Anthony Joshua must beat Daniel Dubois to set up a showdown with Tyson Fury, says former heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. 

All eyes will be on Wembley this Saturday as Joshua aims to climb back to the top of the division against IBF world heavyweight champion Dubois. 

The Briton returns to the ring six months after his second-round triumph over Francis Ngannou, extending his unbeaten run to four fights after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. 

Joshua has once held the title he will fight for this weekend, beating Charles Martin in two rounds back in 2016, going on to retain it for five fights while also claiming the WBO, WBA (Super) and IBO titles in the process. 

The 34-year-old's return to the top faces its sternest test under the Wembley arch, with Dubois winning the IBF title against Filip Hrgovic in June. 

While the pressure of fighting in front of a post-war record 96,000 spectators in London is weighing on the Briton's mind, there are also expectations for Joshua to deliver a victory to set up a long-awaited clash with Fury.

The pair have exchanged in a war of words over the years but have yet to settle it in the ring, with the Gypsy King set for a rematch with Usyk in December after his split-decision loss to the Ukrainian in May. 

And Jones Jr, who won 66 of his 76 professional fights, believes Joshua has to win against Dubois to give British boxing fans the fight they have been craving. 

"Well, he's hungry. He's still searching for direction. And, I think he found a good direction with the training he has now," Jones Jr told Stats Perform. 

"So, hopefully, he can come back and get back to the form of what people want to see.

"Because even though he lost to Usyk twice and Fury may lose to Usyk twice, the people in the U.K. still want to see Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury."

When asked to pick a winner, Jones Jr placed more pressure on Joshua to prevail, adding: "He has to win that fight.

"And the only way I think he'll lose it is if he gets knocked out, which I don't think will happen.

"So for the sport of boxing and for the love of his fans, he has to win that fight. Because people still want to see who's better out of him and Tyson Fury."

Viktor Gyokeres should focus on continuing to shine for Primeira Liga leaders Sporting CP and not be tempted by a move away, according to former Portugal defender Jorge Andrade.

The Sweden striker has been a revelation since his move from Coventry City in 2023, topping the league's scoring charts with 29 goals last season as the Lions won the Primeira Liga title.

Gyokeres has netted 12 times already for club and country this term, including in his last eight outings after scoring on his Champions League debut in Tuesday's 2-0 win against Lille.

Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly keen on landing the 26-year-old's signature, though Andrade – speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal – believes Gyokeres should stay put.

"Viktor has already been to England and played in the Championship. That makes you wonder if he should come back to the Premier League so quickly," Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, told Stats Perform.

"He is adapting very well to the Portuguese league. He can play in the Champions League with Sporting. He can be the biggest star of a great club like Sporting. You will have to wait [for him to return to England].

"The values are high, but he's a player who values those values. He's a very strong player, he makes a difference in the club he's at.

"He's already in Sweden's national team. He is one of the key players in that team that has been down a lot since [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic left.

"But I think he is a great player, and he will not think about the Premier League immediately.

"I'm sure that in the future, if Sporting is successful, he can still go to that great league."

Unai Emery makes life "so easy" for his players, according to the Aston Villa manager's Europa League-winning goalkeeper.

Beto played for Sevilla as they won three consecutive Europa Leagues under Emery, featuring in the first two title runs, including starring in a penalty shoot-out triumph against Benfica in the 2014 final.

And despite going on to endure slightly more testing spells in charge of Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, Emery has continued to deliver on the European stage.

He guided Villarreal to another Europa League win, before returning Villa to European football and then the Champions League. Villa beat Young Boys 3-0 in their league phase opener on Tuesday.

Emery's success comes as no surprise to former Portugal international Beto, who explained the brilliance of his old boss while speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal.

"Unai has many things that make him different," Beto told Stats Perform. "The passion that he has for football makes him different.

"The way that he studies every detail, not only in the opponent but in his team. He knows every player. He knows how to get the best out of each player in his team.

"For us, it was amazing, he knew what was going to happen in the 45th minute of the game. This is going to happen.

"If the picture is this one, we will act this way. If the game is like in another way, we're going to act this way.

"So, he had everything planned; every scenario, every situation he had planned. And for us, the players, we had all the information, we had everything. We just had to be ourselves and put our talent at the service of the team.

"And for us, it was so easy to play being coached by Unai. He was an amazing person.

"He respects football. And I think it's one of the secrets of Unai, he respects football. He gives everything for football.

"So, not only in Sevilla, I know he had some bad moments in Arsenal, but he came back in Villarreal. He won another Europa League in Villarreal.

"He brought back Aston Villa to the top. I have too much credit for Unai because I love him, respect him and he will be forever one of my best coaches and my best friends."

Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of reaching 1,000 career goals as long as he continues to look after his body, according to Jorge Andrade.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted his 900th goal for club and country in Portugal's 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia on 5 September.

Ronaldo then added to his tally with a late winner in the 2-1 victory over Scotland three days later, setting him on his way to reaching the four-figure milestone.

Former Portugal star Jorge Andrade, speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, backed his compatriot to do just that.

"With Cristiano Ronaldo, nothing is impossible," Andrade said to Stats Perform. 

"Since we've watched football, the idea of the 1,000 goals is associated with our great idol, Pele. 

"But nowadays, both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have managed to overcome other idols, Diego Maradona and Pele. 

"They managed to be the highlight of the football game in a short time. It's not surprising Ronaldo can break that record. He looks after his body. 

"He has a history of very few injuries. In terms of the Portuguese national team and the league he is in, he manages his efforts well."

Ronaldo has scored 132 of his goals for Portugal, with whom he won Euro 2016, while the other 769 have come at club level.

The 39-year-old has scored 68 times for current club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he has spent the past 20 months.

While Ronaldo continues to score freely in the Middle East, long-time rival Messi is now plying his trade in the United States with Inter Miami.

Andrade, best remembered for his time at Deportivo during his playing career, believes both deserve credit for taking on challenges elsewhere.

"The most important thing for them is that they share the experiences they have even in adverse environments," he said. 

"For example, Messi now plays in MLS. It's a difficult league; it's a league that doesn't have much visibility. 

"He managed to be there and increase visibility. Cristiano Ronaldo went to Saudi Arabia and it's a complicated environment. 

"He increased the visibility of that championship, making it attractive for other players to play who had just the five major leagues as the main goal to play.

"In other words, these two players have changed the world of football."

Daniel Ricciardo revealed his desire to experience the world of motorsport as his 13-year Formula One career hangs in the balance ahead of the 2025 season. 

Ricciardo, who has raced for five different teams in F1, is yet to find out whether he will race for RB next year. 

The Australian and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda were considered the favourites to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull until the Mexican signed a new two-year deal.

Red Bull is a team Ricciardo knows well, of course.

Ricciardo has won eight F1 races during his career, seven of which came with the Austrian-based team before his move to Renault in 2019.

Across his 257 race entries, the 35-year-old has also claimed 1,329 points and 32 podiums, but Ricciardo has been unable to get close to the top three in recent times. 

The Australian has not stood on the podium since his last victory at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021, picking up just 55 points over the last three seasons for an RB team who have struggled to emerge from the midfield places in a competitive grid.

Ricciardo finds himself 14th in the drivers' championship this term, with his best finish coming at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, where he finished eighth. 

With time potentially running out on his F1 career heading into the final seven races of the 2024 season, Ricciardo kept his options open as to what may come next. 

“I mean there's things I would like to try and experience," Ricciardo said in an interview with Tourism Western Australia ahead of the release of his new film 'Drive the Dream 2.0'.

"I don't know, let's say on a competitive level, I grew up a fan of NASCAR. I'd like to drive a NASCAR. I'd love to drive around Daytona, for example.

"But would I like to compete? Yes and no, but I also know that, it's not what I grew up doing, and I'll probably get smoked so like, I don't know if I need that!

"I would love to experience it. I love motorbikes. I love MotoGP. I would love to try a MotoGP bike, but I would be very, very slow and probably horrendous. Just like, all in my own time.

"And actually Bathurst, if it's, obviously okay, it's the V8 that does the race there, but you know there's the 12 hour and stuff, so maybe that's one I could compete in.

"If a V8 team said 'hey, do you want to do a few laps around Bathurst, no pressure, just to experience it', then I'll definitely take that up."

Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones believes the Blues are in "great hands" under new coach Sonia Bompastor as she looks to build on Emma Hayes' legacy.

Hayes ended her glittering 12-year reign in West London in May, having overseen her seventh Women's Super League title success, five of which have come in the last five seasons.

Hayes departed to take up an offer to manage the United States' national team, and she immediately led them to a record-extending fifth gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chelsea moved swiftly to replace Hayes with former Lyon boss Bompastor, who won three league titles and the 2021-22 Champions League crown in three years with the French giants.

The 2024-25 WSL season begins on Friday, September 20, with Bompastor's team playing host to Aston Villa in the first match of the campaign, and Beever-Jones is excited to get going.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, Beever-Jones told Stats Perform: "I think with Emma, the legacy she created at Chelsea speaks for itself. 

"She transformed it into one of the best clubs in the world and I think she's obviously left it in great hands with Sonia now. 

"It's up to Sonia and Cami to put their own flair on the Chelsea way. I think it's going to be an exciting year for sure, change is good, and we'll be losing Emma, but we've got Sonia now, and we're just so excited for the season to start." 

Hayes also won five FA Cups and two League Cups during her time with Chelsea, but the Champions League trophy eluded her, coming closest when they were runners-up to Barcelona in 2020-21.

Bompastor is something of a European specialist, winning the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach, and Beever-Jones hopes her know-how can get the Blues over the line.

"That is the aim," she said. "Chelsea haven't done it before and to have Sonia, who has won it many times, bringing that freshness and, obviously, players like Lucy Bronze giving her experience...

"To be fighting for four competitions again, that's what we want to be doing this year. 

"I feel Chelsea are the club that can do it and yeah hopefully this time next year I'll be sitting here with a Champions League medal.

"I think with Sonia, her history of what she's won as a player and a coach speaks for itself. 

"She was the first player to win it as a Champions League and then do it as a coach. It's a big hole to fill, but I think Sonia and everyone she's brought in are the right people to fill that hole. 

"It's absolute credit to what Emma did for Chelsea and I think it was the right time for her to leave. We're delighted for her to go and win a gold medal for America, and we're obviously still in contact.

"I'm super excited for this new era of Chelsea and to avoid that drop-off, I think we're in the right hands to do that, and I'm sure that drop-off won't happen."

Mason Greenwood is "making a difference" for Roberto De Zerbi's Marseille amid their strong start to the Ligue 1 season, says the club's chief executive, Pablo Longoria.

Greenwood joined Marseille on a permanent deal from Manchester United in July, having spent the 2023-24 season on loan at Getafe.

Greenwood had not appeared for United since he was arrested and suspended by the club in January 2022. The forward was later charged with attempted rape and assault, which he denied, with the charges dropped in early 2023 following the withdrawal of key witnesses.

He has scored five times in his first three Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille, becoming just the second player to achieve that feat in the last 50 seasons of the French top flight, after Nice's Mario Balotelli in 2016.

He scored an 81-second brace in the first half of a 3-1 win at Toulouse prior to the international break, lifting Marseille to seven points from their first three games.

While Marseille's move for the 22-year-old drew criticism from many onlookers, Longoria has been impressed by his impact on the pitch.

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit organised by Liga Portugal, Longoria told Stats Perform: "He's a great player. He's making a difference. 

"If you're asking all the players, all the people that are in the day-to-day with the team, they can tell you that his level is amazing and we are really happy having him. 

"We are really happy about the start of the season he is doing and the behaviour he's having with us in Marseille."

Marseille pulled off what many saw as a coup to appoint De Zerbi as their new head coach ahead of this season, following his surprise exit from Brighton.

Longoria believes the Italian has been a seamless fit at the Stade Velodrome, saying: "What I appreciated was the firmness of Roberto de Zerbi in all the conversations and the connection that he has created with us since the first day. 

"This is the biggest satisfaction that I can say, and I'm very thankful to the coach for how he's adapting himself to the project."

Marseille are currently second in the Ligue 1 standings, two points behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, who lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid ahead of the new campaign.

While Longoria believes Marseille's project is one for the medium-to-long term, he refuses to put a limit on their ambitions for 2024-25.

"They are having a great start to the season as well, to be honest. Our objective is to build a project over three years. That is the number one," he said of PSG.

"Second, we are really happy with how we started this season. Our goal has to be in the Champions League and improve our level. 

"After that, let's see what the competition will put on us. We need to be ambitious, but at the same time, we need to be realistic as well. I'm not saying that we cannot compete. 

"I'm asking for a bit of patience because this is a three-year project, and we really want to improve each day, each week, and each game day. We need to improve our level."

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Mike Pennel is out to prove the Opta supercomputer wrong after it estimated the team's chances of a Super Bowl three-peat at just 11.6%.

The Chiefs are looking to make history in the 2024 campaign, which they open on Thursday with a mouthwatering tussle with the Baltimore Ravens, who they beat in last season's AFC Championship game.

Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and company are out to make the Chiefs the first franchise in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls.

Eight teams have previously won back-to-back Super Bowls, only to fail to make the showpiece game in the subsequent season, most recently the New England Patriots in 2004 and 2005.

Ahead of the new campaign, the Opta supercomputer's predictive model, which takes into account a team's quarterback and EVE (efficiency vs expected) performance, rated Kansas City's chances of winning Super Bowl LIX at 11.6%.

They are more favoured than AFC rivals Baltimore (10.8%), but the San Francisco 49ers – who the Chiefs beat at Super Bowl LVIII and Super Bowl LIV – are favourites with a 23.9% likelihood of winning it all.

Pennel is desperate to prove the model wrong, telling Stats Perform: "Give me the opportunity to fight against the machines! I don't think we were favoured in any playoff game this year. You know what I mean? 

"I'm pretty sure they're doing it off numbers, but we played them twice in the Super Bowl. We beat them twice. I guess we'll just have to get to it. 

"I think we may see them again. But the NFC, they've got some tough teams out there right now. They got some teams that are ascending, Green Bay was looking good and are another dark horse. 

"We'll see what Dallas is doing, how their contract situation works out. The Eagles look very, very, very solid. So we'll see how it shakes out. Remember, you've got to remain healthy to make it to the game. That's out of both teams' hands. 

"We'll see what happens, but 23% to 11%? I can't agree with that. I would flip-flop that, but maybe it's calculating in the three-peat. Maybe that's what it is."

The Chiefs have made six consecutive AFC Championship games since Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, winning four of those and going on to claim three Super Bowl rings.

Asked where their main competition might come from in the AFC, Pennel highlighted the Houston Texans – in their second year with C.J. Stroud leading the offense – as a major threat.

"I love the direction that Houston is going in. They're going to be formidable in the AFC. Cleveland with a healthy Deshaun Watson, we're interested to see how that looks," he said.

"Even in our division, you know, the Chargers with Jim Harbaugh, they've got a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. We know he'll be running the ball, but we'll see how that shakes out. 

"The AFC is just getting better, man. There'll be a couple dark horses in there, but those are the two or three that I really think are going to take a leap and be competitive."

Mike Pennel expects Aaron Rodgers to be "back with a vengeance" this season but struggles to split the 40-year-old from Patrick Mahomes, having played with both quarterbacks. 

Rodgers joined the New York Jets from the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster trade last year, only to rupture his Achilles in Week 1 and miss the remainder of the 2023 season.

With Rodgers now fully fit, the Jets are expected to be a major force in the AFC when the 2024 campaign gets under way this week, as they look to halt a miserable run of eight losing seasons in a row.

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Pennel spent three years alongside Rodgers in Green Bay, playing 37 games through the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Asked if he feels Rodgers has something to prove this year, he told Stats Perform: "Absolutely. I think that's why Aaron still does it. He's a highly competitive person as well. 

"He wanted to succeed and with how the Jets were set up last year, it was very, very, very unfortunate how the season began and turned out because they were going to be a formidable team in the AFC. 

"I know he's going to come back with a vengeance and he's prepared himself to do so. He has a lot in the tank. 

"He learned from [former Packers and Jets quarterback] Brett Favre. So we've at least got about five more years of Rodgers, right?"

Pennel has plenty of experience of playing with generational QB talents, having also teamed up with three-time Super Bowl winner Mahomes through two separate spells in Kansas City, the first spanning the 2019 and 2020 seasons before he returned to the team last October.

Rodgers has thrown for 59,055 yards and 475 touchdowns in 231 games through his 19 years in the NFL.

Mahomes, meanwhile, has already accumulated 28,424 yards and 219 touchdown passes through seven years with the Chiefs, and just six as their starter.

Mahomes' 2023 figures of 4,183 passing yards and 27 touchdown throws were his second-worst since becoming the Chiefs' starter in 2018, after the 2019 campaign (4,031 yards, 26 touchdown throws), yet he still came up trumps when it mattered to lead the team to Super Bowl LVIII glory.

Pennel believes Mahomes' mobility sets him out from all other quarterbacks, but he struggles to split him from Rodgers, who he sees as having a huge influence on others to play the position.

"I think Aaron Rogers, he has crazy arm talent, you know, he was the innovator of the no-look pass and coming out of the gap on scramble and things like that," he said.

"Pat's just a killer, man. I'm telling you about his mobility, but gosh, I mean, I feel like he's like the Ricky Bobby of the NFL!

"He's got the first or his last, you know what I mean? He has a different switch."

Bill Belichick's failure to land another coaching role in the NFL after leaving the New England Patriots was unsurprising due to the level of control he demands, says his former tackle Mike Pennel.

Belichick is regarded as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history, leading the Patriots to nine Super Bowls and winning six during 23 seasons in charge between 2000 and 2023.

His six Super Bowl titles as a head coach match the best returns of any franchise in NFL history, with the Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers both possessing six.

He is also within reach of Don Shula's record for the most victories as an NFL head coach, with his total of 333 (including postseason games) putting him 14 behind the Miami Dolphins legend (347).

If only regular-season games are counted, Belichick has 302 victories to Shula's 328.

However, Belichick parted company with the Patriots after they went 4-13 during a dismal 2023 season, and he was unable to land a new role despite being linked with several teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.

Pennel, who spent six months with Belichick's Patriots in 2019, believes the level of control he demands over a franchise's direction proved off-putting. 

"Bill Belichick's one of the greatest coaches of all time, if not that. So it's going to look a lot different. He was coaching in the NFL before I was even alive," he told Stats Perform.

"I'm clearly just speculating because I'm not part of the New England Patriots franchise, but I just think the situation was, it was that time where they wanted to change.

"They wanted a fresh face and Bill wants things to run a certain way and I don't think franchises are willing to relinquish that much control to a new coach. 

"I just think he wants to take his time. I know he's a family man and just wants to enjoy the time with his family. He's already done everything."

Jerod Mayo has taken the reins in Foxborough following Belichick's departure, with quarterback Drake Maye being drafted third overall to lead the team into a new era.

Pennel, however, believes teething problems will be part of the process this year, saying: "It's hard. It takes some time. You know, there's a couple years of transition depending on how much time you have with the players and everything like that. 

"You're learning a whole new system. You're learning with all new players, you're learning with all new staff, so it's very hard. 

"I don't think it's ever happened like that, in the first year to go to a Super Bowl. It's hard to get to that successful level."

Travis Kelce's love of football means his off-field fame will not impact his desire to help the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl three-peat, says team-mate Mike Pennel.

Kelce has become recognised as one of the NFL's best tight ends through 11 seasons with the Chiefs, being named in the first All-Pro team on four occasions and becoming a nine-time Pro Bowler.

His partnership with quarterback Patrick Mahomes has helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls, including back-to-back crowns to cap the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

However, it is Kelce's relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift that has taken his off-field image to a new level, making him one of the world's most recognisable sportspeople.

Alongside his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, he also hosts the popular 'New Heights' podcast and has made several television appearances.

Chiefs tackle Pennel says there is no jealousy towards Kelce in the Chiefs' locker room, however.

He told Stats Perform: "We all love it, man. It's a brotherhood, so we're always excited when we see anyone on TV or succeeding off the field. 

"Trav definitely was that guy that had that trajectory, you know what I mean? So, to say that we're surprised by it... we're not really. I know that everybody's really happy for him and all the opportunities that he's getting."

The Chiefs are looking to make history in the 2024 season, with a chance to become the first team in the NFL to win three straight Super Bowls.

Of the eight previous teams to win back-to-back championships, none have even reached the Super Bowl in the following season. Pennel, however, believes Kelce's drive could help the Chiefs go where no team has gone before.

"I think it's testament to [general manager Brett] Veach. He puts people in the locker room that love the game of football," he said. 

"The money's great and everything like that, but I know genuinely that everyone in our locker room loves football. 

"I think that's what it's testament to, he's got all the accolades, he's done everything with all the money and everything, but he generally loves the game of football and loves being competitive and wants to help the Chiefs organisation excel.

"To take that next advantage with getting a three-peat and more Super Bowls, as many as they can during this window."

The Kansas City Chiefs are primed and ready to go as they aim to secure a three-peat, so says defensive tackle Mike Pennel.

Kansas City, inspired by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have won the last two editions of the Super Bowl.

Yet no team in NFL history has ever gone on to win the championship three times in a row.

Indeed, none of the eight teams that have won back-to-back Lombardi trophies has then gone on to reach the Super Bowl the following year. 

But Pennel is counting nothing out.

He told Stats Perform: "I think the intent is still the same.

"We've got a lot of veteran competitors.  the three-peat is spoken about, but that's something that's within our grasp if we stay focused and they're drilling that in us every day.

"So everybody's taking a very business-like approach to it. Nobody's lives are gonna be handed to them. So everybody's ready to go. You know, they're just chopping at the bit to get to [the start of the season]."

And coach Andy Reid is playing a huge role in that extra level of motivation.

"Coach Reid has always had that philosophy," Pennel added.

"His main thing is letting our personality show who we are, and getting the most optimal player out there. It's just letting us be who we are.

"So I have to fall back on the coaching there because he literally preaches that any time we go on the field, you know, let your personality show out there, have fun. And he genuinely means that.

"I don't have the exact recipe to success, but I know we play good coaches. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Coach Reid.

"He loves his past players, and I think he really just coaches us like his own sons and treats us as that in there, and treats us with the same respect as a man as well.

"So, you know, it's easy to respect the guy and work for the guy and know that he has the philosophy to put you in the best position possible to succeed."

Reid, 66, is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, who he has coached since 2013.

And Pennel does not see Reid calling it a day anytime soon.

Pennel added: "He's been consistent. He's been the same since I've met him, and I know as competitive he is as well, it's just, you know, when he decides it's his time.

"I know that there's been no talks of that or discussions of that in the near future, but whenever he decides to, I think that's what it's going to be about.

"Then he'll always have the opportunity to do it."

The Chiefs open their 2024 season against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

Tom Daley is a "pioneer for diving" who "brings the fun", so says his Team GB team-mate Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.

Spendolini-Sirieix claimed bronze at the Paris Olympics in the women's synchronised 10m platform, alongside Lois Toulson.

It is the 19-year-old's first medal. She was Team GB's youngest diver at the Tokyo Games at just 16.

Daley also made an early Olympic debut, competing in Beijing in 2008 at 14 years old. Now 30, he added to an already stellar medal collection in Paris, winning silver in the men's synchronised 10m platform with Noah Williams.

And Spendolini-Sirieix is grateful for the influence Daley has had on both her and the sport.

"I really feel like Tom has been the pioneer for diving. He’s really put diving on the map," she said while speaking to Stats Perform at Adidas house.

Daley became the first British diver to win four Olympic medals when he took gold in the 10m synchro at Tokyo 2020 with partner Matty Lee, to add to his three bronze from previous Games.

“Tom has done so much for our sport and as a team-mate, he's been really, really supportive," added Spendolini-Sirieix.

"He makes us laugh with his terrible dad jokes. But he just brings the fun, he brings the excitement and he brings the energy."

Asked whether she thought Daley would compete in Los Angeles in 2028, Spendolini-Sirieix was unsure, but partner Toulson chipped in: "It wouldn't surprise me, knowing Tom."

Just as his personality away from the pool is infectious, Daley's success in it has also rubbed off on the rest of his team.

In Paris, Team GB have the second-best medal haul in diving, only second to China.

They made history by winning medals in all synchro events, with one silver and three bronze.

"Now I really do feel like we've all put diving on the map, and that's the power of sport, it's the power of the Olympics,” said Spendolini-Sirieix, who also finished sixth in the women's 10m platform.

"We can really broadcast the hard work that we've been putting on. And I really do hope that more people tune into diving and try diving, because it's really a beautiful and unique sport."

Spendolini-Sirieix argues that such a feat would not be possible without the support of those behind the scenes.

"We are the ones that are diving, but we really feel like everyone dives with us in our hearts and with us behind our backs. It takes a village to create an athlete," she said.

"Having our family here as well to celebrate with us is the best part. It’s honestly the most amazing feeling."

Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva believes the Reds have the quality to challenge for the Premier League next season.

Liverpool were part of a three-horse race for top spot for the majority of last season, along with Manchester City and Arsenal.

However, a run of poor results in April saw them drop out of contention, eventually finishing nine points behind Pep Guardiola's side in Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge.

Arne Slot has stepped into the German's shoes, having been picked for a similar style of tactics to his predecessor, and questions have been asked whether Liverpool can pick up where they left off under a new manager.

And Leiva, who played for the Reds for 10 years between 2007 and 2017, has backed them to do just that.

"I think Liverpool can challenge against [Manchester] City, against Arsenal," Leiva told Stats Perform.

"Last year, like I said, Liverpool missed out in the last four weeks of the season. Of course, it will be difficult.

"Man City and Arsenal and other teams are getting stronger, and we know how difficult it is to beat Man City. But Liverpool showed last year the quality to challenge with a lot of young players coming through, and it was very positive.

"I don't see why Liverpool could not challenge Man City this year for the Premier League. I think the team is very good, and of course, other players will arrive to help."

Despite the optimism surrounding Liverpool's new manager, there are concerns over whether key players will still be at Anfield come the end of the season.

Mohamed Salah is entering the final year of his contract and has attracted interest from a number of Saudi Pro League clubs.

The Egyptian has scored 211 goals since joining the Reds in 2017, though his Premier League tally of 18 goals was his least prolific season for them, and Leiva thinks he may have a point to prove under the new manager.

"Mo, what a player he has been for the club," Leiva said. "We know that he came under Jurgen, but I think Mo has got a point to prove as well now.

"He will be a very important player, not only on the pitch, but off it as well. On the pitch, he's been amazing, and he's scored a lot of goals. He has been one of the best [players] in the history of the club.

"But with a new manager coming in now, I think he will need the senior players to help the other guys to settle in, even the new manager to settle in. So, Mo will be really important as well off the pitch. And I'm sure that he has many, many good years ahead of him in the Liverpool shirt."

Another Liverpool stalwart entering the final year of his contract is captain Virgil van Dijk, who has been a talismanic presence since joining from Southampton in 2018.

Only four players have made more appearances than his 197 since making the move to Anfield, and Leiva is confident he will not be leaving any time soon.

"I expect Virgil to stay. He's under contract," he added.

"He's the captain of the team. He had a great Euro, and the same as Mo, he will be really important.

"[Arne] is a Dutch manager, so he will play a big part in helping this new team, this new Liverpool team, going forward. Now he's on holiday, and hopefully, he will come back recharged and ready to go."

Trent Alexander-Arnold rounds out the trio with their future up in the air going into the new season.

The right-back, who started in the Liverpool academy in 2004 aged six, has been integral to Liverpool in recent seasons.

He was involved in the most attacking sequences among Liverpool defenders in the league last season (151), and Leiva is adamant the club should make it a priority to keep the home-grown talent.

"I've known Trent since he was 16 years old. He started when I was playing for the club, and at that young age we could see how good he was," Leiva said.

"He's a Liverpool player born in Liverpool. He is what Liverpool means.

"I think it's really important to keep your best players, and Trent is one of them. Like I said, he's a Scouser, and I'm sure that he'll be focusing on helping the team.

"He's a vice-captain of the team. He's grown so much in the last few seasons, and like all the senior players, I think these players now will play a big part in the new team. Helping the young lads coming through, as well as the academy.

"So, of course, with contract talks, you always have speculation, but I think you know it's really important for Trent to stay at the club because it's his home and I know how much it means to him to play for Liverpool."

Lucas Leiva believes Jurgen Klopp's "unique" coaching style would be a perfect fit if he were to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.

Southgate stepped down as Three Lions boss after eight years following their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final earlier this month.

The 53-year-old led England to their first-ever Euros final in 2021 before reaching the showpiece match on foreign soil at a major tournament for the first time in their history.

However, he also became the first manager to lose two consecutive finals in the competition.

During his tenure, he was often accused of being overly cautious at times, despite the team scoring 213 goals during his 102 matches in charge.

Klopp, who ended his nine-year stay at Anfield in May, is one of the names being linked with the vacant job, and former Liverpool midfielder Leiva believes the German would be a success in the role.

"I think his coaching style can adapt to any club, to any national team, because Jurgen, the way he manages, is unique," Leiva told Stats Perform.

"I don't know if he will accept that, because maybe he's having a rest, having a break. But, as a Brazilian, if he gets the English national team, I'll be very worried because I know how he works.

"Of course, with a national team you always have less time to work with the team, and the way he plays, it needs time.

"But, if he gets the English national team, of course I'll be supporting him because he's a fantastic guy, a fantastic manager. And I think his style can be a success."