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ScorecardOpener Alex Davies made Lancashire’s second-highest individual score in List A cricket as his side defeated Durham by 192 runs in their Royal London One-Day Cup match at Emirates Old Trafford.Davies hit 147 in his team’s 314 for seven in 50 overs and that proved to be far too many for Durham’s batsmen who replied with 122 all out in 31.1 overs.In terms of runs, this represented Durham’s second worst defeat in List A cricket. It is exceeded only by the county 193-run loss to Sussex at Hove in 2009.Jon Lewis, Durham’s coach, was scathing about his team’s display. “I can’t defend a lot about that, it was pretty poor from the start,” he said. “We seem to be surprised by the intensity and accuracy that one-day cricket requires.”At one stage, however, it seemed the visitors might be chasing an even more intimidating total as the in-form Keaton Jennings helped Davies bring up Lancashire’s first hundred runs inside 14 overs.The pair eventually broke their county’s first-wicket record in List A cricket against Durham and had put on 175 in 28.2 overs when Jennings made room to whack Nathan Rimmington to leg but was bowled for 73.Karl Brown then added 51 with Davies but the determination of Durham’s bowlers not to be overwhelmed on a warm Manchester afternoon was rewarded when four wickets fell for 12 runs in 3.3 overs.Brown skied a slog off James Weighell to Michael Richardson running in from mid-on, and some nifty footwork from the same bowler ran out Liam Livingstone for two. Dane Vilas chipped a catch back to Ryan Pringle and when Steven Croft edged Weighell to Stuart Poynter, Lancashire were 238 for six in the 40th over.A measure of reconstruction rather than all-out acceleration was required but Jordan Clark managed to add 56 in eight overs with Davies before the opener was caught at short third man by Mattie Potts when attempting a reverse ramp off Rimmington.Davies had batted for all 14 balls of his side’s 50-over allotment and had hit 16 fours and one six in his 137-ball innings. Rimmington bowled Joe Mennie in the final over to finish with three for 64. Weighell returned figures of two for 59 while Ryan Pringle bowled as well as anybody for his one for 51 off ten overs. Clark ended the innings on 48 not out off 34 ballsDurham were left to reflect that their daunting target could have been 50 runs greater they not checked Lancashire’s progress so effectively early in the final quarter of the innings.However, at no stage in their innings did the visitors threaten to get close to their distant goal. The procession of Durham batsmen back to the pavilion began in the third over when Paul Collingwood came down the wicket to Tom Bailey but was smartly stumped by Vilas when the wicketkeeper noticed that Collingwood was very slow to regain his crease.Mennie’s then had both Ryan Pringle and Graham Clark leg before for 15 and eight respectively, these dismissals being bridged by that of Richardson, who was bowled off the inside edge for one when attempting to cut Bailey.That left Durham on 32 for four and although Will Smith and Tom Latham attempted a limited recovery with a 30-run stand the game was all but lost.Smith was bowled for eight when attempting to scoop Livingstone and Latham was leg before on the back foot to the same bowler for 26. The final four wickets were taken by the spinners Matt Parkinson having Poynter and Potts caught in the cordon and Weighell being brilliantly taken at midwicket by a diving Livingstone off Stephen Parry for 23.The match ended when Rimmington blasted back a return catch to Parry in the 32nd over. Five Lancashire bowlers took two wickets, the most economical being Bailey with two for 16.

With the dreaded international break now at an end, attention can now return to what really matters, with Leeds United hoping to kickstart their season away to Millwall this afternoon following what has been an underwhelming start to life back in the Championship.

The Yorkshire giants are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table after picking up just six points from their opening five league games of the new campaign, with the arrival of promotion expert Daniel Farke – who twice steered Norwich City into the Premier League – having yet to have the desired affect.

In the German's defence, he has had to steady the ship amid what has been a choppy summer for the club with 15 players having sought out pastures new, although patience will likely begin to wear thin if the 46-year-old – and his nine new additions – don't begin to catch fire before too long.

What is the Leeds United team news vs Millwall?

As Farke revealed in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Whites' injury woes look to be easing up somewhat, with the likes of Patrick Bamford, Stuart Dallas and Junior Firpo seemingly the only definite absentees for the trip to The Den.

The ex-Borussia Monchengladbach boss did, however, reveal that there are doubts regarding the fitness of recent loan arrival, Djed Spence, with the 23-year-old having taken a "knock" to the knee earlier in the week.

Despite that potential setback, the likes Liam Cooper, Dan James and Sam Bryam are all in contention for this crunch clash, while it could also be an opportunity for summer signing Jaidon Anthony to make his first outing for his new club.

Will Jaidon Anthony play against Millwall?

The 23-year-old was signed from AFC Bournemouth on a season-long loan deal on deadline day, with that move seeing fellow winger Luis Sinisterra head in the other direction on an initial temporary basis, after just a solitary campaign at Elland Road.

While the latter man did endure an injury-disrupted 2022/23 season, he was still able to outline his quality after netting seven times in just 22 games in all competitions, while also getting off the mark this season in the 4-3 thriller against Ipswich Town.

To then lose such a "crucial player" – as described by Farke – so late in the window does look to have been something of a blow to Leeds' promotion hopes, although in Anthony, the club have found a "proven Championship player", in the words of his new manager.

The young Englishman was also the recipient of stellar praise from ex-Cherries boss Scott Parker in the past, with the former Chelsea and West Ham United midfielder stating: "…Jaidon Anthony is a player that goes under the radar, massively to be quite honest with you. What he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times.

"I think we see his quality, his calmness, his silkiness when he makes good decisions."

Such 'quality' was evident during his last stint in the second tier as the London-born speedster scored eight goals and contributed six assists from his 45 league outings for the south coast side, illustrating what a devastating "threat" he can be against Championship defences – as hailed by fan pundit Kris Smith.

To have lost a figure like Sinisterra so late in the day may appear hard to recover from, although if Anthony can rediscover his prior Bournemouth form, then Leeds could well forget all about their £21m addition.

It's starting to get a bit repetitive, but that was another real Jekyll-and-Hyde performance from Liverpool.

The Reds extended their opening unbeaten run to the season with victory over LASK in Austria, with Jurgen Klopp's side starting their Europa League campaign off triumphantly, but another slow start allowed midfielder Florian Flecker to score a scintillating goal from the edge of the box.

While a disjointed Liverpool fell flat before the break, they emerged revitalised in the second half, with the devastating offence wreaking havoc once more, and The Athletic's James Pearce heralding the "powers of recovery."

How did Wataru Endo perform vs LASK?

Having produced a similar result of first-half misfortune against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last week, Klopp fielded a much-changed XI in Linz, and it's perhaps understandable that an unfamiliar crop took a little time to click into gear.

Regardless, reporter Neil Jones lamented the English outfit's "sloppiness" and while Nunez and Luis Diaz's swift double turned the tide, with substitute Mohamed Salah scoring late on (of course he did), the club's German manager will rue the failure to take control in the early stages once again.

Such was largely compounded by the midfield's inability to produce composed and cohesive patterns of play, with £16m summer signing Wataru Endo failing to craft a commanding performance despite flashes of dogged defending.

The Japan captain wasn't horrific, per say, but did fail to take his moment to dazzle and misplaced some simple passes while winning just one ground duel all night, also dribbled past once and making just one tackle.

The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle perhaps put it best in his post-match player ratings, stating: "Appeared half-a-yard short in the opening exchanges and too often gave the ball away. A difficult night."

That said, he wasn't the only underperformer on Thursday evening.

How good was Kostas Tsimikas vs LASK?

While Endo's overall quality was at times laid awkwardly bare, it was left-back Kostas Tsimikas who endured the most substandard of showings for Klopp's side, with Paul Gorst remarking that he didn't have his "finest hour" down the left channel.

The Greek ace has played second fiddle to Andy Robertson ever since joining from Olympiakos for around £12m in 2020, and while he is a creative player with a wand of a left foot, producing 12 assists from just 63 appearances, he would be fortunate to have avoided a scolding.

Indeed, the 27-year-old did play the full 90 minutes, making three interceptions and one tackle, but failed to contribute with a single key pass and actually succeeded with only four of his 14 ranged passes, conjuring up nothing of note.

There was one moment, late into the first half, when Liverpool had defended a set piece and were presented with a glorious chance to counter.

The ball fell fortuitously to the defender, who barrelled forward and had apt time to unleash a through ball to either Ben Doak or Darwin Nunez – forwards of equally electric measure – but instead proved indecisive and got tangled up in the centre of the pitch, squandering possession.

That just so happened to be one of 25 times that he gave the ball away, a mind-blowingly high number and worrying indeed.

One LFC podcaster even went as far as to brand the 86-touch dud as “abysmal, and while this may be a tad harsh, it's fair to say that Tsimikas did not enjoy a match to hold in memory.

Also failing to make a single successful dribble, it was a pretty dire showing from the £50k-per-week left-back, who has done little to convince Klopp of his worth and will count his lucky stars that Liverpool's incisive attack salvaged three points to kick off the European journey.

USA’s head coach is optimistic as they prepare to take part in West Indies’ regional limited-overs tournament ahead of theT20 qualifiers and ICC WCL campaigns later this year

Peter Della Penna12-Jan-2018USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake has labeled USA’s upcoming tour of the Antigua for the West Indies Regional Super50 tournament as the team’s “most important preparation” for their upcoming tournaments this year, including the start of the qualifiers for the World Twenty20 in 2020, and the ICC WCL Division Three.”When you are playing those kind of tournaments, you have to play proper cricket and learn from those 20 days and you don’t get that opportunity for Associate players all the time,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo following the news last week that USA will be a part of the ten-team competition this season.”If you take Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands especially, they benefited from being a part of the English system. Namibia continuously played in the South African first-class system. Afghanistan players individually have gotten to play in the Pakistan first-class system.”All of these things have really contributed for those countries. When we’re trying to develop as a country, neighbouring Full Member countries are important. If you can be a part of their first-class system, that’s the fastest way to develop a country,” Dassanayake said.Since the team returned in early December from their tour of the UAE and Oman, Dassanayake has been holding weekend camps with subgroups of the USA squad in Chicago as well as at his home base just outside of Toronto, with players traveling into Canada to meet him in preparation for the upcoming trip. Though the overall results were not great – USA beat Nepal but then lost four matches to Kenya and Oman – Dassanayake focused on the silver lining of building more cohesion and identifying more defined roles as a playing group while in the Middle East.”I’m happy about the bigger picture where we are playing as a team,” Dassanayake said. “I liked some of the plans that the captain and the bowlers are using. We have confidence slowly building on our fielding. We know if we put runs on the board then we are competitive at that level. [The batting] is an area we need to work on for the coming tour.”Dassanayake coached the combined ICC Americas squad at last year’s Super50 tournament which included players from USA, Canada and Bermuda. The idea behind a combined squad was to have strengthened quality by picking the best from each country. However, the squad lacked chemistry and Dassanayake says it was a challenge juggling selection at times taking into consideration the sensitivity of satisfying each country’s development interests.”We were not competitive because of the dynamic of the team with three countries’ players playing but of course it was a good experience for the individuals,” Dassanayake said. “There’s always pressure to give everybody opportunities because its three different countries, but the best performers were given opportunities to continuously play. The rotation was happening mainly with players who were not performing. But I was obligated to give opportunities to everyone.”Dassanayake also felt that the dangling carrot for squad members, a chance at being one of six players drafted by a CPL franchise team through good performances, was good for individual players but at times undermined team results. Even though it was a 50-over tournament, Dassanayake felt that the lure of the CPL draft, however well intended, influenced some players to play in T20 mode with an eye toward future opportunities rather than stay focused on the task at hand. It’s another reason why he feels being in charge of just the USA squad this time around will lead to better results.”When you get a combined team, to have the focus being on the team rather than a future with a T20 cricket [franchise] – it wasn’t easy,” Dassanayake said.”More than anything what hurt [team results] was that mainly the players were taking the tour as an entry for the CPL and the focus was on T20-type cricket [to get drafted], and we were not really looking to play as a team to win games and be more competitive. We got through games and were able to win one. I thought we could have won two or three more if we had been playing basic cricket right. But I think going as the USA team is going to have big value especially when we can play as a team.”USA’s squad for the Super50 is expected to be named over the weekend. They will depart for Antigua in the last week of January for four to five days of preparation locally ahead of their first match on January 31 against Leeward Islands.

The BCCI has agreed to revoke the suspension of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) provided the state association cuts off all ties with Lalit Modi, the ousted IPL commissioner. At its special general body meeting (SGM) on Monday, the BCCI also decided to continue contesting the damages it was ordered to pay to former IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala and the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)’s attempts to bring Indian cricket into its ambit.The RCA was suspended when Modi was elected its president in 2014. In August this year, Modi announced he was giving up all cricket administration “for now” in a letter to the BCCI. The board conceded the suspension has affected cricket in Rajasthan adversely. However, it was quick to remind the RCA that it could have no direct or indirect ties with Modi if the conditional revocation of the suspension was to stay.The BCCI said Modi was not permitted to associate himself with the RCA in any direct or indirect capacity, and if any of the RCA affiliate members continued to do so they be disaffiliated. The BCCI asked the RCA to call a general body meeting to accept these conditions and withdraw all legal cases against the BCCI, with further stipulation that if this resolution was breached in future it would result in automatic suspension without the need of a show-cause notice or other suspension proceedings.The BCCI’s hand was not as heavy in the other legal matter that was on the SGM’s agenda. An arbitration commission had in 2015 awarded Kochi Tuskers INR 550 crore after the franchise had contested its dismissal two years into its existence. The BCCI had also encashed the bank guarantee. The BCCI is yet to pay the amount, and is now set to continue the challenge in the Bombay High Court.”The arbitration commission had awarded an arbitral award in favour of the Kochi franchisee, which has been challenged by the BCCI in the Bombay High Court,” Amitabh Choudhary, the BCCI acting secretary, said. “However, there was also interaction with the erstwhile IPL franchisee. And whether we could come to an amicable out-of-court settlement. A consistent effort was made and both routes were presented to the general body today. The general body thought we must follow the legal route and not settle out of court. So we will continue with the challenge made in the court.”The award, meanwhile, has increased to INR 850 adding the 18% annual penalty in case of non-payment.The BCCI has received letters from the NADA and the government of India to implement the anti-doping programme through the offices of the NADA, which is recognised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but the general body reiterated its stance of resisting the push.”We made our own response, which is exhaustive and essentially says we are WADA-compliant because the ICC Code is WADA-compliant and we are ICC Code-compliant,” Choudhary said. “That is the essence of it. If you go further, we go through the same procedures and labs and observe same therapeutic exemptions as mandated by the WADA. We are doing exactly what WADA wants us to do.”Choudhary wouldn’t say what the BCCI’s reservations against the NADA were but it is understood that the BCCI does not want to be recognised as a national sports federation – those are run by the government of India – and agreeing to come under the umbrella of a government agency could in the future threaten its autonomy.

وجه أسطورة نادي ليفربول، جون ألدريدج، نصيحة إلى المسئولين في الريدز لأجل اختيار خليفة، محمد صلاح، حال رحيله عن قلعة “أنفيلد”.

وينتهي عقد محمد صلاح مع ليفربول في 30 يونيو 2025، لكن هناك شائعات كثيرة حول مدى إمكانية بقاءه من رحيله بعد نهاية الموسم الحالي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب ليفربول يلمح إلى رحيله في نهاية الموسم الحالي

وكتب ألدريدج في مقاله عبر صحيفة “ليفربول إيكو”: “إذا اضطر ليفربول لبيع محمد صلاح لأسباب مالية، يجب عليهم التعاقد مع جارود بوين (لاعب وست هام)”.

وتابع: “مع كامل احترامي لنادي وست هام، لكن إذا كان بوين متاحًا للرحيل وبسعر مناسب للجميع، يجيب على ليفربول التحرك وكذلك أولي واتكينز (مهاجم أستون فيلا)”.

وأضاف: “هذان اللاعبان من أصحاب الخبرات في الخط الهجومي، إذا رحل محمد صلاح، على ليفربول التعاقد مع هذين اللاعبين”.

واستمر: “لكن صفقة واتكينز أصعب لأن أستون فيلا سيشارك في دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل وسوف يحتفظون بلاعبيهم”.

Aston Villa are still among the chasing pack to sign Galatasaray midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo this summer, according to reports.

The Italian would be the Villans' fourth signing of the current transfer window, if he made the move to Villa Park.

What's the latest on Nicolo Zaniolo to Aston Villa?

Zaniolo has been linked with a move away from Galatasaray for the majority of the summer, with Aston Villa consistently among the clubs reportedly interested. And, now, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, Villa, alongside Bayer Leverkusen, are leading the way in the chase for the Italian's signature.

The Italian outlet have reported that Galatasaray will clarify Zaniolo's future as soon as possible, amid offers from around Europe, and in Saudi Arabia, with the Villans showing particularly strong interest.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are also reportedly keeping an eye on the midfielder as another option this summer.

It remains to be seen just how much Galatasaray will ask for Zaniolo in the coming weeks, but Villa have shown that they are more than happy to spend big in recent months, splashing out to welcome Moussa Diaby for a reported £51.9m whilst also signing Pau Torres for a reported £31.5m.

With that said, if the Premier League side increase their interest, it may be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Should Aston Villa sign Nicolo Zaniolo?

As Unai Emery's side gear up to juggle commitments in both the Premier League and the Europa Conference League, adding depth to their midfield wouldn't exactly be a bad thing.

Zaniolo would arrive with plenty of experience, too, despite being just 24-years-old. The midfielder was a permanent fixture at AS Roma for three seasons, before making the move to Galatasaray last season. Whilst in Turkey, he has found his best form, scoring five goals in just ten appearances in the Super Lig.

Such is his talent, Zaniolo has earned plenty of praise throughout his career, with journalist Zach Lowy saying back in 2019 on Twitter: "Nicolò Zaniolo (19). Fast, diligent & physically imposing, Zaniolo is superb in all defensive assets, from pressing to tracking back. With a deadly left foot & top vision, he’s a lethal playmaker. Without a doubt, the crown jewel of Monchi’s otherwise disappointing time at Roma."

Of course, Monchi is now at Villa Park, so could look to repeat his own masterclass regarding the Italy international for a second time.

Meanwhile, in the highest praise that he has received, Roma legend Daniele De Rossi said back in 2019, via the official club website: “He has an incredible natural physique for someone who is only 19 and also has great technical quality. In my opinion, as perhaps with everyone now, he is already a very good player – and can become a great one.”

When a player earns such praise from an iconic midfielder, it is clear that they have plenty of talent.

With that said, Villa, next to Leverkusen in pole position, must make a decision regarding their pursuit of Zaniolo. If they push ahead and secure his signature, Emery will have welcomed four big marquee reinforcements this summer, as his side look to cause a few shocks in the coming months.

Aston Villa are "going to be very busy this summer" as they target Stade Rennais winger Jérémy Doku, claims Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

Is Jérémy Doku joining Aston Villa this summer?

It has been a wild nine months for Villa since the appointment of Spanish tactician Unai Emery as manager. The club went from a relegation scrap to a different scrap altogether, one for European football.

With their qualification for the Conference League secure and spirits high, the West Midlands outfit have been on something of a spending spree of late.

First came Leicester City's highly rated Youri Tielemans on a free, before Villarreal's Pau Torres arrived for a fee of £31.5m. Most recently, the Villans have announced the arrival of exciting French winger Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record fee in the region of £52m.

If that were the end of the club's business this summer, it would be hard to argue that it wasn't fantastic as it is.

However, the Claret and Blue aren't finished just yet, as they look set to target Belgian prospect Jeremy Doku.

Solhekol explained the situation live on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"According to reports in France as well, Aston Villa are targeting another winger, the Rennes winger Jérémy Doku. So Villa appear as if they're going to be very busy this summer.

"Unai Emery [is] really working to strengthen his squad."

How good is Jérémy Doku?

Having spent his short career exclusively in the Belgian and French leagues so far, fans in England could be forgiven for not knowing much about the exciting 21-year-old. However, given the potential people think he possesses, it might not be long until everyone knows his name.

This potential led to GOAL placing him in 14th place on their list of the top 50 wonderkids in world football back in 2021, ahead of the likes of Chelsea's promising winger Noni Madueke. And unlike so many 'wonderkids' before him, Doku has been slowly progressing and improving his game in the years since his nomination.

Last season he made 29 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennais, scoring six goals, providing two assists and maintaining a passing accuracy of 86.4%, which was enough for him to average a seriously impressive match rating of 7.08 – the fourth-best in the entire squad – per WhoScored.

Where he shines, however, and gives us a glimpse of just how exceptional a talent he really is, are his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Doku sits in the top 1% for Non-Penalty Goals, expected assists, shot-creating actions, progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches in the opposition's penalty area and progressive passes received per 90.

Alongside his frankly outrageous raw numbers, he has also received praise from one of the best footballers on the planet, Kylian Mbappe, who, back in 2021, said:

"Recently, I was speaking with my father about a player who impressed me because of his speed qualities, that is Doku, at Rennes. In five years as a professional, I have never seen someone from a standing start demonstrate so much power."

Even Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has given his opinion on the dynamic winger, saying:

"He's agile, fast and he knows how to dribble. Sure, he sometimes makes a mistake, but who doesn't? It is a diamond in the rough."

If Villa can get this deal over the line and find a way to play him with Diaby, they could be fighting for more than just European football come the end of next season.

Derbyshire allrounder Shiv Thakor has been arrested following allegations that he indecently exposed himself

George Dobell14-Jul-2017Derbyshire allrounder Shiv Thakor has been arrested.Thakor, a former England U19 player, was suspended by the club on full pay last week after allegations that he had indecently exposed himself.”The club has been advised that one of our players, Shiv Thakor, has been arrested by police investigating allegations concerning the player when he was not on duty with the club,” Derbyshire said in a statement.”In consultation with the player’s representatives, the player continues to be suspended on full pay pending the outcome of the investigations.For legal reasons, the club is unable to comment further at this stage.”

Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven has personally agreed to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Dutch journalist Mike Verweij.

Who are Spurs signing this summer?

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, England international playmaker James Maddison and winger Dejan Kulusevski are all now permanent Spurs player – with the latter signing indefinitely after an 18-month loan spell.

New manager Ange Postocoglou, speaking after the captures of Vicario and Maddison this window, has been left particularly enthralled by their quality and believes they have the right character for a winning dressing room.

“It’s not just about the talent they bring as footballers,” said Postecoglou.

“Both those guys have got it in abundance. I could hear it in their voices when I spoke to them. I had a couple of chats with both of them before we signed them and I knew that they were the right types to bring into the dressing room.”

After the aforementioned trio, it is widely expected that Israel international winger Manor Solomon will become a Tottenham player, with FIFA rulings allowing him to join Spurs on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The former Fulham star impressed on a temporary spell at Craven Cottage last season, which will have prompted Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy to make a move.

He certainly won’t be Tottenham’s last hurrah, though, as the north Londoners are believed to be attempting the signing of a centre-back this summer – leading to interest in both Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen and ven de Ven.

The latter defender has been heavily linked with a move to N17, and Dutch reporter Verweij has a promising update.

Personal terms are seemingly done for the Netherlands international, on a contract until 2028, with van de Ven seemingly agreeing to join Spurs.

Who is Micky van de Ven?

The 22-year-old, who starred for Wolfsburg under Niko Kovac last season, has even been revered for his “lightning fast” speed by the Bundesliga’s official website.

“Van de Ven can be a nightmare for attacking players with his immense strength, determination and precision tackling scuppering the most promising of forward moves,” Bundesliga wrote.

“With incredible pace and passing ability among his many assets, the Netherlands U21 international – who captained his country at the 2023 UEFA Europan Under-21 Championship – is on course to become a regular for the senior Oranje in the near future.”

Meanwhile, Kovac has heaped praise on van de Ven for his exceptional form, calling him “extraordinary” in a recent interview.

“Micky is a great boy [and] a really good footballer,” said Kovac.

“What he’s showing at the moment is extraordinary.”