Manchester United and England legend David Beckham cheekily trolled Premier League rivals Liverpool while browsing through football merchandise in an adidas shop. Beckham started his career at Old Trafford in 1992 and spent 11 seasons at United before heading to Real Madrid in 2003. He later played for LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before retiring in 2013. He recently received his knighthood.

Beckham cheekily trolls Liverpool

Beckham was spotted at an adidas store where he was looking at a rack full of caps, which consisted of hats for both Premier League giants Liverpool and United, side by side. The former England wide man picked up the first cap from the United row and placed it in front of the Liverpool row to hide the Reds' badge. He then cheekily said on camera: "That's a lot better". 

AdvertisementWatch the clipBeckham's opinion on Man Utd – 'There’s still a long way to go'

Beckham was recently quizzed by while in the Middle East as he was asked to share his opinion on the current United squad and their performance in the 2025-26 campaign thus far. The 50-year-old said: "I think there are signs of the manager turning things around. He has tweaked a few things and we are coming into a few better results. There’s still a long way to go and there has been a few games where we haven’t been playing as well. But I think we’ve got a good manager there and I think he is changing things slowly.”

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Getty Images SportBeckham to assist Amorim in Man Utd rebuilding

Ruben Amorim is reportedly planning to call on Red Devils legends Eric Cantona, David Beckham and four other club icons in a bid to take his squad rebuild to the next level. United endured a nightmare 2024-25 campaign but have shown signs of improvement in the first half of the new season and currently sit seventh in the Premier League table after winning six of their first 13 matches.

A source to : "Throughout his own career, Ruben always loved when former players and legends of the clubs he played for would interact with the team — sharing knowledge, stories, and advice about what it means to represent the club. Coming from Benfica, he understands what real pressure feels like and how to use it to grow — as a man, a player, and now as a leader. He believes these exchanges can help the players make the most of their time at United, both on and off the pitch."

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

The Saints are in a position, having just come down from the Premier League, where this may be their best chance to return to the top-flight before they have to cash in on more of their top talents with parachute payments dwindling.

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This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

Matches

16

30

Wins

4

18

Draws

5

4

Losses

7

8

Points

17

58

Points per game

1.06

1.93

League position

18th

4th

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

Southampton can hire big Eckert upgrade with move for "world-class" manager

Southampton can hire an even better manager than Tonda Eckert by making a move for this free agent boss.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.

In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas joined baseball’s history books. Now, it appears he will take a victory lap in 2026.

Rojas is signing a one-year contract worth $5.5 million to play his final season with Los Angeles, according to Wednesday afternoon reports from Daniel Álvarez-Montes of and Alden González of ESPN. Per Álvarez-Montes and González, Rojas will move into the Dodgers’ front office after the season.

The Los Teques, Venezuela native has played 12 Major League Baseball seasons—eight with the Marlins and four with Los Angeles. He has a .260/.314/.362 lifetime slashline with 57 home runs and 363 RBIs.

None of his home runs were bigger than the one he hit on Nov. 1 of this year—with one out in the top of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series and the Dodgers trailing the Blue Jays 4–3, Rojas launched a solo shot to left field to tie the game. Los Angeles went on to win the game in 11 innings.

The Dodgers are scheduled to raise their banner on March 26 against the Diamondbacks.

Bryce Harper just wrapped his seventh season with the Phillies and 14th MLB season overall, hitting .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. It was a strong season, but his 3.2 WAR was his lowest mark for a year in which he played at least 100 games since 2018.

It is reasonable to believe that Harper is on the downswing of his career, but even so, it was surprising to hear Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski appear to indicate that he no longer believes that Harper is an "elite" player.

"In Bryce's case, of course he's still a quality player. He's still an All-Star caliber player. He didn't have an elite season like he has had in the past," said Dombrowski last Thursday. "I guess we only find out if he becomes elite [again] or he continues to be good. You look around the league, you try to think Freddie Freeman. He's a really good player, he still is a good player. Is he elite like he was before? Probably not to the same extent so that's nothing negative. Freddie's still a tremendous player. That to me is Bryce."

Dombrowski's comments made waves within the world of Philly sports, even helping give rise to some rumors that Philadelphia could look to move the two-time National League MVP. Appearing on , he sought to clarify his Harper comments, while shooting down the bourgeoning trade rumors before they break contain.

"First of all, to me, Bryce Harper's one of the best players in the game of baseball. They asked me, 'What type of year do you think he had?' And I said, 'He had a very good year, I don't think he had an elite year.' And when I say that, when I think of Bryce Harper, it's a compliment, because the reality is there are eight, 10 players in the game of baseball every year, when they're not in the MVP consideration… it's not an elite year for them.

"So the reality is, he's a great player, he's a future Hall of Famer. … Now I've been reading that, . That couldn't be farther from the truth. We love him, we think he's a great player, he's a very important part of our team. I've seen him have better years.”

Dombrowski went on to riff about comments that Phillies legend Mike Schmidt made on the podcast about another of the team's 32-year-old stars, Kyle Schwarber, and the importance for players of that age to keep up a strong training regimen through the offseason. Dombrowski says he has no doubts that Harper will be one of the players who will age gracefully because of his talent and work ethic.

"I'll take my chances with Bryce more than most, because Bryce is an elite talent… I think it's a shame where this has gone. It wasn't meant to be a criticism."

Harper just crossed the midway point of the mammoth 13-year, $330 million deal he signed with Philadelphia, and is still owed nearly $153 million through 2031. Removing the human element from it, if the Phillies believe they'll get diminishing returns from Harper as he enters his mid-30s, it makes sense for them to consider a trade. It doesn't sound as if Dombrowski is near that point yet, however, despite how it may have sounded a week ago.

علقت جماهير فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي على تواجد محمد صلاح بديلًا للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وقرار المدرب آرني سلوت بعدم الدفع به كبديل خلال المواجهة أمام ليدز يونايتد، مساء السبت.

كما تفاعلت الجماهير مع التصريحات التي تم تداولها عقب المباراة، على لسان النجم المصري، وقد نشرت عدة مصادر بريطانية، تعليقاته.

وبحسب ما ورد قال صلاح: “هذا غير مقبول بالنسبة لي، لا أعرف لماذا يحدث هذا لي، لا أفهمه، أعتقد لو كنتُ شخصًا آخر في النادي، لو كان النادي سيحمي هذا اللاعب.. لا أعرف لماذا أنا في هذا الوضع الآن، لقد بذلتُ الكثير من أجل هذا النادي، لستُ مضطرًا للقتال يوميًا من أجل مركزي لأنني استحقيته، أنا لستُ أكبر من أي شخص”.

لمطالعة تصريحات محمد صلاح كاملة من هنا.

وفشل ليفربول في الحفاظ على تقدمه أمام ليدز، ونجح الخصم في اقتناص هدف قاتل بالوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع لتحسم المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بنتيجة 3-3.

وتأتي مباراة ليفربول وليدز ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة عشر للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج” لموسم 2025-2026. تعليقات جماهير ليفربول على تصريحات محمد صلاح الهجومية

“أراد آرني سلوت أن يُلقي باللوم على صلاح في إخفاقاته، لكنه لم يستطع فعل أي شيء بدونه، كان ملكنا المصري مجرد كبش فداء”.

Arne Slot wanted to blame his failures on Salah, but he couldn’t do anything without him
Our Egyptian king was just a scapegoat 😔 pic.twitter.com/wdatoIUoE6 — Marco lorenzo (@marco_lorenzo9) December 6, 2025

“تتحدث وكأن صلاح كان سيغير مجرى المباراة، صلاح ليس هو المشكلة، بل الدفاع، كما يحدث كل أسبوع”.

You’re acting like Salah would have changed the game salah isn’t the issue it’s the defence like every fucking week — Itz Crossbow (@Itz_Crossbow) December 6, 2025

“لأن سلوت ليس جيدًا بما يكفي لهذا الدوري، سيكون جيدًا في فرنسا أو ألمانيا ولكن ليس الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.. ليس بالنسبة لي”.

Because he’s not good enough for this league (Slot) – Slot would do okay in France or Germany but the Prem… not for me . — TheKopTalk97 (@TheKopTalk) December 6, 2025

“صلاح لديه بطولة أمم إفريقيا ليفوز بها وأتمنى أن يفوز بها”.

Salah has an AFCON to win and I hope he does — Lazy Koshur (@lazykoshur) December 6, 2025

“أجد صعوبة في التصديق، هل تراجع مستوى صلاح إلى هذا الحد لدرجة أنه لا يمكن الحصول على أي شيء منه؟ أعني، هيا يا رجل!”.

I fail to believe, Salah has has dropped so much that you can’t get anything out of him? I mean come on? — FoggyButBrave (@SpoonfulOfCode) December 6, 2025

“عدم احترام جسيم لصلاح! وجاكبو يحصل على أكثر من 80 دقيقة؟”.

Gross disrespect to Mo! And Gakpo gets 80+ mins??????? — Nichojay✨ (@Nicho_jayy) December 6, 2025

“ميكي ماوس سيكون أفضل من سلوت”.

Mickey mouse would be better than Arne — ☁️ (@issaaa____) December 6, 2025

“كان بإمكان صلاح الانضمام إلى أي نادٍ الصيف الماضي، اختار البقاء في ليفربول لأنه وعائلته يحبون النادي، سلوت يُظهر عدم احترام كبير لصلاح واللاعبين الآخرين، وهذا واضح”.

Salah could have joined any club last summer.
He chose to stay at Liverpool because he and his family love the club.
Slot is being very disrespectful to Salah and other players and its obvious to see. — Pauly J🤪 (@paul91428) December 6, 2025

“هراء، المشكلة في سلوت، فهو لا يعطي التوازن للفريق، ويربك الجميع… في يوم صلاح يبدأ ويلعب 90 دقيقة وفي يوم آخر لا يتم استخدامه، كييزا وريو يتعرضان لعدم الاحترام”.

Nonsense, Slot is the problem he’s not giving balance to team, he’s confusing everyone… One day Salah is starter and play 90 mins and the other is not even used, Chiesa and Rio are being disrespected… — Double M (@MarcioDoubleM) December 6, 2025

اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت بعد تعادل ليفربول مع ليدز يونايتد: علينا تقبل وضع محمد صلاح

وفيما يتعلق بتصريحات محمد صلاح، جاءت التعليقات على النحو التالي: 

“محمد صلاح إلى السعودية، ها نحن”.

Mo Salah to Saudi here we go — Mubaraak (@Mubaraak_05) December 6, 2025

“سيغادر في يناير، أنا متأكد”.

He’s gone in January I’m sure — BurnHard (@BurnHardUTD) December 6, 2025

“محمد صلاح ملكنا للأبد، أقيلوا سلوت”.

Mohamed Salah is OUR king, forever.#SLOTOUT #LFC — KAYKAY (@kaykay_sjk) December 6, 2025

“لستُ مضطرًا للقتال يوميًا من أجل مركزي لأنني استحقه لستُ أكبر من أي شخص..” حقًا؟ إذا كان لديه هذا الموقف، فهل يعني ذلك أنه مهما كان أداؤه سيئًا، لا يزال يعتقد أنه يستحق أن يكون لاعبًا أساسيًا؟”.

I don’t have to go everyday fighting for my position because I earned it. I’m not bigger than anyone…”

Really? If he has this attitude, does that mean that no matter how badly he plays, he still thinks he deserves to be a starter? — Liverpool are the best team in the world (@Loverpool1991) December 6, 2025

“هذا يذكرني بتين هاج ورونالدو، نحن بحاجة للتخلص من سلوت الآن”.

This is reminding me of ten Haag and ronaldo we need to get rid of slot now — Ryan (@ryan20050115) December 6, 2025

“إنه محق، يجب أن يكون جاكبو بجانبه على مقاعد البدلاء”.

He’s right
Gakpo should be next to him on the bench👍🏼 — Lolo (@theboywonder77) December 6, 2025

“هذا غير احترافي، لكنه محق، يجب أن يرحل سلوت، لقد اكتفيت، أسلوبه لا يناسبنا، ومن الواضح أنه فقد مكانته في غرفة الملابس”.

It’s unprofessional but he’s right. Slot has to go I’ve had enough, his style doesn’t suit us and he’s clearly lost the dressing room — Purple 🟣 🇬🇧 🇮🇳 (@Abhxt03) December 6, 2025

“إذا كان يقول هذا، فيجب إقالة سلوت من فضلكم”.

If he’s saying this it’s clear slot out PLEASE 🙏 — Bluey (@Itsliamfv) December 6, 2025

“ماذا فعل سلوت بهذا النادي؟ إنه يُخرّب نادينا حرفيًا أمام أعيننا”.

What has slot done to this club? He’s literally sabotaging our club in front of our very own eyes — Ryan (@LFCForever98) December 6, 2025

MatériaMais NotíciasVer Resumo da matéria por IANa tarde desta terça-feira (9), o Atlético informou o desligamento de quatro profissionais do departamento de futebol do clube. Entre eles, Éder Aleixo, ídolo e ex-jogador do Galo que ocupava o cargo de auxiliar técnico. Resumo supervisionado pelo jornalista!

Na tarde desta terça-feira (9), o Atlético informou o desligamento de quatro profissionais do departamento de futebol do clube. Entre eles, Éder Aleixo, ídolo e ex-jogador do Galo que ocupava o cargo de auxiliar técnico.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasAtlético MineiroTorcida do Atlético-MG avalia Brasileirão e elege melhor jogador da equipeAtlético Mineiro09/12/2025Atlético MineiroComo será a preparação do Atlético-MG para a próxima temporada? EntendaAtlético Mineiro09/12/2025Atlético MineiroQuem deve permanecer no Atlético-MG em 2026? confiraAtlético Mineiro09/12/2025

Em processo de reformulação visando a temporada 2026, além de Éder, foram demitidos Carlos Alberto Isidoro, supervisor de futebol; Daniel Cerqueira, Daniel Cerqueira, auxiliar técnico e Gustavo Nicoline, coordenador de análise de desempenho.

O clube ainda agradeceu pelos anos de dedicação e entrega ao Atlético, agradecendo pelo empenho e profissionalismo.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Galo agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Atlético-MG

Nota do Atlético na íntegra

“O Atlético está passando por uma reformulação em seu Departamento de Futebol, visando à temporada 2026. Nesse processo, comunicamos que deixam o Clube os seguintes profissionais:

continua após a publicidade

Carlos Alberto Isidoro — Supervisor de Futebol
Daniel Cerqueira – Auxiliar Técnico
Éder Aleixo – Auxiliar Técnico
Gustavo Nicoline — Coordenador de Análise de Desempenho

Foram anos de dedicação e entrega verdadeira ao projeto do Atlético.
Agradecemos por todo o empenho e pela postura profissional com que cada um deles representou as cores do Galo.”

continua após a publicidadePreparação do Atlético para a próxima temporada

A reapresentação do elenco será no dia 2 de janeiro, iniciando a pré-temporada. A preparação a princípio ocorrerá na Cidade do Galo, sem viagens ou torneios amistosos, diferentemente do ano passado, quando o alvinegro disputou a FC Series nos Estados Unidos.

Com a mudança do calendário do futebol em 2026, os campeonatos iniciam mais cedo e menos de dez dias depois da reapresentação o Galo já tem sua estreia pelo Mineiro. No dia 11 de janeiro enfrenta o Betim às 16h na Arena MRV.

No entanto, nas primeiras partidas do estadual, o Galo entrará com uma equipe mesclada, com atletas das categorias de base e time profissional. No ano passado apenas jogadores do sub-20 atuaram nas primeiras rodadas.

Tudo sobre

2026Atlético Mineirodemitidos

Heung-min Son touches down in London next week to bid farewell to the Lilywhites fanbase at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thomas Frank’s side are set to take on Slavia Prague in the Champions League, and what they could do with a prime version of Son and Harry Kane leading the line.

It’s fair to say that the world-class forwards have not been replaced since both departing in recent years, and that has been to the detriment of the new manager’s project.

Creatively, Spurs have not been at the races, but the need for an elite centre-forward has been just as severe. Talismanic figures like Kane are hard to come by, though.

Why Spurs are missing Harry Kane

It is not hard to work out why Tottenham miss their all-time record goalscorer, whose shooting skills are second to none and who, regardless, has so much more to his game than mere finishing.

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

Now a superstar with Bayern Munich, the Three Lions captain is one of the most prolific forwards in world football, actually described as “the best player in the world” by writer Mitch Fretton.

This might just be the case. Kane has posted 25 goals from 21 matches in all competitions this season. His Bayern side are runaway Bundesliga leaders already.

He is the star of the show, the cream of the crop. Just as he was at Tottenham.

How Frank must wish for such a player leading his line. Although saying that, the Danish coach does has a Kane-esque star in his ranks, even if this player is performing on the other side of the field.

Spurs have a new Kane-like talisman

There isn’t a single forward in Tottenham’s first team who would scratch the same surface as Kane in his north London pomp right now, but Cristian Romero is showing off talismanic properties, albeit in a different way.

The Argentina international has been something of a divisive figure at times down N17, boasting world-class talent but also an erraticness and rash streak that has pulled him away from the action at times.

But he’s still an immense player, evidenced when he came up trumps as Spurs salvaged a draw at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening, scoring a brace against Newcastle United.

Romero is hardly a similar player to Kane, but they share some similarities that suggest Romero could be the club’s new version.

They are both leaders. Kane was never anointed as Tottenham’s first-choice captain due to Hugo Lloris, but he’s undoubtedly a top leader. In this, Romero and him are alike, with the Argentine both a vocal and lead-by-example skipper, so imposing and aggressive in the heart of the defence.

The 27-year-old is a “monster” of a player, as dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, with Sofascore recording that he has averaged 2.5 tackles and 5.7 duels in the Premier League this season, winning 64% of the latter.

Micky van de Ven, lauded by some as Tottenham’s best player, has not yet achieved the same kind of defensive mastery, averaging only 1.1 tackles per game and winning just 51% of his duels.

It’s clear in this regard that Romero boasts surpassing quality, more roundedness, more completeness. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of Premier League defenders this year for goals, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for tackles per 90.

Let’s hope he remains under Frank’s wing over the coming years. On the basis of the evidence, the head coach is going to need him.

The new Son: Spurs prepared to pay £65m to sign "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fork out a hefty sum to land a new attacker for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now seriously considering a move for an “incredible” manager to replace Thomas Frank, following the 2-1 defeat at home against Fulham on Saturday.

Thomas Frank's future in doubt after another home defeat

Tottenham’s extremely concerning home form continued on Saturday afternoon, with the Cottagers consigning Frank’s side to a third loss in their last four Premier League games, and the lack of creativity, particularly in the first half, will no doubt be of particular concern to the manager.

It was not the first time this season Spurs have struggled from an attacking point of view, having recorded an xG of just 0.07 against Arsenal in the North London derby, the lowest figure of any side in the Premier League during the 2025-26 campaign.

As such, the pressure is mounting on Frank, who has just one home win to his name in the Premier League this season, with Jamie O’Hara expressing doubts over the Dane after the most recent setback.

As such, ENIC & co have started thinking about potential replacements, and according to a report from Spain, Tottenham are now seriously considering a move for Barcelona legend Xavi, with the board tempted to make a change if results don’t improve by the end of next month.

The 45-year-old is ready to return to management, having been out of work since being sacked by Barcelona back in May 2024, and there is plenty of interest from within the Premier League, with Manchester United also considering him as a replacement for Ruben Amorim.

The north Londoners are yet to make contact with the Spaniard, but they are planning to do so if results don’t improve in the near future, and there are signs he could be an excellent replacement for Frank…

"Incredible" Xavi could be ideal Frank replacement

With O’Hara concerned the Tottenham job may be too big for the 52-year-old, it would make sense to bring in a manager with experience managing at the highest level, and the legendary former midfielder certainly fits the bill in that regard, having led Barcelona to the 2022-23 La Liga title.

Lauded as “incredible” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the Terrassa-born manager, who prefers to implement an attacking 4-3-3 system, has won eight trophies across his managerial career, while Frank is yet to lift any silverware.

Jamie O'Hara loses it with Xavi Simons after what Tottenham star did in Fulham defeat

The summer signing was one of many underwhelming performers.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 29, 2025

As such, Xavi could be an ideal replacement for Frank, who should be on very thin ice, given that recent performances have been way below standard from an attacking point of view.

Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson has been appointed assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the IPL 2026 season, joining a team management that includes Abhishek Nayar (head coach) and Dwayne Bravo (mentor).ESPNcricinfo has learned that Watson and former New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee are new additions to the KKR coaching staff, which has been overhauled after the team finished seventh in IPL 2025. Southee has been juggling playing commitments in franchise cricket with a consultant role with England over the past six months.”It’s a great honour to be part of a franchise as iconic as Kolkata Knight Riders,” Watson said in a statement issued by KKR. “I’ve always admired the passion of KKR fans and the team’s commitment to excellence. I’m eager to work closely with the coaching group and players to help bring another title to Kolkata.”KKR is Watson’s second assignment as a coach in the IPL, having been deputy to head coach Ricky Ponting at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022 and 2023. He recently left his position as head coach of San Francisco Unicorns in the MLC, where he had worked for three seasons. They had wanted him to take on a year-long role but Watson did not want to give up his broadcast and other coaching commitments.A highly-acclaimed T20 player turned commentator, Watson has been part of title-winning teams in the IPL, BBL and PSL. An MVP during Rajasthan Royals’ run to the title in the inaugural season in 2008, Watson finished his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He played a key role as an opener in CSK’s run to the title in 2018, scoring 555 runs – the second highest for the team – in 15 innings, including a century in the final. Watson also played two seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2016 and 2017.

Birmingham City have now reportedly joined Crystal Palace in the race to sign an impressive AFCON winger who would be an instant upgrade on Kyogo Furuhashi.

Chris Davies: "Difficult defeat to take" against QPR

Birmingham couldn’t have asked for a more frustrating night if they tried against Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday. The Blues clawed their way back to level terms thanks to Patrick Roberts in the 93rd minute, only for Kieran Morgan to snatch all three points for the hosts in cruel fashion three minutes later.

Chris Davies admitted that the defeat was “difficult to take” when reflecting at full-time, telling reporters: “It was a very difficult defeat to take. To get ourselves back in the game at 1-1 and with a minute to go, you think that’s it’s going to be a point to take away but it wasn’t to be.

“Working towards half time and getting in at 0-0 would have been a reasonable start for us in the first half, but again we’ve conceded the first goal, and it’s given ourselves a big job.

“We’ve got a lot to do, we did get going in the second half, we were pushing and pushing. I was really pleased we could get that goal and then at the end it was a strike that went through a lot of bodies through into the goal.

“At half time I wasn’t happy with the performance. I thought it was well below par what we can do, I thought we were making a simple game look a lot harder than it needed to be.”

That one defeat has dropped the Blues down to 11th and three points behind Hull City in sixth. If they are to gain a Championship playoff place by the time that May arrives, then a January move for a player of Philip Otele’s calibre should be Birmingham’s priority.

Birmingham join race to sign Philip Otele

According to GiveMeSport’s Ben Jacobs, Birmingham have now joined the race to sign Otele and are rivalling Premier League side Crystal Palace for the winger’s signature in 2026.

The 26-year-old has been included in Nigeria’s preliminary squad for the Africa Cup of Nations and could secure a place in Eric Chelle’s final squad before starring at the tournament.

Ahead of the tournament, Otele has already been in fine form for Basel in Switzerland, scoring eight goals and assisting another three in 26 games this season. By contrast, Kyogo has surprisingly struggled since arriving at Birmingham.

Many expected the former Celtic man to be among the signings of the season, but he’s yet to score a single Championship goal and was recently guilty of a glaring miss with the net wide open. It has simply been a nightmare spell for the summer arrival. A move for Otele could cost Kyogo his place, too.

The winger has had plenty of admirers throughout his career, with former CFR Cluj manager Adrian Mutu, who worked with Otele, telling reporters last year: “He possesses impressive physical strength, speed and technical skills. Although he can still work on his finishing, the interest doesn’t surprise me at all.”

Birmingham scouts spotted keeping tabs on exciting star alongside Wrexham