All posts by h716a5.icu

WWE star Drew McIntyre branded England manager Gareth Southgate a "bloody idiot" for leaving goalkeeper Jack Butland out of his latest squad.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Drew McIntyre slams Butland England omissionOnly a 'bloody idiot' would leave him out, says WWE starKeeper in fine form for Rangers since summer moveGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The wrestling ace, a Rangers supporter, was aghast at the lack of recognition for the goalkeeper, who has been in fine form as the Gers have laid down a title challenge to Celtic and performed admirably in Europe. Typically, McIntyre was not one to mince his words when asked about Butland, who spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Manchester United.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT DREW MCINTYRE SAID

"Yeah, they're idiots for leaving him out of the squad," McIntyre told That's Football. "He is, along with the captain Tav (James Tavernier) our best player.

"We've tried multiple goalkeepers and had to bring (Alan) McGregor back but finally with Butland – he's the man, he's absolutely on fire. And to leave him out of the squad you're just an idiot, simple as that. You're a bloody idiot, from Drew McIntyre."

THE GOSSIP

Born in Ayrshire, McIntyre is a huge Rangers fan and is regularly pictured in the club's shirt. After Old Firm rivals Celtic swept to two consecutive titles after Ange Postecoglou, this year's title race promises to be a close affair with Butland's form a factor.

However, any hopes of a recall for the goalkeeper last capped in 2018 seemed to have evaporated when he was left out of England's list to face Brazil and Belgium this month.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GARETH SOUTHGATE?

Southgate may have to prepare for some more choice words from McIntyre when he names his squad for the European Championship in May. The England boss is expected to name his preliminary selection on May 21, with the final squad to be officially submitted to UEFA by June 7.

The allrounder, who is returning form injury, will take the field for Baroda instead of India A with a view to specifically get match fit for Boxing Day

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2018Hardik Pandya, who is set to return to competitive cricket in Baroda’s match against Mumbai in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, is also targeting a comeback to the Indian Test side that is currently playing in Australia.Hardik had been sidelined with a back injury sustained during the Asia Cup in September, and he was originally selected in the India A squad for their three-match one-day series against New Zealand A. However, he said it made sense to focus his energies on the longest format first, with the ODIs against Australia only scheduled after the Test series ends.”If I am playing a Test match, I should play a four-day game (rather) than one-day,” Hardik told on Thursday. “Because one-day is later on. I am focusing right now that if I can make it to the team, because there is scope of me making a comeback into the Test team, if I am fit to play a Test match. That’s why I wanted to take my time and see where exactly I stand in Ranji Trophy.”Playing a Test match is a different league. The workload goes very high, so I wanted to see if I can manage the workload. I knew I would get enough match preparation before the Australia ODIs. Therefore I focused on playing Ranji Trophy.”India will play their second Test against Australia in Perth from Friday. That still leaves room for Hardik to be added to the squad before the last two matches, the Boxing Day and New Year Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.”Before I go for any major series, I wanted to see where exactly I stand,” Hardik said. “Ranji Trophy is the best domestic tournament. I wanted to check my fitness levels there, and then take a call about how I am feeling and what should be the next step. Right now, I am only focusing on the Ranji Trophy and then obviously, I want to get back to the team as soon as possible, because it’s difficult to stay away for so long.”Baroda are currently in fifth place on the combined Groups A and B points table with 13 points, while Mumbai, who have played four matches to Baroda’s five, are in 16th place with just five points. The top five teams at the end of the league stage in the two groups combined will qualify for the quarter-finals.

Mauricio Pochettino has questioned whether Chelsea are "mature enough" to play in games every three days after a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Pochettino hits out at Chelsea playersTwice threw away leads at Bramall LaneJamie Redknapp sticks boot inWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea twice threw away leads against Sheffield United on Saturday; Thiago Silva gave the Blues the lead before Jayden Bogle equalised, and then Noni Madueke appeared to have won the game for the Blues, before Oli McBurnie levelled again in injury time. The 2-2 draw was a humiliating one for Pochettino, given that Chris Wilder's side are rock-bottom and have been on the end of some thrashings this season, including an 8-0 defeat to Newcastle at Bramall Lane.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Pochettino has now hit out at Chelsea's inability to close games out, while Jamie Redknapp, on Sky Sports, claimed that the Blues "would be in a relegation battle without Cole Palmer". While the former Manchester City star failed to fire against the Blades, he did record an assist, taking his total goal contributions for the season to 25 in the Premier League.

WHAT POCHETTINO SAID

In a furious post-match interview, Pochettino told reporters: "At 52, you identify really quickly whether the team is ready to compete or not. Maybe this group is not mature enough to compete in games every three days. It's a new team and we are still learning about their profiles. The process always takes time. It's not a magic thing. It's a project, a three or five year process to build a team.

"We are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. We were not in a good position in the beginning, but that's normal. We need to accept it now and work to try and fix our problems."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Chelsea are next in action on Monday, April 15 against Everton and will hope to put this torrid result behind them. They currently sit ninth in the Premier League, five points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.

The 37-year old called time on a two-decade long career, which brought 7081 first-class runs at an average of 40.93, with 17 centuries and 30 half-centuries

Shashank Kishore31-Jul-2019Earning Greg Chappell’s praise and being in the same dressing room as his batting idol Sachin Tendulkar are two of Venugopal Rao’s fondest memories as an India cricketer. On Tuesday, the 37-year old middle-order batsman called time on a two-decade long career, which effectively ended in 2017.Over the last two years, while he has continued playing corporate cricket for MRF, retirement has been a constant thought. He took a final call during his World Cup assignment as a commentator for a regional sports channel. A formal announcement came through the Andhra Cricket Association, the team he represented for a majority of 121 first-class matches that brought 7081 runs at an average of 40.93, with 17 centuries and 30 half-centuries.For now, he has no T20 offers in the pipeline. He is looking forward to his future in Telugu commentary and perhaps some coaching too “if something comes up”.”In the early 1990s, they used to laugh whenever someone from Andhra desired to play for India. To be one of only two cricketers from the region (MSK Prasad being the other) to play for the country proved that you can achieve your goal,” Venugopal told ESPNcricinfo. “To come from a fishing village near Visakhapatnam, where my father worked for a modest salary of INR 7000 to support five children, and play was a big thing. All credit to my parents.”It is nearly fourteen years to the day when Venugopal made his India debut. Tendulkar was still recovering from a tennis elbow, Sourav Ganguly had been suspended for an over-rate offence, VVS Laxman was not an automatic pick and MS Dhoni was asked to open the batting. India needed a middle-order batsman and Venugopal was one of two debutants alongside Suresh Raina.”Playing Muttiah Muralitharan on debut was an unforgettable experience,” he said. “As batsmen, we grew up playing spin, but I felt nothing quite prepared you to face him. He was an exceptional bowler. I have fond memories of that game [even though India lost].”

To come from a fishing village near Visakhapatnam, where my father worked for a modest salary of INR 7000 to support five children, and play was a big thing

In the season that preceded his debut, Venugopal announced himself by smashing a career-best 228 not out in a chase of 501 for South Zone against England Lions in the Duleep Trophy. It was the fifth-highest chase in first-class history at the time, against a competent attack featuring Simon Jones, Sajid Mahmood and James Tredwell, all of whom went on to play for England. Yet, Venugopal believes it was a practice match that turned out to be the difference between an India cap and being on the fringes.”Before the Sri Lanka tour, we had a conditioning camp followed by a match between the 30 probables. The seniors played against the second XI. I made a 90 against the seniors, whose bowling included Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan. That knock convinced [then India coach] Greg Chappell. After the game, he had a long chat with me and the next day, I was informed of my India selection for the Sri Lanka tour.”I was very jittery, I always felt as a cricketer growing up, if someone from Tamil Nadu or Mumbai made 120 runs, I had to make 200 to be noticed,” Venugopal said. “Ahead of my India debut, I was a little nervous. Many thoughts ran through my mind. Greg had just taken up as coach, and he told me ‘Look, for me, where you come from doesn’t matter. I know you are good enough to be here, and that is why you are here.’ Those words gave me a lot of belief.”Venugopal was used as a floater between 2005 and 2006, but his career could not quite take off. He played the last of his 16 ODIs in the West Indies in 2006, with his highest of 61 not out coming against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. He was also India’s first ever super sub. Post his short India career, Venugopal battled injuries and inconsistency to play for Andhra and Gujarat in domestic cricket. He was also part of the IPL title-winning Deccan Chargers in 2009. His last IPL appearance was with Delhi Daredevils in 2014.

The proposed plan involves a total of 22 matches, with a maximum of five overseas players in each XI

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Oct-2022The long-awaited women’s IPL is set to become a reality next year with the BCCI planning a five-team tournament for March 2023, immediately after the Women’s T20 World Cup ends in South Africa on February 26.The BCCI’s proposed plan involves a total of 22 matches, with each squad comprising 18 players with a maximum of six from overseas. No more than five overseas players can feature in a playing XI, with four from Full Member countries and one from an Associate nation.As per the plan, which the BCCI sent on Thursday to state associations and which has been seen by ESPNcricinfo, each team will play the others twice during the league phase (20 matches), with the league topper heading straight to the final. The second finalist will be decided via an Eliminator between the second and third-ranked teams from the league phase. The BCCI is yet to finalise the schedule of the WIPL, but it will be wrapped up before the men’s IPL begins, which is likely to be at the end of March.Whether the March window has been pencilled in for the long term remains to be seen, but the BCCI said in a paper on the WIPL that it has identified a “clear 25 days Women’s IPL window in the FTP cycle”. The inaugural WIPL is likely to clash with the inaugural season of the Women’s Pakistan Super League.”It will be a challenge to play the WIPL in the home and away format, because with five to six teams it is not possible to have a match every day,” the BCCI said in its paper on the WIPL, which was sent to the states as part of the wider agenda for the board’s annual general meeting scheduled in Mumbai on October 18. “It is suggested that the tournament can be played in caravan style, where after finishing ten matches at one venue, the next ten matches to be played at the next venue. Therefore, ten matches each to be played across two venues in the 2023 WIPL season, ten each in the next two venues in the 2024 season, and for the 2025 season ten matches in the remaining one venue and the remaining ten in one of the venues from 2023 season.”Where will the teams be from?
Unlike the Women’s T20 challenge, the precursor to the WIPL, where the teams were assembled randomly, the BCCI will sell the five franchises. However, unlike the men’s IPL, where franchises bid for teams in a particular city, the BCCI has chalked out two plans for the WIPL. The first one comprises selling teams across six zones spanning the country. A set of cities in each zone has been shortlisted and comprises: Dharamsala/Jammu (North zone), Pune/Rajkot (West), Indore/Nagpur/Raipur (Central), Ranchi/Cuttack (East), Kochi/Visakhapatnam (South) and Guwahati (North-East).The second plan involves teams being sold but without a solid home base, with matches to be played at six shortlisted IPL venues: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai.The BCCI will present the WIPL plan at the AGM next week but a final decision will be taken by the IPL Governing Council chairman – who that is will be decided at the upcoming AGM – along with the BCCI office bearers.Exponential growth in participation – the reason behind WIPL
Women’s cricket in India became a big talking point ever since they reached the final of the ODI World Cup in 2017 at Lord’s, where they lost to England in front of a full house. In 2018, the BCCI launched the Women’s T20 Challenge, but it was restricted to just one match. Over the next three years, it expanded to a three-team competition. Voices across women’s cricket, both in India and globally, were critical of BCCI’s reluctance to launch a women’s IPL at the time.The board and several state associations were originally concerned by the shallow player pool in women’s cricket, but those reservations have gradually receded now.”With the rise in popularity of women’s cricket in the country mainly due to prominent performances by the Indian Senior Cricket team on world stage by qualifying for semi-finals in 2018 T20 World Cup, finals in 2020 T20 World Cup, securing silver medal in recently held 2022 Commonwealth games in Birmingham, we intend to conduct the Women’s IPL on similar lines with the Indian Premier League,” the BCCI said in its paper on WIPL.The growth on the domestic front was massive with the paper listing “an overall increase of 111% in participation of players along various categories” in the eight-year period between 2014-22. A further breakdown listed the number increasing by 129% in the senior women’s category and a 92% increase in the Under-19 category.The WIPL – and the proposed WPSL – will join the FairBreak Invitational, the Women’s Hundred, WCPL and WBBL as T20 leagues that bolster the popularity and growth of women’s cricket globally. The WIPL paper also noted that the BCCI had studied both the WBBL and the Women’s Hundred models before finalising its plan.

It’s understood his vision did not align with that of head coach Justin Langer and team owner Sanjeev Goenka

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Sep-20256:17

‘Zaheer’s vision wasn’t bought by LSG leadership group’

Lucknow Super Giants’ team mentor Zaheer Khan has parted ways with the franchise after just one season. ESPNcricinfo has learned Zaheer informed LSG of his decision on Thursday.It is understood that the primary reason for Zaheer quitting is that his vision for the franchise did not align with that of head coach Justin Langer and team owner Sanjeev Goenka. While Zaheer’s relationship with captain Rishabh Pant remained strong, he was affected by the thought process that played a role in LSG sliding down the points table in the second half of IPL 2025.Zaheer had joined LSG in August 2024, filling the vacancy left by Gautam Gambhir’s exit after IPL 2023. Zaheer had been with Mumbai Indians from 2018 to 2022 and agreed to a two-year contract with LSG, taking charge of scouting, planning and strategy.Related

Zaheer: Looked like it was Punjab curator at our home game

Bharat Arun named LSG bowling coach

After making the playoffs in their first two IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023, LSG did not reach the knockouts in the last two seasons. In 2025, they finished seventh with six wins from 14 games. It was a season of contrasting halves: LSG had five wins in their first eight matches but only one in the last six. Of the eight games they played at their home ground, the Ekana Stadium, they won only two.LSG had made headlines at last year’s mega auction when they bought Pant for INR 27 crore (USD 3.2 million approx.), making him the most expensive player ever in the IPL. The team was built around him, but Zaheer put in place building blocks he felt were needed to grow stronger every season. Despite there being a lot of chatter about Pant opening the batting, Zaheer spoke to the wicketkeeper-batter early on and told him that the better strategy would be for Mitchell Marsh to open with Aiden Markram. That strategy, Zaheer impressed on both Pant and the leadership group, would reduce the burden on their best batter, Nicholas Pooran, who was the No. 3.The role clarity allowed the batters to play with freedom and perform consistently. Markram had never opened in the IPL before, while Marsh, despite having been in the IPL for more than a decade, had never made a major impact. The move worked: Marsh was the fifth highest run-getter in IPL 2025 with 627 runs at a strike rate of 163.70, Pooran made 524 runs at 196.25, and Markram 445 at 148.82.

Nottingham Forest are at the beginning of life under Ange Postecoglou, but results haven’t gone to plan since the Australian boss arrived at the City Ground.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure paved the way for Postecoglou to enter the hotseat in the East Midlands, though it is fair to say his tenure has yielded mixed reviews as he awaits a first victory in charge.

Back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Swansea City were followed by consecutive draws against Burnley and Real Betis, before Forest endured a frustrating loss against Sunderland last weekend despite creating a host of chances.

Urging patience, Postecoglou shared frustration at his side not being able to dispose of the Black Cats, albeit he did acknowledge his side were more than a match for their opponents in terms of their performance.

He stated: “Frustrating. Disappointing. It’s another game we have allowed to get away from us, where really we should be very comfortably overcoming (Sunderland). I didn’t think there was anything in it (free-kick decision). Irrespective, even if the referee has made an absolute high howler, we can still deal with the free-kick better. What we did after that is more of a concern to me than the decision.”

While Nottingham Forest’s frustration at the officials was reflected by Neco Williams, they do have plenty to build on; it isn’t as if they’ve been blown away by their opposition in any of their last four matches, excluding their defeat at Arsenal.

Ange Postecoglou’s frustrating start

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Swansea City 3-2 Nottingham Forest

Burnley 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Either way, people will already begin to form judgements, with many still fresh from memories of Postecoglou’s rollercoaster season with Tottenham Hotspur last term, ending the year with the Europa League trophy and a 17th-placed Premier League finish.

Tim Howard launches scathing Postecoglou verdict

Speaking to Premier League Productions, former United States and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has hit out at Postecoglou, claiming his methods lack pragmatism even if they are easy on the eye.

He stated: “I’m so sick and tired of these coaches saying, ‘This is the way I play, and I’ll lose my job, but I’ll play this way.’ No, you have to be pragmatic. You have to dig in. Yes, they use the football well and yes, they play well. But did you see that (Sunderland) performance? They were willing to dig in, every single one of them. That’s how you get results, and it shows.”

Collymore believes Nottingham Forest star is "finally" living up to the hype

One Nottingham Forest star found himself at the centre of Stan Collymore’s praise.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 25, 2025

Truthfully, there are two contexts to view Nottingham Forest’s situation in. On one hand, they have been unlucky not to claim more from their first five matches under Postecoglou, but a soft underbelly has no place in a side trying to claim Premier League points.

The Australian is known for his firebrand style of football, so fans will have to be encouraged by the flashes of what they’ve seen – particularly in Seville – and simply buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Germany needed only to avoid defeat to guarantee their 2026 World Cup spot when they faced Slovakia at the Red Bull Arena on Monday night. Following a sub-par campaign, which included a 2-0 loss in Slovakia back in September, Die Mannschaft booked their trip stateside in fine fashion as Julian Nagelsmann's side slaughtered the Falcons, easing to a 6-0 victory.

AFPTell me more

Germany looked to settle early nerves and it was the home side who forged the first half-chance with just three minutes on the clock, with Florian Wirtz's cross headed over Serge Gnabry. Wirtz himself then fired over from inside the Slovakia box, before the dominant hosts found the breakthrough in the 18th minute as in-form Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade headed Germany.

Midway through the first half, and Germany were two goals to the good through Gnabry, latching onto a perfectly weighted Leon Goretzka pass. And the match as a contest was settled 10 minutes before the break as Leroy Sane scored his first and Germany's third – Wirtz played a superb ball over the high Slovakia defensive line for Sane. Wirtz and Sane linked up again for Germany's fourth as the former picked out the latter at the back post in a rampant opening 45 minutes.

The hosts added a fifth midway through the second half. Ridle Baku replaced captain Kimmich in the 64th minute and made no mistake from close range having been teed up by Gnabry to score his second international goal of his career. Dubravka did all he could to keep the scoreline somewhat respectable as he palmed away a low Goretzka drive in the 73rd minute. But he failed to keep out Assan Ouedraogo's deflected effort as the teenager became the second youngest scorer for the Germany national team a little over a minute after his second half introduction.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe MVP

Having struggled at club level and come in for criticism for a series of sub-par displays following his Liverpool move, Florian Wirtz showcased just why the Reds spent big to secure his services over the summer. Wirtz was a creative force in Leipzig as he tore the Slovakia backline to shreds, linking up superbly with Leroy Sane on the opposite flank. Liverpool fans will be hoping he can transfer this flying Germany form to club level when domestic duties return this weekend.

The big loser

The experienced head in the Slovakia backline, Milan Skriniar looked anything but. The 30-year-old won't want to remember Monday's showing in Leipzig in a hurry. Indeed, Skriniar was at fault for Leroy Sane's second and Germany's fourth in a pitiful performance from the former Inter and PSG man.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is pleased to 'put pressure' on their arch-rivals Real Madrid after a dominant win against Celta Vigo, featuring a strong yet explosive performance of Robert Lewandowski's hat-trick. However, Flick bemoans the "incredible" suspension of key Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who will miss the next fixture against Athletic Club after the international break.

Barcelona's character shines in Balaidos victory

Celebrating his 50th La Liga game in charge, Flick's side demonstrated a potent attacking display as they ran out 4-2 winners to cut the gap on league leaders Madrid to three points. The match saw three goals from Lewandowski and one more from Pedri for Barcelona, while Celta threatened with strikes from Iago Aspas and Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The win, which came with eight shots on target from 20 attempts, showcased Barcelona's attacking prowess, contrasting with Celta's four shots on target from six attempts. Despite conceding two goals, Barcelona's control in the second period was evident, maintaining 63% possession and achieving 95% pass accuracy.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFlick's focus on continued pressure on Real Madrid

Speaking after the match, Flick said: "Yes, of course, I'm happy. I think we made more mistakes in the first half than in the second. In the first half we were very good with the ball, and in the second half the team knew how to control the game.

"In football, the previous match doesn't matter, you always have to look ahead to the next one, but it's good to put pressure on the team above us. The second half gives us confidence. I'm happy for the team."

The Barcelona coach highlighted the strategic significance of the result, especially heading into the international break. "Pushing pressure on the opponent is good, we did it and I’m happy. Winning before the international break is also very good. I feel happy. We had to look out for ourselves and we applied the pressure well today." 

This result positions Barcelona on 28 points, three behind Real Madrid's 31, with both teams having played 12 matches.

Lewandowski's hat-trick sparks goalscoring resurgence

The undeniable star of the evening was veteran striker Lewandowski, who netted a hat-trick to take his La Liga tally to seven goals. The Polish international, in his fifth start, demonstrated his enduring quality despite being 37 years old. Flick expressed confidence in Lewandowski's form, avoiding speculation about his future beyond the current season.

"It’s too early to talk about Lewandowski’s next season. I can say that after his injury, I saw a different Robert, positive, confident. It’s very important for us that he scored three goals," Flick commented, acknowledging the striker's strong return to form. This performance is a significant boost for Barcelona's title aspirations, providing the cutting edge in attack they need to challenge Real Madrid.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

De Jong suspension a blow for Barcelona

While celebrating the victory, Flick voiced regret over the suspension of key midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman received two yellow cards during the match, resulting in a red card in the fifth minute of stoppage time, and will now miss Barcelona's next league fixture against Athletic Club. De Jong's absence will be keenly felt, given his crucial role.

"I think De Jong controlled the game and is very important for us," Flick noted. "He’s playing at an incredible level. It’s not good that he’ll miss the next game because he’s important for us, but we’ll have to manage it. When we return from the break, I hope to have Pedri, Raphinha, and Joan [Garcia] available. We’ll see."

De Jong’s influence on possession and pass accuracy is considerable, and his ability to dictate the tempo of games is vital for Barcelona. His suspension comes at a challenging time, especially with the team striving to maintain pressure on the league leaders.

A free agent who has already proven himself in the Premier League earlier in his career could now be willing to make the move to Everton.

Garner reveals Everton's change in mentality

The Blues have won three of their opening three league games this season, with the early signs suggesting that positive times lie ahead under David Moyes.

Midfielder James Garner has impressed in the opening weeks of the campaign, scoring in the 2-0 win at home to Brighton, and he has spoken about a shift in mentality that has taken place at Everton under their manager.

“He said to us on day one that he’s not come here to take over a team that’s fighting against relegation – he said it again on day one of pre-season. He sets high standards and we know where we want to be.

“We’ve got a few more faces in over the summer and with the quality we have in the squad now, we all agree with the manager – if you want to achieve big things, then you’ve got to set your standards and your goals high. I think you can see it in us. There is a mentality shift. We’re playing with more confidence, going into games thinking how we are going to take all three points, it’s not just surviving.

“We’ve done that in these first few games. Obviously, the first game [against Leeds] felt like a blip, I don’t think we played well, but we’ve responded and now the aim is to keep building momentum. We want to keep winning and keep that winning mentality – that was the message in the changing room amongst all of us after the Wolves game.”

While Everton’s improvements this season are clear, it is also important that further quality is added to the squad, and they have now been linked with a move for a free agent.

"Brilliant" free agent could be keen on joining Everton

Speaking to Goodison News, former Toffees scout Bryan King talked up the idea of Everton signing left-back Sergio Reguilon on a free transfer, who could be “willing” to move to Merseyside.

“He’s a free transfer, so it would certainly be an option to look at. They’re a bit stretched across the whole defence at the moment, with Branthwaite’s injury concerns. I would imagine that Reguilon would be more than willing to go and join a club like Everton. It seems like Everton are moving in a forward direction, instead of being in a relegation fight.”

Reguilon could be a shrewd signing for Everton, especially with Vitalii Mykolenko picking up an injury prior to the international break, with the 28-year-old an experienced player.

Forget Barry: Everton are brewing Beto replacement in 19-year-old "nuisance"

Everton have got exciting competition for places in their centre-forward ranks

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 11, 2025

The Spaniard actually scored against the Blues for Tottenham in a 5-0 win back in 2021/22, and he has 81 Premier League appearances to his name.

Reguilon was once hailed as “brilliant” by Noel Whelan, and he could bring a good mix of defensive solidity and attacking thrust to Everton’s team, with a return to English football potentially appealing to him as he searches for a new club.