Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says it would be "amazing" if Jude Bellingham joins him at Anfield, but added the teenager must choose the club that is best for him.
Bellingham has become one of the hottest prospects in football during his time at Borussia Dortmund, as well as having an impressive World Cup alongside Henderson with England last year.
The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid among others, though recent reports suggested the Reds may struggle to finance a deal should the latter two start a bidding war, with Bellingham expected to demand a fee in excess of £100million (€114m).
Henderson has been as impressed as anyone by Bellingham, and though he hopes to be able to link up with him at club level as well as with England, said the youngster must "think about himself".
"I just want him to be the best player he can be – of course, if it ended up being Liverpool that would be amazing," he said. "But it's got to be right for him, and it's going to be every club you can think of that will want him.
"He has to think about himself and make sure he makes the right decision for his career. But there's going to be one lucky club that will end up getting him, whether that is now or in a year or two it will be a lucky club."
Bellingham has 10 goals and six assists in 34 games for Dortmund this season, and Henderson detailed what it is about the former Birmingham City player that makes him stand out.
"His potential is through the roof, really," Henderson added. "He can be as good as he wants to be – but he's got the right mentality, which is the most important thing.
"He is a really special player and I can't believe his age and his mentality, how he applies himself to training and the games, everything. I've never seen it before, so I'm pretty confident that he'll be a pretty good player for many years to come.
"Honestly, I can't believe his age, how mature he plays, how mature he is off the pitch, in the gym, training, everything, recovery day after the game. He is just dedicated to football.
"He's a special player, but I've said it before we just need to be careful not to apply too much pressure on him but let him play football. When you let him play football you can see what he does for Dortmund, you can see what he does here for England.
"Every time he puts on an England shirt he grows and is getting better and better all the time. Of course there are things he can improve on and get better at – he's only 19 – but the platform and the basis he has got he can go as high as he wants to."
Defending champions Jamaica College docked three points over use of ineligible player in Manning Cup opener against Tivoli
Defending ISSA Manning Cup champions have been docked three points following an investigation that revealed that the school used an ineligible player in their season-opening victory over Tivoli Gardens Comprehensive High School on September 9.
In the recent development, the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association's (ISSA) Disciplinary Committee convened to address the issue pertaining to the alleged utilization of an ineligible player by Jamaica College in their season-opener clash against Tivoli Gardens High.
After a thorough investigation, the Disciplinary Committee reached a decisive verdict on the matter. It was determined that Jamaica College indeed fielded an ineligible player and as a consequence, Old Hope Road school will forfeit all three points initially earned in the match, and Tivoli Gardens High will be awarded the points with a revised score-line of 3-0 for the game.
The disciplinary committee also ruled that the player in question will continue to be ineligible for participation in the 2023 Schoolboy Football Competition.
This ruling by the Disciplinary Committee reshapes the dynamics of the Manning Cup standings. Tivoli Gardens High now assumes the leading position in Zone B with seven points, while Kingston Technical follows closely in second place with six points.
Jamaica College, despite having three points deducted, occupies the fourth spot, with the consolation that they have one match in hand to potentially amend their standing.
When contacted Jamaica College's Head coach Davion Ferguson referred the question to ISSA.
“You cannot play a player without registering the player because you cannot put him on your match card if he is ineligible. So, ISSA has to answer that,” he told Sportsmax.tv.
ISSA's competitions director Ewan Scott explained how they arrived at the ruling.
"Sometimes people get privileged based on the information presented. However, after the protest came in, we investigated further and took the necessary action," Scott shared.
"The player was registered based on the initial information provided. So, it's basically a case of them presenting us incorrect information and after the protest came, we conducted further investigation," he added.
Javon East: Concacaf's Game-Changer in Central American Cup Group Stage
In the high-stakes arena of Concacaf matches, exceptional talent invariably takes centre stage. At the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage, it was Deportivo Saprissa's dynamic forward, Javon East, who rose to the occasion and stood as a game-changer.
East, a 28-year-old Jamaican striker, delivered a stellar performance for the Monstruo Morado, propelling his team to a commanding first-place finish in Group A. His remarkable display included three goals from eight well-placed shots, all accomplished within 251 minutes of relentless gameplay. Impressively, he also boasted a pass completion rate of nearly 65 per cent.
As a fitting tribute to his pivotal role, Javon East has been bestowed with Concacaf's Game-Changer title for the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage. In an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com, East expressed his gratitude for this recognition and acknowledged its motivating influence on his future endeavours.
"I'm grateful for the credit, and it adds a little bit of motivation to push even harder for the future games coming up in Concacaf," said East.
He went on to emphasize the significance of the accolade, stating, "I'm thankful. I'm happy as a player that I know I'm doing something right, and people are watching and see my talent and give me credit for it. I'm grateful for that."
East's remarkable impact extends beyond the pitch, as he attributes much of Saprissa's success in the competition to the strong bonds forged both on and off the field.
"It's a family first. It's more important that we are a family on and off the field, it is carrying over inside the game, and we are doing pretty well in Concacaf. We are qualified to the next round, and we just have to take it a game at a time and see where it goes," East remarked.
While his two-goal performance in the resounding 5-0 victory against Coban Imperial may appear particularly impressive, East personally values his role in the team's opening 1-0 triumph against Cartagines as his standout performance of the group stage.
"I think the first game was my best game, not because I scored one goal in that game, but because of the number of chances I created. So normally as a striker, I like to see how many more chances I create more than how many I score," East explained.
With the group stage behind them, Saprissa now shifts its focus to the knockout stage, where they will encounter a formidable adversary in Real Esteli of Nicaragua during the quarterfinals. East recognizes the challenge posed by their upcoming opponent and emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation.
"[Real Esteli] are a team that has improved over the years. I watched them in their first game and their last game. I didn't know that we were going to play that team, but I was watching the game, and they are very impressive. I give them their respect. We have to prepare mentally and physically for that battle because it's going to be a tough one," East asserted.
As Javon East continues to make his mark on the Concacaf stage, his remarkable journey unfolds as an inspiring testament to talent, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of football.
Massimiliano Allegri plays down Juventus’ chances of winning Serie A
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has attempted to play down expectations after his side’s strong start to the season.
The Bianconeri have claimed 10 points from their opening four Serie A games and sit second in the table, two points behind early leaders Inter Milan.
With no European commitments this season, Juve could made a strong push to reclaim the title but Allegri does not want to look further than Saturday’s trip to Sassuolo.
Allegri told reporters: “Now we have to stay focused because there’s too much euphoria and, while on the one hand that’s nice, it can take away energy and attention.
“We’re only on matchday five and Sassuolo, with the exception of a 3-0 win a few years ago, have always been tough opponents.
“They’re coming off the back of a big defeat to Frosinone, so we’ll have a tough task and we will have to be very attentive, physical and technically good. It will be important to get a good result.”
Allegri insists other teams are still in a stronger position than Juve and he thinks it will be tough enough to get back into the Champions League.
He said: “We have a chance to get into the top four, but it won’t be easy because Inter, AC Milan and Napoli are stronger than everybody.
“We have to go one step at a time, with balance, without mood swings that are tied to single results.
“Whatever path we take will be determined to have been right or not by the results at the end of the season.
“We have to have the desire to be at the top but we have to get the results to get into the Champions League.”
Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic have been passed fit for the trip to Reggio Emilia but with a short turnaround before Tuesday’s home clash with Lecce, Allegri recognises the need to manage his squad.
He said: “Vlahovic had some back pain and Federico had some fatigue with his flexor but they’re fully available.
“We are only thinking about Sassuolo but we have a game three days later and I think we’ll rotate on Tuesday. I’ll evaluate Vlahovic’s condition.
“We have a less experienced squad this year but we’ve got enthusiasm and dynamism.
“We have to keep working hard to improve, remembering that we have to run more than everybody else and results will bring more confidence and belief.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
