Sam Billings has described the England vice-captaincy as “a huge honour” and recognition of his status as a “developing leader.”Billings has endured a frustrating year. Having started it with his highest score in international cricket – 87 in a T20I against West Indies in March – he then suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his chances of making the World Cup squad. But, having missed five months of cricket, news that he has been made vice-captain for England’s T20I tour of New Zealand has provided a pleasing boost.Now he is looking forward to learning from England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, and trying to establish himself in the side with a view to the T20 World Cup in a year’s time.ALSO READ: Bairstow targets T20s as first step to Test return“It’s great to get some recognition and it’s a huge honour,” Billings said from Christchurch as England acclimatised to a chilly start to their tour. “It’s a great opportunity to be recognised as a developing leader. And there’s an element of personal development about it, too.”I captained the England Lions last winter and my county for the last two years. Eoin gave me a call a couple of weeks ago and said he’d love me to do it. I suppose he must see something in me. I’m looking forward to learning form him and implanting what I’ve done at Kent.”But I’m in the side as a batsman first and foremost and then as a keeper. You have to be able to perform at that top level consistently in those roles firstly. The captaincy is an added bonus and one I really enjoy. It makes you take responsibility for yourself and other guys.”With England taking a young and inexperienced squad on this part of the tour, the promotion of Billings is not a total surprise. He is not only the sort of dynamic cricketer England are looking for in limited-overs cricket, but has the sort of positive outlook so admired and exemplified by Morgan. Still, there was no need to name a vice-captain on such a short tour and Billings’ appointment – as vice-captain and keeper – ahead of the more experienced Jonny Bairstow underlines the respect the England management have in his qualities.Now he says he is looking forward to seeing the new generation of players find their feet in international cricket, though his own eyes remain focused upon the T20 World Cup in Australia in 12 month’s time.”One great thing that’s been created around this group it that’s it’s so easy for people to come in and express themselves,” he said. “You’re encouraged to play the way that got you here. Tom Banton, for example, had a brilliant summer and will be encouraged to play exactly as he has been. Pat Brown is another with a few tricks up his sleeve who has impressed over the last couple of years. It’s great that we’ve that culture where people can really go in and excel.”I’ve been on the fringes for the last four or five years. I’ve made some performances along the way, but we have such depth in our squad in terms of batsmen and keepers.”The last innings I played was that 87 in the West Indies. But then I got injured and missed a lot of the year. So even though that innings in the West Indies was a long time ago, it’s about continuing that momentum in an England shirt. For me, it’s about enjoying it and it’s good to be back playing. The injury has given me some perspective. I just have to make the most out of every opportunity. For me, as a player, my focus is on being in that T20 World Cup squad.”

تحدث السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن الفوز على الزمالك والتتويج بـ كأس السوبر المصري، في المباراة النهائية التي أقيمت بين القطبين اليوم الخميس.

الأهلي حقق لقب بطولة كاس السوبر المصري للمرة الـ 15 في تاريخه، بعد الفوز على الزمالك في المباراة النهائية، بركلات الترجيح 7-6 بعد انتهاء اللقاء في وقته الأصلي والإضافي بالتعادل السلبي.

وقال كولر عبر “قناة أبو ظبي”: “لعبنا مباراة ممتازة جدًا خاصة في الشوط الاول خلقنا فرصا كثيرة، لم نوفق أن نحرز منها هدفًا”.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد الفوز على الزمالك والتتويج بـ السوبر المصري

وأضاف: “تحكمنا في إيقاع المباراة بشكل جيد ولم نوفق أن نسجل ولكن كسبنا بالنهاية بركلات الجزاء”.

وأكمل: “في الأهلي مطالبين للفوز بكل بطولة، دخلنا البطولة ولعبنا مباراتين وسعداء جدًا أننا حصدنا اللقب وهذا سيعطينا دفعة للبطولات المقبلة”. تصريحات كولر بعد فوز الأهلي على الزمالك والتتويج بـ كأس السوبر المصري

An extra US$2.6 million will be up for grabs at women’s tournaments from next year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2019

Australia celebrate their World T20 victory•ICC/Getty

An extra USD 2.6 million will be up for grabs at women’s tournaments after the ICC announced a major boost in the prize money pool.Winners of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia next year will receive USD 1 million and the runners-up USD 500,000, five times the amounts on offer at the 2018 edition. The overall prize money will increase by 320% for 2020, compared to 2018, meaning a windfall for each of the 10 teams competing.The prize pot for the Women’s World Cup in 2021 will rise to USD 3.5 million from $2 million in 2017 under changes announced by the ICC on Monday in the wake of increased revenue. The ICC Board also confirmed the introduction of an Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be played in Bangladesh in 2021 and staged every two years after that.ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said the moves were part of a “commitment to reach parity across men’s and women’s cricket as part of a broader plan to grow and develop the women’s game”.”We want to build a long-term sustainable foundation for women’s cricket and that is about more than just prize money,” he said in an ICC release. “It is about building a product that fans want to watch, that kids want to take up, that sponsors and broadcasters want to be part of.”Creating a Women’s U-19 event also improves the pathway available to young cricketers and ensures they have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.”Next year it’s our ambition to fill the MCG on International Women’s Day for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020, which would be a world record for a women’s sporting event. This significant increase in prize money and the introduction of a Women’s U-19 event is part of a much larger effort to grow the women’s game around the world.”The Board decided that the eight-year cycle starting in 2023 will comprise eight men’s events, eight women’s events, four men’s Under-19 events and four women’s Under-19 events. The ICC will call for expressions of interest from all member nations wanting to host events, with the bidding process to start early next year for women’s and Under-19 events.Meanwhile, Indra Nooyi was unanimously reappointed as the ICC’s independent director for a second two-year term from 2020-22. Former PepsiCo chairperson and CEO Nooyi became the ICC Board’s first independent female director in 2018. She sits on the board of directors at Amazon and Schlumberger.

MatériaMais Notícias

Dono da melhor campanha no Grupo D da primeira fase do Paulistão, o Mirassol encara em casa o Guarani, segundo melhor classificado na chave, nessa quarta-feira (12), às 21h (de Brasília). Desbancando o Santos, grande favorito do grupo, as equipes medem esforços para saber quem vai jogar a semifinal da elite do futebol paulista.

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>É mata-mata! A agenda das quartas de final do Paulistão

Reforçando o clube para o restante da temporada, o Mirassol apresentou nessa semana o atacante Raphael Macena. O experiente atacante com passagens pelo futebol japonês, grego, além de outros clubes brasileiros assinou com o clube visando o Brasileirão Série C e, além de já ter o seu nome registrado pelo BID.

– O Mirassol está montando uma grande equipe e tem um trabalho interno muito bem construído, isso chamou a minha atenção para assinar com o clube. Foram poucos dias que cheguei aqui no Brasil, mas consegui perceber como os dirigentes estão presentes no dia a dia e como o grupo está unido – disse o atleta.

Raphael Macena é o 15º reforço do Mirassol nesta temporada. O Leão da Alta Araraquarense trabalhou bastante nos bastidores para reforçar a equipe que chega não só como o melhor aproveitamento do Grupo D como também o terceiro melhor ataque da competição entre os clubes do interior.

– A disputa no ataque vai ser bastante intensa, mas todos os jogadores e o clube precisam disso. Quanto maior a competitividade no elenco, mais a gente se esforça no dia a dia para buscar uma vaga na equipe titular – disse Raphael.

O Mirassol precisa vencer o duelo contra o Guarani para garantir vaga na semifinal tanto do Campeonato Paulista como também no Troféu do Interior. Em caso de derrota, o Mirassol não irá para o torneio interiorano se Bragantino e Ferroviária também perderem os seus jogos contra Palmeiras e São Paulo, respectivamente, por ter uma campanha de pontos menor do que a dos seus concorrentes.

After yet another defeat, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will have serious questions to answer given the club's recent form and performances which have seen the club drop to tenth place in the Premier League.

The Magpies have only won two out of eight games since the start of February, with the club lingering in mid-table – just one season after achieving a top-four finish for the first time in 20 years.

Yesterday's 2-0 cup exit to treble winners Manchester City was the club's second loss in a week after falling to a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night.

Howe will certainly come under fire for the club's decline in form this season, with some of his tactics questionable throughout the campaign – with the Magpies reverting to a back five for the trip to the Etihad yesterday.

Two players came under fire for their displays yesterday, with one player receiving a measly rating of 4/10.

Sean Longstaff's game in numbers vs Man City

26-year-old Sean Longstaff has been a consistent figure under Howe so far this campaign. However, his display yesterday was far from acceptable with the midfielder failing to make any impact on the encounter.

The Newcastle academy graduate was dragged off after 62 minutes by Howe, with Longstaff only having 19 touches and completing just ten passes during his time on the pitch – a tally more than only Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon.

The Magpies' number 36 only won one duel, with the midfielder also giving the ball away on six separate occasions before his withdrawal from the game.

Such a performance saw reporter Lee Ryder suggest that he is "clearly in need of a rest".

It certainly was an evening to forget for Longstaff, but another Magpies player had a just as poor game, with teammate Dan Burn also replaced at the same time as the midfielder.

Dan Burn's game in numbers vs Manchester City

Defender Burn has been below par for multiple weeks, with youngster Lewis Hall more than deserving of a run in the Magpies' first-team after his move from Chelsea last summer.

However, Howe has decided to stick through Burn's poor run of form, with the 31-year-old disappointing once more in Saturday's defeat against Pep Guardiola's side.

The 6 foot 6 defender failed to win any of his ground duels, also losing possession six times like Longstaff, with Burn also committing a foul.

The Magpies' defender also failed to make any tackles or interceptions, with Burn struggling to contain City winger Bernardo Silva, with the Portuguese attacker toying with the Englishman for long spells and scoring twice.

Minutes

62

Possession Lost

6

Ground Duels Won

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Upon the final whistle, Newcastle Chronicle football writer Lee Ryder delivered his verdict on Burn, with the reporter giving the 31-year-old a 4/10 rating for his display – the joint lowest of anyone who featured for the Magpies.

Given Burn's form in recent weeks, Howe should look to drop the left-back, with players such as Hall and Tino Livramento champing at the bit to stake their claim for a regular starting position for Newcastle.

Everton have had what some may call a turbulent time over the last couple of seasons.

Whether that be because they're consistently finding themselves in relegation battles or because they get handed the most severe points deduction in Premier League history. You name it, Everton have more than likely experienced it.

Fortunately, for the Toffees, their ten-point deduction has now been dropped to six after a successful appeal was accepted by an independent commission.

However, although that has turned their fortunes around for this term, this still doesn't excuse the fact of their poor form over the last three Premier League campaigns.

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Since the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, who left for Real Madrid in 2021, the club have failed to finish within the top half of the table, with their highest position being 15th. Whereas, when the Italian was in charge, they managed to finish in 10th and 12th.

Granted, these positions are still not as high as what Roberto Martinez managed with the side in the 2013/14 campaign or even as high as what David Moyes managed in the 2010/11 campaign, but, they are far more respectable results than what Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche have managed to attain thus far.

One of the key reasons behind Everton's under-performance can be put down to the lack of fight and form that the squad are currently undergoing.

Of their last seven games in all competitions, The Toffees have only managed to win once in what was a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the replay of their third-round FA Cup tie.

In fact, the last time that Dyche's men managed to score more than one goal in a game was all the way back in December, when they faced fellow relegation battlers, Burnley, and beat Vincent Kompany's side 2-0.

This lack of goal-scoring prowess is one of the key reasons why Everton once again find themselves fighting to retain their Premier League status.

As per Toffee Web, across the 2023/24 campaign thus far, Abdoulaye Doucoure is the club's top goalscorer with six goals.

Now, although this is a more than solid return from the midfielder, having six goals be the most any player in the team has scored across the season is fairly concerning.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is supposed to be Dyche's talisman, has only managed to bag five goals this term, one of which came in this year's edition of the Carabao Cup.

With this in mind, there's no wonder that the 11-capped England striker has now seen his value plummet.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's transfer value in 2024

As per Football Transfers, Calvert-Lewin has an estimated transfer value of around just £8m. Although this fee is likely on the lower end of the scale of what Everton would demand for him, it puts into perspective how poor he has been of late.

The striker has been Dyche's main point of attack this season, with the 26-year-old playing a total of 28 games across all competitions this term.

This number would have likely been much higher if he hadn't suffered a couple of injuries at the start of the season.

The absences in question have ruled the former Sheffield United man out for a total of five games. One of those missed came from an incident that the attacker suffered towards the back-end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Missing five games may seem like a lot for most players, but, in the case of Calvert-Lewin, this is a fairly consistent theme.

During the 6 foot 2 striker's time with the Toffees, he has been a common visitor to the treatment room. In fact, since the 2016/17 season, he has missed 81 games through injury, with a large bulk of those coming in the 2021/22 campaign.

Calvert-Lewin's injury history
Season	Injury	Games missed
2020/21	Muscle	3
2020/21	Hamstring	2
2021/22	Broken toe	32
2022/23	Knee	8
2022/23	Hamstring	3
2022/23	Hamstring	3
2023/24	Cheek	4
Data via Transfermarkt.

This injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the England international as he was just coming off the back of his most prolific season ever after managing to bag 21 goals in all competitions.

Unsurprisingly, this term was the last of which Ancelotti was in charge of the club. The Italian entrusted the youngster to help carry his team to their best finish in the last five years of tenth.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Calvert-Lewin impressed the Real Madrid manager so much that he tried to plot a raid on his former club for a fee worth somewhere in the region of £50m for the then-England international.

When Ancelotti wanted Calvert-Lewin to join him in Madrid

For a lot of players in world football, the fee of £50m is a threshold that they will likely never reach.

However, as aforementioned, whilst in charge of the Toffees, the now 64-year-old managed to get the best out of the Everton striker that anyone before or after him has managed.

But, why on earth would Ancelotti want to spend £50m on a player who has had two strong seasons out of six?

The only time Calvert-Lewin has managed to hit double-figure returns in the goals department was when Ancelotti was his coach.

It was evident to see that the Italian knew exactly how to play to his strengths and the perfect way to extract the most out of the striker possible with the manager hailing him:

"He is a complete striker. It is not easy to find a striker with these characteristics," said Ancelotti.

"He has a lot of energy, is really fast. I am really pleased he is doing well and scoring goals because at the end a striker is judged on the goals he scores. It's a great achievement for him [the England call-up]. I hope it will not be the last. It depends on him. He is doing really well. He needs to have consistency."

In a separate interview, the Italian delved deeper into the characteristics Calvert-Lewin possesses which make him the "complete striker."

"He is fast, has good skills, is strong in the air and works extremely hard for the team. He also has a fantastic mentality, and his desire to improve has impressed me ever since I came to the club," he said.

"Dominic has all the attributes to become one of the best strikers in England and in Europe."

Despite receiving this amount of praise from the only manager to ever win each of Europe's top five leagues, due to the injuries he sustained which stopped his momentum and due to Everton losing some key players over the years, the striker has yet to fulfil the hype in which Ancelotti surrounded him with. Indeed, perhaps the regret cashing in a few years ago when his market value was so high.

Barcelona are reportedly preparing a massive six-year contract for €60m-rated Dani Olmo as the Catalan giants look set to rival Manchester City.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Barcelona step up interest in Olmo
• Working to agree personal terms with the player
• Leipzig remain firm on their €60m valuation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to despite the expiration of Olmo's €60 million (£50m/$66m) release clause on July 20, Leipzig remains open to negotiations. The Bundesliga club are aware of the widespread interest in their playmaker, with Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich among the potential suitors along with Barcelona – who are making a determined effort to secure the Spaniard's signature.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona's inability to activate Olmo's exit clause upfront has led them to devise a new payment strategy. The club is looking to structure the transfer fee to fit their financial constraints and could propose to offer a base transfer fee of €40 to €50m, potentially paid in up to three installments. The remaining amount to reach the €60m valuation would be covered through performance-based bonuses.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Barcelona has reportedly offered Olmo a six-year contract. This lengthy deal would allow the club to amortise the transfer fee over several years, easing financial pressures and complying with regulations from La Liga and UEFA. The proposed contract for Olmo includes an initial salary similar to his current earnings at Leipzig, around €11 million (£9m/$12m) annually. However, the salary is set to increase significantly from the third year of the contract, following a model used with other high-profile signings like Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gündogan.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  To facilitate the financial flexibility needed for Olmo's acquisition, Barcelona are considering offloading several players. Among those potentially up for sale are central defenders Clement Lenglet and Inigo Martinez, as well as young Brazilian talent Vitor Roque. Alongside Euro 2024 standout Nico Williams, Olmo has become a prime target for the Catalans and their coach, Hansi Flick and they pulling the strings to get their desired transfer target.

Both teams are set to make their day-night Test debut, with Bangladesh’s backs firmly to the wall

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu21-Nov-20192:44

Star Sports: The making of the SG pink ball

Big PictureDay-night Test cricket evokes two very different kind of reactions. For the fans, it is a moment to celebrate. Heck, the administrators are going all in. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is personally overseeing everything at Eden Gardens. So if you’re loving the pretty pink balloon hovering over the ground, you know who to @.For the players themselves, it seems a little like stepping into the utterly unknown. A lot of people are saying a lot of things and all of it is about the way the pink ball will behave. Sachin Tendulkar says dew will affect it massively. Virat Kohli doesn’t know what will happen when the shine goes off. R Ashwin is already preparing to go big with his arm balls because it may not turn enough. Bangladesh’s batsmen, meanwhile, devoted a part of their training session to just watch the shiny little thing as it goes past them.The funny thing is day-night Test cricket has been around for four years now. Practically every other team has been part of the revolution. So there is information out there.ALSO READ: What’s the big deal with pink-ball TestsIn Indore, Bangladesh were way off the pace. In Kolkata, they need to make the most of every opportunity. The top order, which couldn’t handle the red ball, has to find a way to negotiate the pink one even though it swings way more. It’s the only way they’ll have set batsmen at the crease when it stops moving around. Because that might be the best time for Bangladesh to take advantage of the whole day-night situation – India would usually turn to their spinners at this point in a regular day Test, but if Ashwin’s suspicions are correct, not to mention Tendulkar’s warning about the dew, a very potent bowling attack with the old ball might end up short on answers.The only problem is it’s hard to picture all of India’s bowlers suddenly being negated just because of a change of ball. You’d think Ishant Sharma is too experienced not to adapt. You’d think Mohammed Shami will just bowl full and fast and straight and break every set of stumps in front of him. You’d think Ashwin will beat the batsman in the air if he can’t do them off the pitch.Virat Kohli has contingencies galore and an opposition already under the pump. If India get it right despite the unfamiliar playing conditions, this might not be pretty.1:35

Pink ball v red ball – Virat Kohli explains the difference

Form guideIndia WWWWW (last five Tests, most recent first)
Bangladesh LLLLWIn the spotlightNeither of the Bangladesh openers made more than 6 runs per innings in Indore. Under normal circumstances, one of Imrul Kayes and Shadman Islam might have given way for this Test match. Getting a good start is far too important, especially against stronger opposition, but the man who could have replaced them is out injured. Saif Hassan hurt his hand while taking a catch in Indore and it’s probably cost him an international debut on one of the more grand occasions. Kayes and Shadman are on borrowed time. They have to make use of it.R Ashwin is fun in front of the mic, especially when he’s apparently giving away his plans. During a home series against England in 2016, he seemed to have complete control of Ben Duckett, to the point he was predicting the batsman’s next moves. “I’m very sure he’s going to thrust his pad forward the next innings,” he said. “I’m looking forward to try and play on his confusion.” This time he fronted up on live TV and said he was focusing on the arm ball because the pink ball doesn’t really turn. It’s all set up for those big-turning offbreaks, isn’t it?Team newsIndia had most bases covered in the first Test and might well stick with the same XI that beat Bangladesh by an innings and 130 runs.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Mohammed ShamiEden Garden gets ready for India’s inaugural pink-ball Test•Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Bangladesh are likely to bring in Mustafizur Rahman and Al-Amin Hossain in place of Taijul Islam and Ebadot Hossain. They don’t have any reserve batsmen to bring into the line-up, although indications are that Mushfiqur Rahim will go back up to the No. 4 position.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque (capt), 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Liton Das (wk), 8 Mehidy Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam/Mustafizur Rahman, 10 Abu Jayed, 11 Ebadot Hossain/Al-Amin HossainPitch and conditionsThe pink ball is a fairly precious thing. Using one in a game means the pitch has to be a bit green and the outfield fairly lush. Otherwise it gets scuffed up and as a result hard to see when night sets in. That’s partly why seam bowlers have bowled twice as many overs and picked up nearly three times as many wickets as spinners in this version of Test cricket. Expect that to continue at Eden.The weather is set fair for all five days of the game.Stats and trivia This Test is going to be all about fast bowling and that’s bad news for Bangladesh because theirs have the worst bowling average and strike rate in the last five years. Mayank Agarwal has made 858 runs since his debut in December 2018. That makes him the highest scorer in Test cricket over the last 11 months.

Everton have often conducted poor business in the transfer market in recent seasons, with their spending partly to blame for the club's point deduction this season.

The Toffees spent a lot of money during the 2019/20 season, with the club spending upwards of £100m on players – with just one signing remaining at Goodison Park in 2024.

Players such as Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Jean-Philippe Gbamin arrived at the club, for fees all over £20m, with the latter leaving the club on a free transfer last summer after making just eight appearances for the Toffees.

However, one big-money signing over the last few years impressed for the Toffees, before leaving the club to hunt for European football. His departure was one that many fans were unhappy with, but it did see the club make a profit on their investment.

Lucas Digne's stats at Everton

Left-back Lucas Digne joined Everton for £18m back in 2018, with the defender having great pedigree after his spell in Spain playing for European giants Barcelona.

He made an immediate impact during his first campaign for the club, making 37 appearances for the Toffees during his first campaign – with his set-piece ability catching the eye.

His second campaign in 2019/20 was just as successful, with the Frenchman making 39 appearances for the club in all competitions, with Digne grabbing nine goal contributions – a great return for a defender.

However, the appointment of former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez would be the start of his Everton downfall, with Digne falling out of favour under the Spaniard.

Although he started all nine games at the start of the 2021/22 campaign, he would quickly lose his place in the starting lineup, with the left-back sometimes not even being included in the matchday squad.

Digne wasn't involved in four consecutive games throughout December and January, with his lack of game time leading to his departure.

Although the departure wasn't a hit with the Everton fanbase, his move to Aston Villa in January 2022 was a profitable one for the club, with the Frenchman leaving for £25m – making the Toffees £7m on the defender during his three-and-a-half-year stint at Goodison.

Lucas Digne's market value in 2024

Just over two years on from his Everton departure, the "phenomenal" defender, as dubbed by his agent Mikkel Beck, has failed to impress at Villa Park under Unai Emery, with the former Arsenal boss preferring to use Alex Moreno over the £25m man.

His lack of form has seen his value drop to just £10m – as per Transfermarkt – with the 30-year-old now worth less than current Toffees left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko, who boasts a market value of £24m – less than two years on from his £17m move to the club.

Whilst there's no debate that Digne is better going forward, Mykolenko has excelled defensively, blowing the Frenchman out of the water and being a real part of Everton's stellar defence that has the best defensive record outside the Premier League's top four.

The Ukrainian has averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, with former Everton man Digne only managing to reach a tally of 1.8.

Digne v Mykolenko PL stats in 2023/24

Statistics

Digne

Mykolenko

Tackles

1.8

2.7

Interceptions

1.1

1.6

Clearances

2.2

3.5

Blocks

0.6

1.4

Stats via FBref

Mykolenko also dominates with regard to interceptions and clearances, with his tallies of 1.6 and 3.5 respectively, far more than the attacking full-back who's struggled at times defensively this campaign.

The Frenchman has only averaged 1.1 interceptions and 2.2 clearances, with 23-year-old Mykolenko seemingly more suited to boss Sean Dyche's defensive system.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Expand Collapse

Although at the time it was an unpopular decision to let Digne leave, it turned out to be a brilliant piece of business with the club replacing him with a younger and more defensively solid full-back who has outperformed the former Toffee this campaign.

A day after his massive pay day at the IPL auction, the allrounder showed why he’s still valued in the T20 circuit

Tristan Lavalette20-Dec-2019After a short break from cricket, Glenn Maxwell returned with a brilliant 83 to spur Melbourne Stars’ 22-run victory over winless Brisbane Heat at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast. Heat’s chase of 168 was on track with Tom Banton plundering a 35-ball 64, but his dismissal in the 10th over flipped the momentum.It was an impressive victory for the Stars whose top-order struggled after being sent in. Maxwell, however, came to the rescue with a typically belligerent knock powered by five sixes. He almost single-handedly propelled his team to a total that proved to be enough.All six bowlers from Heat took one wicket each, but they should be buoyed by an encouraging display from Afghanistan spinner Zahir Khan, who mostly escaped Maxwell’s wrath.The Heat, perennial BBL underachievers, are in an early hole with two straight losses while the Stars started the season well as they look to regroup after last season’s meltdown in the final against crosstown rivals Melbourne Renegades.Stars top-order fail to fire After opener Nic Maddinson fell cheaply to part-timer Matthew Renshaw, Hilton Cartwright had a golden opportunity to start his new chapter with a bang. Backed at No. 3 by new coach David Hussey, he played several sparkling drives out of the longer format handbook, but his composure didn’t last long.Reprieved in the fifth over by Josh Lalor, Cartwright’s luck ran out when he miscued a slog in the next over and was well caught by Max Bryant for 18.Left out of the ODI tour to India, Marcus Stoinis also had a point to prove. He may have hoped to rekindle his BBL prowess after being one of the top performers last season, but fell for 16 when he holed out in similar fashion to Cartwright.When ‘keeper Jimmy Peirson threw the stumps down and ran out Peter Handscomb for 20, the Stars wobbled at 4 for 74 at the midpoint.The ‘Big Show’ returns in styleMaxwell returned to cricket after a self-enforced hiatus dealing with personal issues. And, quite clearly, he hadn’t lost his firepower. As his teammates struggled with rhythm, Maxwell – batting without a helmet or cap – showcased precise footwork against the spin combination of Zahir and Mitchell Swepson to smash them into the stands.He was in a cavalier mood with audacious strokes and equalled his fastest BBL half-century, notched off just 23 balls. The now helmeted Maxwell was clearly enjoying himself and clubbed a couple of sixes in the penultimate over before playing onto his stumps with two balls remaining to end his 39-ball masterpiece.Rauf’s stunning start fails to deter BantonThe Heat got off to a flyer with Englishman Tom Banton going after Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who leaked 19 runs in the second over. Replacing the injured Dale Steyn, Pakistan’s Haris Rauf made the perfect start to his BBL career when he claimed Bryant down the leg-side off his first delivery.Banton, however, continued to take advantage of the powerplay with clean striking over the in-field to underscore an emerging belief that he’s the ideal replacement for the now-retired Brendon McCullum. He fittingly reached his half-century by thumping a short Adam Zampa delivery into the second tier, a milestone reached off only 29 deliveries.All along, Chris Lynn played second fiddle and the lack of strike seemed to unsettle the Heat skipper who holed out off Zampa in the eighth over. The dismissal failed to deter Banton, who smoked new Heat spinner Clint Hinchliffe with a 102-metre blow that almost reached the third tier but shortly after holed out off Zampa. Banton scored 64 of the Heat’s first 81 runs but his wicket left the match evenly poised.Heat strangled by Zampa The Heat struggled to recapture the momentum after Banton’s wicket and went almost five overs without a boundary mid-innings. Maxwell juggled his bowlers to perfection to ensure the Heat batsmen couldn’t find any continuity. With Banton no longer menacing, Zampa stymied the run rate with Rauf providing the finishing touches with accurate death bowling to ensure Hussey celebrated a successful start as coach.