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Upon his £30m transfer back in the summer of 2004, no Manchester United supporter could have imagined the huge impact Wayne Rooney would have on the club.

The Englishman spent 13 years at Old Trafford, subsequently appearing in 559 outings in the process – currently sitting on the list for the club’s all-time appearance makers.

Such a time frame allowed the forward to reach phenomenal levels with the Red Devils, racking up a total of 253 goals at an average of one strike every 2.2 matches.

Rooney’s subsequent tally has made him their record goalscorer, with such a record still standing to this day and putting him ahead of the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton.

His phenomenal tallies catapulted Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to five Premier League titles during his stint in the North West, helping make the club one of the most successful in English history.

Fast-forward to the present day, current boss Ruben Amorim has found his own version of the fan-favourite, but it’s not in the form of one player who many would expect.

Benjamin Sesko’s start to life at United

After scoring just 44 times in England’s top-flight last season, it was crucial United invested in landing a new talisman – with Benjamin Sesko the man chosen by the hierarchy to lead the line.

The Slovenian cost a reported £74m including add-ons from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, but it’s safe to say his start in England has been a slow burner and taken time to explode into life.

He failed to score in any of his first six outings for the Red Devils, but the 22-year-old has managed to produce the goods in each of the last couple of outings.

Sesko has scored in each of his last two Premier League outings for Amorim’s side, with his latest strike helping them claim a needed victory against newly-promoted Sunderland at the Theatre of Dreams.

It may be early days into his career in England, but he’s already shown glimpses of quality that could make him a fan-favourite for many years to come – potentially even catapulting them to new levels of success.

However, he’s not the player who could emulate Rooney at Old Trafford, with one other first-team member closer to being similar to the Englishman in the future.

Man United's new Rooney

In their attempts to land top-level talents, United have spent over £800m on new signings in the last four years to try and catapult themselves back up the Premier League table.

Most of such funds have been wasted on players that, unfortunately, aren’t at the level required for success, as seen by the club’s 15th-placed standing last campaign.

Amorim was unable to extract the most out of the squad, which undoubtedly led to Sesko’s addition during the summer to prevent such a scenario from happening once again in the future.

However, he has already featured alongside Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese international a player who massively starred despite the struggles on the pitch in 2024/25.

The 31-year-old scored 19 times and registered 18 assists across all competitions, with such a tally being by far and away the highest of any player in the first-team squad.

Such numbers make him similar to Rooney in terms of being the Red Devils’ main talisman, but it’s another aspect of his game which has seen him emulate the Englishman.

After the hierarchy’s £200m spending spree in the summer, it saw three attacking-minded players enter the club, which has seen Bruno have to shift roles as a result.

Fernandes, who’s been labelled “world-class” by United writer Liam Canning, has since been forced to operate in a deeper midfield role, something which Rooney did during the latter stages of his career at Old Trafford.

Whilst such a decision saw the Englishman net fewer goals in his final years, his passing ability made him a phenomenal option in that area – with Bruno emulating such levels, as seen by his tally of 82% of passes completed in 2025/26.

Games played

7

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

82%

Shots taken

2.3

Chances created

2.7

Dribble success

57%

Tackles won

2.1

Recoveries made

6.2

The Portuguese international may have to suffer in terms of his goalscoring tallies, but his ability to dictate the play could be a huge asset for Amorim’s side in the years ahead.

His passing ability could be crucial for Sesko if the Slovenian is to be a success at Old Trafford, with huge pressure being placed on the youngster to provide the goods in the Premier League.

However, neither player will likely reach the cult hero status of Rooney at the Theatre of Dreams, with the manager undoubtedly wishing he could call upon such a player in the present day.

The new Yorke & Cole: Man Utd's "superb double-act" could save Amorim's job

Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke famously scored 53 goals as Manchester United won the treble in 1998/99, but has Rúben Amorim found a new “electric” duo?

ByBen Gray Oct 7, 2025

Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl stole the show with a stunning finish as the German champions thrashed 10-man Borussia Monchengladbach 3-0 to extend their winning streak in the Bundesliga to eight matches. Former Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson failed to make an impact despite starting, while Harry Kane's incredible scoring run finally came to an end.

Karl shines in Bayern's triumph

The first half witnessed a gripping contest between the two sides as Bayern failed to break down Monchengladbach's compact defence. Both teams had their fair share of half-chances throughout the first 45 minutes but they failed to capitalise. The hosts suffered a major setback in the 19th minute of the match as Jens Castrop was shown a direct red card following an ugly challenge on Luis Diaz.

Vincent Kompany made a few changes at the start of the second half as he subbed off Nicolas Jackson. The former Chelsea forward failed to capitalise on the opportunity that was provided to him as he remained ineffective. Serge Gnabry was introduced alongside Raphael Guerreiro, who proved to be a 'super sub' for the Bavarian side.

In the 64th minute, Kimmich picked up a pass from Gnabry inside the box before attempting a shot on goal but it was blocked by an opposition defender. However, from the rebound, the experienced midfielder found the back of the net to break the deadlock. 

Five minutes later, Guerreiro doubled the lead after receiving a through ball from Michael Olise inside the box as the Portugal international found the back of the net with a clinical finish. Guerreiro then set up a perfect pass for late substitute and wonderkid Lennart Karl, as the youngster scored his second consecutive goal for Bayern with a world-class finish from the edge of the box.

In between, Monchengladbach had an opportunity to pull one back when they earned a penalty after Tom Bischof's poor challenge. Unfortunately for the hosts, Kevin Stoger hit the upright with a powerful shot and squandered a golden chance to stage a comeback.

With the crucial three points, the German champions increased their winning streak in the Bundesliga to eight matches as they are now five points clear of RB Leipzig at the top of the table.

AdvertisementAFPThe MVP

Karl stole the show after coming on as a substitute in the 76th minute. The teenager took just seven minutes to put his name on the scoresheet as he scored a wonder goal after receiving a pass from Guerreiro. Credit to Guerreiro as well for scoring one goal and setting up for Karl's strike.

The big loser

Stoger turned out to be the villain for Monchengladbach as he failed to convert a spot-kick in the second half. At the time of the penalty, Bayern were leading by two goals, but were looking vulnerable while tracking back to stop the counter-attacks. The goal could have provided the hosts an opportunity to stage a comeback but the midfielder missed a golden chance. 

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Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Am I crazy to be fading the winningest team in baseball at home?  Maybe. But, by now, you know my style, so stay with me for a bit. Our bankroll has been growing. 

Yes, the Yankees are the best team in baseball right now and the only team with 50 wins. They will also be sending Nestor Cortes to the mound, and he's been stellar at home.   When pitching at home this season, Cortes has a mere 1.77 ERA. That's dominant.  

Juan Soto is back in the lineup, and Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things. He's batting .300 with 26 home runs, which is on pace to match and possibly eclipse his record-setting 62 home run MVP season.   

Folarin Balogun scored his first Champions League goal of the season, netting in the first half of Monaco's clash with Bodo/Glimt to put his club up 1-0 at the Aspmyra Stadion. The goal is Balogun's third since scoring for the U.S. men's national team against Ecuador in a 1-1 draw during the October international break.

AFPThe big goal

The American striker's finish came just before halftime, in the 43rd minute, and it was a moment of individual brilliance from Balogun. After being played in by Maghnes Akliouche, Balogun found himself facing a tight angle, but he was able to find the back of the net anyway by smashing a shot just inside the goalkeeper's near post. 

The goal gave Monaco the lead heading into the break as the Ligue 1 club searches for its first Champions League win this season. 

AdvertisementWatch the clipImagnBalogun's recent run

The goal continues the striker's good run of form as he continues to make his mark under new Monaco boss Sebastien Pocognoli, who took over as head coach on Oct. 11. Since then, Balogun has netted three goals in his last six matches – one against Angers, one against Nantes, and then Tuesday's finish against Bodo/Glimt.

On the international side, the striker has also been in good form. After returning to the USMNT in September after dealing with injury issues for the first half of the year, Balogun went on to score against both Japan that month and Ecuador in October to make his case to be the starting No. 9 ahead of the World Cup.

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AFPWhat comes next?

The USMNT's roster for November friendlies is set to be released this week, and Balogun is widely expected to be among the headliners. Mauricio Pochettino's side will take on Paraguay and Uruguay during that break in their final matches of 2025. 

Before that, though, Balogun has one more club match with Monaco: a visit from Lens on Saturday. The club currently sits fifth in Ligue 1 on 20 points, two points behind Saturday's opponents, who are currently in third.

There is now a “real prospect” of Liverpool completing the signing of an “extraordinary” France international as they seek to break out of their recent rut.

Van Dijk's leadership breaks Liverpool slump

The Premier League champions are back in action away to Brentford on Saturday evening, looking to build on Wednesday’s 5-1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk revealed after the win in Germany that he held a meeting with just the players at the start of the week, following a dreadful run of form.

“On Monday everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home,” said Van Dijk. “It was tough under the circumstances so on Monday we came together but it wasn’t a crisis meeting. Nobody wants to lose four games in a row but it was the situation we faced.

“Obviously we also had a proper debrief with the manager but we also had a separate one as players. I wanted to say some things. It’s not something I do after every game. After my meeting everyone was happy!”

Away from Liverpool’s on-pitch duties, an exciting new transfer rumour has emerged, with FSG seemingly planning to spend their way out of their recent run.

Liverpool in race to sign Champions League winner

Speaking to TEAMtalk, journalist Dean Jones claimed that Liverpool have a “real” chance of signing Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, but face competition for his signature.

Camavinga has a €1bn release clause in his Real Madrid contract, but stands out as a wonderful option for Liverpool, should he and Xabi Alonso fail to fully click at Madrid, resulting in Los Blancos cashing in for a more reasonable figure.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has won two Champions League crowns in his career, as well as a couple of La Liga titles, while Carlo Ancelotti has called him an “extraordinary” player, which is high praise from a legendary manager.

Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"

Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 24, 2025

Camavinga would bring class, elegance and substance to Liverpool’s midfield, not to mention being able to shine at left-back, and given his age, he could mature into a genuinely world-class midfield at Anfield. Arne Slot does have great depth there, but if the chance arises to sign him, it would be foolish to say no.

“They were 90 seconds late to come to the pitch. Not 10, not 20. Ninety seconds late.”

Sidharth Monga22-Jul-20252:03

Harmison: Fire in the belly makes players play better

India captain Shubman Gill has questioned England’s conduct at Lord’s, when they ran down the clock on the third evening and made sure India could bowl just one over in the seven minutes available. Gill said his issue was more with the openers turning up 90 seconds late and not with Zak Crawley getting medical attention when a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah brushed his glove.India became visibly confrontational after that, which led to an equal response from England when India batted in the fourth innings. Their coach Brendon McCullum was seen at the Lord’s balcony asking his players to turn the verbals higher when Washington Sundar went out to bat. Washington had spoken to the media the day before about India winning the game comfortably.England have been saying India instigated the sledging, and that it has eventually hurt them. Gill was asked about his views a day before the fourth Test at Old Trafford. “A lot of people have been talking about it, so let me just clear the air once and for all,” Gill said. “The English batsmen on that day, they had seven minutes of play left. They were 90 seconds late to come to the pitch. Not ten, not 20. Ninety seconds late.Related

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“Yes, most of the teams, they use this [tactic]. Even if we were in a position, we would’ve also liked to play lesser overs, but there’s a manner to do it. And we felt, yes, if you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on and that is something that is fair. But to be able to come 90 seconds late on the crease is not something that I would think comes in the spirit of the game.”Gill was seen on camera using some choice words at the England batters during this phase of play. He alluded to things simmering under the surface a bit, but didn’t go into detail.”And just leading up to that event, a lot of things that we thought should not have happened had happened,” he said. “And I wouldn’t say it was something that I’m very proud of, but there was a lead-up and build-up to that. It didn’t just come out of nowhere, and we had no intention of doing that whatsoever. But you’re playing a game, you’re playing to win, and there are a lot of emotions involved, and when you see there are things happening that should not happen, sometimes the emotions come out of nowhere.”England captain Ben Stokes felt similarly: sledging is not something they plan or talk about, it is just something that boils over. However, he did say they were going to give back as good as they get.3:30

Gill questions England’s conduct at Lord’s

“I don’t think it is one of those things where we will necessarily just go out and start it,” Stokes said. “I don’t think either team has really looked to do that, but there will always be a moment in a series where things just heat up. It is a massive series, there is pressure on both teams to go out and perform. The environment when you are out there, there is going to some moments, some heat showing [up].”Obviously that night when Zak and Ben [Duckett] had to go out there and start everything off, we had the advantage of bowling last in a Test match to win and threw everything at India, not only with our skills but also with our energy in the field as well.”There were reports McCullum had told England players they had been too nice when they discussed sledging.”Potentially,” Stokes said. “[But] it was a real nice moment as a team when you speak about something like that and then everyone buys into it. It is not something we are going to purposely go out and start in a game of cricket, that will take our focus off what we need to do out in the middle. But we are not going to take a backward step and let any opposition try and be confrontational towards us and not try to give a bit back. I think that goes for most teams, to be honest, so it is not like we are the only team who does that.”

England Lions will play two more matches on their tour – against CA XI and Australia A, which will run concurrently with the first and second Tests in Perth and Brisbane

Alex Malcolm24-Jul-2025England will play only one official practice match, against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth, in preparation for the first Ashes Test in late November.Cricket Australia announced on Thursday that the fixture would be part of a three-match England Lions tour that will run concurrently with the Ashes series in Australia.England will play a three-day red-ball game at Lilac Hill, the home of Midland Guildford Cricket Club in Perth’s eastern suburbs, from November 13-15 ahead of the first Ashes Test starting at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21. Lilac Hill was once the traditional first tour stop for all international teams when visiting Australia throughout the 1990s as the visiting Test team would play a 50-over festival game to kick off the tour.That tradition has long been shelved with touring teams not even playing matches against Australian state sides any more. England have opted to follow a similar pre-tour preparation that India had in Australia last year, except India’s only intra-squad match was played behind closed doors at the WACA ground with no media or outsiders allowed in.There is no ability to close off Lilac Hill to the public as it is open parkland alongside the Swan River. The WACA ground is unavailable on November 13-14 owing to a Sheffield Shield game being scheduled between Western Australia and Queensland on November 11-14, but both Australia and England will likely have access to the WACA ground for centre-wicket training and net sessions in the days leading up to the first Test.While England will play just one practice game before the first Test in Perth, it’s understood they may play another a two-day fixture in Canberra against the Prime Minister’s XI in between the first and second Test at the Gabba, which will be a pink-ball day-night Test. The Prime Minister’s XI match is yet to be confirmed but it could double as England’s pink-ball warm-up for the Gabba.Meanwhile, England Lions will play three fixtures in total on their concurrent tour of Australia. Following the England game, they will play a second four-day match at the same Lilac Hill venue against a Cricket Australia XI that will likely comprise of developing fringe Australian domestic and Under-19 players who will not be playing in the Shield round that starts on November 22.Shoaib Bashir played for England Lions on an Australia tour in January and February•Getty ImagesThe Lions will then travel to Brisbane with the England Test squad and play a four-day game against an Australia A team at Allan Border Field on December 5-8, while the second Ashes Test at the Gabba runs from December 4-8. The two Lions games running alongside the Test matches could allow England’s management to play some of their Test squad members if they are not selected in the XIs for the first two Tests.Australia’s selectors may field a stronger team for the Australia A fixture in Brisbane but again it will run up against the sixth round of the Shield.”The reciprocal A series against the England Lions is important for Australian cricket giving our players the chance to perform against high calibre opposition,” CA head of cricket operations and scheduling Peter Roach said. “We’re confident this series will complement what should be a fiercely contested Ashes series and have strong benefits for both countries.”It is a big year of Australia A cricket opportunities with the recently completed series against Sri Lanka A and tour of India in September before the Lions series.”It will be the second Lions tour to Australia this year after they played three red-ball matches against CA XI and Australia A in January and February in Brisbane and Sydney.Injured England Test offspinner Shoaib Bashir played all three matches on that tour while seamers Josh Tongue and Sam Cook, who have both played Tests for England recently, also played on that tour.England Lions tour scheduleNov 13-15: England v England Lions | Lilac Hill (Perth)
Nov 21-24: CA XI v England Lions | Lilac Hill (Perth)
Dec 5-8: Australia A v England Lions | Allan Border Field (Brisbane)

Harry Kane has opened up on family life and revealed the battles with his daughter Vivienne over his phone. Kane moved to Bayern Munich in 2023 and lived in a hotel for the first six months of his time in Germany as he initially struggled being away from his family. However, they have since settled in the country with the striker tearing up the Bundesliga.

Getty Images SportKane is thriving in Munich

Tottenham were forced into the sale of Kane in 2023 as the England captain entered the final 12 months of his contract in north London. A host of Premier League sides, including Manchester City and Manchester United, were both credited with an interest but it was Bayern who won the race to secure his services.

And Kane has excelled in the Bundesliga having scored freely in Germany's top tier under Vincent Kompany. Earlier this season, Kane made history as he became the fastest player to score 100 goals for a team in Europe's top five leagues, doing so in 104 appearances, beating the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland, who both reached the milestone in 105 outings.

And the former Spurs man is leading the race for the 'Kicker-Torjagerkanone' having scored 12 league goals in his opening nine Bundesliga outings this season. Kane has since opened up about his family life in Germany, including his own battles with daughter Vivienne over his phone.

Advertisement'She enjoys taking pictures'

In a Q&A on his official Instagram page, Kane rattled through the questions about his phone, which offered an insight into life for the striker. The first question was 'Last photo in your camera roll?' to which the Bayern hitman replied: "The last photo? It's actually me trying to get my phone off my daughter, Vivienne. She had my phone and as you can see, she enjoys taking pictures. That's me trying to get it back off her."

In addition, Kane was asked the last person he called, answering: "The last person I called was my wife Kate. She's get a German number. We was just catching up. Family stuff, kids stuff. Who's picking up who at what time, just the usual stuff really, yeah."

Finally, Kane was asked 'What is your lock screen photo?', replying: "My lock screen changes all the time cause again the kids get hold of my phone. This is it at the moment (lock screen of emojis). Vivienne again she loves messing about and that's supposed to be me (points to emoji of a man) a grumpy man and she's got the love hearts at least, and she's got the cat because she loves cats. So, there you go."

Getty Images Sport'Slowly but surely it starts to feel like home'

Kane has previously discussed his family life and the struggles that come with being away from his wife and children, including son Henry who was born the same month the Three Lions star left Spurs for Bayern. The striker resided in a hotel for the first six months of his time in Germany, and felt the pressure to perform on the pitch while being away from his family for so long.

However, they reunited at the start of 2024, and discussed his family with , stating: "They’re in school now and have been skiing the last couple of weekends. Just having that has been great for them. We’ve met a few of the parents at school and made friends with teammates’ wives and kids. Slowly but surely it starts to feel like home.

"People ask what are the big differences, but a lot of the routine is pretty much the same. You miss friends you have at home or a golf course, but you soon learn about those things here and it becomes part of your home."

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Bayern looking to extend remarkable winning run

After drawing a blank in Bayern's 2-1 win at PSG on Tuesday night, Kane has now failed to score in his last two club outings, and scored in just one of his last four club appearances. The Bavarians return to league duties on Saturday afternoon when they take on Union Berlin as they look to extend their remarkable winning start to the season.

Kompany has overseen 16 successive victories ahead of Saturday's trip to the capital ahead of the November international break. Bayern will resume domestic duties against Freiburg later this month before a mouth-watering meeting with Arsenal in the Champions League.

The final result in Game 1 of the wild-card series on Tuesday at American Family Field was all too familiar for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers got out to a 2–0 lead over the New York Mets in the first inning on an RBI single by catcher William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. And when the Mets struck with three runs in the top of the second, Milwaukee claimed back the lead with two runs in the fourth.

However, the Mets pounced again in the fifth inning with a five-run rally to take the lead for good in an 8-4 win.

Per Opta STATS, Milwaukee is the first team in MLB history to blow a multi-run lead in four straight postseason games.

The Brewers had a 3–0 lead in Game 1 of the 2023 National League wild card series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but lost 6-3. In Game 2 of that series, they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and fell 5-2 to end their season.

Three years ago, in Game 4 of the 2021 NLDS, the Brewers led the Atlanta Braves 2–0 before suffering a 5-4 season-ending loss.

That's tough for any franchise to swallow.

Aiming to avoid any further unfortunate history, the Brewers will turn to right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas to start Game 2 on Wednesday against lefthander Sean Manaea and the Mets.

Tottenham Hotspur have now joined the race to sign a “special” £70m attacker, who has made a fantastic start to the season.

Spurs return to form with victory at Everton

Tottenham became the first visiting team to defeat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, emerging as 3-0 winners courtesy of a Micky van de Ven brace and a late Pape Matar Sarr effort, which saw them rise to third in the Premier League table.

Spurs returned to form on Merseyside, but they have struggled to create chances at times this season, and Thomas Frank is very fortunate his side managed to come away with a point from the trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League.

It would also be fair to say Xavi Simons hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in north London, chipping in with just one goal contribution in six Premier League games, and the Lilywhites have since set their sights on a new attacking midfielder.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which reveals Tottenham were one of the clubs to scout Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun in the German side’s recent 5-1 defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League.

Uzun is attracting interest from a whole host of clubs, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey revealing scouts from English sides have taken a liking to the youngster, saying: “This boy is ‘special’ was the comment I received from a scout attached to one of the Premier League’s top clubs.

“Uzun might be considered under the radar to some but he is a huge talent. He has become one of the most talked about players in the Bundesliga and he really is a huge talent.

“There is not a major club who doesn’t have him on their radar.”

Uzun has made flying start to the 2025-25 season

Signing the Frankfurt star could be a costly operation, with it widely being reported they value him at the €80m (£70m) mark earlier this month, but there are clear indications he could go on to be a top-level player.

Tottenham now leading race to sign £70m pass-master from Champions League club

Spurs have taken the lead in the race for an “intelligent” midfielder

ByDominic Lund Oct 26, 2025

The 19-year-old scored in each of his opening five Bundesliga games this season, and he has already amassed ten goal contributions in 12 matches across all competitions, catching the eye of scout Jacek Kulig in the process.

In fact, the Germany-born maestro places in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, having averaged 0.62.

Uzun has proven he has an incredibly exciting future ahead, so it is promising news that Tottenham are tracking his progress, although their interest appears to be tentative at this stage.