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Joe Root has defended England’s coaching staff after what appeared to be some criticism from James Anderson

George Dobell in Perth13-Dec-20172:33

‘We’re so close to getting it right’ – Root

Joe Root has defended England’s coaching staff after what appeared to be some criticism from James Anderson.Anderson, writing in his column, had admitted he “bowled too short” on the first day of the Adelaide Test after Root had won the toss and inserted Australia. But while Anderson accepted England “should have bowled fuller”, he also suggested the coaches could have stepped in.”It was an oversight from the players on the field, but also from the coaches who could have had an input too, which is frustrating,” Anderson wrote.That left Root, the England captain, feeling the need to defend the coaching staff in his pre-match press conference in Perth on Wednesday.”It’s probably slightly harsh to put the blame on to the coaches,” Root said. “The relationship between coaches and players has been really good. Us guys on the field, we’re the ones responsible for what we are doing out there.”It’s easy to look back and say ‘bowl that little bit fuller’ but we all knew that was the case. I think we got it wrong on the field. We have to be smarter, react quicker. I take responsibility for that as well, as captain.”Anderson comments do seem a little odd. Not only might you think that Anderson – as a 35-year-old veteran of 135 Tests – had the experience to know how to bowl in such circumstances without the interference of anyone in the dressing room, but it seems strange that he has felt the need to make his views public. Only one ball in the first 13 overs would have hit the stumps.It also remains unclear about whom Anderson was referring. Shane Bond was the seam bowling coach in Adelaide – his interim spell in the position ended after the game – while England also have various analysts as well as the main coaching pair of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, who could have sent messages out on to the field as required. Anderson had previously praised Bond for his input in formulating plans of attack for each of the Australia batsmen.Either way, Root’s comments meant that, for the second time in successive days, the England captain had felt the need to mildly rebuke his vice-captain. The previous day Root had answered, “Yes, maybe a little bit” when asked whether Anderson needed to set a better example. Anderson was one of the players to return to The Avenue bar – the scene of Jonny Bairstow’s now notorious greeting of Cameron Bancroft at the start of the tour – at the end of last week where, in the early hours of Friday, Ben Duckett deliberately poured a drink over him.While it would be wrong to overstate the level of conflict – these were two gentle remarks, after all – any public disagreement between such senior players on the eve of what Root has called “one of the biggest games of our lives” is not ideal. Just the previous day, Root had said: “We are all in this together and we are only going to win if we stick together.””It’s staring you in the face that the Ashes are on the line,” Root said on Wednesday. “We know what’s at stake. We have to deliver. We have to make sure we put in that rounded performance which we know we can. We know what we need to do. We just have to go out there and perform.”Meanwhile, Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, won’t return to Australia as originally planned due to a family health problem.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Barcelona starlet Ansu Fati, as Mikel Arteta and Edu venture in the market to introduce additional reinforcements this summer.

The duo have already spent over £200m on talent to strengthen the side, however the spending isn’t showing signs of slowing, with the pending arrival of Brentford goalkeeper David Raya set to be announced as part of a £30m deal.

News in Spain has suggested that the Gunners are now chasing the Barcelona star, who has already been linked to the Premier League this window.

Could Arsenal sign Ansu Fati?

As reported by Sport, the Catalan giants have received significant interest from Arsenal for Ansu Fati.

The report claims that the Gunners have been ‘seriously interested’ in the 20-year-old, who was mentioned in relation to a move to Wolves earlier in the summer as part of a rumoured deal for Ruben Neves, that came to no avail.

Sport added that the Londoners have made a ‘very tempting offer’ for the £199k-per-week forward, which is said to have been rejected by both parties involved with the sole intention to keep him at the club.

There is however a glimmer of hope for the Premier League side, with Barcelona boss Xavi unable to conclude the Spaniard’s future due to Financial Fair Play (FFP), as relayed by Fabrizio Romano, who branded the players movements as “one to watch”.

How good is Ansu Fati?

While the speculation leads to a firm wall in terms of Arsenal’s reported pursuit of the versatile attacker so far, there’s little to deny the impact he could have within Arteta’s budding young set-up at the Emirates.

Once lauded as “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the 20-year-old had everything set up to become Barcelona’s eventual heir to Lionel Messi, even handing the starlet the number 10 shirt.

A product of the infamous La Masia set-up, the youngster has the skill and quality to excel on the biggest stages of football, however so far his development has been hindered by injury.

From falling down the pecking order after such struggles, the Spaniard has picked himself back up under Xavi, making 36 appearances in La Liga last term as part of Barcelona’s league-winning campaign.

In that time, the winger scored seven goals and recorded three assists from only 12 starts, averaging only 39 minutes per game which despite his clear value in the side, has sparked debate over his future.

For Arsenal, this could be a good thing, with the club chasing one of the most promising talents in Europe in a signing that could encapsulate an aura of forwards before him in north London.

In 2009, the Gunners captured the talents of dynamic winger Andrey Arshavin, who made an instant impact after arriving in January.

After just 12 appearances in his debut campaign in the top-flight, the Russian netted six goals and registered eight assists to quickly become a favourite at the Emirates.

105 appearances later, the forward departed the club with 23 goals and 27 assists to his name in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt, seeing him described in the past as having an “amazing football brain” by agent Jon Smith.

A similar aura surrounds reported target Ansu Fati, who showcases his innate footballing IQ from the wide areas to penetrate an attacking sequence in the final third.

As per WhoScored, the Russian’s approach to play can be traced in the Spaniard’s style, where he averaged 1.9 shots and one dribbles per game for Arsenal in the 2010/11 Premier League season, similar to the youngster's 1.7 shots and 0.6 dribbles per game for Barcelona last term.

The Gunners have seen a host of talent take to the left wing over the years, with not many having an impact as immediately explosive as Arshavin, who could be delicately replicated by the club’s chase for Fati.

It is "crucial" for Manchester United to find buyers for Donny van de Beek and Fred this summer, as their transfer strategy relies on it, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Are Donny van de Beek and Fred leaving Manchester United this summer?

It has been a strong transfer window for Erik ten Hag's Red Devils so far this summer, at least in a buying sense.

The arrivals of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund should all instantly improve the first team and be around long enough to help the Dutchman build his perfect side.

The former Ajax boss would probably like to add more players to the team this summer, with Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat one of the names heavily linked to the club.

Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…

Unfortunately for the player, and manager, United now have to sell some of their current players to make space for the Moroccan, per The Telegraph.

Two of the names who could potentially leave are former Ajax midfielder van de Beek and Brazilian international Fred.

The latter has been linked with a move to Turkish Super Lig giants Galatasaray. However, despite personal terms not being an issue, there is currently a gap in the player's valuation from both sides, per Sky Sports.

In van de Beek's case, it looks as if his miserable time in the northwest might finally be coming to an end, as a report from Spanish publication Noticias de Gipuzkoa (via the Daily Mail) has claimed that La Liga side Real Sociedad are working on a deal to take him on loan next season, with an option to buy for £8m.

Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"For Man United, it's crucial to find a solution for Donny van de Beek. Real Sociedad are interested, but also, for Fred, we know the interest of Galatasaray, but I'm told that there is still no agreement with Galatasaray at the moment.

"They tried a few days ago to attack the situation, but some other club could enter the race, so it's not guaranteed yet [for] Galatasaray. There are also other clubs in the race. Let's see what happens with Fred.

"For Man United, it is crucial to sell him to make room for Sofyan Amrabat, [who is] waiting for an official bid, not arrived yet."

Who else at Manchester United is linked with an exit?

While the attention seems to be on van de Beek and Fred at the moment, who else could be heading for the door at Old Trafford?

The player that has undoubtedly received the most coverage regarding a potential departure this summer has been former captain Harry Maguire.

The England international has had a rather bleak couple of seasons at the Theatre of Dreams, compounded by the removal of the captaincy earlier this month, and he has since been linked to several clubs in England and abroad.

The Premier League side that have appeared the most interested thus far have been West Ham United, who, after seeing their initial £20m offer rejected by United, are now considering whether or not they will go back in, per Football Insider.

The same publication revealed earlier this month that the three-time European champions would be willing to sell the former Foxes star at a massive loss, around £35m, but that has been complicated somewhat by Maguire wanting his £10m-a-year contract paid out before he agrees to leave.

It looks like the Red Devils are going to be busy for the rest of the summer as they try their best to shift the players that Ten Hag has deemed unnecessary to his new project.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in the squad this summer following their troubling Premier League relegation scrap last season, and now a new update has emerged on a long-standing transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Conor Gallagher?

According to journalist and transfer expert Dean Jones, Everton have tabled an offer for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Whilst speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras Podcast, Jones revealed:

"Conor Gallagher has been linked to West Ham. He is a name that has been thrown in there, my information on Gallagher is that he doesn’t want to leave Chelsea at all, but if he has to leave, he will consider it.

"Everton and Newcastle both have tabled offers, he is very aware of what he would get if he went to either of those clubs."

What was Everton's offer for Conor Gallagher?

It is no secret that the Toffees have been in hot pursuit of the England international for over 18 months, with former Everton and Chelsea boss Frank Lampard a huge admirer of the player during his time at Goodison Park.

Whilst Jones has not revealed the exact financial offer that has been made by the Merseyside club, Fabrizio Romano confirmed in late January that Everton had submitted a submitted a £45m offer for the talented midfielder.

As a result, it is now looking like Sean Dyche is keen to continue the pursuit of Gallagher, and if the former Burnley coach can seal a deal to bring him to Goodison Park this summer, it could provide him with a perfect successor for Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The Everton talisman revived his career on Merseyside upon the arrival of Dyche after being exiled due to a reported incident with Lampard. He ended up being the club's hero on the final day of the season when he scored the winning goal against Bournemouth to save them from a drop into the Championship.

Doucoure was set to be out of contract this summer, however, the powerbrokers at Goodison were quick to trigger the one-year extension available on the 30-year-old's deal, so will be seen in the Everton squad for the season ahead.

Now Dyche can get ahead in his plans for the future of the team by securing the signature of Gallagher, who would not only work wonders alongside Doucoure next season but would be the natural replacement when the player's extension expires next summer.

When comparing Gallagher's output with the Mali international's last season, the Chelsea star shares a number of similarities to his positional peer in several key attributes, including pass completion (81.1% v 78.5%), shots on target rate (39.3% v 40%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.61 v 2.65) and goal-creating actions per 90 (0.17 v 0.18), as per FBref.

Gallagher's career has gone from strength to strength since his loan move to Crystal Palace back in 2021, and has since become a regular feature at Stamford Bridge and was also selected for the England squad in the 2022 World Cup, with Gareth Southgate a huge admirer of the midfielder, having lavished praise on him in the past:

"He’s not as experienced as some of the others but he has an impact in games and has a goal threat. When you look at midfielders, you often ask, 'do they stop goals, create goals or score goals?' He does a lot of all of that."

With that in mind, there is no doubt that the signing of Gallagher would be a major coup for Everton and would become a valuable asset to Dyche in his pursuit to improve their performances and league standing next season.

أعلن نادي مودرن فيوتشر، برئاسة وليد دعبس، تقديمه شكوى رسمية ضد حكام مباراة فريقه الأخيرة أمام الإسماعيلي.

وكانت مباراة الاسماعيلي وفيوتشر التي أقيمت ضمن مؤجلات الجولة العاشرة من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”، انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل فريق، وأدارها تحكيميًا حمادة القلاوي.

رئيس فيوتشر يهاجم حكم مباراة الإسماعيلي.. ويصرّح: لا نجد حلاً من اتحاد الكرة ورابطة الأندية

وأكد نادي فيوتشر في بيانه الصادر قبل قليل، أن النادي طالب خلال الشكوى بعدم تكليف أي مباراة للنادي لثنائي التحكيم حمادة القلاوي الحكم الأول وعبد العزيز السيد حكم الفار بعد الأخطاء الجسيمة التي شهدتها أحداث المباراة الأخيرة والتي أثرت على نتيجة اللقاء.

وأوضح البيان أن مواجهة الإسماعيلي ومودرن فيوتشر قد شهدت أخطاء تحكيمية بالجملة مما أثر على نتيجة المباراة وأدت إلى انتهاء المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بعد احتساب ركلة جزاء غير صحيحة للإسماعيلي في الدقائق الأخيرة من عمر المباراة –حسبما أشار البيان-.

الجدير بالذكر، أن نادي مودرن فيوتشر يحتل المركز الحادي عشر في سلم ترتيب بطولة الدوري المصري برصيد 21 نقطة، حصدها من 5 انتصارات وست تعادلات فيما نال 4 هزائم.

Chelsea allowed one of their longest-serving players to depart earlier this month as the club sanctioned the sale of central midfielder Mason Mount.

The England international came up through the academy set-up and made 195 first-team appearances for the Blues between 2019 and 2023.

He seemingly decided that this summer was the right time for him to move on from Stamford Bridge as a £55m switch to Manchester United was recently completed.

What has happened to Mason Mount?

The 24-year-old suffered from a dip in form as his performances during the 2022/23 campaign did not live up to the standards of his previous season in Chelsea colours.

Mount averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 across 24 Premier League outings last term, which placed him outside of the club's top five performers. He only contributed with three goals along with two assists.

That was a far cry from his performance throughout 2021/22, where in 32 matches, he plundered 11 goals and ten assists from midfield.

These statistics show that the mercurial midfielder was an outstanding performer in the Premier League, with his ability to score and create goals on a regular basis, prior to his recent struggles.

Mauricio Pochettino could now land a dream replacement for the 2021/22 version of Mount by securing the signing of reported €40m (£34m) transfer target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

How good is Sergej Milinkovic-Savic?

The Lazio star's Serie A displays in recent years suggest that he is an exceptional midfielder with the quality to provide the goals and assists that the now-Red Devils ace used to for Chelsea.

Milinkovic-Savic racked up nine goals along with eight assists in 34 league starts last term, which came after an impressive return of 11 of each in 36 starts during the prior campaign.

These statistics show that the 28-year-old machine, who was once described as a "different beast" by journalist Sacha Pisani, has the quality to deliver Mount-esque numbers from a number eight or ten role.

In fact, the Serbia international ranks among the top 1% of players in his position across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.30).

He is also within the top 9% of central midfielders for expected assisted goals per 90 (0.20) during that period, which means that the Spanish-born dynamo is capable of creating top-quality chances for his teammates on a regular basis from a midfield position.

Therefore, the "underrated" – as he was dubbed by Fabrizio Romano – magician is one of the best midfielders at the top level when it comes to making an impact at the top end of the pitch, by scoring and creating goals.

Milinkovic-Savic has the ability to replicate the form that Mount displayed during the 2021/22 campaign and could be Pochettino's star attacking threat from the middle of the park if he can translate his form over to the Premier League next season.

Considering the Blues only scored a goal a game in the league throughout the last year, sourcing a replacement for Mount is crucial.

Faf du Plessis has urged his batsmen to deliver a series victory in Hamilton by being more consistent, as South Africa target to finish the season as the No.2 ranked Test side

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton24-Mar-2017This may sound counter-intuitive but South Africa don’t want a hero. Not one, anyway. They want many.”In every series, every time there has been a saviour in the batting line-up. If we don’t have those guys who save us on the day, there would have been a few times when we would have been rolled out cheaply,” Faf du Plessis said ahead of the Hamilton Test. “That’s aconcern. It’s not good enough. We want more consistency.”Despite being 1-0 up in the series, South Africa’s batting has not been at its best with half of the top six struggling. Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy have yet to score a fifty and South Africa only have one hundred in this series, from Dean Elgar, compared to New Zealand’stwo, scored by Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls.Though Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock have five fifties between them, South Africa see that as below-par because they do not have any player racking up more than one hundred in the series. “The standards we set for ourselves as abatting unit are extremely high and we haven’t delivered on that,” du Plessis said.After du Plessis’ lone hundred in the two home Tests against New Zealand in August, South Africa set their batsmen a challenge to try and score more than one century in a series. Essentially, they want those who find form to make the most of it. No one managed that in Australia – though they had five centuries – or the home series against Sri Lanka, where they had another five. Cook came closest, when he scored hundreds in successive Tests in Adelaideand Port Elizabeth.That means the pressure is as much on Elgar to try to add another three-figure score as it is on the out-of-form players to get among the runs. If he does that, it may not have much of an impact on continuity because the season ends here, but it will ensure South Africa have achieved everything they set out to do at the start of a season they began at No.7 in the Test rankings.”Our goal was to get to No.2 at the end – we knew No.1 was going to be a little bit steep because India were so far ahead – so our goal was to get to No.2 and if we do that, it will be an incredible year,” du Plessis sad. “We would have ticked every box, won every series we’ve played and I saw there will be a nice little bonus for second place as well, so that will be nice to get the guys going.”A cash award of $500,000 is awarded to the team in second place in the Test rankings and though it is only half of what South Africa have received in previous years, when they topped the rankings, it is much more than they would have expected after last season’s disappointments. And the money is only one reason South Africa have their eye on a series win.Victory in New Zealand will restore their road warrior reputation, which extended nine years before being dented by defeat in India in 2015. That remains the only series South Africa have lost away from home in a decade, a testament to their ability to adapt.”I don’t think people appreciate and understand exactly how well the South African team before me and the guys that are playing now did. The record was exceptional. That India series was the one series where we were outplayed but apart from that we’ve been really good,” du Plessis said. “Mentally we are a very resilient team. We know that whatever the situation on the day, you have to find a way and try and make sure you deliver. You can never use an excuse, whether it’s green or spinning. You just have to get on and do the job. Our mental toughness has helped us.”

The attorney general of India has asked the Supreme Court to revoke its order that required the BCCI to implement a two specific recommendations of the Lodha Committee

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Jan-20171:58

Ugra: Attorney general’s intervention a sign of government backing BCCI

The attorney general of India, Mukul Rohatgi, has asked the Supreme Court to revoke two specific recommendations made by the Lodha Committee in its report that was approved in the court’s order on July 18 last year.Rohatgi was representing three government-run organisations – Railways, Services and the All India Universities – whose full member status in the BCCI was to be downgraded to associate level according to the Lodha Committee recommendations. The most significant consequence of the recommendation was that all three members would lose voting rights at BCCI elections.The attorney general confirmed this was the first time the Indian government was intervening in the 2013 IPL corruption case, which began in August 2013. Rohatgi also said he had met former BCCI president Anurag Thakur, who had been removed from office by a Supreme Court order on January 2, earlier this week but said they were meeting as friends and did not discuss the BCCI-Lodha case.”They were full members with voting rights. That status has been downgraded to associate members without voting rights,” Rohatgi told ESPNcricinfo. “How could the Supreme Court downgrade our full membership in BCCI without issuing notice to us first?”Rohatgi told the court the three organisations had been big contributors to Indian cricket – employing many players – and so the court should reconsider its decision. “What right does the apex court have to downgrade them as BCCI (full) members?” he asked the three-judge bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.Rohatgi also challenged the Lodha Committee recommendation that said no serving minister or civil servant could be an office-bearer of the BCCI or state association. “”Why can’t the Railway minister become an office-bearer?” Rohatgi asked.”I am asking for a recall of your orders. Lodha Committee was appointed by this court to punish those found guilty in the IPL match-fixing,” Rohatgi said according to the . “Then you told them to reform cricket … when has the court become a reformist body?”Justice Misra, while acknowledging Rohatgi’s concerns, said the court would consider the attorney general’s requests. “We are not shying away from the legal issues. They are interesting,” Justice Misra said. “We will have a debate.”The intervention of the attorney general took place at a time when the bench of judges hearing the case has changed in composition and is vastly different from the bench that had heard the case for over a year. The previous bench, led by the former Chief Justice of India TS Thakur, had ordered the formation of the Lodha committee to recommend reforms within the BCCI and then ordered the implementation of the reforms. The current bench is made up of Justice Dipak Mishra, who is in line to become the next Chief Justice of India at the end of August, DY Chandrachud and AM Khanwilkar, who began hearing the case from October 2016.The Lodha Committee was formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for some of the officials involved in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, and also to propose changes to streamline the BCCI, reform its functioning, prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.In January 2016, the committee released its report, which recommended an exhaustive overhaul of the BCCI’s governance and administrative structures. On July 18, the Supreme Court of India approved the majority of the recommendations and directed the Lodha Committee to supervise the BCCI’s implementations of the same. However, despite the Lodha Committee laying out timelines and other directives, the board did not cooperate because it said that its state associations objected to the recommendations. This impasse eventually led to the Supreme Court removing Thakur and Shirke from office on January 2, 2017.

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a deal to confirm Brendan Rodgers as the club's replacement for the recently-departed Ange Postecoglou.

The Hoops lost their Australian manager earlier this month as he opted to move down south to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is now in advanced talks to land his heir.

Rodgers is poised for a second spell at Parkhead after almost three years in charge of the Scottish giants before his switch to Leicester in 2019. He won seven trophies in that time and enjoyed great success that the Northern Irish tactician will now be hoping to replicate this time around.

The 50-year-old tinkerer will have the summer transfer window to bolster his side and one player he must swoop for is FC Utrecht star Anastasios Douvikas.

Who is Anastasios Douvikas?

The 23-year-old striker is a reported transfer target for the Hoops and the talented Greek marksman could come in and be the manager's next Moussa Dembele.

During Rodgers' first spell at Celtic, the French centre-forward was a prolific scorer who was able to provide a reliable source of goals over the course of two seasons.

He racked up 51 goals and 25 assists in 94 appearances in all competitions for the former Liverpool coach and these statistics show that the experienced boss was able to rely upon the ex-Fulham dynamo at the top end of the pitch.

Douvikas, who is reportedly available for a fee of £6.9m, could be Dembele 2.0 for Rodgers as his form for Utrecht in the Eredivisie suggests that the young ace has the potential to be a lethal scorer for Celtic next season.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Greek international, who journalist Josh Bunting once hailed as "sharp", plundered 19 goals in 32 appearances.

He started 24 of those matches and his exceptional return in front of goal in the Netherlands indicates that he has the quality to replicate the former Hoops star's impressive strike rate of more than one goal every other game.

The 6 foot 1 frontman also showcased his creative ability as a centre-forward.

In the Eredivisie, Douvikas registered four assists and created seven 'big chances' for his teammates, which shows that the prolific scorer has the awareness and passing ability to open up defences for his fellow attackers to go along with his own goalscoring threat.

Therefore, Rodgers must push for the club to go through with a deal to sign the Greek ace as his statistics indicate that the Utrecht centre-forward could be the manager's new star striker.

Hearts head into a new era, with Steven Naismith being appointed as their new full-time manager until 2025, although he won’t be allowed to use that title just yet.

The Scot doesn’t have the required Pro Licence qualification to be able to manage in European competition, therefore Frankie McAvoy will have the title of head coach, with Naismith acting as the technical director, for now at least.

The former Scotland international will still be going about his business as usual, and he will be determined to build a squad which can secure a better finish than the fourth place they ended up last term, while qualifying for the Europa Conference League group stages for the second year in a row.

To do this, the 36-year-old will have to add some quality to his first team, and recently released Scott Arfield could be the ideal person to give the squad a boost according to former Hearts' winger Neil McCann.

He told BBC Sportscene (via Football Scotland): "I love Scott [Arfield]. I think he has been a magnificent servant coming up from Burnley. He wasn't at the starting point of his career. People might have said he was on the way down but I think he has performed brilliantly.

"He would be another super signing for someone like Hearts or Aberdeen maybe.”

Could Hearts sign Scott Arfield?

The 34-year-old admitted that he plans on playing until he is 40 and considering he made 43 appearances for the Rangers last term, registering ten goal contributions – nine goals and one assist – it certainly suggests he has plenty more to offer.

Indeed, with his relentless work rate and ability to score the occasional goal, the £10k-per-week midfielder could be perfect slotting in behind Lawrence Shankland during the 2023/24 campaign.

Arfield created two big chances and made 0.5 key passes per game for the Ibrox side last term, yet he averaged just 34 minutes a game, starting only seven league matches and there is no doubt these numbers would have been better had he played more.

Shankland was Hearts' top scorer with 24 goals, while also ranking first in the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.11/10), shots on target per game (1.4) and scoring frequency (a goal every 127 minutes), pushing the club into the European places with his impressive strike rate.

Journalist Jordan Campbell lavished praise on the Canadian following his cameo against Hearts last November, saying: “Scott Arfield has added a lot of personality to the team since coming on. Cajoling teammates, pressing with intensity, trying to link things.”

If he could bring these qualities to the Jambos next season, he and Shankland would link up well.

Indeed, Arfield would be at ease doing the legwork while giving the 27-year-old plenty of ammunition to repeat his goal-scoring antics from recent years.

As such, the 5 foot 10 gem could be a shrewd piece of business for the new boss. Naismith, it’s over to you.