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When Joe Hart arrived at Parkhead last summer, Celtic supporters would have been forgiven for thinking the 34-year-old goalkeeper could already have been past his best.

Indeed, following the former England international’s departure from Manchester City back in 2018, the shot-stopper endured three seasons of relative anonymity, making just 24 appearances over a two-year spell with Burnley, before appearing a mere ten times during his one year stay at Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite this, so far this season, the £23.5k-per-week ‘keeper has proved to be something of a revelation between the Celtic sticks, highly impressing over his 29 Premiership appearances – keeping the same number of clean sheets as he has conceded goals, 16.

However, it cannot be ignored that, with Hart turning 35 later this month, the goalkeeper will not likely be Ange Postecoglou’s first choice in the position for much longer than his three-year contract – by which time the Englishman will be 38 years of age.

As such, the 56-year-old manager will already be putting a plan in place for life after Hart.

And, considering the rave reviews 18-year-old Tobi Oluwayemi has been getting for his performances with Celtic B this season, the England U19 international very much appears to be a natural successor to the Hoops’ current number one.

Indeed, speaking recently to 67HailHail, B team coach Tommy McIntyre revealed just how high his hopes for the teenager are, stating:

“He’s an England international – he plays at U19s with England. He’s showing great maturity for someone so young. He’s growing.

“He’s going up there and the feedback is that he’s doing really well training with the first team. I think he’ll always improve, he’s that type. So he’s on a good pathway and is in the right place just now. We’ve got great hopes for Tobi.”

Furthermore, in a report for The Athletic last year, Kieran Devlin also shed some light on the club’s plans for the teenager, with the journalist writing:

“It is understood the intention from the club is that Hart, who is generous with his time in helping younger players, can mentor Oluwayemi over the next few years.

“By the time summer 2024 rolls around, Hart will have just turned 37 and the club hope Oluwayemi will be ready to establish himself as No 1. Before then, they hope Oluwayemi can eventually become second choice and possibly challenge Hart for the jersey before 2024.”

As such, considering all of the noise being made regarding Oluwayemi’s future, it would indeed appear as if Postecoglou already has a ready-made successor for Hart at Lennoxtown – something that could well end up saving the Bhoys millions of pounds in transfer fees.

AND in other news: Ange must now seal Celtic deal for “magic” £21.5k-p/w ace, he’s an “absolute dream”

Lalit Modi has replied to the BCCI’s third show-cause notice accusing him of irregularities in awarding the theatrical rights for the third IPL season

Cricinfo staff16-Jun-2010

Lalit Modi, the suspended IPL commissioner, has begun libel proceedings against the ECB chairman Giles Clarke in the London High Court. Modi complained of defamatory allegations made by Clarke in an email sent to BCCI president Shashank Manohar, which alleged that Modi was planning to set up a rebel league involving counties. The BCCI reacted by issuing a show-cause notice to Modi and he denied the charges in his reponse.Modi’s action against Clarke came on the same day that he filed his reply to the BCCI’s third show-cause notice, which accused him of irregularities in the sale of theatrical rights and mid-over ads for the third IPL season. Modi’s lawyer, Mehmood Abdi, defended the post-facto ratification of Modi’s decisions by the IPL governing council, attributing the IPL’s success to its lack of red tape and the ability to take immediate decisions.”What the IPL has achieved in two years was largely due to the strength of functional efficiency by surpassing bureaucratic and red tape channels of any organization,” Abdi said. “Operational requirements demanded taking of spot decisions due to paucity of time.”On the subject of theatrical rights, Abdi told the BCCI stood to lose money if Modi had not signed the agreement. “Indian viewers would have been denied of watching IPL matches live on theatre screens and loss of revenue would have been caused to BCCI.” he said.He went on to accuse BCCI secretary N Srinivasan of costing the board money last year by delaying the sale of these same rights. “The idea of monetising the theatrical rights was tasked during IPL II as well, but due to the delay caused by honorary secretary Mr. Srinivasan, it could not materialise,” Abdi said.The 10-year theatrical rights were awarded last November for Rs 330 crore ($71 million) to Entertainment & Sports Direct (ESD), which is owned by DAR Capital Group, an investment advisory and private equity company based in Dubai. The BCCI subsequently accused Modi of undervaluing the rights and awarding them without consulting the IPL governing council.When it came to mid-over ads, Abdi claimed there wasn’t enough time to float a tender and that’s why Modi just handed the task to Pioneer Diagsys. “For the first time, it was suggested by the marketing experts from both IMG and the IPL to monetise it for introducing a fresh revenue stream for BCCI, and the governing council approved it on March 7, 2010. With the IPL starting just five days, there was no time to float a tender for selling these rights.”To safeguard the BCCI’s interest in the best possible manner, it was granted to Pioneer Diagsys on a non-exclusive basis for an estimated revenue of Rs 28 crore. Operational requirements demanded taking of spot decisions due to paucity of time. This was one such example where the governing council had to ratify the decision [later].” According to Pioneer chief executive Kunal Dasgupta, the sale of mid-over ads netted roughly Rs 25 crore after taxes.Abdi also reiterated Modi’s demand that BCCI president Shashank Manohar should not be part of the disciplinary panel that will consider the case, as he and Srinivasan were “trying to settle personal scores”.Now that Modi has replied to all three show-cause notices sent by the board, his responses will be placed before a three-member disciplinary panel made up of Manohar, board vice-president Arun Jaitley and interim IPL chairman Chirayu Amin. The panel will decide whether or not to reinstate Modi and hand its recommendation to the general body of the BCCI. According to the board’s constitution, the panel has until November to come to a decision.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Aleksandr Golovin to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sport Witness, who claim that a source close to the AS Monaco attacking midfielder has revealed that both West Ham and Everton are interested in a move for the 25-year-old this month.

The report goes on to state that David Moyes’ side have made contact with the Ligue 1 side regarding a deal for the Russia international, however, it is also claimed that Monaco are unlikely to want to part with Golovin in the current transfer window – with Russian media outlet Championat suggesting the French side would demand a fee of around €50m (£41m) in order to sanction his sale.

Moyes’ next Lingard

Considering just how impressive Golovin has been for Monaco since his £27m move from CSKA Moscow back in 2018, it is easy to see why West Ham would be interested in a move for the attacking midfielder this month.

Indeed, over his 114 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, the £22.5m-rated man has scored 16 goals and registered 22 assists, with arguably his best season for the Monegasques coming over his 21 league outings last season.

In this campaign, the £78k-per-week forward scored five goals, provided nine assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes and taking 1.3 shots per game.

These returns saw the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed a “playmaker” earn a rather astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Monaco’s best performer in the league, but also as the sixth-best player in the division as a whole.

Indeed, Golovin’s form in this campaign was not dissimilar from that of Jesse Lingard last season, who, over his 16 Premier League appearances while on loan at West Ham, scored nine goals, registered four assists and created three big chances for his teammates, seeing the 29-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.19.

Furthermore, both the AS Monaco attacking midfielder and the Manchester United man possess impressive positional versatility, with each player more than capable of operating from either flank or in the number 10 role.

As such, should Moyes be able to get a deal over the line for Golovin this winter, the 58-year-old Hammers manager could very much have the club’s next Lingard on his hands for the second half of the season – something that is undoubtedly an extremely exciting prospect for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: West Ham submit Jan offer for “outstanding” £70k-p/w tank, Moyes desperately needs him

Australia’s batsmen have got until Friday to perfect a plan to deal with India’s spinners after they overcame a scare against Bangladesh

Cricinfo staff06-May-2010

Australia’s batsmen have got until Friday to perfect a plan to deal with India’s spinners after they overcame a scare against Bangladesh to reach the Super Eights. Michael Clarke’s side was 65 for 6 before scrambling to 141 for 7 on the way to a 27-run victory.The next challenge is India in Barbados and the batsmen will face another stern examination from their high quality slow men. “Spin bowling is going to play a big part in this tournament, whether that’s how you face spin or you bowl spin,” Clarke said.”India have got some good spin bowlers, Harbhajan [Singh] is one of the best in the world, so we’re going to have to work out a plan against him and back ourselves at that. Every player in our team plays spin bowling differently, you need to be confident with your plan and stick to that.”Australia won both their group games to move into the second round and Clarke said the result that sent Bangladesh from the tournament was satisfying. They relied on an unbeaten 47 from Michael Hussey before Dirk Nannes produced a career-best 4 for 18 as Bangladesh fell for 114.”Our top order obviously didn’t perform as well as we’d like,” Clarke said. “The conditions were a lot different to St Lucia, we probably didn’t adapt as well as we’d like. But to scrape our way to 140, Huss played a wonderful innings as he always seems to do when we’re under pressure, and young Steve Smith batted really well.”Our execution with the ball was spot on. I think these conditions are really going to help our fast bowlers, there was a lot of pace and bounce in that wicket. There was also a little bit of spin as well.”Clarke said the top-order batsmen should have tried to build more partnerships as the wickets fell quickly. “But in this form of the game it’s hard, you’re trying to score runs from every ball you face and you’re disappointed when you don’t,” he said. “It comes at a cost when you bat like that, you take risks and sometimes it doesn’t pay off.Mitchell Johnson missed the match with an elbow infection but Clarke is hopeful he will be fit for the India game. “He was certainly improving this [Wednesday] morning,” he said. “Mitch is a huge part of our team with both bat and ball, hopefully he is fit.”

Even though the 2022 January transfer window has now opened, allowing clubs to bring new players in where they see fit, it seems as though Aston Villa have made their first big decision of the year by bringing a familiar face back to the Midlands club.

According to a recent Twitter post from Villa journalist Gregg Evans, it appears that Villa have recalled young striker Louie Barry from his loan deal with League One club Ipswich Town.

Despite saying in his tweet that Barry will now “return to train with the U23s” at Villa and that “another loan move will be arranged before the end of the month” for the 18-year-old, it could be worth Gerrard giving the teenager his chance to integrate himself in the senior squad.

Even though he only made six appearances for Ipswich since arriving back in early August, it may be beneficial for the player to get used to the training procedures and overall feel of what it’s like to be coached by Gerrard from now until the end of the season rather than go out to another club and risk not getting much playing time again.

Although there wouldn’t be a big chance of him playing regularly at Villa this season ahead of the likes of Ollie Watkins or Danny Ings given their experience at senior level, it could be argued that learning from these players and the manager would be useful for the young attacker in the long-term if he wants to get closer to breaking into the team.

Having been praised by former Arsenal and Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright after scoring a “clinical” goal against Liverpool in Villa’s 4-1 FA Cup defeat last year in his first and only senior appearance for the club, Barry could even be a useful option off the bench in some games, especially with reports linking Wesley with an exit from Villa Park this month.

Moving forward, whatever the club decides is the best next step for Barry, it’s safe to say that getting him out of Ipswich early was a good move and that he can now do something more constructive with his time, whether that be with Villa’s U23s or in the senior squad or at another club.

But if Johan Lange wanted to help Gerrard save some money in potential transfer fees this month, it could be worth the teenager staying at Villa Park and learning what he can in the senior squad.

In other news: NSWE can blow AVFC fans away with swoop for £63m-rated gem who’s the “total package” – opinion

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some news involving one of their upcoming fixtures in the Premier League.

As per the official Twitter page of the Goodison Park faithful, their trip to Newcastle United in February has now been rescheduled, after being selected for live TV.

It will now be played on Tuesday 8th February at 7:45pm, in what is an ridiculously inconvenient time for supporters hoping to go to the game on Tyneside.

The late kick-off makes it difficult for Toffees to travel back, especially in a midweek when they are likely to have work the next day, and there will be fewer public transport options at that time of night.

Nonetheless, the anger also comes after a poor run of form on the pitch, which has seen the Merseyside club win just one of their last 10 matches in the Premier League.

Everton fans on fixture change

These Blues fumed as the news of the fixture change was shared on Twitter, with one EFC fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘awful’:

“Why?”

Credit: @efc_1878___

“Keep going @premierleague – kick us when we’re already down”

Credit: @SpecterAndGold

“We’re actually never playing a game on a Saturday again”

Credit: @joejohnson1202

“Everton are not allowed to play Newcastle in broad daylight”

Credit: @jamesc_422

“Absolutely awful date change for Newcastle away that”

Credit: @Lammylad88

“Half the fan base just suffered an injury reading this tweet”

Credit: @SchneiderErnie

In other news, find out what injury news has Evertonians fuming here!

Celtic winger Jota is set to be missing for ‘a few weeks’ with a hamstring issue, Ange Postecoglou has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Jota’s form

Jota has been in brilliant form in recent months after settling into Parkhead life following a summer switch from Benfica.

The 22-year-old, who the Hoops have the option to sign permanently, has been involved in 14 goals in 18 appearances in green and white.

However, he went off injured against Hearts at the beginning of the month and missed the 3-0 win over Dundee United on Sunday.

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The Latest: Four-game absence?

As reported by John McGinley, Postecoglou – who has called Jota ‘outstanding’ – revealed prior to the win at Tannadice that the Portuguese winger will ‘miss a few weeks’ with his hamstring problem.

Should that prove to be two weeks, the 22-year-old could miss up to four games for the Hoops, including the League Cup final against Hibernian on December 19.

The Verdict: Injury issues continue…

Jota wasn’t the only absentee against Dundee United on Sunday. Anthony Ralston and Stephen Welsh also picked up injuries against Hearts and missed the game, while Christopher Jullien is still yet to feature under Postecoglou.

Giorgos Giakoumakis is out with a knee issue and youngster Karamoko Dembele has also been missing since pre-season, and even though Greg Taylor made a return on the weekend, Postecoglou can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries.

Hopefully the New Year will bring better luck on the injury front, but Postecoglou will be without Jota for a while and may have to rely on Mikey Johnston against Real Betis on Thursday.

In other news: Devlin claims Celtic may now seal move for 12-goal beast before 2022 training camp

As per Calciomercato.it, a West Ham United transfer update has come to light involving Torino powerhouse Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: West Ham injuries mount…

Over the last few weeks, manager David Moyes has had to cope with mounting injury problems at the back for West Ham as his side keep fighting on all fronts.

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Angelo Ogbonna ruptured his ACL in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool last month, requiring surgery, and Kurt Zouma has become the latest centre-back sidelined after a hamstring injury (Daily Mail).

This has prompted Moyes to turn his attention to the January market as he confirms the search for a centre-half may well be on, with Calciomercato.it now providing news on a fresh face they could turn to.

The Latest: West Ham could turn to Bremer…

Naming the Serie A defenders West Ham could now turn to in January, one of them is Torino powerhouse Bremer.

The Brazilian, lauded as one of the highest performers in Italy’s top flight this season, is valued at around €18 million (£15.4m) by club president Urbano Cairo.

Sharing the Irons’ interest in their centre-half, Calciomercato.it also name drop the likes of Daniele Rugani and Nikola Milenkovic.

The Verdict: Exciting option…

For just £15.4m, West Ham could be signing a real gem, especially considering his age, form and the fact he has even outshined Zouma in many aspects.

According to WhoScored, the 24-year-old has eclipsed Zouma’s rate of tackles, interceptions and aerial duels won per 90 domestically this year with Serie A experts branding Bremer as ‘strong’ and ‘powerful’ (Conor Clancy).

The aggressive ace, still a fairly young age, could also leave Turin at a reasonable price considering all of these factors and he has emerged as a really exciting option for West Ham.

In other news: Moyes dealt worrying news as ‘another big injury blow’ comes out of West Ham, find out more here.

New Zealand Cricket has gone back to its roots with the reintroduction of the Plunket Shield as the trophy for the men’s first-class competition this summer. The shield was first introduced in 1906 and was replaced from 1974-75 by the Shell Trophy, which was itself succeeded by the State Championship in 2001-02.But the loss of State Insurance as sponsors for 2009-10 has prompted a return to the Plunket Shield, which has been on display at the New Zealand Cricket Museum in Wellington. The NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said he was excited at the prospect of dusting off the trophy.”The Plunket Shield has a strong place in our cricket history,” Vaughan said. “The reintroduction of the Plunket Shield allows us to acknowledge the traditions of the game and at the same time appropriately celebrate and promote our four-day first-class competition. For the first time in a decade we find ourselves in a different sponsorship environment – and this gives us the opportunity to restore real history and heritage back into our first-class competition through the Plunket Shield.”The Plunket Shield has been the historical foundation of domestic cricket in New Zealand for over a century – and New Zealand Cricket is committed to retain the Plunket Shield for our four-day first-class competition into the future. The naming rights for this competition are not for sale. We look forward to some great performances in the four-day competition and we hope cricket enthusiasts will get out and strongly support the reintroduction of the Plunket Shield.”The shield was last won in 1974-75 by an Otago side captained by Glenn Turner. He said it was pleasing to see the prize back up for grabs 35 years later.”The Plunket Shield was our only first-class competition at that time,” Turner said. “There was no one-day game, and just five rounds of three-day matches, so the competition was intense. The Shield was a real symbol of inter-provincial rivalry. The four-day game remains the pinnacle of our domestic cricket, so it will be great to see it back as the focus of the competition.”The season kicks off next week with the first round of four-day games. The six teams play five rounds before Christmas and a further five rounds in February-March.

تعاقد نادي الإسماعيلي مع صالح جمعة صانع ألعاب سيراميكا كليوباترا السابق خلال فترة الانتقالات الحالية.

وكان نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا قد فسخ عقد صالح جمعة بالتراضي اليوم الخميس.

طالع أيضًا.. خاص | سيراميكا كليوباترا يفسخ عقد صالح جمعة.. وتحديد وجهته المقبلة

وعلم “بطولات” أن صالح جمعة وقع لمدة 3 مواسم، في حضور يحيى الكومي رئيس النادي الإسماعيلي.

وكان صالح جمعة كان قد لعب للأهلي منذ عام 2015 وحتى 2020.

يذكر أن الإسماعيلي كان قد أجرى العديد من الصفقات خلال الميركاتو الحالي كان آخرها بالتعاقد مع محمود شبراوي لاعب نادي الجونة.