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Celtic’s march towards yet another title continues.

Last Saturday evening, Brendan Rodgers’ side battled to victory at St Mirren, leading twice through Jeffrey Schlupp’s sweet strike and then Arne Engels’ spot-kick, only for the Buddies to hit back both times.

Nevertheless, a quick-fire late double from substitute Yang Hyun-jun, with in-form Daizen Maeda on target in between, saw the Hoops collect three points in Paisley.

As a result, given that Rangers were beaten earlier in the day, they are now 16 points clear at the top, on course to wrap up the title before the split, with an Old Firm derby coming up a week on Sunday.

However, would the Hoops be even more potent in attack had they not let go of a former forward who’s now outperforming the returning Jota?

How Jota has performed since returning to Celtic

Jota returned to Celtic in January, to much fanfare, rejoining the club from Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £8m, having departed just 18 months earlier for £25m, a joint-club-record.

Fair to say, the Portuguese winger’s time in Saudi Arabia did not go to plan, making just 25 appearances for Al-Ittihad, thereby featuring in less than 50% of their matches, having not been registered for league matches for more than half the season; the Saudi Pro League has a limit on foreign players.

As a result, last August, Jota was sold to Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 for €10m but, after featuring only ten times for les Rouge et Noirs, he rejoined Celtic in January, with Kyōgo Furuhashi moving in the opposite direction to Brittany.

Since arriving back in Glasgow, the Portuguese winger scored off the bench during his second Celtic debut at Motherwell.

He’s subsequently been on target against both Dundee and Aberdeen, although Rodgers has admitted his marquee January signing “is not quite at the physical level yet”, needing to rebuild match sharpness having played very little for almost two years.

Jota is undoubtedly a beloved figure for all Celtic supporters, but there is a forgotten ex-forward who has outscored the superstar from Portugal in recent times.

Forgotten Celtic forward in form stateside

If you don’t remember too much about Lewis Morgan’s Celtic career, well we don’t blame you.

Where Are They Now

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

He arrived from St Mirren for a reported fee of £300,000 in July 2018, but made just 31 appearances in hoops, scoring only two goals, on target against AIK in a Europa League qualifier in Stockholm, before netting against Rennes in a dead-rubber group game a few months later.

Following a loan spell at Sunderland, Morgan was then sold to Major League Soccer expansion club Inter Miami in January 2020 for around £400,000, as the Celts made a small profit.

His time in Florida was far from spectacular, scoring just seven goals in 58 appearances for Inter Miami, but he must have done something to attract the attention of those in New Jersey because, after two years in Fort Lauderdale, he was sold to New York Red Bulls for $1.2m in General Allocation Money, a pretty sizable fee by intra-MLS deal standards.

The Scottish international has certainly found a home at Red Bull Arena, scoring a hat-trick during only his second appearance for RBNY away to Toronto, netting 18 times during his first season in New Jersey.

Morgan then endured a pretty miserable 2023, only able to make six appearances due to a hip injury that required surgery, given only a 20% chance ‘of returning to his peak’ level, as noted by Joseph Lowery of Back Heeled.

Despite this prognosis, Morgan certainly rediscovered top form in 2024, scoring 13 goals in 29 regular season appearances, a key figure as New York Red Bulls reached MLS Cup Final for the first time since 2008, ultimately beaten by LA Galaxy.

His manager Sandro Schwarz described Morgan’s form as “incredible”, reflected by the fact he was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2024, the award given to a player ‘who showed impressive improvement after overcoming a serious injury’.

So, let’s see how Morgan’s numbers compare to Jota’s over the last 12 months.

Appearances

37

33

Minutes

3,140

1,717

Goals

13

7

Minutes per goal

242

245

Assists

7

3

As the table shows, Morgan has scored six more goals than Jota in the last 12 months although, given that he’s played almost twice as many minutes, their minutes-per-goal records are remarkably similar.

According to Transfermarkt, the Scot is now worth a career-high £5m, 12.5 times more than the fee he was initially sold to MLS for five years ago.

In an interview with Goal, Morgan admitted he grew up a Rangers fan, precluding any chance of his ever returning to Parkhead, but the 28-year-old has certainly shown qualities at RBNY that were never on display during his brief time at Celtic Park. Perhaps they regret letting him leave all those years ago?

Celtic must rue selling "unplayable" star who's outscored Idah for 6 years

The former Celtic striker went on to enjoy a fantastic career after moving on from Parkhead.

ByDan Emery Mar 5, 2025

Graham Potter has now been in charge of West Ham for five games, winning once, drawing once and losing three times.

The Hammers are now out of the FA Cup and sit 15th in the Premier League after 24 games so it’s safe to say he’s walked into a troubling scenario.

West Ham are averaging 46.5% possession this season which is alarmingly, is the fifth lowest figure in the division while they are taking 13.8 shots per game (9th highest in the league) and conceding 16.7 shots per game (4th highest).

Things have looked better since Potter took charge, however, and the addition of Evan Ferguson should also help the English boss by having a natural centre-forward to finally lead the line.

Evan Ferguson's record at Brighton

Ferguson has already played under Potter once before at Brighton, playing five games for the English coach, scoring one goal, providing two assists and totalling 180 minutes. But it was under the next Brighton coach, Roberto De Zerbi, that Ferguson took the next step, making 60 appearances, netting 15 goals and providing three assists.

Potter has been playing with Lucas Paqueta as a false nine in recent weeks, tasking him with being the focal point for the team, bringing down long balls, making it stick and trying to bring others into play, so an addition like Ferguson will clearly suit this style of play, being able to operate as a target man.

The 20-year-old has struggled for minutes under Fabian Hurzeler this term, with the likes of Danny Welbeck and Joao Pedro ahead of him in the pecking order, managing 15 appearances, but only scoring one goal and taking to the field across 401 minutes.

Ultimately, this has led to a loan opportunity for Ferguson at West Ham, to work with Potter once again. It has come at the perfect time, with the new West Ham boss desperately needing a classic number nine through the middle.

But, this could have been avoided if the Hammers hadn’t sold a certain centre-forward of their own back in 2023.

West Ham sold big-money striker too soon

West Ham signed Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo for a fee of around £35.5m in 2022, and went on to make 27 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.

Where Are They Now

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

But just one year later, the Hammers sold the Italian, who returned to Italy, joining Atalanta for a fee of around £21.5m plus add-ons, making a huge loss on the striker after just one season.

When you compare Scamacca’s underlying numbers from his last season at West Ham vs his first at Atalanta, you can see the vast improvement across the board. Indeed, the only metric that he’s not improved is aerial duels won per 90, which only regressed by 0.05.

Liverpool’s ex-manager, Jürgen Klopp, labelled Scamacca “exceptional” after playing against his Reds side, stating he was a “handful” to play against, great in the air and on the floor. In short, he’s a bit Ferguson and would perhaps be an evening better option.

Since joining Atalanta, Scamacca has made 45 appearances for the Italian club, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists in 2,324 minutes. If we compare that to Ferguson, the Irishman has found the net just seven times.

It feels like the best is still yet to come for the 26-year-old Italin, who West Ham would sure like to have back on their books if they could turn back the clocks.

Forget Ward-Prowse: West Ham must unleash their teen Rice & Carrick hybrid

West Ham needn’t have brought back James Ward-Prowse…

1

By
Connor Holden

Feb 6, 2025

El Tri will play two friendly matches – facing Switzerland on June 7 in Utah, followed by a match against Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina.

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Layún expressed his excitement about this new era under Aguirre

The Gold Cup kicks off on June 14, when Mexico takes on the Dominican Republic

El Tri recently won its first Nations League titleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Javier Aguirre’s third spell at the helm of the Mexican National Team has brought satisfaction to many fans, especially after winning the Nations League Finals – Mexico’s first title in this tournament after three consecutive victories by the United States. One of those expressing confidence in Aguirre’s leadership is former national team and Club América player Miguel Layún.

Layún praised Aguirre’s work since taking over last year from Jaime Lozano, as Mexico prepares to host the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada. According to Layún, the team under Aguirre and assistant coach Rafa Márquez has the potential to bring great joy to Mexican supporters.

"Since Javier Aguirre came on board, the team has shown consistent growth – not just in terms of talent, but also in the way they approach matches. I think the players have done a phenomenal job, improving with every game. I genuinely believe Mexico is on the right path. The players understand the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they have. We may not see another World Cup in our country again, so I’m confident they’ll give us a lot to cheer for,” Layún said.

The former fullback from Club América expressed his excitement about this new era under Aguirre and also spoke about Rafa Márquez, the ex-Barcelona legend who is now serving as assistant coach and may one day take over the national team himself.

"I love the fact that someone as iconic as Rafa Márquez is being groomed to continue this process. Right now, I don’t think there’s anyone better to instill in young players what it means to wear the national team jersey. Javier Aguirre is the ideal leader for this World Cup journey, and I truly hope results go our way,” he added.

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Layún also shared his thoughts on the upcoming World Cup, where Mexico will play at home in the iconic Estadio Azteca and aim to finally reach the elusive fifth match.

"The format has changed – there are more teams, more matches. I feel that playing at home gives Mexico a real shot at performing well. Hopefully, the team does well enough in the group stage for us to see more games played here in Mexico. The dream is always to go as far as possible. Every player on that field has to believe they can beat anyone and even become world champions. Personally, I’ll always feel excited whenever I watch Mexico play, no matter what phase the team is in,” he concluded.

AFPWHAT MIGUEL LAYÚN SAID

Following the announcement that Estadio Azteca will reopen in March 2026 after extensive renovations ahead of the FIFA World Cup, Layún—one of the special guests from Mexico City's Organizing Committee—commented on the significance of the event.

“No words can truly capture what Estadio Azteca means to world football. We’re talking about a venue that will have hosted three World Cups. No matter which teams play the reopening match, they probably won’t match the weight of the stadium’s legacy. I just hope it’s a memorable event that fans can truly enjoy,” he said.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO NATIONAL TEAM?

Mexico prepare to defend their Gold Cup crown. Before that, El Tri will play two friendly matches – facing Switzerland on June 7 in Utah, followed by a match against Turkey on June 10 in North Carolina. The Gold Cup campaign kicks off on June 14, when Mexico takes on the Dominican Republic.

MatériaMais Notícias

da apostaganha： Palmeiras e São Paulo foram os únicos clubes com jogadores convocados nas cinco conquistas da Seleção Brasileira em Copas do Mundo. Porém, a lista final de Tite para o Mundial do Qatar 2022 conta apenas com Weverton, goleiro do Verdão. Sendo assim, em caso de título, apenas o clube alviverde terá campeões em todos os triunfos da Amarelinha.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasDestaque e capitão, Gabriel Vareta já conquistou títulos em todas as categorias de base do PalmeirasPalmeiras07/11/2022PalmeirasRecém-campeão pelo Palmeiras, Weverton celebra convocação para a Copa do MundoPalmeiras07/11/2022Fora de CampoEmerson Leão tem casa assaltada em São Paulo; bandidos levaram prêmios da Copa de 1970Fora de Campo07/11/2022

da pinup bet： >Daniel Alves e Thiago Silva no topo! Veja quais são os brasileiros mais velhos em Copas do Mundo

O primeiro convocado campeão do Verdão foi Mazzola. O atacante atuou ao lado de Pelé e companhia na Copa de 1958, também conhecida como aquela que marcou a primeira de cinco conquistas da Seleção Brasileira.

Já em 1962, bicampeonato da Amarelinha, Djalma Santos e Vavá levantavam a segunda taça do torneio de seleções, mas a primeira enquanto atletas do clube alviverde, ao lado do meia Zequinha.

> Clique e confira a tabela completa da Copa do Mundo do Qatar!

Em 1970, o goleiro Leão, de apenas 20 anos na época, foi convocado para ser reserva de Félix e disputar posição com Ado. Ao lado do jovem palmeirense estava o experiente e “raiz” zagueiro Baldocchi, que completava a cota de alviverdes na Seleção naquele tricampeonato.

Anos mais tarde, em 1994, na volta do Brasil ao lugar mais alto do pódio de uma Copa do Mundo, lá estava a dupla de “inhos”. Os meias Mazinho (que também atuava como lateral) e Zinho desbancaram a concorrência de jogadores que atuavam na Europa e foram titulares do técnico Parreira durante toda a campanha.

A “Família Scolari” de 2002 tinha um jogador muito importante para o Palmeiras e que, naquela campanha, também seria para todos os brasileiros. Marcos era goleiro de confiança do treinador Felipão e foi titular durante todo o caminho do pentacampeonato.

Agora, Weverton tem a chance de seguir a boa tradição de goleiros e palmeirenses com a camisa da Seleção Brasileira, que está no Grupo G da Copa do Mundo do Qatar, ao lado de Sérvia, Suíça e Camarões, e pode levantar a taça do hexacampeonato.

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Confira os jogadores de Palmeiras e São Paulo em cada título da Copa do Mundo:

1958
Mazzola (Palmeiras)
De Sordi, Mauro e Dino Sani (São Paulo)
​
1962
​Djalma Santos, Vavá e Zequinha (Palmeiras)
Bellini e Junqueira (São Paulo)

1970
Leão e Baldocchi (Palmeiras)
Gerson (São Paulo)

1994
​Mazinho e Zinho (Palmeiras)
​Zetti, Leonardo e Muller (São Paulo)

2002
Marcos (Palmeiras)
​Rogério Ceni, Belleti e Kaká (São Paulo)

Manchester United face a dilemma over Rasmus Hojlund after Fulham contacted the Red Devils about a potential deal for the Denmark striker.

Fulham make Hojlund enquiryUnited expected to move striker onAC Milan previously tipped with interestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United would prefer to sell unwanted striker Hojlund to a foreign team rather than a Premier League rival, according to . The Danish forward is expected to leave Old Trafford during the final few weeks of the summer transfer window following the arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, having endured two difficult seasons after joining the Red Devils from Atalanta.

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Fulham may be in for a new striker if Rodrigo Muniz – who earned the Cottagers a point at Brighton on Saturday having been heavily linked with Atalanta – moves on during the next fortnight or so, but the Red Devils would prefer to strike a deal with a club from abroad. AC Milan are thought to be one such interested party, with the Italian giants' sporting director recently admitting the 22-year-old is "a good option for us".

DID YOU KNOW?

Hojlund himself previously asserted his desire to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, though his measly haul of four Premier League goals last season coupled with Sesko's signing seems to suggest manager Ruben Amorim is forging a path forward without him. He was also completely left out of the United squad that lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR HOJLUND?

United are thought to want around £40 million (€46.3m/$54.1m) to part ways with Hojlund this summer but there's every chance the Dane is sent out on loan temporarily if no permanent deal materialises soon.

The batter, who averages nearly 70 in first-class cricket, has been picked in the Zimbabwe squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2025Batter Antum Naqvi is in line for a Zimbabwe debut in their upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan after being named in their 16-man squad. Fast bowler Tinotenda Maposa, who has played 14 white-ball internationals for Zimbabwe, is another potential debutant.Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava and allrounder Brad Evans, both of whom were not part of Zimbabwe’s most recent Test series against New Zealand in July-August earlier this year, returned to the squad. Evans, 28, has played a solitary Test so far, which came in February 2023.Of Indian and Pakistani descent, Naqvi was born in Brussels, Belgium and moved to Australia when he was four, where he earned a commercial airline pilot’s license. He put his aviation career on hold, as per BBC Sport, to pursue cricket. He has recently qualified to represent Zimbabwe, according to a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket.Related

• Afghanistan return to Test cricket against familiar foes Zimbabwe

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• Archive: Naqvi breaks Zimbabwe cricket records with unbeaten 300

Naqvi is one of the brightest emerging talents in Zimbabwe, boasting an average of over 60 in both first-class and List A cricket. In January 2024, he became the the first player from a Zimbabwean team to hit a triple-century at any level of representative cricket. Overall, he has racked up 1626 runs in 26 first-class innings at an average of 67.75 and strike rate of 72.65.In his most recent first-class fixture, he scored 68 and 108, his sixth hundred in the format, for Zimbabwe A against MCC in Harare last week.Sean Williams, Trevor Gwandu, Newman Nyamhuri, Clive Madande and Vincent Masekesa all were left out from the previous Test squad. It is understood that Williams missed out due to personal reasons.Craig Ervine will captain the team, with Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani lending more experience to the team.Harare will host the one-off Test against Afghanistan from October 20 to 24. This will be Zimbabwe’s first international assignment since they secured qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Zimbabwe squad

Craig Ervine (capt), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Wellington Masakadza, Tinotenda Maposa, Blessing Muzarabani, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Brendan Taylor, Nick Welch

For too long it’s appeared as if touring Pakistan is the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do; this series has the power to change all that

Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2022Take a stroll through the streets of Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi, and the eye test bears out what the numbers tell you. Young people throng the streets, choke roads, shops and public spaces in their thousands. There’s a vibrancy, but, inevitably, also a kind of chaos that can oscillate between uplifting and panic-inducing. Pakistan is, after all, one of the faster-growing countries of the world, the population rapidly approaching a quarter of a billion. It is also among the youngest, with the average age under 23.That may carry all sorts of demographic implications, but for cricket at this present moment, one of them is startling: most Pakistanis weren’t alive the last time an Australian cricket team arrived on these shores to play international cricket.Related

• Australia's 1998 tour of Pakistan: 'It was one of our finest achievements'

• Green's international education gets first overseas test

• Key match-ups: Babar vs Hazlewood, short ball vs Smith

• Nathan Lyon: 'My mindset is to win 3-0 in Pakistan'

• Pakistan's absences give Australia chance to start strongly

That might explain the unique atmosphere the arrival of a side led by Pat Cummins in Islamabad appears to have generated. It was in 1998 that a Mark Taylor-led side last came to Pakistan to play a three-Test series, one that’s taken on a larger-than-life form in the imaginations of those old fogies – by Pakistan standards – who still recall that somewhat drab affair. By the end of that series, it felt like Pakistani spirits had been all but broken, even if Sir Donald Bradman’s record somehow wasn’t.The world has changed dramatically in the intervening 23 years, and Pakistan even more drastically so. The country’s population has grown by nearly 100 million people. A new format of cricket has been invented, and subsequently, become dominant. It is so long ago, for heavens sake, that Shoaib Malik hadn’t even made his debut then, and Shahid Afridi made his Test debut in the third of that series. It’s practically ancient.Cummins himself alluded to the notion that his side’s presence here was about a little more than just cricket. “The whole previous generation of Australian teams didn’t get to experience Pakistan so we feel really lucky and fortunate that we are the first team to be back playing in Pakistan,” he said in a candid, self-aware reflection to the media. “It’s great that we are playing over here. I think this will be a tour at the end of our career we’ll look back on and think that was really special. As much as anything the way we’ve been looked after with the security presence, we’ll probably never experience anything like that in our lives. Great life experience, really proud and happy to be experiencing Test cricket over here. Hopefully there’s plenty more of it in the future.”It is perhaps tedious to rehash the off-field significance of a touring side visiting Pakistan, but it remains pertinent because, frankly put, it’s appeared for too long as if that’s the last thing a Western cricketing nation wants to do. Less than six months earlier, New Zealand were here in this very same city to play a landmark tour of their own, only to pull out citing security concerns on the day of the first game. Australian cricketer Ashton Agar’s partner received a threat, ultimately dismissed as a hoax, in the last few days, and the security presence around the Australian team hotel is extensive.But all that only establishes the dazzling opportunity this is for Pakistan cricket to make the most powerful off-field statement since 2009. Australia were the only side to reject a tour to Pakistan even before the terror attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team.Mark Taylor scored 334 in the drawn Test in Peshawar in 1998•AFPIn 2002, war was raging in neighbouring Afghanistan and drawing ever closer in Iraq when Australia decided they didn’t want to tour Pakistan. It was Australia then who set the template for what would be Pakistan’s home post-2009, when they dragged Pakistan out to the UAE. For those young enough to remember the UAE as something of a Test fortress for Pakistan, that 2002-03 tour was a different world. The nadir of that truly dismal two-Test series was a two-day Test, its brevity failing to compensate for its horror as far as Pakistan were concerned. It would be immortalised in two numbers for a generation of Pakistani fans: 59 and 53.If the current incarnation of that Australian side now sits in the heart of Islamabad – replete with first-choice superstars – gearing up for a full, three-format series, Pakistan may genuinely begin to believe the low of 2009 and the war on terror may, at least, be consigned to the past as far as this nation’s cricket is concerned. This visit of Australia kickstarts what should be a bumper home year for cricket in Pakistan, with New Zealand and England, two sides who pulled out last year to much criticism, set to visit in the autumn. Pakistan has not seen a home year like this since the 1990s.The relatively unfamiliar Pakistani conditions for the visiting side add an extra layer of intrigue to a series Pakistan has been clamouring for since as long as they can remember. At a time when Test cricket repeatedly wrestles with existential crises every time there’s a dull session in England or a wicket turns too much on the first day in India, Rawalpindi is officially sold out for all five days. There’s a panoply of angles that should make this series particularly delicious viewing, and cricket afficionados may rightly point out the quality of the cricket should, stripped of all context, be enough to justify these levels of excitement.But, with the vague, unreliable memories of the five-year-old that I was in 1998, I can recall the stifling drudgery with which Mark Taylor plodded along towards his triple-century, and Australia racked up 599 for 4 in 174 overs sitting on a 1-0 lead in a series they would go on to win by that very margin (until that point, only Pakistan’s third home series loss since 1980). 1-0 scorelines can be just as dreary in cricket as they are in football sometimes, so I’d insist I have it on good authority that a visit of Australia doesn’t magically make for exciting cricket.But a lot of growing up can happen in 23 years, especially if you happen to spend them in Pakistan. That’s why, as the newly minted Benaud-Qadir trophy shimmers on the eve of the series, Pindi, in unison with Pakistan, pulses with cautious excitement. Who knows if the cricket will really be good, but Pakistan knows that the fact there’s any cricket at all is very good indeed.

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