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The allrounder says West Indies should be wary of Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland in the first round of the T20 World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu25-Sep-2022Fearlessness and clarity of thought, Jason Holder says, have transformed him into a versatile white-ball player. From being thrashed by AB de Villiers in the 2015 World Cup game in Sydney, where he went for 104 in ten overs, Holder has added more strings to his white-ball bow and is now among the most sought-after allrounders in T20 cricket.Holder can not only bowl with the new ball but also nail yorkers at the death. With the bat, he can finish the innings as well as construct it up the order and disrupt spinners with his long reach. After Barbados Royals’ regular captain David Miller and regular wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock returned home to tune up for the India tour, Holder was promoted to No. 5 against Guyana Amazon Warriors. He responded with an unbeaten 40 off 33 balls on a Tarouba track where no other batter passed 20.Related

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“I think I’ve come a long way,” Holder told ESPNcricinfo, reflecting on his evolution. “I was actually sharing the experience I had in one-day cricket down to AB de Villiers when he played in Johannesburg first and then in the 2015 World Cup in Sydney. I think at those times I was probably a little bit timid, and I understand that to be successful in and amongst the big dogs in the game, you need to be brave and clear.”I think clarity goes a long way in anything you do – in sport and probably life. Having a clear mind to execute – it definitely helps in a big way. I think back then and [during] my development over the years, one thing that is probably talked about is my bravery – being able to put my hand up in tough situations and get myself through. I mark myself pretty hard after a performance but I’m not one of those persons to beat myself up; I understand that life is full of setbacks and life is full of disappointments but it’s more or less about how you rebound from it. And I think the biggest thing to take from the experience is learning. Once I learn from an experience, it’s just more or less about trying not to repeat the same mistakes and that’s where the learning takes place.”

“Ramon Simmonds has really impressed me… To just see his composure under pressure and then him having the confidence to execute slower balls and yorkers to big players at big stages of the game is quite impressive”

Holder prides himself on being a senior player who shows the way for the youngsters in the Royals set-up. Having seen the progress of Ramon Simmonds from close quarters, he gave the 20-year-old left-arm seamer a glowing appraisal. Simmonds is only in his first CPL season but has fronted up to bowl the tough overs for Royals and the management is so impressed by him that their franchise (Paarl Royals) scooped him up for the SA20 too.”The main thing for them [youngsters] is to understand themselves and that’s something I had to work out coming up as a youngster as well,” Holder said. “For me it’s important, I help pave the way for them to understand themselves. Once I do that, I think the execution becomes a lot easier for them. Someone like Ramon Simmonds has really impressed me, particularly because this is the first time I’ve played with him. To just see his composure under pressure and then him having the confidence to execute slower balls and yorkers to big players at big stages of the game is quite impressive to me. I think he has talent that not many people can boast of at such a young age. Once he continues to develop, the sky’s the limit for him.”Obed McCoy, the other left-arm quick, has also been central to Royals’ run to the playoffs, forging a potent partnership with Holder. McCoy and Holder have taken a combined 27 wickets so far with their bag of variations.”Obed has obviously been around now for a couple of years and his skill level is right up there,” Holder said. “He’s probably one of the most skilled bowlers that we’ve produced in a very long time, and it is showing – he has been successful around the world. He has played in the IPL, county cricket, he has done well in the Caribbean as well. Again, if he continues to develop, and understands himself, then nobody can really stop him.Holder is among the leading wicket-takers in CPL 2022•CPL T20 via Getty Images”He has got the talent and all the deliveries you could think of. So, it is important for me to continue to help them. Whatever they ask, just try to have answers for them. If I don’t have answers at a particular time, [I] try my best to find them and help them as much as I can. It’s like being a parent. I don’t have any children but I see them as my little sons (). So, it has been great so far and I’ve enjoyed it – not only on the field but off the field as well.”Holder backs Pollard, Sammy’s calls for a local T20 tournament
Holder has added to the chorus for a local T20 tournament in the Caribbean that could act as a stepping stone for the CPL. Trinbago Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard and St Lucia Kings head coach Daren Sammy had earlier called for a domestic T20 tournament, in addition to the 6ixty and the CPL, that would help expand West Indies’ talent pool.

“Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe by no means are pushovers. We’ve got to take it as seriously as we possibly can and just make sure we get into the next phase of the tournament”

“I 100% agree [with Sammy and Pollard],” Holder said. “I think we need to play more T20 cricket. If you look around the region, the only T20 cricket we play is the CPL cricket. There should be a stepping stone to the CPL and that way we will see a lot more local talent being exposed. I think it will be fairer on franchises to actually see the full set of talent we have here in the Caribbean. Trust me there’s a lot more talent in the Caribbean that we’ve not had the privilege to see and if you have a stepping-stone tournament leading up to the CPL, I think it gives you a great opportunity to see a wider bundle of talent.”Holder also hopes to see more age-group tournaments and camps to groom talent although that would be a financial strain on CWI.”Along with doing that [staging a local T20 tournament], maybe more development camps, maybe more camps to bring the young talent we have and just try to develop them. It’s tough on Cricket West Indies, yes, and it’s a heavy burden in terms of financial costs, but if we can find some sponsors to have more camps and more age-group tournaments and more age-ground workshops, then I feel we can really hone in and develop the talent that we have here in the Caribbean. A lot of people have talent, but talent doesn’t get you anywhere. You’ve put in hard work and development around it to really reap the benefits of talent.”Holder is one of the most sought-after allrounders in T20 cricket•Getty ImagesWI should be wary of Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland – Holder
Holder has warned his West Indies team-mates against complacency in the first round of the T20 World Cup, where they will face Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland.”We’ve got a task to uphold in terms of qualifying first [for the main round],” Holder said. “More or less, we have to focus on the qualifier [first round]. Ireland, Scotland and Zimbabwe by no means are pushovers. We’ve got to take it as seriously as we possibly can and just make sure we get into the next phase of the tournament.”West Indies left out Andre Russell and Fabian Allen for the T20 World Cup, but Holder is pleased with the depth in the squad and sees the qualifier round as an opportunity to build early momentum in the tournament.”I think it’s good in a way that we’re playing the qualifiers,” Holder said. “West Indies teams of the past have proved that we get better as we go along. To have the warm-up phase of the tournament and then to go into the actual group stage after qualification, I think it’s going to be to our betterment in the sense we get more cricket. The talent we have got – depth in terms of resources and batting and bowling – we’ve always been pretty athletic in the field, so I’m looking forward to that challenge. But before that, I want to finish off strongly with the Royals and lift that [CPL] trophy.”

Stats from the career of a T20 legend

Bharath Seervi26-Aug-2020500* – Dwayne Bravo became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket. And he is so far ahead of his competition. The next man on the list, Lasith Malinga, has only 390 wickets. Bravo was also the first bowler to reach the milestones of 300 wickets (in August 2014) and 400 wickets (December 2017). Bravo has also played the second-most T20 matches (458) behind Kieron Pollard (504). Dirk Nannes was the first to 100 and 200 wickets milestone in the format.87 – Wickets for Bravo in the year 2016, which was his most prolific year in T20s. His tally is the second-highest for a bowler in a calendar year, behind Rashid Khan’s 96 in 2018. Bravo was the top wicket-taker in 2015 (69 wickets) and 2016 (87 wickets).

MatériaMais Notícias

Fim da novela! Depois da ‘guerra de notas oficiais’, Nova Iguaçu consegue liberação para mandar segundo jogo da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca, contra o Vasco, no Maracanã. A Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Ferj) oficializou, por fim, na tarde desta quinta-feira (14), o palco da partida de domingo.

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Ao confirmar jogo de volta das semifinais para o Raulino de Oliveira, em Volta Redonda, o futebol carioca se viu mais uma vez envolvido em polêmicas envolvendo o estádio. De acordo com a nota divulgada pelo Nova Iguaçu nas redes sociais, o clube solicitou ao Consórcio Fla-Flu na segunda-feira (11) para mandar o jogo no Maracanã. Porém, até a tarde desta quarta-feira não tinha recebido resposta da dupla, e foi orientado a pensar em um ‘plano B’.

➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com a repercussão, o govenardor do Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro, postou um video divulgado nas redes sociais, dizendo que o estádio está sempre aberto para o Nova Iguaçu e Vasco mandarem seus jogos. O que gerou uma reviravolta nos bastidores do Laranjão.

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– Não há, nunca houve e não vai haver nada contra o Vasco vindo do Governo do Estado. Queria garantir para o torcedor vascaíno e do Nova Iguaçu que o Maracanã está à disposição de qualquer jogo. Se a Federação Carioca e o mandante quiserem, podem fazer. O Maracanã está à disposição de qualquer jogo. – afirmou o mandatário.

Diante desse imbróglio, os clubes não iniciaram as vendas de ingressos para o jogo de volta da semifinal. Na ida, as equipes empataram por 1 a 1, e o Carrossel da Baixada tem a vantagem de uma nova igualdade no placar em busca da final.

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Nova Iguaçu e Vasco voltam a se enfrentar no domingo (17), às 16h (Brasília), no Maracanã, em jogo que valerá a classificação para a final do Campeonato Carioca.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaMaracanãNova IguaçuVasco

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has confirmed that winger Oliver Antman is expected to be out of action for around eight weeks after he suffered a muscle injury in recent days.

The Finland international, signed from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer, started on the right wing against Falkirk on Sunday, and is now set to be out until 2026.

Antman is not the only Rangers player who will be unavailable during the festive period, though, as a couple of players are set to go to the African Cup of Nations with their respective countries.

Rohl is expecting Nasser Djiga and Mohamed Diomande to be unavailable whilst they play in the tournament, which means that there will be several positions that will need to be filled in the coming games.

With these absences, on top of the likes of Mikey Moore, Derek Cornelius, and John Souttar being out with injuries, some of the lesser-seen members of the squad may need to step up.

As unpopular as it may be, Kieran Dowell is one of the players who could step up and benefit from the lack of options available to the manager before the January window opens.

Why Danny Rohl should give Kieran Dowell a chance

After being subbed on in a 1-1 draw with Dundee under Russell Martin, a section of the Gers support, but not all of them, booed the English attacking midfielder’s introduction to the game.

Commenting on the incident, Martin said: “That surprised me. I’m not on any social media or anything like that, so I don’t really know what the narrative is around Kieran. I don’t think it helps him, I don’t think it helps the rest of the guys. That’s how I feel about it really.”

Dowell has not played a league match since that draw with Dundee in August, due to injury, but he recently played for the club’s U19s alongside Dujon Sterling and Clinton Nsiala as he looks to return to full fitness.

Given the reaction to his last league outing for Rangers, playing the left-footed midfielder may not go down as a popular decision with some fans, but the Gers look set to be in a position where it could be needs-must with the players due to be unavailable.

Appearances

19

Goals

5

Big chances created

9

Key passes per game

1.5

Assists

4

It is also worth remembering that Dowell, as shown in the table above, shone out on loan at Birmingham City in League One in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of being productive in the right environment.

Unfortunately, as evidenced by a return of two goals and three assists in 38 appearances for the club, the Englishman has not found that environment at Ibrox yet.

Since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City in 2023, the 28-year-old flop has not established himself as a key player for the Light Blues, but the injury and international call-up situation could provide him with an opportunity to finally do so under Rohl.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One of the other reasons why Dowell could end up with a chance to revive his Gers career is that Thelo Aasgaard currently looks like an even worse signing for the Scottish giants.

Why Aasgaard makes Dowell look good for Rangers

The Gers did not have to pay a transfer fee to bring the former Everton and Norwich star to Ibrox in 2023, as his contract at Carrow Road expired, but that was not the case with Aasgaard.

Rangers reportedly splashed out a fee of £3.5m to sign the Norway international from Luton Town in the recent summer transfer window, which shows that the club had to spend significantly more money to bring him in than they did with Dowell.

Unfortunately, the Liverpool-born playmaker has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he was worth paying £3.5m for, as he has made Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

Aasgaard has as many red cards (one) as goals (one) for Rangers in all competitions so far this season, per Transfermarkt, with one goal and one assist in 21 appearances for Rangers.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar recently posted that he “would gladly never see him again”, referring to Aasgaard, and described him as a “passenger” at the end of November.

It is, unfortunately, hard to argue with the harsh criticism of the Norwegian attacking midfielder, because his performances at Scottish Premiership level make him look even less effective than Dowell.

Appearances

26

11

Starts

8

8

Goals

2

1

Key passes

20

9

Big chances created

4

0

Assists

2

1

As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard has already started as many games in the Premiership as the former Norwich man, yet has created 11 fewer chances and has yet to create a single ‘big chance’.

Dowell’s Rangers career has not been good enough to this point, as evidenced by his aforementioned goal contributions, but he also arrived on a free transfer and his creative output looks good in comparison to the club’s £3.5m signing.

That is not to say that the left-footed star should be considered a good signing or that he is the answer to Rohl’s current problems at the top end of the pitch, but it does suggest that those who jeered his introduction against Dundee earlier this season were too harsh on him.

As well as highlighting that maybe Dowell was not as bad a signing as has been made out, this also highlights how underwhelming Aasgaard has been for a player who was signed for £3.5m.

Rohl can unearth his own Igamane by unleashing Rangers star in new position

Danny Rohl could unearth his own Hamza Igamane by playing this Rangers star in a new role this season.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

The caveat, of course, is that the Norway international only joined in the summer and still has plenty of time left ahead of him to turn things around and prove people wrong, but the signs so far have not been encouraging.

Apple TV has announced their Friday primetime slate through June of the 2025 MLB season. The network will begin airing primetime baseball on the first Friday of the season, and will continue with weekly Friday doubleheaders throughout the regular season.

Here is Apple TV's lineup for March-June of the 2025 season:

Date

Away Team

Home Team

Time (Eastern)

March 28

Baltimore Orioles

Toronto Blue Jays

7 p.m.

March 28

New York Mets

Houston Astros

8 p.m.

April 4

Los Angeles Dodgers

Philadelphia Phillies

6:30 p.m.

April 4

Tampa Bay Rays

Texas Rangers

8 p.m.

April 11

Pittsburgh Pirates

Cincinnati Reds

6:30 p.m.

April 11

Detroit Tigers

Minnesota Twins

8 p.m.

April 18

Seattle Mariners

Toronto Blue Jays

7 p.m.

April 18

Minnesota Twins

Atlanta Braves

7 p.m.

April 25

Boston Red Sox

Cleveland Guardians

7 p.m.

April 25

Texas Rangers

San Francisco Giants

10 p.m.

May 2

San Diego Padres

Pittsburgh Pirates

6:30 p.m.

May 2

Chicago Cubs

Milwaukee Brewers

8 p.m.

May 9

St. Louis Cardinals

Washington Nationals

6:30 p.m.

May 9

San Francisco Giants

Minnesota Twins

8 p.m.

May 16

Houston Astros

Texas Rangers

8 p.m.

May 16

Seattle Mariners

San Diego Padres

9:30 p.m.

May 23

Los Angeles Dodgers

New York Mets

7 p.m.

May 23

Arizona Diamondbacks

St. Louis Cardinals

8 p.m.

May 30

Boston Red Sox

Atlanta Braves

7 p.m.

May 30

New York Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers

10 p.m.

June 6

Chicago Cubs

Detroit Tigers

7 p.m.

June 6

Arizona Diamondbacks

Cincinnati Reds

7 p.m.

June 13

Los Angeles Angels

Baltimore Orioles

7 p.m.

June 13

San Diego Padres

Arizona Diamondbacks

9:30 p.m.

June 20

New York Mets

Philadelphia Phillies

7 p.m.

June 20

Kansas City Royals

San Diego Padres

9:30 p.m.

June 27

St. Louis Cardinals

Cleveland Guardians

7 p.m.

June 27

Tampa Bay Rays

Baltimore Orioles

7 p.m.

Most Exciting Apple TV Matchups

The Los Angeles Dodgers are scheduled to play in two exciting postseason rematches on Apple TV. They face the New York Mets on May 23 and then the New York Yankees a week later on May 30.

The battle for Texas between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers should also be an exciting game, as the 2022 and 2023 World Series champions face off.

Which Team is Featured the Most?

No team will be featured more than the San Diego Padres during Apple TV's slate for the first half of the 2025 season. The Padres are scheduled to play four games on Apple TV, starting with their matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 2. This comes after the Padres emerged as one of the most thrilling teams in 2024, advancing to the National League Division Series and nearly knocking off the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Which Teams Will Not Be Featured on Apple TV?

There were four teams left off the schedule of Apple TV's lineup for the first half of the 2025 season, the Chicago White Sox, Athletics, Miami Marlins, and Colorado Rockies. None of these teams missing the cut comes as a surprise. These were four of the worst teams in MLB in 2024, each failing to reach 70 wins on the season. The only team to not win 70 games and make a primetime slot was the Los Angeles Angels.

تمكن فريق اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري، من تحقيق فوز صعب أمام منافسه سان بيدرو الإيفواري، بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

وأقيمت المباراة بين اتحاد العاصمة وسان بيدرو، على ملعب 5 يوليو الأولمبي، ضمن منافسات دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية موسم 2025-2026.

وجاءت المباراة قوية ومليئة بالإثارة، حيث افتتح اتحاد العاصمة التسجيل في الشوط الأول عبر حسام غشة، قبل أن يضيف آدم أليلات الهدف الثاني.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة اتحاد العاصمة في الكونفدرالية بعد الفوز على سان بيدرو الإيفواري

ونجح سان بيدرو في العودة عبر هدف كاماغاتيه، ليرد صاحب الأرض بهدف ثالث عن طريق سعدي ردوارني.

وفي الدقائق الأخيرة، قلص كاراموكو الفارق لصالح الضيوف، لكن اتحاد العاصمة نجح في الحفاظ على تقدمه حتى نهاية اللقاء، ليحصد أول ثلاث نقاط له في مشواره بالبطولة.

وبهذه النتيجة، استطاع فريق اتحاد العاصمة من حصد النقاط الثلاثة وتصدر ترتيب المجموعة في بداية مشواره بمرحلة المجموعات لـ الكونفدرالية.

تعرض لاعب منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، للإصابة خلال مباراة أوزبكستان الودية، على هامش الاستعداد لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا. 

ويواجه منتخب مصر نظيره أوزبكستان، وديًا، على ملعب هزاع بن زايد بالإمارات، ضمن برنامج منتخب مصر استعدادا لكأس الأمم الإفريقية المغرب 2025. 

طالع.. فيديو | بمهارة رائعة.. أوستون أورونوف يسجل هدف أوزبكستان الثاني أمام مصر

ويشارك منتخب مصر خلال معسكر نوفمبر الجاري، في دورة ودية بالإمارات بمشاركة إيران وأوزبكستان وكاب فيردي. 

وتشير النتيجة إلى تقدم منتخب أوزبكستان على مصر بهدفين دون رد، سجلهما أستون أورونوف. 

وخرج أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب الأهلي ومنتخب مصر بديلًا في الدقيقة 57 من بعد شكواه من آلام عضلية ليحل طاهر محمد طاهر بديلًا له.

Despite the occasion being Nuno Espirito Santo’s first game in charge of West Ham United at the London Stadium, the Monday night affair between the Hammers and Brentford had a subdued feeling from the get-go.

Planned protests against Hammers chairman David Sullivan and vice-chairman Karen Brady meant sections of West Ham’s ground were sparsely filled throughout, with the feeling around their home stadium only worsening by the full-time whistle, as a 2-0 defeat kept the East Londoners deep in the Premier League relegation mix.

Nuno is clearly still getting used to all the new players at his disposal, as some surprising alterations were on show for the clash with the Bees. Most notably, Malick Diouf sat on the bench alongside the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Guido Rodriguez.

Unfortunately, none of those changes worked, with Mathias Jensen’s late strike condemning Nuno’s side to a miserable sixth league defeat of the season already, which also leaves the ex-Nottingham Forest boss still searching for a first win in the Hammers dug-out.

West Ham's biggest underperformers vs Brentford

Truthfully, although it took until the 94th minute for Jensen to seal the win for Keith Andrew’s visitors, Brentford should have had the game tied up long before this last-gasp stunner.

Indeed, the Bees would tally up a mammoth 15 shots just in the first half, as the ropey centre-back duo of Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo were continually caught out by the physical approach of Igor Thiago, with a long ball over the top late into the first half catching Kilman out, before Thiago eventually bundled home the opener.

19-year-old Oliver Scales also noticeably struggled on a surprise start, with just one of his aerial duels being won before being hauled off on the 46th minute mark.

Another intriguing selection decision by Nuno in handing Andy Irving a first Premier League start of the season also fell flat, as the Scotsman gave up possession ten times as an unassured body in central midfield.

Even Jarrod Bowen was quiet to further add to the misery on display, with the usually dependable Hammers captain only managing to tally up a lacklustre xG of 0.08 come the full-time whistle, firing a few chances off target.

He wasn’t the only first team regular who decided to put in a no-show against Brentford, however.

West Ham star has regressed under Nuno

While Graham Potter was deservedly sacked after collecting a dire four defeats from five Premier League games at the start of the season, at least Lucas Paqueta stood out as a bright spark during those tough times.

The Brazilian certainly lived up to his previous “explosive” billing – as he was once labelled by Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp – when collecting two goals across this choppy patch of matches, with a kiss of the badge after confidently tucking a penalty away at Forest cementing his reputation as a fan favourite.

However, he hasn’t looked quite so razor-sharp in front of goal since Nuno entered the building, with only a meagre four efforts attempted by the enigmatic Brazilian across his new manager’s first three league games at the helm. That must be particularly worrying considering that he operated as a false 9 in the absence of the injured Niclas Fullkrug on Monday.

In particular, Paqueta’s ongoing regression under his new manager was clear for all to see against Andrew’s away side, as the hot-and-cold number ten failed to be a feared forward presence in the same manner the hard-to-contain Thiago managed to be for the Bees.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Shots

1

Accurate passes

26/42 (63%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Possession lost

23x

Successful dribbles

0/1

Total duels won

7/20

Instead, Paqueta was often seen giving up the ball time after time, with possession squandered a costly 23 times. Having amassed three key passes against Arsenal in their last away outing, this was a notable drop-off.

Only winning 35% of his duels, too, on top of only testing the Bees goalkeeper with one shot, Nuno might well be prepared to boldly drop the 28-year-old in games to come, as the already under pressure Hammers boss tries to get a tune out of his demoralised side no matter what.

Branded as a “shocking” mess of a situation post-match by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, Nuno will have his work cut out for him to get the sinking ship back on course, with the 51-year-old desperately needing Paqueta to get back to his best, and sharp.

Nuno suggests West Ham could be about to rely on "very aggressive" young star

The Hammers boss clearly loves what he can offer.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.

Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.

Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.

Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.

Why Ndiaye is so important to Everton

Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.

Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.

Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.

With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.

Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.

Everton's homegrown Ndiaye

Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.

Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.

That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.

The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.

RW

9

4 + 2

LW

7

3 + 0

CF

3

6 + 0

LM

1

0

The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.

Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.

But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.

Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.

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