The 16-year-old has stood out for in his first two La Liga starts, but neither his club nor national team should be overburdening him at this age

Spain's midfield options at Euro 2020 were embarrassingly good. La Roja could call on Thiago Alcantara, Sergio Busquets, Koke and Rodri in central areas alone. Thiago and Rodri, though, found themselves watching from the bench for the most part. Instead, manager Luis Enrique deployed an 18-year-old Pedri in the starting XI — and kept him on the pitch for every single minute of the tournament.

The Barcelona midfielder would, of course, end up being one of the players of the tournament, announcing himself as one of Europe's brightest talents. Since then, he has only improved, starring for Barca and collecting 18 Spain caps before his 21st birthday. That success has come at a cost, though: Pedri simply cannot stay fit. A series of muscle injuries — a product of overuse in his early years — have prevented him from becoming truly world-class.

It's an eerily familiar tale for Spanish football. They did the same with Ansu Fati, who has been through four knee surgeries — and is still 21. Gavi could also be in danger, logging nearly 8,000 minutes of top-tier football despite only just turning 19.

And now, another potential victim has emerged. Lamine Yamal has excelled for Barcelona in recent weeks, and was arguably the best player on the pitch in their 4-3 win over Villarreal on Sunday. That has led to reports that the 16-year-old is in line for a Spain call-up for September's Euro 2024 qualifiers. He certainly has the talent to play at that level, while there remains a fear that Morocco could tempt him to switch international allegiance, but there is a level of responsibility that must be taken here.

Spain is a country that has, for too long, run its youngsters into the ground at an early age. Yamal, then, should be managed delicately, or risk falling into the same trap as some of his equally promising team-mates who have seen their careers stall at an early age.

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  Over-playing teenagers

  First, a comparison. There are some eerie similarities between Yamal and the three most recent objects of Spanish national fascination. Gavi, Pedri and Fati are all Barcelona players; all of them were handed their debuts before their 18th birthdays; all were in consideration for national-team honours shortly after; and, crucially, all were swiftly likened to club legends.

  Fati was supposedly the next Lionel Messi. Gavi was allegedly Xavi, then maybe Andre Iniesta, then perhaps a mixture of both. Pedri, meanwhile, was — and is still expected to be — the Iniesta replacement that Barca have needed since the iconic midfielder's departure nearly seven years ago.

  Those expectations, accordingly, came with heavy usage. Gavi logged almost 4,000 minutes as a 16-year-old, starting 44 of 57 games for club and country in his debut season. Pedri put in nearly 5,000 over nine months, famously playing 74 games at 18. Fati was perhaps better protected — he came into a more established Barca side — but still played well over 1,300 minutes in his debut campaign. He was, in fact, on pace for far more in his second year of senior football, until a torn meniscus ended his season — and curbed his career to this day.

  Yamal, for his part, is tentatively on the same trajectory. He made his senior debut at 15, making a cameo against Real Betis during the tail end of the 2022-23 season. Since breaking into the side earlier this month, he hasn't exactly been monitored, playing at least 75 minutes in each of his first two starts for Barca. Given his impact on both games, Yamal is certainly in line for more. Overuse is, potentially, imminent.

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• Yamal's breakthrough

  This all came about by force. Yamal proved towards the end of last season that he could be ready for first-team football. But Xavi, rather shrewdly, protected the teenager's young legs, only allowing him eight senior minutes — despite having him around the first team for two months. Instead, he relied on regulars Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele to see out the title-winning campaign.

  But now, things have changed. Dembele has left for Paris Saint-Germain in a big-money move. Raphinha, naturally, assumed his spot in the XI, but earned himself a two-game suspension for an admittedly comical elbow to the back of an opposing defender's head in Barca's season-opener at Getafe. Yamal came off the bench in that game, creating Barca's best chance in an otherwise drab 0-0 draw, and when a spot opened up in the starting XI, Xavi turned to the teenager.

  It made sense at the time. Aside from Raphinha, Yamal is the only other naturally left-footed attacker in Barca's first-team squad. And Xavi's penchant for deploying an inverted winger on the right side — with an aim of finding incisive angled passes to Robert Lewandowski — made his inclusion near automatic. In order for Xavi to avoid changing his system, or utilising an imperfect fit, Yamal basically had to play.

• The next Messi?

  The confetti hadn't been removed from the pitch after Yamal's match-winning performance for Barca against Tottenham at the Olympic Stadium in their annual pre-season finale, the Joan Gamper Trophy, when Spanish publication made the dreaded comparison. Yamal, they claimed, is the best prospect Barca have produced since Messi.

  They recalled a previous Gamper held at the same venue between Barcelona and Juventus, in 2005, when an 18-year-old Messi dominated the Bianconeri, producing a magical assist for Iniesta in an enthralling 2-2 draw. It is now regarded as Messi's breakout showing in a Barca shirt. The symmetry of a left-footed right winger having a similar impact, in the same fixture, 18 years later, was almost too good to ignore.

  Yamal has been burdened with the Messi comparison for some time now. In 2019, La Liga's official Twitter account posted a Yamal highlight video, dubbing him a 'mini Leo Messi.' Shortly after, a headline in read "Lamine Yamal shows shades of Messi". He was 12 at the time.

  Xavi didn't help the hype back in April, when he admitted that Yamal is a "similar player" to the club legend. A cursory YouTube highlights search yields results such as "Lamine Yamal SHOW vs Tottenham | Messi Vibes. 🔥" and "That's why LAMINE YAMAL is the NEW MONSTER of BARCELONA / NEW MESSI."

  Such is the life of a promising attacking player from La Masia, of which there are many. But there is some truth in the accepted claim that Yamal is the academy's best product in years. He is an excellent dribbler, quality finisher, and supreme athlete for his age. The tools are all there.

  But, perhaps more than anything, it is his decision-making that stands out. Crucially, Yamal knows when to dribble, and when to pass — something that can be missing in young wingers who are aiming to impress. He has completed seven of his eight take-ons in his last two starts, completed at least 80 percent of his passes, and put half of his shots on target. Throw in an assist and two shots against the woodwork, and Barca have an immensely talented, and equally intelligent right winger who can truly be a difference-maker for a top level team. Sound familiar?

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  Spain's risk vs reward

  Spain, then, are faced with a choice. All indications suggest that Yamal will be called up to the senior squad this week. GOAL can confirm that he has all-but spurned Morocco — who he also has eligibility for — in anticipation of a cap for La Roja. He has previous with Spain, too, tallying 21 appearances for four different age-group sides.

  Top-level international football arguably doesn't make enough use of its youth set-ups, but Yamal seems to have done enough at every age group to convince the senior staff, and manager Luis de la Fuente, that he is ready for a senior appearance.

  Still, is it worth it? Spain's road to Euro 2024 should be relatively straightforward, even if they have already lost to Scotland and still have two matches against Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard-led Norway to come in Group A. They should be able to make do without having to add to Yamal's workload. They will have to make do without Pedri during the upcoming break — who, in an entirely predictable turn of events, has aggravated a muscle injury — but there is ample talent in the side to beat both Georgia and Cyprus in their next qualifiers.

  Perhaps the inverse is also true. These two fixtures could be ideal test runs for Yamal. After all, Cyprus, at ranked 118th, 108 spots below Spain in FIFA's world rankings. Georgia are technically better, ranked at No.78, but shouldn't offer much of a threat aside from Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Maybe that's what Yamal needs — low-pressure games, where the attention from outside Spain will likely be low. Give the 16-year-old 45 minutes, get the social media clicks sorted, and send him back to Catalunya with few extra miles in his legs.

  That, unfortunately, is not the Spanish way. If Yamal is to be called-up, history suggests this could be the start of a lengthy process of muscle disintegration and career shortening.

Manchester United would love to also add Declan Rice to their midfield this summer if their financial situation was to allow a potential move.

How much is Declan Rice worth?

Champions League football in on the menu at Old Trafford for next season and it seems they are not looking to waste any time in bringing in some new faces this summer.

Indeed, reports would suggest the Red Devils are keen to acquire the services of Chelsea's Mason Mount to provide Erik ten Hag some strength in midfield.

It has been claimed that the Londoners would be looking for a fee in the region of £68m this summer for their 24-year-old who only has one-year remaining on his current deal.

However, there is another 24-year-old midfielder from London who finds himself surrounded in transfer speculation this summer.

And it happens to be Mount's best friend, Rice, who now looks set to leave West Ham United following their Europa Conference League triumph.

Reports would suggest the Hammers are looking for a fee in excess of £100m this summer for their England international with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal said to be interested.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, insider Alex Crook has claimed those at Old Trafford would love to bring Rice to the Theatre of Dreams this summer but the finances could prove an issue:

"I think United would love to try and sign Declan Rice but again it comes down to economics. We know they want a number nine they want a centre-back as well."

What is Man United's transfer budget?

There have been some suggestions that United will only be handed around £100m to spend this summer which will leave them in need of selling some of their players to create funds.

Adding to their limitations as a result of the FFP regulations, it may be a tricky summer of spending to navigate for the Red Devils.

However, their reported interest in Mount and Harry Kane would potentially see that figure swallowed up immediately over the two potential deals.

Indeed, with Chelsea believed to be holding out for close to £70m for Mount, a possible deal for Kane would see United needing to raise some significant cash.

It is believed Tottenham Hotspur will be doing everything they can this summer to keep their all-time record goalscorer in north London.

But if the England captain is to force a move away, then Spurs will be looking for a figure in excess of £100m for the 29-year-old striker.

And with all of this in mind, you do have to question where a potential move for Rice could fit in?

Potentially if moves for Kane and Mount fall flat then United could look at a deal for the "absolute monster", Rice, however, it looks as if Arsenal are not going to waste any time in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.

ESPNcricinfo previews the one-off T20I between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park

Andrew McGlashan at Eden Park16-Feb-2017Match FactsFebruary 17, 2017
Start time 7.00pm local (0600GMT)Glenn Phillips will make his debut at the top of the order for New Zealand•Getty Images

The Big PictureNew Zealand have dispatched Pakistan, Bangladesh and Australia at home this season but the visit of South Africa is the meat of their summer. We should know a fair amount more about Kane Williamson’s New Zealand by the end of March.Whether the tour actually gets going on Friday night is another issue. Rain lashed Auckland on the final practice day – it has already disrupted South Africa’s first few days here with the warm-up match washed – and it currently appears touch-and-go if it will clear in time for a full match.One-off T20s are pretty meaningless in the grander scheme of things, especially so far away from the next World T20, and Faf du Plessis said pretty much that at his arrival press conference. However, cricket should be about the spectators as well as the players and, if the weather plays ball and the crowd swells into the ground, it should be a lively Friday evening.The only part of South Africa’s home season that did not go to plan was the T20 series against Sri Lanka when a second-string side were overturned 2-1. This time the side will closely resemble the powerhouse one-day unit; whether that translates into the performance remains to be seen.For New Zealand in T20 there is a sense of getting a glimpse at the future. Tom Bruce came in against Bangladesh, left-armer Ben Wheeler returned and Tom Blundell also featured. Blundell has made way for the fit-again Luke Ronchi, but 20-year Glenn Phillips has been rewarded for his stellar Super Smash tournament.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWLW
South AfricaLLWWLIn the spotlightColin Munro has lost his place in the ODI squad after two failures at the hands of Australia, but two international innings previously he had notched his maiden hundred with 101 off 57 balls in the second T20 against Bangladesh. That century came in the middle of two ducks in the same series, then a brief trip to the BBL was not hugely successful before his twin failures against Australia. His last outing in domestic cricket was at least a half-century, but he remains a hit or miss player.Quinton de Kock was one of a host of first-choice players given the Sri Lanka T20 series off and how he was missed at the top of the order. Although one half-century in 29 innings may seem a little underwhelming for someone who has played all but three of those as an opener (he has, though, passed 25 in 17 of those innings) he can light the powderkeg for an innings as was witnessed at the World T20 against England when he scored that lone fifty.Team newsThe 20-year-old Phillips will open in the absence of Martin Guptill, while Kane Williamson indicated that Nos. 3 to 5 in the order would remain the same as the Bangladesh series. That could mean a decision between Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme although much will depend on if the game is reduced due to rain.New Zealand (possible) 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Glenn Phillips, 3 Colin Munro, 4 Tom Bruce, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Ben Wheeler, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultSouth Africa will make a late decision over the fitness of David Miller after the finger injury he picked up against Sri Lanka. If he is fit to play it would likely mean Farhaan Behardien, who captained South Africa in their previous series, missing out.South Africa (possible) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller/Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran TahirPitch and conditionsEden Park equals endless mentions of short boundaries. Yes, they are still short straight. It doesn’t mean batsmen always take advantage, though. While the weather forecast is poor there is the potential for it to clear up during the afternoon and the ground does have top-quality drainage. The pitch is unlikely to suffer although if there is play under cloudy skies the ball could swing, while a damp ball would be hard for the spinners.Stats and trivia These two teams have played 14 T20Is against each other: South Africa lead 10-4 Despite the often-referenced short boundaries, the average score batting first in T20Is at Eden Park is a fairly modest 166. The highest total, made twice, is 214 by Australia (in the first ever T20) and England in 2013. Phillips will play for New Zealand before he has played a first-class game for Auckland.Quotes”I’ve been working really hard. It’s not easy to go in every series and try to perform but as long as I’m doing well for the team, as long as the captain and boys are happy, then I’m happy.”
“We want to hit the ground running tomorrow night. It’s a shame about the build-up and the weather, but we’ve been in camp for a while and every team has been playing a huge amount of cricket so nice to come off a little break.”

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella praised the seam bowling trio of Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep for holding their nerve late to secure a one-run win over West Indies

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo24-Nov-2016Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella credited his team’s seamers for holding their nerve against a big-hitting West Indian lower order after Sri Lanka pulled off a one-run win to secure their place in the final of the Zimbabwe tri-series. Dickwella was one of two Sri Lankans to reach the 90s in a total of 330 for 7 before Sri Lanka held West Indies to 329 for 9 in reply.”Our bowlers held their nerve, and our fast bowlers did really well,” Dickwella said. “Suranga [Lakmal], [Nuwan] Kulasekara and Nuwan Pradeep – they were the key players in defending this total. We were confident of defending the score, with our bowling attack. We missed some opportunities that we should have capitalized on, but fortunately we were on the winning side on the end.”Evin Lewis, the West Indies opener, survived two early lbw shouts and was also dropped twice during the first Powerplay in an uncharacteristically sloppy fielding effort by Sri Lanka. Lewis was dropped again off a tough chance at mid-on before he had reached fifty, and he went on to score a maiden hundred. He might have been run out shortly thereafter, but Dickwella disturbed the stumps with his glove before collecting the ball.That was one of his few lapses in the field or with the bat – after his 94 in the morning he eventually ran Lewis out for 148 – to increase Sri Lanka’s advantage at the death. Dickwella then held on to an awkward inside edge off Ashley Nurse’s bat in the penultimate over of the match.”It is kind of a challenge [batting up the order and keeping wicket], but you just have to adapt to the situation, and play according to that,” Dickwella said. “I’m a wicketkeeper-batsman, and when I score runs when we’re batting first, I still have to keep wicket for 50 overs. Obviously I have to do that, for my team.”Batting at No. 3, Dickwella was at the crease in the third over of the match and fell 36 overs later just six runs short of what would have been a maiden ODI hundred in his fifth match.”It was a good track,” he said. “Since the morning, it was a flat track. There was a bit of grass, but it was dead grass, so we didn’t expect it to move a lot. We thought it would move a bit, but that didn’t happen.”It was coming on to the bat. It was a pretty easy wicket to bat on, compared to the previous games. I could have got a hundred, and scored some more runs for the team, but I’m really happy with my performance today.”Performances such as these will help Dickwella state his claim for a spot in Sri Lanka’s touring party for their trip to South Africa in December. He is one of a number of fringe players who have come in to Sri Lanka’s squad in the absence of injured senior players such as Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal.”Some of the senior players back in Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews and Chandimal, they’re recovering. They’ve started training again. The selectors must be picking up some juniors from this tour for the big upcoming tour, so this is a good opportunity for the juniors to perform and show them that we are good, talented players. This is a good opportunity to play, perform and win even if we don’t have those seniors with us.”

Newcastle United are battling Tottenham for the signing of Leicester City star James Maddison, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Has Maddison been linked with Newcastle move?

The Foxes were relegated from the Premier League last month and that will lead to a number of top players at the club moving on during the summer transfer window.

Maddison is arguably the star man at the King Power Stadium currently, having scored ten goals and registered nine assists in the league in 2022/23, and his exit is seemingly an absolute given. He has been linked with a number of clubs and Newcastle are one of them, with the Magpies viewing him as a primary summer target.

The £110,000-a-week star could like the idea of moving to St James' Park, especially as the Magpies sealed a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.

It won't be easy for Newcastle to get their man, given the level of interest in him, but a new claim suggests that they are still right in the mix to acquire his signature.

Are Newcastle going to sign Maddison?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that the Magpies and Spurs are "into the race" to snap up Maddison before the start of next season:

"Tottenham and Newcastle are into the race to sign James Maddison. He’s set to leave Leicester, negotiations will take place soon. Postecoglou asked for Maddison but Newcastle are working on this deal since last summer."

This is a really encouraging update surrounding Newcastle's potential move for Maddison, especially as Spurs are unable to promise him Champions League football in 2023/24.

That will surely play a role in the Leicester man's thinking, as he looks to test himself in Europe's best club competition, and also show England manager Gareth Southgate that he is worthy of playing a bigger role at international level moving forward.

Maddison's creative brilliance is summed up his aforementioned goal and assist return this season – he has 55 and 41 for Leicester overall respectively – and he was called "one of the best players" in the Premier League by former Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers earlier in the campaign.

At 26, the attacking midfielder should be heading into his peak years and he would add a different dimension to Newcastle's midfield, acting as a more attacking foil to the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff.

Malik Tillman missed out on PSV's routine Eredivisie win over Almere after being punished by head coach Peter Bosz

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• USA international joined PSV from Bayern Munich on loan at the start of the season
• Tillman has struggled somewhat to make an early impact at the Eredivisie giants
• Dropped for latest league game after oversleeping

• (C)Getty Images
  

  What happened?

  USMNT starlet Malik Tillman missed PSV's 4-0 Eredivisie win over Almere City on Saturday after being dropped by head coach Peter Bosz for failing to show up on time.

  The attacking midfielder was hopeful Bosz would forgive him for the incident, but the PSV boss was having none of it.

  "Tillman overslept, so I decided to leave him at home," Bosz told reporters.

  "I think there's not a single coach out there where you get away with that.

  "He was keen to join the team regardless, but I told him there was no need for it. He will be back in training on Sunday."

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• The bigger picture

  Tillman joined PSV from Bayern Munich on a one-year loan deal at the start of the season, but he has found it hard to make an impact so far due to the stiff competition for places.

  He scored on his Eredivisie debut on September 2, finding the net in a 4-0 win over RKC, but has featured for just 18 minutes in the Dutch top flight so far.

  Bosz has so far preferred the likes of Ismael Saibari and Guus Til over the 21-year-old in the No.10 role.

• Getty
  

  And what's more

  Fellow USMNT star Ricardo Pepi enjoyed a far more successful evening as he netted his second Eredivisie goal of the 2023-24 campaign, firing home his side's fourth late on.

  Pepi has now scored three times in eight appearances in all competitions for PSV after joining them from Augsburg in July.

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• Did you know?

  PSV have three USMNT internationals on their books this season.

  Pepi and Tillman are being accompanied by Barcelona loanee Sergino Dest, with the full-back returning to the Eredivisie after coming through the ranks at Ajax.

Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach, has suggested Vernon Philander could return to take the new ball during the Champions Trophy in England

Firdose Moonda09-Feb-2017Vernon Philander could find himself in contention to play in the Champions Trophy as South Africa continue to search for a new-ball partner for Kagiso Rabada. They have been trialling Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius and Chris Morris, after Kyle Abbott signed a Kolpak deal and ended his international career, but bowling coach Charl Langeveldt admitted they have not got it quite right at the start of the innings and need a quick fix.”It’s going to be a big concern in England where you need to take wickets up front,” Langeveldt said. “We always say if we get a team three down early, we’ve got a good chance of winning the game so we’re trying a few things but we are still at the stage where we are finding who is going to be the opening partner to ‘KG’. In English conditions, if it’s overcast, Vernon would be the perfect guy to play. He fits our mould if we are looking for a guy with a new ball that can bowl you five overs up front. We are looking at all possibilities.”Philander last played an ODI in August 2015, five months after he was at the centre of an episode that derailed South African cricket for a summer. At the 2015 World Cup, Philander, who had struggled with a hamstring injury for parts of the tournament, was recalled for the semi-final in place of an in-form Abbott after consultations with CSA’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat. It took months for CSA to admit that the talks took place and Philander’s inclusion came after the selectors were reminded to pick the team with transformation guidelines in mind.Abbott has since revealed he considered quitting South African cricket in the immediate aftermath but gave himself another two years to see if he would find a more regular spot. He had just done that – after injuries to Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel – when it was revealed he had put pen to paper for Hampshire months before. South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo said Abbott’s departure came at a particularly bad time for the team, because Abbott was the leading contender to open the bowling at the Champions Trophy.Now, it seems South Africa may go back to Philander, although not for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Philander is nursing a slight ankle impingement and, having torn ligaments in the same place in November 2015, he has been prescribed some time off in order to be ready for the Test series in New Zealand in March. He will also have a break afterwards before beginning a county stint at Sussex in preparation for the four Tests in England but could be called on for ODI duty as well.South Africa may also consider injured young quick Lungi Ngidi, who will not make the New Zealand series because of a hip problem but should recover in time to play the domestic one-day cup and prove his worth. Langeveldt all but ruled out looking any further as he explained why neither new Test cap Duanne Olivier nor his Knights team-mate Marchant de Lange will be considered at this stage.”Duanne is an excellent bowler,” Langeveldt said. “He swings the ball and gets reward but I looked at his stats and he struggles with the white ball. It’s a concern, especially in the first ten and then at the back end, he is not as good. He bowl quickly but we are looking for a guy that can mix it up, bowl slower balls and stuff like that.”Olivier has played 24 List A matches and taken 29 wickets at 24.86, while de Lange has 97 scalps at 22.91 from 50 appearances but has fallen down the queue.”Marchant has always been a strike bowler but I think he is way down in the pecking order. I don’t think he will be considered for the Champions Trophy,” Langeveldt said.The other option, of course, is to ask the incumbents to step up and there is some evidence that they can. Rabada and Parnell conceded 37 for 2 in the first ten overs of the first ODI against Sri Lanka before Morris and Parnell went for 56 runs and picked up two wickets in the second. Things only became more difficult from the third match when Rabada and Morris opened, with Pretorius at first change, as Sri Lanka put on 54 without loss. Then, in Cape Town, Sri Lanka’s openers raced to 100 without loss as South Africa used six different bowlers in the opening Powerplay. They won all four matches against a struggling opponent but Langeveldt is still looking for improvement.”In the first ten overs, we haven’t been up to standard,” he said. “I am very hard on that. I will give us a five [out of ten]. Coming back, we’ve showed a lot of character, especially Wayne Parnell. He bowled really good areas and he took wickets. I’d give us a seven there. Before you go to a championship, you want to be at eight or nine because the bowlers win you games.”Whether South Africa improve their score or not, they have an excellent chance of reaching the tournament as the top ranked ODI side. They are a win away from overtaking Australia and then take on third-placed New Zealand in a five-match series before three ODIs in England in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy. “We want to go into a big tournament being No. 1 in the world so we are always talking about it. The captain always says if you go in a tournament you want to be No. 1,” Langeveldt said.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNiroshan Dickwella brought up his maiden T20I fifty to anchor Sri Lanka’s chase•Associated Press

Sri Lanka spoiled AB de Villiers’ comeback by snatching the T20 series from South Africa to claim the first silverware in the country in their history. Niroshan Dickwella’s career-best 68 overshadowed de Villiers’ 63, in his first international outing in six months, as Sri Lanka chased down 170 with one ball remaining but it was Seekkuge Prasanna’s 16-ball 37 which completed the second highest successful chase at Newlands.South Africa were without their newest spearhead, 20-year-old Lungi Ngidi, for most of their time in the field after he bruised his hip, and he could not bowl his final two overs, but had a tardy fielding effort rather than lack of resources to blame for their inability to defend the total. They put down five catches in total and saw several more aerial chances go unclaimed to allow Sri Lanka some leeway in what was a tough task.Still, it took cool heads for Sri Lanka’s batsmen to cross the line, especially after Imran Tahir removed their stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal early on and then removed Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over. Sri Lanka had to rebuild their innings twice and eventually needed 26 runs off the last two overs. Against the inexperience of Andile Phehlulwayo and debutant Dane Paterson, Prasanna and Asela Gunaratne got there to seal a memorable win.By the time the 19th over began, Prasanna already had 23 off 10 balls – having brought the target down from a daunting 50 off 21 balls – but Gunaratne had yet to score a run and only faced one ball after Kusal Mendis was run-out in the previous over. The pair ran hard off the first and second deliveries before Prasanna advanced on a Phehlukwayo slower ball and sent it over long-on for six. He did not get hold of the next one, losing his bat as he swung, but finished the over with a ramp over the Mangaliso Mosehle’s head to leave Paterson with 11 to defend off the last over.Gunaratne took the pressure off the final passage of play with a scoop over fine leg for four and took quick singles before he swung across the line and top-edged over Mosehle to level scores. In his excitement, Gunaratne thought the match was over and grabbed a stump out of the ground in celebration only to be told he needed one run was still needed. He drove the penultimate ball through the covers and this time could keep the stump.Having threatened through the series, with 43 in Centurion and 22 in Johannesburg, Dickwella went one better and converted his start into his first T20 half-century. He had support from Upul Tharanga, who was playing in his first T20 since the World T20 in 2012, and was aggressive from the get-go. The pair punished width early on and took on the short ball and it took a change of pace to separate them.Tharanga lobbed a catch to mid-on off Wayne Parnell’s first ball, a slower delivery, to give South Africa a breakthrough but it was when stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal was bowled by Tahir’s first delivery that Sri Lanka were under real pressure. Tahir’s over went boundary-less and then a hat-trick of missed chances came off Parnell’s second over, including a return catch, with Dickwella surviving two of those chances. He made South Africa pay.He saw off Tahir and targeted Phehlukwayo at first, before switching gears and lapping Tahir but South Africa’s complications came when they needed a replacement for Ngidi after he injured his hip diving at cover. Jon-Jon Smuts had to fill in but his two overs cost 22 runs as Dickwella reached fifty off 34 balls.With five overs to go, Sri Lanka needed more than ten an over but would have been fairly comfortable with Dickwella well settled. Tahir had an over in hand, though, and appeared to have changed the game. He had Dickwella caught in the deep and de Silva stumped to turn things South Africa’s way but Sri Lanka had more muscle.In the end, South Africa might blame their middle-order problems for not posting a big enough total. They lost 4 for 28 runs in 25 balls between the 14th and 18th over, including de Villiers which may have been the difference.South Africa trialled a new opening partner for Smuts in Reeza Hendricks and it proved a good decision. While Smuts continued to show nothing more than glimpses of the potential that took him to the top of the domestic T20 competition run-charts, Hendricks had the composure for a longer stay and formed one half of the hosts’ major partnership on the nightAfter Smuts was given out lbw, Hendricks was joined by de Villiers and was happy to cede control to the senior man, but not before a third perfectly timed offside drive to the end the PowerPlay strongly.De Villiers initially played within himself before giving making room to drive through point for his first boundary. He did not focus on finding the rope too many more times early on, though, and strike-rotation with a partner who was as speedy as him formed the foundation of their scoring. Every single was cheered loudly, twos and a solitary three were even more appreciated but there was no doubt the crowd was expecting more. When de Villiers danced down the track to meet a Lakshan Sandakan delivery on the full and send it straight back over his head for six, Newlands erupted. Their superstar was back.A scoop off Gunaratne saw de Villiers overtake Hendricks before the latter was stumped. Hendricks will not be happy with his carelessness when he dragged his foot out against Sandakan after the ball spun across him and he failed to push his foot behind the line. Chandimal needed two attempts to complete the stumping and, still, Hendricks did not inch further back.Despite that wicket bringing South Africa’s most dangerous hitter, David Miller, to the crease, Sri Lanka had created an opening to claw their way back. Miller, Farhaan Behardien and de Villiers all departed and South Africa entered the final two overs on 141 for 5 without one of their regular finishers on hand. Nuwan Kulasekara did an exceptional job in his final two overs which only cost 11 and removed de Villiers.Mosehle took the opportunity to show what he could do with a stunning cameo. He plundered three sixes off the first four balls in the last over, which cost Isuru Udana 21, and took South Africa’s total over 160 but it was not enough.

It might not be as straightforward now in Manchester United's pursuit of Kim Min-jae, with Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg reporting that Bayern Munich have entered the race for the player.

Is Kim Min-jae joining Manchester United?

The defender has really burst onto the scene this season thanks to an incredible year in Italy with Napoli that has seen the club claim the Serie A title. The 26-year-old played a key part in that success, featuring on 35 occasions in the league for the side and even bagging two goals and two assists along the way. It marks his first season in the country but he already looks right at home in the centre of that Napoli defence.

In addition, he's proven himself as having a superb ability to take the ball with his feet and to play out from the back with ease. With a 90.2% pass completion rate, he ranks amongst the top 10% of players in his position amongst the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues for example. It shows that not only is he a standout talent in his domestic league but is one of the best at doing so in Europe.

It's led to big interest in his services from Man United in the Premier League, who have been keen to get a deal done. It had looked like a move was all but completed too, with a report suggesting that he would link-up with Erik Ten Hag's side on July 1, with the Red Devils agreeing to pay his 60 million Euro (£51m) release clause and already agreeing personal terms.

However, according to a report from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, there is now competition for his signature. Bayern Munich are keeping tabs on the situation and could launch their own bid for the centre-back. The German giants are seemingly "aware" of United's eagerness to snap up Kim and the Red Devils are now "pushing" to get a deal over the line with this new twist in the race to sign the player.

How many games has Kim Min-jae played?

The Napoli man is an experienced head already, despite being only 26. As well as his 35 league showings for Napoli this campaign, he also featured heavily for Fenerbache in Turkey, playing 31 times for the title-chasing club. Prior to that, he also had three seaons with Beijing Guoan and two with Jeonbuk. It means that he has now accumulated 157 league games worth of action in his career already.

That has led to him becoming the player he is today, with the defender now earning the nickname of "monster" because of his performances. If United can get a deal done then, they would be getting a player who certainly appears capable of slotting straight into their backline.

Erling Haaland has revealed the unusual sleeping habits that help to make him a goal machine, with the Manchester City striker taping his mouth shut!

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Norwegian hit 52 goals last seasonIn prolific form again this termAlways looking to improveWHAT HAPPENED?

The Norway international hit 52 goals for Treble-winning City last season, allowing him to collect the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, and has already found the target on three occasions in 2023-24. The 23-year-old frontman continues to terrorise opposition defences, with few able to find a way of containing the obvious threat that he poses.

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Haaland is always looking to better himself – allowing him to remain one step ahead of his rivals – and that process extends as far as his bedtime routine. In order to be in peak condition every time that he takes to the field, the fearsome forward leaves no stone unturned in a bid to achieve marginal gains.

WHAT THEY SAID

Haaland has told Logan Paul’s YouTube show of his somewhat bizarre sleeping rituals: “Movement, training, biomechanics, I’m a bit into, to use your body and make it work and function in the best possible way – I’m really into that. And I think sleep is the most important thing in the world. So to sleep good, simple kind of things – blue blocking glasses, shutting out all the signals in the bedroom, I think is really important. [It’s about] small things. I think to do a lot of things is not good but to do small things every single day for a longer period really pays off.” He added when Paul revealed that he uses tape on his nose in a bid to open up his airways: “You should try and tape your mouth then! Why not! [Or] when you train? It would be a bit difficult. I have it, I sleep with it.”

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Haaland also said of using a sauna on a daily basis: “I have it at my home so I try and do it not every single day but almost every day. Sauna, steam room.” His methods may not be to everyone’s taste, but they are clearly working and there is the promise of many more goals to come from the current holder of the Premier League’s Golden Boot.