The New Jersey Devils and forward Jesper Bratt agreed to terms on an eight-year contract worth $63 million on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Swede was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"It was always a priority to keep Jesper Bratt here long term and both parties are thrilled that a deal was completed," Devils executive vice president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "I value and commend the commitment Jesper made to this organization.

“We believe that he is a special player and a key member of our core group of talent who will contribute towards the team's long-term success, and organizational goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New Jersey."

The Devils selected Bratt in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2016 draft, and he made his NHL debut in 2017-18.

Bratt’s last two seasons were his best in the NHL with a career-high 73 points in each campaign. He set a personal best with 32 goals in 2022-23 to rank second on New Jersey.

Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage helped create history as four British women are in the the quarter-finals of a WTA Tour event for the first time after their progression at the Rothesay Nottingham Open.

Boulter, who is Britain’s number one, battled past Ukrainian lucky loser Daria Snigur 7-5 6-3 while Dart enjoyed a fine 6-0 7-5 victory over fifth seed and world number 25 Anhelina Kalinina.

But perhaps Burrage’s victory was the most impressive as she beat world number 21 and Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette 7-5 6-3 in one of the best victories of her career and all three join Heather Watson in the last eight.

Burrage made it through to a first career quarter-final on the WTA Tour but hopes there may be more to come.

“I am feeling really good, I have won a few matches in the WTA but never got to the quarter-finals, so it feels really good to tick that off,” she said. “But there is still a lot left to go in the week and we’ll see what happens.

“When we are all doing well it really pushes everyone on, it is a bit daunting going on after the other two (Boulter and Dart) won, it was a little bit of pressure, but in the same breath it did help as well, but when you’re out on court you’re just wanting to win.”

Boulter and Dart will now play each other to ensure there will be at least one Brit in the semi-final on Saturday.

It is also the best home performance at Nottingham in the tournament’s current format and all three of those women will have realistic ambitions of following in Johanna Konta’s footsteps and winning it, as the now-retired former British number one did two years ago.

Boulter, who is from Leicester and staying at her house during this week, has never got past the quarter-finals here before.

“It’s funny because I feel like I have been one of the years I was a set up and had to pull out and there have been many times where I have been playing great but I have never been able to go all the way through,” she said.

“For me I feel very comfortable, I feel at home, I play some great stuff and hopefully I can keep that up. I am going to keep fighting and keep enjoying it and it is easy to forget to do those two things so that is my main goal.”

Boulter and Dart are part of a very close-knit British team, but the former is able to separate between friend and opponent.

“At the end of the day you are playing against a tennis ball, I don’t think it matters too much who that person is, you have to play the ball and what’s coming at you,” she added.

“That’s the way I see it. I don’t think it is going to be an easy match either way, I am looking forward to it. It’s not often you get to the quarter-finals at your home tournament so that’s all I’m concentrating on.”

Burrage will play Magdelena Frech while Watson, who booked her quarter-final spot on Wednesday, takes on Viktorija Golubic.

Michael O’Neill has told his young Northern Ireland players to embrace the challenge of taking on Denmark in Copenhagen on Friday night.

O’Neill said this Euro 2024 qualifier was not only the hardest fixture on paper but the “hardest fixture full stop” as Northern Ireland travel to take on the top seeds in Group H at the always noisy Parken Stadium.

Jamal Lewis has been added to an already lengthy injury list which has robbed O’Neill of half a dozen of his most experienced players, and with Shane Ferguson also out there is a shortage of left-sided players.

O’Neill will try to get as much experience as he can into his starting 11, but there will be no option but to rely on younger players too, with Conor Bradley and Shea Charles among the contenders to start.

“This is a good game for us,” O’Neill said. “It’s a young squad, we’ve got seven under-21 players with us. We’ll rely heavily on our experienced players as well. It’s a game we can only gain from really.

“Obviously we were disappointed with the home game against Finland (a 1-0 defeat in March), we felt we deserved more than we got, so we’ve got to try and make up points somewhere along the line. This is a hard place to play, but we’ll go with the intention of trying to find something from the game.”

The 38,000-seater Parken Stadium can become an intimidating place for visiting teams, but while it might be unlike anything Northern Ireland’s younger players have experienced before, O’Neill does not want them to shy away.

“I think they should embrace it really more than anything else,” he said. “The message will be go out and enjoy playing in a stadium like this…

“The thing I’ve enjoyed in working with the younger players is I see their attitude to the game, it’s very positive, I don’t think they’ll have a fear.

“There’s a lot of self-belief and abilities in the likes of Shea Charles, Isaac Price, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, they play in games where they’ve a lot of expectancy where they’re currently playing their football.

“I think we have to have that mindset that we’ve got everything to gain from Friday night and not fear the atmosphere but look forward to it.”

One key challenge for Northern Ireland will be limiting Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen’s ability to dictate play from the centre of pitch.

“We understand we are dealing with a top level player here,” O’Neill said. “It’s brilliant seeing him back playing international football.

“The days of man marking players is more difficult now but as a team we have made the midfield players in particular very aware of the Danish midfield and Christian Eriksen is the major player in that midfield. He is a hugely experienced player at international level.

“I think to deal with players at that level it’s more about what we do as a collective as opposed to possibly that designated player to deal with that situation.”

Both sides come into the game nursing disappointments from the last round of fixtures in March.

Denmark suffered a shock defeat to Kazakhstan, blowing a 2-0 lead as their unfancied hosts scored three in the last 20 minutes, while O’Neill’s first game back in charge at Windsor Park ended in that loss to Finland.

O’Neill insisted he was not interested in making any sort of statement by claiming a big scalp on Friday, but his mind is on making up for what he sees as lost points.

“It would give us six points and it would make up for the disappointment of Finland,” he said. “I don’t think it’s about sending out a statement. I think this group could be very tight. Results have demonstrated that.

“If you can take anything off the number one seed in the group it is a massive achievement.”

Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny will hope to finally exorcise the ghost of Cristiano Ronaldo as he targets a priceless Euro 2024 qualifier victory in Greece.

Kenny will send his troops into Group B battle at the OPAP Arena on Friday evening desperate to open their account at the second time of asking after they lost 1-0 to France in Dublin in their opener.

He will do so still reflecting on the famous World Cup qualifier win over Portugal which was snatched from his grasp by Ronaldo’s late double in September 2021, and game in which Ireland led through John Egan’s header with just a minute of normal time left on the clock.

Asked if he was encouraged by the fact that some of his team’s better performances had come away from home, Kenny replied: “You can’t look back.

“Of course we have analysed all the performances and the obvious one is the game in Portugal, of course, which we lost late.

“We have learned so much about the team over the last year and you can see the team improving, but this is a stern test.

“Greece are a really good team, they are at home, and it will be a brilliant atmosphere, I’m sure, and it is one that we want the players to rise to and put in a big performance.”

Kenny and his players arrived in Athens after using a nine-day training camp on Antalya, Turkey to acclimatise to the heat and humidity they expect to face at the home of AEK Athens.

Greece boss Gus Poyet has billed the game as must-win for both nations with the Netherlands as well as France – minnows Gibraltar complete the group – also vying for qualification, but Kenny is taking a more pragmatic view.

He said: “We are looking for that historic away win, that’s our objective, that’s what we want.

“Greece have a very good home record, they have been in good form over the past year – we respect that.

“Nothing will be easy, we will have to fight for everything and it’s only the second game of the group, so I don’t think anything is decided so early, but it is certainly going to be an important game for both teams.”

It could be a particularly big night for Ireland’s 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson, who would dearly love to wrap up a memorable season, during which he has burst on to the Premier League scene at Brighton, made his senior international debut and scored his first Ireland goal.

Asked if the challenge to the teenager was to finish the campaign in style with a telling contribution in Athens, Kenny said: “Evan has emerged quicker than we could have anticipated. He’s done brilliantly for Brighton in the Premier League. We’re delighted to have him.

“He’s trained really well this week. Such a young player, you wouldn’t want to put too much on his shoulders because we’ve got five good young forwards in the squad.

“But he has got terrific ability and we’d love to see that emerge over the next week.”

New recruit Sam Lammers admits he was impressed by Michael Beale’s vision for Rangers as he signed for the Ibrox club on a four-year deal.

The 26-year-old Dutch attacker has joined Gers from Serie A side Atalanta after spending the past season out on loan at Empoli and then Sampdoria.

Lammers explained how Beale’s willingness to travel to Italy to meet him helped persuade him to pledge his future to Rangers.

“I am really excited to join Rangers, my first impressions have all been good, so I am even more excited for the season to start now,” he told Rangers’ website.

“I came in contact with the manager and he came over to see me in Italy, we had a good talk and he gave me a presentation about the club and about how I could fit in, so ever since that moment I was excited for this project and to get here.

“I already knew some things about Rangers, I know the history, I know it is a massive club in Scotland and also worldwide, but it is always a good thing to have the personal side of it.”

Lammers began his career with PSV Eindhoven before leaving his homeland to move to Italy in 2020. He also spent time on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021/22 and was an unused substitute for the Bundesliga side when they defeated Rangers in the Europa League final a year ago.

Beale believes the Dutchman will slot perfectly into his new-look Rangers team.

“Sam is a player I have been aware of for a number of years,” he said. “I first knew him as a young player at PSV and have followed his career closely from afar and he excelled in Holland both in the Eredivisie and the under-21 national team.

“Sam will give us great technical and tactical quality, being able to play in a variety of attacking positions as a number 10 or nine.

“He was the first player I met with as part of the planning for the new season and, during our lengthy discussions, it was clear that we share the same ideas on football and on his personal development moving forward. He has a strong alignment to the other players in our squad.

“Having recently turned 26, he brings a wealth of experience, having already played in the top leagues in Holland, Germany and Italy. We are delighted he is joining us at Rangers and I’m looking forward to working closely with him.”

Lammers is Rangers’ fourth new signing of the close season.

“I am delighted with our progress so far in this summer transfer window,” said Beale. “We have worked extremely well to recruit Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell and Sam Lammers. We are ahead of schedule in our plans.

“The coming weeks will see more trading both in and out of the squad as we prepare for the season ahead. We have key areas of focus and we are close to securing our targets in those positions.”

Charlie Hills believes Iberian could develop into a contender for some major juvenile prizes come the end of the season following an impressive debut success at Newbury.

The Lope De Vega colt, who cost 200,000 guineas as a yearling, made plenty of appeal on paper, and more so on the track.

Under Rossa Ryan, he powered to a length and three-quarters success from Judge Frank in the Welcome To The BV Group Novice Stakes, which was better value than the winning margin suggested, as Hills felt he idled in the closing stages.

The Lambourn handler is eyeing a step up into Group company for his next start.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Hills. “He is having a good old blow and will come on a good bit for the run.

“It had just got to the stage where I just wanted to get a run into him, really. He has always worked really nicely at home and he’s going to learn a lot more today than keeping him at home.”

Newmarket could be his next stop, with the Group Two Superlative Stakes, won last year by the subsequent French 2000 Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby, on the agenda.

“He is an exciting horse, hopefully,” added Hills. “My immediate thought was something like the Superlative Stakes, but it is a long season.

“He travelled really nicely in the race, but probably idled a bit in front at the end, but he was having a good blow, so might have got a bit tired.

“Superlative, Dewhurst… it’s a nice thought if it maps out like that, isn’t it?”

Karl Burke had a rare winner at the Berkshire track, when Back See Daa went one better than she did when beaten a neck at Doncaster upon her return to action 12 days ago.

Upped to a mile for the first time, she impressed with a three-length victory in the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

Her jockey, Charles Bishop, said: “She is quite a nice filly. She got tired at Doncaster last time, but has improved and appreciated the extra furlong. She has done it very well.”

Sir Mark Prescott also had a rare Newbury winner. Blindedbythelights, having a third run inside a week, scored at odds of 2-7 under Luke Morris in the concluding Follow @BetVictor On Twitter Handicap, giving the Newmarket handler a rare Newbury winner.

Having won at Yarmouth, he was downed narrowly when long odds-on at Lingfield on Monday, but made no mistake this time, taking the mile and a half event cosily.

Morris said: “He’s a lovely progressive horse. Things transpired against him on Monday, but back on a nice galloping track, he was seen to much better effect.

“I think, as he steps up in trip, he will keep progressing. His ears were pricked and he wasn’t doing a whole deal. Hopefully he can turn into a nice horse.”

There was drama in the Highclere Castle Gin Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap with Tessy’s Lad, ridden by Miss Taryn Langley, dead-heating with Lenny’s Spirit, ridden by Miss Sophie Smith.

Tessy’s Lad’s trainer, Richard Hughes, said: “We went to Windsor a couple of weeks ago when I thought he’d nearly win. William Buick came in and said he blew up, and I thought, ‘Jeez, I thought I had him fitter than that’.

“We scoped him, as it didn’t sit well with me, and he wasn’t quite right. He had a little bit of mucus.

“He blew for 25 minutes afterwards, and while it was his first run of the year, all his work was easy. Maybe he was doing it too easy.

“He’ll go jumping now as well. We’ll get a nice bit of good ground for him. He’s a grand horse.”

Eve Johnson Houghton admits she has finally found the key to Flying Secret, who took the seven-furlong Highclere Castle Gin Handicap under Mia Nicholls by a short-head from Popmaster.

“We always knew he was a good horse but he has had little issues, niggles, and I’ve finally got it right – he needs a straight track and seven furlongs,” said the trainer.

“They are not easy to find. We had to go to Yarmouth to win last time! He takes a bit of time to recover from his races, because he is fragile.”

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 15.

Record-breaker Harry Kane shared a message of appreciation for his England team-mates and managers.

Gary Lineker was also toasting success.

Real Madrid unveiled Jude Bellingham.

“What a machine” “What machines”

James Maddison had good company on the way to Malta.

Huddersfield’s manager provided an update.

Ben Stokes and James Anderson were ready for the Ashes.

A pre-Ashes gift for Moeen Ali.

Jason Roy was in the sea.

Ben Stokes has told his team a big Ashes summer will “never be forgotten” as he prepares to lead England’s battle to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015.

Stokes already owns a significant slice of Ashes history, with his match-winning century at Headingley four years ago inked into the folklore of cricket’s most storied series.

He and his 10 team-mates will step out at a reliably raucous Edgbaston on Friday morning with the chance to add another memorable moment in a rivalry that echoes through the ages.

Speaking on the eve of the first Test, he said: “Any individual who finds themselves either having a great series or a great individual performance, that will never be forgotten.

“When the Ashes comes around it’s the big one on the calendar. Legacies are defined by the people who talk about the individual, and we all know if you do well in the Ashes you’re going to be spoken about throughout many a year.”

Stokes also called on the Birmingham crowd, who have made a name for themselves as the liveliest on the English circuit, to seize their chance to play a role in lifting the hosts.

“The crowd here is so, so good and loud. It’s amazing. We know what it’s like in Australia..when we’re at the MCG, all these places when the home crowd is on top of you, you do know you’re the away team.

“What I would say to the people who come here and watch is regardless of how things are going out there, just be with us. What we’re trying to do, over and over again, is make it worth their time coming to watch us play cricket.”

Stokes has certainly delivered on that promise since taking over as skipper. In insisting his teams stay permanently on the front foot and take the attacking option whenever they can, he has not only overhauled their results – with 11 wins from 13 matches – he has revamped their identity.

Urged on by a like-minded head coach in Brendon McCullum, he has never wavered in his commitment to the philosophy and laughed off the idea that the arrival of Australia would change things now.

“I don’t think there’s any question around how we are going to go out and play our cricket, even though it’s against Australia,” he said.

“All I want is for the team to go out there and keep pushing the boundaries of what we’ve achieved so far. As long as we can stay true to that then I will be a happy and proud captain regardless of the result at the end of the series.

“If we play the way we know we’re capable of then I know we are able to beat any team. I know that’s a big statement in itself but I think what we’ve done over the last year means we’re able to say that.”

Stokes’ confidence extended to naming his XI two days out, while counterpart Pat Cummins opted to his keep his counsel until the toss. Having already tempted Moeen Ali out of retirement to step in for injured spinner Jack Leach, there was only one real decision to make over the final seamer.

In the end he opted for Stuart Broad’s vast experience over the explosive pace of Mark Wood. The decision was made primarily on instinct but is backed up by the numbers, with the 36-year-old boasting 131 wickets in 35 Ashes Tests, with 84 of those in home conditions.

“Generally, I’ve stuck with my heart and my gut throughout my captaincy so far. Broady’s record against Australia is incredible and it’s very hard to look past someone like that, in the opening game of the series,” he said.

Stokes’ own fitness remains a huge source of intrigue, as he strives to return to his role as England’s all-action all-rounder. His ability to chip in as a bowler has been compromised in recent times by chronic left-knee problems, but he has gradually ramped up his bowling since arriving in Birmingham and appears increasingly ready to throw himself into the fray.

“The last three days have been really good for my confidence, I’ve been able to run in with more intensity day by day so I have got myself in a really good position to be able to bowl,” he said.

“I’m not speaking too soon, who knows where I could be in two weeks’ time? But hopefully I don’t have to worry about that.”

Asked if he was able to operate at 100%, he offered a wry smile and replied: “I’ll give 100 per cent of what I’ve got at the time. I think that’s a good way to say it.”

England and Australia will wear black armbands on day one of the LV= Insurance Ashes, following the deaths of three people in van and knife attacks in Nottingham.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that the mark of respect would be made following Tuesday’s shocking incident, which left students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates dead.

A moment’s silence will also be observed at Edgbaston before the scheduled start of play at 11am.

England captain Ben Stokes said: “The deeply distressing scenes witnessed in Nottingham this week have brought immense sorrow to everyone, particularly the cherished friends and families of the victims.

“It is impossible to express how much their lives and futures have been tragically disrupted.

“These events sadden the England cricket teams, and we are thinking about those affected at this harrowing time. As a gesture of respect, we will honour them by wearing black armbands.”

Stokes’ fellow England captain Heather Knight, who will kick off the women’s Ashes at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on July 22, added her condolences.

“It was incredibly saddening to learn about the events that took place in Nottingham, and it felt a bit closer to home to learn that two of the victims had been cricket players,” she said.

“All of our thoughts are with the families and friends of everyone affected by the tragedy, and with the city of Nottingham.”

A League One footballer has been unanimously cleared of raping a woman in the Birmingham area last February.

French-born Williams Kokolo, 23, was acquitted by jurors at Coventry Crown Court of three counts of rape after they deliberated for two hours and 34 minutes.

After the verdicts were returned on Thursday, trial judge Mr Justice Wall told the jury: “Rape trials are serious and they are difficult.

“You have to assess the evidence of two people.

“If I may say so, you obviously concentrated very hard on this case and deliberated properly about it.”

Burton Albion defender Kokolo, who lives in the town, had been accused of attacking the woman at her home after meeting her on a dating site.

He maintained throughout proceedings that sexual contact with the woman had been consensual.

In a statement, Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson said of the player, who is also known as William: “We are delighted that the jury was able to make a very quick decision and to clear William on all charges.

“This court case has put a great strain on the young man for the last year but he was determined to clear his name and he can now hopefully put this behind him and resume his football career.

“Burton Albion has fully supported him throughout the process.”

The Staffordshire side signed Kokolo, who started out in the youth ranks at AS Monaco, from Middlesbrough in January 2022.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “Our decision to prosecute William Kokolo was made in accordance with our Code for Crown Prosecutors.

“He was acquitted of all charges and we respect the jury’s decision.”

Stephen Kenny’s Republic of Ireland go head-to-head with Greece in Athens on Friday evening in a fixture which could prove key to the Euro 2024 qualification hopes of both nations.

Ireland narrowly lost their opening Group B fixture to beaten World Cup finalists France in March three days after the Greeks cruised to a 3-0 win over minnows Gibraltar, and victory at the OPAP Arena could prove vital for either side.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at Greece and the threat they may pose.

Form

Greece headed into the campaign on a high after topping Nations League Group C2 with 15 points from a possible 18. They beat Northern Ireland and Kosovo home and away and Cyprus in Volos before the Cypriots gained revenge in Larnaca, and finished six points better off than the Kosovans in second place to secure a place in the Euro 2024 play-offs. They have won only one of the four games they have played since – their opening qualifier against Gibraltar – drawing friendlies with Malta and Lithuania either side of a 2-1 defeat in Hungary.

Manager

Gus Poyet was appointed as national team boss in February 2022 having earlier had a seven-month spell in charge at club side AEK Athens. The 55-year-old Uruguayan established himself as a household name during his playing days as a goalscoring midfielder, principally with River Plate, Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham, before making the move into management with Brighton and Sunderland, who he guided to Premier League safety and the Capital One Cup final in 2014, AEK, Real Betis, Shanghai Shenhua, Bordeaux and Universidad Catolica in Chile.

Players

Poyet’s squad includes several familiar names with Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas and John Egan’s Sheffield United team-mate George Baldock – who qualifies for Greece through his grandmother – among its ranks. Free-scoring former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, now at Atlanta United, is also at Poyet’s disposal, but it is perhaps Trabzonspor midfielder Tasos Bakasetas upon whom Ireland will need to keep a close eye. Six of Bakasetas’ 18 goals to date this season have come on the international stage, four of them in competitive games.

Pedigree

Greece are currently ranked 52nd by FIFA, three places below the Republic, but have appeared as high as eighth in the list. They famously won the Euros in 2004, when they shocked the continent’s super-powers under German Otto Rehhagel, and made it to the quarter-finals at Euro 2012. They have qualified for the World Cup finals on three occasions – 1994, 2010 and 2014 – and reached the last 16 in Brazil.

Captain Keith Watson has departed Ross County after five years with the Dingwall club.

The 33-year-old former Dundee United defender joined the Staggies in 2018 and made more than 100 appearances.

County described Watson as “a great servant to the club” as they announced on Thursday that he will be moving on this summer following the expiry of his contract.

“Unfortunately, my time at County has come to an end, what a 5 years it’s been,” Watson said in a statement on the club’s website.

“From winning the Championship to a dramatic play off win to stay in the Premiership – where County belong.

“That last play-off game (against Partick Thistle earlier this month) was one of the craziest games I’ve ever played in and the belief and never say die attitude from the lads was incredible, it was a pleasure playing along side you all.

“A big thank you to the fans and everyone at the club for the past 5 years and I wish Ross County nothing but success in the future.”

Austrian midfielder David Cancola and English striker Dominic Samuel – both of whom joined County two years ago – have also left the Highland club.

Tottenham have confirmed the departures of Clement Lenglet and Arnaut Danjuma following the conclusion of their loan spells.

France defender Lenglet joined Spurs last summer from Barcelona and made 35 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

Netherlands forward Danjuma arrived in January from Villarreal but was restricted to just one start in a total of 12 outings.

As previously announced by the Premier League club, Lucas Moura will also depart this summer at the end of his contract.

The Brazilian forward scored 39 goals in 221 Tottenham appearances, including a hat-trick against Ajax which secured a place in the 2019 Champions League final.

“We thank all three players for their service and wish them well for the future,” read a statement on Spurs’ website.