Australia midfielder Massimo Luongo feels everyone in his country is now a Tottenham supporter following the remarkable start Ange Postecoglou has made to life in England.

Spurs lead the Premier League on goal difference from north London rivals Arsenal going into the international break and are unbeaten in the league since the former Socceroos boss took charge.

He is the first Australian to be appointed in England’s top flight and has caused a sensation in his home country by transforming the club’s playing style in just a few months.

Luongo, who after helping Ipswich to second place in the Championship has been recalled to the national team for the first time since 2019 for Friday’s meeting with England at Wembley and next week’s game against New Zealand, was an unused member of Postecoglou’s squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

He has featured in every one of his club’s league fixtures this campaign as Kieran McKenna’s side have won nine of their first 11 games to install themselves as early favourites to land consecutive promotions.

It follows a period in the international wilderness during which he endured difficult spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough, with injuries contributing to a lack of playing time and a “difficult time mentally”.

His last call-up was in October 2019, but he has impressed enough at Portman Road to earn a recall from boss Graham Arnold.

Australia reached the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar under Arnold – their fifth consecutive finals – before being eliminated by eventual winners Argentina, their best performance at the tournament since 2006.

And Luongo, who was long-listed for the Ballon d’Or in 2015 in part for his showing at the Socceroos’ victorious Asian Cup campaign, said that though there are comparisons to be made, the two coaches should be judged on their own merits.

“They’re completely different, like most managers,” he told the PA news agency. “Ange has his ways, Arnie has his ways. (The 2014 World Cup) was definitely an enjoyable time. (Postecoglou) brought me from Swindon in League One and he gave me my chance.

“What he’s doing now is incredible. Every Aussie is following him now, I think every Aussie is secretly a Tottenham supporter. It’s great to watch from afar.

“Being in this country, I think he’s just a genuine person, you see that in his media interviews. He’s got so much passion for the game, he’s just hungry for success. And that’s what we have here (with Arnold).”

Australia are ranked 27th in the world but were buoyed by their success in Qatar, knocking out Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark to progress from their group.

They will be looking to replicate the result the last time they met England in London, running out 3-1 winners at West Ham’s Upton Park as Three Lions manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made 11 half-time substitutions.

“England are one of the best in the world,” said Luongo. “But even at Ipswich we look at teams ahead of us who we want to replicate, (like) Man City, the best team in the world.

“We’re alright, we’re doing well, we’re a good Australia team. People underestimate that.

“No matter who you play I think Aussies have that DNA that you don’t just roll over and give up. That Argentina game (in Qatar), I watched it, if it goes on for another 30 minutes, we get an equaliser, easily an equaliser. It’s just the nature of football. When momentum is with you, you never know.”

He added that there have been significant changes to the national team set-up since his last call-up.

“(There are) a lot of young players,” he said. “The staff, there’s a lot more backing now. The set-up has (improved), there are no corners cut. Things you wouldn’t even think of are covered, more beds and physios, the food; everything. They’re trying to create an atmosphere that’s as top-level as you can get.

“The expectation now is really high. The World Cup is a big evidence that we can beat top teams, especially European teams.

“I think we’re definitely in a transition period of younger players coming through. At the moment you can’t really judge the team based on the first year of four years building up to a World Cup.

“The manager’s got three more years to build a team and see where they get to. These games are a building process. I promise you the team now will look very different to the next World Cup team.”

Tommy Fury admits he “could not live with himself” if he did not fight for a world title at some point in his career – but acknowledges Saturday’s bout with YouTuber KSI is a long way from that.

Fury said he could “be down the pub all day” and still beat the social media star-turned fighter in their X Series encounter in Manchester.

But he has loftier aspirations to follow in the footsteps of his famous brother Tyson.

“The plan is to get though these YouTube fights, do what I need to do in this sort of scene and I believe I am good enough to win a world title belt,” he told the PA news agency.

“I don’t know when or what weight division but when the time is right I’ll go out and I will challenge for a world title because I could not live with myself if I didn’t box for one.

“I believe I can do it, I have the right set-up around me so why not give myself a best shot?”

While Fury, who sprung to huge fame in 2019 reality show Love Island, comes from a fighting family KSI made his name on YouTube and, as part of the showbiz nature of the event, will wear a £40,000 gumshield.

The Manchester-born Fury has dismissed his opponent’s credentials.

“These guys don’t really call for me to step up to world title ability. I’m levels above these guys,” added the 24-year-old.

“I could beat KSI after 15 pints of beer. I could literally go down the pub all day, fight him at night-time and still beat him. If we fight 100 times I beat him 100 times.”

On KSI’s expensive mouthguard, he added: “He’s going to need £200 grand around his mouth by the time I have finished with him.

“It will be a lucky night for someone when they catch it in the crowd.”

American MMA fighter Dillon Danis, making his boxing debut, has refused to back down in his online vendetta against opponent Logan Paul’s fiancee, which has resulted in Nina Agdal lodging a lawsuit against him.

“It is years of me and the Pauls going back and forth. I don’t take anything personal, it’s just business. I don’t care about the guy or his w***e fiancee,” said Danis, who has sparred with one of MMA’s biggest names Conor McGregor and did not rule out the Irishman being ringside at the weekend.

Jarrod Bowen feels like he has returned to the England set-up in the form of his life as the West Ham forward prepares to fulfil a childhood dream of playing at Wembley.

Having come through at Hereford and flourished at Hull, the 26-year-old is well on the way to club great status at the London Stadium.

Bowen fired the Hammers to Europa Conference League glory in June’s unforgettable final against Fiorentina and has shone in the early stages of this season, scoring five in nine appearances.

That form helped the forward to earn his first England call-up since September 2022, shortly before signing a new deal until 2030 at the London Stadium.

“A really special week,” Bowen said. “Obviously got the call on Thursday before our European game so had that. Won that game out there, which was nice.

“Then the new deal was sorted over the weekend, so a really special four days.

“I’ve always wanted to be back so to get the opportunity to be selected again is something I’m really grateful for.”

Bowen’s four England appearances to date came during the worst international camp of Gareth Southgate’s largely successful reign.

The 26-year-old featured in all four Nations League matches in June 2022, starting the 1-0 away loss to Hungary and 4-0 Molineux mauling against the same opposition.

Bowen remained in the squad that September but did not play, and his return did not come until this month’s double-header against Australia and Italy.

“The way I started this season I’m probably playing the best football that I’ve played in my career,” Bowen said.

“I’ve had those experiences of Europe. It’s a bit different to when I came (before).

“I’m a dad now, so I’m in a different kind of place, you just feel a bit more mature. I feel in a really good place and to be back here, I’m really grateful for it.”

Southgate has indicated Bowen will play in Friday’s Wembley friendly against Australia, allowing him to fulfil his ambition of stepping out under the arch.

“That would be the ultimate,” he said. “I have got four caps and I am massively grateful for them but that Wembley one…

“As a little boy you dream of playing for your country and you never think it is going to happen but now I am here I want to play at Wembley and hopefully I get the opportunity to do so.”

Bowen got the nod in a highly competitive area of the squad, with 82-cap forward Raheem Sterling among those to miss out.

Little wonder, then, that he is determined to make the most out this chance to earn a spot at next summer’s Euros, especially after the disappointment of watching the World Cup in Qatar from afar.

Asked if missing out on the squad motivates him for Germany next summer, Bowen said: “Yeah, but I think you’ve also got to look at the squad that’s here as well.

“Just being named in the squad was an honour for me. To play the games I played and to be named in another squad before the World Cup was, again, another honour.

“I was disappointed to miss out but I had to deal with it and all I could do is keep playing football to a level that I know that I can play at and everything will take care of itself.”

A row between the Celtic board and a section of supporters over the Middle East conflict looks set to run after a fan group hit back at the club.

Celtic earlier condemned banners which were displayed in the standing section at their stadium during Saturday’s win over Kilmarnock.

But the Green Brigade have now called on supporters to display Palestine flags during their upcoming Champions League game against Atletico Madrid as Israel continues its airstrikes and blockade of Gaza.

Celtic’s Israel international, Liel Abada, meanwhile, issued thanks to those who had sent messages of support in the wake of the Hamas attack on his country.

Abada’s Israel and former Celtic team-mate Nir Bitton had hit out at supporters on Saturday after they flew flags and displayed banners which read “Free Palestine” and “Victory to the Resistance”.

The club issued a statement on Monday which condemned and disassociated themselves from the banners.

A statement added: “Celtic is a football club and not a political organisation. One of our core values from inception is to be open to all regardless of race, colour, politics or creed.

“That is why the club has always made clear that political messages and banners are not welcome at Celtic Park, or any match involving Celtic.

“At a time of loss and suffering for many, it is entirely inappropriate for any group of individuals to use Celtic Park as a vehicle for such messages.

“We call on all supporters, regardless of their personal views, to unite in backing our players and the club while respecting the rights and beliefs of others; particularly those whose lives are affected by violence and hatred.”

Abada, 22, who is currently sidelined by a thigh injury, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday: “It is difficult to explain the range of emotions I feel at the moment we woke up to one of the darkest days in the history of my country.

“I would like to thank everybody sending me supportive messages on social media over the last couple of days. It is not taken for granted. My heart goes out to all the families who lost their loved ones. Praying for more peaceful days. Love you all.”

However, the Green Brigade have reiterated their “unshakeable belief” that football supporters have the right to express political beliefs and accused the Celtic board of being disingenuous and hypocritical over their claim that the club was apolitical, citing issues over the club’s history and the war in Ukraine.

The lengthy statement finished by calling on Celtic fans on October 25 against Atletico to “raise the Palestine flag on the European stage and show the world that Celtic Football Club stands with the oppressed, not the oppressor”.

The club have been fined by UEFA on several occasions because supporters have flown Palestine flags.

In 2016, the Green Brigade raised more than £130,000 in an online fundraising campaign after Celtic were fined nearly £9,000 by UEFA due to fans flying Palestine flags during their 5-2 Champions League victory against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Glasgow.

The money went to medical aid for Palestinians and projects in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, where a football academy was set up bearing the name of Celtic.

Manager Rob Page says Wales should not move home games to the Principality Stadium ahead of Euro 2028.

The UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 was formally approved on Tuesday, with the 74,500-capacity home of Welsh rugby in Cardiff among the 10 venues to be used for the tournament.

The idea of playing at the Principality Stadium – Wales have played there only once since 2011, a 4-1 friendly defeat to Spain in October 2018 – angers a large section of the Dragons’ fan base, who prefer that games are played at the 33,280-capacity Cardiff City Stadium.

But Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Football Association of Wales, last month raised the possibility of the men’s national team playing there before Euro 2028 to allow players and supporters to get used to the venue should they qualify for the tournament.

“Do I want it? No,” Page said of that suggestion ahead of Wales’ friendly with Gibraltar on Wednesday, which will be only the second time that the Dragons have played at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground since 2008.

“The atmosphere and what we have created at Cardiff City Stadium is incredible.

“I’ve been quite vocal about it in the last couple of weeks because, although we have a game in Wrexham, what we have created in Cardiff is incredible and has definitely played a part in helping us with our success in the last two years.

“Promotion from B to A in the Nations League, qualification for the Euros and then the World Cup, our supporters in that stadium played a massive part.”

All five countries – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland – are expected to go through qualification for Euro 2028, with UEFA understood to be reserving two host nation places for any of the teams which do not make it on merit.

While the final and possibly both semi-finals could be at Wembley, the FAW is hoping to stage the opening match of the tournament and maybe as many as six games at the Principality Stadium.

“It’s a grey area. I don’t think it’s going to be an automatic qualification for us,” Page said.

“It’s massive for us as a country, nation, Cardiff as a capital. It’s a great achievement (to host Euro 2028).

“Everyone should be proud of bringing the tournament to the city.”

Page is expected to hand senior debuts to Charlie Savage, Luke Harris and Owen Beck in front of a sell-out 10,000 crowd against Gibraltar.

The trio will then join up with their Wales Under-21 team-mates for Friday’s European Championship qualifier in the Czech Republic.

Beck, the great-nephew of Liverpool and Wales striker Ian Rush, says he regularly receives advice from his famous relative.

“When I got called up it was a dream come true, a surreal moment,” said Beck, the Liverpool full-back currently on loan at Scottish Premiership side Dundee.

“All my family are coming. I’ve spoken to him (Rush) and if he gives me any advice, it’s from the best and really valuable to me.

“I’m sure he’ll be here watching. He’s someone I look up to, to have a career like that at club and international level. He’s a great inspiration.”

Savage, the son of former Wales midfielder Robbie, told the FAW website: “Growing up, if someone told me at the age of 20 that I’d be called up by my country, I’d have bitten your hand off. I’ve got to enjoy it whether I play or not.

“I’m looking forward to Wednesday. My nan’s coming, she lives about a mile away from The Racecourse. To have all my family there from Wrexham, it will be an amazing night.”

Gibraltar are 198th on the FIFA rankings table with only nine teams below them.

Julio Cesar Ribas’ side are using the game as preparation for their Euro 2024 qualifier against Republic of Ireland on Monday.

The British Horseracing Authority is working to substantiate warnings that the government’s proposed affordability checks will drive bettors to an unlicensed black market.

The review to the Gambling Act has focused on problem gamblers and thus the concept of financial checks for those regularly betting, whether to a damaging extent or not, has been under discussion during the white paper stage.

As racing is inherently linked to the gambling industry these limitations are likely to have damaging consequences for the sport, and grave concerns have been aired by a number of leading figures over the potential fallout.

One projected consequence is that the horse racing bettor will turn to unlicensed and unregulated gambling firms if betting via established operators becomes unavailable to them. A number of owners have already spoken out over what they say are obtrusive checks, saying they will walk away or dramatically cut their interests.

The BHA is highlighting this to the government and the Gambling Commission as the nature of the reviewed Gambling Act takes shape, with a significant survey undertaken to illustrate the risk.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, addressed the matter on a press call about the 2024 fixture list, saying: “There’s is a huge amount of uncertainty created by the the review of the Gambling Act and the white paper. If the financial risked-based checks are frictionless, as we we hope they will be but everybody is rightly concerned, I think being in control of our destiny and in control of what we can is important in this environment.

“There is a huge amount of work that has gone on globally and a lot of work already published in the public domain by the Asian Racing Foundation about the factual existence of a black market and the sort of volumes that are going through. It’s well-funded academic research and of course we’ve shared that with colleagues at the Gambling Commission.

“We do believe that there are punters going to the black market, there is research that shows it. We’ve done our own surveys with punters, it’s really good to gather evidence to show both the government and the Gambling Commission about our own customers, our regular, engaged racing fans who read racing publications, what are they telling us? How many of them are telling us they have been approached by operators? How many of them are saying they’ve followed up on that approach?

“What we’ve been doing is work behind the scenes to make sure that can be substantiated. Anecdotally, we have worked with a lot of owners and they have allowed us to share their case studies of being approached by operators – whether that’s grey market, they’re not UK-licensed operators, or black market – offering them terms to get a bet on.

“For us to give named major owners to the Gambling Commission as evidence to say ‘don’t just take our word for it, here are people who are being directly approached and enticed to get a bet on’.”

Harrington also stressed the importance of making sure the government acknowledged a distinction between skill-based betting, such as on sport, and on games of chance in casinos or the virtual equivalent.

In addition to that, Harrington spoke of the need for an understanding of the reality of the affordability checks – which the government insists will be “frictionless” and “unobtrusive” for the vast majority – as bookmakers may currently be overzealous in their restrictions out of undue caution.

“Within the white paper the government does acknowledge the difference between a horse racing bettor and a casino bettor. This is absolutely different in that it’s a game of skill versus chance, speed of play, all of those measures,” she said.

“We just tell them, tell them and tell them again, the difference, the potential impact. We know they’re listening, we know in every speech that is made, the Select Committee hearings, all the right things are said in terms of ‘we don’t want to damage horse racing, this is an important cultural asset’.

“What we need is interventions and as the Gambling Commission brings the consultation to a close, we need the frictionless financial risk-based checks to be out there and being tested.

“Rather than at the moment, there is the suspicion that operators are acting in a more draconian fashion ahead of those measures, because until they’ve got visibility of them and they’re being tested they are going to do that because they are scared of a heavy fine.”

Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes anybody taking the reins at Ibrox faces a tough job to meet fans’ demands and must be aware of the issues around recruitment.

Michael Beale was sacked after losing three of the opening seven cinch Premiership games after many of his nine summer signings struggled to hit the ground running.

Former Rangers player Kevin Muscat and Belgian Philippe Clement appear to be the front-runners as the club close in on a new appointment.

Back in Glasgow to promote Viaplay’s coverage of Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain, McLeish said: “It’s a tough job, to get Rangers up to a level that the fans expect.

“We know that you can get managers coming in and resurrecting the situation, but it’s a tough job for anybody. And if the recruitment is not right it makes it even more difficult. I even suffered it during my days at Rangers as well.

“The players that are currently there were trusted. The algorithms, the analysts have said they are the right guys for it. Now somebody has to get the best out of it.

“If Philippe or Kevin are good at that kind of management then that’s something they must be aware of, anybody taking this job at Rangers.”

McLeish managed Muscat at Ibrox and has watched him develop as a coach over the years.

The 50-year-old worked under Ange Postecoglou before succeeding him at Melbourne Victory and, after a spell at Sint-Truidense in Belgium, also replaced the same man at Yokahama F Marinos when his former mentor went to Celtic.

McLeish said: “I have kept in touch with Muscy over the years. He is a good lad. When he was in Belgium, some journalists kept in touch with me and said he was doing well.

“I wanted to see his progress and, with Postecoglou doing so well coming to these shores, then Australian coaches are going to be looked at very closely, and especially with Kevin’s association with Rangers.”

Like McLeish, Clement is a former Genk manager. The 49-year-old won three Belgian titles in a row from 2019, first with Genk and then twice with Club Brugge, and was most recently manager of Monaco.

“I knew of Philippe,” the former Scotland manager said. “He will definitely have the right mentality having that success behind him. He is confident enough and young enough to come and take the lead.

“Again, has he got the right recruitment or can he improve the players, take the players who are there with his style of play or managerial skills? Or do Rangers have to look for more money for other players?

“I guess he will have an idea about bringing certain players as well if Philippe is the man that’s coming.”

McLeish feels the appointment of a sporting director is also crucial, with Rangers without one since Ross Wilson departed in April.

“A sporting director who knows the world of football, who knows if there are shrewd signings out there,” McLeish added.

“Back in the day we didn’t quite have the money, we got free transfers, (Jean-Alain) Boumsong from Auxerre, Dado Prso from Monaco. When you bring in gems like that, you have to be aware of all those players.

“Nowadays the computer-based analysts are doing the work for the manager.”

:: Alex McLeish 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.

The high-powered Miami Dolphins will be without one of their top playmakers for the foreseeable future.

Rookie running back De'Von Achane will reportedly miss multiple weeks with a knee injury sustained in the Dolphins' 31-16 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.

Miami coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday that the team was evaluating the severity of Achane's injury and on Tuesday, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported he will miss several games and may end up being placed on injured reserve.

The injury, however, is not expected to be season-ending.

It's still not certain when Achane was injured, though he didn't play in Miami's final two series against the Giants. The outcome, however, was also not in doubt with the Dolphins holding a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter, so it was initially believed he was being rested after rushing for 151 yards and Miami on its way to a victory.

The injury puts a damper on what has been a sensational three-game stretch for Achane, who has gone from relatively unknown to offensive sensation.

After being a healthy scratch in the season opener and recording only one carry for five yards the next week, Achane had a breakout game in Miami's historic 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 3, leading the team with 203 rushing yards while scoring four touchdowns.

He followed that performance with 120 scrimmage yards and two more TDs the following week in a 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

With another touchdown against the Giants, Achane became the first player in the Super Bowl era with seven TDs in his first four NFL games.

The 21-year-old leads the NFL with an incredible 12.1 yards per carry and is second in rushing yards with 460. He is 50 yards behind rushing leader Christian McCaffrey despite having 61 fewer rushing attempts.

His injury means Raheem Mostert will handle the bulk of the running back duties for the Dolphins, while Jeff Wilson Jr. could also be activated from injured reserve to add backfield depth.

Mostert has rushed for 314 yards with seven touchdowns and has another 128 receiving yards and a receiving score.

The Dolphins are atop the AFC East, and play the winless Carolina Panthers this Sunday followed by a highly anticipated showdown with the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.

Gordon Elliott was delighted to see his high-class hurdler Zanahiyr enjoy a confidence-boosting victory on his seasonal debut at Punchestown.

It is coming up to two years since the chestnut gelding last got his head in front in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal, although he has since been placed in a string of Grade One events – last season finishing third behind the mighty Constitution Hill in both the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Aintree Hurdle.

Faced with just two rivals, the Paddy Power Hurdle represented a sizeable drop in class for the six-year-old – but with the Charles Byrnes-trained Run For Oscar reverting to the jumping game just 10 days after finishing a a fine third in the Prix du Cadran, his task was not straightforward.

There was nothing to chose between the pair for much of two-and-a-quarter-mile journey and while jockey Philip Byrnes did his best to make race-fitness count by kicking for home rounding the final bend, 10-11 favourite Zanahiyr eventually mastered him under Jack Kennedy and pulled two and a half lengths clear.

Zanahiyr’s stablemate Andy Dufresne was just a neck behind Run For Oscar in third.

Of the winner, Elliott said: “I thought we were very beatable first run back and to be honest I wasn’t going to run him only there was a very small entry. Jack said he had a couple of blows and was delighted with him – he jumped well.

“He was entitled to do it on ratings, but it’s not always that easy. We thought we might get a soft lead but it was an honest gallop and Philip put the gun to our head the whole way.

“I’ll talk to Noel and Valerie (Moran, owners) to see what they think (about plans). There is a lot of prize-money to be picked up in conditions hurdles and he has no Grade One penalty, so he can step back into Grade Twos and Threes.

“I’d say you could see him in anything from two-mile-five back to two miles. You know he’s going to wear his heart on his sleeve and try his best for you.

“The way he jumps a hurdle you would say he would jump a fence, so I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Elliott and Kennedy had earlier successfully combined with Wodhooh (11-10 favourite) in the Paddy Power 3-Y-O Hurdle.

Formerly trained on the Flat by Sir Michael Stoute, the Le Havre filly got the race in the stewards’ room on her hurdling debut at Listowel last month but there was no doubt about it this time as she stretched 24 lengths clear to double her tally.

“She’s a nice mare. We like her, she’ll be better on softer ground and the further she goes,” said Elliott.

“We knew she’d come on from the run in Listowel but I think on softer ground there is another half-stone in her. She’s a very honest filly.

“We’d like to get a bit of black type over hurdles with her now. There is a race in Newbury in the first week in December that she could go for.”

Dawid Malan vowed to “keep silencing people” after his century helped England get back to winning ways at the World Cup with a convincing display against Bangladesh.

Now 36, Malan has had to scrap hard for every opportunity he has had in international cricket and only inked his name into the World Cup side a matter of days before jetting out to India.

As recently as last month he was viewed as a versatile reserve batter for the tournament rather than a starter, but Jason Roy’s untimely battle with back spasms and Malan’s own player-of-the-series showing against New Zealand finally saw him nail down a spot at opener.

A false start in the tournament curtain-raiser against New Zealand put the pressure on England as defending champions, but for someone who has felt his credentials being placed under the microscope regularly Malan was well placed to stand up and be counted in Dharamshala.

He put on 115 with Jonny Bairstow (52) and 151 with Joe Root (82) on his way to 140 from 107 deliveries, three more than the final winning margin as the Tigers failed to live with a target of 365.

It was his sixth hundred in just 23 ODI appearances – the same number Sir Andrew Strauss managed in 127 caps and the explosive Alex Hales in 70 – but he still feels motivated by the struggles he has faced to find a place with England.

“I’m just hungry, hungry to play, to play well, hungry to score runs and win games of cricket,” he said.

“I’ve wanted to be part of this team for so long and it’s been impossible to break into with players that have been so good. I’m desperate to do well in this format and prove a point that I deserve to be in there.

“I feel like every series I’m under pressure. For me to keep silencing people is all I can do. If I can score as many runs as I can and help contribute to wins hopefully eventually people’s opinions might change.

“To be able to score a hundred and say that I’ve been able to score a hundred in a World Cup game for England is fantastic.”

Malan is, in many ways, an unlikely magnet for critics given his outstanding 50-over record. He boasts an average of 63.15 and a strike rate of 98.44, with exactly 1,200 runs on the board, but he is all too aware of those who remain sceptical about his ability to accelerate.

“There’s been a lot of strange narratives around over the last couple of years,” he said.

“But the majority of my cricket for England has been T20 cricket and I’ve always said, I can play it like a T20 game if you want me to. Just ask me to do what you need me to do and I’ll do it.”

Ahead of the game England had expressed concerns over the state of the outfield at the HPCA Stadium, with the loose, sandy soil composition making for uncertain conditions underfoot.

But the scale of their victory meant they were not forced to take any undue risks in the field and were able to bank the points without any scares.

“It was pretty bad. We’re pretty happy to get through that game without any injuries – both teams, I think,” said all-rounder Sam Curran.

“We don’t have to come back here. But hopefully the outfield does get better: it’s not very nice, what’s happened to it. But I thought the wicket was really good.

“Luckily, there weren’t too many balls we had to sprint after, we’re just pretty happy that no-one’s injured coming into the next game.”

Billy Vunipola insists England are comfortable being cast as the pantomime villains of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji in Marseille.

England face the darlings of the tournament with their opponents at Stade Velodrome adopting the role of everyone’s second favourite team due to their all-action style of play and underdog status.

There is also a desire to see a Pacific Islands nation progress deep into the World Cup given they produce some of the game’s finest players who contribute significantly to overseas leagues.

Every neutral will be cheering them on but Vunipola insisted England were ready to spoil the party and in the process challenge the perception that only France, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa were capable of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy.

“I would not say Fiji is their second favourite, I would say England is their first least-favourite team,” the Saracens number eight said.

“In terms of being public enemy number one, we are happy to take that mantle.

“We are seeing a lot of teams being talked up. Apparently there’s a top four in international rugby. I didn’t know that there was a table. We are quietly going about our work and confidently going about our work.

“Our plan is to play well firstly against Fiji and deal with whatever happens after that, after Fiji.”

England are wary of the breakdown threat posed by Simon Raiwalui’s team and are seeking clarification from Sunday’s referee Mathieu Raynal over how the contest on the floor will be officiated.

Steve Borthwick has noted the number of breakdown penalties won by Fiji so far at the World Cup – they were awarded 11 in their group victory over Australia alone – and their sheer volume of jackal attempts.

At the heart of their threat in this area is openside Levani Botia, who Vunipola knows must be nullified at all costs.

“The best thing about him is his technique. He’s got a very low centre of gravity. As a former 12 who has been repositioned to seven, he’s very fast around making the decision whether to go for the ball or not,” Vunipola said.

“Again, it’s his height. If you give him an opportunity it becomes tough, but it’s not just him. They’ve got other threats in terms of jackallers.”

England name their starting XV and bench on Friday and the greatest area of intrigue is the fly-half duel between George Ford and Owen Farrell.

Ford was man of the match against Argentina and Japan and is the form 10, but Farrell is the squad’s captain and talisman.

The two were paired together against Samoa on Saturday, but they faded as a creative axis amid a poor team performance and the experiment of reviving their partnership could be over.

“Owen’s a winner. That term gets thrown around quite a bit but that’s Owen. Under the harshest of pressures and biggest of moments, he tends to get better,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.

“That is a sign of a winner. He doesn’t just get better but has more of an impact on the people around him as well. We know what gets said about Owen.

“He’s the highest ever points-scorer for England, delivers time and time again and those players tend to catch the most flak for some reason.

“We’re lucky to have him. He will no doubt have a massive impact on this week and this game.”

The Minnesota Vikings said on Monday they weren't going to rush Justin Jefferson back from a hamstring injury he sustained in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The team is staying true to its word, as it plans to place him on injured reserve, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Tuesday.

A trip to IR means Jefferson must sit out at least four games, leaving the Vikings without the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year for upcoming contests against the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.

The earliest he could return is in Week 10, when Minnesota hosts the New Orleans Saints on November 12.

How long Jefferson will be sidelined depends on how he responds to treatment, according to Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell.

However, it's also possible if Minnesota's season continues to slip away - Sunday's defeat dropped the team to 1-4 - the 2022 NFC North champions could decide to leave Jefferson on IR longer as they jockey for draft positioning.

The 24-year-old Jefferson, who is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and will be seeking a long-term deal this offseason, was injured while slipping on the turf at Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium while trying to make a cut.

He limped to the sideline and wanted to return to the game, but O'Connell said the team wanted him to be 100 per cent before they let him back on the field.

Through five games this season, Jefferson has 36 receptions for 571 yards - third most in the NFL - with three touchdown receptions.

He has accounted for 38.1 per cent of Minnesota's receiving yards - the eighth-highest percentage by any receiver for his team in the league.

In 2022, he put together one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history, finishing with league highs of 128 catches and 1,809 receiving yards, along with eight TD receptions.

A first-round draft pick in 2020, Jefferson is a three-time Pro Bowler and has never missed a game in his career.

With Jefferson sidelined, rookie receiver Jordan Addison and two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson will be expected to step up in the passing game.

The British Horseracing Authority has released the 2024 fixture list and in doing so implemented several strategies designed to boost the popularity of the sport and the revenue it generates.

Here, we look at the key changes and their intended impact on the industry:

What are Premier Racedays?

A significant change is the introduction of Premier Racedays, 170 days of racing during which the best quality contests will be scheduled in order to better allow the sport to promote its headline events. An additional £3.8million of Horserace Betting Levy Board funding for Premier Racedays will be invested, with no race run for less than £20,000 on the Flat and £15,000 over jumps at these meetings. There will also be a ‘protected window’ between 2pm and 4pm when the number of races run is limited, pushing a small number of meetings to an earlier start and others later into the afternoon.

Richard Wayman, chief operating officer for the BHA, said of the concept: “What we’ve tried to do here is recognise that for the uninitiated, the person that isn’t already following our sport, we just publish every year a list of 1,500 fixtures and we leave it to them to try and figure out what the headline stuff is.

“We’ve set criteria for those fixtures now, there’s a bar that racecourses have to jump to be a Premier fixture. We wanted to be inclusive so it wasn’t out of the reach of the smaller tracks to, on one or two days through the year, really target their resources so they can be part of the Premier party. We’ve set the bar, the criteria and 170 fixtures have managed to jump over it.”

Why is there more racing on a Sunday?

Higher quality meetings will be scheduled for Sundays, including 29 Premier days, and there will also be a trial of Sunday evening racing in the first quarter of 2024 with £145,000 in prize-money required for each fixture.

Wayman said: “We’ve made it a real focus to try and improve the quality of Sunday racing. In addition, we are looking to trial Sunday evening fixtures in the first quarter of next year. That’s on the backdrop of information from the betting industry and our betting partners, who have identified to us that punter behaviour changes and those Sunday evening are an increasingly popular time of the week for people to bet.

“At the moment British racing is missing out on that, the money is being bet on other sports or indeed racing overseas. We’d like to run a trial of six meetings in the first quarter of next year to help us understand what demand there is for our customers.

“That does place a greater pressure on our workforce and that’s something we are very, very sensitive to. There are additional payments for those that will be servicing those meetings.”

Will there be less fixtures altogether?

To address dwindling field sizes there will be less meetings in 2024 and a rescheduling of some races to more suitable times. Wayman explained: “There will be 300 fewer National Hunt races next year, which includes removing 20 fixtures, and on the Flat moving 200 races out of the summer and into the autumn, when we know field sizes will be stronger.

“In addition to those volume changes there are other interventions we are making, there are 100 races that we are taking out of the programme and we will put in at the 10-day stage so we can make use of the latest horse population data to understand where the gap in the programme is. We’re going to start removing races, low-grade handicaps, with fewer than four runners in at the declarations stage.”

Are the changes permanent?

No. The proposed changes are subject to a two-year trial, during which the outcomes will be monitored and the relevant parties will be consulted.

Wayman said: “In reality, lots of bits of it will work but some bits of it won’t work, when we get two years down the line I think it is unlikely that we will be completely reversing everything, we will learn as we go.”

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Is the BHA going to be happy fronting up to those things that didn’t work? Absolutely. The sport as a whole needs to not be scared to try things and openly admit when they don’t work.”

Why is change required?

The main reasoning behind the changes to the fixture list stems from challenges the sport faces and the BHA hopes to go some way to remedying.

“We want to increase the number of fans and followers in British racing to support our long-term future,” said Wayman.

“The backdrop to that is some very concerning numbers that we’re all aware of, the declining attendances in British racing, the declining betting turnover – we’ve had lower field sizes in 2022 than we had for a very long time. Horse numbers are under pressure, owners numbers are under pressure, and of course we have an increasing number of higher-rated horses being exported overseas.”

What does the BHA hope to achieve?

Modelling developed in a back-and-forth with bookmakers has estimated a £90m improvement to British racing’s finances over a five-year period from 2024 to 2028. Harrington said: “The £90m is the difference between a ‘do nothing’ scenario in the timescale versus what we realistically think these innovations can collectively deliver.

“One of the reasons for growing the engagement with our fans and viewers is about having a more sustainable sport that has strong revenues that can then be reinvested.”