Manchester City

Daly’s Lionesses team-mate Lauren James and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka have been named as the PFA young players of the year in the awards voted for by their peers.

Daly and James were key performers for England in their run to the World Cup final earlier this month, but the accolades they received at the PFA’s 50th anniversary awards event in Salford are based on their performances last season.

Saka was voted the men’s Young Player of the Year after a terrific season for club and country, while a star of the club’s past, Ian Wright, picked up the men’s PFA Merit award.

Jill Scott, who won 161 caps for England and retired after the Lionesses won the Euros last summer, received the women’s Merit award.

Daly’s victory in the senior women’s player category came after she hit 22 goals in the Women’s Super League for Aston Villa last season – a remarkable achievement for a player who featured at left-back in the Lionesses’ successful Euros campaign last summer.

The 31-year-old from Harrogate saw off competition from five other illustrious WSL names on the nominees list – Sam Kerr, Frida Maanum, Guro Reiten, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Ona Batlle.

James, who featured in the World Cup final as a substitute after a red card in the last 16 against Nigeria meant she was suspended for the quarter-final and semi-final, was a key player for Chelsea as they won the domestic double.

Haaland enjoyed a stunning debut season for Manchester City, hitting 52 goals in all competitions as they won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble last season.

The 23-year-old was voted as the Premier League’s top player, seeing off competition from his team-mates John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as from Arsenal duo Saka and Martin Odegaard and former Tottenham striker Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich.

Saka secured the young player prize after enjoying his finest season to date, scoring 14 goals for the Gunners and contributing 11 assists.

He was also one of England’s star performers at the World Cup in Qatar last winter.

Wright’s career in football was recognised with the Merit award. The 59-year-old, who starred as a striker for Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England, is now a popular broadcaster for the BBC and ITV.

Wright has become a vocal ally for the women’s game and also campaigns against discrimination within the sport. He became an OBE for services to football and charity in the King’s Birthday Honours in June.

Scott received the women’s merit award in recognition of a stellar career at club and international level. The 36-year-old played for Sunderland, Everton and Manchester City between 2004 and 2022. As well as her England caps, she also featured for Team GB at London 2012 and again in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.

To mark the awards reaching a half-century, the PFA also handed out individual player prizes for the Championship, League One and League Two for the first time.

Chuba Akpom was voted as the second tier’s top player, after top scoring with 28 goals for Middlesbrough. His fine form at Boro earned him a summer move to Dutch side Ajax.

Conor Chaplin, whose 26 goals spearheaded Ipswich’s promotion push from League One, won that division’s award, while Bradford’s Andy Cook was League Two’s Players’ Player of the Year.

Just two months on from winning the Champions League to become the second treble winners in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men returned to competitive action with a bang at Turf Moor.

Star man Haaland’s excellent first-half double and a close-range Rodri effort did the damage as City ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League curtain raiser at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

The 23-year-old frontman swept the visitors ahead 184 seconds into the new campaign and, with his side having lost skipper Kevin De Bruyne to injury, struck a stunning second off the underside of the bar.

That display was not enough to avoid being chided by Guardiola as the teams made their way off at half-time, with the City boss pushing away a TV camera as he berated the striker.

Rodri completed the scoring and Burnley substitute Anass Zaroury received a contentious late red card, with Community Shield runners-up City now turning their attention to Wednesday’s Super Cup clash against Sevilla.

Both sets of players took the knee before kick-off and initial boos were drowned out by cheers at Turf Moor, where the hosts were behind after just three minutes and four seconds.

De Bruyne took a short corner and, following a couple of passes, lifted a cross to the far post, where Rodri headed back across goal for Haaland to direct home impressively.

It was a gut punch that De Bruyne tried to add to from distance, but the champions of the Championship stuck to Kompany’s principles.

Burnley penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Zeki Amdouni went down under pressure from Manuel Akanji before Luca Koleosho missed the target after fine, composed build-up.

Amdouni wriggled free to get a shot on Ederson’s goal as Burnley continued to threaten City, whose youngster Rico Lewis was hit by an object thrown from the stands.

The Lancashire club later confirmed the individual responsible had been identified and removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

Lewis was all right to continue, but De Bruyne soon had to leave the field.

The skipper recently returned from a hamstring injury and, seemingly out of nothing, signalled to the bench that he had felt something, leading to Mateo Kovacic’s introduction.

Burnley quickly attempted to capitalise. Amdouni was stopped by Rodri before the midfielder saw a pass cut out and Lyle Foster bent narrowly wide.

But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Haaland scored an incredible second in the 36th minute.

Kyle Walker raced down the right and cut back to Julian Alvarez, who laid off for the Norwegian sharpshooter to sweep a first-time strike in off the underside of the bar.

Haaland may have been on course for a hat-trick, but something had upset Guardiola, who pulled him back and scolded him before pushing the away a camera.

The striker remained on as the visitors began the second half on top, with James Trafford – signed from City in the summer – tipping over a Rodri effort from distance and then saving a header from the Champions League final matchwinner.

Alvarez fired off target after a show of strength by Haaland before City struck a third in the 75th minute as the match appeared to be petering out.

Burnley failed to effectively clear a crossed free-kick and Rodri lashed home from five yards after Nathan Ake was blocked out.

Alvarez saw a shot blocked before Josko Gvardiol came on for his City debut, with Haaland booed by the Burnley faithful when withdrawn as part of a triple City change.

Guardiola made a point of getting up to give Haaland a warm greeting after their earlier exchange.

Stewards reacted quickly as a fan attempted to get on the pitch towards the end of a night that had seen Burnley impress against mightily tough opposition.

Things got worse for the promoted Clarets.

Substitute Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time after his tackle on Walker was judged serious foul play after referee Craig Pawson watched the incident back on the VAR’s instruction.

After suffering successive defeats prior to the recent international break, the champions were in danger of falling to three consecutive Premier League losses for the first time under Pep Guardiola.

That did not seem likely once play began at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as early goals from Julian Alvarez and Haaland – his first City strike in four matches – put them on course for three points.

A reply from Brighton substitute Ansu Fati 17 minutes from time made for a nervous finish – and tension increased when Manuel Akanji picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time – but City held on.

For most of the game, City had looked more like their assertive selves with Rodri back after his costly recent suspension. The return of John Stones also brought more assurance, even though first-choice goalkeeper Ederson was on the bench after his recent international exertions for Brazil.

Brighton have impressed under Roberto De Zerbi – of whom Guardiola continually speaks highly – but, for all their enterprising play, their defence is proving leaky and their openness was quickly exploited.

Phil Foden troubled the visitors early on as he seized possession and broke forward to release the lively Jeremy Doku, who cut inside and curled over.

The opener was not long in coming and again Doku glided through the defence to reach the byline and pull back for Alvarez.

The Argentinian World Cup winner’s strike was not the cleanest but such is his confidence that his first-time shot had too much power as he beat Jason Steele for his seventh goal of the season.

City maintained the pressure with another break from deep ending when Josko Gvardiol shot straight at Steele.

Kaoru Mitoma had Brighton’s first opportunity but his tame effort was easily dealt with by Stefan Ortega and the Seagulls suffered a blow when Mancunian Danny Welbeck was forced off injured after 15 minutes.

Haaland took further advantage of Brighton’s defensive weakness as he ended his recent – by his extraordinary standards – goal ‘drought’ by doubling City’s lead on 19 minutes.

The Norwegian was given too much space as he powered towards the box before firing a left-footed shot into the bottom corner from distance.

Alvarez attracted the attention of the VAR after a push on Pascal Gross but nothing was given and Doku threatened again when he beat veteran former City player James Milner but missed the target.

Brighton started to show life early in the second half as Gross skewed a shot wide under pressure.

Haaland latched onto a Foden pass just after the hour but his strike was beaten away by Steele.

Mitoma had another good chance after getting behind the City back line but Ortega rushed out to block on the edge of the area.

That was a warning City failed to heed and moments after Alvarez’s attempt to lob a stranded Steele dropped short, they were caught on a rapid counter-attack.

Brighton quickly shifted the ball upfield and, although Mitoma’s attempt to pass into the danger area was cut out by Akanji, Fati was on hand to turn in the rebound.

Brighton pressed to the end but struggled to create meaningful chances. Akanji’s late dismissal brought more jitters for the home fans, but City completed the job.

The prolific Norwegian came to the fore to wrap up victory after Fulham had left the field at the Etihad Stadium fuming at half-time over a highly-contentious goal from Nathan Ake.

Ake had put City back ahead after Tim Ream had quickly cancelled out Julian Alvarez’s opener.

Fulham complained vociferously that Ake’s goal was allowed to stand as Manuel Akanji, stood in an offside position, had appeared to play at the ball.

City, and notably Haaland, put those issues aside with a confident display after the break, securing another win for absent manager Pep Guardiola, who continues to recuperate following back surgery.

The game began in sedate fashion, with not a hint of the controversy that was to flare up later. City, missing Jack Grealish due to a thigh injury, were unusually sloppy in possession and Fulham were without the drive of Joao Palhinha following the collapse of his deadline day move to Bayern Munich.

The visitors suffered a further blow as captain Tom Cairney was forced off injured with just 16 minutes gone.

City came to life when Phil Foden, who started in Grealish’s berth on the left, switched flanks with debutant Jeremy Doku.

Foden opened up the defence by playing a one-two with Akanji and weaving his way into the area but his ball across goal was cleared by Issa Diop.

They claimed the lead just after the half-hour mark as Haaland raced onto a Mateo Kovacic pass and swiped the ball across the area for Alvarez to stab home.

The advantage lasted just two minutes as Fulham grabbed a quick equaliser.

Raul Jimenez lashed a shot at goal from a corner and, after a touch by Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Ederson could only parry. Ream pounced for a tap-in at the far post.

City regained the advantage in controversial circumstances in first-half injury time.

The hosts won a corner when Diop just managed to get a head to a delicate cross from Foden that seemed destined for Haaland.

The goal came from the resulting set-piece as Ake, stationed near the penalty spot, planted a firm header into the bottom corner.

Fulham argued that Akanji’s movements had impacted goalkeeper Bernd Leno and their protests were long and hard, even continuing after a VAR review had concluded the goal should stand.

Manager Marco Silva was furious on the touchline and the players were still disputing the decision after the ball had been placed in the centre circle for the restart. Referee Michael Oliver did not back down and, not for the first time this season, Silva was shown the yellow card.

The stormy end to the first half appeared to take its toll on Fulham as City moved through the gears in the second period.

Haaland made it 3-1 just before the hour with a clinical low finish after Alvarez put him through on goal with a quick flick from a long Rodri pass.

The striker was then given the chance to add another when City were awarded a penalty soon after for a clumsy challenge on Alvarez by Diop.

Haaland struck the post with his last spot-kick against Sheffield United last week but this time he made no mistake.

He completed his treble injury time as he turned home following good work by substitute Sergio Gomez.

Haaland scored a hat-trick as champions City ultimately ran out comfortable 5-1 winners over the Londoners but the game turned on a highly contentious incident just before half-time.

Nathan Ake headed City 2-1 ahead but Fulham complained vociferously that Manuel Akanji, stood in an offside position, had attempted to kick the ball on its way past and hindered goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

The protests, both on the field and the touchline, continued long after VAR had ruled the goal should stand and Haaland accepts the visitors had a point.

“I think it was offside as well,” the Norwegian told beIN Sports. “I feel bad for them, I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling for them.”

Prior to that, the game had been rather more sedate with few chances until Julian Alvarez scored a 31st-minute opener that was quickly cancelled out by Tim Ream.

City did not dwell on the incident after the break, moving through the gears with Haaland typically coming to the fore.

He finished clinically from an Alvarez pass, fired home a penalty and then turned in a Sergio Gomez cross to claim his seventh City hat-trick in stoppage time.

“I’m back,” said Haaland, who scored 52 goals last season. “I am always hungry. It’s a new season and I am ready.

“We started a bit sloppy but we ended in a good way. It was important to win – four out of four – and we go into the international break after a really good start.”

City’s victory was their second without manager Pep Guardiola on the touchline as he continues his recovery from back surgery, but the Spaniard is expected to return for the trip to West Ham in a fortnight.

“I think he misses us,” said Haaland. “We also miss him sometimes too, so we look forward to having him back.”

Fulham go into the international break without a win since their season-opener at Everton, but veteran defender Ream expects the team to hit back.

The American said: “That’s just the nature of the squad, the mentality (manager) Marco (Silva) has instilled in us.

“It’s just a shame that we have an international break and it’s two weeks between games for some guys.

“But we’ll come back. We’ll look at things we can improve upon and we go again when we come back.”

Morgan’s fellow Lioness, Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps, this week posted on Instagram after she was tagged in a post-match comment by a parent who claimed the award-winner was “far too busy and important to stop for her fans these days”, admitting she found the accusation “hurtful” when she had taken time to meet as many as she could.

It is easy for Morgan, who was at the age of five already a Manchester City season-ticket holder, to put herself in the shoes of supporters hoping for a post-match meeting with an idol.

She has also witnessed popular team-mates like Chloe Kelly become upset after being unfairly criticised for not getting to everyone  – when the reason can sometimes be as straightforward as needing to board a bus.

Morgan said: “You can’t please everyone and you always remember that one person who wasn’t happy with you as opposed to all the people whose day you made and they were really grateful.

“We love being able to go over and make someone’s day and see how excited people get but with the growth of the game now it’s just not really realistic and feasible for us to get round and see everyone.

“It’s difficult when sometimes maybe some fans feel like the expectation is that they’re going to get to meet you and in years gone by that might have been an option, not as many fans were coming to the games so you might be able to get round everyone.

“It is really hard because I’m sure at that age I would have been disappointed and so gutted that I was so close to meeting one of my heroes, but the growth of the game now means there’s just so many more people interested and so many more people come to the games and want to meet people that it’s just not possible for us to get round it all.

“I think it’s nice that we can celebrate the interaction we have with fans but I think it’s difficult that, if it’s an expectation, players shouldn’t be made to feel bad about not getting round to everyone.”

Players like Morgan have embraced other means of interaction – she is fond of engaging with fans on her increasingly popular TikTok account and through charity initiatives – while new systems like the one being trialled at Manchester City’s Joie Stadium this season aim to facilitate smoother and more quality connections between players and fans.

‘Autograph Alley’ is a dedicated meet-and-greet point where a smaller group of randomly selected supporters enjoy post-match encounters with players, something which Morgan says “is a lot nicer for us actually because it’s a much calmer situation and atmosphere.”

She added: “You can spend a little bit more time chatting to people because not everyone is sort of screaming or going a bit crazy around you. Sometimes when you go around the edge of the crowd, you’re kind of getting screamed at and having things thrust in your face.”

Those still hoping to snag an England player’s signature would do well to take a cue from young Morgan herself. A little politeness, she said, goes a long way.

She added: “When I first started coming to City’s women’s matches I was just a kid in the crowd wanting to meet everyone. But I always felt like my manners were good and I’d always say please and thank you and things like that and sometimes I think that can be lost and that’s one of those things where it’s not a pleasant experience.

“I think if clubs can put something in place, like City have, making it a lot more well-managed and a calmer experience then I think it’s much more pleasant for everybody.”

It was only the second time in the Premier League era that the top flight had witnessed three hat-tricks on the same day, following the efforts of Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer and Tony Yeboah in September 1995.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the two treble-trebles.

Fowler in fact scored four goals in Liverpool’s 5-2 win over Bolton, starting when he crisply dispatched Jamie Redknapp’s through-ball with his trusty left foot.

Goalkeeper David James provided a route-one assist for his second and he completed a hat-trick just after half-time when Redknapp’s cross was not dealt with. Steve McManaman set up Fowler, sporting a distinctive blond-dyed hairstyle, to curl home his fourth.

Shearer scored a record five hat-tricks in the 1995-96 season, the first coming in a 5-1 win over Coventry and starting with a close-range left-footed finish from Tim Sherwood’s corner.

Strike partner Mike Newell laid on a simple second on the hour and also provided the flick-on for Shearer to complete his hat-trick with a first-time right-footed drive seven minutes later.

Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Bolton and Tottenham were Shearer’s other victims that season.

Leeds striker Yeboah had two to his name in the three minutes leading into half-time against Wimbledon, the first a tap-in but the second an unforgettable rocket off the crossbar which is regularly listed as one of the Premier League’s greatest goals.

An instinctive touch and volley after Phil Masinga’s run caused panic in the defence to complete his treble and Leeds’ 4-2 win.

Son was first off the mark on Saturday as Spurs hammered Burnley 5-2 at Turf Moor.

His first came in the 16th minute, cancelling out Lyle Foster’s early opener, as Son brought down Pedro Porro’s long pass and played a one-two with Manor Solomon before dinking over goalkeeper James Trafford.

The Spurs captain then stroked home Solomon’s cutback and fired home from Porro’s incisive pass in the space of four second-half minutes, by which time Haaland was up and running at the Etihad Stadium.

A crisp finish from Julian Alvarez’s deflected through-ball set the Norwegian on his way in City’s 5-1 win over Fulham and he then crashed home a penalty before Sergio Gomez laid on his third in stoppage time.

In the evening kick-off, Ferguson poached his first after keeper Nick Pope spilled Billy Gilmour’s thunderbolt and then curled home a sublime second from 25 yards.

A left-footed effort which deflected off defender Fabian Schar made it three for Ferguson, Brighton and the Premier League on a memorable day.

Robinson also represented Preston North End, Manchester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Queens Park Rangers before moving to Osasuna for the final two and a half years of his playing career.

That paved the way for a move into punditry and broadcasting in Spain, where Robinson established himself as an authoritative and respected voice on the country's national sport.

He won 24 caps for Ireland, while a sole campaign at Anfield in 1983-84 saw him play a part in Division One, European Cup and League Cup glory.

"With tremendous sadness we inform you of Michael's death," a tweet posted to Robinson's official Twitter account on Tuesday read.

"It leaves us with a great emptiness, but also countless memories, full of the same love that you have shown him.

"We will be eternally grateful to you for making this man SO HAPPY, he never walked alone."

Robinson's standing within the Spanish football fraternity was quickly underlined as Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos offered "my love to your family and friends", while Barcelona paid tribute to "a person who loved football and who knew how to explain it with knowledge and ingenuity".

It has been a familiar occurrence in recent years at Chelsea matches for opposition fans to use the chant, which in January 2022 was defined as a hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The chant was audible during Manchester City's FA Cup third-round win against the Blues on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, and City confirmed after the match they would be looking into the matter along with the FA.

A statement issued by the FA on Wednesday said it "strongly condemns all offensive, abusive and discriminatory chanting in football stadiums, and is determined to stamp this behaviour out".

Sunday's incident was the third of its kind in the space of a week, with the FA also investigating distasteful chants used by Nottingham Forest fans during their 1-1 Premier League draw against the Blues, and by Manchester United supporters during their FA Cup win against Everton, apparently aimed at former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

The statement continued: "Today, The FA has formally written to all clubs across the Premier League, EFL [English Football League], National League, Women's Super League, Women's Championship and Steps 2-4, to remind them that it can pursue formal disciplinary action against any club whose supporters engage in discriminatory behaviour, now including the use of the term 'rent boy'.

"This important step follows the recent successful prosecution of an individual by the Crown Prosecution Service for homophobic abuse, specifically relating to the term 'rent boy'.

"The FA has now informed all clubs that it considers the 'rent boy' chant to be a breach of the FA Rules. These rules apply to the conduct of supporters at both home and away fixtures, and clubs at all levels of English football have a responsibility to ensure their spectators behave appropriately when attending matches.

"The FA takes all allegations of discrimination extremely seriously and would encourage anybody who has been subject to, or a witness of incidents of discrimination, to report it to The FA, the club or the relevant authorities so it can be investigated thoroughly.

"Together English football can drive meaningful and positive change so that stadiums can be a safe and enjoyable environment for all."

The 18-year-old forward joins in a reported €40million (£35.6m) transfer, signing a five-year contract to further expand Wolves' significant Portuguese contingent.

Executive chairman Jeff Shi confirmed his signing had come at the request of head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and it sees Wolves secure a talent strongly linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool in the past.

The deal makes Silva the seventh costliest teenager in history, and he joins illustrious company, as outlined below…

Kylian Mbappe: Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain - €180m

Likely to remain the world's most expensive teenage signing for some time, Kylian Mbappe is already well on the way to justifying the €180m outlay PSG made to prise him away from Monaco three years ago. Mbappe had fired Monaco to a shock Ligue 1 title triumph before departing and his goals have continued to flow in the French capital. Still just 21, Mbappe has arguably eclipsed team-mate Neymar already, while he has won a World Cup with France. Pele has acknowledged comparisons with the forward, who looks a certain Ballon d'Or winner in the near future. It would take a world-record fee to buy Mbappe, but he has hinted he could be open to leaving PSG.

Joao Felix: Benfica to Atletico Madrid - €126m

Potentially rivalling Mbappe for top individual honours in the years to come could be Joao Felix, who was tasked with replacing Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid following his move to Barcelona. Joao Felix hit 20 goals in all competitions for Benfica in 2018-19, three of those strikes coming in the Europa League, to announce himself among the world's top talents. He endured a difficult first season in Spain, as he appeared to struggle with a new position, setup and philosophy under Diego Simeone's tutelage, but some promising flashes towards the end of the campaign suggested the player compared to Kaka could establish himself in 2020-21.

Matthijs de Ligt: Ajax to Juventus - €85.5m

Barcelona were linked with De Ligt, having already sealed a deal for club and country team-mate Frenkie de Jong, but the Ajax captain instead opted for Serie A. Much like Joao Felix at Atletico, De Ligt did not have the most convincing of debut seasons, despite Juve going on to win another Serie A title. Nevertheless, after a year bedding in, 2020-21 might see the Dutchman recapture his best form as he will likely become an even more central figure under Andrea Pirlo.

Anthony Martial: Monaco to Manchester United - €60m

Eyebrows were raised when United parted with €60m for Martial in 2015, with one British newspaper describing the deal as a "waste of money" in a back-page splash. While it might have taken him a while - after a blistering start - to properly establish himself, struggling particularly under Jose Mourinho, the Frenchman is beginning to make good on his potential at 24. With 17 goals in 32 Premier League games in 2019-20, Martial appeared to cement himself as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first-choice centre-forward and formed a dynamic front three with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood. He also earned a recall to the France squad, with 2020-21 looking like a season of endless possibilities for Martial.

Rodrygo Goes: Santos to Real Madrid - €45m

Real Madrid have been signing young talent in recent seasons in a departure from their Galactico-focused days, although the arrival of Eden Hazard did show they are still willing to splash out on ready-made superstars. Rodrygo Goes linked up with Zinedine Zidane's squad for 2019-20 having remained on loan with Santos after completing his initial transfer to the Spanish giants. The tricky forward showed plenty of promise in his first season and seemed to usurp Vinicius Junior in the pecking order at times. Madrid hope he can be their Neymar.

Vinicius Junior: Flamengo to Real Madrid - €45m

Rodrygo followed in the footsteps of fellow Brazilian Vinicius, who was a rare shining light for Madrid in 2018-19, scoring two LaLiga goals. In his second season, Vinicius was in and out of the team, but did enjoy a few stints of regular football. Flashy, flamboyant and difficult to tackle, Vinicius is a classic Brazilian wide player, though concerns about his end product remain despite having been at the club for a while now. Nevertheless, Vinicius could be Madrid's future along with Rodrygo.

Fabio Silva: Porto to Wolves - €40m

Silva became Porto's youngest-ever player in 2019 when he made his debut for the first-team less than a month after his 17th birthday – the previous record-holder was his new Wolves team-mate, Ruben Neves. The technically gifted forward, who has been suggested as the potential long-term heir to Cristiano Ronaldo, helped Porto to UEFA Youth League success in 2018-19 and has regularly caught the eye in Portugal's youth setup. Although he only scored three times in 20 appearances with Porto in 2019-20, Silva appears destined for a future at the top, with his technique and on-the-ball talents seemingly a good fit for Wolves' dynamic attacking options.

Luke Shaw: Southampton to Manchester United - €37.5m

Like Martial, Luke Shaw is another player who seems to have laboured under a large price tag at times. Shaw also had a fractious relationship with Mourinho but made the United left-back spot his own with 29 Premier League starts in 2018-19. The 24-year-old remained a regular last term, despite the emergence of Brandon Williams, and managed to stay relatively injury-free, but one rarely gets the impression his position in the squad is absolutely certain, particularly given his attacking output lacks in comparison to the world's best full-backs.

Wayne Rooney: Everton to Manchester United - €37m

Wayne Rooney certainly repaid his fee – he was British football's most expensive teenager – becoming United's all-time leading goalscorer and winning five Premier League titles at the club, as well as the 2007-08 Champions League. Rooney will go down as a United great despite affairs such as agitating for a move and falling out with Alex Ferguson. Rooney dropped out of favour in the latter years of his time at Old Trafford and was also sidelined for England, with a return to boyhood club Everton failing to spark. But joining MLS strugglers DC United was a clever move and Rooney helped inspire their rise. Now 34, he is back in England with Derby County.

Renato Sanches: Benfica to Bayern Munich - €35m

Bayern thought they were signing a player who would become one of the era's dominant midfielders when they snapped up Renato Sanches from Benfica, but the transfer did not work out at all. Bayern bought Sanches before he won Euro 2016 with Portugal but, four years later, that remains the highlight of his career. Sanches flopped in a loan spell with Swansea City in the Premier League and quickly appeared surplus to requirements at Bayern. He eventually secured a permanent move away last year when Die Roten recouped €25m for him - applaudable given his form - when selling him to Lille. But in France he seems to have found his feet again, enjoying a solid debut season and attracting interest from around Europe.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, speaking in the city on Thursday, admitted “not everything was perfect” at the Champions League final in Istanbul earlier this month where Manchester City and Inter Milan fans complained about a lack of toilets and water, in addition to transportation issues surrounding the Ataturk Stadium.

Burnham, addressing the same European Football Fans Congress, said it was time for the governing body to start treating fans with more respect.

“I see a lack of progress on the European front,” he said.

“I’ve been talking to Manchester City supporters since their experience in Istanbul and I can tell you about the frustration and anger they feel about the way they were treated on that night.

“It was appalling: left to their own devices having travelled miles to get to a stadium with no proper arrangements around it.

“What makes it even worse it comes just one year after a final where it was a miracle that we didn’t see a wider spread tragedy in Paris a year ago.

“This isn’t a one-off, there are serious issues for UEFA to address.

“It strikes me they have a relationship of convenience with the football supporters’ community in Europe.

“Where the voice of supporters is helpful to them – I’m thinking about the argument about the European Super League a couple of years ago – it was helpful for UEFA to point to the groundswell of opinion of football supporters.

“But when it comes to ordinary competitions, ordinary matches, is the welfare of supporters uppermost in their mind? Clearly not. There has been some acceptance that things have to improve.”

Burnham said, coming just 12 months after Liverpool fans were involved in serious congestion outside the Stade de France and some were tear-gassed by overzealous police, it was inexcusable UEFA had not learned important lessons.

“Supporters have gone from the north-west of England in recent times and have been exposed to genuine danger at the hands of UEFA by a lack of organisation, a lack of care, a lack of thought when they get to those destinations,” he added.

“UEFA or any governing body of football cannot continue to treat English football supporters in a way that they will turn up and put up with whatever and things will just carry on.

“They should have learned that after Paris, they should definitely learn it after Istanbul and we need to see a much stronger commitment from UEFA to the welfare of football supporters.”

Burnham also called for more work to be done to eradicate tragedy chanting.

“We must see an end to tragedy chanting in the English game and in football around the world,” he said.

“We respect each other as fellow football supporters, we stand with each other in moments of tragedy and we have to isolate those who, in my view, have nothing to do with the traditions of football, people who weaponise tragedy at football matches.”

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold are also included, although there is no place for Mohamed Salah.

PSG's attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are among the forwards, as is Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Veteran Dani Alves also won enough votes to make the list, even though the 38-year-old, who recently rejoined Barcelona, only played 16 times in domestic competition in Brazil this year.

Professional footballers across the world were asked to vote for the three players they considered to have the best seasons during the 2020-21 season among goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards.

FIFPRO said: "For the first time in 17 years, FIFPRO is updating the announcement about the most-voted players, reducing the shortlist from 55 to 23. This has been done to resemble a real-life 'squad' which, usually for international competitions, is the number of players involved. 

"The three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and six forwards with the most votes earned a place in the 23-men World 11 'squad'. To complete this elite selection, the two remaining outfield players with the most votes were added."

The keeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three forwards with the most votes will be chosen for the World 11, with the remaining spot assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes.

The final 11 will be announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony on January 17.

FIFA FIFPRO MEN'S WORLD 11 23-PLAYER SHORTLIST:

Goalkeepers:
Alisson (Liverpool, Brazil)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan/Paris Saint-Germain, Italy)
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal)

Defenders:
David Alaba (Bayern Munich/Real Madrid, Austria)
Jordi Alba (Barcelona, Spain)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, England)
Dani Alves (Sao Paulo/Barcelona, Brazil)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus, Italy)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)

Midfielders:
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, Spain)
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona, The Netherlands)
Jorginho (Chelsea, Italy)
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea, France)

Forwards:
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Manchester United, Portugal)
Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland)
Romelu Lukaku (Inter/Chelsea, Belgium)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain, Argentina)
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)

Foden scored twice in the first half at the Amex Stadium on Thursday, setting Pep Guardiola's team on the way to a potentially pivotal win in the Premier League title race.

The England international's first, which came after Kevin De Bruyne's excellent diving header, came as his free-kick deflected in off the unfortunate Pascal Gross.

It was that goal that marked Foden's 50th in league football, with all of those coming under Guardiola.

That makes Foden just the third player to score 50 league goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after City team-mate Haaland and Barcelona great Messi.

Foden netted his 51st Premier League goal soon after, drilling in after City capitalised on some slack Brighton play.

The 22-year-old heads to the World Cup in Qatar on the back of a fine campaign so far with Manchester City, scoring seven goals and contributing three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions.

Foden is looking to transfer that form to the international stage, where he feels he is yet to perform at his highest level, and refuted suggestions he is comparable to Messi and Neymar – though he aspires to be in the future.

"The people you've just mentioned there are way above me at the moment, but I like to think I could be there one day," he said.

"It's all about taking small steps in the right direction. I just want to take my club form into the national team. With my club form this year, I've been scoring a lot of goals and I want to bring that to the national team.

"I've got to score in big games and big finals to be world class. I know I'm capable of doing that, so it's something I strive for and look forward to.

"Have England seen the best of me? Definitely not. I don't think it is easy coming into a team and not knowing the players very well.

"You have to learn to play with different players and what they like best - running behind, or wanting balls to feet. Just little details like that. I have had enough experience in the England team to understand the players. Hopefully I can bring that into the World Cup.

"I definitely should have scored a lot more for England really. We have quality in every area on the pitch, so we can't always rely on Harry [Kane] because teams are going to try to cut him off, because of how good he is.

"It is going to take not just Harry to step up this tournament. Us attacking players are going to have to step up as well as times."

England commence their World Cup campaign on Monday against Iran, then tackling the United States and Wales in Group B.

Foden took home the Players' Player of the Year award for the first time, while Palmer was named the Young Player of the Year.

Two-time Young Player winner Foden had already been announced as the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Following the midweek ceremony, he has now also been recognised by his fellow professionals after starring in Manchester City's fourth straight title triumph.

Ex-City man Palmer had likewise been nominated for the top award after an outstanding first season at Chelsea, in which he netted 22 league goals.

However, Palmer was not included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Foden made the cut alongside City team-mate Erling Haaland and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in attack.

There were four City players included, with Kyle Walker and Rodri selected, but the champions were outnumbered by Arsenal's five representatives.

David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard earned recognition, with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk completing the XI.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year included both Players' Player of the Year Bunny Shaw and Young Player of the Year Grace Clinton.

Shaw was one of six City stars in the XI despite her side being pipped to the title by Chelsea, who could count only three players in the team.

Manchester City are 12 points behind leaders Liverpool in the table, with Phil Foden conceding their hopes of a fifth-straight title.

The ex-Togo international also had spells with Real Madrid, Tottenham and Crystal Palace during a professional career that started in 2001 with Metz.

Adebayor departed Metz for Monaco in 2003 and it was there where he caught the eye of legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who brought him to the Premier League in January 2006.

City forked out a reported £25million fee for his services in July 2009 and he famously sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate a goal in front of the Gunners' supporters in September that year.

He joined Real Madrid for a short loan spell in January 2011 after falling out of favour under Roberto Mancini and then moved to Tottenham – initially on loan – in August that year.

After having his contract terminated by mutual consent in September 2015, Adebayor had a nomadic end to his career, featuring for Palace, Istanbul Basaksehir, Kayserispor and Olimpia before returning to Togo with Semassi in July 2021.

Announcing his retirement with a video on Instagram, Adebayor wrote: "SEA, from the highs to the lows, my career as a professional athlete has been an incredible journey. 

"Thank you to my fans for being there every step of the way. I'm feeling so grateful for everything, and excited for what's to come!"

The 41-year-old goalkeeper began his career at Colo-Colo, before going on to feature for Real Sociedad, Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Betis.

The Chilean represented his national side 150 times after making his debut in 2004, winning two Copa America crowns, in 2015 and 2016.

“It is the moment to close a very important cycle in my life,” Bravo said on his social media accounts.

“I think I have made the right decision, a decision I thought long about.”

After beginning his career in Chile, Bravo moved to La Real in 2006, where he spent eight seasons, helping the club get promoted back to LaLiga in 2010.

He moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2014, and was their number one during successive victorious La Liga campaigns in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Bravo moved to Manchester City in 2016, but a poor start led to him being dropped by manager Pep Guardiola for Willy Caballero later that season, though he still picked up a Premier League medal and two EFL Cup wins before leaving after his contract expired in 2020.

He returned to Spain with Betis for the latter part of his career, winning the Copa del Rey in 2022, and represented Chile at this year's Copa America.

Mendy left Man City last month at the expiration of his contract, having not played for the Premier League and Champions League winners since 2021.

The 29-year-old was cleared of rape and attempted rape at Chester Crown Court last week.

The former France international announced his decision on Canal+, where he is now a pundit, on Sunday.

Nasri came through at Marseille and transferred to Arsenal in 2008, spending three years at Emirates Stadium before he joined Manchester City.

At City, Nasri won two Premier League titles, an EFL Cup and a Community Shield. He joined Sevilla on loan in 2016-17 and seemed to have revitalised his career in LaLiga, though the move was not made permanent.

A short spell in Turkey with Antalyaspor followed, but Nasri mutually terminated his contract in January 2018, before he received a six-month ban from football by UEFA for breaching WADA rules in December 2016 by receiving an intravenous drip of 500 millilitres of water containing nutrients.

It is that ban that Nasri says made him fall out of love with football, with the playmaker always insisting he was innocent.

"One episode hurt me badly and changed my relationship with football: my suspension," he said on Canal+. 

"I found that more than unfair, I had not taken any doping product. It was just an injection of vitamins because I was sick. It cut me off in my tracks."

Nasri returned to play with West Ham on a short-term contract in 2018-19, playing five league games in total.

He linked up with ex-City team-mate Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht the following season, though it was another ill-fated spell and he was released in 2020.

Of his move to Anderlecht, Nasri said: "There was an emotional side, but also the idea of ​​being a player and also a little in the staff. As I would like to coach, I told myself that I would learn with him [Kompany].

"It didn't go as planned. Then the Championship was stopped because of COVID. Afterwards, I didn't necessarily want to [play]. No challenge excited me and I couldn't see myself coming back to France if it wasn't for Marseille."

Nasri impressed at Arsenal, scoring 18 league goals and setting up a further seven across his three seasons at the club, though injuries often kept his appearances down.

He never quite lived up to the billing at City after his reported £25million move, though did help the club to their first ever Premier League crown in 2011-12, while in 2013-14 he scored seven goals and created as many as Manuel Pellegrini's side clinched the title.

His appearances dwindled later in his City career, and he played just 12 times in the league in his final full season at the Etihad Stadium, starting on only four occasions before he was loaned out by Pep Guardiola in 2016.