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Dale Steyn has reaffirmed his commitment to South African cricket, after an injury-riddled 2015-16 season had cast a shadow over his international future

Firdose Moonda in Centurion30-Aug-20165:06

‘Long way from where I want to be’ – Steyn

Dale Steyn has reaffirmed his commitment to South African cricket, after an injury-riddled 2015-16 season had cast a shadow over his international future. Steyn missed six of South Africa’s eight Tests last season and was left out of the ODI side that toured the Caribbean for a triangular series in June but says he has returned even more in love with the game than he was before, and is even more determined to keep playing.”I just want to play. I don’t know if I will wake up in a month and can’t do it anymore or if I will wake up in four years and can’t do it anymore. I just really enjoy playing Test cricket. I love it. It’s what I feel I have been put on earth to do,” Steyn said. “I do not know when to pull the plug or when the time to make that decision will come but if I am still making batters jump around and the pace is there, I will carry on doing what I am doing.”Steyn was the leading wicket-taker in the two-match Test series against New Zealand with 10 scalps at 10.20 and claimed his 26th five-for in Centurion to end questions over whether he could regain the fitness and form of the past. When he struggled through last season questions were asked over whether Steyn was spent, but he insists he never thought so.”No, there was never any doubt. I tried to rush back for the Bangalore Test and if I hadn’t, I would have probably played the [rest of the] series against India,” Steyn said, referring to the groin strain he picked up on that tour. “Then, against England, I tried to go from 0 to 100 too quickly and I broke a bone in my shoulder which is very rare. It was not a case of age or ability. There was no doubt that my ability was there or that I could play this game anymore.”Steyn worked his way back through T20, in the IPL, CPL and with Glamorgan, and still needed to prove to himself that he could bowl longer and more sustained spells. Before this Test series, he said he would be happy if he could just get through it injury free. He managed that after bowling more overs than anyone else in South Africa’s pace attack and re-established himself as the leader of the pack. Still, Steyn does not regard himself as more important than anyone else.”This bowling unit is at a stage where everyone can rely on everybody – you don’t have to rely on me,” he said. “Look at KG [Kagiso Rabada], he took 13 wickets here last time [against England]. It’s now about the culture in the side. You can step in and perform. It’s not aimed at one player to mentor anyone.”That may be the case, but Steyn remains the spearhead in every way. He is now six wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker. Considering he is committed to carrying on playing, he seems certain to achieve that, but maintained that is not the missing line on his CV.”When I am 70 years old that’s not what I am going to remember,” Steyn said. “I will remember tonight. I will remember winning in Australia, I will remember winning in England, and hopefully I will remember winning a World Cup too.”

Arsenal view Barcelona star Jules Kounde as the "leap in quality" manager Mikel Arteta "needs" for defence as they eye a move, according to reports.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

The Premier League side fought long and hard this season in contention for what would have been a first league title in 20 years, but after being beaten to the punch by champions Man City, it's time to prepare for next campaign.

Gunners transfer chief Edu, as he recently admitted in an interview with ESPN (via 90min), has already begun preparations for the summer window.

"Our planning has already been done," said Edu."It has already reached the owners. Now, we're taking things step by step. We're focused on how we will finish the season, but we've put in the planning and I'm very excited."

Central midfield is viewed as a real priority within Arsenal, according to reports, with West Ham star Declan Rice and Brighton's Moises Caicedo among the names they could sign.

Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan, Leicester City playmaker James Maddison and Chelsea's Mason Mount are also of interest to the north Londoners, with reports suggesting they could also go after centre-backs.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is one name to be mentioned by the press, with another report now claiming they're interested in a move for Kounde.

The France international could apparently leave Barcelona this summer, mainly due to his dissatisfaction at playing right-back, with Arteta's joining both Man City and Man United in targeting him.

This is according to one Spanish source, who state Arsenal view Kounde as the "leap in quality" needed at centre-back. It's claimed the former Sevilla star "would be a great addition that fits perfectly", and Barca would be willing to part ways in the event of a suitable offer.

Who is Jules Kounde?

The £158,000-per-week star has been a fixture under Xavi in La Liga this season, playing the seventh-most minutes of any Barca player (WhoScored).

Kounde also ranks among their best-performing crop by average match rating, with only Gerard Pique and Andreas Christensen averaging more clearances per 90 in the Spanish top flight (WhoScored).

Journalist Raul Varela even likened him to Sergio Ramos in 2021, writing for Marca:

"Kounde is the closest thing to Ramos that the Spanish league has to offer at the moment. In terms of leadership, charisma, physical power, technical quality, versatility and now, it seems, even a love affair with goals."

If Arsenal decide to step up their interest and negotiate a good price for the 24-year-old, he could be a stellar alternative to William Saliba.

The way Ravindra Jadeja spoke of how the match went showed the confidence India went into the match with

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur24-Sep-20160:42

‘We didn’t want to give them free boundaries’ – Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja’s press conference was hilarious. It will most certainly be lost in translation, but it is worth reproducing it for the benefit of those who understand Hindi in its entire colour because what he said was instructive.He was talking about why India didn’t ever feel they were in threat of ceding the advantage despite there being three partnerships in New Zealand innings, especially the 124-run stand between Kane Williamson and Tom Latham.Determined to learn, get better – Watling

On the feeling in the dressing room
“It was a tough day. We have to look forward to tomorrow and make sure we make the adjustments that are required. We need to improve, but I know the boys are determined. We are trying to learn [playing in] these conditions and figure out ways to score runs and take wickets. We’d definitely like to do things better tomorrow, and I know the boys are determined to do that.”
“There was definitely a bit more turn, but they have two quality spin bowlers and we lost wickets in clumps. We talked about that, we know it’s tough to start in these conditions, and we’ve definitely got to do that better in our second innings.”
Thinking of how to fight out a draw now?
“We’ve got to look at that first session tomorrow, try and restrict them and take as many poles as we can tomorrow morning. That’s our main focus at the moment, and then trying to deal with our second innings with the bat.”
On the pitch
“As you’d expect with a day three wicket there is a lot more rough, a lot more footmarks out there and it’s getting a bit slower in the middle of the track. But that is what you expect when you start the game. We know it is going to get tougher and tougher into day four and day five. No surprises there.”

And now realising where he was going, Jadeja stopped. What usually follows this is beeped on TV. Or asterisked as its loose translation in text here will be. What Jadeja meant was one big partnership is always expected but it is no big deal on such turning tracks because when a new batsman comes in and he sees the footmarks and the rough, he goes…That’s where he stopped himself. What usually follows in Hindi can be loosely – and very loosely indeed – translated to, “He goes holy f***.” Had he said the whole sentence it wouldn’t have been funny. The fact that he stopped himself was what made it hilarious. He stopped talking clichés and let himself go in a language he was most comfortable with, but also had the awareness to stop himself when he was about to say something he shouldn’t be.The way Jadeja spoke of how the match went showed the confidence India went into the match with. New Zealand tried their best, but in hindsight did they really stand a chance? The batsmen couldn’t pick from the hand which balls were going to turn and which were going straight on. Loose balls were few and far between. Fielding, especially catching, was at its best. On such a turning track six wickets were lbw, which in itself is testament to how accurate Jadeja and R Ashwin were.Jadeja said the accuracy bit was discussed with both Anil Kumble and Ashwin. “He [Kumble] told me to go wide on the crease and bowl around the sixth stump for the left-hand batsmen because there was rough there. He told me to target putting as many balls as possible in that rough because from there, some balls were turning and some were going straight. That would have created doubts in the batsmen’s minds, so that’s what we spoke of.”Ashwin and I spoke of bowling at the stumps. Adjust our lines so that after the turn the ball ends up on the stumps. We knew we’ll get maximum chances if we kept the threat of lbw or bowled alive. There wasn’t much turn from the stumps so our initial plan was to string together maiden overs. We needed to give up fewer runs and that would also create pressure on them. Finally we executed our plan.”Jadeja also said they were aware of the lack of experience in the New Zealand batting. He said they knew there weren’t many who could play a long chanceless innings.Jadeja’s biggest threat on such turning tracks is the straighter balls that he picks. New Zealand have said they don’t pick him from the hand, and they try to play him off the pitch. Jadeja wasn’t giving out his secrets although it is quite possible that on turning tracks it is the natural variation that carries balls straight. In the process he did compare this Kanpur track to the under-prepared tracks he grew up playing on in Saurashtra.”We didn’t have very well prepared grounds and pitches growing up. These are the kinds I’ve been brought up on, the kinds where there were no groundsmen and we were just practising,” Jadeja said. “The facilities we had were of that kind, so having played on such pitches, I’ve got an idea of how to bowl, which areas to bowl on, what speed to bowl at. From my childhood to Under-17, Under-19 till now, I’ve played on turners or unprepared pitches. Having played so much on them, I’ve got an idea now.”

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to snap up Leicester City midfielder James Maddison this summer, according to a recent report from The Mirror.

Will James Maddison leave Leicester?

Even prior to Leicester's relegation from the Premier League, Maddison appeared to be heading for the exit door, with The Telegraph reporting he was set to be sold regardless of the Foxes' fate, having been linked with several top clubs.

The same report details that Manchester United and Newcastle United are both interested in signing the England international, with his current club set to cash-in, given that he has just one year remaining on his contract at the King Power Stadium.

It has been made clear that the Tottenham board are keen on signing the 26-year-old, regardless of who they appoint as manager, and they have since made a "huge" push to win the race for his signature.

However, Spurs will have to fend off interest from a number of clubs if they are to land the Leicester star, as The Mirror report that several Premier League clubs are also ready to snap him up, including Arsenal and Newcastle.

The Foxes value the attacking midfielder at £50m, however, they may be forced to sell him for around £40m, given his contract situation, which means the Lilywhites may be able to sign him for a cut-price fee.

One thing that is abundantly clear is that the Englishman will be on the move this summer, with the report detailing that he will lead the Leicester exodus.

Should Tottenham sign James Maddison?

Given that a number of clubs that will be in the Champions League next season are interested in the £110k-per-week midfielder, it will be difficult for Tottenham to win the race for his signature, however he would be an excellent addition to the squad.

Hailed as an "elite baller" by members of the media, the maestro was way out in front as Leicester's best-performing player last season, averaging a 7.33 SofaScore match rating in the Premier League, courtesy of his attacking contributions.

The former Coventry City man weighed in with ten goals and nine assists in total, the highest combined figure of any player in the squad, indicating he is now ready to make the step up to a bigger club.

Maddison's potential availability for a cut-price fee is a real boost to would-be suitors, and Tottenham should undoubtedly test the waters with an opening offer soon, making this one to watch.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to find a new head coach to take over at Parkhead for the 2023/24 campaign.

What's the latest on Kieran McKenna to Celtic?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops have identified Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna as one of their targets as they attempt to replace Ange Postecoglou.

The report claims that they are eyeing the soon-to-be Championship boss as his team deploys a similar style of play to the Australian.

Tottenham Hotspur appointed Postecoglou as their new chief on Tuesday and the Scottish giants are now looking to find his heir, with McKenna and Manchester City's Enzo Maresca among the options on the table.

Would Kieran McKenna be a success at Celtic?

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond could get Parkhead rocking next season by hiring the Tractor Boys tactician as his style of play and love for attacking football could make him a big success in Scotland.

Postecoglou made going to Celtic Park each week an exciting prospect as his team ended 2022/23 with a staggering 114 goals from their 38 Scottish Premiership matches – winning 32 of them.

The supporters could get behind the ex-Manchester United youth coach in the same way as the 37-year-old has shown plenty of promise in his short career as a coach who can build a clinical outfit.

Ipswich finished outside the play-offs in League One in the two seasons before McKenna arrived halfway through the 2021/22 campaign.

He was then able to push on and lead the East Anglian club to a second-placed finish in the third tier of English football in 22/23, which secured their promotion to the Championship with a whopping 98 points.

Whilst they did not win the title with Plymouth Argyle managing a stunning 101 points, his Ipswich team were the great entertainers of the division as they scored 101 times in the league – 19 more than any other outfit.

McKenna, whose work has been described as "absolutely incredible" by his captain Sam Morsy, typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is not a far cry from the attacking 4-3-3 set-up that Postecoglou used during his time in Scotland.

Only the midfield configuration has a minor change with one of the central focal points playing slightly further up the pitch.

The 37-year-old tactician, who won 15 of his 22 matches in charge of United's U18 side in the Premier League 2 in 17/18, is unproven at the top level but his impressive work with Ipswich should not be sniffed at.

He turned the English team from a mid-table League One side into a promotion-winning outfit that destroyed the opposition by plundering goal after goal whilst playing football that has been likened to Postecoglou's progressive passing approach.

Therefore, Desmond could get Celtic Park rocking by appointing McKenna, a manager who can make the Hoops an entertaining side to watch, just as they were under their now former boss.

A roundup of the second day’s action at ICC World Cricket League Division Four in Los Angeles

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles 31-Oct-2016USA preserved their perfect start to WCL Division Four with a tense one-wicket win over Italy in a match that was reduced to 41 overs a side due to rain. Timroy Allen was named Man of the Match for his vital 53 off 27 balls at No. 7, which rescued USA after they were 107 for 5 in their chase of 186.Allen struck four fours and two sixes and teamed with Elmore Hutchinson to add 46 for the eighth wicket – USA’s best partnership of the match – before falling in the 35th over with nine still needed to win. Allen was dismissed by left-arm seamer Luis di Giglio. Hutchinson was also caught behind off di Giglio two overs later to force last man Danial Ahmed into the fray with two runs still required.The 37th over ended with two dot balls and and No. 10 Jessy Singh took a single to third man off the first ball of the 38th, from Gian Meade, to level the scores. Ahmed then guided the next ball to short third man and a frantic single clinched victory for the hosts. It was a moment of redemption for Ahmed after he conceded 18 runs in his only over of the day.Italy elected to bat first on an overcast morning and rain then caused a 30-minute delay to the start of play and curtailed the match to 46 overs a side. Allen had bowled only one delivery before the rain returned and play was delayed for 45 minutes, causing the overs to be cut down to 41.USA’s pace bowlers struggled to grip the wet ball but USA added to their troubles by missing six chances in the field. Italy’s openers Manpreet Singh and Supun Tharanga got a reprieve each when they were on 5 and 1 respectively. Tharanga’s was the easier of the two chances, spilled at second slip by Alex Amsterdam off Hutchinson in the sixth over. Both batsmen went on to make half-centuries and put together a 118-run opening stand.The partnership showed no signs of slowing down but was broken due to a blunder by the batting pair, which arguably cost Italy the match. Manpreet flicked a single off Timil Patel to deep midwicket to bring up his fifty in the 26th over and, in their excitement to celebrate the milestone, both batsmen left their crease to meet at the centre of the pitch. However, Jessy Singh had not yet collected the ball running in from the boundary, let alone relay it in to the wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson. The bails were taken off by Dodson and USA appealed. After a lengthy discussion to confirm the ball was still live, umpire Iftikhar Ali raised his finger to rule Tharanga out for 52.It was the catalyst USA needed to slow down Italy’s progress and three balls later Manpreet top-edged a pull off Amsterdam’s part-time offspin to be caught at midwicket by Allen for 50. Italy struggled to regain momentum as Allen took 1 for 16 bowling five overs of offspin after going wicketless in three overs of medium-pace with the new ball.Oman survived a scare from Bermuda before prevailing by four wickets at Severn Cricket Field. Following their loss to USA in the first match, Bermuda shook up their batting order, promoting Kamau Leverock and Dean Minors as openers after they were asked to bat in a match reduced to 40 overs a side. The move had the desired effect as Leverock left Oman shellshocked by racing to 30 off 18 balls in the first five overs to take the score to 40 for 0.Leverock eventually made 47 off 37 balls before the opening partnership of 72 was broken by Mohammad Nadeem in the 13th over. Once Leverock fell, Bermuda added 101 runs to their score in 27.2 overs and were kept in check by legspinner Khawar Ali’s 4 for 25, which limited them to a score of 173 for 9.The Oman chase got off to a shaky start as both openers fell within the first three overs to make it 15 for 2. Midway through the chase, Oman lost two wickets in the space of three balls – Saturday’s Man-of-the-Match Swapnil Khadye was run out by Leverock’s relay throw for 24 and Ajay Lalcheta fell for a golden duck in the next over – and found themselves at 70 for 5.Jatinder Singh held his nerve to score an unbeaten 68 off 52. His unbeaten 55-run seventh-wicket stand with Amir Ali helped get Oman over the line with six overs to spare.Denmark, too, were unbeaten after recording a six-wicket win over Jersey in another match reduced to 40 overs after morning rain. Denmark sent Jersey in to bat at the toss and bowled them out for 158 in 36.4 overs. Offspinner Bashir Shah wiped out Jersey’s top order, taking four of the first five wickets, to finish with his second successive four-for.Anthony Hawkins-Kay top-scored with 35 at No. 6 for Jersey and dismissed Freddie Klokker for 9 at the start of Denmark’s chase but Denmark cruised through the rest of the innings. Man-of-the-Match Saif Ahmad struck an unbeaten 67 and added 83 for the third wicket with Hamid Shah to take their side to within 17 runs of victory. Ben Kynman broken the stand and then added Michael Pedersen to his haul of 3 for 45 but lacked support from the rest of the attack as Denmark achieved victory with 7.5 overs to spare.The tournament will resume on Tuesday after a rest day on Monday. USA and Oman will clash at Wright Cricket Field while Denmark will take on winless Bermuda at Wong Cricket Field. Italy and Jersey will square off at Severn Cricket Field with both sides seeking their first win, while the loser will be in danger of relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to approach Brentford to discuss a potential transfer fee for goalkeeper David Raya, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the latest Spurs transfer news involving Raya?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou look set for a relatively busy summer transfer window, with up to five new additions on the cards.

Reports have claimed that Postecoglou, chairman Daniel Levy, chief scout Leonardo Gabbanini and coach Ryan Mason have already held a transfer meeting. A new goalkeeper to come in and replace Hugo Lloris is on the agenda over the coming months, with Raya heavily linked with a move to north London.

Personal terms between the Spaniard and Spurs are allegedly already agreed, with a fee now needing to be agreed between the two clubs.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham are expected to approach the Bees over a fee for Raya. The report states that Thomas Frank has previously said the goalkeeper is worth £40m, however, Spurs are reluctant to pay that amount.

How did Raya perform against Tottenham?

Raya is 27 years of age and has just 12 months remaining on his Brentford deal, with a new contract unlikely to be agreed, so now appears to be the best time for Spurs to make their move.

The shot-stopper appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation and recently shone against Spurs. Raya outperformed every Tottenham player aside from Harry Kane in the 3-1 win for the Bees last month, as per SofaScore, recording six saves. BBC pundit Garth Crooks praised his performance, describing one of his saves as “world-class”.

“The first save from the head of Richarlison was world-class, but the recovery to save the second attempt from the same player was quite remarkable.

“Brentford were better than Spurs in every department and Raya was central to their 3-1 victory.”

Frank has also called Raya “very aggressive” in his goalkeeping, and if a fee can be lowered below a £40m asking price, a move could prove to be a shrewd one by Spurs and Postecoglou ahead of the new season.

Virat Kohli praised Parthiv Patel’s contribution with the bat after the wicketkeeper, playing his first Test in eight years, made scores of 42 and 67 not out opening the innings in Mohali

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali29-Nov-20161:48

‘Parthiv stood out in this game’ – Kohli

If there was a shot in the Mohali Test that said “you may as well shake hands now” it was Parthiv Patel’s upper cut off Ben Stokes for four with India needing 48 runs to win. Parthiv was playing for India for the first time in eight years and he gave a fine account of himself, cracking 67 off 54 balls, including a lofted cover drive for four which became the winning runs.”I think he really stood out in this game for me as a batsman,” India’s captain, Virat Kohli, said.Parthiv had also made 42 in the first innings opening the batting at short notice after KL Rahul was ruled out aggravating a forearm injury in the nets, to go with four catches and a stumping. So was there a chance that he might stay with the team as a back-up batsman even if Wriddhiman Saha comes back to keep wicket for the Mumbai Test, starting on December 8?”You never know, there are all kinds of possibilities,” Kohli said. “The way he approached both innings, it was amazing to see. That’s where experience from the first-class level comes into play. He’s someone who’s played [for India] at a very early age and he’s come back and the intent he showed in both innings, I think, just deflated the opposition. Credit to him to go out there and counterattack and take on their seamers. You never know. We’ll see what happens in the next few days. We’ll take a call accordingly.”Another aspect that pleased Kohli was how consistently India’s lower order has been performing. They are second in terms of average runs added by the last four wickets in Test cricket this year.”As a side, when you get five or six wickets you think that the game is going to get over early and the batsmen go into that zone and suddenly you have to field for 50 more overs,” Kohli said. “You are confused whether to think about the game or focus on batting or focus on the field. All sorts of things start happening. We have experienced in the past as well when other teams have done it against us and we haven’t found a way to stop it. So it’s great to see our guys stepping up and making it count.”Every game, on an average, we are scoring 80-85 runs. This game was 200-plus. Amazing to see guys working hard on their batting, 70-80 runs put a dent on the opposition batting and when they come out to bat they know they’ve given 60 runs more. It makes a massive difference especially in Test cricket to stretch the game longer for a session or session-and-a-half and then come out with the confidence in the field as well. With the ball also it helps them, they have admitted it themselves. You see, Ashwin is the No. 1 allrounder, he scores lots of runs and comes out more confident with the ball. Credit to them and for executing those plans.”There was something else that geed up Kohli as well. He was seen exchanging words with Ben Stokes after the England allrounder was dismissed on the first day at the PCA stadium. Stokes was later fined by the ICC for the incident and when he took Kohli’s wicket on the second day, he celebrated by putting his hand over his mouth. Kohli responded with a finger-on-lips celebration when Stokes got out in the last over of the third day.Tthe question was bound to crop up in the press conference. “I’m surprised out of all the cricket questions you picked this,” Kohli said. “He’s a competitive player and so am I. I wouldn’t like to explain or elaborate what happened on the field. It’s better left to officials to know what happened. These things have only motivated me in the past and continued to do so. So I don’t mind it.”

The ICC has set December 19 as the hearing date for Faf du Plessis’ appeal against his guilty verdict for ball-tampering

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-20164:31

‘I wasn’t trying to cheat, I was shining the ball’ – du Plessis (November 23)

The ICC has set December 19 as the hearing date for Faf du Plessis’ appeal against his guilty verdict for ball-tampering. Michael Beloff QC has been appointed judicial commissioner to hear the appeal.Beloff is the chairman of ICC’ Code of Conduct Commission. He has been part of independent tribunals involving ICC cases previously including the one that found the Pakistan trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir guilty of spot-fixing during 2010 Lord’s Test.On November 22, the ICC match referee Andy Pycroft found du Plessis guilty of ball-tampering and fined him his entire match fee from the Hobart Test against Australia. The ICC chief executive David Richardson had charged him on the basis of TV footage that “appeared to show du Plessis applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition”.Three days later, du Plessis launched his appeal against the verdict, with Cricket South Africa supporting his decision and hoping for clarity from the ICC over what constituted an “artificial substance” in rules pertaining to polishing the ball. In response, Richardson said there was no ambiguity over the definition as far as the ICC was concerned, and said he was “disappointed” with du Plessis’ decision to launch an appeal.

Celtic hiring Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca would potentially be an 'exciting' appointment to replace Ange Postecoglou at Parkhead, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Celtic and Enzo Maresca?

As per The Sun, Celtic are set to speak to Maresca regarding the managerial vacancy at Parkhead now that Manchester City's Champions League final tie against Inter Milan has been and gone.

The 43-year-old is said to have the backing of sections of the Celtic hierarchy and is viewed as a trusted commodity by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Maresca serves as one of his assistant managers at the Premier League champions.

Former Ascoli manager Fulvio Fiorin has backed Maresca to strike out on his own as a manager in an interview with The Times, stating: “I haven’t spoken to Enzo specifically about Celtic, but I do know that he has that ambition, that desire to stretch himself and improve. He is someone who accepts challenges. For sure, not everyone has the courage to go and work at a club like Celtic, but I don’t believe Enzo would shy away from it."

Maresca has held one role in senior management at Serie B side Parma, where he won four matches, drew five and lost five before being sacked after just 14 matches in charge of the Italian outfit, as per Transfermarkt.

Previously, Maresca also enjoyed a productive spell as manager of Manchester City's elite development squad and guided them to their first-ever Premier League 2 title back in 2020/21.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks Maresca could prove to be an intriguing appointment by Celtic as they look to secure a new manager.

Jones told FFC: "It makes a lot of sense that this is one of the first places they would look towards for a replacement. Obviously, the type of team you would expect he would build, the contacts that he would be able to lean on and the philosophy would probably fit too on the back of what Ange has built at that club in terms of the expectation. I think in terms too of keeping the fan base on side, they were so bonded by Postecoglou and there will be amazing disappointment at the club at the moment that he's gone. It needs to be an interesting and exciting man that comes in to replace him and Maresca definitely ticks those boxes."

Would Maresca be a good appointment for Celtic and who else has been linked?

By all means, Maresca, who played with Zidane as a player, looks to be a promising coach that has a first-hand grasp of how to play successful entertaining football given his time spent at Manchester City. However, there would be some reticence from the Celtic support given his lack of managerial experience.

Several other managers have been linked to the job, none more so than former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers, who has been at the centre of face-to-face discussions with Celtic chiefs over a possible return to Parkhead, as per The Daily Mail.

Ex-Norwich City man Daniel Farke has also been in dialogue with the Scottish champions according to journalist Florian Plettenberg, who stated on Twitter: "News Farke: Talks with Celtic FC! Celtic very interested in signing him as a replacement for Postecoglou. First talks took place. Next option: Leeds confirmed. But not advanced yet. Could change next week. Farke, ready to take over a new club now!"

Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen, former Alanyaspor boss Francesco Farioli and Club Brugge assistant Rik de Mil have also been mentioned in connection with the Celtic job as the Hoops continue to assess potential candidates to take over from the departed Postecoglou.