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Manchester United are a team famed for bringing players through their prestigious youth academy to play an important role in the first team.

This was embodied in the Sir Alex Ferguson era as he brought through the "class of 92", featuring Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville

While six of the names listed above played a pivotal role during the most successful period in the club's history, winning countless Premier League titles and even a treble-winning campaign in the 1998/99 season, a remarkable eight of the 14 trainees in 1991 went onto make their first-team debut for the club.

This stat is unrecognizable in the modern game with the riches displacing opportunities for youth products to impress, but at Old Trafford, it is the norm. As of October 2022, for the past 86 years, a homegrown player had featured in every matchday squad with the sequence beginning on Saturday 30 October 1937.

In the present day, the most notable player to break into the first team and leave an ever-lasting impact is Marcus Rashford. Having scored a brace on his Premier League debut against Arsenal in 2016, the 25-year-old has gone on to make 369 appearances for the club, chalking up 124 goals and 69 assists.

Currently, there are a few youngsters in the youth setup who are ready to make the step-up and one of those is Charlie McNeill who will be hoping to make a similar impact to Rashford in the first-team.

Who is Charlie McNeill?

After departing the club as a schoolboy, the 20-year-old returned from rivals Manchester City in 2020 and has since continued his prolific goal-scoring at youth level.

For the Red Devils' respective youth sides, McNeill has chalked up an impressive 58 goal contributions in 72 appearances which has led to subsequent high praise and hype surrounding his clinical exploits.

Erik ten Hag rewarded McNeill for his stellar form in the youth ranks last season. He brought him off the bench for his first team debut in the latter stages of their group stage loss to Real Sociedad and despite the defeat, Robbie Savage heaped praise on the youngster for the hard work he's put in to get to this point.

While speaking on BT Sport commentary, the fellow Man United academy graduate said: "He's scored lots of goals in the youth academy. He's a great lad, so (I'm) delighted for Charlie and his family that he's made his first-team debut. I know exactly how his family will be feeling, they'll be so proud."

McNeill joined League Two side Newport County in January and only managed two goals in 20 appearances, however, League One Stevenage were willing to take a chance on him this season, and he's repaid them with a goal on his debut.

What is Charlie McNeill's play style?

Having established himself as one of the most formidable young strikers in Europe during his time at Man City and is credited with over 600 goals at youth level, including 110 goals and 38 assists in one season for City's U15's, McNeill is a striker that needs no introduction about where the back of the net is.

He has an array of inventive finishes in his locker, from poacher goals to long-range finishes, drawing comparisons to a former Old Trafford hero, Robin van Persie.

The Dutchman was known for his ability to produce the spectacular – think of his iconic diving header that stunned the world against Spain in the 2014 World Cup or his sumptuous volley against Aston Villa in 2013.

He could score every type of goal, and it was that instinct, ingenuity and technique that saw him lead United to the Premier League title in the 2012/13 season, scoring 26 goals in 38 appearances.

Using his cultured left foot as a weapon of mass destruction, van Persie left Ferguson speechless following his volley against Villa with the Scotsman drawing high praise towards the Dutch dynamo, saying:

"It was the goal of the Century, for me, a marvellous hit," he told Sky Sports.

While van Persie left managers, players and supporters in awe with his performances on the field, McNeill has been tearing up a similar tree for years and if he can settle into the right system at Stevenage, he could soon show supporters why he's the second coming of van Persie.

After all, such ruthless finishing doesn't come lightly.

Everything may be going in Tottenham Hotspur's favour of late, but they have recently been dealt an almighty blow to Ivan Perisic that could have far more of an impact than the actual stature of the player who will be missing…

How long is Ivan Perisic injured for?

Although Perisic is far from a starter, his performance off the bench against Sheffield United last weekend showcased just how much quality they are set to lose for a man who is content playing a smaller role. With his side 1-0 down against the relegation-touted visitors, his corner helped set up the equaliser, before his run down the left flank found Richarlison, who assisted their late winner.

It is hard to attract stars to pad out a well-rounded and deep squad, so to have someone as versatile and technically exceptional as the Croatia international struck down marks a massive disappointment for Ange Postecoglou.

The official Lilywhites Twitter would write: "We can confirm that Ivan Perisic has suffered a complex Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. The experienced Croatia international sustained the injury in non-contact training and will undergo surgery. Wishing you well in your recovery, Ivan."

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano then offered an update with a more specific timeline: "Ivan Perisić has torn his ACL — he will miss the next 5/6 months as Tottenham confirm. Perisić, fantastic professional who’ll now work hard to be back and help Spurs in March/April… then Euro 2024 with Croatia, feeling he can do it. Wishing him speedy recovery!"

However, with every blow comes an opportunity for someone else within the squad to step up, and given the boots that need filling, it could help spur those vying for his spot even more of an incentive to perform to his standards.

Of those within the squad, it simply must be Brennan Johnson handed a boosted role, given his quality and the fact they have just unloaded £47.5m on him as the summer window closed.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

Seeking to inject some more pace, energy and directness into their attack, the Wales international has also been reduced to substitute appearances thus far in his short Spurs career, with a start surely coming soon. With Perisic's injury, he will have shot even higher up the pecking order now, where any strong performances could merit a start.

After all, he did enjoy a stellar last campaign with Nottingham Forest, scoring eight and assisting three in his first-ever Premier League season. However, such form had been foreseen by journalist and scout Antonio Mango, who lauded one earlier FA Cup showing against Liverpool: "He’s a real handful especially with his pace against Liverpool high line!"

Although the 34-year-old winger offers a far slower, more methodical play style, it could be argued that Johnson's presence would be far more suited to Postecoglou's all-action philosophy which has earned such huge early praise. Despite that, the former Inter star's nine goal contributions from last term were dwarfed by Johnson's aforementioned figures, meaning he will be far from a downgrade.

With his youth and the expectations that such a lofty price tag placed upon him, the £28m-rated new signing will need managing well to ease him into the side. However, his development could now be fast-tracked after this injury.

They might be blighted by injuries and staring at the prospect of going 3-0 down, but South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada says the hosts have to be wary of overthinking their predicament

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town06-Feb-2018

“We know cricket is a game of ups and downs. We need to go back, see where we are going wrong, calm down and do our business.”Does that sound like a panicked Kagiso Rabada to you?It shouldn’t. He’s a reasonable, measured man weighing up the pros and cons of professional sport.How about this?”When you are losing, it’s tough to find an answer.”Does it sound panicked? Or bemused?Probably the latter, as Rabada, a bowler who hasn’t had enough runs to defend, tries to explain why the batsmen are struggling.What about this?”We clearly haven’t come to the party. It’s not acceptable at all.”Does that sound panicked?At worst, it’s anger. At best, especially said in Rabada’s thoughtful tone, it’s disappointment.But panicked? South Africa are not there yet, or so they say.They’re positive, because that is the only way they think they can turn things around. “You need to speak the right language in your mind, be very strong mentally and strive to perfect your skills on the pitch. We need to stay positive. And try not to seek too many answers. When you are winning, you don’t ask yourself too many questions. So it’s just stay positive and try to change the momentum,” Rabada explained.Though the scoreline looks bad and the scorecards from the first two ODIs look worse, South Africa – or at least Rabada – are able to put the situation in perspective.They have lost to injuries what Rabada called “three names that are pretty much irreplaceable at the moment” in AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock, and they are not exactly an ODI team in great shape. Although South Africa’s most recent outing before this series were three wins over Bangladesh, that came after an awful Champions Trophy and a series defeat to England last winter. The manner in which South Africa’s mid-year assignments ended – in tears, with the usual questions over their big-tournament mindsets and the usual finger-pointing – left them trailing other teams, and trailing quite far behind India.”India are a strong team. They beat Australia 4-1. They have been playing good cricket, I know they’ve been playing a lot at home, but good cricket. They’ve had a good foundation for quite a while,” Rabada said. “It doesn’t help that we have been going through a few changes and not been in the best form since the Champions Trophy. We are still trying to catch up at the moment.”Virat Kohli’s unit seems to be streets ahead of South Africa both in their ability to adapt to different conditions and in the make-up of their XI. They attack as a collective and stand out as individuals, something South Africa are struggling to match.Because the batting line-up has failed, the bowlers have very little to work with, so the first thing South Africa must put right is their approach to wristspin. At Tuesday’s optional training session, South Africa had a slew of spinners, of varying competence, trying to put their batsmen through their paces. They did not have the pressure India’s fields have put on them or the looming prospect of going down 3-0, so what good that did them will have to seen on match day but at least they are trying.If the batsmen get it right, then the bowlers will have more to work with but, even then, they need to find ways of being less one-dimensional. In Rabada, Morne Morkel and Chris Morris, South Africa have three similar seamers: tall, quick and back-of-a-length by default. If Lungi Ngidi plays, they will have more of the same. Andile Phehlulwayo, who takes pace off the ball, is an option but, crucially, South Africa need their spinner(s) to get into the game more. Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi, who played at SuperSport Park, have barely made an impact. Against India, they may continue to struggle, but a campaigner as experienced and wily as Tahir should have a plan.Overall, South Africa, as a unit, should have a plan and Rabada insisted they do but also admitted that, for now, they will take winning any way they can get it. “In an ideal world, [we’d want to get] close to the perfect game: lot of people score runs, lot of people take wickets, or we need individual brilliance. We’ll take either-or,” he said.And if they get neither, will they panic?Probably not, because the only thing they will lose is a series and the No.1 ranking, which coach Ottis Gibson has made clear is not that important in shorter formats anyway. And they will gain a proper understanding of the areas they need to work on ahead of the 2019 World Cup and the players they want to take to that tournament. “Widening the pool is great, so perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise,” Rabada suggested, in a voice that was as calm as you get.

Liverpool's start to the season has been promising, with two wins and an away draw against Chelsea to kick off the Premier League campaign, but the more pragmatic supporters will still feel another midfielder is paramount to the club's success.

Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo have all been signed to combat the departures of a raft of midfielders this summer, but a No. 6 is still needed.

Jurgen Klopp will be well aware of the looming transfer deadline in just a few days, and while the waters are calm right now, the club appear to be working with intent under the surface.

Who are Liverpool interested in signing?

According to The Independent, the Red are indeed investigating the possibility of making another signing this week, and while Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure is the top target, Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi might be the more realistic name.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

The Eagles have touted their Malian midfielder at €60m (£52m), and given that the Foxes suffered relegation last term, Ndidi could be signed – with Leicester willing to do business.

How good is Wilfred Ndidi?

Klopp has often opted to move for players who have fallen prey to the drop zone over his tenure at Anfield, with Andrew Robertson, Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri all playing big roles in the club's illustrious success over the past several years.

Indeed, it's a path well-trodden on Merseyside and given the immense success the club have had in this regard, it might prove to be an astute move to seal a swoop for an industrious midfielder such as Ndidi.

The Robertson deal in particular has paid dividends for Liverpool, with the 61-cap Scotland captain arriving from Hull City for just £10m in 2017, since cementing himself as one of Europe's finest full-backs and forging 270 displays across one of the most prosperous periods in Liverpool's modern history.

The 29-year-old is evidence that success can be found away from the more lucrative, high-profile names on the scene, having been heralded as a "Duracell Bunny" by Liverpool writer Leanne Prescott for his unrelenting intensity.

The Nigerian midfielder was signed for his Premier League side from Belgian side Genk for £15m in 2017, and has since made 243 appearances, winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

Several days ago, it was reported that Nottingham Forest were closing in on a deal for the 26-year-old, and while the Tricky Trees have now presented an opening proposal, Liverpool are alerted to the possibility of hijacking the transfer.

The £75k-per-week "machine" – as hailed by BBC contributor Raj Choban – has not enjoyed the most successful few years, missing 41 matches since the start of the 2021/22 term due to unfortunate injury issues, though is definitely an “elite player” – as once claimed by BBC's John Bennett.

But he remains a tenacious, tough-tackling phenom and one who would bolster Liverpool's centre considerably, ranking among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles and blocks, and the top 1% for interceptions and clearances per 90, as per FBref.

Given that he has entered the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium, Ndidi could be snapped up for peanuts, and if Liverpool are indeed unwilling to meet Palace's expensive valuation of Doucoure, the Leicester man might be the man for the job.

After all, Klopp knows a thing or two about signing relegated players, just look at how Robertson's done since leaving Hull.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could sign an instant heir to departed winger Adama Traore, with journalist Rudy Galetti providing an update on the Old Gold’s potential movements in the summer window.

The Midlands outfit have endured a nightmare situation so far this transfer window, losing manager Julen Lopetegui due to increased concerns over squad size due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions surrounding the club.

With new manager Gary O’Neil at the helm, Molineux was handed something to cheer about, however after a controversial opening day defeat to Manchester United, there continues to be doubts over the strengths of the squad at present.

Who could Wolves replace Adama Traore with?

According to a report from GIVEMESPORT, the Italian journalist has since linked Wolves with AC Milan winger Alexis Saelemaekers.

Valued around the £28m mark by FootballTransfers, the 24-year-old could be a huge reach for the club considering their financial situation, however, Galetti reinforced the appreciation for the Belgian in the Midlands.

“A new name, another name is Saelemaekers of AC Milan. That is another player who is appreciated. Let's keep an eye on him." he said.

“He is on the sideline in the project of the Italian club of the Rossoneri. So, this is the overall situation of Wolves."

How good is Alexis Saelemaekers?

A product of Anderlecht’s academy, the dynamic right-winger made the move to the San Siro on a permanent basis in 2020 after a successful half-season loan spell with the club earlier that year.

Deployable on both the left and right side, the Belgian has previously been praised for his exploits in Italy by former national team coach Roberto Martinez, who described the forward as having “transformed at Milan”.

Despite breaking into the senior team at one of Europe’s best clubs, the 24-year-old has fallen down the pecking order after suffering a significant knee injury in September 2022 that saw him miss 16 games for both club and country.

The wide player made just 14 starts last term, contributing to five goals by scoring two himself and registering three assists from the flank, via Sofascore.

While the numbers sound underwhelming, the winger could still be an improved addition at Wolves in place of Traore, who left Molineux as a free-agent at the expiration of his contract and has subsequently signed for top-flight rivals Fulham.

Last season, the 27-year-old netted twice in the Premier League for the Old Gold, accounting for a fifth of his career total of goals in the English top-flight, where he has found himself on the score sheet just 10 times over seven seasons.

Replacing the Spaniard’s end product would be the less-difficult hurdle to overcome, however, his one-versus-one ability will be missed in the Midlands.

In Saelemaekers, O’Neil could find an equally as threatening wide player as Traore, as suggested by 2.26 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, compared to the former Wolves star’s 2.95 per 90, via FBref.

By capturing the Belgian dynamo, the Old Gold could integrate another versatile wide player into their side in place of Traore, in a talent that could prove to be the natural successor to the long-serving Spaniard.

Shiv Thakor, the Derbyshire allrounder, has been charged with two counts of sexual exposure and will appear before court next week.Thakor, 23, was arrested in July and is currently suspended by his club having not played since June. His case will be heard at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on October 4.A Derbyshire statement said: “The club has been advised that one of its players, Shiv Thakor, has been issued with a summons to appear at Derby Magistrates’ Court. Thakor was arrested by police investigating allegations concerning the player when he was not on duty with the Club.”In consultation with the player’s representatives, the player continues to be suspended on full pay and he is suspended from all cricket activity by ECB. For legal reasons, the club is unable to comment further at this stage.”

Liverpool remain interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch this summer, with Jurgen Klopp believed to be a huge admirer.

How old is Ryan Gravenberch?

The Dutchman, who is still only 21 years of age despite seemingly being around for a long time, joined Bayern from Ajax last summer, in what was seen as a big piece of business by the Bundesliga champions.

Gravenberch had already made 103 appearances for Ajax, even though he is still so young, but with huge things expected of him, he found it tough in his first year in Germany.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

The midfielder may have featured in 24 of Bayern's league matches, but he only started three of them, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka preferred in the middle of the park, among others.

Gravenberch is one of numerous players to have been linked with a move to Liverpool earlier in the summer, with the Reds potentially viewing him as someone who could make a big difference, following so many issues in that area of the pitch last season.

With Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already coming in, and Romeo Lavia and Andre both looking like primary targets, it seems as though the Reds' interest in Gravenberch hasn't completely gone away yet.

Will Liverpool sign Ryan Graveberch?

According to the Bayern Insider podcast [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are in the best position to sign the Netherlands international when compared to other clubs, with Klopp thought to rate him highly as a player. It is believed that the Reds manager is confident that he could reach his vast potential at Anfield, coming in as an exciting long-term acquisition at the club.

Gravenberch is clearly a hugely gifted footballer, even though his spell at Bayern has been underwhelming to date, but there would have to question marks over whether he is the best option for Liverpool at this point.

The Dutch youngster can operate as a No.6, but is more at home in more of a No.8 role, using his physicality and attacking ability to showcase his box-to-box brilliance. In Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, the Reds have already sorted that area this summer, though, with defensive midfielders far more important.

For that reason, it is essential that Liverpool look to bring in at least one of Lavia or Andre before deadline day arrives – bringing in both would make more sense – in order to make up for the loss of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, with the former particularly brilliant there at his best over the years.

Nailing down someone in the No.6 position is so vital for any team – Curtis Jones has been deployed there at times in pre-season, but is far from an experienced natural in the role. Adding Gravenberch to Mac Allister and Szoboszlai could feel a bit samey, even though compatriot and former Netherlands international Kim Krief has spoken highly of him in the past, once saying he is "greatest talent" in his country, while Frank De Boer has described him as a "fantastic" footballer.

Rilee Rossouw shook off a blow on the helmet and by the end of the night the headache was Middlesex’s in front of 20,000 at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2017Hampshire stifled a vociferous 20,000 crowd at Lord’s by cruising to a comfortable six wicket NatWest T20 Blast win with 15 balls to spareagainst weakened south group rivals Middlesex.In pursuit of a modest Middlesex total of 136 all out, Hampshire cantered to their fifth win in 10 starts courtesy of an excellent 60with six fours and a six by opening batsman Rilee Rossouw that cemented his side’s place in the qualifying places.Hampered by the loss of Dawid Malan, Toby Roland-Jones and Steve Finn on England duty, injuries to Paul Stirling and James Fuller, coupledwith the absence of overseas stars Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee, Middlesex underperformed in every department to crash to the fifthdefeat of a disjointed qualifying campaign.Man-of-the match Roussouw was delighted after scoring his first 50 at headquarters. “The pitch was initially a little slower than we thought,” said the South African. “It slowed up a little after their innings so we had to adjust.”Rilee Rossouw shook off a blow on the helmet from Tom Barber•Getty ImagesRoussouw was struck on the head by a quick bouncer from young Middlesex quick Tom Barber but shook off the blow to lead Hampshire to victory.”My head’s fine but my face is the money-maker and that’s good, so I’m very happy about that too,” he said.”To score runs here at Lord’s is something that I’ve dreamt about since I was a little boy starting out paying cricket and I’ve got no words other than I’m very happy.”Hampshire’s run chase started briskly when James Vince pulled the fifth ball of their reply from Barber for six into the Mound Stand.Rossouw shook off his blow on the helmet by pulling Harry Podmore for another Mound Stand maximum. Three balls later, Vince danced down the pitch to lash another six over long-off off the same bowler.Helm hit back by brushing Vince’s off bail out of its slot with a slower ball that sent Hampshire’s skipper packing for 20 but, having taken good advantage of the Powerplay fielding restrictions, the visitors were already well ahead of the chase on 56 for 1 after sixovers.With the field scattered, Tom Alsop (10) risked a second run to Ryan Higgins in the deep to be run out by a yard, then, with 79 on the board, George Bailey also departed to a run out after jogging a risky single to Stevie Eskinazi at square leg.Rossouw posted the only half-century of the night and the 15th of his T20 career from 39 balls. With only 14 needed Rossouw departed by top-edging an attempted paddle to long leg, but his innings had ensured Hampshire’s comfortable win.Batting first after winning the toss Middlesex openers Nick Gubbins and Eskinazi made a scrappy start with more shots coming off the edgerather than the middle of their bats.Gubbins appeared to struggle for timing and his stay proved a short one when he miscued an attempted lofted drive against Chris Wood tomid-on.John Simpson marched in to increase the urgency out in the middle with a few sharp singles but Middlesex could only muster 42 by the end ofthe Powerplay.The hosts targeted young Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane after his introduction from the Pavilion End with 16 coming from the overincluding a slog sweep for six by Eskinazi.The hosts had 65 on the board when Hampshire seamer Tom Holland marked his debut with a wicket with his fourth ball when Simpson pulleda short one straight to Bailey at long leg.Crane settled down in his second over to peg back Eskinazi’s off stump after the right-hander swept across the line of a top-spinner to gofor 43 from 27 balls.Experienced fourth-wicket partners Eoin Morgan and Adam Voges attempted to improve their side’s sedate tempo as Morgan latched ontosuccessive short deliveries from Holland to hit the ropes at midwicket.In his 230th appearance in the short form Morgan moved past 5,000 T20 career runs helping Middlesex to reach 83 for three at the mid-pointof their innings. The Irishman reached 22 from 14 balls when, in aiming to late cut, he dragged slower ball from Wood onto his stumps to leave the hosts in a pickle on 95 for 4 as Wood finished with 2 for 26.Gareth Berg returned to bamboozle James Franklin with a slower ball out the back of the hand that the Kiwi all-rounder obliginglyskied to Alsop at deep mid-wicket.In the next over Voges called for a suicidal single to Rossouw at backward point to be run out after losing the race against the throwby a couple of yards at the non-striker’s end.Hampshire’s domination continued when Wood leapt to snaffle an incredible one-handed overhead catch at extra cover off a smeareddrive by Ryan Higgins.Nathan Sowter was caught off a miscued pull against Kyle Abbott, who then yorked Harry Podmore first ball to complete his excellentstint with 3 for 26.Berg polished off the innings by bowling Barber with a full inswinger as Middlesex succumbed for their second lowest total atLord’s with five deliveries of the innings still to be bowled.Morgan, the disappointed Middlesex skipper, felt his side’s batting performance had tailed off after a reasonable start. He said: “Westarted well enough, almost 90 off 11 isn’t too bad, but then we lost three or four in quick succession and couldn’t recover.”I thought the bowlers went alright. Hampshire are a very experienced team and our first six overs weren’t too bad, a couple of catches might have made things a little bit easier for us, but we dragged it back. The fight we showed in the field was good, but we certainly didn’t get enough runs.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his squad this summer.

The Spaniard has focused solely on departures this window, however, is now turning his attention to recruiting reinforcements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The signing of Matt Doherty added experience and skill to his back line, which he could further in capturing the West Ham veteran.

Could Wolves sign Aaron Cresswell?

As reported by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas earlier this week, the Midlands outfit are eyeing Cresswell in a deal believed to be in the region of £5m.

Thomas added that the 33-year-old is ‘keen’ on the transfer, with him having just one year remaining on his contract with the Hammers.

The Englishman’s nine-year stint in east London could be nearing a close, with The Athletic relaying that he did not feature in the Irons’ pre-season match against Tottenham ‘amid the transfer speculation’.

How good is Aaron Cresswell?

A true servant to the Hammers, the 33-year-old has made a total of 331 competitive appearances for the club, netting 10 goals and recording 37 assists from left-back over the years.

Having been lauded as “reliable” by renowned journalist Henry Winter, the Liverpool-born dynamo has become part of the furniture in the Premier League, making positive contributions every year when called upon.

Despite the perception that he's fast approacjing a mature age in footballing career terms, Cresswell’s suitability to David Moyes’ set-up has not dried up, with him making 28 appearances for the Hammers in the league last season.

For Wolves, signing the Englishman could be a positive acquisition, considering the potential exit of Rayan Ait-Nouri who is expected to leave Molineux this summer.

The Athletic mentioned the Algerian alongside the links to Cresswell, claiming that the club are ‘exploring options’ for the 22-year-old who ‘may be loaned out’.

The 22-year-old made 21 appearances for Wolves last season, however fell out of favour to the likes of Toti Gomes and Hugo Bueno, sparking rumours of his departure this summer.

Cresswell could be a strong acquisition for Lopetegui to obtain to cover the depth potentially lost in Ait-Nouri’s absence.

As per FBref, the 33-year-old bettered the Algerian in terms of his progressive play, averaging 5.84 progressive passes per 90 to his 3.60, and defensively, with an average of 1.09 interceptions per 90 to the 22-year-old’s 0.75.

An area of Cresswell’s game that could bolster the left-flank at Molineux is his eye for a pass, registering an impressive 1.61 key passes per 90 in the Premier League last term to showcase his versatility as a full-back.

Also lauded as an “unsung hero” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, Lopetegui could add experience and quality to his side in place of Ait-Nouri, in a move that could add some stability to the defence at Molineux.

The Spaniard has already replenished his back line with the experience of Doherty, which could be mirrored to the left through the expertise of Cresswell, who could pose as a strong figure in the depth of the position to allow the talents of Bueno and Gomes to flourish.

Alex Hales has paid credit to the England management and selectors after his comeback century in Barbados

George Dobell10-Mar-2017Alex Hales has paid credit to the England management and selectors after his comeback century in Barbados. He was named Man of the Match in the final ODI of a series England won 3-0 after being a peripheral figure since the end of the English season.Having been dropped from the Test side, he then opted out of the limited-overs series in Bangladesh due to security fears and was reduced to a cameo appearance in India due to injury. With Sam Billings making two half-centuries in four innings as his replacement at the top of the order, it was possible that Hales might have had to wait for a return.But while Hales admits his decision to miss the Bangladesh tour was “a risk,” he has been gratified by the management’s belief in him and their decision to draft him back into the side as soon as he his hand had recovered. Hales was not originally deemed fit for selection for the one-day series in the Caribbean, but completed his rehab with the tour party in Antigua and was officially added to the squad a couple of days before the final game in Barbados despite not having played a warm-up match.”It was encouraging that they stuck with me,” Hales said. “It was obviously my choice not to tour Bangladesh and it gave the opportunity for other people to come in and do well. That was a risk I knew I was taking and the injury then came at a bad time for me.”I missed the boat in India. I ran myself out in the first ODI in India and then batted with a broken hand in the second one. Karma didn’t treat me very well. It’s been a tough winter.”But the team have backed me and stuck with me and hopefully I’ve repaid their faith.”It was his maturity that impressed most in Barbados. Put in on a tricky surface, England managed only 39 from the first 10 overs but then accelerated as conditions eased and the spinners were called upon. Perhaps reassured by the belief shown in him by the team management, Hales demonstrated the confidence to bat through the demanding period and score what he termed “ugly runs” before conditions eased and the runs started to flow.”It took a while to settle,” he said. “Me and Joe Root knew it would be tough against the seamers but we took our time and there were some ugly runs amongst it. We had a plan to be ultra-aggressive against the spinners and that plan worked for us. We wanted to put them under pressure. Then, the longer we got ourselves in, the easier the seamers became.”It was noticeable, too, that Hales allowed himself a sustained celebration upon reaching his century.”When you spend time away from international cricket it makes you realise what you’re missing out on,” he explained. “I tried to use the time off wisely, working on my fitness and batting with a small cast on my hand.”It’s a huge honour to represent England and when you have time away from that it makes you cherish what you’ve got. Playing for your country, playing in front of all these people… it’s special. I was emotional, yes. It was a combination of everything and to come here and score a hundred having not played a lot of cricket throughout the winter is an incredibly special feeling.”He has not given up on Test cricket either. While he accepts that his chance has gone as an opening batsman – he has averaged 27.28 in his Test career to date – he believes a recall to a middle-order position, a role he says has he has always favoured, remains a possibility.”The plan next summer is to try and score as many runs as I can in the middle order,” he said. “Obviously depending on how many games I play for Notts that may be hindered a bit. But I’ve got something set out for the next six months and that’s a good plan for me.”The middle order is somewhere I’ve always eyed up. But in my younger days at Notts, when you’ve got Mark Wagh, Stephen Fleming, David Hussey and Samit Patel there, it’s quite tough to get into that middle order. So I had to open to get into that Notts team and it became the same with the England team. They had Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen; the opening spot was again the place to target.”So throughout my career I’ve had to bat at the top of the order to make the step up, but now I’ve had that taste and not done as well as I would have liked to it gives me something else to focus on. I’m going to give it everything this summer and see what happens.