All posts by h716a5.icu

With Steven Gerrard’s reign as Aston Villa manager getting off to a perfect start in the shape of a 2-0 win last weekend, there is an unavoidable feel-good factor surrounding Villa Park at present.

Indeed, Villa are now being linked with a host of exciting players in the January transfer window, something which is seemingly a direct result of Gerrard’s appointment at the club, while the 41-year-old’s history of success with Rangers – leading the Ibrox side to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade – also appears to bode well for the future of the manager’s new club.

On top of all of this, Aston Villa are currently enjoying the emergence of a number of incredibly exciting youth prospects, with the likes of 20-year-old Jacob Ramsey, 19-year-old Cameron Archer and 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka having all broken into the first-team this season.

However, it is perhaps 19-year-old Jaden Philogene-Bidace who is the most promising of all Villa’s young talents, with the winger appearing to boast the potential to flourish into a top-draw talent under the leadership of Gerrard.

Philogene-Bidace could save Villa millions

Having made the move to Aston Villa back in the summer of 2018, Philogene-Bidace has enjoyed a rather remarkable rise to the first team, continuously impressing during his time with the various age groups at Bodymoor Heath.

Indeed, over his 15 appearances for the U18s, the left-winger scored a rather remarkable nine goals and registered one assist, before being promoted to the club’s U23 side, for whom he has bagged an even more impressive 13 goals and four assists over 26 fixtures.

While these rapid returns may well have surprised many at Villa, one person who was certainly not shocked by Philogene-Bidace’s rise is Pro:Direct academy manager Danny Payne, the man who brought the teenager to the Pro:Direct academy after unsuccessful spells with clubs such as Arsenal, West Ham, Brentford and Norwich City.

Speaking of the forward’s potential, Payne said: “Without doubt he was one of the most talented players we have ever had in our academy. He had a natural talent in possession and he had a great ability to get past players and beat them. He had an ability to create chances which sounds simple but it’s very, very difficult because the detail of his play was excellent.

“In terms of a player, he would play wide left and that was his best position for us, obviously where he plays for Villa now and he had that great ability to beat players on the inside or the outside. He showed excellent end product and statistics in terms of goals and assists in his time with us, he was an all-round really, really good kid.”

As such, it is perhaps not surprising that the likes of Manchester City, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Arsenal were all reported to be keeping a very close eye on the progression of the winger earlier this year, nor why former Aston Villa manager, Dean Smith, tipped Philogene-Bidace to make a career for himself at the very top level of the English game.

So, considering the sheer amount of potential the youngster quite clearly possesses, it would appear highly advisable for Gerrard to unleash the forward over the coming weeks and months, as, should the 19-year-old continue his current rate of development, he will undoubtedly come to save NSWE millions of pounds in transfer fees in his position further down the line.

In other news: “Some contact”: AVFC handed potential transfer boost that will leave Gerrard buzzing

In their current squad, Liverpool have a significant number of players who have made more than 100 appearances in the Premier League. One of those is club captain Jordan Henderson, who has 370 league games under his belt.

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2011 summer transfer window from Sunderland in a deal worth a reported fee of £20m, the midfielder has gone on to make a total of 406 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 32 goals and providing 53 assists in the process, proving how important a player he has been for the club.

Furthermore, Henderson captained Liverpool to their sixth Champions League title and first Premier League crown in 30 years, cementing himself as a pivotal figure in the club’s illustrious history.

Taking all of this into account, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that the club offered the 31-year-old a new four-year deal which he signed back in August.

By the time this contract runs out, Henderson will be in his mid-30s and could be on his way out of Anfield at that point, so the club will have to think about potentially replacing him by then.

With that in mind, we feel that the Reds could already their ideal long-term replacement for Henderson in 18-year-old midfielder Dominic Corness.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth system, the teenager has made 32 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18 side. With four goals and eight assists, he has shown some ability in front of goal in a similar way to Henderson on occasion for the Reds, as well as making seven appearances for their under-23 side.

So far this season, the midfielder has made nine appearances across all competitions, playing as a defensive midfielder and central midfielder on occasion. Similarly, Henderson has frequently played in both of those positions during his time at the club.

Back in February, Corness signed his first professional contract with the Merseyside club, showing just how much faith they have in him. That should be very exciting for Liverpool fans who would presumably have an affinity with the youngster considering that he’s a local lad.

Moving forward, if the 18-year-old can continue to grow as a player in Liverpool’s youth ranks and make the most of any possible opportunities he gets to play in the senior team, we feel that he could well go on to become a regular figure under Jurgen Klopp and be unearthed by the German as a long-term replacement for Henderson if the captain leaves the club at the end of his current contract.

In other news: Klopp must unleash “unbelievable” Liverpool beast on Sunday, he could frighten West Ham

Having been without Diego Llorente for the past couple of games in the Premier League, Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa must surely call upon him when his side take on Watford this afternoon.

The Whites have seen the Spaniard only briefly in action this season, playing more than an hour in the 1-1 draw against Burnley, before being forced off with injury early on in the game against Liverpool three weeks ago.

However, having confirmed that he is now fit and available for selection, Bielsa must throw him straight into the deep end when they take on the promoted Hornets at Elland Road.

The “imperious” Spaniard, as hailed by Adam Pope, became a regular Leeds’ defence in the final few weeks of 2020/21, starting 13 of the last 14 games in that top-flight season and coming up with some impressive performances, not least netting a late equaliser against Liverpool.

He earned a WhoScored match rating of 6.90, which marked him out as the Whites’ second-best centre-back after Cooper, who was also the only player at the club to win more headers per game than Llorente’s 2.2.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan raved: “He looked every bit that leader and that quality centre-half that we were all expecting when he signed for the football club. There was great excitement about him it took a long time to get to see him consistently.

“But when we did, we saw him grow and grow and grow. We saw him get stronger and better as the games went on. If you ask any Leeds United fan who watched him in that second part of the season and ask them who would be the first centre-half on the team sheet, they would say Llorente.”

Given the poor start Leeds have made to the new Premier League campaign, a bit of quality at the back and bringing in someone as composed Llorente could ease some of the concerns regarding the team’s defending.

The £18m-rated ace could well be the game-changing return at the back which swings things back in Leeds’ favour heading into today’s clash with Watford.

Meanwhile, a journalist has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Peter English in Edinburgh27-Aug-2009Match factsFriday, August 28, 2009
Start time 10.45 (09.45 GMT)Scotland could face the full pace of Brett Lee, who has a point or two to prove•PA PhotosBig PictureFor Australia, this match should be as comfortable as a walk around an oval (not The Oval, winning there is much, much harder). It’s their first game since the 2-1 Ashes defeat in London last Sunday and is a warm-up for when they resume their battles with England in a Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on Sunday.Australia’s squad has changed significantly over the past four days, with Ricky Ponting heading home with the Test specialists, and Brad Haddin having surgery on his broken left ring finger. A batch of fresh faces has arrived to join Michael Clarke, the stand-in captain, as the group starts planning for the bigger tournaments ahead. Ponting will return towards the end of the seven-match one-day series against England to fine tune before the Champions Trophy in South Africa at the end of September.This will be the first contest between the teams outside a World Cup and is a big occasion for Scotland. They missed out on qualifying for the 2011 global event so have few opportunities to face the game’s major teams. Last Saturday they lost to Ireland in Aberdeen, scoring only 109, so facing the world champions, who are currently ranked No.3, will be even more difficult.Australia last turned out in a one-day affair against Pakistan in May, but a more relevant gauge is their form in the Twenty20 World Cup. They were knocked out in the first round, just like Scotland.Form guide (last five ODI matches, most recent first)
Scotland – LLLWL
Australia – LWWWL
Watch out for…Scotland will depend on Gavin Hamilton, the captain and opener, for a strong start and a cool head. He played a Test for England (a pair went with one wicket) and has appeared in 34 ODIs for his country of birth. Scotland’s leading run-scorer with 1112, Hamilton registered his second century in the loss to Canada in Aberdeen last month.Brett Lee had a forgettable Ashes series, missing the first three games with a side injury and not convincing the selectors he was good enough for the final two. Pity Scotland’s batsmen if he runs in at full pace. His last proper bowl was against England Lions in Worcester at the start of July, so he has a lot of frustration to get rid of. And a lot to re-prove.Team newsOnly Navdeep Poonia is missing from the outfit picked to face Ireland last Saturday, which means Kyle Coetzer is still away with Durham. Marc Petrie, the 19-year-old, keeps the keeping gloves due to Simon Smith’s shoulder problem.Scotland squad Gavin Hamilton (capt), Fraser Watts, Qasim Sheikh, Ryan Watson, Neil McCallum, Richie Berrington, Marc Petrie (wk), Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Gordon Drummond, Gordon Goudie, Dewald Nel.Apart from Ponting and Haddin being away, Peter Siddle and Michael Hussey have been given days off after the Test series and will report back at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Twenty20 specialists David Warner, Adam Voges, David Hussey and Dirk Nannes are with the squad, which currently contains 15 players, and the XI is unlikely to be finalised until shortly before the toss. Tim Paine, the new wicketkeeper, is a certainty to make his debut.Australia squad Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke (capt), David Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Adam Voges, James Hopes, Cameron White, Tim Paine (wk), Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Bracken, Dirk Nannes.Pitch and conditionsThe field was soft on Thursday after overnight rain, but the pitch will have a few of the Australians thinking back to The Oval. It’s very dry, reasonably hard, has no signs of green and the local bowlers expect it to have good carry.However, the BBC predicts heavy rain and showers for Friday while the Met Office forecasts “a mixture of bright or sunny intervals and showers turning heavy at times”. Prepare for anything, along with a shivery maximum of 14°C.Stats and trivia Unless Australia arrange a friendly with Iceland on their next trip to Europe, this is as far north as they will get a game – Edinburgh’s latitude is 55 degrees north. Dunedin, in New Zealand, is the most southerly venue they visit at 42 degrees south. The teams have played twice at World Cups: in the 1999 event Australia won by six wickets during a go-slow success, and they backed up with a 203-run victory in 2007 after scoring 334 for 6 in St Kitts.Gavin Hamilton, Fraser Watts, Ryan Watson and Majid Haq played against Australia in that 2007 game, which also included Nathan Bracken, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke.Michael Clarke has led Australia in 11 ODIs, winning eight of them. Edinburgh averages 51mm of rain in August. Some of it is expected on FridayQuotes”It’s as big as it gets, that’s the bottom line. These opportunities are few and far between, the reality is the result is not the be-all and end-all, but we’ve still got a lot to get out of it.”
“The guys in the Twenty20 and one-day squad have been back home training, they’ve got a lot of good preparation, but not too much game time of late. It’s really important that we come out here and gel as a unit.”

Arguably the best way for Crystal Palace to compete with their more affluent rivals is to maximise the abundance of talent available to them on their south London doorstep.

And it appears as though the Eagles outfit are finally starting to capitalise on the local prospects that have so regularly slipped through their fingers in the past.

Despite the likes of Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Emile Smith Rowe growing up within close proximity of Selhurst Park, they have all learned their trade elsewhere due to the below-standard facilities at Palace.

However, with the capital club now being awarded a Category 1 status for their academy following significant investment, a new era is just around the corner.

One potential star who could play a pivotal part in Palace’s next chapter under Patrick Vieira is 19-year-old Malachi Boateng.

The versatile midfielder was named the club’s Under-23 Player of the Season last term, and earned high praise from academy coach Shaun Derry.

“This young player has brought so many highs to this training group; he is a pleasure to work alongside. Hopefully, he can develop more and more as the years go by, and we can hear a lot more about him,” said the 43-year-old.

Boateng’s eye-catching performances for the youth teams have seen the versatile youngster regularly train with the first-team squad, too, and Derry went into further detail regarding what makes him such a special player.

“A midfielder who has so many strings to his bow… He shows aggression, he shows quality on the ball, he can get around the pitch – wins the second ball and can dictate play.

“He’s a fine young man and one that represents the football club in a way we want the football club represented,” Derry concluded.

The club’s official website describes the Englishman as a “central player with a good range of passing” who is also “comfortable with both feet”, giving Palace supporters ample reason to be excited over his future prospects.

With current midfielders Luka Milivojević, Cheikhou Kouyaté and James McArthur all in their 30s and approaching the twilight of their careers, Vieira may be tempted to reward Boateng with his first senior appearance for the Eagles, potentially discovering yet another gem in the process.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Olise: Parish must revive Palace interest in £18m-rated magician 

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a fresh setback ahead of their return to Premier League action this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Spurs’ versatile wide man Ryan Sessegnon has been forced to withdraw from international duty this week in what has been described as a “frustrating injury.”

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick relayed the key information from the Three Lions’ official Twitter account, and said:

“Another frustrating injury for Sessegnon who picked up a knock in Eng U21 training & returns to Spurs.”

Frustrating

The 21-year-old, signed for a whopping £25m in the summer of 2019, has found game time hard to come by in north London but the appointment of Nuno Santo should’ve given him renewed hope of making it at the club.

This latest development is another kick in the teeth for a player that, on his day, could be a valuable option in a multitude of positions – notably at left-wing and left-back, where he can back up the likes of Heung-min Son and Sergio Reguilon.

Sessegnon started both of the Lilywhites’ two UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying legs against Pacos de Ferreira, playing in both the aforementioned roles, though that has only taken his total number of appearances for Spurs to 29, per Transfermarkt.

The £16.2m-rated dynamo, who was once lauded as a “big. big talent” by ex-Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen and compared to Spurs legend Gareth Bale, may well struggle to put up a case of being involved in Nuno’s squad should this knock rule him out for the next few weeks and beyond.

He already has Son, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Bryan Gil vying for a starting spot, so this injury will do him no favours. Furthermore, the Portuguese head coach may feel a little gutted himself as the youngster is clearly a player with bags of potential.

Nuno was brought in to oversee the development of the club’s emerging prospects and you could argue that Sessegnon falls under this bracket despite appearances in Europe over the last few seasons.

The Spurs faithful aren’t impressed by this update either. Some were claiming that the Englishman was ‘worse than Erik Lamela’ due to his injuries, whilst others pleaded for the club to offload him at the next opportunity, as relayed by Sportslens.

A little unfair, perhaps, but you certainly want to see a better return from a £25m investment. Hopefully, Sessegnon can shake off this setback and respond if selected.

AND in other news, Nuno could have a future Spurs star in 19 y/o “livewire” who’s got “plenty of talent”…

Michael Clarke, the flashy millionaire who grew up playing all the shots, fine-tuned his working-class values to secure a relieving draw for Australia

Peter English at Edgbaston03-Aug-2009Michael Clarke, the flashy millionaire who grew up playing all the shots, fine-tuned his working-class values to secure a relieving draw for Australia. Clarke has become Australia’s most reliable batsman, stepping up when Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have wobbled, and in partnership with Marcus North ensured the tourists head to Yorkshire with a chance to level the series.Given how they have been outplayed in the past two Tests, Australia will have to be at their best to hold the urn at The Oval later in the month, but Clarke and North kept the team breathing for at least another week. It was the first time Clarke had battled successfully to save a Test, doing it with calm assurance, tight defence and a straight bat. This might have happened before, but Clarke has not had many opportunities to shield his team in such a situation over 50 matches.Three times against India he has stayed for long periods in the last innings, but on each occasion Australia were too far out of reach, both in time and in target, and losses ensued. It was the same at Lord’s two weeks ago when his delightful 136 delayed England’s convincing victory. He took little public comfort in the display but in his room would have been satisfied with his individual brilliance.He is aspirational, well off and well marketed, traits which can lead to accusations of being distant and distracted. As vice-captain, his on-field characteristics have been recognised by the hierarchy and there was no drift in focus on the final day, no thinking of cocktail parties while still at the office.Australia weren’t safe until deep into the second session and Clarke made sure he stayed till the end with another composed century. “It’s good,” he said. “It was a bit disappointing when I got out at Lord’s, so to be there at the end, I’m pretty happy with that.”In consecutive matches he has fought to inspire a team that should become his whenever Ponting decides he has had – or done – enough. Clarke batted like a leader today, waiting, watching, nudging and pushing. Tested by Graeme Swann’s spin, he swept a fierce boundary, but when he looked for runs it was mostly in front of the wicket.It is a shame not to see him hitting over cover, like he did when he arrived with a flash of cheeky smiles in 2004, but his driving along the ground is also pretty special. It is a trade he has made to succeed long term, both in normal conditions and the swinging ones which are causing problems for his mates.He will start the fourth Test as the side’s leading run-scorer in the series, having taken 352 at 88.00, 104 more than Simon Katich. If he checks his player profile this week he will also see his career average has gone above 50, the mark of a great, for the first time since 2004. By posting 83, 1, 136, 29 and 103 not out, he has displayed the most in-tune attitude of the spluttering outfit.When North, who started accelerating late in the day with some rural swings, fell on 96, slashing a catch to James Anderson who dived spectacularly in the gully, Clarke dropped his head. In a previous life he gave up starts, threw away hundreds and rued the misses. His main mistake today came on 38 when he pulled one of Ravi Bopara’s meek mediums to Andrew Strauss at midwicket and watched the captain drop it.With the result secure and the only thing of interest left his impending century, Clarke did lose some intensity. He had his off stump tickled by Stuart Broad on 92 without the bail toppling and he edged a Bopara no-ball to slip. “When it’s your day, it’s your day,” he said.He remained until the sides shook hands for the stalemate after raising his 12th Test century. “I did ask when he was on 96 if he wanted to go off and quite surprisingly he said no,” Strauss said. “We just had to wait.” An eased three to midwicket took Clarke to 99 and the hundred arrived with a pull behind square off Bopara.Until now his heaviest contribution in the latter stages of a Test draw was 39 at Old Trafford, the day when Ponting’s masterful 156 speed-bumped England’s Ashes surge. Back then Ponting couldn’t lift his side for more than a day and they lost the next match at Trent Bridge. The less sparkly version of Clarke will attempt to do better at Headingley from Friday.

Graeme Smith will finally undergo surgery on his injured tennis elbow, after putting it off for months

Cricinfo staff20-Jun-2009South African captain Graeme Smith will finally undergo surgery on his injured tennis elbow, after putting it off for months owing to South Africa’s busy schedule. Smith will be out of action for 10 to 12 weeks but fortunately for him, South Africa don’t have any international commitments in that period.”I have left it too long, and it is now time to have the problem solved,” Smith told Cricket365 after returning home from the ICC World Twenty20. “I will be out of action for 10 to 12 weeks, and should be fit again in time for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa in September.”Smith has had long-standing injury problems over the last 12 months. He first suffered the tennis elbow injury during the IPL in India last April and that forced him to miss the last three ODIs against England in August. He later broke his hand while facing Australia’s Mitchell Johnson in the third Test in Sydney but he bravely batted in the second innings to try and save the game. He missed the subsequent ODI series and decided to delay the surgery till after the return series against Australians at home.Smith had yet another encounter with Johnson during the Durban Test where he fractured his right hand. He missed the following Test but regained fitness for the one-dayers. South Africa’s next assignment is the Champions Trophy at home.Smith was exited about the upcoming South African Cricket Awards, for which he has been nominated for SA Cricketer of the Year, Test Player of the Year, and SA Players’ Player of the Year. “Well, it feels fantastic. When I first started here, there wasn’t a proper rewards system and this is a great way for us to end the season,” he said. “It’s great to end off our most successful season with the awards. It’s been such a great year for us and I’m so privileged to lead such a talented bunch of guys and me, as captain as well as their teammate, I’m honoured to be nominated three times over.”

Delhi Daredevils didn’t quite pull off the cakewalk expected after their bowlers set the batsmen a target of 117, but the end result was satisfactory because they took back the top spot

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter08-May-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Dwayne Bravo top scored with 35 but Mumbai needed a few more similar knocks to pose a challenge•Associated PressDelhi Daredevils didn’t quite pull off the cakewalk expected after their bowlers set the batsmen a target of 117, but the end result was satisfactory because they took back the top spot. Chasing an easily achievable total Delhi’s openers ate up overs and departed in succession to put undue pressure on the middle order, but AB de Villiers returned to form and saw Delhi through in the end.Mumbai Indians needed a win desperately to mark a step towards a much-needed turnaround, but they utterly failed to cash in on the toss. Both openers were dismissed in the first over, two more fell before the end of the Powerplay, and there was no final hurrah. Dwayne Bravo and Abhishek Nayar stitched together a 57-run partnership but that too was snuffed out by Delhi’s bowlers before it could really cause damage.This was a win set up in the field, when Delhi were excellent with pace and spin, allowing just seven boundaries and three sixes. For the 22nd time in 21 days, a wicket fell in the first over of an innings. Luke Ronchi, in for Sanath Jayasuriya, was run out second ball and JP Duminy nicked Dirk Nannes behind.Mumbai were hurting with the scoreboard showing four batsmen with 0 next to their names. Sachin Tendulkar, who had opted to bat, didn’t last long either. Having inside-edged a length ball behind the stumps, Tendulkar set off, only to be set back by Pinal Shah. He failed to just ground his bat as Dinesh Karthik nailed the second damning direct hit in six overs. Mumbai were 30 for 3 after the Powerplay.It got worse. Shah failed to cash in on a drop on 5, swinging Rajat Bhatia to the deep for a chalky 11 from 20 balls. In walked Bravo at 33 for 4. He looked gone for all money on 1, struck on the front pad in front of middle and leg, but the umpire Marais Erasmus was watching a different match. Amit Mishra cut a flustered figure.There were just two boundaries littering the first ten overs, aptly displaying just how tight Delhi kept it. With singles and doubles and inside edges Bravo and Nayar gave the total some respectability. But just when it seemed Bravo might turn it on – he lofted two big sixes down the ground – Nannes got his man with a wide delivery. Nayar departed next ball, top-edging Ashish Nehra, and there was little oomph from the tail. Bhatia, notable for his clever slower balls, took two wickets and allowed only a single and a leg bye in the last over. It was eerily similar to how Delhi had started 19 overs earlier.Delhi’s chase toward a small target was nervy, with Gautam Gambhir and David Warner pacing themselves. It wasn’t a crawl, but neither was the pair forcing the issue. There were only two fours and a six in the 50 balls Gambhir and Warner batted together. Duminy snapped a steady partnership of 42 with a gentle offbreak, luring Warner out of his crease. In the next over Gambhir sashayed out and sliced the ball to deep cover. But that was as good as it got for Mumbai, as de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan eased into a 61-run stand.It began slowly, with both batsmen struggling to get runs off the spinners. Duminy and Harbhajan Singh rushed through their overs, one relying on flight and the other firing them flat. Duminy only gave 15 from his four overs and Harbhajan was also frugal, but one over of pedestrian spin from Tendulkar got Delhi – at this stage needing 43 from 30 – back ahead of the rate. A floater was sumptuously clipped for four, a full toss was dumped over midwicket for six, and two half-trackers were duly deposited for boundaries. In six balls de Villiers doubled his score. Defending a small total, a 19-run over was not what Mumbai needed from their leader.Dilshan fell with ten needed, but de Villiers brought up his fifty and ensured victory was sealed with seven balls to go.

Free-agent Robbie Brady, who has been linked with Celtic, seemingly won’t be joining Swansea City, manager Russell Martin has revealed.

The Lowdown: Celtic links

The 29-year-old was first linked with a move to the Hoops back in February when Neil Lennon was still in charge at Parkhead.

Rumours then re-emerged at the end of May after he parted ways with Burnley, with Ange Postecoglou quizzed specifically on bringing Brady to the club last month.

He remains a free agent despite links of a move to Turkish side Gaziantep, and it seems as if he won’t be making the move to Wales either, perhaps leaving him on the table for the Hoops.

The Latest: Martin’s comments

Martin, talking to Wales Online, was asked about Brady possibly making the move to South Wales.

The Swansea boss labelled the Irishman as ‘brilliant’, however, his comments appeared to rule out a cut-price move for his services.

“I love Robbie as a guy. He’s brilliant. Fantastic player. Been in the Premier League for the last however long.

“But I haven’t spoken to him. I haven’t spoken to him for a while, being honest.”

The Verdict: Celtic to swoop?

Brady is capable of playing as a left or right midfielder and a left-back and has 160 games of Premier League experience to his name, so he could be a shrewd free transfer by the Hoops, should they make their move.

He’d offer Postecoglou plenty of versatility and experience in Glasgow, with former teammate Paul Robinson believing he would jump at the chance to play for Celtic.

It could well be a smart target if the Hoops are looking at the free-agent market, with Brady still without a club.

In other news: ‘Could be huge’ – McAvennie ecstatic at what he’s ‘heard’ from ‘a few Celtic people’.