David Moyes compared Erling Haaland to a machine as West Ham prepare to keep Manchester City’s record-levelling striker at bay on Wednesday in the Premier League.

Haaland’s opener in City’s win over Fulham on Sunday marked his 50th goal in all competitions – a record-equalling 34 of them have come in the Premier League.

Moyes talked up the striker’s explosive debut top-flight season and admitted his physical and technical attributes make him unplayable for defenders.

“It has taken them time to get used to Haaland just like we are with a few of our players…they have needed to get used to his goals because he provides those like a machine,” Moyes said.

“You are maybe hoping he has a weakness, that he cannot run or he is not good in the air, or his touch is not good but, he is all-round, and surrounded by team-mates who can provide him with balls in the air, balls through the middle, cut-backs for finishes, he can finish with his left, right.”

“He’s the icing on the cake for them. I think they’ve got so many good players who can create chances, he’s such a good finisher and if you get him in those right positions he’s capable of scoring.”

The West Ham boss attributed parts of Haaland’s success to City manager Pep Guardiola, who has lost just once to Moyes in 13 meetings during his career.

A win on Wednesday would keep the prospect of a historic treble-winning season alive – City play Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League before taking a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United.

“I think he’s a super coach (Guardiola) who has got really good players, but I think he’s also made those players better and when you make players better that says something about him,” Moyes added.

“Wherever he’s been, he’s been incredibly successful and managed all the big clubs. You don’t get the big jobs if you’re not good, he’s very, very good.

“Pep, tactically, is fantastic. They have also had an awful lot of money to get the best players. You cannot take that away, but the praise could be big enough because of the way he is changing football.”

Moyes insisted pressure has mounted on both clubs with City leading the title race and West Ham four points clear of danger. He believes City’s ‘cannot afford to drop points’ mentality will make them more potent than usual.

The Scot explained: “It makes them a difficult opponent (City having the title to play for), there’s a lot of pressure for the teams at the bottom of the league but there’s incredible pressure for the teams at the top of the league.

“When you’re one of the top clubs your job is to win all the games and when you have got so much at stake, every game you’re needing to win so that’s pressure, pressure for Manchester City as well.”

Sanctions are set to be issued against six former Yorkshire players later today for using racist language.

An independent Cricket Discipline Commission panel found five individuals – John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah – had used the term “P***” about former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq or other people of Asian ethnicity when it issued its decision in the case on March 31.

A sixth individual – Gary Ballance – had already admitted using racist and/or discriminatory language and is expected to be sanctioned at the same hearing on Wednesday.

The panel will consider any written submissions or verbal representations from or on behalf of the six before deciding on any sanctions, but the PA news agency understands a written submission had only been received on behalf of Ballance as of Tuesday afternoon.

The other five individuals had withdrawn from the proceedings and did not appear at a liability hearing held in early March, with the charges against them heard in their absence.

Among the panel’s sanctioning powers are the imposition of suspensions and fines, and ordering an education or training course be completed.

The CDC panel cleared former England captain Michael Vaughan of using racist and/or discriminatory language.

Yorkshire admitted four charges in the case, which stemmed primarily from allegations made by Rafiq and the club’s handling of the claims.

A separate hearing will deal with the sanctions the club will face on June 27.

Former England international Hoggard was found to have used the term “P***” towards Rafiq and other Asian players during the 2008 season, and the term “Rafa the Kaffir” towards Rafiq.

It also found he had used the term “token black man” or “TBM” towards former Yorkshire team-mate Ismail Dawood, and dismissed Hoggard’s assertion that Dawood had created the nickname himself.

Gale, a former Yorkshire captain and head coach, was also found to have used the term “Rafa the Kaffir” towards Rafiq and the term “P***” towards Rafiq and Yorkshire academy player Mosun Hussain.

Blain was found to have used the term “P***” in 2010 and/or 2011 while at Yorkshire, while Bresnan and Pyrah were found to have used the term “fit P***” or “FP” about Asian women.

Leeds are expected to appoint Sam Allardyce on Wednesday as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The club will part company with manager Javi Gracia – having already removed director of football Victor Orta – with Allardyce taking over for the run-in.

A poor season at Elland Road sees the club languishing 17th, and only goal difference keeps them out of the relegation zone.

They have lost four in a winless run of five matches and have four games left to save themselves.

Gracia only took over in February but confirmation that Allardyce is taking charge is expected a day after the departure of divisive director of football Orta.

The Spaniard took up the post at Elland Road in 2017 and helped the West Yorkshire side make their long-awaited return to the Premier League three years later.

But things have gone awry of late and embattled Leeds confirmed Orta’s exit by mutual consent.

Leeds travel to leaders Manchester City on Saturday, before hosting third-placed Newcastle. A trip to West Ham and an Elland Road encounter with European hopefuls Tottenham rounds out the season.

Allardyce would take charge after suffering his first Premier League relegation with West Brom, when he left six months into an 18-month contract.

The 68-year-old former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and England boss would be Leeds’ third permanent manager of the season after Jesse Marsch and Gracia.

Allardyce is reported to have agreed a basic salary of £500,000 for his four games in charge, with a £2.5million bonus if he can keep Leeds up.

Mikel Arteta watched his Arsenal team return to the top of the Premier League table with victory over Chelsea before insisting he would not let his players’ heads drop.

The Gunners were eight points clear last month but had fallen behind Manchester City following a run of four winless game – a streak that ended with a comfortable 3-1 win over the beleaguered Blues.

Captain Martin Odegaard scored twice before Gabriel Jesus wrapped up the win before half-time as Noni Madueke’s first league goal proved a mere consolation for Frank Lampard’s visitors.

Despite their recent run, Arteta had refused to rule Arsenal out of the title race and this win took them two points clear – although they have played two more games than City.

The Spaniard admitted he did not want to see morale fall after a galling loss at City last week saw their lead all but dashed.

“It is four games to go, we are at the top right now,” he said.

“We cannot do that (let heads drop), to be where we are after 10 months against the team we are fighting against, being there and having the possibility to be top – we have to enjoy it and embrace it, maximise the opportunity that we have because we don’t know what is going to happen.

“We wanted to have a very different approach to the game, and we did it right from the beginning.

“The team is back to its best. We wanted to prove we had that fire in the belly. I could see that in the last few days, and we prepared (for) the game well.

“Mentally we arrived in the right mood and with the right level of energy. Everything went for us as well, which is important.

“We’ve had a couple of difficult weeks with very different games, with a lot of emotions involved. We’re back to the top of the league – let’s see what happens.”

While it was a night to remember for skipper Odegaard, it was one his predecessor will want to forget in a hurry. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang started for Chelsea for the first time since facing the Gunners on November 6 but lasted just 45 minutes before being substituted, having had nine touches – four of which were kick-offs.

Arteta was full of praise for Odegaard and the example set by the Norway international.

“He has 14 goals this season, his contribution to the team, his leadership skills, I’m really pleased with him,” he added.

“He has been exceptional for us, his contribution every single day. I think he has done that (set the tone) on many occasions. What Martin has done this season deserves a lot of credit.”

Chelsea have now lost all six games under interim head coach Frank Lampard, who believes his players are “too nice” as they remain in the bottom half of the table.

“We weren’t good enough,” he conceded.

“We were too nice to play against, too passive. In possession we weren’t playing balls over their press, or winning second balls.

“Chelsea have been a big success for 20 years domestically and in the Champions League, at the moment we’re not in that position.

“But from the moment I’ve been here it’s been evident we’re too nice as a team.

“We can’t change things overnight but we had better get there quickly because we have another game at the weekend and games to come.”

A 10-man Real Madrid faltered once again in the LaLiga title race as Takefusa Kubo haunted his former club after scoring in a 2-0 win for Real Sociedad.

Barcelona snatched a 1-0 victory over Osasuna prior to Tuesday's kick-off at Reale Arena, where Madrid offered little without the suspended Vinicius Junior or the rested Karim Benzema.

Kubo – who joined La Real from Los Blancos last July – scored just past half-time and, after Dani Carvajal received his marching orders for two cautions, Ander Barrenetxea made sure of victory for the hosts.

Next week's Champions League semi-final clash at Manchester City appears the priority for Madrid now over LaLiga, where they trail leaders Barca by 14 points with five games to play.

Alex Remiro made an expert stop to deny Eder Militao with a sixth-minute header bound for the top-right corner before La Real steadied their early nerves.

Martin Zubimendi turned Alexander Sorloth's near-post flick-on onto the crossbar from point-blank range, while Thibaut Courtois repelled a glorious David Silva chance with his feet.

Mikel Oyarzabal saw a penalty appeal for a foul by Militao rejected as Sociedad continued in the ascendancy, albeit without a first-half reward arriving.

Yet their dominance told immediately after the interval when Kubo capitalised on a stray Militao pass back to Courtois and poked into an empty net.

Matters worsened for Madrid as Carvajal was sent off for a second needless lunge on Aihen Munoz, before Barrenetxea sealed the deal in the 85th minute when he smashed a low finish into the bottom-left corner.

What does it mean? Immaculate Imanol plan has Madrid reeling…again

La Real coach Imanol Alguacil has taken more points off Madrid in LaLiga than any other manager in the competition's history, moving past Paco Lopez (10) after making it 12 in 10 games (W3 D3 L4).

While the visitors were without star winger Vinicius, Los Blancos had won all three fixtures this season when he had not featured and avoided conceding in those outings.

Then there was Carlo Ancelotti's decision to rest Benzema, displaying the Italian's obvious priority – Alguacil may have Madrid's number but Los Blancos' calling card remains firmly with the Champions League.

King Kubo

Loan spells at Mallorca, Villarreal and Getafe marked an unsuccessful spell in Kubo's Madrid career, with Los Blancos showing little interest in keeping him.

But the La Real forward made his former side pay here, scoring his eighth goal in 30 LaLiga games for Alguacil's side – two more than in his previous four seasons combined (six goals in 94 outings).

More needed from Militao

Miliato went close in the opening stages to scoring his sixth headed goal this season in Europe's top-five leagues – no player can match his current mark of five either.

Yet the Brazil centre-back's momentary lapse in concentration in the second period, crumbling under the pressure of Sorloth before rolling in Kubo, will be what this performance is remembered for.

What's next?

Madrid face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday, a week before La Real host Girona in LaLiga.

Pep Guardiola has warned that Erling Haaland’s second season at Manchester City could be even better than his first.

Haaland is on the brink of setting a new single-season Premier League goalscoring record after a sensational first campaign at the Etihad Stadium.

The prolific Norwegian netted his 34th goal of the champions’ 2022-23 league programme – and his 50th overall – in Sunday’s victory at Fulham.

That drew him level with joint competition record-holders Andy Cole and Alan Shearer and, with six games to play starting with Wednesday’s visit of West Ham, the 22-year-old looks certain to set a formidable new benchmark.

Guardiola, however, believes his best could be yet to come.

The City manager said: “Always I’ve said with Erling it will be tough when you look at what he has done – and if he doesn’t score the goals like he’s scoring now people will say, ‘Oh, he’s in a bad situation’ – but his game can improve a lot.

“I wouldn’t say in the box but in the game itself, the movements. I think he has that feeling, ‘Is that enough?’, and I think he has the desire to get better as a player.

“As long as he has that he can do it.”

Guardiola believes Haaland, who joined City last summer after plundering 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, arrived with a determination to break records.

He said: “Yes, I think so. I know him a bit and he is so competitive and positive in his mindset.

“He has this incredible, positive self-confidence. It’s not arrogance.

“It’s self-confidence to say I am going to score and to arrive in his first season and score 50 already and equal the record for two legends in Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.”

Haaland’s remarkable record has raised the prospect he could even surpass the English record 63 goals for a top-flight player scored by Everton’s Dixie Dean in 1927-28.

Comparisons have also been made with Lionel Messi, who scored 73 for Barcelona in 2011-12, but Guardiola says drawing parallels with one of the all-time greats is unfair.

Messi’s former Barca boss said: “No-one can compare with Messi. It will not help Erling.

“Messi is the most complete player I have seen in terms of vision, dribbles, passes, competitiveness, in many things that are difficult.

“Hopefully Erling can be so close (to) Leo, that will be great for us and him, but I don’t help anyone to compare them with the Argentina player.”

Haaland has established a potent partnership with playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who is hoping to overcome a knock to feature against the Hammers.

De Bruyne said: “He’s matched the record for the Premier League scoring 34 goals.

“I am just trying to help him achieve that and he has been able to do it. I just try to create as many chances as I can and he is ready to pounce in the box. We work really well together and he has been great.”

Arsenal stormed back to the top of the Premier League with a fine return to form against beleaguered London rivals Chelsea.

Having not won any of their past four games, the Gunners eased to a 3-1 victory to leapfrog Manchester City for at least the next 24 hours.

Captain Martin Odegaard hit a brace as Gabriel Jesus wrapped up the points before the interval, with Chelsea slipping to a sixth successive defeat under interim boss Frank Lampard.

Recalled Noni Madueke at least hit a rare consolation goal for the Blues, who have now lost six of their past seven meetings with Arsenal.

While it was a night to remember for skipper Odegaard, it was one his predecessor will want to forgot in a hurry, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting for Chelsea for the first time since facing Arsenal on November 6 but lasting just 45 minutes before being substituted.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had refused to rule his side out of the title race despite a four-game winless run which culminated in a galling defeat to rivals City last week.

This result takes them back to the summit, two points clear of City but having played two games more and with Pep Guardiola’s men in fine form ahead of their visit of West Ham on Wednesday.

Granit Xhaka had an early chance but his close-range strike was saved by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was in for a busy night.

It was a lively start for the hosts, with Bukayo Saka next to test Kepa, the England forward’s header palmed away by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

There was nothing the stopper could do shortly afterwards, however, only getting a glove to a fine Odegaard finish from a Xhaka cross with both players afforded the time and space to put Arsenal into a deserved lead.

The same pair combined again for the second, again with little to no pressure on either player as Odegaard drifted away from Raheem Sterling to net a 14th goal of the season.

Chelsea almost hit back through Ben Chilwell but his England colleague Aaron Ramsdale pushed his shot behind at full stretch.

Lampard reacted to an abject first half by replacing the ineffectual Aubameyang, who had just nine touches on his Emirates return – four of which were kick-offs.

It was Arsenal, though, who continued where they left off, Gabriel Magalhaes heading a corner towards goal where his fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva controlled on the line before coolly clearing under pressure.

Xhaka nearly went from provider to scorer but Kepa pushed his strike away before Jesus could not keep an effort down with Arsenal rampant.

Chelsea would pull a goal back, just their second in eight games, as Madueke bundled home his first Premier League goal after skipping inside Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Mykhailo Mudryk, strongly linked with Arsenal before his January move to Chelsea, was introduced by the visitors six minutes later. He had a laser pen shone at him on several occasions but saw plenty of the ball as he sought to make the closing stages nervy for the Gunners.

However, unlike in recent weeks when Arteta’s defence has creaked under pressure, they stood firm to see out the game and secure a vital win.

Arsenal stormed back to the top of the Premier League with a fine return to form against beleaguered London rivals Chelsea.

Having not won any of their past four games, the Gunners eased to a 3-1 victory to leapfrog Manchester City for at least the next 24 hours.

Captain Martin Odegaard hit a brace as Gabriel Jesus wrapped up the points before the interval, with Chelsea slipping to a sixth successive defeat under interim boss Frank Lampard.

Recalled Noni Madueke at least hit a rare consolation goal for the Blues, who have now lost six of their past seven meetings with Arsenal.

While it was a night to remember for skipper Odegaard, it was one his predecessor will want to forgot in a hurry, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting for Chelsea for the first time since facing Arsenal on November 6 but lasting just 45 minutes before being substituted.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had refused to rule his side out of the title race despite a four-game winless run which culminated in a galling defeat to rivals City last week.

This result takes them back to the summit, two points clear of City but having played two games more and with Pep Guardiola’s men in fine form ahead of their visit of West Ham on Wednesday.

Granit Xhaka had an early chance but his close-range strike was saved by the legs of Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was in for a busy night.

It was a lively start for the hosts, with Bukayo Saka next to test Kepa, the England forward’s header palmed away by the Chelsea goalkeeper.

There was nothing the stopper could do shortly afterwards, however, only getting a glove to a fine Odegaard finish from a Xhaka cross with both players afforded the time and space to put Arsenal into a deserved lead.

The same pair combined again for the second, again with little to no pressure on either player as Odegaard drifted away from Raheem Sterling to net a 14th goal of the season.

Chelsea almost hit back through Ben Chilwell but his England colleague Aaron Ramsdale pushed his shot behind at full stretch.

Lampard reacted to an abject first half by replacing the ineffectual Aubameyang, who had just nine touches on his Emirates return – four of which were kick-offs.

It was Arsenal, though, who continued where they left off, Gabriel Magalhaes heading a corner towards goal where his fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva controlled on the line before coolly clearing under pressure.

Xhaka nearly went from provider to scorer but Kepa pushed his strike away before Jesus could not keep an effort down with Arsenal rampant.

Chelsea would pull a goal back, just their second in eight games, as Madueke bundled home his first Premier League goal after skipping inside Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Mykhailo Mudryk, strongly linked with Arsenal before his January move to Chelsea, was introduced by the visitors six minutes later. He had a laser pen shone at him on several occasions but saw plenty of the ball as he sought to make the closing stages nervy for the Gunners.

However, unlike in recent weeks when Arteta’s defence has creaked under pressure, they stood firm to see out the game and secure a vital win.

Liverpool can challenge for Premier League titles again but only if they back Jurgen Klopp in the transfer market, says former Reds defender Kolo Toure.

Since arriving at Anfield in 2015, Klopp's Liverpool have been hugely competitive both domestically and in Europe, winning the Premier League and Champions League while finishing runners-up in those competitions a combined four times.

But this season has been a far cry from those past successes, with Liverpool fighting to finish in the European places rather than competing for the Premier League title and crashing out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage.

The Reds splashed out over £100million on forwards Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo this season, but Toure believes Klopp must be provided with further spending power to freshen up the squad and get Liverpool back in silverware contention.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Toure said: "They have to look for somebody who has legs again and refresh the team, refresh the squad a little bit, bring in players who have the right mentality.

"They can go again because they have a top manager with them having Jurgen [Klopp], and [they have to] keep him there and make sure they sign the right players for him, then they will bounce again and go and fight for the Premier League, definitely."

Gakpo and Nunez have combined for just 15 Premier League goals this term as Liverpool have failed to keep up with title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal.

Toure feels the pair must do more to fit into Klopp's style of play, saying: "It's been a tough campaign for Liverpool, definitely, but every team goes in a cycle. When you sign players, sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't fit because of whatever reason, you don't know.

"He's signed a few players right now, [Cody] Gakpo and the other striker, [Darwin] Nunez and it's up to them to make sure they can fit in the team. Jurgen is such an incredible manager, he knows how he wants his team to play. But, when you sign players you expect them to fit in your team.

"At the moment, those players have to show that, they have to show more for the team. They haven't done that this season so well. Gakpo needed time to adapt, but he is looking to have the right chemistry in the team, and bringing in new players to refresh the team, to make sure the team can go again. This season will be a transition for them, but next season they're going to be better, definitely."

Liverpool's failure to live up to their past glories under Klopp has seen his job questioned by some, with the German himself saying last month his previous successes were the only reason he had not been sacked.

But Toure, who played under Klopp for one season at Anfield, says the former Borussia Dortmund coach still has more to extract from these players.

"In his time it feels like he has squeezed the team, it feels like he has taken everything out of the team, and it feels like he can't do any more – he would say that," Toure added.

"At the moment, he knows he can still up that team, and that's what he's tried to do. He can help them.

"I think Jurgen is such an intelligent manager and if he feels he has squeezed the team to the maximum, he will just feel it and say definitely. For me, I still feel like this Liverpool team don't need a lot to come back to the top of the league there with the other [teams]."

Two weeks ago, Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks created controversy with a few insults directed at superstar LeBron James.

He reportedly will no longer be making any more questionable comments as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The unrestricted free agent was informed by the Grizzlies on Tuesday that they will not be bringing him back "under any circumstances," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Memphis told Brooks of the decision in an exit meeting, with his showing in the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers coming as the final "breaking point," according to the report.

Brooks made headlines after the Grizzlies evened their series against the Lakers with a Game 2 win on April 19, when he took a shot at the league's all-time leading scorer.

In addition to calling James "old", he said: "I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40 [points]."

Brooks' comments backfired, as the Lakers responded by winning the series in six games – including a 125-85 thrashing in Friday's clincher.

While the 38-year-old James stepped up his play in the series, Brooks seemed to shrivel.

After taking his jab at James, Brooks averaged just nine points on 28 per cent shooting and 22.2 percent on 27 three-point attempts in the series' final four games.

This came after Brooks averaged 14.3 points on 39.6 per cent shooting and 32.6 per cent on three-pointers in 73 regular-season games in 2022-23.

He did not talk to the media after the Grizzlies' three losses in Los Angeles, and was subsequently fined $25,000 for violating the league's rules regarding media interview access.

The 27-year-old ended up speaking to the media during the team's exit interviews on Sunday, but said he had no regrets about the comments he made.

"That's who I am," he said. "I don't regret it. I'm a competitor, I compete. I don't think it got LeBron geeked up."

Jordi Alba spared Barcelona's blushes against a defiant 10-man Osasuna after his late strike earned the hosts a 1-0 LaLiga win at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

The substitute tucked a low finish past Aitor Fernandez at the near post in the closing stages to keep the Blaugrana on the march to the title.

It delivered crucial relief for Xavi's side after they had largely failed to make the most out of an extra body against the visitors, following Jorge Herrando's 26th-minute red card.

The win moves Barca onto 82 points and potentially just a couple of games away from clinching a first LaLiga title since the 2018-19 campaign.

An otherwise tepid game that had mustered little in the way of excitement burst into life shortly before the half-hour mark when Osasuna debutant Herrando brought down Pedri as the last man.

Referee Javier Iglesias brandished a straight red to end the 22-year-old's involvement, before Raphinha brushed the crossbar with the subsequent 30-yard free-kick.

Barca still looked below their best however and were forced to withdraw a limping Gavi before the break, though Ronald Araujo went close with a low header from a set-piece.

With their man advantage, the hosts stepped up their attempts to find an opener after the interval, with Ousmane Dembele firing wide at close range just after the hour mark.

Robert Lewandowski looked to have finally made the breakthrough with less than a quarter-hour left, only for Ferran Torres to be flagged offside as the hosts feared they would have to settle for a share of the spoils.

But Alba was there to net the winner in the 85th minute, slotting a neat strike between Fernandez and the post to send the home crowd into raptures.

Chief executive Alan Burrows has warned that Aberdeen “will be a very difficult club to deal with” if any interested parties attempt to sign their best players.

Strikers Luis “Duk” Lopes and Bojan Miovski have notched 18 goals apiece in their maiden seasons at Pittodrie and have been the subject of interest from elsewhere.

“Both Duk and Miovski are in the first year of long-term contracts,” said Burrows. “The club is under no pressure to sell them and the club don’t want to sell them.

“If anybody wants to take our best assets away from us, particularly ones who have long contracts, we’re going to be a very difficult club to deal with.

“We have to marry up a model that says we develop young players through the academy and players we bring in to develop and sell, but at the same time you’ve got to balance that by building a squad rather than consistently chipping away at it, so in order to do that you’ve got to retain the best value for these players.

“People have got to know that Aberdeen Football Club will do that. The board have done that in the past, they’ve knocked back big offers for players and I sense from the ownership group and the board that they’re more than prepared to do that again.

“We want to build a strong team and retain the best players whilst also understanding that there is a model that requires us to continually look to trade on players to continue the health of the football club and invest in the team.

“It won’t be easy for anybody who wants to take any of our best players, that’s for sure.”

Burrows was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, a day after interim boss Barry Robson – who was initially in situ only until the end of this season – was handed a contract for the next two years.

The recently-recruited CEO explained why former under-18s coach Robson, who has won eight of his 10 games in charge, emerged as the favoured choice following an “extensive” recruitment process that explored “a number of key candidates”.

“I had never met Barry before I came to the club but I’d heard a lot about him. I was really taken aback by how highly regarded he was by the senior people at Pittodrie and then after my first meeting with him at Cormack Park,” said Burrows, who joined Aberdeen at the end of February, a month after Robson took the reins from the sacked Jim Goodwin.

“That hour-and-a-half I could really sense what type of character he is and I really liked him from the get-go. I thought ‘this guy’s really got the materials to be doing it’.

“In terms of the stuff he’s been doing away from the pitch, Barry’s been developing a bit of a DNA about what it means to be an Aberdeen player, right through from the youngest academy players, to the development age groups, to the first team, and really trying to home in on what it means to play for this club and be successful.

“And now that he’s the manager, we’re really excited about him being able to drive that forward from the top down.

“It’s almost that utopia of what football clubs want, that connectivity between the three different areas of player development and we think Barry now is the flagship, most senior person within the football department and he can really drive that forward and connect up those departments.

“First and foremost it’s about winning matches – and he’s doing that. Developing players and giving them confidence and a structure, and he’s done that.

“And the third thing is to connect up all the various departments and the various age groups to create a real synergy between the very youngest player and the most senior player.

“Those were the three key reasons about (appointing) Barry and also we’ve got a big job to do this summer and that was part of the reason for expediting the process slightly from what we’d said about six weeks ago.”