Wayne Rooney been confirmed as Birmingham’s new boss on a three-and-a-half year deal.

The former England skipper replaces the sacked John Eustace after leaving DC United last week.

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Birmingham City at such an exciting time. It is very clear that they have a plan and are committed to realising their ambition for the club,” said the ex-Manchester United striker.

“We are fully aligned on what is expected. I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity. It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.

“We have some exciting young players in the squad, and some who are still to break through into the First Team, alongside a core of experienced senior professionals.

“I have a clear way that I want the team to play, and my coaching staff and I will work hard to implement it. We will create a winning culture here with an identity that gets Blues fans on their feet.”

Sir Kenny Dalglish would happily take a “rubbish” Scotland performance if they got a result in Spain and qualified for Euro 2024.

Spain captain Rodri labelled Scotland’s tactics “rubbish” after being on the end of a 2-0 defeat at Hampden in March, accusing Steve Clarke’s men of provocation, feigning injury and time-wasting.

Scotland have since taken their winning start to the group to five games and sit six points ahead of Spain before their meeting in Seville on Thursday, but the home side have hit 16 goals in their other three matches.

Dalglish, Scotland’s record appearance holder, said: “I think there will be a wee bit of an edge to the game after some of the statements made here when Spain got beat.

“I don’t think I would ever back anybody to beat Spain in Spain, especially in Seville – that’s one of their favourite places to play.

“Spain are a fantastic team and they won’t be far away from winning it, if they get through the section.

“Listen, if your performance is rubbish and you beat them, it’s even better. It’s the result that counts, not the performance.

“But the way they have performed and the results they have got has been fantastic during this qualification section.

“I’m sure Spain have got the utmost respect for Scotland as well after coming here but it also gives them an edge to try and get a bit of revenge. It’s not a foregone conclusion that they are going to go through either.”

Dalglish had played a key role in Scotland’s previous win over Spain in 1984, hitting arguably the best of his 30 goals for his country in a World Cup qualifying victory at Hampden.

In typically understated fashion, the former Celtic and Liverpool forward recalled: “It came from a throw-in I think, I just hit it and it went in.

“I remember 3-1 and enjoying it. It was a big game for us that night and they were strong at that time.”

Dalglish did not play in the return fixture when Scotland went down 1-0 in Seville, but he had played in the city several years earlier in the 1982 World Cup.

“The last time I was there David Narey scored and upset the Brazilians and we got beat 4-1,” he said.

“We were driving up to the game and there was a big match in the car park, it was the Scottish fans against the Brazil fans. I think they won, we never. The fans were fantastic.”

:: Sir Kenny Dalglish was promoting Viaplay’s live and exclusive coverage of Spain v Scotland. Viaplay is available to stream from viaplay.com or via your TV provider on Sky, Virgin TV and Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription.

Ante-post favourite Shuwari is one of eight runners declared for the Group One bet365 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket on Friday.

Ollie Sangster’s juvenile impressed when making a winning debut at Newbury before getting the better of subsequent Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Fallen Angel in the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown.

On the strength of that form, Shuwari was a hot favourite for the Rockfel Stakes a fortnight ago – and while she was no match for the dominant winner Carla’s Way, she was comfortably best of the rest.

She is reopposed by the third from that race, Ylang Ylang, who is one of two runners for Aidan O’Brien alongside rank outsider Brilliant.

Irish hopes are also carried by the Noel Meade-trained Caught U Looking, who supplemented a striking maiden win at Leopardstown with victory in the Group Three Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh last month.

Ralph Beckett steps Sandown scorer Classical Song up in class and also saddles Ascot victor Seaward, while Frankie Dettori is booked to partner Michael Bell’s dual Lingfield winner Ambiente Amigo.

The small but select field is completed by Andrew Balding’s See The Fire, last seen chasing home Darnation in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster.

Kevin Philippart de Foy’s Inquisitively, Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda and Midnight Affair from Richard Fahey’s yard are among 15 juveniles in contention for the Group Three Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes.

Group Three honours are also up for grabs in an intriguing renewal of the Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes, which sees Beckett’s Skellet lock horns with Charlie Appleby’s Dance Sequence and the George Boughey-trained Chic Colombine, who bids for a fifth successive win.

The Group Two Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes has attracted a six-strong field, with John and Thady Gosden’s Audience taken on by Richard Hannon’s high-class pair of Chindit and Shouldvebeenaring, Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte, the Charlie Hills-trained Pogo and Joe Murphy’s Lord Massusus.

Wayne Rooney is close to an agreement with Birmingham to become their new manager.

Talks are progressing well and there is no expectation of any hold-ups, the PA news agency understands.

The former England skipper will replace John Eustace at St Andrew’s after leaving DC United last week.

Rooney, who was Derby boss between November 2020 and June 2022, is expected to be joined by Ashley Cole and John O’Shea as part of his backroom staff.

US-based Shelby Companies Limited completed a takeover of Birmingham in July and owner Tom Wagner has been reportedly seeking to make a change of management, with Rooney’s name linked with the club in September.

In August seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady became a minority owner in the club.

Eustace was sacked despite guiding Birmingham to sixth place in the Championship this season.

He replaced Lee Bowyer in July 2022 and helped Birmingham finish nine points above the drop zone in the second tier amid off-field issues surrounding the ownership of the club.

The former Coventry and Watford midfielder was axed on Monday and chief executive Garry Cook vowed to take Blues to the next level.

He said: “The owners and board members are ambitious. They are driven to help make Birmingham City a football powerhouse. It will not happen overnight. It is a step-by-step approach.

“We are well aware of what has happened at Blues over the past decade. We believe we have moved on from those dark days giving hope and aspiration to existing and new fans.

“Our intent is to be judged over what we do in the years to come and be ambitious with the new story that we are writing.”

Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham wants to see six three-point attempts per game from Anthony Davis this season.

The Lakers reached the Western Conference finals last season, only to be swept 4-0 by the Denver Nuggets.

Davis averaged 1.3 three-point attempts per game last season, with his career-high (3.5) coming in his first year with the Lakers in 2019-20.

And Ham now wants to see Davis – who has gone three-for-six on three-pointers in preseason – stack up numbers that compare to the likes of Devin Booker and Darius Garland, who averaged 6.0 attempts per game in 2022-23.

"I want him to. I know he won't do it, but maybe he'll shock me, but I've requested to see six three-point attempts a game," Ham said.

"Three per half, at least. I wouldn't put that on him if I didn't think he was capable."

Ham has no plans to discourage Davis from shooting from beyond the arc.

"That's something that he's worked on, being a more consistent shooter and not just more consistent in his [normal] areas but consistent from deep range," he added.

"And not hesitating. Not overthinking it. So if he's got a good look, we've all encouraged him to put it up."

The Lakers, who face the Sacramento Kings in their third preseason game on Wednesday, tip off the new season on the road against the Nuggets on October 24.

James Maddison is aiming to impress on England duty this week – but admits the international break has come at an “annoying” time with Tottenham sat atop the Premier League.

The summer signing from relegated Leicester has hit the ground running in north London, scoring twice and assisting five times in the opening eight league games of the new season.

Maddison’s form has played a key part in Ange Postecoglou’s men setting the pace heading into the second international window of the campaign, with Spurs edging out neighbours Arsenal at the top of the division by virtue of goals scored.

Asked if he was in the form of his life, the 26-year-old told BBC Radio 5Live: “Potentially, I feel really good to be honest.

“I feel at the top of my game, and that is contributing to wins at the minute, and we have started the season really well, and we have got a good momentum.

“The international break has probably come at a bit of an annoying time in a way.

“You would never, ever not want to represent your country, because I always say it is the pinnacle when I am away with England, but if I’ve got my club head on, we’re in good form, we’re in good momentum, we are unbeaten in the league in eight.

“We came back after the last international break and hit the ground running again and won late against Sheffield United in brilliant circumstances. Hopefully we can do the same off the back of this one and continue the form.”

Maddison was part of the England squad that reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar last winter but, due to a niggling knee injury, failed to make an appearance.

Having made his senior England debut in November 2019, the former Coventry and Norwich man would have to wait until the Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine earlier this year to pick up a second cap.

Since then, Maddison has started two out of three qualifying fixtures and will be keen to play a large part in the upcoming Wembley double-header which sees England face Australia in a friendly on Friday before welcoming Italy for a key European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.

“So much can happen in a year,” added Maddison.

“Over the past year I have worked really hard and played some good stuff, I think. Obviously, I have moved to Tottenham. I feel as though I could potentially be in the best form I have ever been in really.

“And now I feel at home here (with England). I would be happy to play anywhere, when you are wearing the Three Lions there is no feeling like it to be honest.

“If that means I am playing slightly out of position, then so be it. I couldn’t care less as long as I am out there.

“I will try to do my best and bring the qualities that I have to any position that I play in, whether that is in the middle or left wing or right wing, wherever.”

Connections of Inspiral have confirmed the brilliant filly is not only set to line up in either the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot or head for the Breeders’ Cup before the year is out, but there is also every chance she could return for another season in 2024.

Having been given a break since successfully defending her title in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August, John and Thady Gosden’s charge secured the fifth Group One victory of her career so far with a dominant display in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is expecting to see Inspiral once more this season, but whether that will be on Qipco British Champions Day or in California remains to be seen.

Thompson said: “We were thrilled with her on Saturday. If you look at her last two performances, in the Jacques le Marois and in the Sun Chariot, they were two very authoritative performances.

“The way she won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last year was probably the performance of the meeting and she’s not done too badly since, beating the colts twice in the Jacques le Marois, and I think her latest performance at Deauville was pretty impressive.

“We’re looking at the QEII or the Breeders’ Cup this season. It will be one of the two, we just don’t know which one yet. It depends on how she comes out of Saturday, it depends on the ground at Ascot – there’s a few factors.”

While hesitant to make plans beyond Inspiral’s next run, Thompson is open to the idea of sending her back into training as a five-year-old.

He added: “She could potentially stay in training next season, but that depends on how she comes out of her final race this year, whichever race that is going to be.

“The trainer will give us his steer and if he feels she’s ready to go next season, we’ll go with it and give her another go next season, absolutely, subject to him (John Gosden) giving us that confirmation.”

A charity that helps disabled people play tennis is celebrating its 10th anniversary by pushing to expand its programme further.

Bright Ideas for Tennis was founded in 2013 by former Great Britain Davis Cup player Danny Sapsford with the aim of increasing grass-roots participation.

Sapsford works with tennis clubs to raise money to improve facilities and expand programmes, with more than £1million invested into the sport, but it is the charity’s I Play 30 scheme that has become its driving force.

Bright Ideas for Tennis pairs clubs across the country with local special educational needs and disability (SEND) schools and organisations to put on free sessions.

Sapsford told the PA news agency: “We’ve been growing steadily and the last couple of years we’ve been opening 30-35 venues every year and we’re hoping to do that for the next few years.

“My personality is someone who likes to please people and likes to be helpful so it’s quite heartwarming to see all the people we’ve given the opportunity to play tennis.

“I love going to the site visits to watch them. Quite often I’m driving three or four hours for a 45-minute session and in the car I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing this for’? But it’s worth it just to see the smiles on their faces, it’s lovely.

“The sessions that we run, as much as we’re teaching tennis, I think more than anything we’re teaching life skills.

“Last year we did a survey, we had a couple of doctors from Cambridge University who helped us, and they were so excited with the results.

“It was proving that tennis was not just good for your physical health but it was good for your mental well-being and the parents were saying their kids are now becoming more accepted in schools and are making more friends, they’re more confident and less anxious, so all the attributes we were hoping to achieve, which was brilliant.”

Ariadne Katsoulis and Paul Valentine run coaching programmes at clubs in Banbury, Bicester and Brackley and work with two SEND schools through Bright Ideas for Tennis.

Katsoulis told PA: “At the beginning when the children arrived, no one had had the opportunity to play tennis before, they didn’t feel comfortable, but after two or three weeks, they were so happy.

“That change in the children, it was incredible. They were excited to come, they wanted to play, and the improvement that they’ve made, I don’t have words.

“We give our time for free when we could have been earning money in other sessions but, seeing these children that have never had the possibility to do the sport – I was working with a blind child, and him achieving hitting the ball, and how he excited was, that’s the biggest reward that a tennis coach can wish for.”

They are hoping soon to add a third school and Valentine does not believe they would have been able to put on the sessions without Sapsford, saying: “It’s quite hard for us to take the lead on it.

“What Danny’s doing is creating a link between the coaches and the schools and that’s the big thing, then supporting us as we go through the programme. It’s a great organisation.”

Previously a one-man band, Sapsford now has a small team, while ambassadors include Tim Henman and Joe Salisbury, and he is hoping to increase the charity’s profile and budget to help introduce the sport to even more people.

It has been a decade of hard work, and the 54-year-old, who reached the third round of Wimbledon in 1999, said: “As with everything, it has its ups and downs and you have good days and bad days.

“I have weeks where every phone call I’m making I’m hitting a dead end and no one wants to help you but then you have other days where everything seems to fall in place.

“We’re at the stage now where we’ve got a really good infrastructure, we’ve built a really good reputation, lots of people want to work with us, so, if we did have a tiny little bit more money, we’d be able to do a lot more good.”

Rafael Nadal is set to return to grand slam tennis at the 2024 Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley has announced.

The 37-year-old has not been in action since suffering a hip flexor injury during his second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald during the 2023 edition in Melbourne.

Earlier this year, Nadal announced he would miss the French Open, where he has claimed 14 of his 22 major titles, as he was undergoing surgery on the issue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

His inactivity has seen the Spaniard slide down to 240th in the world, but Nadal will be able to rely on a protected ranking for the first grand slam of the 2024 calendar.

Speaking in an interview on Australian breakfast TV programme The Today Show, Tennis Australia chief executive Tiley said: “We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back.

“He’s been off for most of the year and in talking to him over the last few days he confirmed he will be back, which we’re really excited about, the champion of 2022. That’s awesome.”

Tiley also revealed “some of the greats” will be making their way Down Under, with former women’s singles champions Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber all lined up for returns.

“We’ll welcome them – and their families – back to Melbourne with open arms and can’t wait to see what their next chapter brings,” he added.

Home favourite Nick Kyrgios, who has played only one ATP Tour match in 2023 due to injuries, has returned to training and is hopeful of being fit for Melbourne, with Tiley adding that he was “doing his utmost to get back to his best”.

Sam Curran had no qualms about surrendering new-ball duties to Reece Topley after watching his Surrey team-mate deliver the goods in England’s World Cup win over Bangladesh.

Curran opened the bowling alongside Chris Woakes in the opening-day defeat by New Zealand, and took a wicket with his very first ball as Will Young nicked an inswinger down leg.

But Topley was recalled to bolster the attack for Tuesday’s clash in Dharamshala and the 6ft 7in left-armer was in wonderful form, taking out Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto with consecutive deliveries in his first over and then bowling the dangerous Shakib Al Hasan with a beauty that crept past the outside edge and hit off stump.

Those early breakthroughs knocked the stuffing out of the chase before it had really begun as Topley finished with figures of four for 43 in a heavy 137-run victory.

Curran was on hand at the death to claim the final wicket of the match and had nothing but praise for the man who replaced him at the top of the innings.

“Of course I would like the new ball, but what I like doing for the team is adapting and I thought Reece bowled amazingly,” he said.

“To get two in two and three in the powerplay really set Bangladesh back quickly. It was pretty amazing for him to come back into the side and do that. It got the boys buzzing in the field and the margin we won by was important to get back on track with our net run-rate as well.

“Reece is very tall and, being a left-armer, it’s very nice to use different angles on the crease. The way he started was amazing.”

Curran also saluted the efforts of Dawid Malan, who helped himself to 140 in just 107 deliveries to power England to a winning score of 364 for nine.

Malan edged ahead of 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy in the pecking order just before the squad was announced and made good on his promotion with a fourth century in the last nine innings.

“He’s fairly quiet, but he does all his talking with the bat to be fair,” said Curran.

“He’s played really consistent cricket for a long time now, he missed out in the first game but he’s showed his class now. A big hundred is what we needed.

“The batters came out the blocks pretty well and we’ve got ourselves into the tournament with a first win now. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

England are swapping the Himalayan mountain air of Dharamshala for the hustle and bustle of Delhi next, with a game against Afghanistan to follow on Sunday.

Connor Bedard notched a point in his NHL debut and the Chicago Blackhawks scored three times in the third period to rally for a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

The 18-year-old Bedard – the top pick in the 2023 draft - assisted on Ryan Donato’s goal late in the second period to cut Chicago’s deficit to 2-1.

Bedard registered five of the Blackhawks’ 35 shots and dazzled occasionally with his skating.

His arrival in the NHL has been anticipated for years, much like Sidney Crosby’s when the Penguins made him the first overall selection in 2005, all of 13 days after Bedard was born.

Cole Guttman netted the tying goal midway through the third period and Jason Dickinson snapped the tie with 4:33 remaining.

Petr Mrazek gave up goals to Bryan Rust and Crosby but finished with 38 saves against the Penguins, the league’s oldest team.

Golden Knights raise banner, beat Kraken

Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault scored in the first period and Adin Hill made 27 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights began defense of their Stanley Cup title with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken.

Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel also tallied for Vegas, which raised its championship banner in a lavish pregame ceremony.

Jared McCann provided Seattle’s lone goal in the second period.

Paul leads Lightning past Predators

Nicholas Paul scored a pair of third-period power-play goals and Jonas Johansson stopped 28 shots to win his Lightning debut as Tampa Bay opened the season with a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators.

Brandon Hagel scored on a penalty shot, Nikita Kucherov added a pair of goals and Brayden Point had three assists for the Lightning.

With five-time All-Star Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to miss another six weeks after back surgery, Johansson has been thrust into a starting role.

He gave up Tommy Novak’s tying goal 8:48 into the third period, but Paul scored just over two minutes later and Kucherov’s empty-net goal closed the scoring.

Ryan O’Reilly and Juuso Parssinen also scored as Nashville lost in Andrew Brunette’s debut as coach.

England suffered their first qualifying defeat in a decade on this day in 2019 as they slipped to a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Czech Republic in Prague.

Gareth Southgate’s men went into the game knowing victory would put them through to Euro 2020 with three matches to spare, and many thought it would be done with ease given the 5-0 thrashing England inflicted on the Czechs at Wembley a few months prior.

More of the same seemed on the cards when Harry Kane slotted home a fifth-minute penalty to put England in the driving seat.

However, the lead lasted just four minutes before the hosts drew level when Jakub Brabec bundled home a corner, and from then on, the Czechs played with increasing confidence as they chased victory at the Sinobo Stadium.

England failed to make any impression in the second period and a Czech winner would arrive in the 85th minute when they capitalised on over-elaborate play at the back from the visitors.

Jordan Pickford’s pass was pounced on by Lukas Masopust who scurried down the right before cutting back to substitute Zdenek Ondrasek who swept home the winner.

The result ended England’s 43-match unbeaten run in Euro and World Cup qualifying matches stretching back to a 1-0 loss in Ukraine in October 2009 and was a result that Southgate’s stuttering side very much deserved.

“Clearly that’s not a night that we wanted to be a part of in terms of that record,” Southgate said.

“We didn’t play well enough, simple as that. We conceded possession of the ball too cheaply.

“Particularly in the first half we didn’t create enough chances. Second half we had some good chances that we didn’t take and throughout the night we were too open out of possession.

“Some of that was because of giving the ball away. So we gave the Czechs, who played well, got to give them credit, we gave them too many opportunities to score.”

England bounced back from the defeat in impressive fashion, winning their final three qualifiers emphatically – beating Bulgaria 6-0, Montenegro 7-0 and Kosovo 4-0 – to finish six points clear at the second-placed Czechs at the top of Group A with seven wins out of eight.

That sealed their place at Euro 2020 – a tournament delayed until 2021 – where England would finish runners-up after losing to Italy on penalties in the final at Wembley.

Zion Williamson made his first appearance in an NBA game since January with 12 points in 16 minutes in the New Orleans’ Pelicans’ 122-105 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Williamson sat out the final four months of the season after he injured his right hamstring in Philadelphia last Jan. 2.

The Pelicans star missed his first two shots before throwing down a crowd-pleasing, two-handed dunk. He later added a 13-foot running floater, a short turnaround, and a layup to go with four free throws.

Williamson added five rebounds and five assists in the preseason opener for both teams.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 18 points in 19 minutes for Orlando and Paolo Banchero scored 12 points, highlighted by his driving, one-handed dunk between Williamson and New Orleans center Jonas Valanciunas.