David Brooks is confident he will make a full recovery and return to playing after the Bournemouth and Wales midfielder was diagnosed with cancer.

Brooks was with the Wales squad last week but left international duty and underwent a medical examination, which found he has stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.

The 24-year-old will undergo treatment next week.

He said in a statement: "This is a very difficult message for me to write. 

"I have been diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma and will begin a course of treatment next week.

"Although this has come as a shock to myself and my family, the prognosis is a positive one and I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back playing as soon as possible. 

"I'd like to show my appreciation to the doctors, nurses, consultants and staff who have been treating me for their professionalism, warmth and understanding during this period.

"I want to thank everyone at the Football Association of Wales because without the swift attention of their medical team we may not have detected the illness.

"I'd also like to say thank you to AFC Bournemouth for all their support and assistance this past week.

"Although I appreciate that there will be media attention and interest, I would like to ask that my privacy is respected in the coming months and I will share updates on my progress when I am able to do so.

"In the meantime, thank you to everyone for their messages of support – it means so much and will continue to do so in the months ahead.

"I look forward to seeing you all again and playing the sport I love very soon."

Brooks joined Bournemouth from Sheffield United in 2018 and enjoyed an impressive first season with the club, scoring seven goals and assisting five in 33 games in all competitions.

Injuries limited Brooks the following year as Bournemouth were relegated, but he impressed again in the Championship, this time with 13 goal involvements across all competitions.

This term, he has three goals in nine matches.

Andrew Kellaway scored his fourth try of the Rugby Championship as in-form Australia beat Argentina 27-8 to go second in the table on Saturday.

The Wallabies have a runners-up spot behind champions New Zealand in their sights with one match against the Pumas to play after scoring three tries in their first ever Test in Townsville, moving above South Africa after they were beaten by the All Blacks.

Emiliano Boffelli dragged a penalty wide before Reece Hodge burst through a tackle after throwing a dummy and applied the finish following a swift side-step.

Hodge's early opening try came after a powerful run from the outstanding Samu Kerevi, who crashed over for a score of his own and Quade Cooper made it three successful kicks out of three to put the vibrant Wallabies 17-3 up at half-time following a penalty from Boffelli.

Julian Montoya touched down early in the second half at the back of a driving maul, but Boffelli missed the conversion and was also off target with another penalty.

James O'Connor sent a kick sailing through the posts after coming on for his first Test of the year while Marcos Kremer was in the sin-bin.

Replacement fly-half O'Connor set up Kellaway, the leading try-scorer in the tournament, for a simple finish nine minutes from time in another impressive showing from Dave Rennie's men.

Wallabies hitting their stride under Rennie

Australia, up to third in the rankings, were clearly brimming with confidence after beating world champions South Africa twice and they have won three consecutive Tests for the first time since November 2017 with head Dave Rennie making his mark.

The Pumas, on the other hand, have lost five in a row and have not scored more than 13 points in a game during that dismal run. The last time they went longer without scoring more than 15 points in a Test was a five-game stretch from March to August in 1990.

Kerevi causes havoc

The pace and power of centre Kerevi caused Argentina all sorts of problems.

Kerevi gained 90 metres with his 14 carries and beat six defenders in an all-action display.

Wayne Rooney has accused Derby County owner Mel Morris of being "disrespectful" and lacking honesty after the Championship club entered administration.

The Rams' financial woes came to a head when they filed for administration this week, with a 12-point deduction sending them to the foot of the second tier.

Rooney took permanent charge in January but the former England captain revealed the difficult circumstances he has been working under amid an apparent lack of communication from Morris.

Derby's football staff were at a meeting with Morris on Tuesday but Manchester United legend Rooney was disappointed not to have one-on-one talks with the chairman as uncertainty mounted. 

"In my opinion, it wasn't sincere enough, it wasn't heartfelt enough, and it wasn't done with enough honesty," said Rooney ahead of Saturday's trip to Sheffield United.

"Obviously he has moved on and we have to move on and put Mel Morris to the back of our minds.

"I personally haven't spoken to Mel Morris since August 9. I still haven't had a one-on-one conversation, no phone call, no text message. Nothing.

"I find it a bit disrespectful, to be honest. Communication is so important, whether it’s good news or bad news, so we can deal with it.

"He doesn't have to apologise to me. I just found, as manager of this football club, getting questions from players and staff and not being able to answer, I was hurt by that.

"He's put a lot of money into the club, and he deserves a lot of respect for that, but there are ways of handling things and it has left me disappointed."

Derby face the possibility of a further points deduction due to a potential breach of the EFL's Financial Fair Play rules.

Andrew Hosking, Carl Jackson and Andrew Andronikou of business advisory firm Quantuma have been appointed as the club's administrators.

Rooney, however, insists he will stay put as long as Derby want him.

"I have said how committed I am to this job and this club. Nothing changes," he added.

"I am committed to this football club. I grew up on a council estate in Liverpool. I know how tough life can be.

"What kind of person would I be if I went and laid on a beach for a few weeks? We can stay up but if we get more points deducted, it will get a lot more difficult."

Derby County are facing a 12-point deduction in the Championship after going into administration.

Amid ongoing financial issues, it was confirmed last week that Derby had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.

Manager Wayne Rooney revealed he only found out after the news had broken in the media, while owner Mel Morris has claimed the club is losing between £1.3million and £1.5m per month.

The EFL said in a statement on Wednesday that "in accordance with EFL Regulations, a 12-point deduction has been immediately applied to Derby County Football Club's 2021-22 season total".

It added: "The League has already held initial constructive discussions with the administrators and will remain in regular dialogue with them as they seek to find the appropriate solutions required to assist the club as it navigates its way out of insolvency."

Derby also face the possibility of a further points deduction due to a possible breach of the EFL's Financial Fair Play rules.

Andrew Hosking, Carl Jackson and Andrew Andronikou of business advisory firm Quantuma have been appointed as the club's administrators.

"COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the finances of the club and its long-term ability to continue in its current form," a statement from Hosking, released on the club's official website, read.

"We recognise that with the commencement of the 2021-22 season last month, this news will be of concern to stakeholders and fans, in addition to the city of Derby and the wider football community.

"We are in the early stages of assessing the options available to the club and would invite any interested parties to come forward.

"Our immediate objectives are to ensure the club completes all its fixtures in the Championship this season and finding interested parties to safeguard the club and its employees."

Rooney just managed to guide two-time English champions Derby to safety on the final day of the Championship season in 2020-21.

However, there was a risk the Rams could still go down due to financial regulations, though instead they were fined £100,000 and ordered to resubmit their accounts by an EFL disciplinary commission.

Derby, who face Sheffield United on Saturday, beat Stoke City 2-1 in their previous match to move onto 10 points from eight games prior to the deduction.

Arsenal have completed the signing of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from Championship club Sheffield United for a reported £24million plus add-ons.

Ramsdale made England's squad at Euro 2020 after Dean Henderson had to pull out through injury, though it was Jordan Pickford who played every minute of the Three Lions' campaign.

The 23-year-old joined Sheffield United in 2020 after going down with Bournemouth, but he suffered a consecutive Premier League relegation as the Blades finished bottom last season.

However, Mikel Arteta sees Ramsdale as genuine competition for Bernd Leno, and perhaps a long-term replacement for the Germany international, too.

Ramsdale was left out of the Blades' squad for Wednesday's game against West Brom. Slavisa Jokanovic had previously insisted Ramsdale was not for sale, though ahead of the Baggies match, conceded a deal could happen if the club's valuation was met.

Arsenal confirmed on their official website on Friday that he has signed a long-term deal at Emirates Stadium, thought to run through until the end of 2024-25, with the fee reportedly set to rise to up to £30m if performance-based add-ons are met.

The Gunners, who lost their opening game of the season at newly promoted Brentford, have now made five signings in total this window, with Ramsdale joining Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and playmaker Martin Odegaard, whose move from Real Madrid was made permanent on Friday. 

IS RAMSDALE THE RIGHT FIT?

Ramsdale conceded 63 goals in 38 league appearances last season, the third-most in the league behind Crystal Palace's Vicente Guaita (64) and West Brom's Sam Johnstone (74).

In total, Ramsdale faced 546 shots on his goal (including blocks), with only Johnstone (579) facing more. 

Ramsdale made 147 saves, second-most in the competition – again, trailing Johnstone (166) – registering a save percentage of 69.86 per cent, above the average of 69.01 per cent.

Leno, Arsenal's current first-choice goalkeeper, ended the season with a save percentage of 69.42, with the former Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper stopping 86 attempts in total. He made one error leading to a goal, compared with Ramsdale's two.

A key facet to Arsenal's play under Arteta has been their intent to play out from the back, a tactic that has not always borne fruit.

In a more direct style of play at Sheffield United, Ramsdale attempted 1,019 passes – ranking fifth in the league for goalkeepers – though his completion rate of 43.38 per cent was the second-worst of any shot-stopper to play over 20 matches.

Ramsdale was only marginally better when it came to passes in his own half, completing 76.78 per cent of such attempts, way behind Leno's 94.27 per cent, while the German had a 76.83 per cent accuracy overall.

The numbers would suggest Ramsdale may well be able to hold his own when it comes to shot-stopping, if not represent a slight improvement on Leno, though if Arteta insists on a possession game, then there is much work to be done.

Arsenal have completed the signing of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from Championship club Sheffield United for a reported £24million plus add-ons.

Ramsdale made England's squad at Euro 2020 after Dean Henderson had to pull out through injury, though it was Jordan Pickford who played every minute of the Three Lions' campaign.

The 23-year-old joined Sheffield United in 2020 after going down with Bournemouth, but he suffered a consecutive Premier League relegation as the Blades finished bottom last season.

However, Mikel Arteta sees Ramsdale as genuine competition for Bernd Leno, and perhaps a long-term replacement for the Germany international, too.

Ramsdale was left out of the Blades' squad for Wednesday's game against West Brom. Slavisa Jokanovic had previously insisted Ramsdale was not for sale, though ahead of the Baggies match, conceded a deal could happen if the club's valuation was met.

Arsenal confirmed on their official website on Friday that he has signed a long-term deal at Emirates Stadium, with the fee reportedly set to rise to up to £30m if performance-based add-ons are met.

The Gunners, who lost their opening game of the season at newly promoted Brentford, have now made five signings in total this window, with Ramsdale joining Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares and playmaker Martin Odegaard, whose move from Real Madrid was made permanent on Friday. 

 

IS RAMSDALE THE RIGHT FIT?

Ramsdale conceded 63 goals in 38 league appearances last season, the third-most in the league behind Crystal Palace's Vicente Guaita (64) and West Brom's Sam Johnstone (74).

In total, Ramsdale faced 546 shots on his goal (including blocks), with only Johnstone (579) facing more. 

Ramsdale made 147 saves, second-most in the competition – again, trailing Johnstone (166) – registering a save percentage of 69.86 per cent, above the average of 69.01 per cent.

Leno, Arsenal's current first-choice goalkeeper, ended the season with a save percentage of 69.42, with the former Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper stopping 86 attempts in total. He made one error leading to a goal, compared with Ramsdale's two.

A key facet to Arsenal's play under Arteta has been their intent to play out from the back, a tactic that has not always borne fruit.

In a more direct style of play at Sheffield United, Ramsdale attempted 1,019 passes – ranking fifth in the league for goalkeepers – though his completion rate of 43.38 per cent was the second-worst of any shot-stopper to play over 20 matches.

Ramsdale was only marginally better when it came to passes in his own half, completing 76.78 per cent of such attempts, way behind Leno's 94.27 per cent, while the German had a 76.83 per cent accuracy overall.

The numbers would suggest Ramsdale may well be able to hold his own when it comes to shot-stopping, if not represent a slight improvement on Leno, though if Arteta insists on a possession game, then there is much work to be done.

Liverpool defender Ben Davies has joined Sheffield United on a season-long loan deal.

Davies joined Jurgen Klopp's men amid a centre-back shortage at Anfield, though he has failed to make a single senior appearance since his arrival in February.

The centre-back, 26, has returned to the Championship, having previously made 136 appearances for Preston North End, where he was named Player of the Year in 2018-19.

In that standout campaign, Davies led Preston's charts for duels won and interceptions, with 255 and 54 respectively, and also ranked second in terms of successful aerial duels – two behind Andrew Hughes' 175.

"I'm really happy to be here," said Davies. "I always liked playing against Sheffield United and the atmosphere.

"Hopefully I can fit into the manager's plans well. I've missed match days and the buzz of having fans in grounds.

"That's part of the excitement of coming here and hopefully having a successful year."

The Blades were relegated from the Premier League last term with six games remaining, becoming the fourth side condemned to the drop with as many matches still to play.

No side has been relegated from the Premier League with more matches left to play – Ipswich Town (1994-95), Derby County (2007-08) and Huddersfield Town (2018-19) also went down with six games outstanding.

With Slavisa Jokanovic in charge now, United will be hoping their manager – who has previously taken both Watford and Fulham back up – can immediately restore their top-flight status.

Riyad Mahrez turned in a dazzling display as Manchester City swept aside Barnsley 4-0 in a friendly at the Etihad Campus on Saturday.

Mahrez was City's record signing when he joined from Leicester City in 2018 and Jack Grealish is reportedly close to taking that distinction for himself, with the Premier League champions rumoured to have tabled an offer worth £100million for the Aston Villa star.

Some observers have predicted Grealish could experience the sort of slow start to life under Pep Guardiola that Mahrez endured three years ago, but the Algeria winger showed himself to be in full flight against City's overmatched Championship opponents.

Mahrez charged down the right flank to retrieve Ruben Dias' raking ball and crossed for Samuel Edozie to tap in a 23rd-minute opener – the teenage forward having also netted during the midweek win over Preston North End.

Another youth teamer, Ben Knight, doubled the advantage after Mahrez released an underlapping Joao Cancelo and the right-winger got in on the act himself in the 34th minute when he clipped home a wonderful half-volley from Benjamin Mendy's centre.

It could have been worse for Barnsley before half-time when Cole Palmer wriggled away from Cauley Woodrow to win a penalty, although Bradley Collins guessed correctly to save the young playmaker's spot-kick.

Mahrez was inevitably involved again when Nathan Ake made it 4-0 midway through the second-half, while Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko came off the bench to enjoy their first action of pre-season after returning from Euro 2020 duty.

City will face Blackpool on Tuesday in their final friendly before next weekend's Community Shield meeting with Leicester at Wembley.

Harry Wilson has ended a 16-year association with Liverpool to join Championship outfit Fulham ahead of the 2021-22 season. 

Wilson – who has signed a deal that could see him stay at Craven Cottage until 2026 – progressed through the ranks of the Reds after joining at the age of nine. 

The 24-year-old made just two appearances for Jurgen Klopp's first team, however, and has spent much of the past four seasons out on loan. 

Spells at Crewe Alexandra and Hull City were followed by a successful stint at Derby County in the 2018-19 season.

He spent a season in the Premier League with Bournemouth in 2019-20, scoring seven goals as the Cherries were relegated, while last term he was on loan with Championship side Cardiff City. 

Wilson has been capped 29 times by Wales and featured for the Dragons in their Euro 2020 campaign, receiving a red card in the closing stages of their 4-0 last-16 defeat to Denmark. 

Fulham also announced the signing of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga on Saturday after he left Tottenham last month, the 29-year-old Argentine signing a two-year deal.

Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke has signed a new four-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2025.

The German arrived at Carrow Road in 2017 after he departed from Borussia Dortmund and guided the Canaries to the Premier League in his second season.

Relegation followed in 2020, but the 44-year-old led his side to an immediate return at the first time of asking as Norwich collected 97 points on their way to the Championship title last campaign, the second time of being crowned champions under Farke. 

"I'm absolutely over the moon and feel pretty emotional in such a moment. I'm unbelievably grateful for all of the trust and support," Farke told the club's media on Wednesday.

"It is a pleasure to be allowed to continue to work on this level with such a special club and our unbelievable owners, Delia and Michael."

Farke's assistant manager Eddie Riemer, head of performance Chris Domogalla and first-team coach Christopher John all signed new terms for the same period, too.

Despite losing Emiliano Buendia to Aston Villa, Norwich have enjoyed a productive transfer window so far, perhaps courtesy of Farke's close relationship with sporting director Stuart Webber.

Farke has managed to bring in Werder Bremen's Milot Rashica, centre-back Ben Gibson and goalkeeper Angus Gunn, as well as the loan signing of Scotland international Billy Gilmour.

"I must also thank Stuart Webber for his trust and backing, my staff and players, as well as the supporters. We have a pretty special relationship in this club," Farke added.

"Now it's about going the next step, doing everything we can to make sure this club becomes an established Premier League side.

"We're in a much better position, both as a club and as a group, and we want to continue to build something unique and special."

Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City.

Reports over the weekend suggested Villa had a £33million offer, which could reach a total value of £40m, accepted by promoted side Norwich.

Arsenal had also pursued Buendia, but it is Villa who have confirmed they are poised to sign the Championship's Player of the Year in a deal that is a club-record signing for them and the highest ever sale for Norwich.

Villa's statement on Monday read: "Aston Villa and Norwich City have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emiliano Buendia.

"As Emiliano is currently in the Argentina national team's biosecure bubble, preparing for a World Cup qualifying match with Colombia on Tuesday evening, he will undergo a medical and complete the transfer after the game."

Playmaker Buendia, 24, played a major role in Norwich's return to the Premier League, racking up 15 goals and 16 assists in the Championship and recently earned his first Argentina call-up.

He provided seven assists the year before in a productive top-flight season, even though Norwich were ultimately relegated.

Norwich have also confirmed the transfer will go through pending a successful medical for Buendia.

Their statement read: "Norwich City can confirm that a club-record deal has been agreed with Aston Villa for the transfer of Emi Buendia.

"Buendia will complete his final medical checks following the conclusion of Argentina's World Cup qualifying fixture against Colombia on Tuesday evening.

"Final confirmation of the transfer will follow upon completion of the player's medical."

Fantastic figures

Buendia created 55 shooting opportunities in open play in the 2019-20 Premier League season, a figure that only Kevin De Bruyne, potential new team-mate Jack Grealish and Sadio Mane could better.

He was level with Mohamed Salah and ahead of Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva, among others.

His seven assists, only one of which came from a set-piece situation, was another notable feat, and his 6.2 expected assists (xA) figure suggests he wasn't benefiting from astonishing luck throughout the season either. 

 

Buendia added to his game in the Championship. In the Premier League he averaged just 1.46 shots per game, but he more than doubled that frequency to three every 90 minutes in the second tier, likely a consequence of the fact he has spent more time in the central areas of the pitch and closer to the penalty area.

As a result, his goals haul shot up from one to 15 and his xG (expected goals) of 11.8 shows that, while he may have scored more than the quality of his chances warranted, he would still have expected to reach double figures. 

Buendia had 16 assists, above his overall xA of 12.4, which was still at least four more than any other player in the Championship in 2020-21. 

Similarly, his 93 key passes in open play was – remarkably – 31 more than anyone else in the division.

 

Brentford captain Pontus Jansson heaped praise on Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa after the Bees were promoted to the Premier League for the first time.

Ivan Toney's penalty, swiftly followed by a fierce first-time strike from Emiliano Marcondes, secured a 2-0 win for Brentford in the Championship play-off final against Swansea City.

Brentford lost to Fulham at the same stage last year, Jansson's first with the club after leaving Bielsa's Leeds, who were promoted as champions and have this term enjoyed a spectacular return to the Premier League, finishing ninth.

But, speaking to Sky Sports, Jansson explained how what he learned from Bielsa played a pivotal role in Brentford ending a 74-year absence from the top flight.

"Last year a lot of Leeds fans was against me, this year so many Leeds fans have been with me and with Brentford, probably because they are already there and they wanted me to come and join them," Jansson said.

"I love Leeds, Brentford fans know I love Leeds, Leeds is one of the favourite clubs I have, of course I love Brentford as much, I'm so proud, I'm so happy, I could go home to Sweden and retire because this is what I've dreamt of for such a long time since I came to England, finally of course I will not go home, I will stay here and hopefully play Premier League football.

"I'm so thankful to Bielsa for what he gave me at Leeds, he gave me so much knowledge that I actually brought to Brentford and Brentford was so willing to listen to me and my ideas that I took from Bielsa.

 

"I thank him a lot because he's one of the best coaches in the world. People think mine and his relationship is not the best but it is, I'm so thankful to him."

Brentford scored 79 goals in the 46-game Championship season, the most in the division, increasing the tally for the campaign to 84 with their efforts in the play-offs.

The Bees scored 73 non-penalty goals across 49 matches, underperforming their xG of 74.4 but playing an expansive style of football reflective of what Jansson experienced at Leeds.

 

Toney was the talisman behind their promotion, his spot-kick taking him to 33 goals in a remarkable campaign. Twenty-two of those goals came from 135 non-penalty shots with an xG of 20.7.

Asked about what he could do in front of goal in the top tier, Toney replied: "I don't know, who knows what's to come.

"I'm a Premier League striker now and I can't wait to score goals in the Prem."

Brentford secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history with a 2-0 victory over Swansea City in the Championship play-off final.

The Bees lost at this stage last season to London rivals Fulham but were in no mood to be denied this time around and were 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.

Ivan Toney's 10th-minute penalty, his 33rd goal of an amazing campaign, opened the scoring and Brentford's lead was doubled by Emiliano Marcondes just under 10 minutes later.

Swansea were much improved in the second half, but Jay Fulton's red card effectively sealed victory for Brentford as they clinched a first promotion to the top flight since 1935, ending their 74-year absence from the highest domestic level having been relegated back in 1947.

Toney had scored all 10 of his previous penalties this season and never looked likely to err after goalkeeper Freddie Woodman felled Bryan Mbeumo when he was played in by Sergi Canos' superb reverse pass.

He duly made it 11 from 11 by calmly slotting beyond former Newcastle United team-mate Woodman and into the bottom-left corner, with Toney's record from the spot the best of any player in England's top four tiers in all competitions.

Swansea struggled to respond to that early setback and they were soon given a mountain to climb when Mads Rasmussen expertly picked out Marcondes at the end of a counter-attack and the Dane rifled a fine finish into the bottom-right corner.

And the Bees were almost out of sight as Toney cracked a spectacular volley against the underside of the crossbar, with Woodman grateful to see the ball bounce on the line and out.

Swansea did stem the tide thereafter and went close in the final minute of normal time in the first half as Andre Ayew sent a header off the top of the bar before starting the second half by skewing a diving header wide from Connor Roberts' cross.

Jamal Lowe crafted some promising openings for the Swans but Fulton was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Mathias Jensen, giving Brentford fans cause to start the celebrations early on a landmark day for the club.

What does it mean? Brentford make it a half-century of Premier League clubs

Swansea were looking to end a three-season stay in the second tier following Premier League relegation in 2018, but Brentford will instead make their debut in the division, becoming the 50th different club to grace the league since its inception in 1992.

Their 86 years between promotions to the top flight is the second-longest gap behind Bradford City, who ended a wait of 91 years in 1999.

Ivan sets the tone

The composure Toney displayed in converting from the spot showed him to be a player ready for the magnitude of the occasion and only the woodwork prevented him from magnificently ending the game as a contest in the first half.

Just one player, Cambridge United's Paul Mullin (34), has scored more goals in all competitions than Toney this season. Brentford will hope his prolific form translates to the Premier League as they bid to stay up next season.

Woodman gets it wrong

Woodman had to be sure he was going to get the ball when he came off his line to challenge Mbeumo. His misjudgement swiftly swung the game in Brentford's favour. Though he could do little about the second goal, this was a day to forget for a goalkeeper likely to be in demand in the transfer window.

What's next?

Brentford could start the season against the European champions, with games against Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon. For Swansea, it's another term in the Championship, with the likes of Peterborough United and Luton Town lying in wait.

Sam Allardyce will leave his role as West Brom's head coach at the end of the Premier League campaign, the Championship-bound Baggies have confirmed.

Allardyce took over from Slaven Bilic in December, but despite a mini-revival which included a 5-2 win at Chelsea, he was unable to guide West Brom to safety and their relegation was confirmed with a defeat at Arsenal earlier this month.

It is the first time Allardyce has suffered relegation from the Premier League during his managerial career, and the former England boss will not be at the helm next season.

Allardyce's assistant Sammy Lee and first-team coach Robbie Stockdale will also leave The Hawthorns.

West Brom suffered a 3-1 home defeat to West Ham on Wednesday, after which the club confirmed that, despite hoping to keep Allardyce in charge, the 66-year-old will be leaving after Sunday's match at Leeds United.

"Sam, Ken (chief executive, Xu Ke) and I have discussed at length our plans for the future and we very much hoped to have Sam in charge for next season and beyond," said sporting and technical director Luke Dowling.

"Sam and his coaching staff have been excellent to work with and I would like to thank them all for their efforts.

"Sam has given his reasons for leaving and we respect his decision. He has been brilliant to work with and I wish him, Sammy and Robbie all the very best in the future."

Allardyce said: "West Brom made me a generous offer to stay at The Hawthorns that shows the commitment of an ambitious club. After serious consideration I have decided not to accept that offer.

"If I were to stay and achieve promotion next season the expectation would be for me to continue for at least another season and, sadly, that is not a commitment I feel able to make at this stage of my career.

"I believe the club now needs stability and continuity and this would, in my opinion, best be provided by a young and ambitious manager who can get us back to where we should be as an established Premier League football club."

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