Marcus Rashford says he is fully committed to England and does not care if onlookers criticise or question his dedication to the national team.

The 25-year-old is preparing for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia having withdrawn from March’s meet-up through injury.

Rashford has had to pull out of numerous camps over the years but his decision to head to New York while England were winning their Group C opener 2-1 in Italy sparked debate.

Boss Gareth Southgate defended the 51-cap forward’s decision to jet off to the United States at the time and the Manchester United forward says he was unmoved by critical voices.

“I didn’t see it, to be honest with you,” Rashford said. “I didn’t see it until I got home.

“I need time to switch off and recover, so I took a short trip, four days, then went back to do rehab and just try and get ready as soon as possible.

“With injuries, you can’t predict when they’re going to happen.

“Thankfully I have very few muscle strains and them type of injuries, but occasionally you do get impact injuries. The majority of my injuries have been that.”

Asked if people questioning his commitment to playing for his country hurt, Rashford replied: “Honestly, it doesn’t.

“I know that I’m committed to it 100 per cent, people are going to say what they’re going to say. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Rashford laughed off that talk as he prepares to play in his first qualifier since England won 4-0 away to Kosovo in November 2019 – the last international before the schedule paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He will surely get minutes in Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at Malta, but the availability of England’s Manchester City quintet is unclear.

Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday after days celebrating their treble triumph.

Saturday’s Champions League win over Inter Milan saw City join Manchester United as the only English sides to win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup – a bruising moment for the red half of the city.

“To be honest, it’s not nice (to see City’s success) but at the same time it’s football,” United product Rashford said.

“The best team that’s consistently playing the best football is going to win the most trophies and they’ve managed to win three this year.

“Well done to them and we just move on now and it’s up to them to keep it up, and it’s up to the rest of us to try and catch them up.”

Asked if City’s achievements provide extra motivation, United’s homegrown star said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.”

Rashford’s attention now is squarely on international matters as a mammoth, unrelenting campaign finally comes to a conclusion.

He has made an eye-watering 61 appearances for club and country in an unprecedented campaign that had the World Cup in Qatar wedged in the middle.

That figure could reach 63 if he plays against Malta and at Old Trafford against North Macedonia on Monday – a qualifier that is just 23 days before United’s first pre-season match.

Rashford, when asked about the need for the calendar to be looked at, said: “I think that’s evident.

“It’s mad that at club level we’re playing against teams that are playing one game a week, and we’re playing three games a week from November up until we got knocked out of Europa League.

“It’s difficult but at the same time we’re used to doing it, but I don’t think it’s right.”

Rashford does not know what he would like to see altered but said he is “not the one that’s supposed to have the answers”.

“The players are going to push ourselves to the absolute limits,” he added.

“I did say it’s nothing new so it’s not a complaint or a dig, I’m just giving you my honest opinion and I don’t think it’s correct.

“We need to be given more time to recover between certain games and at different stages of the season.

“That’s my opinion but I don’t think it’s down to the players. We shouldn’t have to put ourselves in a position to speak out about something that we’re not in control of or we’re not going to make the final decision on.”

Everton appointed Ronald Koeman as manager on this day in 2016.

The former Southampton boss was installed in place of Roberto Martinez who was removed in the final week of the previous season.

The Toffees had finished a disappointing 11th after Martinez lost eight of his last 15 Premier League matches in charge.

Southampton received a reported £5million in compensation to bring the former Barcelona player, then 53, to Goodison Park from Saints, who had finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League.

Chairman Bill Kenwright said of Koeman after the parties had agreed a three-year deal: “We are really pleased to have secured the man who was our number one target from the moment we set out to appoint a new manager.”

Everton had briefly looked like breaking into the top four during Martinez’s early tenure, finishing fifth in 2013-14 and missing out on the Champions League only after falling away in the final weeks.

They failed to build on that progress during his second and third seasons, and Kenwright turned to Koeman to try and revive the team’s European ambitions.

“Everton’s history is a big one and we will try to reach what they did in the past,” said Koeman. “That is difficult but everything is possible.”

It was to prove an underwhelming appointment, however, with Koeman lasting just 16 months before being sacked with Everton 18th nine games into the 2017-18 campaign.

There has been something of a revolving door at the club since with Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and Frank Lampard having all come and gone before Sean Dyche took over in January.

Koeman was not out of work long, landing the job as Netherlands national team manager the following February after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. He left in 2020 to take over at Barcelona but lasted just a year at the Nou Camp.

He returned to the national team job after Louis van Gaal stood down following the 2022 World Cup.

Marcus Rashford says he is fully committed to England and does not care if onlookers criticise or question his dedication to the national team.

The 25-year-old is preparing for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia having withdrawn from March’s meet-up through injury.

Rashford has had to pull out of numerous camps over the years but his decision to head to New York while England were winning their Group C opener 2-1 in Italy sparked debate.

Boss Gareth Southgate defended the 51-cap forward’s decision to jet off to the United States at the time and the Manchester United forward says he was unmoved by critical voices.

“I didn’t see it, to be honest with you,” Rashford said. “I didn’t see it until I got home.

“I need time to switch off and recover, so I took a short trip, four days, then went back to do rehab and just try and get ready as soon as possible.

“With injuries, you can’t predict when they’re going to happen.

“Thankfully I have very few muscle strains and them type of injuries, but occasionally you do get impact injuries. The majority of my injuries have been that.”

Asked if people questioning his commitment to playing for his country hurt, Rashford replied: “Honestly, it doesn’t.

“I know that I’m committed to it 100 per cent, people are going to say what they’re going to say. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Rashford laughed off that talk as he prepares to play in his first qualifier since England won 4-0 away to Kosovo in November 2019 – the last international before the schedule paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He will surely get minutes in Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at Malta, but the availability of England’s Manchester City quintet is unclear.

Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday after days celebrating their treble triumph.

Saturday’s Champions League win over Inter Milan saw City join Manchester United as the only English sides to win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup – a bruising moment for the red half of the city.

“To be honest, it’s not nice (to see City’s success) but at the same time it’s football,” United product Rashford said.

“The best team that’s consistently playing the best football is going to win the most trophies and they’ve managed to win three this year.

“Well done to them and we just move on now and it’s up to them to keep it up, and it’s up to the rest of us to try and catch them up.”

Asked if City’s achievements provide extra motivation, United’s homegrown star said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.”

Rashford’s attention now is squarely on international matters as a mammoth, unrelenting campaign finally comes to a conclusion.

He has made an eye-watering 61 appearances for club and country in an unprecedented campaign that had the World Cup in Qatar wedged in the middle.

That figure could reach 63 if he plays against Malta and at Old Trafford against North Macedonia on Monday – a qualifier that is just 23 days before United’s first pre-season match.

Rashford, when asked about the need for the calendar to be looked at, said: “I think that’s evident.

“It’s mad that at club level we’re playing against teams that are playing one game a week, and we’re playing three games a week from November up until we got knocked out of Europa League.

“It’s difficult but at the same time we’re used to doing it, but I don’t think it’s right.”

Rashford does not know what he would like to see altered but said he is “not the one that’s supposed to have the answers”.

“The players are going to push ourselves to the absolute limits,” he added.

“I did say it’s nothing new so it’s not a complaint or a dig, I’m just giving you my honest opinion and I don’t think it’s correct.

“We need to be given more time to recover between certain games and at different stages of the season.

“That’s my opinion but I don’t think it’s down to the players. We shouldn’t have to put ourselves in a position to speak out about something that we’re not in control of or we’re not going to make the final decision on.”

For some, owning a football club is a statement that you are at a certain level as a businessman. But for Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s owner Peter Gould, it is not just about status.

In fact, Gould would readily tell you that he cares little what others think about his financial status and more about fulfilling his heart’s desire –to change the landscape and, by extension, help shape the legacy of Jamaica’s football through his academy.

“We had a couple of setbacks, you know the Covid-19 pandemic was a big setback obviously, but we are gaining back our strength and momentum and I think we should be in a better place by September. So, we are pretty excited, we have put a lot of work into the academy and the platform is well and truly set to accomplish all that we want to,” Gould declared.

“It will take a few years to build a complete institution, but we have people willing to come along and help us to move to another level, so we firmly believe we will be able to get there and put Jamaica’s football on the map the real way,” he added.

The Englishman established the academy in 2016 after he travelled to Jamaica and fell in love with the Mount Pleasant community in St Ann. Two years later, Gould opened a state-of-the-art football facility, which he said was designed to properly develop and nurture the talent of some of country’s young football prospects.

Incidentally, 2018 was also the same year that Mount Pleasant’s senior team, formerly known as “Stush in the Bush”, earned promotion to the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), and five years later, they are crowned kings of top-flight football.

The team, boasting one of its academy products, Devonte Campbell, defeated Cavalier 2-1 in Sunday’s final at Sabina Park, courtesy of a Sue-Lae McCalla brace. Collin Anderson got Cavalier’s goal.

“This is our first Premier League success, so it feels good, this was one of our objectives and it is great that we achieved it. I am happy, the fans are happy, and I also believe the community is widening in terms of people supporting our movement. So, obviously we are doing something right and I firmly believe that they only way to build is from the community,” Gould noted, as they continue to celebrate the parish’s first national title.

While it is unlikely that the entire Mount Pleasant setup, including the academy is yielding much return on investment for Gould and his wife Amanda, he said it is imperative that they maintain their standards to continue impacting the lives of the young charges, in particular.

Through the innovative project at the academy, the young men benefit from a high school education, as directed by the Ministry of Education, along with a structured football training programme.

The Mount Pleasant Football Academy has already sent Under-13 and Under-15 teams overseas to compete, with the latter currently representing St Ann in a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) youth tournament.

“Listen the investment, I don’t even count it, the investment is about changing people’s lives, it is about the kids and exposing them. The ambition is to develop talent for the future, but more than that, they are getting an education and that I believe is the way of getting quality football…educating your players and then you get that discipline on and off the field," Gould opined.

He continued: “This is what we have coming through the vine and as we keep expanding you will have more kids coming to Jamaica to do their English and Mathematics and to play football. Many parents are making plans for their kids in the coming period, so they can go into officiating or coaching and analytics, so it is looking quite lovely.

“So, we are absolutely in it for the long haul, we are still building and putting in plans as we go along, it is just to get it done faster but it has been non-stop movements.”

Though admitting that there were times when he was infuriated by the Premier League team’s substandard performances, Gould reiterated that his approach is one of heart over head as he is well aware that in football, success comes at a high price. As such, he pointed out that the thought of backing out never once surfaced.

“I can’t say I was never disappointed especially when we were losing against 10 men, I was like what the hell, but still I was planning for the next match. So, we had some bad days on the road but no, never felt like backing out. We are here for the cause, we started something, and we intend to see it through. We know it won’t all happen one time, but we are managing to stay on the horse and get down the course,” the benefactor shared.

“We will announce some plans in a few weeks that I think really will engage the audience and will hopefully help the transformation of football and the youths. So, we have some experienced people coming on board because obviously it is not a two-person job me and my wife, we have other people wanting to join the train,” Gould disclosed.

Like every sporting team, Mount Pleasant also have their fair share of behind-the-scenes flaws, but Gould praised the efforts of Head coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore and his assistant Davion Ferguson, as well as manager Paul Christie in ensuring that whatever issues arise, are dealt with in a professional manner.

“To be quite honest I don’t really get involved in the day-to-day happenings. We have a management in place and Paul Christie is that lieutenant, he manages to take that control of leading with Tappa and Fergie. We have a meeting once a week when I’m in the country, but he [Christie] has put in tremendous work since he joined, Tappa has been so easy to work with, Fergie as well, so it has been a good team effort.

“They have a good team there, doctors and physios, again I don’t want to get involved in the players’ day-to-day, so yes we have issues, but we have people there that manage it as best as we can,” Gould explained.

Finally, the businessman said they will continue to aim high with Mount Pleasant Football Academy which he believes boasts a bright future.

“The plan is just to keep engaging the kids in Jamaica, we will be taking more kids on, and we will be doing a few projects in the summer,” he said.

“The future is looking bright, and we want to make Mount Pleasant a household name in Jamaica and so we will carry on with pride. I am not saying we will win the title every year, but we want to continue raising the bar,” Gould ended.

Brendan Rodgers could be set for an unlikely return to Celtic four years and four months after his sudden exit for Leicester.

The former Liverpool manager is reportedly set for further talks after majority shareholder Dermot Desmond made him made the number one target to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Rodgers won all seven major Scottish trophies he competed for during his first spell as Celtic boss and completed an unbeaten campaign in his debut season of 2016-17.

Here, we look at how two other managers fared when they returned to Celtic for a second time.

Billy McNeill

The Lisbon Lions captain initially enjoyed a triumphant comeback when returning to the managerial hotseat in 1987 before the club went on to experience some turbulent times. McNeill had succeeded his former boss Jock Stein back in 1978 after a successful spell as Aberdeen manager, and won three titles in his five seasons as well as one Scottish Cup and one League Cup, during a spell when the Dons and Dundee United upset the Old Firm duopoly.  After spells with Manchester City and Aston Villa, McNeill replaced Davie Hay after his former team-mate paid the price for a barren season in the face of a Rangers side rejuvenated by Graeme Souness. McNeill immediately led Celtic to the double in their centenary season and stopped Rangers winning the treble in 1989 when Joe Miller’s goal earned the Hoops a Scottish Cup final win. But Celtic missed out on European qualification the following season and McNeill was sacked in May 1991 after a second campaign without a trophy.

Neil Lennon

Lennon continued the success of Rodgers after being drafted in to replace his fellow Northern Irishman in February 2019 but he also suffered a disappointing end to his second reign. The former Hoops skipper won the Scottish Cup in 2011 at the end of his first full season in charge and went on to win three consecutive titles as well as the 2013 Scottish Cup. Lennon is the last man to lead Celtic into the knockout stages of the Champions League, with victory over Barcelona helping them make the last 16 in 2012-13. After spells with Bolton and Hibernian, he finished off the clean sweep Rodgers started in 2019 and was in charge when they completed the quadruple treble in December 2020 following Covid disruptions. His reign was starting to implode though and Celtic’s 10-in-a-row dreams crashed and burned. A League Cup defeat by Ross County ended their 12-trophy run of success and he resigned after a league defeat by the Staggies in February 2021.

Eberechi Eze believes his injury nightmare two years ago gave him the platform for England recognition.

The Crystal Palace midfielder is eyeing a senior debut after being included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

The call came after Eze was named in England’s provisional Euro 2020 squad in May 2021 – only for a serious Achilles injury on the same day to wreck his dreams.

His has fought back and insists his six months on the sidelines only gave him strength and confidence in his ability.

Eze said: “I know without setbacks and difficult moments it’s hard to grow and be the person I am today. I look back at those memories fondly because I know it has helped shape who I am.

“It’s hard to put into words. I look at things a bit differently. I saw it (the potential call) as I was on the right trajectory, even though I was injured, this was the level I could get to. It gave me the motivation to keep going.

“I got a message which gave me an inkling I was going to be called up but being injured that was the end of it for a little while. It’s been a journey getting back to the standard and putting in the performances but it’s been a good one.”

Eze scored 10 goals for Palace in the 2022-23 season – six after Roy Hodgson returned to replace Patrick Vieira in March to steer the Eagles to 11th in the Premier League.

Hodgson initially signed the 24-year-old from QPR in 2020 and Eze credits him and his assistant Ray Lewington as big influences in his fight to return to the top.

“He has got insane wisdom, it’s good to talk to him and hear what he has to say,” he added.

“From the first day I met them they have been improving me as a person and a player. It has opened my eyes to more. I have grown so much because of them.

“I am very grateful to Roy and Ray for all they did helping me to regain form, they helped me massively with performances and my mental state. In terms of them staying on (at Palace), it’s not my decision.”

England travel to Malta for Friday’s Group C qualifier before hosting North Macedonia in Manchester on Monday.

Eze, who chose England over Nigeria and has eight Under-21 caps, has the chance of featuring but is not taking anything for granted.

“My main focus is training well, doing what I can do, being the best version of myself. All I can do is what I can do, that decision is for Gareth to make,” he said.

“Naturally there is always something else you want, when you achieve them it’s on to the next thing (a debut), I am grateful to be in this position. I know I have worked hard but no-one is doing me any favours.”

Academy graduates Dean Campbell and Connor McLennan are among the players leaving Aberdeen this summer, while Liam Fox is also departing after a short-term coaching role.

Marley Watkins and Matty Kennedy are also among the first-team players who are being released.

Both McLennan and Campbell spent the final season of their Dons careers out on loan.

McLennan, who joined the club aged eight, made more than 100 appearances and scored eight goals before spending last term with St Johnstone.

Campbell became Aberdeen’s youngest player when he made his debut against Celtic back in 2017 at the age of 16 years, one month and 23 days. The midfielder made 75 appearances in all before joining Stevenage on loan, winning promotion from Sky Bet League Two and hitting a late winner in an FA Cup tie at Villa Park.

The club revealed that family circumstances prevented former Dundee United manager Fox from extending his stay as first-team coach.

Manager Barry Robson said: “I’d like to thank every player, and Liam, for their efforts during their time at the club.

“We are still having positive discussions with some of the loan players who are departing about the possibility of returning for next season. We’ll see how those progress over the next few weeks.”

The loan players last season were Liam Scales, Mattie Pollock, Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Hayden Coulson, Jay Gorter, Dilan Markanday and Patrik Myslovic.

Assistant coach John Carver has urged his Scotland players to let Erling Haaland and Norway do the worrying ahead of Saturday’s Euro 2024 qualifier.

The Scots sit top of Group A, five points clear of Norway, after two games, although Manchester City striker Haaland missed his country’s opening two qualifiers through injury.

The forward is expected to line up  in Oslo on Saturday, seven days after completing a monumental first season in England by winning the Champions League to round off a treble which has seen him net 52 goals in 53 games.

But Carver noted that one of Haaland’s club colleagues emerged from his own recent meeting with Scotland in less than happy mood – Spain midfielder Rodri complained of their tactics after a Hampden defeat in March.

Carver said: “You know what’s amazing? These guys are at their best when they are playing against the best.

“We have a great example from the recent game against Spain where Rodri, who just got man of the match in the Champions League final for Man City on Saturday, and you saw his reaction after the (Scotland) game.

“Yes we have to be aware that he (Haaland) is special and they have got one or two other special players, but we have to make sure we take care of ourselves and set our own high standards.

“They will be worried about some of our players so we really need to focus on us. Deal with the situation, yeah we will do one or two little things, but it’s about us.

“They will be worried about John McGinn, Scott McTominay, people like that, Callum McGregor.

“We have a force that can be reckoned with and they will have seen that, because they will have watched the Spain game, and the Cyprus game. So they will realise that we have got some talent in our team.

“We are at our best when we are right at it. The attitude of the guys coming back in has been brilliant, so I have got no doubt that they will be at it, it’s whether we put in that performance that gets us a good result.”

Scotland have put themselves in a strong position and a win in Norway would leave them on track to finish in the top two and seal automatic qualification for Germany, with a home game against Georgia to follow next Tuesday.

“Confidence is high but there is no arrogance in there,” Carver said. “And that’s down to the type of guys we have got in the squad. There’s no superstars. You can’t afford to go big-time in our group because there’s always somebody in the background ready to knock you down, and that’s so important.

“These guys have got themselves in a position, I am sure they will not take anything for granted. They know they are in for a difficult two games.”

Boss Steve Clarke took the bulk of his players to a training camp in Spain last week, wary of avoiding another difficult June after Scotland suffered play-off disappointment against Ukraine and a 3-0 Nations League loss to the Republic of Ireland 12 months ago.

Preparations continue at Lesser Hampden this week amid a heatwave ahead of the trip to Oslo, which is due to experience temperatures in the 30s.

Carver said: “It’s great preparation. I don’t know where Haaland is at the moment but he is probably still celebrating the fantastic year they have had.

“We had a couple of rainy days last week but if we are training in it all week we will be prepared for the warm weather over there.

“We learned from our mistakes last year because when the season ended at different times, players went off on holiday and did various things, and we only had a small group to work with.

“So we decided to bring most of the players in, obviously some of the guys were playing in cup finals and they got a little bit of time off. But the majority of the group were with us in Spain and we had a five-day training camp and some days double training sessions.

“So our preparation going into these two games was a lot better than it was this time last year.”

Max Anderson is the latest player to extend his time with Dundee.

The 22-year-old midfielder made 27 appearances last season and has signed on until the summer of 2025.

Anderson told the club’s website: “I know it’s a big season for everyone at the club and I am excited to do my best to continue the club’s success over the next two seasons.”

The BBC remains “absolutely committed” to agreeing a deal with FIFA to broadcast the Women’s World Cup, the corporation’s chief content officer has told a parliamentary select committee.

With five weeks to go before the start of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand there is yet to be an agreement put in place between the governing body and any broadcaster for live coverage in the UK.

That has created the risk that matches involving England, bidding to follow last summer’s Euro 2022 success by being crowned world champions for the first time, may not be available to domestic viewers.

The tournament is one of the events that the government stipulates must be made available free to air, but FIFA has accused broadcasters in the bigger European markets of undervaluing live rights and failing to make acceptable bids, leading to the current impasse.

The most recent joint bid by the UK broadcasters is believed to be around £7.7million, roughly eight per cent of the fee paid for the men’s 2022 World Cup when that deal was agreed eight years ago.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino in May called bids made by European broadcasters “a slap in the face of all the great FIFA Women’s World Cup players and indeed of all women worldwide,” and went as far as threatening a blackout in the ‘big five’ European countries.

Addressing the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday, the BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore reiterated the corporation’s determination to reach an agreement, but warned it would not be pressured by FIFA into overpaying.

“We really look at fair value for everything that we do, and the BBC has a strong track record in paying absolutely the right price for things,” said Moore.

“As I say, we’re market-assessing and audience-assessing and looking at the variants for each bid that we put in, and that’s our promise to the audience and to licence fee payers.

“I think we would all share the intention to get these things nailed down because for productions it’s incredibly important, so I think it’s in everybody’s interests to sort these things out.

“But I can’t comment on commercial negotiations that would obviously affect those decisions. We’re absolutely committed.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure that we obtain the rights for as much of women’s sport as we can within the budget and the funding envelope that we have, and we make those decisions across the year.

“We go into negotiations at the right time when those bids come up and we have to go through a system. But we don’t always dictate the speed of that financial situation.”

Sarina Wiegman’s England side begin their campaign against first-time qualifiers Haiti in Brisbane on July 22, with the 2023 edition seeing an expansion to 32 teams for the first time.

That means there will be the same number of games played, 64, as at the men’s World Cup, adding to  the frustration at FIFA at how low international bidding had been in comparison.

The figure offered by Italian broadcasters was reportedly just £283,000 next to the £137m that was paid for live rights to the Qatar World Cup.

The time difference means that matches will take place outside what are considered prime viewing hours in Europe, which Moore hinted had been factored into the BBC’s position during negotiations.

“Obviously I can’t discuss commercial negotiations like that in detail, but safe to say that we are big supporters of women’s sport and of course we are always trying to have properly competitive bids to make sure that we can cover as much sport as our budgets will allow,” she added.

“It’s really important that we continue to have those negotiations in the right way, but of course we want to do everything we can, thinking about value for money for our audiences and whether tournaments are live in-peak or whether they’re through the middle of the night and where they’re placed.

“We take a huge amount of care and detail about how we make sure we don’t over-inflate the market but we really help the market grow, so we’re looking at that.”

Kylian Mbappe says he is “very happy” at Paris St Germain and plans to remain with the club until his contract expires at the end of next season.

The 24-year-old has suddenly become one of the hottest properties on the summer transfer market after it emerged on Monday that he had presented PSG with a formal letter stating he would not activate an extension to his deal.

That means he would be out of contract and able to depart for nothing in 12 months’ time, leaving the French club looking to either negotiate a new contract or accept the highest offer possible this summer.

Real Madrid, who were desperate to sign the player last year and who have recently lost Karim Benzema to Saudi club Al Ittihad, are sure to be interested again, but Mbappe took to Twitter on Tuesday to describe reports he wants to join the Spanish side this summer as “lies”.

And he added: “I have already said that I will continue next season at PSG, where I am very happy.”

The former Monaco forward extended his PSG deal just over a year ago to end Real’s pursuit at that point, but a statement from his management to the AFP news agency on Tuesday says the club were informed on July 15 last year that the player would not activate an option to extend the deal to 2025.

“Kylian Mbappe and his entourage confirm that this matter has not been discussed since over the course of the year, except a fortnight ago to announce the sending of the letter,” the statement read.

“No potential contract extension has been mentioned.”

The statement said Mbappe and his management “regret that the letter was circulated in the media and that these exchanges were made public with the sole aim of damaging their image and the discussions with the club”.

England’s Manchester City quintet are due to arrive at St George’s Park on Tuesday evening after days celebrating their treble triumph.

Gareth Southgate’s men are preparing for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Malta and the Old Trafford encounter with North Macedonia on Monday.

The exact availability of City’s players for the doubleheader is unclear given their celebrations following Saturday’s Champions League triumph in Turkey only ended after Monday’s rain-soaked parade.

Jack Grealish was at the heart of the revelry and is due at St George’s Park to link up with England on Tuesday night, as are Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips.

Declan Rice was also given extra time after captaining West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last week and linked up with the squad on Monday morning.

The 24-year-old midfielder was part of a 19-man training group on Tuesday morning, as was uncapped Crystal Palace talent Eberechi Eze.

England Under-21 international Levi Colwill was also involved in the session. The defender has joined Southgate’s squad for training this week following the withdrawal of injured Brighton team-mate Lewis Dunk.

Jude Bellingham watched the start from the sidelines at St George’s Park.

The 19-year-old, who is set to join Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund, has been ruled out of the Malta and North Macedonia matches through injury. However, Bellingham headed to St George’s Park to continue his rehabilitation from a knee issue.

Kylian Mbappe could be on the move this summer following reports the France forward has written to Paris St Germain telling them he would not be signing a new contract.

The 24-year-old, signed from Monaco for £160million in 2018 which was a world-record fee for a teenager, will see his current deal expire next year and PSG must now decide whether to cash in on the prolific striker or risk losing him for free.

Here, the PA news agency looks at a number of potential moves for Mbappe, who became just the second man in history to score a World Cup final hat-trick as France lost on penalties to Argentina in Qatar last year.

Real Madrid

The LaLiga giants have been long-time admirers of Mbappe and would likely to be able to muster the financial clout required to get a deal across the line.
Real have already made a move for England midfielder Jude Bellingham and have been linked with his international team-mate Harry Kane as they look to challenge for top honours again next season.
With Karim Benzema departing for Al-Ittihad, Real head coach Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to add proven firepower to his attack and Mbappe – with 212 goals in 260 PSG appearances – certainly ticks that box.

Manchester United

The Red Devils improved last season under Erik ten Hag but are still some distance off challenging neighbours Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The ongoing uncertainty of takeover bids may yet destabilise summer transfer business – but what a jewel in the crown Mbappe would be for any potential new owners at Old Trafford.
Like Real, United would probably be able to make the deal work financially and they do have their famous number seven shirt, also favoured by the Frenchman, ready and waiting for someone to fill it.

Chelsea

A number of other Premier League clubs could make a move for Mbappe – treble winners City would be an attractive destination while Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle may struggle with the numbers behind such a transfer.
Chelsea missing out on European football means the Blues become an outside prospect to make a swoop but owner Todd Boehly has already proven he is not shy in splashing the cash in west London.
Some £600million has been spent in a year so the potentially eye-watering figures for Mbappe may not be as off-putting to Boehly as they would be to other suitors.

Saudi ArabiaView this post on Instagram

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With the Saudi Pro League looking to bring in some of the biggest names in world football, could Mbappe be tempted to head to the Middle East in his prime?
Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr earlier this year with former Real team-mate Benzema joining him in Saudi Arabia and the likes of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez also linked with big-money deals.
At 24, Mbappe may feel the timing is not right to relocate to a league outside of those at the very top of the sport and away from the lures of chasing a first Champions League trophy.

Stay put

Mbappe could yet remain at Paris St Germain, stranger things have certainly happened.
With Lionel Messi leaving the French capital and heading to Inter Miami and also some questions over the future of fellow superstar forward Neymar, the Ligue 1 champions are coming to a crossroads in how they move forward.
If Mbappe can be tempted to stay and sign a new deal he would undoubtedly be the main man in Paris, while if the club refuse to sell or cannot get the value they want he may yet play another season before leaving for nothing in 12 months.

Huddersfield have announced Leigh Bromby has left his role as sporting director.

The 43-year-old led the football strategy at the Sky Bet Championship club for the past four years, having initially joined as an academy coach in 2014 before progressing to academy manager in 2018.

Head of goalkeeping Paul Clements has also departed John Smith’s Stadium as part of a “refresh” for the Terriers.

Huddersfield were in relegation danger for much of last season but went on to survive comfortably following the February appointment of manager Neil Warnock.

Terriers chief executive Jake Edwards told his club’s website: “On behalf of the club, I would like to thank Leigh for his achievements during his long association with Huddersfield Town.

“This change comes as we look towards a fresh start at the club and as we begin to build towards the start of the new season.”

Speaking about Clements, who joined Town in 2015, Edwards added: “Paul can depart with a lot of pride in what he’s achieved here.

“Much like the departure of Leigh Bromby, this change has been made in order to refresh our football department ahead of the new season.”

Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber is set to leave his role at Carrow Road, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

Webber joined Norwich from Huddersfield in April 2017 and oversaw two successful Championship title campaigns under former head coach Daniel Farke.

However, despite replacing Dean Smith with David Wagner during last season, Webber had come in for personal criticism after the Canaries failed to mount another swift promotion back to the Premier League following relegation.

With Webber set to remain in his post and continue working a notice period through a transition, an external recruitment process to appoint a replacement has already started.

Former Norwich manager and player Neil Adams will move into the newly-created position of technical director.

Webber said on the Norwich website: “The support I’ve had from all the board, past and present, throughout my time at the club has been outstanding.

“(Joint majority shareholders) Delia (Smith) and Michael (Wynn Jones) are two of the most special people that I’ve met. They care so much about Norwich City, its staff and supporters.

“I’ve seen so many staff grow and develop, and I can’t thank them enough for their dedication.”

He added: “I look forward to the next chapter and helping as much or as little in this transition over the coming months. The board know they have my unwavering support.

“Thank you to every board and staff member, player and supporter that I’ve met. I wish the club the very best and I look forward to supporting from afar.”

In a statement, joint majority shareholders Delia Smith and Michael Wynn Jones paid tribute to Webber.

“When Stuart came to our home in early March to inform us he wanted to leave at the end of his contract we were devastated – whilst we obviously respected his decision,” they said.

“In our 28 years of serving this great football club we have never worked with such a talent.

“In terms of unity and mutual support we are a completely different football club to the one he joined in 2017.

“Stuart Webber has been an outstanding servant to this football club and built a strong foundation for the future.

“We are very sad to lose him, owe him much gratitude and want to wish him all the very best for the future.”