تحدث حمادة عبد اللطيف لاعب الزمالك السابق، عن مباراة اليوم أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا، التي انتهت بالفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس مصر، كما أشاد بلاعب الفريق أحمد سيد زيزو.

والتقى الزمالك مع سيراميكا كليوباترا، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي ضمن منافسات نصف نهائي بطولة كأس مصر 2025.

وقال حمادة عبد اللطيف في تصريحات عبر قناة “الزمالك”: “زيزو من أهم اللاعبين المتواجدين في الزمالك هو وعبد الله السعيد، الثنائي مميزين ومهمين جدًا”.

طالع أيضاً.. في الوقت القاتل.. زيزو يسجل هدف الزمالك الثاني أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا (فيديو)

وأضاف: “زيزو لم يلمس الكرة كثيرًا ولكن الأهم النتيجة، وأحيي مجلس الإدارة وممدوح عباس أنهما تواصلا مع زيزو من أجل التجديد، الزمالك يريد بطولات ونتمنى ألا نُفرط في أي لاعب مهم”.

وأشاد: “زيزو استطاع أن يُسعد الجماهير وسجل هدفًا من أجمل الأهداف، هدف زيزو ساعدنا أن نصل إلى نهائي كأس مصر”.

وأفاد: “أحيي بيسيرو والجهاز الفني، احترموا جدًا سيراميكا كليوباترا، ليس مهم الاستحواذ، الأهم من يفوز، لاعبو الزمالك أعطوا العيدية للجماهير”.

وأتم: “أحمد سيد زيزو لاعب مصري بشخصية أجنبية”.

Devon Conway returned from injury and promptly struck his second century in Test cricket, on his home debut in the format. New Zealand, as a result, finished ahead of Bangladesh on the first day in Mount Maunganui, going to stumps 258 for 5 on New Year’s Day. The visitors however would still be happy with the way they did not let the hosts get further away from them, fighting back with late wickets after New Zealand had two decent partnerships in the first and second sessions.Conway made 122 off 227 balls with 16 fours and a six over midwicket, which brought up his fifty after lunch. He favoured the on-side and remained strong square of the wicket, only hitting straight drives when fed something absolutely full. He steadied New Zealand after an early wicket with a 138-run second wicket stand with Will Young, who made 52. Conway added a further 50 with Ross Taylor, who looked to attack Bangladesh after tea.The limelight however remained on Conway who was nearing his maiden Test hundred at home. He struck Ebadot Hossain through the covers to reach the nineties, before reaching the milestone with a single down to fine leg.In the following over however, Shoriful Islam had Taylor – who will be retiring from Tests at the end of this series – caught at cover for 31. Conway looked well settled at the other end, but he too fell just before the second new ball was due. Part-timer Mominul Haque, bowling his floaty left-arm spin to fill in the overs, had Conway caught down the leg side for 122, sparking vigourous from his team-mates.Ebadot also got a reward at the end of the day when he had Tom Blundell bowled off the inside edge, giving Bangladesh something to be pleased about as they trudged off the ground. Much of the day had belonged to the hosts, though.Shoriful removed New Zealand’s stand-in captain Tom Latham in the fourth over of the morning – the left-arm quick got one to nip back into Latham, who inside edged the ball on to his pad and it lobbed behind where wicketkeeper Liton Das dived in front of the first slip to complete the catch. It was a big wicket given Latham was averaging 90-plus against Bangladesh before this game.The early wicket meant that Young and Conway had to build from scratch almost. They left a lot of balls in the first hour, which allowed them to get the measure of the lengths they would want to attack. Bangladesh’s fast bowlers, particularly Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful, did bowl impressively in the first hour. But the pressure was off shortly after the first hour, when Conway and Young struck seven fours between them to given the home side some breathing space.Both batters reached their respective fifties early in the second session, but Young escaped a chance when he was on 27. Shoriful got Young’s outside edge with a beautiful delivery in the first over after lunch, but neither the bowler nor wicketkeeper appealed.Conway reached his fifty with a six off Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who he then smashed for two more fours later in the over. Young fell on 52, though, run out through a slight miscommunication with Conway. It was a waste of a wicket as Young, like Conway, seemed to have sized up the Bangladesh attack and looked on course for a big one. Conway went on to do the joy, batting steadily for much of the rest of the day to prop New Zealand up.

Are the Liverpool first team, who are flying so high, the sum of Jurgen Klopp’s dynasty or of Arne Slot’s lightning-fast start to life on Merseyside?

To be sure, Slot inherited a top-class team, but he’s inculcated his football philosophy with such slickness and style that it’s as if Klopp has simply shed an outer layer, metamorphosing into an imperious new form.

It’s quite a thing that Liverpool had such a quiet summer transfer window and are operating in the shadow of worrying contract situations concerning Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all into the final year of their deals.

So many players have been at the height of their game, but Ibrahima Konate might just be the Anfield side’s player of the season so far.

Ibrahima Konate's season in numbers

Konate has been a monstrous presence in central defence this season, and he’s actually starting to rival his skipper, Van Dijk, for the prize as Liverpool’s star centre-back, with The Athletic’s James Pearce hailing the “imperious” partnership.

Premier League 24/25: Virgil van Dijk & Ibrahima Konate

Match Stats*

Van Dijk

Konate

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

11 (10)

Goals

1

1

Assists

1

1

Clean sheets

6

6

Touches*

93.8

70.2

Pass completion

91%

91%

Key passes*

0.5

0.3

Ball recoveries*

3.0

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

2.4

1.6

Clearances*

4.8

3.6

Total duels won*

4.5 (66%)

4.3 (73%)

Stats via Sofascore (* = per game)

Konate might not be as commanding as the other end of Liverpool’s central defensive axis, but he’s certainly starting to showcase his first-class quality with the regularity that fans have yearned for right since he stepped onto Merseyside in 2021, having signed from RB Leipzig for a £36m fee.

Injuries are behind him. Now let’s hope it just stays that way. Federico Chiesa could take a leaf from the hulking defender’s book, but at the moment, the dynamic forward’s future under Slot’s wing isn’t looking good.

Federico Chiesa's bleak start

It’s incredible, it really is. Liverpool spent all summer umming and ahhing, hesitant to launch an official bid at a new player. Martin Zubimendi rejected the Reds, but Ryan Gravenberch has compensated for that failure and then some.

Chiesa was the sole signing, and it’s indeed incredible that he has scarcely played for the club, yet still, they have made significant improvements and perch atop the Premier League and Champions League tables as the November international break gets underway.

With Liverpool’s frontline already well-stocked, Chiesa was not a necessary signing, but rather a unique opportunity. He’s had his injury issues, but Juventus wanted to cash in on a player nearing the final year of their contract, and thus he was snapped up for just £12.5m in August.

It was always going to be a risk, but a comparatively low one. Even so, Chiesa’s injury-ravaged start to life in England offers shades of Klopp’s worst signing: Arthur Melo.

Arthur joined Liverpool from Juventus on a season-long loan on summer transfer deadline day in 2022. Having missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni and failed to entice conversations with Borussia Dortmund, who held onto Jude Bellingham with an iron-fingered grip, this last-ditch attempt to shore up the midfield looked like a panicked move from the offing.

Arthur’s fitness struggles overwhelmed him entirely. He played the final 13 minutes of Liverpool’s Champions League defeat against Napoli, and that was the sum of his competitive action for the Reds’ senior side.

Chiesa, at least, has already surpassed that, with three appearances (one start) and one assist to his name at Liverpool. Even so, the Italy international, whose £150k-per-week contract is over double what Konate – £70k-per-week – takes home, will be frightened of becoming a forgotten figure so soon into life on the banks of the River Mersey.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed, though perhaps a swift exit – either temporary or on loan – may be the best solution for all parties in January, with reports already rife regarding a winter switch.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2024

Romeo Beckham has paid tribute to his father David by copying the Manchester United and England legend's infamous mohawk haircut.

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• Ferguson made Becks shave his head
• Brought mohawk back out on England duty
• Romeo emulating his famous father

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ahead of the 2000-01 campaign, with the Red Devils in Community Shield action, Beckham decided to alter his image – having already seen his hairstyles become as famous as his right foot. The Three Lions captain opted to shave his head, but leave a strip of hair down the middle.

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  WHAT DAVID BECKHAM SAID

  That decision did not go down well with iconic United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, with Beckham revealing some years later: "The mohawk was slightly different because I'd had a photoshoot that week. We were playing in the Charity Shield and the gaffer looked at me once I took my cap off and said, 'shave it off', as I was just about to go out for the warm-up. I had to get a pair of clippers, go into the changing room at Wembley and shave it off. He wouldn't have played me."

• THE GOSSIP

  Beckham did get to showcase that style in public when heading off on England duty in May 2001. With Ferguson no longer around to tell him off, a man that earned 115 caps for his country experimented again with a haircut that took on various guises through to the 2002 World Cup.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Romeo, who has decided against following in his father’s footsteps after spending time with Inter Miami and Brentford, has shown that he is a chip off the old block. In a photoshoot for Interview Magazine, the 22-year-old has shaved his own head into a mohawk design.

Ireland captain opens up on dealing with the uncertainty of playing or not, and isolation in hotel rooms

Vishal Dikshit07-Jan-2022The Ireland squad that has moved from Florida to Jamaica is not only dealing with the challenges of a depleted squad – they have left Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate behind – but also with the mental challenges of dealing with Covid-19, which cancelled their recent ODI series against USA after a spree of positive cases.Captain Andy Balbirnie said the team’s morale is now “pretty good” compared to how it was in Florida, but opened up on the stressful time the squad went through as positive cases spread in the camp.The touring Ireland side now prepares for three ODIs and a lone T20I in Jamaica, starting on Saturday. A string of Ireland players had tested positive before the T20Is against USA last month and once the ODIs were called off, Stirling and Getkate tested positive as well. They are expected to join the squad in Jamaica on Sunday.Related

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Paul Stirling, Shane Getkate test positive for Covid-19

“The morale is pretty good, it’s better than Florida,” Balbirnie told reporters during a virtual press conference a day before the first ODI. “It was very difficult, some of us had to leave our family members in Florida and come here for this series. I was one of them.”But as soon as we got into training and international series mode, your focus comes back. You can’t dwell too much on what’s happened. If you do that you’re going to some pretty dark places. We’re lucky we get these opportunities to bounce back on a regular basis.”Playing with Covid is more challenging off the pitch than on the pitch because you’re worrying about tests, then told to stay in the room till the tests come back and you’re told it’s going to be delayed and you’re literally sitting on the edge of your seat in your room wondering if you have it. At the same time we’ve got a job to do once we cross the white line, no matter what’s going on.”Even though a lot of players around the world are now vaccinated and squads live in bio-bubbles to play international cricket, Balbirnie said the stress of going through tests again and again was draining and affects players’ mental health.”It’s hugely challenging. It has a massive effect on your mental health. Like getting a PCR test and sitting in your room for 24 hours, not knowing if you’re going to miss the whole series and to spend 14 days in a room with no balcony, it’s not healthy. I don’t really think you can continue [like that], there need to be ways to look after the players’ welfare or they’ll decide not to go on tour and that’ll be completely understandable. You have to look after them first and foremost as an individual before a cricketer.”

“Getting a PCR test and sitting in your room for 24 hours, not knowing if you’re going to miss the whole series and to spend 14 days in a room with no balcony, it’s not healthy.”Andy Balbirnie

With Stirling and Getkate unavailable for the opening ODI, Balbirnie said it would give one of the youngsters a chance to shine, especially in Stirling’s absence. He also confirmed Ireland would stick to the same top three that played in the warm-up against Jamaica on Wednesday in a five-wicket loss.”It’s very strange [to be without Stirling],” Balbirnie said. “I think I played a series against Scotland back in 2014 which was the last time I lined up in an ODI without him. It’s massively disappointing to lose him for the first game but at the same time it means someone has to step up now. We need to produce match-winners. Hopefully one of the young guys can have the experience of winning a game for Ireland, that’s why you play the game.”

As Ruud van Nistelrooy looks to make it four games unbeaten to end his interim run in charge, the stand-in Manchester United boss has been handed a major boost in the form of the latest injury news.

Man Utd injury news

The Red Devils have finally had the chance to catch their breath in the last couple of weeks, returning to form following a disastrous spell under Erik ten Hag. Hiring Ruben Amorim in between those breaths, those at Old Trafford will be desperately hoping that he’s the answer that they’ve been looking for in the last decade. Before the former Sporting Club boss arrives, however, United will have the chance to celebrate the small job that Van Nistelrooy has done on a temporary basis.

Having begun his interim spell with victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, Van Nistelrooy can go full circle by defeating the Foxes in his final game in charge and has already been handed a potential boost in pursuit of three points.

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As highlighted by BBC’s Match of the Day, Luke Shaw was pictured in Manchester United training ahead of the Leicester game and may now make his return to action for the first time since Euro 2024.

Of course, whether the Red Devils decide to risk the injury-prone left-back remains to be seen in what would be the ultimate step in his recovery. Ultimately, however, Manchester United should be easing Shaw back into the side rather than rushing and running the risk of an instant setback as a result.

Timed perfectly for Amorim’s arrival at the very least, Shaw’s return represents a major boost for the new manager.

"Leader" Shaw returning at the perfect time

Having missed the storm that was the end of Ten Hag’s tenure, Shaw now looks set to make his return amid a fresh start for all involved at Manchester United and will likely find himself in a new role. Unlike his predecessors, Amorim deploys a back five which, if selected, will see Shaw line up at left wing-back rather than left-back to take full advantage of his attacking exploits.

A different role but one he played at times for England under Gareth Southgate, Shaw could be among those who benefit the most from Amorim’s arrival. If the new manager is as big a fan of the Three Lions star as Ten Hag was then he’s in for a smooth transition too.

Ten Hag, once full of praise for the £150,000-a-week star, told reporters via the Daily Mail: “I like that he’s so honest. After the second game, he didn’t play and said: ‘I fully understand, my performance is not right’.

“But from the first day in training at pre-season, he was working really hard, and you can see when he has the right approach he’s a top player. I don’t mean only as a team player, he’s a leader. He’s showed a lot of leadership capacities. He’s the example at this moment, and with his skills and his physical power he brings a lot to the team.”

Avram Glazer ended speculations about a potential sale of his stake in Manchester United with a firm response when asked about his future plans.

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United in dire financial condition Spent £14.5m on compensation to football staffYet, Glazer has no plans to sell the clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

United released their quarterly financial report, which highlighted significant expenses related to managerial changes. The club has spent £14.5 million on severance costs following the departure of key football staff, including manager Erik ten Hag and sporting director Dan Ashworth. In fact, their dire financial situation has been laid before with the club’s total debt having now exceeded £1 billion, including £731 million in financial liabilities and an additional £300 million owed in transfer-related payments.

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The Glazer family’s reign at Old Trafford has been a source of frustration for United supporters ever since their controversial leveraged buyout in 2005. Many fans had hoped Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment would usher in a new dawn, but several measures taken by the INEOS chief, including increased ticket prices, have incensed the fans even more.

WHAT GLAZER SAID

While in Miami, Glazer was questioned by about whether he would consider selling United, to which he gave an emphatic one-word reply: “No.”

He was also asked about Ratcliffe’s recent decisions, particularly the 250 staff layoffs that have taken place since he took control of the club’s football operations. Reports suggest that further job cuts could be on the horizon as Ratcliffe seeks to streamline the club’s operations. However, Glazer opted not to comment on the issue, instead stating that he was on his way to meet President Donald Trump.

"I'm on my way to see the president right now," he said. "I don't think it's appropriate to talk about it right now."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

While financial concerns dominate discussions off the pitch, United’s performances on it have been equally troubling. The Red Devils are currently enduring one of their worst Premier League campaigns in decades, languishing in 15th place in the table. The combination of poor results, instability within the club’s hierarchy, and financial uncertainty has left fans increasingly frustrated. The Red Devils face a tricky trip to Goodison Park next to take on Everton on Sunday in their next Premier League fixture.

Glasgow Rangers have to find a way to improve their form in the Scottish Premiership if they want to end a run of three years without a league title.

They have not lifted the trophy since they went unbeaten in the 2020/21 campaign under Steven Gerrard, with Michael Beale as his assistant, as their closest rivals have won the last three.

Since Gerrard’s departure from Ibrox in 2021, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Beale as the head coach, and Philippe Clement have all tried and failed to match his achievement.

Clement has won a trophy during his time in charge of the Scottish giants, however, with a League Cup success last year, and is in the final of that competition, against Celtic at Hampden Park next month, this season.

His side, however, are third in the Premiership and have lost three of their 11 league games so far this term, which has left them nine points behind Celtic and Aberdeen in the title race.

The January transfer window opens for business in less than a month-and-a-half and the Belgian boss could dip into the market to bolster his team.

How Rangers' summer signings have performed

In the recent summer transfer window, Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen made ten new signings in an attempt to improve the squad.

Liam Kelly, Clinton Nsiala, and Connor Barron all came in after the expiry of their contracts with their previous clubs and only Barron has established himself as a regular in the team, starting ten of the 11 league games so far.

Another standout addition from that crop of recruits has been Vaclav Cerny, who arrived on a season-long loan from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. The Czechia international has provided six goals and five assists in 18 appearances in all competitions so far.

Rangers also have two players down the left side of the pitch who have impressed since moving to the club on permanent moves, in Jefte and Nedim Barjami.

Appearances

7

9

Goals

1

0

Big chances created

4

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.3

1.6

Tackles + interceptions per game

0.8

4.6

As you can see in the table above, both players have provided dynamism with their ability to dribble past opponents consistently, whilst Jefte offers defensive strength and Bajrami has the creative quality to open up defences.

Another summer signing who had a solid start to life at Ibrox is Mohamed Diomande, who joined permanently from Danish side FC Nordsjælland after a loan spell last term.

Clement could instantly land an upgrade on the midfielder, who has started eight of his nine appearances in the Premiership this season, by signing reported target Lennon Miller.

Rangers interested in Lennon Miller

The Daily Mail recently reported that the Scottish giants are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign the Motherwell central midfielder when the January transfer window opens for business.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It was claimed that Rangers and Celtic are both preparing swoops to sign the Scotland U21 international to bolster their options in the middle of the park, whilst Liverpool are also said to be keeping tabs on his situation.

Signing Miller will come at a substantial cost, however, as the Daily Mail revealed that Motherwell are looking for a fee of at least £4m to allow the teenager to move on, as they want a club-record fee in excess of the £3m they were once paid by the Hoops for David Turnbull.

It remains to be seen whether or not Celtic or Rangers are willing to pay the £4m that is seemingly required to sign him, but they are both said to be preparing offers to snap him up in January.

They may have to battle it out to convince him that they are the right next step for him in his development, which could become all the more difficult if Liverpool realise their interest in him and officially join the race – as the current leaders in the Premier League title race.

Clement and Koppen must push the boat out and do all that they can to win the race for his services, however, as he could come in as a big upgrade on Diomande in the middle of the park.

Why Lennon Miller would be an upgrade on Mohamed Diomande

Firstly, Miller is five years younger than the Ivorian ace and would come in with plenty of time left to develop and improve over the years to come at Ibrox.

This means that the Gers would be bringing in an asset with the potential to soar in value, potentially making them millions in profit on a potential £4m deal in the future.

They would also be signing a player whose performances on the pitch in the Premiership suggest that he would come in to improve Clement’s team in the second half of the season.

In the 2023/24 campaign, Diomande scored two goals and failed to provide an assist in 13 league appearances, whilst winning 52% of his duels out of possession.

Meanwhile, Miller, who has been described as “ridiculous” by James McFadden, managed zero goals and two assists in 25 league games for Motherwell, winning 68% of his duels as a 17-year-old talent.

Appearances

9

11

Goals

1

2

Big chances created

3

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.6

3.0

Ball recoveries per game

3.2

6.5

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish starlet has outperformed the Rangers man with his contributions in and out of possession in the Premiership this term.

He has provided a greater goal threat, more ‘big chances’ for his teammates, and offered far more to his team off the ball, with 9.5 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game, which is why the youngster would be a big upgrade – due to his ability at both ends of the pitch.

To produce this level of performance in the top-flight on a regular basis, outshining a 23-year-old Rangers star, at the age of just 18 speaks to how big of a talent Miller is, and why Rangers must swoop to sign him as an upgrade on Diomande in January.

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 16, 2024

CWI and PCB to hold meeting to determine fate of tour after all remaining touring party members have been tested again

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2021

Shai Hope is among the five members of the West Indies touring contingent to test positive on Wednesday•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies’ ongoing tour of Pakistan has been cast into doubt with five more members of the touring party testing positive for Covid-19. The five include players Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Justin Greaves, along with assistant coach Roddy Estwick and team physician Dr Akshai Mansingh.Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that all three players will be unavailable for the remaining games – one T20I on Thursday and three ODIs – and that all five members who tested positive will remain in isolation for 10 days. They will not be allowed to join the main group until they return negative tests. Once all remaining members of the touring party have been tested again, CWI and PCB officials will meet to determine if the tour can continue.Related

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With Sheldon Cottrell, Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers having already been ruled out due to positive Covid-19 tests earlier, and a finger injury to Devon Thomas (sustained during the first T20I), the West Indies are now short of six players, raising questions over the viability of the tour continuing.That leaves the tourists with only 14 available players to choose from in their T20I and ODI squads, with the batting particularly hard hit. Only Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Shamarh Brooks and Darren Bravo remain available among specialist batters.Cottrell, Chase and Mayers had returned positive results in the initial tests that were done after the team’s arrival in Karachi on December 9. The trio missed both the T20Is that have been played so far, with Pakistan taking a series-winning 2-0 lead after winning both. The third T20I is scheduled for Thursday, December 16.West Indies were already without many of their senior players for the tour, due to rest, injuries or personal reasons, with none of Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis or Fabian Allen available.

Birmingham City cruised to yet another victory in League One against Bolton Wanderers last time out, with both clubs once Premier League regulars now scrapping it out in the lower depths of the EFL.

Chris Davies’ men are certainly doing better this season, with the 2-0 win over Ian Evatt’s men helping matters, as the Blues sit top of the pile whilst the Trotters occupy an unsatisfactory 14th spot in the division.

Birmingham will already be dreaming about an immediate return to the Championship off the back of their top-of-the-table heroics, with fans that have stuck by the Blues throughout years of turbulence in the league above aware that there have been faces that shone in the tricky league over recent years, even as their side routinely fought off relegation.

Top performers for Birmingham in the Championship

They even have one on their books right now, with Jay Stansfield crowned Birmingham’s top scorer in league action last season with a promising return of 12 strikes from 43 games, as the ex-Fulham man consistently stood out as a bright spark even as relegation was confirmed.

Another striker by the name of Lukas Jutkiewicz also sticks out as a recent hall-of-Famer at St. Andrew’s – who is still present in Davies’ camp too – with the imposing centre-forward amassing 336 appearances for the Blues to date regularly playing in the second tier, reliably chipping in with 66 goals along the way.

Other notable names include Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, who began his playing days at the Blues before going on to become a world-class talent in Spain, alongside the likes of Demarai Gray who now plays out in Saudi Arabia after scoring eight goals from 77 games once on the books of Davies’ men.

There is another figure that could spring to mind in the form of Che Adams, who ended his time with Birmingham by registering a sublime 22 league goals during the 2018/19 season, before a major switch to Southampton came to fruition.

Adams' move to Southampton

Before that breakout campaign, the ex-Birmingham number nine hadn’t always been a devastating goal machine, only registering 12 league strikes the two seasons prior to his big moment in the spotlight.

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Off the back of this goal-laden patch of games leading the line for the Championship club, however, a bumper move to the Premier League beckoned, with caretaker manager Pep Clotet selling on the Scotland international for £15m in the summer of 2019.

Adams’ record since leaving Birmingham
Club played for	Games	Goals
Southampton	191	48
Torino	10	4
Sourced by Transfermarkt

The goals haven’t dried up either for the now 28-year-old forward away from St. Andrew’s, as the one-time Blues youngster played a crucial role in Southampton’s recent promotion exploits by firing home 15 strikes from 41 league games last season.

Ex-Saints boss Ralph Hassenhuttl would even label Adams as “fantastic” when the striker competed in the Premier League, but the conclusion of his time on the South Coast will leave a bad taste in the mouth for those at St. Mary’s who regularly cheered his name.

He would up and leave for Torino on a free transfer this summer just gone, after failing to agree a new deal at Russell Martin’s men, with the Serie A club picking up a smart bargain in the process.

With four goals already under his belt in Italy, Southampton will curse that they couldn’t have at least got some money out of the sale, if he was dead set on departing England.

Birmingham will just be pleased they cashed in when they did, with Adams’ value now at Torino coming in at the £8m mark as per Football Transfers, meaning he is worth £7m less than his previous flashy £15m price tag.

Davies will have everything crossed that his current troops can make an immediate leap back up to the Championship come the end of the campaign, away from the Scotsman’s promising start to life in Serie A, with the likes of Stansfield eyeing up Adams’ 22 goals as a potential target to beat.

Sold for £6.3m: Birmingham hit gold with ace who's now worth millions less

Birmingham City would have been glad to just get this player off their books.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 4, 2024