Ed Crisford is confident Carla’s Way will be “bang there at the finish” in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

The daughter of Starspangledbanner proved her class with victory in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket in late September, since when she has been kept fresh for her trip to California.

Carla’s Way is part of a strong European contingent that also includes Donnacha O’Brien’s Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Porta Fortuna and Aidan O’Brien’s Content – and Crisford, who trains in partnership with his father, Simon, believes their filly has plenty in her favour.

He said: “It’s a really good race and Donnacha’s filly is a very good filly who has won a Group One, but Carla’s Way also brings sort of Group One form into the race having beaten the first and second in the Fillies’ Mile (Ylang Ylang and Shuwari).

“She will suit this track and a two-turn mile extremely well. We just didn’t want to run her on a straight mile on soft ground in the Fillies’ Mile so we opted to come here and we thought it would suit her down to the ground – she can just ping off that quick ground.

“Her draw (stall nine) isn’t too bad and you have options from there at least. I always thought five to 10 is where I wanted to be so it is OK.

“She is in really good form and has taken to Santa Anita extremely well. She’s been on the track in a morning and for a two-year-old it can be quite a lot going to a new place and seeing all the horses training on the track there, but she is just loving it and is like an old pro.

“She’s taken everything in her stride, I couldn’t be happier with her and I think she goes in with a favourite’s chance. Hopefully she gets a clean trip and I’m sure she will be bang there at the finish.”

Porta Fortuna has won four of her six starts, with her Cheveley Park success preceded by Group Three triumphs at Naas and in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

She has not yet won beyond six furlongs and tackles a mile for the first time, but O’Brien is happy to roll the dice.

“She’s been fantastic for us and has had a great year,” he said.

“She’s in great form and seems to have travelled over well. We are not sure if we will stay the mile, but she will handle the ground and the track should be fine so we are excited.

“Ever since the day the owners bought her after her maiden this has been sort of a long-term plan. Obviously you can never expect to be at the Breeders’ Cup, but if she turned out to be good enough this was always the plan and thankfully she has.

“We’re just keeping her safe and happy and healthy until the race and hopefully we get a bit of luck on the day.”

O’Brien senior saddled Meditate to claim victory in last year’s renewal and will be hoping Content can raise her game following a surprise Group Three win at the Curragh four weeks ago.

Leading contenders for the home team include Cherie DeVaux’s She Feels Pretty and Hard To Justify, who looks to provide her trainer Chad Brown with a fifth win in the last 11 runnings.

Leading official Wayne Barnes has announced his retirement five days after refereeing the Rugby World Cup final.

The English official’s last match was one of his most challenging, with Barnes showing the first ever red card in a men’s World Cup final to New Zealand captain Sam Cane during South Africa’s 12-11 victory in Paris.

It was among a number of contentious decisions made by Barnes, who was later reportedly the subject of death threats.

The 44-year-old said he would be working to ensure referees receive adequate support amid such pressures but cited family reasons for his decision.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Barnes wrote: “Over the past 20 years, I have been in the middle of some of the greatest rugby matches in history.

“I have seen some of the world’s best players and worked with some of the finest coaches the game has ever produced.

“Last Saturday, I was privileged to referee the Rugby World Cup final between two of the most iconic teams in sport; the All Blacks and the Springboks. People often say you will know when it is the right time to retire, and this is clearly the right time for me and for my family.

“My children have missed out on time with their dad for far too long and I am now looking forward to family weekends, sports matches, school assemblies and birthday parties.

“My wife, Polly, has sacrificed more than anyone so that I have been able to achieve some of my personal goals.

“While I have been away most weekends and for decent chunks of the year, she has had to juggle being an amazing mum with two active children, along with holding down a hugely successful career of her own.

“I will continue to advocate for referees and work closely with the International Rugby Match Officials association to ensure match officials across the globe not only have a collective voice but also the appropriate support network for them and their families, particularly as online abuse and threats have become far too regular for all of those involved in the game.

“I am extremely proud that my career has spanned five Rugby World Cups, 26 Six Nations matches, three European Champions Cup finals and 10 Premiership Finals, and I’m grateful for all of those who have helped me along the way, in particular, Chris White, Tony Spreadbury, Brian Campsall, Nigel Yates and Phil Keith-Roach. It’s been an incredible journey.”

Barnes bows out having refereed a record 111 Tests, and he was praised by World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, who said on www.world.rugby: “Wayne has been a truly fantastic ambassador for rugby, both on and off the pitch.

“What makes him so special is not only his stellar refereeing career, but his wider contribution to the game, making refereeing more accessible to more people. He will rightly be remembered as one of the greats – a credit to the game, his nation and his family.”

Joe Root says there is “no better motivator” for England’s World Cup strugglers than the chance to knock Australia off their stride.

While England lie bottom of the standings in 10th place after six games, their oldest rivals appear to be set fair for a semi-final spot with four wins under their belt.

Although their fortunes have differed dramatically in India, it is only a matter of months since many of the same players contested a thrilling Ashes series that ended 2-2 and would surely have fallen England’s way had it not been for rain at Old Trafford.

And Root is hoping to see his side rally against familiar foes, ending a four-game losing streak in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

“I don’t think we need to look at what has happened before; now is the time to look at what happens next and that is beating Australia,” he told BBC Sport.

“There is no better motivator for any group of English players than to play against the Aussies. It is about putting that performance together. Let’s concentrate on that and being as ready as we can do.

“To play against Australia, in many ways it is a great time for it to come for us, to go and put in a big performance and put a bit of pride back into what we are about as a team and get back to the standards we expect of ourselves and a group.

“Playing for your country is an extreme privilege. Every game means a huge amount to this group of players and they are all desperate to do well and we understand the responsibility that comes with the opportunities. We might not be able to go and win the tournament but we are desperate to win every game we play and will do everything we can to get that right and turn that around.”

Root also paid tribute to David Willey, who will retire at the end of tournament. Eyebrows have been raised at the timing of his announcement, a matter of days after he was overlooked for a central contract and with group fixtures still to fulfil, but Root had nothing but praise for his former Yorkshire team-mate.

“He has had some highs and lows like most players but has been a true professional,” he said.

“On and off the field he is a great team man and is great to have around the group. It might be our loss but it is someone else’s gain. I am sure he will be entertaining the world for a long time yet. It might not be on the international stage but around the world we will see a lot more of him

“Fair play, he has made that call, and it won’t be a distraction for us at all. If anything it will be another motivator for us to win those last three games for him and send him out of international cricket with some good cricket in his memory bank.”

James Harden "wants to be part of something bigger than himself" with the Los Angeles Clippers, so says the team's president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.

Harden, a 10-time All-Star and one-time league MVP, has joined the Clippers in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 34-year-old had fallen out with the Sixers leadership and requested a move away from Philadelphia.

Harden had branded the Sixers' president of basketball operations Daryl Morey "a liar" in August.

Now in his hometown of Los Angeles with the Clippers, Harden is targeting "something really special", according to Frank.

"James Harden should have been an All-Star last year," Frank said, as per ESPN.

"But he's a 10-time All-Star. He has an elite skill set, and all he cares about is one thing: He wants to win a championship for the LA Clippers.

"He wants to be part of something bigger than himself. He's had all the individual awards. He's about doing something really special."

Harden is in line to make his debut against the New York Knicks on Monday, and Paul George – one of the Clippers' star names along with Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook – revealed he has previously spoken with the former Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets guard about how they can make things work in LA.

"I mean, we've talked leading up to it," George said after the Clippers' 130-125 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"[That's] the reason why he's here. We wanted him here. We all said we think we can make it work, [that] we'll figure it out.

"But we obviously got to practice. We got to play for us to really get on the same page and understand how to play on the floor with one another.

"What better story to be told than for four Southern Cal guys to do what's never been done before and be champions?"

Leonard, a two-time NBA champion, suggested the four stars in the Clippers roster will have to make sacrifices to fit in for the team.

"I think we still have to come in kind of like with a selfish mindset," Leonard said.

"Meaning we can't look over our shoulder and say this guy is going to win the game, or this guy's going to win the game for us.

"We still have to step on that floor like we are out there by ourselves, and from there, it is going to be sacrifice. It's only one basketball, and we just got to figure it out from there.

"But I think we all are old enough to understand what we want to do here and we'll see what happens."

Jac Morgan will captain a team containing 12 Rugby World Cup squad members when Wales tackle the Barbarians in Cardiff on Saturday.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland fields four players who started the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina last month – Morgan, centre George North, lock Adam Beard and number eight Aaron Wainwright.

Dragons prop Lloyd Fairbrother, 31, makes a first Wales appearance in the non-cap fixture, with wing Tom Rogers and lock Ben Carter also gaining opportunities.

Fairbrother starts in the tighthead position, where Gatland was without the services of France-based pair Tomos Francis and Henry Thomas, Harlequins forward Dillon Lewis, plus injured duo Kieron Assiratti and Leon Brown.

Assiratti was ruled out by an ankle injury, while Brown has a calf muscle problem, meaning call-ups for Fairbrother and Scarlets prop Harri O’Connor, who is among the replacements.

The Principality Stadium encounter is being staged to pay tribute to Wales’ record cap holder Alun Wyn Jones. He retired from Test rugby in May after making 158 Test match appearances for his country.

And joining him in international retirement will be full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who makes his final Wales appearance this weekend. Halfpenny won 101 caps and scored 801 points.

Gatland said: “Playing a Barbarians side filled with quality players is a good challenge for this group and a chance for players to put their hands up and show what they are about.

“It will be the last game in a Wales jersey for Leigh Halfpenny, but also a chance for fans to see and celebrate Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric playing international rugby one last time.

“We are looking forward to getting back out in front of a home crowd on Saturday.”

Team: L Halfpenny (unattached); T Rogers (Scarlets), G North (Ospreys), J Williams (Scarlets), R Dyer (Dragons); S Costelow (Scarlets), Tomos Williams (Cardiff); C Domachowski (Cardiff), D Lake (Ospreys), L Fairbrother (Dragons), B Carter (Dragons), A Beard (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Dragons), J Morgan (Ospreys, capt), A Wainwright (Dragons).

Replacements: E Dee (Dragons), N Smith (Ospreys), H O’Connor (Scarlets), Teddy Williams (Cardiff), T Plumtree (Scarlets), K Hardy (Scarlets), C Evans (Dragons), M Grady (Cardiff).

Vladimir Coufal has backed “unbelievable” Declan Rice to win silverware with Arsenal this season despite suffering Carabao Cup defeat on his return to West Ham.

Rice joined Arsenal for £105million in the summer after a decade with the Hammers, who he captained to Europa Conference League success in his final match with the club.

The 24-year-old has started the season in fine form but was unable to help the Gunners fight back in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Rice came off the bench to a mixed reception as the hosts ran out comfortable 3-0 winners courtesy of a Ben White own goal and second-half strikes from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.

West Ham will now face a trip to Liverpool in the quarter-finals, but Coufal believes Rice will add to the Community Shield won by Arsenal in August.

“I think they’ll win something for sure,” the Czech Republic full-back said.

“They’ve won the Community Shield already, so he already has a trophy with Arsenal. I think they’re not too disappointed to lose this game.

“It was something special, to see him on the other side of the pitch. He’s doing an incredible job for Arsenal, even better than he did for us.

“He’s an unbelievable player. It was strange to see him in different colours but we wish him all the best. He came into our changing room to say hello and see how we are.”

Arsenal may still be contesting for the Premier League and Champions League, with the FA Cup yet to come, but Coufal is targeting Carabao Cup success to add to the winners’ medal in the Europa Conference League.

“Of course we would like to win another trophy,” he said.

“It’s still very difficult. We know Man City are out, Man United, now Arsenal, but still there are a lot of good teams remaining.

“Every win against a team from the top six or top end of the table is really good. It was Carabao Cup but we needed this win after three difficult defeats in a row.”

Mikel Arteta made six changes to the Arsenal side that lost in east London but his starting XI still boasted nine full internationals.

One of the most experienced of those, Italy midfielder Jorginho, captained the visitors and he is pleased they can attempt to quickly bounce back from the defeat as they travel to face Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

“It’s great that the game is in three days because it’s a chance to turn things around, and turn this feeling because it’s not the best feeling, of course,” he said.

“We can go and try to put things right. The only thing we can take from this tough result is how we need to be much better at competing for the next game, because if you’re going to play at this level, you won’t win for sure.

“So that’s what I think we need to improve on for the next game to try and win there.”

Under-fire Erik ten Hag says Manchester United need to “stand up” and work “shoulder by shoulder” to turn around a season that is threatening to go into a tailspin.

Old Trafford is under the spotlight after two 3-0 home humiliations in the space of four days ratcheted up the pressure on a club enduing their worst start to a campaign since 1962-63.

Sunday’s derby defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester City was compounded by Newcastle on Wednesday, who comfortably won the repeat of February’s Carabao Cup final.

It underlined just how far things have gone off track since the sides met at Wembley, with United now having lost eight of their 15 matches in all competitions this term.

“This is not good enough and we know that,” manager Ten Hag said after Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock struck for Eddie Howe’s Magpies.

“We were in the game and then in a couple of minutes we are giving the game away.

“That’s below our standards and we know that all and we have to take responsibility for this.”

United’s performances have been as much a concern as the results, leading pressure to mount on Ten Hag just 17 months after starting in the post.

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Bookmakers’ odds on him leaving have been slashed, but the defiant Dutchman said he was a “fighter” as United prepare for three key games before November’s international break.

Premier League matches away to Fulham and home to Luton bookend next Wednesday’s trip to Copenhagen as they attempt to keep their Champions League campaign alive.

Asked how he lifts everyone ahead of the Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Craven Cottage, Ten Hag told MUTV: “Yeah, but that is our job. We sleep and (Thursday) we have to go again, so we have to stand up.

“(Sticking together) is the only way, the only way we do it, shoulder by shoulder, then we will come through this.”

Ten Hag has repeatedly spoke about togetherness in recent weeks and has taken hope from the misfiring squad’s ability to get narrow victories over the line.

But players continue to underperform, both individually and collectively, and confidence appears to be an issue at United.

“Yeah, that’s normal,” Ten Hag said. “But you only get your confidence when you take responsibility, when you fight, starting from winning your battles, winning and dictating the ground on the pitch.

“When you do that, then you get results and from there on you build your own confidence.

“So, confidence is something that is in your own hands (as an) individual but of course you have to do it as a team.

“You have to stick together and you have to do it together.”

No players spoke to the media after United’s latest embarrassment at the hands of Newcastle, with the team booed at both half-time and the final whistle.

A number of supporters had made an exit before full-time, but on a night of understandable frustration there remained supportive chants from sections of the Old Trafford faithful.

“The crowd were behind us, so I have to congratulate the fans,” Ten Hag added. “They were all game behind us – we didn’t deserve but they were.

“We tried to fight but we make easy mistakes and they took the chances.”

The British horseracing industry has launched a petition urging the UK government to halt the planned introduction of what are seen as intrusive affordability checks.

By 11am on Thursday over 10,000 had already signed the online petition just hours after it had been posted, which it says could push punters towards black markets.

The Gambling White Paper published in April outlined plans to introduce blanket affordability checks which the industry as a whole has come together to rally against.

Racing industry experts have warned of a “catastrophic” impact on horse racing, with more than half of 14,000 people who recently took part in a survey suggesting they would walk away from the sport rather than provide personal financial information.

Independent estimates say up to £250million could be lost in revenue over the next five years.

Although it is registered in the name of Nevin Truesdale, chief executive of the Jockey Club, the petition is launched on behalf of Britain’s horseracing industry, which supports more than 85,000 jobs and contributes £4.1billion to the UK economy each year.

Its online citation reads: “We want the government to abandon the planned implementation of affordability checks for some people who want to place a bet. Such checks – including assessing whether people are ‘at risk of harm’ based on their postcode or job title – are inappropriate and discriminatory.

“The proposed checks could see bettors having to prove they can afford their hobby if they sustain losses as low as £1.37 per day. We accept the need to help those with problem gambling but more intrusive checks triggered at a higher threshold risks bettors moving to the black market where there are no consumer protections or safer gambling tools. There will also be a negative impact on British horseracing’s finances due to a reduction in betting turnover and resulting fall in Levy yield.”

Truesdale said: “The horseracing industry is hugely supportive of changes which directly address problem gambling, especially in the digital age we are in and we welcome the reform of the gambling laws which will result from the white paper, once it passes through the Parliamentary legislative process.

“However, the proposed and ongoing affordability checks are a significant infringement on personal freedom and have the potential to impact unfairly on two groups of people – the millions who gamble responsibly every year and the tens of thousands whose livelihoods depend directly and indirectly on horseracing.

“It is deeply disturbing that racing fans may have to prove they can afford to lose what amounts to less than £10 a week having a flutter on the sport they love, in particular when you consider the extremely low percentage of problem gambling in relation to horseracing. Nowhere else in society do we see this level of intrusiveness from the government when it comes to people’s legitimate hobbies.”

Truesdale added that a major concern regarding the government’s plans is that the checks themselves will not actually succeed in addressing the biggest issue they have been designed to tackle.

“If you introduce these blanket checks as they have been proposed, all it will actually do is create issues and friction for people, most of whom bet perfectly responsibly,” he said.

“We would like to see a much more targeted system of checks, which specifically respond to other markers of harm rather than just a blanket affordability check that will do nothing to address the underlying issue.”

Should 100,000 sign the petition it will be considered for debate in parliament.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes Jarell Quansah underlined his potential by producing a “top game” in tricky conditions at Bournemouth.

The 20-year-old defender helped the much-changed Reds set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham with an assured performance in Wednesday’s 2-1 success at Vitality Stadium.

The England Under-21 international was forced to contend with relentless rain and swirling winds on just his fourth senior start for the Reds as Storm Ciaran hit the south coast.

Manager Klopp praised his players’ professionalism in successfully battling the adverse weather and singled out centre-back Quansah for special praise.

“He was really good,” said the German.

“In these circumstances, wow. So many difficult balls to judge, to estimate where it is coming down.

“He did really well. On the ball, Caoimhin (Kelleher) thought ‘give him the ball quite a lot and let’s see what he can do’.

“He did really well there. Yes, top game, absolutely.”

Quansah made his Liverpool debut at Newcastle in late August, having spent the second half of last season on loan at League One club Bristol Rovers.

The 20-year-old was voted man of the match by Reds supporters after Darwin Nunez’s stunning 70th-minute winner in Dorset secured progression to the last eight.

Cody Gakpo marked his first start since suffering injury at Tottenham on September 30 with the first-half opener before Justin Kluivert’s maiden goal in English football brought Bournemouth level.

Substitute Nunez unleashed an eye-catching effort into the top right corner just 10 minutes after coming off the bench to find the net for the third successive game, earning acclaim from fellow goalscorer Gakpo.

“It was an amazing goal,” the Netherlands forward told Liverpool’s website.

“I think for the players it’s not really a surprise as we see his quality every time in training and in games as well.

“Now he’s just in a great run and we are there to support him and he is there too, supporting us to keep this fantastic run for him and for us as well.”

Dutch forward Kluivert hopes to become more prolific after breaking his Bournemouth duck in his ninth appearance since his summer move from Roma.

The diminutive 24-year-old briefly brought the Cherries level with a close-range header from Alex Scott’s corner in the 64th minute.

“I’m super happy for that,” he told afcbtv. “We had to wait on that a while but I’m happy that it came and I’m looking forward to scoring a lot more.

“It was nice with the head, there are not a lot that I make in my career.”

 He added: “I’m extremely proud of the lads. We fought to the end and unfortunately, they got the better hand with a great goal.

“We can take a lot of positive things and with a good mindset head to the next game (at Manchester City on Saturday).”

Hamish will attempt to successfully complete an unbeaten 2023 season when he lines up in the rearranged Betfred St Simon Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

William Haggas’ stable stalwart, who is owned by the trainer’s father, Brian, has won all three outings this term and was last seen winning easily at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

He will now race on the Rowley Mile for the very first time, bidding to go one better than when second in the race when held at its usual home of Newbury 12 months ago.

“We need some more rain really, but I think the ground will be pretty soft,” said Haggas.

“Newmarket is a completely different test for him. He’s a quirky horse so it will be interesting to see how he copes. We have never contemplated running him here, but there is a first time for everything I suppose.

“He is a useful horse. He’s in good form, so we’re hopeful.”

It was Max Vega who denied Hamish in the race last year and he is one of two in the race for trainer Ralph Beckett, alongside stablemate Lone Eagle.

Charlie Appleby’s King Of Conquest steps up in trip having pushed Haggas’ My Prospero close at Goodwood in September while Karl Burke’s Al Qareem has been in brilliant order since returning from a layoff and adds extra spice to the contest in search of a hat-trick.

“We chose to run here rather than go to France (for the Prix Royal-Oak). We just felt near enough two miles on heavy ground would be hard work for him when you add in the travelling as well,” explained Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing.

“I think the race is strong enough, the last two times he has been headed and fought back and I would be pretty hopeful, but Hamish is obviously in there as a very good horse.

“We go there expecting a big run and soft ground over a mile and a half might be perfect for him. I don’t quite know what his optimum is, when he won his Group Two it was over further on soft ground, but right now this is what I would choose – a mile and a half and soft ground.”

The Bradley silks will be carried for the first time by Grant Tuer’s Nottingham scorer Je Ne Sais Quoi in the supporting Irish EBF “Bosra Sham” Fillies’ Stakes, a race that has attracted 15 two-year-old fillies.

Chief among some talented youngsters in the field is Richard Hannon’s Serene Seraph who was placed behind a number of quality operators in her first two starts before opening her account in style at Newbury.

She now makes her first start for new owners Wathnan Racing and connections are confident she will handle the drop back in trip as they search for some end-of-season black type.

“She will take her chance coming back a furlong but I think she will get away with it,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners.

“It looks like very testing ground as it was at Newbury when she won last time.

“She has some very strong form in the book and we were keen to have a go at some black type before putting her away for next year.

“She’s a big filly and she will only be better next year, but Richard is very happy with her and we are happy to take a chance.”

Dual Group One winner Mostahdaf will retire to the stallion ranks at Shadwell’s Beech House Stud after his final career start in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf on Saturday.

The Frankel colt is trained by John and Thady Gosden for owner-breeder Shadwell, the racing operation of Sheikha Hissa.

His five-year-old campaign has been a great success with victories in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York, performances that see him lining up at Santa Anita on a mark of 128 with nearly £2.5million in prize-money earnt so far.

Beech House Stud in Newmarket is newly refurbished and will become the home of all Shadwell’s UK-based stallions, meaning Mostahdaf will stand alongside Baaeed, Tasleet and Mohaather.

Angus Gold, Shadwell’s racing manager, said: “Mostahdaf has been a top-class horse for the last three seasons, from showing his speed when winning five of his six races as a three-year-old between seven furlongs and a mile; he then displayed his clear versatility and ability over further.

“Since winning the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia by seven lengths earlier this year, he has come from behind to beat the best 10-furlong horses in Europe at Royal Ascot, and then made all in the Juddmonte International. At York he highlighted both his speed and class by running six of the last eight furlongs under 12 seconds.

“Mostahdaf never missed a day’s training and was a thorough professional throughout his career; his enthusiasm for his work, together with his outstanding physique and speed, should make him a very attractive prospect for breeders.”

John Gosden added: “Mostahdaf has always been a pleasure to train. Sound and always positive and generous in his work. His action is superb and fluent with a high cruising speed and electric acceleration. A horse who has been very consistent throughout his career.”

In other stallion news, Juddmonte have announced the Ralph Beckett-trained Irish Derby winner Westover has been sold and will stand at Yushun Stallion Station in Hokkaido, Japan for the 2024 season.

He will be syndicated, and a fee is yet to be determined.

Slough boss Scott Davies is back involved in the FA Cup first round but this time the only rush he is seeking is the high of a win.

Davies, who is candid enough to admit he lost his professional career because of gambling, was a player at Crawley when they reached the fifth round in 2012.

Under the stewardship of Steve Evans, Crawley won four ties before they were beaten by then-Premier League opposition in Stoke, but Davies laughs upon the realisation that he did not contribute towards that run.

“It sounds normal for me, but I fell out with the manager that season, so I didn’t play a big part at all,” Davies told the PA news agency ahead of sixth-tier Slough hosting Sky Bet League Two outfit Grimsby on Sunday.

Except that is no longer normal for a player once so crippled by a gambling addiction that he quit the professional game at the age of 26 after losing more than £200,000.

Davies’ relationship with gambling started a decade earlier when he walked into a bookmaker to kill time after training with Reading’s youth team, but in the flash of an eye his £50 weekly wage had been swallowed by the roulette machine and he suddenly had no money for the £1.50 bus fare to training.

Across the next 10 years the midfielder would score against Chelsea in pre-season, but blow his chance to work with ex-Royals boss Brendan Rodgers, regularly bet on himself, waste a £30,000 signing on fee in a fortnight and hurt the people closest to him.

Plenty of wake-up calls were ignored: sleeping in his car, bailiffs knocking at his door and even a crash when he was watching horse racing on his phone.

But a year after being released by Oxford, the sight of his emotional mother outside a bookmaker tipped Davies over the edge and he subsequently checked into rehab at Tony Adams’ Sporting Chance clinic in 2015.

He said: “My rock bottom was when I lost my football career ultimately because of my gambling.

“I didn’t deserve to be a professional footballer any longer because I wasn’t living the life of a professional.

“It was around a year after I came out of the professional game when I was playing in non-league that it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“I lost my identity of who I was, I didn’t have any structure, focus or routine in my life and I found myself self-harming in my kitchen in 2015, which was a dark place.

“I look back now and realise I tried to deal with the problems myself when I wasn’t equipped to do that.

“When I started talking about the issue, I felt like I started to overcome it and it has been over eight years now since I had a bet.

“I’ve definitely turned a corner for the better and I am in a good place.”

Davies has transformed his life since leaving rehab and now regularly visits Premier League and Football League training grounds to share his story as part of his work with EPIC Risk Management, a global gambling harm minimisation consultancy.

While the 35-year-old believes football is finally starting to take gambling seriously, with more education and better help on offer, he has been saddened by the plight of Brentford forward Ivan Toney and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, both of whom are currently serving bans for betting on the sport.

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“We want the integrity of our game to be kept at the highest level possible, but I also find it extremely sad that people are struggling with addiction,” Davies added.

“We sometimes forget the person involved and just look at the story. No one has a bet with the intention of losing their career, but sometimes addiction can take over.

“From what I am reading, Tonali and Ivan Toney have definitely had an issue with gambling and hopefully they come out on the right side and get the help they need.

“I am actually really forward to seeing Ivan Toney come back. For me it will be great to see he has recovered from any issues he might have been facing and got the help he needed.”

The ‘new Scott Davies’ is approaching a year in management, happily married and content with life.

Davies, who has made 179 appearances for Slough since 2018, masterminded a successful survival mission in the National League South last season after being named permanent player-boss in November.

Now into his first full campaign as a manager, Davies will take on a Football League side on Sunday when Grimsby visit a sold-out Arbour Park, but the former Reading protege has no current desires to return to the pro game.

Davies added: “A lot of people say I should get my badges and focus on getting to the Football League as a manager, but I’m very different.

“With what I have been through in my life and where I have been, I am quite content and happy with what I am doing at the moment with being player-manager at Slough and working with EPIC.

“I take each day as it comes, like I have done for probably the last eight years.

“The regrets I have in football I am definitely making amends for now. I know I can get some unbelievable days as a manager and hopefully one of them starts with a win on Sunday.”

An emotional Ons Jabeur announced she will donate some of her WTA Finals prize money to help Palestinian victims of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

After beating Marketa Vondrousova 6-4 6-3 in a reversal of the Wimbledon final for her first victory at the tournament in Mexico, Tunisian Jabeur broke down in tears during her post-match interview.

“I am very happy with the win but I haven’t been happy lately, to be honest with you,” said Jabeur.

“The situation in the world doesn’t make me happy. It’s very tough seeing children, babies, dying every day. It’s heartbreaking. So I’ve decided to donate part of my prize money to help the Palestinians.

“It’s not a political message, it’s just humanity. I want peace in this world and that’s it.”

Jabeur will need to beat Iga Swiatek in her final group match to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Second seed Swiatek has been in fine form in Cancun, defeating Coco Gauff for the ninth time in 10 meetings on Wednesday night.

The US Open champion double-faulted four times in a row during the second set in a 7-5 6-0 loss, with errors costing her dearly.

The win means Swiatek, who can overtake Aryna Sabalenka to reclaim the world number one spot this week, is the first female player to record 65 or more tour-level wins in back-to-back seasons in nearly two decades.

Swiatek is the only player to record 65 wins in 2023, with Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz on 64 and 63 wins respectively.