Fast bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi will replace Shafiul Islam who has been ruled out of the limited-overs matches against New Zealand

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2016

Fast bowler Kamrul Islam Rabbi has been named as a replacement for Shafiul Islam in Bangladesh’s 22-man preliminary squad that will train in Sydney from December 11 in preparation for the tour to New Zealand.Shafiul was ruled out after he injured his left hamstring while fielding for Khulna Titans in Qualifier 1 of the BPL against Dhaka Dynamites on December 6, just three days before Bangladesh were scheduled to leave Dhaka. Shafiul took 18 wickets in 13 matches during the tournament, and showed rare consistency in form and fitness. But now, he needs at least three weeks to recover from the Grade 2 strain.Shafiul’s injury is the latest blow to Bangladesh, who already lost Mohammad Shahid to a knee injury. However, chief selector Minhajul Abedin said they were still hoping Shafiul would recover in time for the Test series which begins on January 12. “Shafiul is ruled out of the limited-overs matches, but if he recovers early, he will be considered for the Tests,” he said.Rabbi, who made his Test debut against England in October, was picked ahead of pacemen Al-Amin Hossain and Alauddin Babu who are among the standbys. Rabbi was also among the standbys and was not included in the 22-man squad after which he took seven wickets in eight BPL games for Barisal Bulls.Minhajul said that Al-Amin’s disciplinary record also played a part in him not being considered. “We have heard negative things about him from other places, so we didn’t bring him in our discussion,” he said.

One of football's worst-kept secrets has finally been brought out into the open, with the France forward signing a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have finally got their man: Christopher Nkunku has signed a six-year deal with the club and will begin work at Cobham on July 1. It's a move that's been a long time coming, with the Blues agreeing a pre-contract with the 25-year-old late last year, and committing to paying RB Leipzig more than his £53 million ($68m) release clause to get the transfer done early. They'll hope he's worth the wait.

Despite the fact he has been an outstanding performer in the Bundesliga since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain, making 90 goal contributions in 119 appearances, Chelsea's decision to splurge yet more of their riches on attacking player will raise many an eyebrow.

So, where does Nkunku fit into the Blues' plans with Mauricio Pochettino set to begin work as manager? GOAL assesses their options below…

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  A versatile option

  It's unlikely that Chelsea have a clearly defined plan for where to play Nkunku. Indeed, a contract was agreed with him when Graham Potter was still in charge, and their interest dates back even further than that, so he certainly isn't a Pochettino signing or coming to play a bespoke role.

  However, what's clear is that the player's adaptability and ability to play across the attack were attractive for the west London club. Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: "Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad."

  But what are the roles he is capable of playing, and where would he fit best?

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  Nkunku's preferred position

  Nkunku will begin work at Chelsea on the very same day as new head coach Pochettino, which may prove serendipitous for a player who may not have fitted as seamlessly into the back-three shape deployed by recent Blues managers.

  The Argentine has always preferred the 4-2-3-1 formation, which would most likely accommodate Nkunku as a No.10 in attacking midfield or even higher up behind a central striker, with Enzo Fernandez and potentially Moises Caicedo behind him. The advanced midfield role is the France international's preferred position.

  Speaking to earlier this year, he said: “I think that (attacking midfield) is a position that suits me well. Close to the goal behind a striker. That describes me as a player nicely so I always like playing in this role.”

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  An old school second striker

  Although it's only a small positional shift, Nkunku is equally as comfortable and effective further up the pitch playing just off a striker. Indeed, despite preferring to play a bit deeper, he was most often deployed as an old school second striker in 2022-23, making 17 goal contributions in as many games there.

  Indeed, the player himself is equally happy in that position. "I think that's a role that works for me, it reflects my play style," he said. "I sometimes prefer a role a bit closer to one of the forwards but I still enjoy playing in this area of the pitch."

  A 5-3-2 shape, which was occasionally used by Potter during his short-lived tenure, would accommodate Nkunku slotting in there. Chelsea's main issue is they don't have a centre-forward for him to play off as it stands, with both Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seemingly heading for an exit, although young Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson is a likely incoming transfer.

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  'Solution' to Chelsea's goalscoring woes?

  So, if Chelsea don't have a conventional, experienced No.9 for Nkunku to play alongside, could he be the man to play up top himself? Well, don't rule it out. It has been reported that Chelsea are determined not to panic in their search for a new striker, and there is a belief at Stamford Bridge that Nkunku can provide a short-term solution to what has been a long-term problem.

  Leipzig manager Marco Rose regularly deployed the Frenchman up front at the back-end of 2022-23, and he produced the goods – scoring five times and laying on three more in just five games in that role. Indeed, this is a player who has never had issues finding the back of the net, with 70 goals to his name in 172 appearances for Die Roten Bullen.

  Speaking earlier in June, Nkunku insisted he is ready and able to play there if required: "I play where the coach decides. I don’t want to be a problem but a solution. But I can be in front, in support or on the sides. I have this ability to adapt – I like to be free.”

While Bangladesh would have liked to have won more convincingly, there was plenty for them to draw heart from in their first ODI of the year

Mohammad Isam27-Sep-2016Match factsSeptember 28, Dhaka
Start time 14.30 local (08.30 GMT)1:34

Isam: Afghanistan has been the story of the tour so far

Big picturePredictably, the first ODI ran close. Afghanistan were in the best position to win when they had eight wickets in hand and required 77 runs to win off the last ten overs. Bangladesh took over from that point, showing their steady temperament in a situation that required them not only to cut down the runs but also to pick up wickets.While Mahmudullah suggested that Bangladesh would have liked to have won more convincingly, there was plenty for them to draw heart from in their first ODI of the year. Shakib Al Hasan broke the big third-wicket stand between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, and gave away just one run in the 47th over when 28 were needed off the last four. Comeback men Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain squeezed Afghanistan out of the match with regular yorkers in the last three overs. Captain Mashrafe Mortaza kept the rampant Afghanistan batsmen in check for most of his ten overs, while Taijul Islam looked decent as the second specialist left-arm spinner.When they batted, the home side would also have been encouraged by Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah who looked in good form, though there will be some concern about Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim.Afghanistan, meanwhile, would be worried about their pace bowling; though Dawlat Zadran did finish with four wickets, both he and debutant Naveen-ul-Haq were expensive. The visitors would also like to see Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi get into the game a lot earlier than they did in the first game. Rahmat’s leg-spin is another option that captain Asghar Stanikzai might explore.The fielding from both sides sorely needs a lift as some easy catches were put down in the first match. But another thriller can be expected in Mirpur, with Afghanistan living up to the home crowd’s expectations as a competitive international opponent.Form guideBangladesh WWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LLWLWIn the spotlightImrul Kayes batted confidently and timed the ball well during his 37 off 53 in the first ODI. He displayed a new, adventurous side to his limited-overs batting, even if it meant chipping a few in air every now and then. He can be expected to bat the same way, and cement his place at No. 3.Rahmat Shah used his experience of playing domestic cricket in Bangladesh very well during his 93-ball 71 in the first game. He rotated the strike regularly with Hashmatullah Shahidi in a 144-run third-wicket stand that took Afghanistan to a very strong position. But it was his dismissal that turned the tide against Afghanistan. He would surely be keen to weigh in with more runs in the second ODI. Given his form, he might well do so.Team newsBarring injuries, Bangladesh shouldn’t change their winning combination. This would mean Mosaddek Hossain would have to wait a little longer for his ODI debut, while Nasir Hossain and Shafiul Islam would also remain on the sidelines.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Rubel Hossain, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Taskin AhmedA possible change for Afghanistan could be to replace Naveen-ul-Haq with Karim Janat, bringing in one teenage fast bowler for another. On the other hand, Afghanistan might make allowances for Naveen’s understandable nerves on debut and give him another outing.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Shabir Noori, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mirwais Ashraf, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Naveen-ul-HaqPitch and conditionsThe Mirpur pitch was sluggish, but the four half-centuries in the first game showed that any batsman who was patient enough could bat comfortably. The forecast is for late afternoon rain in Dhaka.Stats and trivia Shakib Al Hasan is now the only bowler in world cricket to hold his country’s record for most wickets in all three formats Afghanistan have bowled out Bangladesh in all three encounters between the two sides If Bangladesh win tomorrow, it will be their 100th ODI winQuotes”He [Taskin] delivered what we needed him to do. Credit to him for how he came back. He could have had a completely bad day and that could have cost us the match.”

Matt Renshaw’s dismissal for 71 meant that his parents did not need to make a trip across Brisbane to get to the ground

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane15-Dec-2016

Midway through the second session, Matt Renshaw danced down the pitch and shovelled Yasir Shah over midwicket for three. Already Renshaw had raised the bat to his home crowd upon reaching his maiden Test half-century. Now he was moving into the 70s. A hometown Test hundred was beginning to seem within his reach. And a cross-town dash was starting to look necessary for his parents, Ian and Alison.The Renshaws had been in Adelaide for their son’s Test debut last month, and might have been expected to be in the crowd for his first Test at his home ground. But instead they were several kilometres away, watching Renshaw’s sister Hannah graduate from her Masters of Architecture degree at the University of Queensland.”Matthew’s had his debut in Adelaide, so we’ll be there, very, very proud of what she [Hannah] has done,” Alison Renshaw told earlier this week. Ian Renshaw added that Matt was perhaps relieved not to have to sit through his sister’s three-hour ceremony: “But as we said, ‘we’ve waited three hours for you to bat and then you’ve been out first ball’.”At stumps, having fallen for 71 when he edged behind off Wahab Riaz, Renshaw explained that he understood his parents’ prioritising.”They came to Adelaide and Hannah’s graduation is a really big thing for her, so I think it’s good that they went and saw her,” Renshaw said at stumps. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t still be in when they finished there and they couldn’t head over.”What would it have taken for them to rush across Brisbane and find their way into the Gabba?”They told me I needed to be 80 not out at the dinner break, but I couldn’t do that. I let them down,” he joked.There was, however, one “Renshaw” in the crowd. Some time ago, Renshaw had purchased a ticket for the Gabba Test, not expecting to be part of Australia’s side. He was meant to be sitting with a group of friends from the Toombul Cricket Club, where Renshaw plays in Brisbane, and some of those mates chose to honour his call-up by filling his seat with a mannequin adorned with a print-out of Renshaw’s face.”It was a bit strange seeing my face on a mannequin when I was out there batting,” Renshaw said. “It probably took my mind off the game for a little bit, but it was good fun from the boys.”

GOAL caught up with the former winger to discuss all things Chelsea heading into a busy summer.

It's going to be a massive, and somewhat unfamiliar, summer for Chelsea.

A new manager will come in as the club ushers in a new era that will, hopefully, last longer than the one overseen by Graham Potter. A number of players will certainly be on the way out the door too, given the bloated squad – but even with their current numbers, you can't rule out the idea of Todd Boehly finding a way to spend big once again.

All of that comes against the backdrop of the worst Chelsea season in nearly three decades, depending on results in these final few weeks. There will be no Champions League, no Europa League, no trophies. The Blues enter this summer with a massive squad and an uneasy mood.

The 2023-24 season will begin in the U.S., with Chelsea set for a preseason tour of America starting in July. In the States, Chelsea will face Wrexham, Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham and Dortmund, with the clash with the German powerhouse set for Chicago as confirmed by the club over the weekend.

Joe Cole knows something about playing for a Chelsea team at the very top, having won three Premier League titles in his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge. He also knows a bit about playing in the U.S., with the winger ending his career with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in America's lower leagues.

So, ahead of the Blues' busy summer, the former Blues favourite caught up with GOAL to talk all things Chelsea…

Getty Images'I feel sorry for Pulisic'

One Chelsea player that faces an uncertain future this summer is Christian Pulisic, who very well could be gone by the time the Blues arrive in America for preseason.

Pulisic has been linked with plenty of moves, having seen his progress repeatedly halted by injuries in recent seasons. Just when he starts to play his way into the manager's plans, disaster always seems to strike.

Cole, though, very much still believes in Pulisic – a player that he thinks can still be a contributor to a top team…if he can stay healthy.

"He's a super talented footballer," Cole told GOAL. "He's won the Champions League with Chelsea and he played a big part by scoring important goals. It's just, I feel sorry for Christian with the amount of injuries he's got. It's really stopped his development.

"I think he needs to find his happiness again in a Chelsea shirt. It's very difficult and there's always competition. There are 31 players playing in the Chelsea squad, world-class players a lot of them. He has to find his rhythm again. There's no doubt he's a top, top, top footballer and he just needs to find out and work out how his body is and how he can keep himself on the pitch because, if he can do that, football is not a problem for him. He'll be fine. He's a great player."

AdvertisementGettyA bloated squad

Cole knows plenty about playing under pressure at Chelsea. He was a key figure during some of the Blues' best years, starring alongside many of the club's biggest legends.

This team is far from that level at the moment, currently sitting 12th in the Premier League, but the competition is as fierce as ever.

With 31 players in the first-team group, disregarding those out on loan, the competition for places is crazy at Stamford Bridge and it is clearly unsustainable.

A summer clearout is expected, with several big names expected to walk through the door after two straight windows of big spending. The ownership is far from afraid to buy, but this summer looks like the time to sell.

"The owners have come in and they've got great ambition," Cole said. "They put in a lot of money. They put their money where their mouth is. They've tried to spark it and it's a difficult time for the club. The club's going through transition, change of owners, changes of managers, playing staff, backroom staff, everything's changed. So I think I feel like the next stage, it needs to be calmer.

"I would imagine there'll be fewer players coming in, more players leaving and taking their journey elsewhere, but there's no doubt the owners have great ambitions.

"We understand we're in a period where there's this transition. This summer is going to be crucial and every decision has to be made very deliberately, very measured, and make sure it helps the team overall compete on the pitch because we're a while away from being able to compete with Manchester City at the moment. They're a phenomenal team, and that's the standard where Chelsea needs to be."

Getty/GOALWho will be the next Chelsea manager?

While trimming the squad will no doubt be vital, Chelsea's biggest decision of the summer will be the manager.

Frank Lampard has stepped in on an interim basis but has done nothing to stop the bleeding. This season is now a lost cause and there will be no European football next season.

Chelsea, though, are the type of club that can draw in candidates despite that fact. They've been linked with some of the biggest names in Europe, including Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino, with the latter said to be the leading candidate at this stage.

Whoever comes in will have a tough job, though.

"There's no manager in the world who's going to come in, flick a switch and Chelsea are going to be where they want to be," Cole says. "So it's going to have to be done in stages and processes. The next step in the next stage is about just settling down the players, settling on a core of the squad, the players that you're going to rely on to do the job.

"It's going to be a manager of that ilk, and it's going to take time. It's going to take time and that's one thing, unfortunately, coaches don't have so it's going to be tough to get the right man in but I'm sure that the owners are working very hard at finding that right person."

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Matt May/Tampa Bay RowdiesLife in the U.S.

After his time at Chelsea, Cole remained in Europe for another six years before making his move to the U.S. with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Rowdies were – and remain – in the U.S. lower leagues, giving Cole a much different taste of life in America than fellow English stars David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

However, Cole still looks back fondly on the experience and still makes Tampa a regular stop whenever he comes back stateside.

"It was a great experience," he said. "Me and my family, we made lots of friends and I'll always be connected to that part of the world. We loved our time there. It was so interesting. At the end of it, I started my coaching career as well with six months as a player-assistant manager, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

"The project, when I first joined, there was potential for the Rowdies to go into MLS, but something fell through financially and it didn't happen, and I could have left and gone back home but I stayed because I was having such a good time and the people were great.

"One day, I would hope that, and I'm pretty sure it will happen, the Rowdies will be playing in the MLS and I think they'd be a powerhouse because it's such a well-supported club. Only positive things and I had a great time, a great time."

What has struck Cole the most, though, is the growth of the game as a whole, from the grassroots level right up to MLS and the U.S. national teams.

"There's so much talent here," he said. "It just made me realize that this game will become, I believe within the next 50 years, the premier sport here. It's the fastest-growing sport and the kids love it, don't they? We had a massive, beautiful fanbase there and I think it's been embraced.

"It's just a long burn. It's going to take a longer time but the World Cup will obviously help, the upcoming World Cup, and yeah, it's exciting times."

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20163:16

Want to be a team that closes the opposition out – Arthur

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test in Dubai. Having taken a 222-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan were dismissed for 123 in 31.5 overs, losing their last six wickets for 11 runs. Chasing 346, West Indies were 95 for 2 at stumps with senior batsmen Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo at the crease.Arthur praised Bishoo but rued that the collapse had given West Indies a chance to win the game. He said Pakistan’s plan when they chose not to enforce the follow-on was to score about 180 runs in 45 overs and shut West Indies out of the match.”I am not going to take anything away from the way Bishoo bowled because he bowled really, really well,” Arthur said. “I thought we gave him eight soft wickets. We were cutting against the spin, some lazy shots. That is something we have spoken hard about because that’s not how we play the game. We worked so hard to get ourselves in front of the game and then in one session we lost 6 for 11 and that gave West Indies a sniff. We want to be better than that. We want to be a team that closes the opposition out when we get the opportunity and we didn’t.”The message was very simple: we wanted a score of 180 in 45-50 overs. We felt that would have given us 25-30 overs tonight and a full day tomorrow. So we were looking at 180 in probably 45 overs at the most and we played poorly.”Bishoo, whose returns of 8 for 49 were the best by a visiting bowler in Asia, said he had reflected on his performance in the first innings – 2 for 125 in 35 overs – and decided to bowl straighter, targeting the stumps, in the second innings.”Last evening I spent some time thinking about how I had bowled in the first innings and I was bowling most likely fourth-fifth stump and they were cutting the ball down to cover for a single all the time,” Bishoo said. “So I tried to bowl straighter on the stumps. I expected the ball to spin more on the fourth and the fifth days, and that’s exactly what happened. I used the rough a little and I tried to use the crease a bit more and tried to bowl more on the stumps.”Arthur said the batting implosion had forced Pakistan to play slightly defensively when West Indies came out to chase on the fourth evening. He said the team was working towards eradicating issues, like the sudden collapse, from their game.”We’ve batted really well, certainly through the Test matches in England I thought we were excellent, and we were brilliant in the first innings here. So that is something we are trying to eradicate. We want to get this completely out of our game. Consistency is something we need to keep working on, we are talking long and hard about it.”We were disappointed that we took our foot off their throat and gave them a glimpse into the game when we should have put them out of it. Because what that would have done for our spinners tomorrow is it would have allowed us to have close catchers for longer. So tonight we have a man at sweeper and we haven’t got a silly point to Bravo and that’s simply because the game is getting closer.”

Leeds United could consider Graham Potter to be their next new permanent manager in the Championship, according to reports.

Is Sam Allardyce leaving Leeds?

The Whites had their relegation to the second tier confirmed last weekend following the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and question marks quickly arose surrounding the future of Sam Allardyce having failed to guide his team to safety during his four games in charge.

The Times have reported that the Yorkshire outfit are set to hold internal talks with the 68-year-old regarding staying in the job and rebuilding the project in a bid to jump back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking next season, but there has been a couple of names doing the rounds as to who could replace him should he leave.

Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola, Brendan Rodgers and West Bromwich’s Albion Carlos Corberan are just three of several candidates to have been linked so far, though Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers may now have set their sights on Potter.

Are Leeds appointing Potter?

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea’s former manager Graham Potter has emerged as an “intriguing name” for the potential vacancy at Leeds. The Whites would “suit” the 48-year-old where he could transform the club “from the bottom up”, not to mention he would find “promising young players’ to work with, and it’s stated that there is “no shortage of interest” in the role.

Is Potter the right candidate for Leeds?

Potter’s time at Chelsea didn’t go as well as hoped, but you can’t deny the sensational job that he did at Brighton where he was praised for his “high pressing” football by journalist Josh Bunting and called a "superb manager" by Sky journalist Melissa Reddy, so whilst this move could be a risk, it may be one worth taking for Leeds.

The Solihull-born coach, whose preferred formation is a 3-4-2-1, has an excellent record in LS11, winning four, drawing three and losing just one of eight meetings, as per Transfermarkt, so imagine the magic he could work if he was the man in charge of the home side.

Finally, Potter shares the same agent, Wasserman, as Weston McKennie, Adam Forshaw, Brenden Aaronson, Sam Greenwood, Luis Sinisterra and Crysencio Summerville, so this existing representative connection could potentially give them a small advantage should they want to try and get a move for their managerial target over the line.

Following their gritty fight in the second innings in Dubai, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said his team is confident of dealing with Pakistan at their “fortress” in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016Following their gritty fight in the second innings in Dubai, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said his team is confident of dealing with Pakistan and their key bowler, legspinner Yasir Shah, at their “fortress” in Abu Dhabi. However, they would have to clean up their fielding and bowling going into this Test, he said, and readjust to playing in the daytime.”We are obviously very confident as we played a very good Test match in Dubai and it was very competitive,” Holder said. “We had some great positives coming from that game, and for me, it is just to transfer it to this game. Abu Dhabi maybe a fortress for Pakistan, but we have shown that we can compete in this series.”They have heavily depended on Yasir Shah and I think we coped with him very well. He was not that effective even on a day-five pitch.”Pakistan have not lost in any of the eight Tests they have played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, winning four of them. For West Indies to challenge that record, as Holder said, they would have to improve on their catching in the first match, where eventual triple-centurion Azhar Ali was dropped on 17 and again on 190. No-balls were also an issue, particularly for fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who overstepped 11 times in the game. Fellow pacer Miguel Cummins also bowled two no-balls, even getting a wicket off one – Babar Azam on four in the second innings; he eventually scored 21.”We need to sharpen up on the mistakes we made in the field,” Holder said. “And we should cut out on those no-balls as it cost us. We need to improve on small areas in fielding and tighten up when we bowl, and stick to our plans for lot longer.”The wicket was very good, both sides struggled to get wickets with their seamers. Spinners dominated in the Test. In such a situation, you [as a seamer] have to be very patient and accurate.”The main readjustment with regards to going from a day-night Test to a day Test, Holder said, would relate to the players’ body clock and not the ball. “We are accustomed to the conditions. However, our body needs to get accustomed to the clock, from bowling in the night and the afternoon start. Now, we have [to play] the whole day and it is a small adjustment. Playing red ball from pink will not need any major adjustment.”

Zac Toumazi, Sussex’s chief executive, will step down from his role at the end of 2016, after four years in the position.Toumazi, who joined Sussex at the start of 2013, oversaw the integration of Sussex’s professional, recreational and community cricket into one organisation, Sussex Cricket Limited, as well as a major overhaul of the ground infrastructure at Hove, including the development of a new media centre.He arrived at Sussex following a career in investment banking, as well as commercial roles at both Hampshire and Surrey and used that experience to help the club to punch above its weight, not least in securing a notable naming-rights deal for what became known as the BrightonandHoveJobs.com (latterly 1st Central) County Ground.However, Sussex’s relegation in 2015 hit the club hard, with the departure of their long-standing coach, Mark Robinson, effectively bringing to an end an era in which they won three County Championship titles in five seasons, including their maiden success in 2003.”It has been a difficult decision to make but I do believe that it is right for me to move on and hand over the reins to a successor,” said Toumazi. “The role of CEO of such a great club has been a privilege and an honour. I have enjoyed my time at Sussex and leave behind an excellent team that is set for the future. Our professional cricket is poised for exciting times ahead under the new management team, our Academy is bearing fruit with the young players coming through the programme, and I am sure that trophies are not too far away.”I take away many fond memories and lasting friendships. A special thank you to our members and partners who have been an absolute delight to interact with and who are always ready to support. I have no doubt that the future is bright for Good Old Sussex by The Sea.”Sussex’s chairman, Jim May, added: “Zac Toumazi has been a very professional and well respected chief executive who has brought great energy to the role and has been a great ambassador for Sussex. Aside from overseeing the ground-breaking formation of Sussex Cricket, Zac has accomplished much including the restructure of our pro-cricket department and has helped drive our commercial business.”He will be rightly remembered as a man with strong values whose interpersonal skills have helped strengthen our relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. Zac has been an excellent chief executive who leaves Sussex with our very best wishes, and, in very good shape for his successor.”

United's latest signing has been confirmed as the new owner of the iconic shirt, so GOAL looks at some of the others to have worn it over the years

Manchester United, of course, have had some truly iconic players wear the famed No.7 shirt, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best, and Bryan Robson. There have also been some major flops, namely Michael Owen and Alexis Sanchez, and new signing Mason Mount will be hopeful he eventually falls into the first category having been handed the iconic jersey following his £60-million move from Chelsea.

The England international has plenty of experience behind him having become a regular contributor both at Stamford Bridge and for the Three Lions – but how will he deal with the weight of expectation that comes with wearing United's most legendary number?

GOAL takes a look at the history of the No.7 shirt at Old Trafford and how others have coped with it…

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  George Best

  An icon on and off the pitch, Best remains the only Northern Irishman to win the Ballon d'Or having finished as United's top scorer for six consecutive seasons before leaving in 1974.

  He helped the Red Devils win two league titles as well as the European Cup in 1968, with his goal in the final contributing to a 4-1 victory over Benfica.

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  Bryan Robson

  'Captain Marvel' was voted United's greatest ever player in a poll of their former players back in 2011, and for his all-action midfield displays it was easy to see why.

  Playing 461 times for the Red Devils, Robson scored 99 goals and became their first English captain to lift the FA Cup as well as helping to secure Premier League and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs.

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  Keith Gillespie

  Part of the United side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, Gillespie followed in his fellow countryman Best's shoes and was handed the No.7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson.

  He failed to fully establish himself at Old Trafford, however, with Andrei Kanchelskis keeping him out of the team for long periods before he was eventually sold to Newcastle in 1995.

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  Eric Cantona

  When permanent squad numbers were introduced to English football in the 1993-94 season, there was only really one option for United to hand their No.7 to – 'King Eric'.

  Signed from Leeds United in 1992, Cantona terrorised opposition defences for five years at Old Trafford, scoring outrageous goals for fun as Ferguson's side began to dominate the English game.

  He will likely always be remembered for his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park, but his playing legacy will never be forgotten on the red side of Manchester.