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John Buchanan, the Kolkata Knight Riders coach, wants the IPL to allow more overseas players in a XI

Cricinfo staff04-May-2009John Buchanan, the Kolkata Knight Riders coach, wants the IPL to allow more overseas players in a XI. Under the current rules, a franchise can have a maximum of four foreign players in a XI. There can be a maximum of 10 foreign players in the squad.”It is a question that we have posed to the IPL a number of times, about the involvement of more [foreign] players on the field,” Buchanan told . “I have personally mentioned that a number of times. Hopefully the IPL will look at that more seriously going forward into next season and beyond.”At the moment we have adopted a batting strategy, so that’s where our international effort is. That means guys who are international bowlers, be it [Charl] Langeveldt, [Mashrafe] Mortaza, [Ajantha] Mendis… whoever, their opportunities are limited.”Kolkata have played Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge in all seven of their games so far while the fourth overseas spot has been shared by Australian allrounder Moises Henriques (two games), Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis (two games) and, most recently, the South African wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk (three games). Bangladesh allrounder Mashrafe Mortaza and South African fast bowler Charl Langeveldt have not yet played a match.There is no indication, though, that the IPL will increase the cap to more than four overseas players. In fact, Ravi Shastri, a member of the tournament’s governing council, said that the IPL had decided that there would be no more than four foreign players on the field at any given time, which meant that teams could use an overseas player as a substitute fielder only if the total number of foreign players on the field did not exceed four.The decision was taken after the Chennai Super Kings lodged a complaint after their match against Delhi Daredevils on April 23 in Durban. Delhi used David Warner as a substitute after Manoj Tiwary broke his hand, taking the number of overseas players on the field to five, the others being Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes.

Gary Kirsten, the India coach, says mental fatigue will be his team’s biggest challenge during the World Twenty20 in England next month

Ajay S Shankar08-May-2009Gary Kirsten, the India coach, says mental fatigue will be his team’s biggest challenge during the World Twenty20 in England next month. The event starts on June 5 but India play their first warm-up game on June 1, just seven days after the IPL ends in South Africa. Kirsten also believes India, the defending champions, will be under added pressure during the ICC tournament but says the team has shown it is capable of handling such situations.”The Indian players have been on the road for a long time and the biggest challenge will be mental fatigue,” Kirsten told Cricinfo. “But they have enormous pride when representing India and have become a tight unit over the past few months. I’m sure they will look forward to reuniting and playing for their country.”The Indian players have been almost living out of their suitcases since they left Mumbai for the New Zealand tour on February 20. They got a few days off after the series ended on April 7 before leaving for the IPL, which began on April 18. They return home for a few days again when the IPL ends on May 24 – the entire 15-member World Twenty20 squad is playing in the league – before leaving for England to play their first day/night warm-up game against New Zealand at Lord’s. India take on Bangladesh in their first game of the tournament on June 6 in Trent Bridge.But Kirsten, who took over as India coach in 2008, said he was confident the team would be able to handle the pressure when defending the title they won in 2007. “When you are defending champions there will always be added pressure,” Kirsten said. “That goes with the territory of high-performing teams. This team has played in many pressure situations since the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and has shown what they are capable of.”How different would the conditions be in England for the World Twenty20? It’s something all international teams, he said, have to come to terms with. “Every country has its own unique conditions which each team and individual needs to comes to terms with,” he said. “The players are aware of those conditions and what is required to give themselves the best chance of performing. Most of the Indian players have played in England and know what to expect.”India have sported a stable look over the five Twenty20 internationals they have played since the 2007 world title victory – winning two and losing three. In fact, there have been only two changes in the team from the 16-member squad for the last two games they played in New Zealand, and the 15-member World Twenty20 squad that was announced on Monday.There is an argument that such stability could also lead to complacency among players in the team but Kirsten was quick to dismiss such suggestions. “Experienced players understand the demands and pressures of World Cup tournaments,” he said. “Throw in a few talented and fearless young players and you have a great mix in the team. There is certainly no danger of complacency within the Indian team. We pride ourselves in taking each game as it comes and giving 100% on a daily basis while representing Team India.”Giving a hint of the team’s gameplan for the world event, Kirsten said he believes spin will play a major role in Twenty20 cricket. India have only two fulltime spinners – Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha – in their World Twenty20 squad but have a rich variety of part-time options to choose from: Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Virender Sehwag, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma.Moving on to the ongoing IPL, Kirsten, who is based in Cape Town, said the tournament has benefited young Indian cricketers immensely. He put forward the growth of Yusuf Pathan’s game at the last IPL, as an example. “The IPL provides a great opportunity for young Indian cricketers to show what they are capable of in a high-profile environment,” he said. “They also get to mix with, and learn from, successful international cricketers. This can only be of benefit to Indian cricket. Performances during the IPL can definitely be a stepping stone to achieving higher honours. Yusuf Pathan was one example of that last year.”What is evident from the league, he said, was that the best team on paper is not necessarily the most successful one. “There will always be new ideas and new thinking in every IPL,” he said. “What is of interest to me are those teams that are able to win consistently and why they are able to do it. It isn’t always the best team on paper.”Asked about Buchanan’s captaincy theory for the Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL team that he coaches, Kirsten said: “In the dynamic world we live in, innovative thinking is important to try and stay ahead and push the boundaries of performance. I think it is important to balance out what is already working and what can improve performance. MS Dhoni has proved a highly effective and capable leader for India and I’m sure that will not change for some time to come.”

Mohammad Yousuf, who is involved in arbitration proceedings with the ICL, faces a life ban if he joins the unofficial league, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said

Cricinfo staff19-Sep-2008
Mohammad Yousuf: “I just want to ask them [the selectors] ‘how many Jonty Rhodes are there in the Pakistan team?” © AFP
Mohammad Yousuf, who is involved in arbitration proceedings with the ICL, faces a life ban if he joins the unofficial league, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said.The , a Pakistan daily, quoted an unnamed PCB official as saying, “We have banned all our cricketers who joined the ICL and if Yousuf also plays for the unauthorised league then he will have to face the same punishment. Yousuf is still our best Test batsman and has a future with the Pakistan team, but not if he joins the ICL. It will be game over for him if he joined the rebel league.”Yousuf signed a contract with the ICL in the wake of his omission from Pakistan’s squad for the ICC World Twenty20 last year, but the PCB later convinced him to cancel his ICL contract and instead sign up for the IPL, a league approved by the national boards, as well as turn up for national duty.Subsequently the ICL had warned the various IPL franchises that they could face legal complications if they bought Yousuf in the player auctions. Yousuf was not bought by any of the IPL teams, but he was compensated by the league’s organisers, who gave him US$350,000 – his starting bid price.Pakistan’s selectors have continued to ignore Yousuf while picking Twenty20 teams, and he was left out of the provisional squad for the Canada Cup Four Nation 20/20 next month. “I just want to know what the selection procedure is,” Yousuf told the Urdu newspaper . “You go and ask great players like Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul-Haq if I don’t deserve to play Twenty20 cricket. If they say I should be dropped then I will quit all cricket.”Yousuf felt his lack of agility on the field wasn’t enough reason for the selectors keep him out. “I just want to ask them ‘how many Jonty Rhodes are there in the Pakistan team?'” Yousuf will lead the Lahore Lions in Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament but said he has nothing to prove. “It’s not a test case for me,” he said. “After representing Pakistan for 11 years, I just want to make it clear that I am not playing to prove my abilities to anyone.”

Preview to the first ODI between Pakistan and Australia in Dubai

S Rajesh21-Apr-2009Match factsApril 22, 2009
Start time 2.30pm (10.30GMT)Andrew Symonds returns to the ODI fold after a long absence•Getty ImagesBig PictureFor a team which has had little international cricket in the recent past the next couple of weeks is a huge opportunity: Pakistan have only played two Tests and six ODIs in the last nine months, but will play five ODIs and a Twenty20 game over the next 16 days against the second-best team in one-day cricket. While that’s a significant occasion for Pakistan, it’ll also test their preparedness – if they come out rusty, their lack of match practice could be ruthlessly exposed. It’ll help, though, that their team is being led Younis Khan, a captain who exudes positive energy and is probably the best man to keep team spirits high in such depressing times.For Australia, the problem is the opposite: they’ve played 12 Tests and 18 ODIs in the last nine months, and they have so much more cricket coming up in the next few months that some of their big names have been forced to take a break. Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson are being rested, while Brett Lee isn’t yet fit enough. In Ponting’s absence, Michael Clarke will lead a team which has been struggling to assert itself in ODIs lately, losing a couple of series to South Africa and drawing one to New Zealand. The series is also an opportunity for a couple of players to return to the national fold – Andrew Symonds is back in ODIs after a ten-month absence, while Stuart Clark has an opportunity to stake his claim again after recovering from an elbow injury.There’ll be plenty of focus on the venue too: the Dubai Sports City Stadium will become the 172nd venue to host an ODI, and by all accounts the 25,000-seater has impressed both teams. With so much uncertainty over the security situation in Pakistan, a good show here will encourage more games – possibly even Tests – at this ground, which will be good news for Pakistan and for world cricket.Form guide (last five ODIs, most recent first)Pakistan LLWWW
Australia WLLLW
Watch out forAndrew Symonds: Back in the Australian ODI team for the first time since July 2008, Symonds will be keen to prove he has worked on his attitude and his form, and is ready to perform at the top level again. Strong displays here will strengthen his case for a place in Australia’s squad for the World Twenty20, and perhaps even the Ashes.Shoaib Akhtar: There are plenty of question marks about Shoaib’s form and fitness, but his ability to turn it on when fully focused isn’t in doubt. The dry conditions in Dubai should help his reverse-swing too.Team newsPakistan are most likely to play three specialist fast bowlers – Shoaib, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir – with Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik offering spin support. Nasir Jamshed should be back at the top of the order after missing the last couple of series.Pakistan (probable) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Saeed Ajmal.Despite putting together century stands in their last two games in South Africa, Australia are likely to disturb the opening combination of Brad Haddin and Clarke, and instead put Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson at the top of the order. Haddin is likely to drop to No.3, with Clarke in next. With Johnson and Siddle resting and Lee injured, the bowling attack will have some changes too, and Clark might get an early chance to prove his fitness.Australia (probable) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 David Hussey, 7 Callum Ferguson, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Stuart Clark, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Ben Laughlin. Pitch and conditionsPakistan aren’t playing at home, but conditions at the Dubai Sports City Stadium will probably resemble those in Lahore or Karachi. The heat will be quite acute, and the dry conditions should offer plenty of encouragement for the spinners.Stats and Trivia Australia have been in wretched ODI form this year, winning only five matches out of 15, and losing nine. Nathan Bracken has been one of the below-par performers during this period, with 16 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 39.93 and an economy rate of 5.34. In 11 ODIs against Australia, Younis has only scored 158 runs at an average of 15.80, with one half-century. These two teams last played an ODI more than three years ago, during the VB Series in February 2005. Australia won the best-of-three finals 2-0. Quotes”Personally, I’m delighted to be back in Aussie colours – I’ve had a few decent tussles with Pakistan over the years, my debut in Pakistan for starters, and the 2003 World Cup, and I’ve no doubt this will be a tough series against them. The challenge is there for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get into it.”
“We’ve been given a fantastic opportunity to perform and put your hand up while guys are out resting or injured. It gives somebody else an opportunity to push for the 2011 World Cup.”
“There is no alternative to playing at home but unfortunately we have to play in Emirates but the conditions here are similar to Pakistan and we feel it is like a home away from home. I hope Pakistani people who live here will come to encourage us.”
“I am pleased at Shoaib’s discipline both on and off the field. He has shown promise and he is bowling with commitment, and I have lots of hope that he would deliver for us, which, I tell you, is very important.”

The first day was a simple case of David Hussey versus Yorkshire. He was the only batsman to reach double figures on the truncated first day at Scarborough

John Ward at Scarboroguh21-Jul-2009
ScorecardThe first day was a simple case of David Hussey versus Yorkshire. He was the only batsman to reach double figures on the truncated first day as Tim Bresnan in particular broke through the Nottinghamshire top order almost like a knife through butter. Helped by good slip catching, Bresnan took four cheap wickets as he moved the ball sharply at times and only Nottinghamshire’s Australian import could stand up against bowling that would have done credit to an Ashes Test match.Much of this day did little for the image of the game, mainly due to the pernickety ‘health and safety’ attitude adopted by the umpires John Steele and Neil Bainton towards the weather. There was a light drizzle just before play started, and when it stopped they decided the light was unfit, though it was scarcely dangerous. The usual sizeable Scarborough crowd grew increasingly angry before play finally started at 12.15 pm.The pitch looked a batsman’s paradise, and Nottinghamshire decided to bat on winning the toss. Unfortunately for them, they seemed to be still affected by the batting traumas of their recent defeat against Durham, and they struggled from the start against some typically fine bowling by Matthew Hoggard and Bresnan. The first boundary was a fortuitous edge through the slips by Bilal Shafayat, and in the seventh over, with the score only 12, Matt Wood edged a ball from Bresnan into the slips and was gone. Shafayat soon followed, lbw to a full-length ball from Hoggard, and Nottinghamshire were 15 for 2.Hussey broke the shackles with a fine off-driven boundary off Hoggard, who nevertheless finished an opening spell with figures of 7-3-9-1; surprisingly, he did not bowl again. Dion Kruis was not a satisfactory replacement, as his line and length were erratic, and Hussey enjoyed his offerings, driving him through the covers twice for four. Kruis then responded with a sharp lifter that lobbed off Hussey’s bat into no-man’s-land on the off side, but this was almost his only dangerous ball of the day. Bresnan removed Mark Wagh, wafting outside the off stump and edging a catch to Gerard Brophy, returning to the side after a finger injury; 33 for 3.Lunch was taken nine runs later, and then came a lost session. The umpires decided the light was too poor to start again after the interval, and this time the crowd took it rather better. Half an hour later the good news was that the light had improved; the bad news was that a drizzle had started. It was so light that scarcely an umbrella was seen and few spectators bothered to take cover. Play did not restart until 4.20, when the crowd were again growing restive.The visitors’ troubles increased, and without Hussey they would have been a disaster indeed. In the second over Samit Patel was caught low at second slip off Bresnan, but Kruis continued to bowl at the other end, to the pleasure of Hussey. He continued to hit him for off-side boundaries with ease, but Bresnan was much more challenging, and briefly there was a fascinating battle, as Bresnan beat him several times with superb deliveries, while Hussey was intent on taking control, hitting him too for superb fours, straight and to the off. In contrast Ali Brown was never happy and fell to another slip catch off Bresnan. When before has the normally aggressive Brown scored only 5 in a partnership of 41?Hussey reached his 50, and it was a surprise to discover he faced as many as 71 balls, with a magnificent six over the sightscreen off Adil Rashid, who had taken two of the slip catches. Hussey also hit ten fours, one of them an overthrow early on when he was nearly run out backing up too far. Then, yet again, the umpires incurred the wrath of the crowd by taking the players off for bad light, and they did not come on again. It is scarcely good public relations when a crowd goes home feeling badly short-changed, and cricket’s authorities need to take another long overdue look at their attitude with regard to poor, but not dangerous, light. Yorkshire still have to win a championship match, and they are on top in this one, despite Hussey, but they need a better deal from the weather and the umpires.

Celtic are tracking Drogheda United midfielder Killian Phillips, according to The Irish Independent’s Daniel McDonnell.

The Lowdown: Phillips profiled

Phillips is 19 years of age and joined his current employers earlier this year.

Described as a versatile midfielder, the teenager is out of contract with Drogheda at the end of 2021, as per Transfermarkt.

He’s made 20 appearances for the Irish side, scoring once and registering one assist, and it seems as if he is catching Celtic’s eye.

The Latest: Celtic interest

McDonnell shared a story on Wednesday lunchtime regarding Celtic’s interest in Sligo Rovers forward Johnny Kenny.

Within his report, McDonnell claimed the Hoops will watch Kenny in action on Friday against Drogheda before sharing Celtic’s interest in Phillips.

Phillips is attracting attention from overseas, seemingly Celtic, with his long-term future on the pitch reportedly viewed as a centre-back rather than a midfielder.

The Verdict: Another Scales?

Liam Scales made the move from Ireland to Scotland this summer, and it appears as if Phillips could well follow suit down the line.

Celtic saw Scales’ versatility as crucial when bringing him to Parkhead, so Phillips’ ability to play in both midfield and in defence could work in his favour.

He may well have the chance to impress Celtic officials live on Friday during their scouting trip to watch Kenny, and who knows, should he do just that, a cut-price move in the New Year could well be on the cards.

In other news: Celtic source shares transfer news different to Sky Sports claim; good news for McKay and Ange.

Tottenham Hotspur head into the international break sitting top of the Premier League after three games.

That, of course, means very little at this stage but so far the Nuno Santo era has got off to a very encouraging start.

Although, there should be some caution as Jose Mourinho had the north Londoners in the exact same position back in December. And by mid-April, he was sacked.

There is, however, still a lot to come from this squad.

Harry Kane is yet to properly start his season after his late return to training amid intense transfer speculation, whilst we’ve hardly seen any of the new summer signings in action.

Spurs ended deadline day with a bang by bringing in Emerson Royal from Barcelona and cancelling Serge Aurier’s contract.

But Nuno may have an ace up his sleeve with another one of his additions this transfer window – his likely trump card, Bryan Gil.

The 20-year-old gem signed in a €25m (£21.5m) deal from Sevilla, which also saw Erik Lamela move in the other direction. In signing a six-year contract, it shows that the young Spaniard is seen as one for the future.

But he can make an impact now.

The £27m-rated dynamo started both UEFA Europa Conference qualifying clashes against Pacos de Ferreira, where he provided an assist in the second leg to help steer Spurs into the group stages.

Gil is yet to feature for more than two minutes in the Premier League but that should change after the international break.

Versatility, creativity and energy.

Those are the three key things the Spain U21 international can provide Nuno with in attacking midfield.

“The Spaniard has a lovely style about the way he plays the game, with real confidence in what he does,” claimed football.london’s Alasdair Gold following his debut last month.

Meanwhile, Gil’s style has been likened to one of the Portuguese’s former players, Pedro Neto.

According to Twenty3, the 5 foot 9 dynamo and the Wolves sensation are “almost identical in terms of output last season” – Both are said to be high volume dribblers that are more creative than goalscoring.

Indeed, Gil averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in La Liga last season, via WhoScored. Only Kane and Heung-min Son were more creative in Spurs’ squad.

Similarly, the Sevilla youth product has been likened to Jack Grealish by ESPNUK editor David Cartlidge. “Bryan Gil a potential star in the making,” he claimed prior to the move. “Spurs landing a very, very exciting talent if reports hold true. Still raw and with lots to polish but he’s easily top 5 most exciting young talents in Spain.”

“[He’s a] LW with potential to be a AMC in the future, unbelievable amounts of technique, agility and good in 1v1s. A left foot on him you’d kill for as a footballer. Player comp for those who are unaware of him probably Grealish.”

This sort of unpredictability and quality to play anywhere along the front three is exactly what Spurs need to keep their fine form up this season.

Also lauded as a “big talent” by football scout Jacek Kulig, it’s time for Nuno to unleash Gil in the big time.

AND in other news, Paratici masterclass: Spurs eye “extraordinary” £34m-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny…

Despite his side’s poor year, on and off the field, Bermuda’s coach Gus Logie is nevertheless encouraged by the proposed groupings for next year’s World Cup qualifiers and remains optimistic that Bermuda can qualify for the 2011 tournament

Cricinfo staff21-Dec-2008Despite his side’s poor year, on and off the field, Bermuda’s coach Gus Logie is nevertheless encouraged by the proposed groupings for next year’s World Cup qualifiers and remains optimistic that Bermuda can qualify for the 2011 tournament.Bermuda made their debut in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean and are alongside top Kenya, Netherlands, Denmark, and the UAE for next April’s qualifiers.”We feel comfortable being in the group that we are in,” Logie told the The top four countries advance to the 2011 World Cup while the top six are each awarded full ODI status.”We haven’t discussed the World Cup qualifying groupings as a team. But I amcertain that our players will feel comfortable as well in the knowledge thatwe have already beaten some of those teams in our group.”And I think that if we can play to our full potential we can beat themagain.”Bermuda were roundly thrashed in last year’s World Cup, beaten comprehensively by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. 2008 has been a difficult year, too, with allegations of drug misuse and they finished bottom of the ICC Intercontinental Cup which was won by Ireland.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Max Lowe to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Dane Murphy’s side have seen an offer of a season-long loan for the left-back turned down by Sheffield United.

The report goes on to state that both Reading and Swansea City are also believed to be interested in the defender, while it is unclear whether Forest will continue their pursuit of the 24-year-old following their failed approach.

Murphy must move

With there having been something of a defence overhaul at Nottingham Forest this summer, with all of Yuri Ribeiro, Nikolas Ioannou, Michael Dawson and Michael Hefele having departed the club, while it is also clear that there is no real future for either Carl Jenkinson or Gaetan Bong in Nottingham, Chris Hughton has been left rather short in a number of positions across his backline.

However, it is undoubtedly at left-back where the 62-year-old lacks the most depth, with the former Norwich City manager having to recall Bong from his exile in order to field a player in the position so far this season.

As such, it would certainly appear as if the position is somewhere Murphy must strengthen prior to the closure of the summer transfer window next Tuesday, with Lowe appearing to be a fantastic candidate for the club.

Indeed, while the former England U20 international failed to cement a place in the Sheffield United starting XI last season, making just eight appearances in the competition, the left-back nevertheless proved in the campaign prior he is an extremely capable option in the Championship.

Indeed, over his 29 second-tier appearances for Derby County back in 2019/20, the £2.7m-rated man helped his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 3.7 tackles, 1.6 clearances and winning a whopping 6.9 duels per game.

These returns saw the man Alan Biggs dubbed a “proven Championship performer” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.83, earning the £14k-per-week defender a £3.47m move to the then-Premier League side Sheffield United.

So, the signing of Lowe would not only have plugged a gap that needs filling for Hughton, his addition would also more than likely have helped to raise the overall level of defending in the Forest backline, something that is desperately needed at the City Ground at present – leading us to believe Murphy should indeed do all he can to secure a deal for the left-back over what remains of the summer transfer window.

In other news: Lost 75% duels: Abject NFFC dud who made just 6 passes badly failed Hughton vs Wolves

Fresh from leading West Ham United into an unlikely spot in the Europa League, a year on from staring relegation in the face, manager David Moyes has a tricky task on his hands to repeat such a feat.

The 58-year-old has often been a mark of consistency in the Premier League, regularly recording top-eight finishes during his time at Everton, but this season looks tougher than ever.

A lot of teams around them, including the likes of Spurs and Arsenal who finished lower in the table, have strengthened their playing squad considerably, whilst the Irons have only made the one senior addition, a back-up loan goalkeeper in Alphonse Areola.

The likes of Declan Rice, Michail Antonio, Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will need to step up and perform at a similar output to last term, especially in the absence of Jesse Lingard, who arguably changed the Hammers’ fortunes for the better.

After joining on loan in January, the Manchester United outcast provided nine goals and five assists to end the year as their second-highest rated player, as per WhoScored, which only emphasises just how crucial he was to Moyes and their impressive sixth-place finish.

He seems rather unlikely to return to the London Stadium and that’s a big blow. It means that other players will have to step up – perhaps it’s Said Benrahma’s time to shine?

The nine-cap Algerian winger, signed in a £30m deal from Brentford, didn’t have the best debut campaign in the big time, registering only one goal and six assists but that’s warranted. It’s the first time he’s competed at such a level. And he only started 14 times in the Premier League.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more-3” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

If Moyes needs someone to provide that extra spark in midfield, then Benrahma must step forward. He could turn out to be the Hammers’ perfect Lingard replacement.

The 26-year-old has looked electric throughout pre-season, having scored against Celtic and Brentford, and provided two assists against Atalanta. He appears to be playing with a lot more confidence and his creativity could be utilised through the middle, to get the best out of him.

At the Bees, where he was described as someone who “could nutmeg a mermaid”, he delivered a direct goal contribution every 119.5 minutes, as per Transfermarkt, so it’s on Moyes to get that back out of him.

Also dubbed a “true magician” by former OGC Nice teammate Lorenzo Vinci, Benrahma can provide Moyes and West Ham with excitement by plugging the void left behind by Lingard.

The squad undoubtedly needs more additions to put up a fight across all competitions but the £18m-rated dynamo is someone who could be in line for a massive boost heading into the new campaign.

Moyes must look to unleash Benrahma in a free role in the absence of their former loan sensation.

AND in other news, Moyes risks West Ham transfer nightmare with a swoop for “ungrateful” £105k-p/w flop…