It wasn’t easy, but Chelsea managed to get over the line against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night.

Enzo Maresca’s side managed to get themselves ahead of the Old Gold just five minutes into the game, and looked completely out of sight by half-time.

However, the West Londoners found themselves in a real scrap halfway through the second 45, and were it not for a wonder goal from Jamie Gittens, they might not still be in the League Cup.

However, while there were a few players who let themselves down in the second period, the biggest disappointment for the Blues was Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, the Englishman could see himself replaced next season.

Delap's diabolical night

After spending the last two months out with a hamstring injury, Delap finally made his return to first-team action against Wolves.

Chalkboard

The former Ipswich Town star came on for Estevao in the 61st minute, and it would be fair to say he more than made his mark, just not in the way he would have wanted.

In the 79th minute, he received a yellow card for pushing a Wolves player and arguing with the referee, which at the time was a foolish thing to do.

However, just seven minutes later, the Englishman did something even stupider and elbowed Emmanuel Agbadou in the head, which unsurprisingly saw him receive a second yellow and get sent off.

It was a true horror show from the striker, as he wasn’t even able to have a single shot before being sent off.

Speaking after the match, Maresca didn’t hold back, describing the incident as “embarrassing” and “very stupid.”

Such a response might sound harsh, but given the state of the game and the nature of the cards, it is hard to disagree with the Italian.

Delap will surely be desperate to make amends when he returns, although he might have to do more than that, as come next season, Maresca will have another forward in the squad who could be a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea's future Delap upgrade

With Nicolas Jackson at Bayern Munich and Joao Pedro playing better behind a striker, there aren’t too many options for replacing Delap this season.

However, that will not be the case next year, as Strasbourg star Emanuel Emegha will be making his way to Chelsea in the summer.

The Dutchman might not be a particularly well-known name in England at the moment, but he’s been playing well in France for a couple of years now and looks like he could make a real impact at Stamford Bridge.

For example, in his first season with the Ligue 1 outfit, the 22-year-old managed to rack up a tally of nine goals and two assists in 31 appearances, totalling 2226 minutes.

However, last season he did even better, ending the campaign with an impressive haul of 14 goals and three assists in 29 appearances, totalling just 2408 minutes.

In comparison, Delap managed to score 12 goals and provide two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2670 minutes, for the Tractor Boys.

Unfortunately, the “simply phenomenal” centre-forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is currently injured. However, before his injury, he looked set for his best season to date, scoring four goals and providing two assists in just six appearances, totalling 384 minutes.

Appearances

66

Starts

56

Minutes

5018′

Goals

27

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

147.58′

Ultimately, not only does Emegha have a better record than Delap, but he has also never received a red card; therefore, he could be a real upgrade for Chelsea next year.

Not Estevao: Chelsea star looks like Palmer 2.0 after Wolves "masterclass"

The exciting ace made all the difference for Maresca and Chelsea vs Wolves.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 30, 2025

Kieran McKenna has delivered his verdict on Celtic following recent reports that the Scottish giants could look to land the Ipswich Town manager to replace Brendan Rodgers.

It’s been quite the week at Celtic Park. Chaos unfolded on Monday when Brendan Rodgers made the decision to resign and since then, the Hoops have travelled back in time – appointing Martin O’Neill on an interim basis.

The veteran manager has instantly got the Scottish champions back to winning ways, overseeing a 4-0 victory over Falkirk on Wednesday evening before telling reporters: “I’m really pleased to win in the manner we did, and we played some delightful stuff. Could have scored a couple more, too.

“My anxiety has calmed somewhat. When you get a few goals in front you can perhaps enjoy the last 10 or 15 minutes, and it kind of brought me back. I’ve not seen Celtic often, not live, to make criticism of this side. A restoration of confidence was great.”

Leaving O’Neill to turn things around on the pitch, Parkhead chiefs have commenced their search for a new manager and already faced their first blow thanks to Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian has reportedly chosen to take a break from football after getting the sack at Nottingham Forest just 39 days into the job. This shuts down any rumours that he could be making a sensational return to Scotland in the coming weeks.

Forced to search elsewhere, Celtic could yet turn towards Wales boss Craig Bellamy or Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen, who has refused to rule a move out.

Meanwhile, another option is McKenna. The Ipswich Town boss has quite the reputation and has reportedly made Celtic’s shortlist as a result. Whether he decides to call it quits at Portman Road is another question, however.

Kieran McKenna delivers fresh Celtic verdict

Asked about the vacant job in his latest press conference, McKenna revealed where he ranks Celtic as a club whilst also speaking about his verdict on the position in Scotland.

Despite holding them in high regard, it looks as though Celtic will have a tough task on their hands if they want to lure McKenna away from Ipswich.

The former Manchester United coach has done an excellent job in Suffolk, taking Ipswich to as high as the Premier League following back-to-back promotions before suffering relegation last season.

Former Irish League star Thomas Stewart is one of many ex-players and pundits to have praised McKenna, previously telling reporters: “He’s well-educated, an intelligent man and I always felt that when we had conversations when we were younger.

As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

This Celtic star who was as good as Johnny Kenny is now undroppable for Martin O’Neill.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 30, 2025

“I think we were the only two from the U16 Victory Shield team that got left out and went on to play for the U21 team. I’ve full respect for him and he’s doing an amazing job.”

For now, though, Celtic may be forced to miss out on their managerial target.

Celtic to contact Craig Bellamy

Manny Machado's legacy is already secured, and it looks far different than it did a few years ago.

On Monday night, Machado notched his 2,000th career hit with a fourth-inning single against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen. In doing so, the seven-time All-Star became the 12th player in major league history to reach 2,000 hits and have 350 home runs through his age-32 season. Hank Aaron, Jimmy Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Ken Griffey Jr., Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Mel Ott and Frank Robinson accomplished the feat and are all in the Hall of Fame. The other three to do it are Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez.

The takeaway? Manny Machado will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Once a controversial figure, Machado has transformed himself into one of baseball's most consistent stars. He averages 32 home runs per 162 games despite never crossing the 40-homer threshold in a season, and with 357 career home runs after launching one in the eighth inning Monday, he has a decent shot at joining the 500-homer club one day. Beyond his immense talent, he has earned the respect of those around him for one simple reason: he shows up every day.

Machado isn't what you picture when thinking of a "grinder." He has garnered criticism in the past for not giving it his all on every play, and even once said in 2018, “I'm not the type of player that's going to be 'Johnny Hustle.’” His graceful approach both at the plate and in the field can make everything look easy. But his effort level has not been questioned in recent years, and it’s worth considering that his willingness to conserve his energy when the time is right has contributed to his remarkable ability to stay on the field.

During his 14-year MLB career, Machado, who turned 33 on Sunday, has played 150 or more games nine times, and he played in all 60 during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Since 2015, only Paul Goldschmidt has played more games (1,551) than Machado's 1,536. He has started all 90 of San Diego's games this season, playing third base in 82 of them.

Machado has been named All-MLB three times since the honor was established in 2019. He has four top-five MVP finishes—including being runner-up in 2022—two Gold Gloves, a Platinum Glove and two Silver Sluggers. Since breaking into the big leagues in 2012, he's fourth in hits (2,001), fifth in home runs (357), fourth in RBIs (1,102), and fifth in WAR (60.3). The No. 3 pick in the 2010 MLB draft has always oozed talent, but his ability to show up every day separates him from his peers.

Not only does Machado rarely take games off for rest—he has remained remarkably healthy. On May 19, 2023, he was placed on the injured list due to a fracture in his left hand when then-Kansas City Royals righty Brad Keller hit him with a pitch. That was Machado's first IL stint in eight years. He missed 17 days and hasn't been on the shelf since.

That consistency has rubbed off on his Padres teammates. Even the fellow superstar whose locker sits next to Machado has been inspired by the way he approaches the game.

"Man, you know it's really hard, but it's part of what we have to do and what we signed up for, and it's part of the grind," Fernando Tatis Jr. told recently. "And obviously doing it right next to a guy like Manny is really special because the guy shows up every single day trying to win a ballgame in different ways. You learn from that and you just want to do the same thing."

Padres manager Mike Shildt has been with the franchise since 2022, first as a consultant before taking over as skipper prior to the 2024 campaign. He has seen firsthand what Machado brings to the table, not only with his consistency, but his leadership.

"From a clubhouse standpoint, when you have a guy that shows up, plays every day, performs every day—especially in streaks where you’re going and playing a lot of games—being able to grind and get after it is a really good trait that shows your teammates how and models what this looks like to be a contributing professional player on a winning team," Shildt says. "So those are all the things that Manny brings to the table, and he’s really taking the next steps into being that appropriate vocal leader. But it’s really most of his actions are led by just that, as actions."

Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) beat Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 195 (Hughes 57, Hudson-Prentice 52, Ibrahim 51, Milnes 5-31) by an innings and 128 runsYorkshire completed an innings and 128-run victory over Sussex midway through the fourth afternoon at Scarborough to hoist themselves out of the bottom two places in Division One, in turn dragging their visitors into the Rothesay County Championship relegation fight.Sussex started the final day of this 11th-round clash on 115 for three in their second innings, trailing by 208.On a deteriorating North Marine Road surface, their fate was obvious inside the day’s opening 20 minutes as they lost three wickets for the addition of two runs in the opening 26 balls, teetering on 117 for six.So it proved, even though their resistance through to mid-afternoon was impressive. They were bowled out for 195, including five for 31 from 16.4 overs for new-ball seamer Matt Milnes – his first five-for in the Championship since September 2021 following injury. Fynn Hudson-Prentice finished 52 not out off 156 balls.Yorkshire’s third win yielded 22 points, Sussex’s fourth defeat handing them only two.The gap between the two sides is now just a solitary point ahead of the September run-in. The pair meet again at Hove midway through next month, one of three remaining games.The White Rose have been replaced in ninth place in the table – second-bottom – by Durham, who were beaten at home by Surrey this week. The gap between the two is 12 points.Yorkshire would even go above Essex should their game with Warwickshire at Chelmsford finish drawn.In their last three games, Yorkshire not only face Sussex but Durham as well. They meet at Headingley in the final match of 2025.The hosts made the ideal start to the day.Danial Ibrahim and Daniel Hughes fell, the two not out batters overnight, for 51 and 57 respectively added to the departure of captain John Simpson for a duck.Milnes claimed the first two. Ibrahim was caught low down at second slip by Adam Lyth before Hughes was bowled playing back to one which kept low and scooted through.Simpson was then bowled as he tried to leave alone one angled in from Milnes’ new-ball partner Jack White.Danny Lamb was next to go, caught behind off Will Sutherland’s seam – 143 for seven.Lamb fell chasing a wide ball having added 26 with fellow all-rounder Hudson-Prentice. Sussex needed much, much more.Sussex reached lunch at 166 for seven, Hudson-Prentice with 32.He played handsomely down the ground off seam, even using his feet against White on couple of occasion to find the boundary wide of mid-on.Hudson-Prentice was excellent in becoming Sussex’s third half-centurion of the innings, this coming off 138 balls. By the time he got there midway through the afternoon, Sussex were 188 for seven with 48 overs remaining in the day.He shared 47 for the eighth wicket with Jack Carson, who was the eighth man to fall when caught by diving Lyth at slip low down to his right – 191 for eight.Replays suggest Carson was unfortunate to be given out, confirming the initial impression given by the batter stomping off the field.Things happened quickly from there, with Sussex falling almost 44 overs short of survival.This was Milnes’ first five-wicket haul for Yorkshire as he comes to the end of his third year with the club. His last was for Kent. He has since suffered a nightmare with multiple back stress fractures.But he was excellent here, polishing things off by getting Grinder Sandhu caught at point and then Henry Crocombe caught behind with a beauty for a golden duck.In all, Milnes claimed seven wickets in the match.

With the BBL set to explore privatisation, Smith says SA20 will look to continue to “dominate” in the southern hemisphere

Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2025The SA20 organisers believe they have established enough of a foothold not to be threatened by the BBL’s aim to become the second-biggest league in the world after the IPL, according to commissioner Graeme Smith.The SA20, which will begin its fourth season on Boxing Day this year and has IPL ownership across all six franchises, has the second-highest salary cap after the IPL of R41 million (US$2.31 million). By that measure, it could be regarded as the next-best league in the global game and with a marquee auction scheduled for September 9, Smith explained they plan to stay that way.”When we started we were built up against the ILT20 and Big Bash and we set ourselves big ambitions upfront,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the closing of player registration for the auction. “In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we’ve set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards. I expect there will be a top number of leagues that will elevate themselves in a calendar cycle and that will be the priority for players, investors and fans. Our ambitions are to remain right at the top of that alongside IPL.Related

• CA exploring BBL investment 'unashamedly' to be second behind IPL

• BBL privatisation and later start among recommendations

• SA20: Markram heads to the auction ahead of 2026 season

Smith’s comments come less than two weeks after CA CEO Todd Greenberg told that his board would “unashamedly” chase second spot by exploring privatisation. “It’s going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we’re going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there’s one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We’d be naive if we weren’t asking ourselves these questions and making sure we’ve got an eye on what’s next,” Greenberg said.The BBL’s move to seek private investment will make it the last of the established leagues to look for funding outside of board structures. The Hundred is the most recent to make the same moves, with deals for six out of their eight teams finalised ahead of next season. While happenings in the Hundred do not affect the SA20 because it is played in a different window, the BBL clashes with the SA20, which could mean a clash over status and crucially, player availability.Again, Smith had reason to be bullish. While the BBL is played at the same time as Australia’s international summer and so does not have Test players fully available, all South Africa’s national and domestically contracted players will prioritise the SA20, even if at the expense of international games. South Africa sent an understrength Test side to New Zealand last year, as an example of this policy in action. At the time, it drew criticism, but with South Africa going on to win the World Test Championship final, Smith sees it as proof that formats can co-exist if the planning is right.”Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we’ve seen our national team go on a few years later to win the World Test Championship final. We’ve all played our role in the ecosystem,” he said. “We’ve been part of bringing gravitas back to South African cricket, seeing new fans come back to the game and new energy.”Graeme Smith expects a strong England presence in the upcoming SA20 season too•Sportzpics

At the same time, the SA20 also attracts internationals from other countries and last year had several English Test players, who had the winter off, join the tournament. This season, with the Ashes on, could be different but Smith still anticipates a strong contingent.”In the first two seasons we saw a lot of the England white-ball players come through and then with the FTP ebbing and flowing every year that changes,” he said. “So this year with the Ashes, we see some of those white ball players come back and maybe the Test players won’t form part of this season. The Ashes finishes on the ninth (of January, 2026). I don’t know if some of their players will form part of replacement lists but we’ve seen the likes of a Jos Butler come back into the tournament this year as an example.”Buttler, who played for Paarl Royals in the first two seasons, has been pre-signed by Durban’s Super Giants for the fourth season. Each franchise was allowed a maximum of six retentions or pre-signed players ahead of the new season. Of the 36 spots available, only a third (13) have been filled by South African players which Smith believes will create a lively auction. “I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn’t happen,” he said. “From our perspective it’s set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse.”The fourth season of the SA20 will be played over the festive period as South Africa do not host any home Tests this summer. Matches will not be played on any of the new drop-in pitches which are planned for the 2027 ODI World Cup but Smith hopes the lack of cricket this season will result in surfaces with a bit more life in them compared to last year, when they showed signs of wear.”The pitches last year didn’t play as well as we would have liked and it’s something that’s being worked on in terms of revamping stadiums and facilities ahead of the World Cup,” he said. “We’re working closely with Cricket South Africa in terms of improving the quality of stadiums, lights and pitches. Everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes.”The SA20 auction will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. Player registration for the auction closes on Monday, August 18.

We've officially hit the All-Star Break of the 2025 MLB season, with the next two days dedicated to honoring the league's best.

This year's slate of events will take place at Atlanta's Truist Park and will begin with the Home Run Derby on Monday night.

Of the eight participants, seven are first-timers—including the sensational Cal Raleigh, who leads MLB with 38 jacks—and are set to compete for some serious prize money.

So how much does the winner receive? And how is the money divvied up? Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Home Run Derby prize pool:

2025 Home Run Derby Total Prize Pool

The total prize pool handed out at the MLB Home Run Derby is a whopping $2.5 million. However, it isn't winner-takes-all. While the champion receives $1 million off the top, the rest of the money is then trickled down to the rest of the participants in a variety of ways.

Here's how:

2025 Home Run Derby Prize Pool Structure

Simply participating in the Home Run Derby guarantees you a hefty check of $150,000—not too shabby. Additionally, the runner-up receives $500,000, and hitting the longest home run of the night earns you $100,000.

Sciver-Brunt scored century in a game where India’s batting collapsed in the absence of senior players

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2025Without Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Pratika Rawal, India’s batting order crumbled against England at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence ground in a warm-up fixture ahead of the ODI World Cup. Chasing 341, India were all out for 187, with Arundhati Reddy not coming out to bat due to a leg injury she sustained while bowling.Wicketkeeper Uma Chetry, who was included in the squad in place of the injured Yastika Bhatia, made a promising 45, while captain Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with 66 off 68 balls. Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana combined to make just 43 runs in the middle order.Related

• Reddy suffers blow to knee during warm-up match against England

Sent in to bat, England, propelled by captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s brisk 120 and Emma Lamb’s 84, piled up 340. India’s pace spearhead Renuka Singh struck in her first over to remove Tammy Beaumont, and the hosts had both Amy Jones and Heather Knight back before the halfway stage. However, Sciver-Brunt and Lamb’s 173-run stand put England in front, despite Kranti Goud’s three-wicket haul later in the innings.Shafali Verma notched up 70 off 49•Getty Images

Shafali Verma, left out of India’s World Cup squad, scored a blistering 49-ball 70 in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected fixture.After New Zealand posted 273 for 9 on the back of Izzy Gaze’s unbeaten 101 at No. 7, multiple rain interruptions left India chasing a revised target of 225 in 40 overs. Shafali’s brisk knock – which included 11 fours and a six – gave the innings early momentum. Captain Minnu Mani remained unbeaten on 39, while wicketkeeper Madiwala Mamatha contributed a crucial 56 not out off 60 balls at No. 8.Earlier, Sayali Satghare, the reserve seamer for India at the World Cup, picked up three wickets. India A had New Zealand reeling at 146 for 7, but Gaze’s counterattacking century helped the Sophie-Devine-led side post a competitive total.In Colombo, both the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game and South Africa’s match against Bangladesh were washed out. Sri Lanka were 33 for 1 in 7.3 overs when play came to an end, while in the other contest, South Africa had reached 45 for 3 in nine overs before rain intervened. Bangladesh’s young pacer Marufa Akter dismissed both Laura Wolvaardt and Annerie Dercksen, while Nahida Akter bowled Marizanne Kapp – a dream start for Bangladesh.

Struggling Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has been told that Arsenal is the perfect place for him to get his career back on track. Mainoo established himself as a regular starter at Old Trafford under former Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag, but he has fallen out of favour since the arrival of Ruben Amorim, and serious questions are being asked of his future.

• AFP
  

  Mainoo linked with January transfer

  After clocking only 138 minutes on the pitch in the Premier League this season under Amorim, Mainoo has been strongly linked with a move away from United in the January transfer window. A loan exit has been mooted for Mainoo, which would provide him with an opportunity to impress Thomas Tuchel before the German coach picks his final England squad for the 2026 World Cup in North America. 

  Several clubs have been linked with a move for the English midfielder, including Serie A champions Napoli and West Ham, however, no concrete offer has been made yet. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Mainoo told to join Arsenal

  Former Arsenal star Stefan Schwarz has advised Mainoo to join Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta deemed to be the ideal manager to bring the best out of him. Schwarz told : "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Rice is a good leader'

  One more aspect from the Arsenal transfer that could benefit Mainoo is playing alongside England team-mate Declan Rice in the Gunners' midfield. Rice is a natural leader and his experience and guidance could help Mainoo improve his form.

  Lavishing praise on Rice, Schwarz added: "Declan Rice is a very good player. I like him a lot. He's a good leader. He can play in different positions, he's versatile and so solid. You know what you get from him every week. His delivery is unbelievable, and he has a great work rate and ethic. He is one of the leaders at Arsenal. He rarely gets injured, and he's a good character. He looks out for and takes care of his team-mates. He is also very good when talking to the media, which is very important and is an understated skill. He’s so important to Arsenal. If he was to get injured it would be a huge setback, they could cope in the short term thanks to the size of the squad but losing him for a couple of games wouldn't be a problem."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why isn't Mainoo getting enough game time?

  United boss Amorim explained earlier this month why he has not been providing Mainoo with more game time, telling reporters: "We need to go to Europe because of everything. Our club needs to be in Europe, it’s hard to have a very, very good squad. Imagine for me to have Mainoo with that (many) minutes that he’s playing, he needs more games for me to make a rotation because, with one game (a week), it’s really hard. I have to take one of the guys that is playing to put another. When you have more games, you can divide, you can manage the group in a different way. We are trying to use the time that we have to train to be a better team, we need to be prepared in the future to have European games. But the target doesn’t change. We have to go to Europe. To be in the top four is really hard for our moment, but we never know, we just need to focus on winning the next one."

  Mainoo will hope to feature when United take on Everton in the Premier League this weekend.

It remains difficult to piece together just where the blame lies for Celtic’s current slump – is it the board, is it Brendan Rodgers, or is it a period of dismal recruitment?

Of course, it is likely a mixture of all of those factors, with the latter point particularly key. Indeed, of those signed amid Rodgers’ return in the summer of 2023, only Paulo Bernardo and Yang Hyun-jun remain part of the current first-team squad.

Far too many deals have backfired over the past two years, although that’s not to say that the departed coach is himself free of criticism, having not exactly got the best out of those at his disposal.

You only have to look at the case of Callum Osmand, a player largely ignored by the Northern Irishman, to see where Rodgers was misguided. While now cruelly struck down by injury, the Wales youth international was the hero at Hampden, before winning a penalty during his lively, albeit brief cameo at FC Midtjylland.

Although Rodgers’ return did see two further Premiership titles secured, prior to him walking away for the second time, the magic of his first spell in charge didn’t appear to be there.

The Hoops, hopefully, will be targeting a figure who can replicate that first version of the former Liverpool boss at Parkhead.

Celtic's ongoing manager search

A clear frontrunner has yet to truly emerge with regard to Celtic’s managerial vacancy, with a romantic return for Ange Postecoglou having been deemed ‘very unlikely’, despite the Greek-Aussie now out of work following his dismissal from Nottingham Forest.

Interim boss Martin O’Neill does remain an option to see out the season, alongside Shaun Maloney, although such a decision would likely be a last resort considering the 73-year-old last took on a top job back in 2019, following his own brief stint at the City Ground.

The nature and timing of Rodgers’ shock resignation has no doubt complicated matters, although with the international break now to come, it presents the perfect time to finally nail down a preferred pick.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

According to Football Insider, one of the current frontrunners is Ipswich Town boss, Kieran McKenna, with the 39-year-old deemed to be the “number-one target”, albeit with a potential obstacle likely to be his “big compensation package”.

As the report notes, it is believed that it would take a fee of around £5m to prise McKenna from Portman Road, with it yet to be seen whether the Glasgow side would be willing to fork out such a figure to get their man.

McKenna, for what it’s worth, did not wholly shut down talk of the move when quizzed on the speculation in recent weeks, having described Celtic as a “really big club”, amid suggestions that he is a rumoured Hoops supporter.

Why Celtic could be targeting the next Brendan Rodgers

An exciting young Northern Irish coach with a potential affinity to the Scottish champions – that certainly sounds familiar?

Yes, there are certainly real similarities between McKenna and his compatriot Rodgers, with Celtic no doubt hoping that the in-demand Ipswich coach can replicate the success that the latter man enjoyed following his first move to Parkhead in 2016.

While the ex-Swansea City, Liverpool, Watford and Reading boss had garnered far more experience at the time of his move north of the border, he had made the first major stride of his coaching career in the youth ranks at Chelsea, having been given the backing of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

McKenna – who initially worked in the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur – was also something of a favourite of Mourinho at Manchester United, having eventually become an assistant to the Portuguese coach in 2018.

Like Rodgers, the rising star had seen his own playing career cut short by injury, with the pair seemingly following in Mourinho’s footsteps by trying to make up for that on-field disappointment by shining in the dugout – as McKenna himself has admitted:

While Rodgers first truly made a name for himself by steering Swansea into the Premier League, the 4-2-3-1 coach has enjoyed similar success in the EFL with his current club, having claimed back-to-back promotions in what is his first managerial role.

Days in charge

1419

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Points per game

1.66

Players used

81

Promotions

2

Relegations

1

Although the Tractor Boys’ stay in the top-flight was short-lived, that hasn’t stopped interest mounting in this “incredible” coach – as hailed by Ipswich’s Wes Burns – with former club Man United believed to have been considering him in the summer of 2024.

That would’ve been like Rodgers’ own Anfield switch, although perhaps McKenna can skip a step and head straight to Celtic instead, with the Glasgow outfit no doubt in need of an exciting, young and fresh voice to try and reinvigorate the current first-team crop.

For all the frustration over his decision to twice leave his post at Celtic Park, it’s worth remembering the glittering success that Rodgers has achieved when at the helm, namely overseeing that invincible domestic season in 2016/17.

With a raft of promising young talents, and with an attractive, front-foot style of play, the now 52-year-old was just what was needed to breathe new life into the club, amid the mixed stint of Ronny Deila.

Now, again, Celtic need to be revitalised. Can the next bright young manager, McKenna, be the man to do just that?

O'Neill upgrade: Mjallby tells Celtic which manager is "the perfect fit"

Former Celtic star Johan Mjällby has told the club which manager would be the perfect fit for the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 8, 2025

From a young girl who loved to bat, she’s transformed into a legspinner and is a key part of Gujarat Giants’ run into the playoff

Daya Sagar12-Mar-20254:30

Priya Mishra: I feel batters are not able to read my googly

In 2005, Sandeep Mishra came to Baljeet Nagar, a locality in West Delhi, from Allahabad (now Prayagraj). The neighbourhood was home to daily-wage labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Back home, he was fed up with the unprofitable returns in farming and, having learnt the work of an electrician, had come to find some work in a big city.At the time, the expansion of Delhi’s metro network was on and the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation needed electricians, so Sandeep, a 30-year-old high-school dropout, found a job. He was blessed with a daughter just months before he came to Delhi, and brought her and the family along two years later. It was not long before that she started playing cricket in the street with the boys.That irked the neighbours and relatives, who used to taunt Sandeep. But it had little effect on Sandeep, who looked at it as a way for her daughter to get a government job via the sports quota, if nothing else. Like most of his time, Sandeep longingly looked at government jobs for the security they provided. He used to play state-level kabaddi for getting a government job using the sports quota but when that did not work, he dreamt of the same for his children.Related

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That girl now has an India cap and a WPL contract to her name. Priya Mishra, 20, made her international debut last year and has 15 wickets in nine ODIs at an average of 26.60 and a strike rate of 27. She has picked up six wickets in eight league-stage matches of WPL 2025 where Gujarat Giants (GG) have made the playoffs for the first time.”When I played cricket in the streets, I did not think of it as a career prospect; I used to play with the boys just for fun,” Mishra tells ESPNcricinfo. “People used to tease me, saying I am playing with the boys for nothing, as I will have to take care of the house [get married and be a housewife] eventually. But my family, especially my father, supported me a lot.”The Gujarat Giants players gather around Priya Mishra after a wicket•BCCIThe turning point in Mishra’s life came when her sports teacher at Salwan Girls Senior Secondary School, Priya Chandra, saw her playing cricket. Chandra, a former state-level player, advised her to go to Shravan Kumar, who has coached Ishant Sharma, Harshit Rana, Simran Dil Bahadur and Pratika Rawal among others.”When an 11-year-old Priya came to me in 2015, she loved batting,” Shravan says. “She came to the academy on foot and was also fond of medium-pace bowling. But since she was not tall, I suggested her to bowl spin, because she got the ball to spin sharper than the boys did. It did not take long for her to develop a googly, which is her main weapon now.”Most of Mishra’s international wickets have come with the googly, as have all of her six wickets in WPL 2025 so far – Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Deepti Sharma and Yastika Bhatia. Mishra maintans that the googly is just to deceive the batters and her stock ball is still the legbreak.”I take wickets from the googly because batters can’t read me,” she says. “I try to set batters up using legspin, try and attack their feet as much as I can. This makes batters think I can only bowl the legspin, which is when I bowl a googly to pick up wickets.”Shravan Kumar suggested Priya Mishra to bowl spin instead of medium pace•Priya MishraAfter enrolling in an academy, Mishra had to travel to various parts of, and sometimes outside, Delhi to play school-, district-, state-level and age-group matches. Since she was young, Sandeep used to accompany her for those, even when he did not get leave from work.”Irrespective of what happens at work, if Priya had a game to play, I used to always go with her,” Sandeep says. “As she progressed in the sport, my seniors became accommodating and I used to get more leaves. That aside, Shravan sir also never took money for coaching and cricketing equipment, which, at that time, was difficult for us to afford.”Mishra made it to the Delhi Under-19 team at the age of 13. She picked up wickets in bundles for two seasons, which meant she made it to Delhi Under-23 team at 15, and then to the senior team at 18. Since then she has 78 wickets in 35 List-A appearances at an average of 16.48 and a strike rate of 21.79. She also has 22 wickets in 26 T20 matches at an economy of a mere 6.85. In August last year, Mishra was part of India A’s tour of Australia, where she picked up six wickets in the unofficial Test including four in the first innings. She also returned a five-for in the only unofficial ODI she played.”I took about 26-27 wickets in nine Under-19 matches in a season and was confident of going to the next level. But there is a big difference in the level of international cricket and domestic cricket,” Mishra, who considers Shane Warne her idol, says. “Balls that are a good option in domestic cricket are easily played by international players, so I try and attack the stumps now.3:53

Mithali Raj impressed with Priya Mishra’s talent

“T20 cricket is such that you have to think before every ball because batters are there to hit every ball. You have to think about the line that will trap the batter. For now, I am trying to bowl in line of the stumps as much as possible. By doing that, you don’t give batters much room and increase your chances of picking up wickets.”At GG, Mishra works with spin-bowling coach Pravin Tambe, who makes her undergo single-wicket drills for a long time. She also exchanges notes with Deepti in the India team.”I constantly talk to Deepti and I consider her my second guru. She helps me as much as she can. If she is at slip, she tells me what ball I should be bowling and where I should be bowling. Even Harman tells me not to be nervous and do what I have been doing thus far.”For now, Mishra is happy she does not have to live on rent in Baljeet Nagar. With her WPL earnings from last year and savings from domestic cricket, she bought a house and a car in 2024. Now her dream is to play long for India and help them win a World Cup on home soil.