Luca Brecel’s sensational march to the World Snooker Championship title in Sheffield concluded 17 days of significant shocks and sensational upstarts.

Early defeats for the likes of in-form Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump blasted open the seedings while up-and-comers like Brecel and Si Jiahui came of age.

Here, the PA news agency casts an eye over the highlights from another unforgettable fortnight and a bit at the Crucible.

A superstar prospect who seemed destined not to fill his enormous early potential, Brecel has finally hurled himself among the elite. With a swashbuckling style that evokes former Crucible greats like Alex Higgins and Jimmy White, Brecel won the hearts of the Sheffield crowd during his irresistible march to his maiden title.

Out of the dark cloud of the match-fixing scandal that snared 10 of their compatriots emerged a new generation of Chinese talent, spearheaded by the extraordinary Si Jiahui. His run to the last four will remain an abiding memory of this tournament and, as one of four first-time Chinese qualifiers, the future of the sport in the east is evidently in good hands.

While the rest of the circuit bows to TV pressure for shorter-form affairs, the 2023 tournament served as a reminder of what makes the marathon format so special. Brecel’s epic comebacks against Si and Ronnie O’Sullivan, and the extraordinary endurance shown by Mark Selby and Mark Allen in their early-hours semi-final, underscored what makes the Crucible unique.

With the glowing exception of Jak Jones, the single home-grown debutant who soared all the way to the quarter-finals, there are few signs of the next generation of rising British talent. Jack Lisowski once again came up spectacularly short, and besides Jones, first-round loser Elliot Slessor was the only other Briton in the draw aged under 30.

The fabled ‘Class of 92′ once again had their moments, but the manner of their eventual defeats hinted that their time as multiple title winners may finally be nearing an end. O’Sullivan admitted he had no answer to Brecel’s seven-frame streak in the last eight, while John Higgins’ stellar run was shattered in his own quarter-final loss to Selby.

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall called for his side to quickly recover their spirits after the Gunners narrowly failed to reach the Women’s Champions League final with a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Wolfsburg.

Arsenal remain the only English side to have won the European club title and it took until the second half of extra time in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,063 at the Emirates for Pauline Bremer to set up a meeting with Barcelona in the June 3 Eindhoven final.

It was nevertheless a valiant effort from the depleted hosts, whose injury-plagued season has seen them lose top talent including skipper Kim Little, forwards Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead, and, most recently, England captain Leah Williamson.

“[We’re hurting] quite a bit,” admitted Eidevall. “It’s tough. No doubt about it, because it was a game of such fine margins and they’re not on our side tonight.

“So I think we’re allowed to hurt tonight, we’re allowed to feel empty, but we’re also allowed to feel proud of our performance and for the occasion with the supporters that are magnificent, so there’s a lot of emotions.

“Sometimes things go for you and you think that’s always justified, sometimes that goes against you and it feels terrible.

“But I also choose to look at it that way, that we as a group, we come to the Champions League semi-final with all the injuries we have, with all the challenges we have, we do that, and that is actually incredible. And I’m so proud of the players and the staff that they are able to do that.

“We are in a tough situation on the remainder of the season both to get our feet and heads back from here, but already on Friday we have a really important [Women’s Super League] game against Leicester.”

The hosts, who sit fourth in the WSL but with two games in hand over league leaders Manchester United, were first on the scoresheet when Stina Blackstenius marked a half-century of appearances for Arsenal with the opener, but saw it cancelled out by former Gunner Jill Roord before half-time.

Wolfsburg skipper Alexandra Popp pulled the visitors ahead after the restart before Jen Beattie’s equaliser forced extra time, when Katie McCabe’s cross hit the woodwork before a defensive lapse from England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy allowed Jule Brand to pounce and feed Bremer, who slid and scored the winner in the 119th minute.

Wubben-Moy otherwise had an excellent evening, with a critical tackle to deny Ewa Pajor a chance before setting up Beattie’s equaliser, but looked crushed by the final result.

Asked how she was feeling, her boss replied: “I’ve told her to keep her head high, there’s no need to apologise. Mistakes happen in football. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We’re there for each other.

“We learn. It’s inevitable sometimes. Today they also made mistakes and we were close to profiting from them. So it’s part of the game. She was absolutely fantastic if you look at it as a total performance and she has been lately as well. We’re there for each other.”

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall called for his side to quickly recover their spirits after the Gunners narrowly failed to reach the Women’s Champions League final with a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Wolfsburg.

Arsenal remain the only English side to have won the European club title and it took until the second half of extra time in front of a sold-out crowd of 60,063 at the Emirates for Pauline Bremer to set up a meeting with Barcelona in the June 3 Eindhoven final.

It was nevertheless a valiant effort from the depleted hosts, whose injury-plagued season has seen them lose top talent including skipper Kim Little, forwards Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead, and, most recently, England captain Leah Williamson.

“[We’re hurting] quite a bit,” admitted Eidevall. “It’s tough. No doubt about it, because it was a game of such fine margins and they’re not on our side tonight.

“So I think we’re allowed to hurt tonight, we’re allowed to feel empty, but we’re also allowed to feel proud of our performance and for the occasion with the supporters that are magnificent, so there’s a lot of emotions.

“Sometimes things go for you and you think that’s always justified, sometimes that goes against you and it feels terrible.

“But I also choose to look at it that way, that we as a group, we come to the Champions League semi-final with all the injuries we have, with all the challenges we have, we do that, and that is actually incredible. And I’m so proud of the players and the staff that they are able to do that.

“We are in a tough situation on the remainder of the season both to get our feet and heads back from here, but already on Friday we have a really important [Women’s Super League] game against Leicester.”

The hosts, who sit fourth in the WSL but with two games in hand over league leaders Manchester United, were first on the scoresheet when Stina Blackstenius marked a half-century of appearances for Arsenal with the opener, but saw it cancelled out by former Gunner Jill Roord before half-time.

Wolfsburg skipper Alexandra Popp pulled the visitors ahead after the restart before Jen Beattie’s equaliser forced extra time, when Katie McCabe’s cross hit the woodwork before a defensive lapse from England defender Lotte Wubben-Moy allowed Jule Brand to pounce and feed Bremer, who slid and scored the winner in the 119th minute.

Wubben-Moy otherwise had an excellent evening, with a critical tackle to deny Ewa Pajor a chance before setting up Beattie’s equaliser, but looked crushed by the final result.

Asked how she was feeling, her boss replied: “I’ve told her to keep her head high, there’s no need to apologise. Mistakes happen in football. We win as a team, we lose as a team. We’re there for each other.

“We learn. It’s inevitable sometimes. Today they also made mistakes and we were close to profiting from them. So it’s part of the game. She was absolutely fantastic if you look at it as a total performance and she has been lately as well. We’re there for each other.”

Athletic Bilbao kept themselves in the hunt for European qualification as a stoppage-time penalty from Inaki Williams salvaged a 1-1 LaLiga draw at Mallorca.

With top-six rivals Real Betis having lost 4-0 at Barcelona on Saturday, Athletic were looking to get their own campaign back on track following defeat last time out against in-form Sevilla.

Mallorca, though, took the lead just before the hour through a scrappy effort from Lee Kang-in, which went through the legs of Athletic defender Yeray Alvarez as he tried to clear the ball off the line.

It looked like that would be enough to secure Mallorca – all but already safe in midtable – victory, but there was a dramatic finish when Bilbao were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage-time following handball by Inigo Ruiz De Galarreta.

Ghana forward Williams made no mistake as he coolly dispatched the spot-kick, which proved the last action of the match.

Athletic remain seventh, but are now just two points behind Betis ahead of their showdown at San Mames on Thursday in the battle for Europa Conference League qualification.

In Monday’s late match, Valentin Castellanos was on target again as Girona won 2-0 at Sevilla.

Juanpe put the visitors ahead from a corner in the 23rd minute.

On loan New York City forward Castellanos – who scored four in the win over Real Madrid – doubled the lead early in the second half as Sevilla’s seven-match unbeaten run came to an end.

Girona climb to eighth, three points behind Bilbao.

Luca Brecel withstood a stirring fightback from Mark Selby to clinch a dramatic 18-15 victory and become the first player from mainland Europe to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.

Five previous visits to the famous venue had yielded no success for Brecel but, having clawed back outlandish deficits to sink both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Si Jiahui in the previous rounds, he switched roles to fend off a late surge by the four-time champion.

Resuming 9-8 in front after a first day whose headlines were hogged by Selby’s historic maximum break, Brecel blasted four centuries in a blistering penultimate session to severely test his opponent’s storied reputation for triumphing against the odds.

Brecel proceeded to extend his lead to 16-10 but watched in increasing exasperation as Selby clawed back five in a row to threaten a dramatic finale before the Belgian edged one frame closer and then got over the line in style with his fifth century of the match.

His victory made the 28-year-old the youngest winner since Shaun Murphy in 2005 and capped a remarkable if belated ascent from Brecel, whose outrageous promise as a junior had threatened to evaporate in a relatively frustrating few years on the professional circuit.

And it was all the more remarkable in the context of Brecel’s claims that he had come into the tournament – and squeezed past Ricky Walden in a final-frame decider in the opening round – fuelled by games of darts and drinking binges.

Such a refreshing approach, combined with an exhilarating intent to take on almost every conceivable pot, made him an instant favourite among Crucible fans and sabotaged the attritional approach with which Selby has won down so many of his previous opponents.

If Selby, two of whose previous title wins had entailed recovering from greater deficits than the four frames by which he twice trailed on the opening day, will have been undaunted after Sunday’s opening session, Monday’s resumption appeared to put hopes of a fifth title in stark perspective.

Brecel looked simply devastating, firing three centuries in the first four frames of the day to fashion a 13-9 lead before the mid-session interval gave the favourite some respite from the avalanche of potting that had come his way.

The four-time champion looked distinctly out of sorts, cueing up many of Brecel’s chances by leaving reds dangling desperately over corner pockets, but no-one would have expected anything less than one of his trademark fightbacks.

Just as he dredged his way back to win previous finals over Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins, Selby launched his assault straight after the interval, winning two in a row, including a potentially pivotal 23rd frame after a lengthy safety battle.

Yet where other opponents might have felt the pressure, Brecel was unfazed, and he duly returned to the table to sink an audacious opening red before proceeding to clear the balls for his nerveless fourth century of the session.

Arguably Brecel’s most impressive frame was yet to come, as he wiped out Selby’s carefully constructed 40-point lead off the back of another long red, his own pressure-filled break of 40 every bit as rewarding as his earlier hundreds.

Brecel continued his potting exploits when he took the first frame of the final session with a break of 67 to move two frames from victory at 16-10.

Inevitably, however, Selby stirred. He launched his improbable fightback with a break of 78 before slugging his way through a long and scrappy frame to bring Brecel back within four frames at 16-12.

These were worrying times for the Belgian, whose long potting percentage was beginning to nosedive, and Selby ruthlessly converted his opportunities by taking the next three frames including his third century of the final.

Brecel had not potted a ball for an hour, and when he missed another rash attempt at a long red early in the next frame he returned to his seat with a wry smile, seemingly resigned to the increasing futility of trying to keep Selby at bay.

But having battled back to the brink of parity, there was one more dramatic momentum shift in the 32nd frame when Selby missed a simple black, allowing Brecel to stop the rot, before a brilliant knock of 112 got him over the line.

Alex Iwobi rescued a point for Everton in a pulsating 2-2 draw at drop rivals Leicester.

The forward capitalised on Jordan Pickford’s crucial penalty save when he stopped James Maddison making it 3-1 just before the break.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s spot-kick opened the scoring, his first goal since October, before it was cancelled out by Caglar Soyuncu.

Jamie Vardy’s goal sent Leicester ahead and Maddison missed the chance to put the hosts in control, with Iwobi levelling soon after the re-start.

Everton also lost captain Seamus Coleman to a serious injury to further add to their problems.

Realistically, a point did little to aid either side’s Premier League survival hopes in the short-term, although it did lift Leicester out of the bottom three on goal difference. Everton remain second bottom, a point from safety, with four games left.

May 2 marks the seventh anniversary of the Foxes’ Premier League triumph in 2016.

Five days later, basking in the glory, Leicester battered a disinterested Everton 3-1 before lifting the title to complete their fairy tale.

Andrea Bocelli had already sung an emotive Nessun Dorma and the Toffees had given the hosts a guard of honour at an electric King Power Stadium.

Fast-forward and after two fifth-place finishes, FA Cup win, a Champions League quarter-final and a Europa Conference League semi-final, the class of 2023 faced a different game against the visitors.

Everton, protecting a top-flight status which stretched back to 1954, were winless in their previous six outings.

Sean Dyche’s impact, which earned two wins from his opening three games, has waned and just one further victory since has left the Toffees staring into the abyss.

If there were any nerves, the visitors hid them well and only Daniel Iversen’s fabulous save denied Iwobi an opener following Abdoulaye Doucoure’s driving run.

Maddison’s tame shot was gathered by Pickford in a rare Leicester attack before the Toffees grabbed a deserved 15th-minute lead.

It was a gift from the hosts, though, as Timothy Castagne’s moment of madness saw him unnecessarily barge Calvert-Lewin over in the box.

The striker kept his composure from the spot to score just his second goal of an injury-ravaged season.

Leicester boss Dean Smith had criticised the schedule which, starting against Everton, will see the Foxes play four Monday night games – after all their rivals.

But defeats for Leeds and Nottingham Forest had given them the platform to escape the bottom three, one they were in danger of losing until levelling out of the blue after 22 minutes.

Maddison’s free-kick was only half-cleared and Wout Faes nodded back Harvey Barnes’ cross for Soyuncu to turn in from 10 yards – his first goal for the Foxes since October 2021.

It changed the direction of the game as Leicester found their rhythm to go ahead after 33 minutes.

As much as the Foxes had found theirs, Everton had lost any composure and Iwobi’s poor pass was intercepted by Youri Tielemans for Maddison to find Vardy.

The striker dashed clear of Michael Keane to round Pickford and score. It is the first time in a year he has scored in successive games.

It sparked a madcap finish to the half and only Iversen’s fine stop from Dwight McNeil kept the hosts ahead.

Leicester survived again when Calvert-Lewin could only direct McNeil’s ball at Iversen from two yards – with Soyuncu’s touch on the cross denying the striker a simple tap-in.

Leicester immediately broke and Vardy bamboozled Keane only to chip onto the bar from eight yards.

The Toffees then lost their skipper when Coleman was carried off with a serious injury after Boubakary Soumare’s strong but innocuous challenge.

It almost got worse when Keane handled Barnes’ cross in the box but Pickford stood up to save Maddison’s poor penalty. The notes for Maddison’s penalty technique on the goalkeeper’s water bottle said ‘stay’.

It was a lifeline Everton grabbed as they levelled nine minutes after the re-start.

Iversen had already saved from Calvert-Lewin but he was powerless to stop Iwobi from drilling in after Faes had touched on McNeil’s delivery.

Parity restored, the game continued at a relentless pace with James Tarkowski blocking Vardy’s goal-bound header.

A frantic finish then saw Iversen turn Doucoure’s drive wide to preserve a result neither side really wanted.

Warren Gatland has revealed Wyn Jones’ shock omission from his preliminary World Cup training squad was down to Wales seeking greater front-row mobility.

Jones has gone from British and Irish Test Lion to Wales outcast in under two years, with Gatland suggesting that the Scarlets prop is a victim of the changing nature of international rugby.

The 31-year-old Jones – who started the Lions’ Test decider against South Africa in August 2021 – failed to make Gatland’s preliminary 54-man squad, with Cardiff’s uncapped Corey Domachowski among the preferred options at loosehead.

“There is no doubt he has had some injuries,” Wales head coach Gatland said of the 48-times capped Jones.

“Leading up to 2021 he was in outstanding form and playing well, we are just looking for some competition and a little bit more mobility in that position.

“We are looking for guys winning collisions and having that work-rate around the field we think is important at this level.

“There is no doubt the game has changed. The number of scrums is nowhere near as many as they used to be so you need to have a front five, particularly front rowers, that can scrummage but can get around the park.

“They have got to contribute a huge amount in terms of their mobility.

“That’s a big part we need to improve and was an area that when we reflected back and reviewed the Six Nations was probably our biggest work on in terms of moving forward.”

Seven-cap England tighthead prop Henry Thomas, who plays for France’s Top 14 champions Montpellier, was the surprise inclusion in a squad to be cut to 33 ahead of the World Cup in September.

Thomas, who has played for Sale and Bath in the Gallagher Premiership, was last capped by England in 2014 and has served World Rugby’s stand down period of three years to represent another country.

Fellow forwards Cory Hill, currently playing in Japan, and Will Rowlands were named in a squad featuring 10 uncapped players.

Rowlands is two appearances short of meeting Wales’ 25-cap criteria for those playing outside the country, something which does not affect Thomas as he is currently under contract at Montpellier.

The second-row forward is leaving Dragons for Paris-based Racing 92 next season, but Wales have three Tests before the World Cup in August. Rowlands’ registration will remain in Wales during the summer.

Exeter-bound centre Joe Hawkins, who has won five caps since making his debut in November, is ineligible, however, following his move from Ospreys.

Wales’ World Cup pool consists of Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal, and Gatland expects improved fitness levels after a disappointing Six Nations campaign that brought only one win against Italy.

He said: “We were reasonable but not anywhere near as good as we were in the past. That’s something we pride ourselves on in terms of playing for 80 minutes and not going away.

“You’ve seen that in the past and it’s something I’ll definitely be focusing on.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from May 1.

Football

Leeds players offered a grovelling apology.

Injured Leah Williamson kept herself busy.

Ted Lasso visited Selhurst Park.

James Milner reflected on Liverpool’s win over Spurs.

Charlie Austin reflected on an eventful year.

Gary Neville laid down the law.

Marc-Vivien Foe was remembered.

PSV were celebrating.

Snooker

Mark Selby compiled a 147 in the World Championship final.

Brendan Moore was loving refereeing his last match.

MMA

Conor McGregor was as modest as ever.

Formula One

Ayrton Senna was remembered on the anniversary of his death.

Sergio Perez was still celebrating Sunday’s win.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has promised seven-times capped England prop Henry Thomas will “bring something different” to their preliminary World Cup training squad.

Montpellier tighthead Thomas, who has played for Sale and Bath in the Gallagher Premiership, was capped by England between 2013 and 2014 and has served World Rugby’s stand down period of three years to represent another country.

Thomas, 31, was the major selection surprise in Gatland’s 54-man training squad, which will be cut to 33 for the World Cup in France this September.

Scarlets loose head prop Wyn Jones – a British and Irish Lion in 2021 – and Exeter-bound Ospreys centre Joe Hawkins were notable absentees.

“He was involved last year with Montpellier winning the league and we think his experience will bring something different,” Gatland said of the Kingston upon Thames-born Thomas, who qualifies through his Welsh father.

“Jonathan Humphries (forwards coach) reached out and had a conversation with him about being potentially available.

“He was at Sale a number of years ago, they saw him as the big thing and had a lot of time at Bath before moving onto Montpellier.

“You’ve got to be pretty tough to play up front in France given how big some of the forwards are there.

“You’ve got to bring a physical element and be strong at the set-piece. He has also got some good ball-carrying ability and is pretty mobile getting around the park.

“We think he will give us some competition in the front row. He’s been around, so he will hopefully come in and make an impression.”

Jones was omitted from the World Cup less than two years after playing for the Lions in South Africa, while the five-times capped Hawkins has fallen foul of the Welsh Rugby Union’s 25-cap policy following his move to Devon.

Players who play outside Wales must have 25 caps to represent their country, the number having been reduced from 60 in February.

Thomas is not caught under the rule as he has yet to play for Wales, but he would have to return to play in the country after his current Montpellier deal expires should he be capped in the meantime.

On Hawkins’ exclusion, Gatland said: “He’s made his decision to go to Exeter and I’ve spoken to him two or three times.

“We told him he was a big part of our future and definitely in the 23, either in the midfield or at 10.

“We are disappointed that he’s made that decision. He feels at the moment that going to play club rugby in England will be good for his development.

“He felt that he was potentially undervalued a little bit. He’s been offered a pretty significant deal and he’s made that decision to move on.

“I’ve got to respect that decision but, from a coaching perspective, we’re disappointed to lose someone of his potential and his talent at least for the next few years.”

Dragons forward Will Rowlands, who has agreed to join French club Racing 92 next season, has been included despite having only 23 caps to his name.

Rowlands’ registration will remain in Wales during the summer and Gatland’s side have three World Cup warm-up games in August that could take him to the threshold required.

“The PRB (Professional Rugby Board) have said that Will Rowlands is eligible,” Gatland said.

“He’s still with the Dragons until the end of the year. He might get a couple more games which would make him eligible from the point of the 25-cap rule.”

Ten uncapped players have been named in the squad, among them Cardiff prop Corey Domachowski, who is preferred to Jones.

Veterans include Alun Wyn Jones – who is set to play at his fifth World Cup – Taulupe Faletau, George North and Leigh Halfpenny, who has 99 caps and was released by the Scarlets at the end of the season.

Hooker Ken Owens led Wales in this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship, but Gatland has not named a World Cup captain at this stage.

Former NFL star JJ Watt and his wife Kealia, an ex-forward capped three times by the United States, have announced their investment in Burnley ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League.

JJ represented the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals in a distinguished career in which he won three NFL defensive player of the year awards while Kealia represented Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars.

Kealia still holds the record for scoring the fastest goal of any debutant for the women’s national team, doing so after 48 seconds in October 2016 against Switzerland in a friendly in Minneapolis.

The couple, who have spent time at Burnley and within the local community recently, attended the club’s 3-0 win over Wigan in March and on Monday confirmed their formal involvement with the Clarets.

“When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition,” the pair said in a statement.

“We understand that not only are we investing in the squad and manager, we’re investing in the town and its people.

“We take that responsibility very seriously and intend to work hard in earning their trust and support.

“We believe that Burnley is a special club with incredible supporters and we want to help continue to elevate its global profile on its return to the Premier League.”

Burnley have rubberstamped an immediate return to the English top-flight after last season’s relegation by wrapping up the Sky Bet Championship title.

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome JJ and Kealia into the Clarets family,” Burnley chairman Alan Pace said.

“Both JJ and Kealia bring with them an incredible amount of top-level sporting pedigree and success, as well as ideas and connections that will be invaluable in helping us to continue telling the Clarets story to an international audience.”

Kealia is also looking at helping Burnley’s women’s side, who sit in the third-tier FA Women’s National League North division and had their first ever outing at Turf Moor on Sunday.

“In the US, I’ve seen the NWSL grow into something really incredible, and we’d love to be a part of growing the women’s team here and be a part of their journey,” Kealia added.

Rangers will finish the season trophy-less following Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic at Hampden Park.

The Light Blues fans were again left frustrated after coming up short against their Old Firm rivals and Gers boss Michael Beale admitted there will be “the biggest rebuild this club has seen in a number of years”.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the out-of-contract players who could move on.

Alfredo Morelos
Beale has intimated that the Colombia striker will not be at Ibrox next season and, after another lacklustre display against Celtic, few Gers fans would complain. The 26-year-old, who signed from HJK in 2017, was once considered to be a big-money asset but the Ibrox club will see him will walk away as a free agent.

Allan McGregor
The 41-year-old former Scotland international has undoubtedly been of the best keepers in Rangers’ history. However, Beale has hinted that his second spell at the Govan club is at an end. Robby McCrorie will get a chance to show his worth before the end of the season but Rangers may yet have to add a first-choice goalkeeper to their summer shopping list.

Ryan Kent
When the 26-year-old signed from Liverpool in 2009 for a reported initial fee of £6.5million following a loan spell, it was regarded as a shrewd investment financially as well as in terms of improving the team. Kent became a fans’ favourite but his star has waned. Replaced at half-time at Hampden on Sunday after offering next to nothing, he has suffered a backlash of criticism from supporters who have run out of patience. It remains to be seen if Beale is of the same mind.

Ryan Jack
Beale said in March: “Ryan is certainly a player I want to work with moving forward here at the club.” But after Sunday’s defeat he said: “If you don’t hear anything and contracts are running out, it probably gives you a good indication there’s change in the air.” Jack is out again through injury. A talented player when fit but the former QPR boss may consider the notion that the best ability is availability.

Filip Helander
The luckless 30-year-old defender, who joined from Bologna in 2019, has been out for over a year with a foot injury which is still to be sorted. It is highly unlikely that Beale will offer him an extension to his contract, which ends this summer.

Scott Arfield
The popular 34-year-old midfielder has recently been consigned to mainly cameo appearances and may have run out of time as a Rangers player. Beale said last month that everyone who played in the 5-2 win over St Mirren – “aside from maybe Allan (McGregor) and Alfredo (Morelos)” – would be a Rangers player next season. Arfield came on as substitute.

Steven Davis
The hugely respected 38-year-old midfielder has not played since December 15 due to a knee injury and is likely to move on.

Malik Tillman
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has had a fruitful spell at Ibrox on loan from Bayern Munich, albeit the critics will say he has not produced against Celtic. Rangers have first option on the United States international but, at a reported fee of £5m, is it the best use of Beale’s limited budget? One of the big calls the Light Blues boss will have to make.