The New York Jets have added a wide receiver while getting rid of another, agreeing to a one-year contract with free agent Mecole Hardman and trading Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns.
According to NFL.com, New York will receive the Browns' second-round pick (42 overall) in this year's draft and will send Cleveland their third-round selection (74 overall) for Moore, who showed promise as a rookie in 2021 but had his role diminished this past season and requested a trade in October.
Moore became expendable after the Jets struck a deal with Hardman that could be worth up to $6.5million. The former Kansas City Chief joins a revamped receivers corps that also includes ex-Green Bay Packer Allen Lazard, who agreed to a four-year, $44m contract last week.
Swapping Moore also allows New York to boost its draft capital for a much-rumoured trade for four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Lazard's former Green Bay team-mate.
Hardman figures to replace Moore as the Jets' primary slot receiver and recorded career highs of 59 catches and 693 receiving yards in 2021.
The four-year veteran's numbers dropped to 25 receptions and 297 yards last season as he missed nine games with an abdominal injury that later required surgery, causing him to miss most of the Chiefs' playoff run to their second Super Bowl title in four years.
A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Moore caught 43 passes for 538 yards and a team-high five touchdowns during his rookie year but began to be phased out of the offense after the first four games of last season. The soon-to-be 23-year-old had just 22 catches, 254 receiving yards and one touchdown over the Jets' final 13 games.
Moore was also benched for one game after reportedly getting into a heated disagreement with then-offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in October, which prompted a trade request the Jets would not grant at the time.
He now joins a Cleveland team in need of a slot receiver to pair with 2022 starters Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
The Browns are now without a pick until the 74th selection of the upcoming draft. Cleveland previously traded their first and third-round choices to Houston in the deal that sent quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Texans to the Browns.
Zion Williamson has been cleared to return to on-court activities but will need at least two weeks to get up to speed.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced Williamson's return to fitness on Wednesday – a significant boost for a team whose season has gone off the rails.
At the time of Williamson's hamstring strain in January, the Pels were third in the Western Conference, just a game behind the first-placed Denver Nuggets.
Since then, however, New Orleans are 12-23, slipping to 12th place on the outside even of the play-in race.
Williamson has not been the only Pelican to miss time with injury, but Brandon Ingram's return has not improved the team's fortunes.
With the Pels set to re-evaluate Williamson in two weeks' time, he is on course to miss a minimum of seven more games.
New Orleans only have 10 games remaining.
A return in the final week of the regular season could be just the boost the Pels need, but they could also very realistically be out of postseason contention by then.
This has been another season wrecked by injury for Williamson, the former first overall pick.
He played only 24 games in his rookie season and 61 the following year before missing the entire 2021-22 campaign with a foot fracture.
The Pels still handed Williamson a five-year rookie extension worth up to $231million, with $193m guaranteed.
Although he continued to miss games on occasion, the initial signs were encouraging as Williamson averaged 26.0 points through 29 games.
But the hamstring injury derailed his and the Pels' season, with time running out to set it back on track.
India captain Rohit Sharma backed Suryakumar Yadav after he suffered a hat-trick of golden ducks in the ODI series loss to Australia.
A 21-run Australia victory on Wednesday saw the tourists leapfrog India at the top of the 50-over rankings, with the series defeat India's first at home since 2019.
Suryakumar's display highlighted the hosts woes, facing just three balls over the course of the series without getting his bat to any of them.
He was trapped lbw by Mitchell Starc both in India's opening win and Australia's dominant subsequent response in the second match.
There was therefore immense pressure on Suryakumar ahead of the decider in Chennai, and he was bowled by Ashton Agar.
But the batter retained the support of skipper Rohit.
"He played only three balls in the series. I don't know how much you can look into it. He got three good balls," Rohit said after the match.
"Today [Wednesday] I didn't think it was that great a ball. He just chose the wrong shot. He should have, maybe, come forward. He knows best.
"He plays spin so well, which is why we wanted to hold him back and give him that role of last 15 to 20 overs.
"But it's really unfortunate that he could only play three balls in the series. That can happen to anyone. The potential, the quality is always there. He's just going through that phase right now."
Harry Kane his World Cup disappointment behind him, England manager Gareth Southgate believes.
The Three Lions captain missed a decisive penalty in the quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar, continuing the nation's long wait for international glory.
Kane would have broken Wayne Rooney's international record had he scored the penalty, as well as potentially guiding England into the last four, but he fired his attempt over the bar and the Three Lions lost 2-1.
He is not alone in penalty heartache for England, however, with team-mates Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all missing spot-kicks in the shoot-out defeat to Italy at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final.
Going back further, Southgate himself missed from the spot in England's semi-final defeat to Germany at Euro 1996, meaning Kane is only the latest in a series of stars to suffer penalty heartache.
However, Southgate feels that will not hold back the Tottenham striker and backs him as one of the all-time greats.
"We've seen that with his performances and goals for his club that he has put it behind him," he said.
"He knows he's going to have added motivation tomorrow [Wednesday] night to come back and show everybody what he is about again in an England shirt. For us that is a good position.
"It's always difficult to compare across ages, there a lot who I didn't see because I wasn't alive. But because of his goalscoring alone, that puts him in the upper echelons of that group.
"He provides so much more for the team than that, his quality of passing, his vision, his touch, he's an outstanding player and we're very fortunate to have him."
The honour of being England's leading goalscorer is almost certain to fall to Kane, who is tied with Rooney on 53 for the Three Lions, and Declan Rice feels it would be a just reward.
"I think you can see every time he scores a goal how much it means to him. Every goal, every training session, everything he does is at such a high level," the midfielder added.
"If he does break the record tomorrow, it will be thoroughly deserved. He is a real leader and a lot of us will be very happy for him if he breaks the record tomorrow night."
With Antonio Conte expected to leave Tottenham by the end of the week, attention is already turning to who might be next to try their hand at what continues to look a near-impossible job.
Spurs are a big club with a fabulous stadium, passionate fanbase and talented squad.
Despite the relative success of Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino in the last two decades, as well as investing in high-profile bosses Jose Mourinho and Conte, none have been able to bring silverware to the north London club.
The only trophy Spurs have claimed since the turn of the century was the EFL Cup in 2007-08, and any new manager/head coach will be tasked with ending that drought as soon as possible, as well as ensuring another season of Champions League football.
Stats Perform looks at some of the early favourites, with Conte seemingly on the brink.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentinian was a very popular figure during his time at White Hart Lane – and subsequently Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Pochettino may not have won a trophy, but he presided over two title challenges and the run to the 2019 Champions League final, which resulted in a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
He mostly got the best out of his players, too, and took many of them to another level.
His five-year reign included 113 wins from 202 Premier League games, a points-per-game (PPG) average of 1.89, very slightly higher than Conte's 1.88 (32 wins from 56 games).
Pochettino was eventually dismissed by chairman Daniel Levy after appearing to take the club as far as he could, so going back to him when still looking someone to take them to the next level might be a little backwards.
He would likely be a popular choice with the fans, though, and should at the very least provide some stability. Perhaps crucially, he might also be their best bet in convincing Harry Kane to stay.
Ryan Mason
It wouldn't technically be a return for Mason as he never actually left, taking on a first-team coach role after the end of his interim spell at the helm following the sacking of Mourinho in April 2021.
His second game in charge was a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the EFL Cup final, but Mason arguably did well considering his lack of experience.
Given he only took charge of six matches, it seems a little pointless to stake a claim for Mason based on his own PPG record (2.0).
But the former Spurs midfielder is the heavy favourite for the job, even if only on a short-term basis again.
Similarly to Pochettino, the thinking behind that choice would most likely be stability and that decision makers at the club may feel the players are likely to respond positively to someone they already know.
Unless he performs spectacularly, appointing Mason would probably be followed by a full-time hire at the end of the season.
Thomas Tuchel
While Tuchel would be yet another former Chelsea boss taking the reins, following in the footsteps of Glenn Hoddle, Andre Villas-Boas, Mourinho and Conte, it's hard to argue with his credentials.
The German won 35 of 63 Premier League games with the Blues, a PPG average of 1.94, as well as winning the Champions League in 2021.
Considering Spurs are eager to win a first trophy since 2008, the fact Tuchel guided Chelsea to five finals – including the 2021 Club World Cup – in less than two years will no doubt appeal, even if he did lose three of them.
Tuchel reportedly left Stamford Bridge partly due to a disagreement on transfers with owner Todd Boehly, which may not bode well given Conte's consistent complaining about the way Spurs work in the market.
Either way, the man who shared a furious handshake with Conte earlier this season could well be the same person to replace the Italian in the Spurs dugout.
Luis Enrique
The former Real Madrid and Barcelona player most recently won 27 of 48 games as Spain head coach, but international football can be a different world to the top-level club game.
Luis Enrique was very successful in his last club job at Barca, though it admittedly helped having a front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all at their peak.
He won two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Rey crowns, a Supercopa de Espana, a European Super Cup and a Club World Cup, as well as the 2014-15 Champions League as part of a historic treble.
Overall, Luis Enrique won 87 of his 114 LaLiga games (2.4 PPG), but it is difficult to compare this to counterparts at Spurs given Barca's relative dominance in Spain.
His record at Roma earlier in his career could be a better barometer, winning 16 of his 38 Serie A games in charge of the Giallorossi (1.5 PPG), before winning 14 of 38 LaLiga matches as head coach of Celta Vigo (1.3 PPG) before heading to Camp Nou. But how relevant are these spells now given he left Balaidos nine years ago?
Similarly, the fact he's not had a club job since 2017 might be seen as problematic by some fans, while it could also be argued he underachieved with Spain.
Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi has made his mark on the Premier League very quickly since replacing Graham Potter at Brighton and Hove Albion in September.
Brighton have thrived and find themselves in a genuine fight for Europe, with a top-four finish not out of the question at this stage as they sit seven points behind fourth-placed Spurs with three games in hand.
De Zerbi has won eight of his 19 Premier League games, while the Seagulls rank second in the Premier League for passing accuracy (86.9 per cent), average possession (62.1 per cent) and passes per sequence (4.5). They are also third for goals (35) and fifth for passes played into the opposition's box since his first game, highlighting an attack-minded approach that would certainly be appreciated by a frustrated Spurs fanbase.
Getting him out of Brighton will be easier said than done, however, having already lost one head coach this season, not to mention their renown for getting a good deal – Potter reportedly cost Chelsea £21.5million.
Spurs will almost certainly have to pay through the nose or look elsewhere.
Oliver Glasner
A surprise name that has emerged in recent days is that of Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner, who impressed so many by leading the Bundesliga club to Europa League success last season.
Glasner made a promising start to his coaching career in his native Austria with Ried and LASK, before guiding Wolfsburg to seventh and fourth-placed finishes in the German top-flight.
He then made the switch to Eintracht ahead of the 2021-22 season. He could only guide them to 11th in the Bundesliga, winning just three of their 17 games in the second half of the campaign, but this came amid the backdrop of Europa League glory, eliminating Real Betis, Barcelona and West Ham before beating Rangers in the final on penalties.
Some reports suggest Levy has already contacted Glasner, whose contract expires in 2024.
This season, Eintracht sit sixth in the league and were recently knocked out of the Champions League last 16 by Napoli.
Jamaica’s lone rally cross driver Fraser McConnell capped off a fine 2022/23 Nitro Rally Cross season by finishing second in the season finale Group E Round 10 event at Glen Helen Raceway in California last weekend. McConnell demonstrated his tactical prowess during the damp six-lap final, only to be edged out by Dreyer&Reinbold Swedish teammate Robin Larsson, who took the final event in a time of 4:58:964.
Norway’s Andreas Bakkerud made it a clean sweep for team DRR after finishing third.
For his efforts, McConnell ended the overall championship third in Nitro RX 2022/23 and his contribution also allowed for team DRR to secure the team title which was pleasing for the Jamaican. “It has been a really great season in Nitro with me having a lot on the table and racing alongside people like Travis Pastrana, who is my childhood hero,” McConnell said.
“To be able to get third in the Championship with such a stacked field, was a big accomplishment for myself and Jamaica.”
McConnell entered the final day as one of the top five racers who were close in the championship standings. With Larsson eventually sewing up the championship, it was down to McConnell and Pastrana to see who would finish second and third, with the American just edging out the Jamaican in the last race of the season.
Following another successful season made possible by the support of sponsors Tru Shake, Just Bet, Proven Wealth, Jamaica Tourist Board and Rainforest Seafood, McConnell is already looking ahead to next season with his team in talks with the Nitro RX organizers to kick off the new season in June of this year.
“I am very happy with where I am at in my career and this past season really developed me as a driver. This shows that I can compete and beat the best in the world,” added McConnell.
After a break back home, McConnell will next turn his attention to the X44 Vida Carbon Racing, the Extreme E Team founded by Seven-Time Formula 1 Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton.
McConnell will join season-two winner and World Champion Cristina Gutiérrez as his race partner.
Leandro Trossard is delighted by his fast start in an Arsenal shirt and is optimistic of his new club's chances of winning the Premier League.
Trossard was a January signing for Mikel Arteta's side after the Belgium forward impressed in the first half of the season at Brighton and Hove Albion, scoring seven goals in 16 league games.
Since joining the league leaders, Trossard has only scored once but provided six assists in just 10 league games to help Arsenal rebuild an eight-point gap to Manchester City in second.
And the former Brighton has been surprised at how quickly he has settled.
"I maybe didn't expect to make that many minutes, but injuries helped me a bit. I’m however more than convinced of my own capabilities," Trossard said, speaking at a national team press conference on Wednesday.
"I arrived in a great group, filled with great players. That also makes it easier for new players to adapt and reach their levels.
"It was a very busy and weird period for me, but I'm very happy that I have been able to join Arsenal. I think it's been a great step for me.
"We all know how difficult it is to win the league, looking at Man City and Liverpool in recent years, but I think we have a great squad and that we have proven time and time again that we're doing well.
"There are 10 matches left, we'll see where we end once the season finishes."
The 28-year-old is set to feature heavily for Belgium after the retirement of fellow forward and former captain Eden Hazard.
City's Kevin De Bruyne has taken the armband, and Trossard is confident the midfielder and new head coach Domenico Tedesco will prove the difference as Belgium look to rally following their group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup.
"[De Bruyne] has a lot of experience at the highest level," Trossard said. "He knows everybody here, since he's been here for a while already.
"A lot of the younger guys look up to him – I think that's a really big advantage for a national team captain if people look up to you.
"We have a new manager, a new staff, and I'm excited to make this new start as well.
"We're looking sharp, everybody wants to prove themselves. We also have a lot of youngsters, there's a lot of renewed competition, and it's clear everybody wants to give it their all."
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he considered international retirement following the World Cup in Qatar.
Portugal crashed out at the quarter-final stage after defeat against Morocco, with Ronaldo losing his spot in the starting line-up for the knockout stages.
Fernando Santos dropped Ronaldo to the bench for the last-16 tie against Switzerland, with his replacement Goncalo Guedes scoring a hat-trick in a dominant 6-1 victory.
Ronaldo would continue as a substitute for the clash with Morocco, which almost spelled the end of his Portugal career.
"I'm not going to lie. In our life, we have to put everything on the scale," Ronaldo said ahead of a Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein.
"We thought, we reflected, me and my family, but then we came to the conclusion that, despite the difficulties, we cannot throw in the towel. I was able to see situations at different angles. I learned a lot from that.
"I'm glad to be back. Roberto Martinez showed that he counted on me. I've always wanted to play. As you know, he talked to everyone and to me, too. And I was able to realise that I have a lot to give to the national team.
"I feel it, I want it, and my desire is to take Portugal to the highest level. I will always give my contribution when they need me."
Steve Smith's gamble to bat first in Chennai paid off as Australia's 21-run victory over India clinched their ODI series and the number one ranking.
Australia headed into Wednesday's third and final match with the series level at 1-1, looking to end India's best ever seven-series winning streak at home.
Brave captaincy from Smith was required to do that, with Australia batting first on a dry and soft surface and scoring 269.
No touring batsman was able to build on a strong start, but the same was then true of the India line-up – Virat Kohli leading the way on 54 but out cheaply – as their target proved just beyond them.
The two innings followed similar patterns, with Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh combining for 68 before the former was caught for 33 three balls after being dropped.
Marsh went on to score 47, but Smith was unable to contribute as he departed for a duck, while each of the next five batters passed 20 but did not reach 40.
It left Australia with a competitive score but one India would have been confident of matching after their own opening stand of 65.
Even after a pair of wickets, the home side rallied to 146-2 with Kohli in fine form.
But Adam Zampa (4-45) and Ashton Agar (2-41) worked through the middle order, meaning Kohli's surprise departure to the latter – picking out David Warner at long-off – represented a blow that ultimately cost India.
Australia bookend India's winning run
Australia's win in the second ODI had snapped India's nine-match winning run in home ODIs, and another sequence was ended on Wednesday.
This was India's first defeat in a multi-game ODI series at home since Australia beat them 3-2 back in March 2019.
Kohli's needless departure
After sharing a 69-run partnership with KL Rahul that set India back on track after two wickets, Kohli looked set to play a part in another strong stand for the fifth wicket.
But after combining for 34 with Hardik Pandya – who scored 28 of those runs off 20 balls – the great batsman gave Warner a simple, vital catch.
Rory McIlroy supports the controversial proposals that would see new golf balls introduced to tackle ever-increasing driving distances.
The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) last week proposed a "Model Local Rule" that would allow organisers and tournaments the option to use a modified ball that reduces hitting distance by approximately 15 yards.
The move was first mooted in 2020 as a way of decreasing the distance modern tour professionals hit the ball amid fears golf courses will soon not be long enough to provide a suitable test in elite competitions.
The proposals have been met with widespread criticism from manufacturers and players alike, with Justin Thomas last week describing the move as "so bad for the game of golf."
However, four-time major champion McIlroy, who is currently playing at the World Golf Championships Match Play in Texas, is not so angry.
Speaking to No Laying Up, he said: "For elite-level play, I really like it. I really do.
"I know that's a really unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it's going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier. Especially in this era of parity that we've been living in these past couple of decades.
"Selfishly, I think it helps me. I think this is only going to help the better player. It might help the longer player too, in some ways but I think it's going to help the overall professional game.
"I think making guys hit some long irons again, and some mid irons, and being able to hit every club in your bag in a round of golf.… I can't remember the last time when I've had to do that.
"I don't know if this change in the ball will make us do that, but it certainly is a step closer to that."
Martin Slumbers and Mike Whan, the heads of the respective organisations, confirmed the rule would not be implemented until 2026 but would then be introduced for their elite events – the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
There is no obligation for the PGA Tour to adopt the rules, but McIlroy suggested he might still consider using a rolled-back ball in regular-season events to better prepare for the majors.
"Honestly, for me, the major championships are the biggest deal, so if the PGA Tour doesn't implement it, I might still play the Model Local Rule ball, because I know that'll give me the best chance and the best preparation leading into the major championships," he added.
"And again, this is personal preference and personal opinion at this stage of my career. I know that I'm going to be defined by the amount of major championships that I hopefully will win from now until the end of my career. And that's the most important thing for me.
"If that gives me the best chance to succeed at the major championships and feel as prepared as I possibly can be, then that's what I would do."
Lifelong Manchester United fan Usain Bolt couldn’t help but express his gratitude to Erik Ten Hag for making the Red Devils a competitive force in world football once more.
The eight-time Olympic gold medallist was on hand at Old Trafford on Sunday when Manchester United rallied from a goal down to defeat Fulham 3-1 in their FA quarter-final match.
After the controversial match in which Fulham had Willian and Aleksander Mitrovic sent off in the 72nd minute, Bolt caught up for the former Ajax boss, who now has United competing on all fronts this season and defeating Newcastle 2-0 to win the EFL Cup in February.
“The first thing I said to him was ‘thank you’. That’s the first thing I said and he was like ‘thanks for what?’ I was like ‘for bringing the glory days back’,” Bolt revealed to media about his conversation with Ten Hag.
“It feels good to watch Manchester now. The team is together, they’re as one. They’re working together, they’re working hard and you can see the purpose now, you can see the determination in the way they play.
“I was very happy with his progress and I can tell that he’s going to do a lot more. We have a lot more trophies in our future so I’m excited.”
As for the future, Bolt wanted to know who the boss wanted to bring in during the summer to continue transforming the club.
“I actually asked him about who we’re going to bring in in the summer and he was like ‘do you have any ideas?’. It was a nice, simple but fun conversation,” the 100 and 200m world record holder said.
Karl-Anthony Towns hopes to return the "very complete" player he was before his injury as he prepares to make his Minnesota Timberwolves comeback.
The forward suffered a serious calf strain on November 28 and has missed the last four months.
However, Towns was upgraded to questionable ahead of Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks and is planning to play.
The 27-year-old was averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and a career-high 5.3 assists per game before his lay-off and felt he was in peak form.
With the T-Wolves ninth in the Western Conference but only a game behind the Golden State Warriors in sixth, Minnesota will need Towns back at that level.
"I'm super excited to get back out on the court and help my team, because these next nine games are super important," he told ESPN.
"I'm just trying to pick up where I left off. I was telling my dad: right before I got hurt, I felt the most complete as a player in my career.
"From the defensive end, from the offensive end, from a mental aspect, leadership aspect, I felt very complete."
Towns is confident he can immediately make an impact, highlighting the specific areas in which he believes he can provide the T-Wolves a boost.
"I don't feel like I lost the step. I actually gained steps, because I've been able to learn from a different aspect, in a way that I've never looked from just sitting on the sideline," he added.
"I think anytime I step on the court, I can make an impact. But specifically we've been struggling a lot right now with free throws, and I've always been a really good free throw shooter.
"I think that, shooting-wise, it's going to be great to add that kind of three-point component to us."
The Premier League has launched the Fan Engagement Standard (FES) to encourage "long-term meaningful" discourse with supporters.
The announcement follows Premier League clubs' initial endorsements of the plans at the division's June 2022 AGM.
It aims to act as a framework within which clubs can tailor their own unique approaches to fan engagement, with themes including accessibility, collaboration, and communication.
Clubs are due to announce their own work in light of the FES in the coming days, and all clubs will publish a Fan Engagement Plan ahead of the 2023-34 season.
Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, said: "Supporters have always been the lifeblood of football, and Premier League fans are known around the world for their passion and enthusiasm.
"Clubs already carry out a great deal of work in this area, and the Standard is the next step in enhancing these collective efforts.
"It is vital we ensure the voices of supporters are not only heard in the stands, but also when it comes to having a say on key issues relating to their clubs. The Standard puts structures in place to establish consistency across the league and improve transparency."
The Premier League said it will oversee clubs' compliance with the FES and aim to promote good practice between club staff and fan representatives, with supporters encouraged to involve themselves in any ways made possible.
A method of assessment will also be developed during the remainder of this season by the league and selected clubs, theoretically to help determine how teams will report on the FES and how to make "recommendations for improvement".
Marcus and Khephren Thuram have expressed pride at their joint call-up to the France squad.
The brothers faced the media at France's Clairefontaine base ahead of Friday's Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands.
The pair follow in the footsteps of the Hernandez brothers, Lucas and Theo, in becoming the latest siblings to be called up by coach Didier Deschamps.
And Marcus, who starred at the 2022 World Cup, explained he was actually prouder of Khephren's debut call-up than this own.
"I learned about his selection at the same time as him," the Borussia Monchengladbach forward said. "I called him immediately. I was more proud for him than for me.
"He is a very serious person, he impresses me, and he will still improve."
The son of 1998 World Cup winner Lilian as well as Marcus' brother, Khephren is keen to forge his own reputation.
He said: "I haven't been in anyone's shadow. It's a source of pride and happiness to have a brother like Marcus. He is a very jovial person, and he has confidence in his qualities.
"I know he knows he can reach much, much higher, and he is working for that."
Ahead of the Netherlands game, Kylian Mbappe was named as the new France captain following the retirement of Hugo Lloris after the World Cup.
It is a decision team-mate Marcus supported as he said: "He's a charismatic leader on and off the pitch. He can be a unifying captain."
The Thuram brothers both feature in an exciting new generation for France, with Marcus explaining: "We are players with a lot of self-confidence. We don't ask ourselves unnecessary questions when we enter the field.
"Randal Kolo Muani was not supposed to be at the World Cup, and he came into the final and almost won it. This is a reckless generation that is not afraid of much."
Marcus is expected to leave Gladbach when his contract expires at the end of the season, with Lilian set to have a say on his next move.
"He has the place of a dad, but he knows a little about it," the forward said. "His word carries weight, I'm happy to have someone like him by my side.
"He will have a major place in the choices to come."
Could Marcus and Khephren play together for club as well as country then?
"We all have different careers," Marcus answered. "If we have to play together in a club, it will be with pleasure, but it's not an obsession."
Khephren added: "It's perfect to have him next to me, because I let him answer when I don't know what to say."
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