Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from June 27.

Jack Grealish bids farewell to Ilkay Gundogan.

Gundogan made himself at home in his new surroundings.

Burnley got a new football friend.

Manchester United released their new kit.

Wilfried Zaha bought a football club.

England Under-21s were preparing for Germany.

England welcomed Josh Tongue ahead of the second Ashes Test.

Kate Cross reflected on the Women’s Ashes Test.

Millie Bright has expressed her confidence that she will be ready for England’s World Cup opener as she continues her recovery from knee surgery.

The defender, captain of the squad heading to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand in the absence of ACL injury victim Leah Williamson, underwent an operation after limping out of a Chelsea match in March.

While Bright expects Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Portugal in Milton Keynes will come too soon for a return to action, she is feeling positive about the Lionesses’ opening Group D fixture against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22.

The 29-year-old, who has been doing individual work during the squad’s camp at St George’s Park, said: “The knee’s really good.

“I think we are a little bit ahead (of schedule) actually. Coming into it, there’s a big chunk of time before the first game, so we’re really confident and everything is going exactly the way we wanted it to go.

“I think Saturday will be a little bit too soon. I’m not back with the girls yet and I don’t think we want to rush that. Obviously, we have a lot of time until the first game.”

Asked if she thought there was any danger of her being undercooked, Bright said: “No, not at all.

“I think the amount of minutes I’ve played leading up to this has been ridiculous, through the roof, so if anything I feel mentally and physically fresher than I’ve ever felt.

“I can’t remember the last time I had longer than two weeks off. It’s been a fair few years now. A blessing in disguise I call it, that I’ve mentally and physically been able to completely just have a clean slate and let my body recover. I’ve played through many injuries but this one, I just couldn’t quite get there.”

There had been concern for Alex Greenwood after she went down with an injury during Tuesday’s training session, but the Manchester City defender has said she “will be OK”, adding: “(It is) on the shin. It’s sore, but it’s football. It was a tackle, part of the game.”

Meanwhile, Aston Villa midfielder Lucy Staniforth has been added to England’s standby list in place of forward Jess Park, who is returning to Manchester City for rehabilitation on a shoulder injury.

Staniforth joins Maya Le Tissier on standby and both will remain with Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad until the Haiti match, with the European champions set to fly to Australia next Wednesday.

Staniforth said: “I looked at my phone and saw it was Sarina and I was thinking ‘what’s going on?’

“I kind of thought once the first week (of England’s pre-World Cup camp, which started on June 19) was out of the way, if there was any chance of getting brought in, it would be then. I was surprised obviously.

“I got her to repeat the whole tournament schedule again for me about three or four times because I just kept saying ‘sorry, when are we travelling?’ I just hadn’t followed it because I wasn’t involved. I was so out of the loop. I was buzzing. I wanted to get in the car quick and get straight down there.

“I was supposed to go to Ibiza with my mum on Monday which is obviously very unfortunate. My mum was buzzing for me and of course wanted me to go. She wasn’t bothered about Ibiza. She will still go on her own. If anyone sees someone on their own in Ibiza, she’s looking for a bit of company!”

The St. Louis Blues acquired All-Star forward Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced.

Hayes, 31, spent the last four seasons with Philadelphia and was an All-Star for the first time in 2022-23.

He tied a personal best with 36 assists and added 18 goals for 54 points, the second-most of his career.

Drafted 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Hayes has recorded 386 points (155 goals, 231 assists) in nine NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia.

St. Louis went 37-38-7 last season to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.

The Flyers (31-38-13) finished 14th in the 16-team Eastern Conference and have been to the postseason once since 2018-19.

British number one Cameron Norrie continued his preparations for Wimbledon with victory over American Frances Tiafoe in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club.

Norrie, who reached the last eight at Queen’s, made a solid start in the overcast conditions on Tuesday afternoon as he took the opening game on serve with an ace and then forced an early break chance to move 3-1 ahead.

World number 10 Tiafoe, who won the Stuttgart title on grass earlier this month, held to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but Norrie closed out the first set in the next game with a backhand winner down the line.

The pair last met in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March, Tiafoe winning in straight sets.

Norrie, who had made the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, showed little sign of being troubled by recent his knee issue as he moved freely around the court to hold in the second set at 1-1.

Tiafoe survived a break point in the next game, then converted one of his own in the sixth before holding to open up a 5-2 lead and served out to level the contest.

Under the exhibition regulations, a 10-point match tie-breaker decided the winner rather than playing a third set.

Norrie secured the first mini-break at 6-4 after Tiafoe hit a wide return and then converted a match point on serve following another unforced error from the American to complete a 6-3 3-6 10-6 win.

The British number one is set to play at Hurlingham again on Thursday, when he is scheduled to take on Norway’s Casper Ruud.

Ben Stokes has revealed how an “awkward” changing room encounter with a new convert to Test cricket helped reinforced England’s commitment to ‘Bazball’.

England’s policy of all-out attack saw them lose the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston in a nerve-racking finale, with some high-profile pundits suggesting more pragmatism might be required to overcome Australia in the coming weeks.

Stokes was never likely to abandon his principles this week at Lord’s, not after spending a year making the case for a style he feels can help save the Test format, and there are good reasons to suggest he is on to something.

As well as winning 11 of their last 14 games, England attracted record television viewing figures in the series opener despite the result.

But for Stokes, the realisation that his methods were cutting through came in unexpected circumstances during a family break at Durham’s Seaham Hall hotel.

“I had a conversation in the men’s changing room at a spa about the game, which was a bit awkward,” he said.

“He said ‘are you the cricketer or do you just look like him?’ And I was like, yeah, it is me. He just said, ‘I went down to the pub after work and I don’t even follow cricket, I was just going to go down for a quick few’. He ended up having a few more and said he was just transfixed on the game.

“So when you hear stuff like that it obviously makes you feel good about what we’re doing, that it’s bringing a new fanbase to the game and it’s reaching people that it might never have reached before. That’s what we’re about.

“We’re all about growing the game and just making it bigger than what it is right now, and I think we’ve managed to achieve that quite well.

“When you take the game away and you have these people coming up to you and saying just how eye-catching and great it is to watch, you understand that what we are doing is very, very good.

“We always want to win every game we play, but if we don’t come away with the win at the end then let’s move on to the next game and let’s keep going.”

With Jofra Archer and Olly Stone already sidelined, England’s hunger for express pace will once again go unfulfilled at the home of cricket.

Stokes wanted to bring in the rapid Mark Wood to add a new dimension to his attack but the 33-year-old, who last played red-ball cricket in December, was unable to guarantee he could deliver at 100 per cent over five days and is instead targeting the third Test at Headingley.

Josh Tongue, who took five wickets on Test debut against Ireland earlier this month, has been called up instead, with Moeen Ali dropping out in part due to concerns over the wound on his right index finger which hampered his effectiveness at Edgbaston.

Having already lost first-choice spinner Jack Leach to a stress fracture, England may be starting to think their hopes of regaining the urn are doomed by misfortune, but Stokes credits Zak Crawley’s delivery of an old Chinese proverb with removing any such worries.

Crawley may seem an unlikely figure to take on the Eric Cantona role of athlete-turned-philosopher, but the Kent opener recited a parable to his team-mates, telling the story of a farmer whose apparent bad luck ends up bringing positive outcomes.

Asked if he felt circumstances were conspiring against his plans for the series, Stokes said: “You could think like that, but Zak actually made an unbelievable speech yesterday in the huddle. It was around a Chinese farmer and luck.

“One thing happens and it might not mean it’s the end of the world. You don’t know why things happen, if it’s for a good reason or not, it’s just one of those things to deal with.”

For Tongue, he has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his mark on the biggest stage in English cricket.

“I’ve dreamt as a young kid growing up about playing in an Ashes series, so to get the nod now is that dream come true,” he said.

“I knew the step up from county cricket to international cricket would be a big one, and playing here at Lord’s was a very special moment for myself having never played here before.

“To then get five wickets against Ireland on my debut was an incredible feeling and should give me confidence ahead of another chance against Australia.

“I’m just looking forward to getting going and trying to do what I can to help the team.

“I feel like I can add a bit more pace and bounce to the attack and hopefully I can get a few wickets for the team as well. Whatever Stokesy asks me to do for the team I’m here to do it as best I can.”

A lot can change in a year – just ask Josh Tongue, who has gone through the emotional gamut of thinking his playing career might be over to providing England’s X-factor in a Lord’s Ashes Test.

Earmarked for success from an early age, Tongue’s accuracy and an extra yard of pace from a high action always attracted nods of appreciation and it seemed only a matter of time before England came calling.

But two years ago, the onset of a shoulder injury put any international dreams on hold in what became a 15-month battle that left him wondering at his lowest ebb whether he was finished at the top level.

Tongue even consulted the Professional Cricketers’ Association about alternative career options given the severity of the problem, which left him unable to feel his entire right arm, much less grip the ball.

Regular bouts of numbness and pins and needles flummoxed a couple of shoulder specialists, with two operations unable to provide any relief, while a third might have involved the removal of a rib.

Tongue acknowledged last month he had a “very rare injury to have as a cricketer”, but, just as all hope seemed lost, a third consultant detected an impingement in his arm artery after an ultrasound.

Rather than go under the knife again, an unorthodox suggestion of a Botox injection to the neck was prescribed, which led to Tongue back bowling again within a couple of months.

The jabs are not a cure – he has already had a second dose to get through the summer – but the initial hit alleviated his thoracic outlet syndrome to the extent he could return to action in August 2022.

“It was a bad time, but I’m feeling good now and I’m just glad to be back on the park and enjoying my cricket,” he said.

Despite a handful of appearances last year, Tongue was drafted into the England Lions squad to face Sri Lanka and he seized his chance in Galle, collecting an eight-wicket match haul, including a first-innings five for 76, in an unofficial Test on a track renowned for being a graveyard for seam bowlers.

Tongue, who began a lifelong association with Worcestershire aged six when he turned out for their under-10s, then saw his stock skyrocket after he snared the exalted Sussex pair of Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara in an LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match last month at New Road.

Getting a leg-before verdict over Smith was the feather in Tongue’s cap, even if the suspicion was the ball might have been climbing too high. With no DRS available, an aggrieved Smith had to trudge off.

“I’m calling it a bail-trimmer, it looks nice on the scorecard,” a beaming Tongue said afterwards.

He continued to showcase his appetite for the big occasion after answering England’s SOS for the one-off Test against Ireland in the absence of injury concerns James Anderson and Ollie Robinson.

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes were sufficiently impressed to throw the strapping 25-year-old in at the home of cricket for his international debut, where he touched 91mph and took a second-innings five-for.

While his more experienced colleagues were selected for the Ashes opener at Edgbaston, he seems set to provide the point of difference as England go into the second Test with an all-seam attack at Lord’s.

Preferred to Mark Wood – the Durham man is quicker but concerns remain about his readiness to play a Test for now – Tongue will be hoping his success against Smith in particular was no one-off.

But he would be forgiven if he took a brief moment at some point this week to reflect with some satisfaction on just how far he has come in such a short space of time.

Azure Blue is on course for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, as long as the ground is suitable for Michael Dods’ new sprinting star.

The four-year-old is on a steep upward curve, winning four of her last five races, the most recent of which was in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Stakes.

She beat Highfield Princess there, albeit in receipt of 5lb, and with John Quinn’s mare performing with extreme credit in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the form looks strong.

“Azure Blue is in the July Cup and that is the plan as long as the ground doesn’t firm up,” said Dods.

“She is in good form and obviously it will be a tough race, but the plan is to go to Newmarket with her. She seems to love it at both tracks at Newmarket (three wins on the Rowley Mile and one on the July course to date).

“She didn’t go to Ascot and part of the reason for that was that the entries closed too soon so we came up with the plan of going for the July Cup.

“Had she had a run before the entries closed at Ascot then we would have probably entered her, but then it went pretty quick so whether she would have run is questionable.

“I think at the moment the speediest horse we had was Mecca’s Angel, but at this stage of her career I would put her up there with the best of them like Mabs Cross and Mecca’s Angel.”

Commonwealth Cup one-two Shaquille and Little Big Bear, older horses such as Kinross and Art Power and the likes of Lezoo and Meditate, remain in the mix.

A total of 19 stood their ground, although the American-trained Big Invasion was subsequently scratched, leaving 18.

British number one Katie Boulter insists successive first-round defeats have not dented her confidence ahead of Wimbledon following an early exit at Eastbourne.

Boulter was flying high after claiming her maiden WTA tour title at Nottingham on June 18 and expressed ambitions of one day becoming the world’s top-ranked player in an interview published on Monday.

But on Tuesday she failed to take her chances and was second best in a 6-4 7-5 defeat to world number 30 Petra Martic in the Rothesay International.

The 26-year-old’s loss in two hours and five minutes at a blustery Devonshire Park followed last week’s premature departure from the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham to limit her preparations for SW19.

“It wasn’t bad tennis – I’m playing someone ranked 30 in the world, I’m having a go at her,” said Boulter, who was initially drawn to face world number 10 Barbora Krejcikova before the withdrawal of reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina led to a reshuffle.

“Of course it was tough conditions and we could have that at any tournament, you could have that at Wimbledon, and I have to be ready for it and try and play the best I can on the day.

“Ultimately her experience showed today and she played better in the biggest moments.

“I feel like I’m playing some really good tennis. I’ve practised unbelievably well every single day this week. I’ve played seven matches going into the grass, I’m very happy with where I’m at.

“I don’t think I’ve lost any confidence this last couple of weeks just because I lost to higher-ranked players. I really don’t feel that at all.”

Heather Watson suffered elimination shortly after Boulter following defeat to Italian Camila Giorgi.

Watson, one of two lucky losers to benefit from the withdrawals of reigning champion Petra Kvitova (fatigue) and Anastasia Potapova (right shoulder), lost 6-3 6-4.

“I was prepared because yesterday I heard Kvitova wasn’t going to play,” said Watson. “I was very happy that I had another opportunity, but she was too good today.”

In the men’s draw, Liam Broady won the battle of the Britons by beating fellow Wimbledon wildcard Jan Choinski in straight sets.

The British number five, ranked 147 in the world, 20 places above Choinski, eased through 6-3 6-4 after breaking serve at the first opportunity in each set.

German-born Choinski briefly threatened a comeback following a break of his own in the sixth game of the second, but Broady immediately hit back before capitalising on his third match point.

The 29-year-old from Stockport will face Mikael Ymer of Sweden in the next round after he defeated Dutch ninth seed Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6 6-4 6-2.

Elsewhere, last year’s runner-up Jelena Ostapenko set up a last-16 clash with Britain’s Harriet Dart.

The Birmingham champion defeated lucky loser Barbora Strycova, who had replaced the absent Kvitova, 6-4 6-3.

World number seven Coco Gauff will play Britain’s Jodie Burrage in round two after she cruised past fellow American Bernarda Pera 6-3 6-2.

Also on Tuesday, former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur overcame Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-2, second seed Caroline Garcia beat American Madison Brengle 6-1 7-5 and Beatriz Haddad Maia battled back to triumph 3-6 6-3 7-6 (3) against Marie Bouzkova.

Frankie Dettori’s hopes of winning the one particular race missing from his CV before he retires appear to be over after he was handed an eight-day whip ban for his ride on Inspiral at Royal Ascot.

The Darley July Cup, at his home course of Newmarket, is the one domestic Group One to have eluded the 52-year-old, who will retire at the end of 2023.

He was hoping to have a final crack at it aboard Ralph Beckett’s dual Group One winner Kinross, but was found by the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee to have used his whip seven times in the Queen Anne Stakes on John and Thady Gosden’s filly when second to Triple Time.

That is one over the allotted number of six on the Flat, which triggers a four-day ban – and as the race is a Group One that penalty is doubled.

With Dettori already due to be serving a nine-day ban due to run from July 4-12 inclusive for causing interference on Saga in the Wolferton Stakes – which he is appealing – his whip ban would begin after that suspension has been served, ruling him out of the July Cup on July 15. His dates of suspension for his whip ban are July 13-15 and 17-21.

Ross County forward Alex Samuel has signed a new two-year deal.

The 27-year-old has had an injury-hit two years with the Staggies after arriving from Wycombe but he headed his first goal for the club last month after returning from almost a year on the sidelines with a knee injury.

A club statement read: “He suffered an ACL injury which ruled him out for a large period of his time at the club but Alex returned from this and impressed in the second half of last season with his energetic performances coupled with his strength proving a real handful for defenders.”

England and Australia renew their battle for the Ashes on Wednesday with plenty on the line ahead of the second Test at Lord’s.

A two-wicket win for the tourists in Birmingham has put Pat Cummins’ side in the driving seat to retain the urn but the confidence of Ben Stokes’ men and their commitment to the aggressive ‘Bazball’ style remains undeterred.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key talking points before the action gets under way at the home of cricket.

Australia braced for Tongue-lashing

Josh Tongue’s surprise inclusion in England’s XI continues his superb ascent since contemplating retirement from the game last year. Tongue impressed on his Test debut against Ireland at the start of June, but this will be a step up in opposition and occasion. While plenty had predicted England could go with an all-seam attack for the second Test, especially given Moeen Ali’s finger injury, Mark Wood had been expected to get the nod. Instead, Tongue will try to ruffle some Australian feathers with his pace and some short-pitched bowling.

Another day one declaration?

The knifes were out after England lost the thrilling series opener over the decision of captain Stokes to declare on the first day at Edgbaston with centurion Joe Root well set and England on 393 for eight. England’s vice-skipper Ollie Pope insisted there was method behind the so-called “madness” during his press conference on Monday and in truth, the bold choice – in keeping with the ‘Bazball’ style – ensured a result occurred on the final day. Could the same happen at Lord’s? You bet, with England wedded in their commitment to push the game on at every opportunity.

All eyes on Jonny

The instant post-mortem from Edgbaston also saw scrutiny heighten on Jonny Bairstow’s role behind the stumps. Bairstow, preferred at the start of this summer to Ben Foakes, endured a mixed display with a string of missed chances countered by his excellent 78 in the first innings. There was never any suggestion Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum would recall Foakes at Lord’s, but Bairstow will hope for a strong display with the gloves to quieten the doubters. The majority of the blots on his wicket-keeping copybook in Birmingham also happened in the first innings with the hosts hopeful that would have been down to rustiness.

Can Robinson’s ‘nude nuts’ deliver again

Ollie Robinson has copped plenty of flak since his headline-grabbing exploits in the first Test. An expletive-laden send-off to Usman Khawaja saw the Sussex seamer quickly become public enemy number one Down Under. Aussie greats Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke have dished out criticism – hilariously almost in order of their old batting positions – but the real theatre this week will be how Cummins’ current charges tackle the challenge of Robinson’s “nude nuts” that have claimed 71 wickets at an average of 21.15 in 17 Tests.

Will Aussie star duo fail again?

What made Australia’s series-opening victory all the more impressive was the minimal contribution by star batting duo Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, who made a combined total of 31 runs. Cummins sent a warning to England on Tuesday when he talked about how history suggests lightning will not strike twice when it comes to the reliable pair, with 41 Test centuries between them, potentially failing again at Lord’s. After Smith and Labuschagne tormented England in the last Ashes series here in 2019, the home of cricket is braced for more of the same.

Cheltenham have signed veteran defender Curtis Davies following his release by Derby.

It was announced in May that the 38-year-old would leave the Rams at the end of the 2022/23 season after six years at the club.

He moved to Pride Park in 2017 following Hull’s relegation from the Premier League, having played more than 170 times in the top flight for Aston Villa, West Brom and Birmingham as well as the Tigers.

He was part of the Hull side that narrowly lost the FA Cup final to Arsenal in 2014, scoring to put his side 2-0 up in the first half before they succumbed to a 3-2 extra-time defeat at Wembley.

Before that his two-and-a-half years at Birmingham saw him play alongside current Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott, with whom he will now team up in League One as they look to build on last season’s 16th-place finish.

“It feels good,” Davies told the club’s website. “It’s an exciting time for me, I never though I’d be able to get a new challenge like this at my age.

“I haven’t come here for a jolly-up. I haven’t come here to just wave goodbye to my career and down tools.

“I want to try and achieve something this year and I’ll be trying my very best to do that for Cheltenham Town.”

The Robins will embark on their third straight season in League One following promotion in 2021, with 15th- and 16th-place finishes in their last two campaigns representing the club’s highest ever placings in the English football pyramid.