Beth Mead admits not being included in England’s Women’s World Cup squad was “a tough pill to swallow” but is looking forward to cheering the Lionesses on throughout the tournament.
This year’s competition takes place in Australia and New Zealand, with Sarina Wiegman’s side kicking off their campaign against Haiti in Group D on July 22.
England will be without the injured Mead, who won the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards when they won the Euros last summer.
The Arsenal forward is continuing her recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained last November and knew the turnaround to make the squad would be tight.
“When I did my knee I knew time was probably going a little bit against me,” Mead told the PA news agency.
“But it was my motivator through my rehab and I can honestly look myself in the mirror and go ‘I’ve done everything possible to get close to that’.
“Sarina was incredible, in fact she had a lot of conversations with me, kept me in the loop with everything and she said she would’ve loved to have me there, but it was meant to be a bit too soon.
“It was a tough pill to swallow, it’s a big tournament and you want to be there, I was in good form before my injury and you want to continue that into the big tournaments again.
“It wasn’t meant to be this time, I believe everything happens for a reason, but I’m looking forward to watching the girls and being number one cheerleader back home.
“It’s just a little bit of a different role for me this year.”
England’s preparations for the World Cup continued at the weekend as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Portugal, but Mead believes the game has offered more learning opportunities for the team.
“I think that’s why you play these kinds of teams, Portugal are a good team, they have the quality,” she said.
“In these games when it doesn’t go quite right they tampered the systems, tampered with individuals and where they’re playing.
“You learn more from these games than going out there and winning 6-0 or 7-0 so I think it’s good learning and a good pinpoint for them to build on ready to go to the World Cup.”
Mead is an ambassador for the McDonald’s Fun Football programme, the largest grassroots programme in the UK for five to 11-year-olds, where 250,000 children have had access to free football in the last 12 months.
She will be cheering England on from home as she continues to work her way back to fitness in time for the new Women’s Super League season.
The Lionesses star admits there have been “pros and cons” to recovering alongside her partner and Arsenal team-mate Vivianne Miedema, who also sustained an ACL injury just weeks after Mead.
Mead said: “Some days I want to absolutely rip her head off because she’s a pain in the bum and other days we understand what each other’s going through and we can help push each other through.
“I’m a month ahead of Viv, I’ve kind of been there and wore the t-shirt of what she’s doing now.
“I know when there’s days where things become difficult I can help her with or when I know how happy she is.
“She ran for the first time this week and she’s had a few complications so I know how amazing that day felt for her because a month earlier I’d just done it.”
The England forward is now relishing a long-awaited return to football and getting back to work with the Gunners next season.
“It’ll be very exciting to get on a pitch again but I’m excited to play alongside the girls again, getting involved,” she added.
“You find a new appreciation for football when you’ve been kept out of it for nine months.”
::Beth Mead was speaking at the largest ever McDonald’s Fun Football session to celebrate the landmark of over 250,000 children across the UK benefiting from access to free football this season. Sign up to a free session near you at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football
Jude Bellingham has revealed David Beckham sent him a good luck message after joining Real Madrid.
The 20-year-old has become just the seventh British player to join the Bernabeu club following his 103million euros (£88.5m) move from Borussia Dortmund last month, following in the footsteps of the likes of Beckham, Gareth Bale and Michael Owen.
Beckham was perhaps the highest profile to make the switch to the Spanish capital following his 2003 move from Manchester United, which only heightened his global profile, and the former England captain recently got in touch with Bellingham.
And the new Bernabeu star said he might tap into Beckham and other former players’ knowledge of playing at Madrid.
“David Beckham messaged me briefly to wish me all the best,” Bellingham told the PA news agency.
“It is one of those moves where everyone has their input from the outside so you do hear a lot of things and advice, I am quite good at filtering out the good from the bad, so far it has been really positive from ex-players.
“I will try and take that on board and at some point maybe get in touch with them and see how they adapted to life in Spain.”
One of the things Bellingham will be doing to adapt to his new lifestyle in Spain is to learn the language.
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The midfielder has started using a learning app, aiming to build on the vocabulary he got at school.
“I have got it on my phone, I’ve got a good little streak going at the minute,” he added. “It’s nine days since I started taking it properly seriously.
“It is one of those things where you hear it and you start to pick up little things and you see it on TV with interviews of other players, so it comes a bit more naturally than you think.
“It is a lot easier than trying to learn German at least. I did Spanish at school up to year 9, obviously, in hindsight, I would have carried it on.”
Bellingham is now an ambassador for McDonald’s Fun Football programme, the largest grassroots programme in the UK for 5-11 year olds, where 250,000 children have had access to free football in the last 12 months.
He used to attend similar events but admits that it was not immediately obvious that he was destined for greater things.
“For the first year or so of going to things like that I was more interested in British Bulldog and some of the fun games,” he said. “So for me it was a process of getting into the game, but it was made easy because there was no pressure on me.
“For my parents that was the main thing, just getting that social aspect of it and something that is healthy and good for me.”
:: Jude Bellingham was speaking at the largest ever McDonald’s Fun Football session to celebrate the landmark of over 250,000 children across the UK benefiting from access to free football this season. Sign up to a free session near you at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football
England forward Alessia Russo is targeting silverware after joining Arsenal on a free transfer.
As her contract with Women’s Super League rivals Manchester United expired, the Gunners swooped to land the 24-year-old striker.
Russo hit 10 goals in the WSL last season as United finished runners-up to champions Chelsea.
She emerged as a January transfer target for Arsenal, but a world-record bid was shunned by the Red Devils as they pushed to claim the title.
Russo did not sign a new deal and was instead free to leave Manchester for north London – where she is keen to add domestic medals to the Women’s Euro success she enjoyed with the Lionesses last summer.
“I’m really excited to be here and I can’t wait to get going,” Russo said after joining Arsenal.
“I want to win trophies – as does everyone in this club. I can’t wait to get stuck in and grow as a player – it’s a new challenge and a new environment.”
“I think the growth of the women’s game has been incredible, but particularly at a club like Arsenal.
“The sell-out against Wolfsburg at Emirates Stadium last season was fantastic and I’m just really excited to be part of this club.”
Russo, who is part of the England squad heading to the World Cup later this summer, has hit 11 goals in 21 senior appearances for her country.
“Alessia is one of the best forwards in the world and has significant potential to continue growing and improving,” said Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall.
“She has a proven track record of scoring goals in the WSL and at international level and we believe she will be a quality addition to our forward line, so we’re all delighted to have brought her to the club.”
Russo becomes Arsenal’s third signing of the summer following the acquisitions of defender Amanda Ilestedt and forward Cloe Lacasse from Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica respectively.
New Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring happiness back to Stamford Bridge and is aiming to win in style.
The Argentinian took up his new post at the start of July and heads to west London at a turbulent time for the club.
The Blues finished 12th in the Premier League last season, playing under four different managers who all struggled to integrate almost £600million of new signings into the team.
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Former Tottenham boss Pochettino has now been tasked with bringing about an upturn in form and results and is ready for the challenge that lies ahead.
“I know very well that Chelsea is one of the greatest clubs in the world,” he said in an interview with his new club released on social media.
“Of course, it was easy for us (Pochettino and his backroom staff) to take the decision to move here.
“I think it’s exciting for us and of course what we want is to bring the happiness again to this great football club, working hard, playing in the way that the fans can enjoy football.”
Pochettino has yet to win silverware as a manager in England but did lift the Ligue 1 title as Paris St Germain coach in 2022 before being sacked weeks later.
“The history of Chelsea is to win,” the 51-year-old said.
“But it’s important also in the way that we are going to build up the victories – I think in the last 10, 12, 15 years Chelsea is the greatest team in England.
“I know very well the Premier League, I know very well what Chelsea means, the culture of Chelsea.
“Our fans, they’re so excited also to again be on the road of trying to win and of course, for us we feel really excited about working with a very young team.”
It has already been another summer of change on the pitch for Chelsea, who have signed forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to add to Pochettino’s firepower.
They have also moved on a host of talent with the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz and Ruben Loftus-Cheek departing and Mason Mount on the cusp of joining Manchester United.
Head coach of Trinidad & Tobago’s Soca Warriors, Angus Eve, has described his team as “going through a rebuilding stage” after bowing out of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA on Sunday.
The Trinidadians secured a comfortable 4-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in their first game of the group stage before suffering a crushing 1-4 defeat to Jamaica then ending their campaign with a 0-6 hammering at the hands of the defending champions and hosts.
Eve, in a post-match press conference, acknowledged a gap in skill between his players and those on the teams they lost to before explaining how that gap can be closed.
“We need to have our players being exposed at the highest level and consistently play football at a high level,” he said.
“Most of the guys don’t get the exposure on the outside and consistently play at a high level, because you have to remember that our league just returned after three years. The CFU used to have competitions. You can see that St. Kitts are in the same boat as us receiving a number of goals,” he added.
Eve also criticized the fitness level of his players, noting that getting the players fit is a job for their clubs rather than the national team.
“A national team coach can’t get the players fit when they come here. They have to come from their clubs with that fitness so your job is now to put them in a formation that will get them to play well.”
“A lot of times, as you can see, we were lacking fitness,” Eve added.
Despite all this, Eve did say he sees progress in some areas, specifically in the standard of the tournament.
“The tournament is improving all the time. We were here in 2021 and we are progressing. When you look at the French-Caribbean teams, they can bring in players who are playing in France and plug those holes,” he said.
Goalkeeper Jon McCracken said “it feels great” after joining Dundee from Norwich on a season-long loan deal.
The 23-year-old began his career at Hamilton before joining the Canaries in 2016.
McCracken, who has had loan spells at League of Ireland side Bohemians and more recently Stevenage, was recruited by Dundee boss Tony Docherty and the former Scotland under-17 keeper told the club’s official website: “It feels great, there has been a bit of interest for a while now, so I’m glad to get it done and to be here.
“I spoke to the gaffer quite a few times over the last couple of weeks and once I spoke to him my mind was pretty much made up on where I wanted to go and it was just a matter of getting the green light from Norwich to come up.
“The gaffer said ‘you’ll come in and fight for your jersey’ and that was my mind made up. I am hoping for a successful season for me personally and the club.
“I am aiming to get as many games as I can and hopefully help Dundee to get as many clean sheets as possible.”
McCracken trained with his new team-mates on Monday morning and will travel with the Dundee squad to their training camp in Ireland.
Docherty said: “We are delighted to have him in the building, he is an extremely talented young goalkeeper from Norwich who they rate very highly.
“He now just needs to get to that next stage in his career in terms of his development, so we are delighted to have him on board.
“He’s a big character, a great personality and from what we’ve heard and seen of him we are very impressed.
“He’ll be coming to Ireland with us to integrate with the boys. I’ve said to Jon he’s in a fight for the jersey and that number one spot and that’s what I want all over the squad that competition, because that healthy level of competition keeps everyone on their toes and improves the standard.”
RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol has expressed an interest in joining Manchester City, the German club’s sporting director has revealed.
Max Eberl has told a German newspaper that the Croatia international has informed the Bundesliga outfit of his desire to move and that “talks” are ongoing.
There is no indication City have officially submitted a bid for the player and the treble winners have not commented on Eberl’s claims.
Eberl told Leipziger Volksnachrichten: “Josko and his advisers have submitted the wish to us for a transfer to Manchester City.
“We are in talks with Manchester. There is nothing more to say about it at this moment.”
Gvardiol, 21, has long been linked with City and caught the eye when he scored against them in the Champions League last season.
Leipzig reportedly value Gvardiol at around £86million (100million euros) but are under little pressure to sell as the player is contracted until 2027.
The club have already sold one key player this summer, with Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai moving to Liverpool for £60million at the weekend.
City have already made one new signing, with £30million midfielder Mateo Kovacic arriving from Chelsea.
Former Republic of Ireland international Steven Reid has returned to Nottingham Forest as first-team coach a year after leaving for a new challenge.
Reid, 42, left Steve Cooper’s staff 12 months ago after playing his part in the club’s return to the Premier League to become a specialist coach offering support to players around mental well-being, confidence and leadership.
However, the former Millwall, Blackburn, West Brom and Burnley midfielder has now rejoined Forest, where he served briefly as interim manager following Chris Hughton’s departure in September 2021.
Reid told the club’s official website: “It is a club that has stayed close to my heart for many reasons, firstly because of the amazing journey to promotion, but also because of the support I felt from within the club and the amazing fanbase when stepping away from football to do some work around mental health and well-being.
“I have remained close to Steve and many of the coaching staff and players and cannot wait to get going again.”
Cooper added: “I’m delighted that Reidy is returning to the club. He had a massive impact in our Championship promotion-winning season, but he also has experience of working and playing in the Premier League and knows what it demands.”
Robbie Deas is hoping to fulfil his Scotland dreams following his move to Kilmarnock .
The 21-year-old defender joined Killie from Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a two-year deal after considering several options.
Deas, who came through the youth ranks at Celtic, has represented Scotland at Under-17, U19 and U21 levels and is hoping to take the next step while at Rugby Park.
He said: “A dream of mine is to represent my country. Kilmarnock gives me a great platform to do well and you never know.
“I was lucky enough to play Under-17s and Under-19s and I had one friendly with the 21s.
“There’s no better feeling than playing for your country, you play against the best of other players from other countries and that’s what you want to do. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
“I was lucky enough and when I did, I felt privileged to put on the strip. It was exciting. I just want the taste of it.
“Growing up I’ve always gone to watch the national team so that’s what I want to do.
“You look at (Killie) players of the past who have played for the national team, like Greg Taylor who is now at Celtic, Eamonn Brophy played for Scotland.
“There is a platform here. The gaffer has an exciting thing going here and I am delighted to be part of it.”
After earlier spells in his career on loan at Cowdenbeath and Alloa Athletic, Deas, who played against Celtic in the Scottish Cup final last season where Caley lost 3-1, feels the time is “right” to be taking the step up into the top flight of Scottish football.
He said: “I feel like I’ve done the right pathway. I feel a lot of boys probably frown upon going out on loan at a young age.
“I was lucky enough to do it. I think I’ve got the right education.
“There is only so much you can learn at youth football, especially at Celtic where you dominate most youth games whereas you go to Cowdenbeath which is proper men’s football which I was needing as a centre-half.
“I loved my time at Cowdenbeath, I was there as an 18-year-old and I learned so much and then made the step up to Alloa and then same again to Inverness.
“I have had three great years at the club and I feel more than ready now to play in the Premiership, step up and make myself known.
“I see the vision the gaffer has got and that is what I want to be part of. It is exciting times at the club.”
In a thrilling CONCACAF Gold Cup match between Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, the Reggae Boyz secured a resounding 5-0 victory, with defender Di'Shon Bernard shining brightly on the field.
In addition to his solid defensive play, the young former Manchester United centre-back scored his first-ever goal for the national team, leaving the coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, heaping praise upon the promising talent.
"I think he will get maybe more recognized in the upcoming years. This one is helping him a lot in that," Coach Hallgrimsson said, acknowledging the potential that Bernard possesses.
During the match, Bernard's skills stood out, and his versatility surprised the coaching staff.
"In that area, you can see his physical strength is good, his speed is good. Aerially, he's very strong. But I haven't seen this attacking skill like he showed in the opponents today," the coach noted with admiration.
"I asked him, 'Have you ever done that before?' He replied, 'Yeah, coach, yeah, coach,' after the game. So now he is a young player, still has some things to learn, and he's going to grow for sure."
Bernard's performance on the pitch has been impressive, especially considering his relatively recent addition to the national squad. He, along with fellow newcomers (Demarai) Gray and (Joel) Latibeaudiere, has quickly integrated into the team, understanding their roles and responsibilities seamlessly.
"I give him a lot of credit. He's new to the squad, but he has done really well since he came in. Like I said before, you give someone a chance, and he takes it," Coach Hallgrimsson added, expressing his delight with the player's dedication and skill.
Bernard's impactful performance has left the coaching staff with a pleasant dilemma of deciding on the starting lineup for future matches. "That is pleasing for coaches when players put you in a spot now, I mean in a dilemma, who I will pick for the next game. So really good," the coach admitted.
An own goal from St Kitts goalkeeper Julani Archibald, Corey Burke, Daniel Johnson and Corey Burke completed the scoring for Jamaica who finished on seven points for second place in Group A. The Reggae Boyz advanced to the quarter-final round of the Gold Cup.
Brighton have signed Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have announced.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium.
Verbruggen was named player of the season at Anderlecht last term despite only breaking into the first team in December.
He helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and made his debut for the Dutch Under-21 side last month. He also earned a senior call-up in March.
Seagulls head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “I am very pleased to have signed Bart.
“He is used to playing a type of football similar to ours and he will have no problem fitting into our group.
“He has the potential to become a very important player for the club in the coming years.”
Verbruggen began his career with hometown club NAC Breda and has also represented his country at Under-18 level.
Brighton have signed Netherlands Under-21 goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen from Anderlecht, the Premier League club have announced.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium.
Verbruggen was named player of the season at Anderlecht last term despite only breaking into the first team in December.
He helped the club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League and made his debut for the Dutch Under-21 side last month. He also earned a senior call-up in March.
Seagulls head coach Roberto De Zerbi said: “I am very pleased to have signed Bart.
“He is used to playing a type of football similar to ours and he will have no problem fitting into our group.
“He has the potential to become a very important player for the club in the coming years.”
Verbruggen began his career with hometown club NAC Breda and has also represented his country at Under-18 level.
Billy Dodds was more than pleased to confirm that striker Billy Mckay has signed a new two-year deal with Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Across his three spells with the Championship club, Mckay has played 246 games and has scored 100 goals and is just one goal away from equalling Dennis Wyness’ club goalscoring record.
The 34-year-old had been linked with fellow Championship side Ayr United but has decided to stay in the Highlands.
Head coach Dodds told the club’s official website: “We’re delighted that Billy has extended his stay with the club.
“Billy is a key player for us, he was our top scorer last season and is an ultimate professional.”
“While he had offers from a number of clubs, some of whom were competitors in the Championship, the club had worked hard to make sure that Billy helps get us back into the Premiership and stays where he belongs, here at Caledonian Stadium.”
The Northern Ireland international joined Inverness initially from Northampton in 2011.
During his first spell at the club, he scored 62 goals in 141 games before joining Wigan in January, 2015.
McKay returned to Caley Thistle for a brief loan spell in January 2017 then returned to the club for third time in the summer of 2021 on a permanent basis.
Newcastle have completed their swoop for AC Milan star Sandro Tonali as they gear up for a return to Champions League football.
The 23-year-old Italy midfielder has signed for an undisclosed fee – understood to be in excess of £50million – on an initial deal which will keep him at St James’ Park until 2028.
Tonali, who has 14 senior caps, has captained his country at the European Under-21s Championship in Georgia and Romania in recent weeks and the announcement of his signing came a day after the Italians exited the competition.
The former Brescia player said: “First of all, I want to thank Newcastle United because they are giving me a huge opportunity for my career.
“I want to repay the trust on the pitch, giving it my all, as I always have. I’m really excited about playing at St James Park, I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the fans.”
Tonali is the kind of marquee signing Magpies head coach Eddie Howe has been targeting since guiding the club to a top-four Premier League finish last season to end a two-decade exile from Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Howe has signalled his intention to recruit quality rather than quantity this summer while remaining within the bounds of the spending limits under which a club which had invested more than £250million in the first three transfer windows under its new Saudi-backed owners must operate.
He has acknowledged the difficulty of competing on the domestic and European fronts next season and knows a repetition of a remarkable league campaign will be made all the tougher by the demands of rubbing shoulders with the continent’s big boys once again.
However, landing a player of Tonali’s stature is an indication of the direction Newcastle hope to take and the 45-year-old was delighted to have got his man.
Howe said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sandro to Newcastle United. He is an exceptional talent and has the mentality, physicality and technical attributes to be a great fit for us.
“At 23, Sandro already has important experience as a key player in one of Europe’s top leagues and in the Champions League, as well as playing for his country.
“But he also has the opportunity and potential to grow and evolve with us, and I’m excited to add him to our squad as we approach the exciting season ahead.”
Tonali began his career at Brescia, where he helped the club win promotion to Serie A, and moved to Milan during the summer of 2020, initially on a season-long loan deal.
He leaves with 130 appearances to his name in the Italian top flight and having played in all 12 of the Rossoneri’s Champions League fixtures last season as they made it to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by arch-rivals Inter.
Roy Hodgson is to remain as Crystal Palace manager for the new season at the age of 76.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the five men to manage in the Premier League after turning 70.
Roy Hodgson
76 years, three days (on the date of Palace’s first game of the new season)
Hodgson’s extended stay means he will take charge of the clash with Sheffield United three days after his 76th birthday. Remarkably he has had three separate spells in the top flight since turning 70, keeping Palace safe from relegation in 2020-21 and again last season, but failing to achieve the same feat with Watford in between times.
His 47-year managerial career has taken in a total of 17 clubs in six countries, including four in Sweden, as well as the national teams of England, Switzerland, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.
Sir Bobby Robson
71 years, 192 days
Robson was 66 when he was appointed manager of his beloved Newcastle in 1999 and spent almost five years in the role, guiding the Magpies to back-to-back Champions League qualifications and a UEFA Cup semi-final.
His managerial career started over 30 years earlier with Fulham, enjoying long spells with Ipswich and England as well as managing overseas with PSV Eindhoven twice, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona.
Sir Alex Ferguson
71 years, 139 days
The great Manchester United manager stepped down in 2013 after the last of his record 13 Premier League titles, and his 1,500th game in charge.
His tenure began in 1986, pre-dating the Premier League era by six years, and followed three Scottish titles and a European Cup Winners’ Cup with Aberdeen and almost a year in charge of Scotland. Old Trafford’s north stand was named the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand in 2011.
Neil Warnock
70 years, 162 days
Still managing in the Championship with Huddersfield, Warnock joined the select group of septuagenarian Premier League bosses after taking Cardiff up in 2018 – the eighth promotion of a managerial career that now stretches to 37 years.
He also managed his boyhood club Sheffield United, QPR and Palace in the Premier League and 14 different clubs in all, with his 1,618 games and counting in English professional football breaking the record previously held by ex-Crewe manager Dario Gradi.
Claudio Ranieri
70 years, 93 days
Ranieri memorably took Leicester from relegation favourites, having narrowly survived under predecessor Nigel Pearson, to the 2015-16 league title.
He was sacked the following season and unsuccessful spells at Fulham and Watford followed, with both teams relegated and Ranieri lasting less than four months in each stop. His 14 games in charge of the Hornets saw him past his 70th birthday – before he was replaced by a then 74-year-old Hodgson in January 2022.
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