recruit Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The 23-year-old is hoping to be very busy over the next 12 months, set to represent Tunisia at both the Africa Cup of Nations in December and then the World Cup next summer, the Eagles of Carthage having qualified earlier this month, with Tounekti coming off the bench during their most recent international against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo.

However, it is another of the new faces in Celtic’s side whose value could exponentially increase the most, catching the eye of onlookers.

Celtic's new star at full-back

Right-back has been something of a problem position for Brendan Rodgers in recent weeks, ever since Alistair Johnston suffered a hamstring tear during the first leg of the Champions League play-off against Kairat last month.

Then, reliable deputy Anthony Ralston sustained a foot injury which saw him withdraw from international duty, as well as miss all three club matches so far this month.

Thus, 19-year-old Colby Donovan has started against Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle and now Red Star Belgrade, having made his senior debut as recently as August against Livingston, but he has been earning widespread praise.

The teenager made 36 appearances for Celtic B in the Lowland League and SPFL Trust Trophy, as well as starting all seven UEFA Youth League games last season, and has seemingly transitioned into senior football seamlessly.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton labelled him “mature beyond his years”, while manager Rodgers hailed his “outstanding” performance in Belgrade, adding “he played with personality, composure and has a toughness to him where he’s not going to get beat easily.”

His statistics below emphasise his impressive showing at Stadion Rajko Mitić.

Tackles

3

2nd

Duels contested

11

1st

Duels won

6

2nd

Aerial duels contested

5

2nd

Accurate passes

34

10th

Touches

69

6th

After the match, speaking to TNT Sports, Donovan said that he was “over the moon” and it was a “dream come true”, praising the impact of the “brilliant” Rodgers on his confidence and development.

Thus, even if Ralston is back fit, he was an unused substitute at the Marakana, the teenager could keep his place for the visit of Hibernian on Saturday, before Braga visit Glasgow in the next Europa League fixture on Thursday.

As already alluded to, Celtic’s most-expensive academy sale of all-time remains the £25m Arsenal paid to sign Tierney back in 2019.

By the time he departed for London, Tierney had made almost 150 appearances in hoops, winning 12 Scotland caps, so Donovan certainly has a long way to go, but he certainly has the quality to follow in those footsteps as Parkhead’s next homegrown full-back sensation.

100% dribbles: "Fearless" Celtic star was even better than Iheanacho

Celtic drew 1-1 with Crvena zvezda in the Europa League, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in Belgrade, but a “fearless” attacker was even more impressive.

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Arsenal's Eberechi Eze has shared that he was ready to sign for the Gunners' rivals Tottenham Hotspur before a call with Mikel Arteta sealed his move to the red side of north London. The former Crystal Palace star had agreed a move to Spurs, but when Arsenal swooped for his signature at the last moment, he never had any doubts about moving to the club he supported as a boy.

'One chat with Mik Arteta…'

On August 19, Eze had seemed set to join Spurs in a blockbuster move that would underscore the club’s ambitions under new boss Thomas Frank. Daniel Levy had all-but sewn up the minor details and the England international looked certain to make a switch to north London.

One day later, the midfielder made a final call to the Arsenal boss with a desperate plea. The FA Cup final hero had supported Arsenal as a youngster, even playing for the club’s academy, and wanted to make a late check that there was no way to move to the Emirates. By the evening, Arsenal had struck the same deal with Palace and completed the hijack of Spurs’ top transfer target to send the footballing world into meltdown.

Speaking about that phone call, Arteta explained: “That shows you how much he wanted to come. It's very different sometimes because you want to be very open and transparent with the players as they have to make decisions in their careers but I'm delighted to have him. I'm delighted to have him, I can tell how much it means to him and his whole family."

A few days later, Eze was unveiled to the raucous Gunners crowd ahead of their victory over Leeds United and, in showing the cold shoulder to their bitter local rivals, had ensured he was already considered a fan favourite.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesEze goes back to school

Now with a handful of games and a goal under his belt at Arsenal, Eze is a key man in the Gunners’ midfield and will face his former club on Sunday. Eze will play against Palace for the first time since making his £60 million ($81m) move and, ahead of the crucial game, returned to south London to visit a school.

As per , Eze was put in the hotseat and thrown a barrage of questions from excited students – including one pertaining to that last-minute Spurs snub. Asked whether he would have signed on the dotted line for the Lilywhites, Eze admitted that “I was prepared to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them”.

Gazumping Spurs has already paid dividends for the Gunners, who had initially been planning to use the Englishman on the left-wing. Following the injury to Martin Odegaard, Eze has been deployed centrally in midfield and provided a creative spark that was missing from the Gunners midfield when they also lost their captain to injury last season.

Arsenal look to strengthen grip on top

Despite a string of impressive performances, Eze is yet to truly explode at Arsenal. He has chipped in with a handful of assists and scored his first goal in the Carabao Cup, but will now be looking to get on the scoresheet in the Premier League against Palace. He is no stranger to goals in this fixture either, having found the back of the net with a sumptuous volley at the Emirates last season.

Should Arteta’s men see off the Eagles, they will maintain, or potentially extend, their advantage at the top of the division. They are three points clear of second-placed Manchester City and four clear of champions Liverpool as their quest for a first Premier League title since 2004 continues.

With just three goals conceded across all competitions this season, the Arsenal defence has provided an impeccable foundation for the club’s attacking players, now featuring the mercurial Eze, to make the difference. The new Gunners’ new look attack is yet to truly fire on all cylinders, but with Eze starting to find his groove, Arsenal could start to stamp their authority on their lofty perch.

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AFPA first encounter against Palace

Sunday will provide an emotional encounter to Eze, who departed the Eagles as a hero. The Englishman scored in both the semi-final and final of the FA Cup to write his name into the history books at Selhurst Park. As well as FA Cup success, he helped the club beat Liverpool to lift the Community Shield and provide the Palace fans with yet another special day at Wembley.

Despite his affinity with the club, the 27-year-old will have to avoid letting the occasion get the better of him if the Gunners are to take the maximum points available and compound Palace’s recent disappointing run of form.