Gareth Southgate says facing “revitalised” Italy will be a great test of where England are at as they attempt to seal European Championship qualification with two matches to spare.

The Euro 2020 runners-up can wrap up their place at next summer’s finals in Germany in Tuesday evening’s mouthwatering Group C clash against the Azzurri at a sold-out Wembley.

It will be the nations’ fourth meeting since Italy beat England on spot-kicks in the Euros final just over two years ago but their first reunion under the arch, with their previous meetings coming in Wolverhampton, Milan and Naples.

The Azzurri return to Wembley a far different side from when they became continental champions there, with Luciano Spalletti in charge of a new-look team that host Malta on Saturday evening before heading to London.

“Italy look revitalised under Spalletti,” Southgate said. “They were excellent against Ukraine last month. They’re a top-10 nation.

“We’ve talked about these top-10 games and the importance of them, the challenge of them.

“We have the chance to qualify for the European Championships with two games to spare.

“But also it’s a great test of where we are as a team and, yeah, it’s a challenge we’re really looking forward to.”

The Euro 2024 qualifier completes England’s October doubleheader at Wembley after securing an unconvincing 1-0 friendly win against unfancied Australia on Friday.

Returning Ollie Watkins secured Southgate’s much-changed side victory against the surprisingly dangerous Socceroos on a night when stand-in skipper Jordan Henderson was booed off the field.

The England boss defended the Al-Ettifaq midfielder and felt his experience was key having taken a risk by making 10 alterations in an experimental line-up against the Aussies.

“I don’t think it was a win because of how we played,” Southgate said. “We had enough quality on the pitch to be able to create a couple of important moments.

“But we know that all the changes, the inexperience of the team, made it was really tough for the players that played. I set them a really difficult challenge.

“It was great that they got the win. It was important to keep winning because if we if we lose the game or you give a goal away at the end then you leave here on a bit of a low. It sets the game up now with Italy.

“In the end, it’s very hard to prepare the squad when they know ultimately this week really is about the Italy game and it’s impossible to dress that up any other way.

“But for the players that played, for some of them their Wembley debut, for some of them their England debut. Massively important nights for them.”

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah made his England debut as a second-half substitute against Australia, while versatile Chelsea defender Levi Colwill made his bow from the start.

“Important first steps for them,” Southgate said of the debutants.

“I mean, Levi is a young defender. We know he’s not a left-back first choice, but he’s filling that slot for his club.

“What we tried to do is start with a team where everybody was pretty much in the roles they’re playing with their clubs, so that it was as smooth as it could be.

“But in the knowledge that we didn’t have a lot of caps on the field, we didn’t have a lot of leadership.

“Normally, we’d be putting one or two of those lads in with a lot more experience and a lot more continuity, so it was extremely hard for that group of players.”

Southgate came away from a challenging friendly pleased with a number of individual displays, highlighting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s problem-solving as he learns more about being a midfielder.

Matchwinner Watkins’ movement and positioning was praised after scoring on his first England appearance since March 2022, while Lewis Dunk’s development continues to impress his boss.

The Brighton defender won his third cap in central defence alongside Fikayo Tomori, who was replaced by John Stones in the 62nd minute as he continues his recovery from a hip issue.

“Thirty minutes for John Stones was very important for us, to get him onto the pitch,” Southgate said of the Manchester City defender, who made his first Premier League appearance last weekend.

“We’re managing that recovery carefully, we’re combining really well with his club on all of that.

“But he’s a world-class player, and it was great to get him up and running.”

Levi Colwill enjoyed an “amazing” night as he made his England debut in the win over Australia and is more than happy to play out of position to stay in contention.

The 20-year-old defender played the whole game as England ran out 1-0 victors at Wembley, making the step up from winning the European Under-21 Championship in the summer.

Having spent last season on loan at Brighton, Colwill has started all eight of Chelsea’s Premier League games so far this term.

He earned a first senior call-up from Gareth Southgate last month but had to wait until Friday’s friendly against the Socceroos to make his bow.

“It was amazing,” he told beIN Sports.

“(A win and a clean sheet is) the best way to have a debut and hopefully we can build off the performance against Italy as a team and individuals and go from there.”

Having progressed through the ranks for both club and country as primarily a centre-back, Colwill started on the left of defence against Australia and has also operated there for Chelsea in recent weeks.

“Obviously, it is a different role,” he said.

“But I have been playing there for my club and I am enjoying it and if it gives me a chance to start and to play, I’m all for it.”

Southgate made 10 changes for the game as a blend of fringe players and young talent was given the chance to stake a claim.

The England manager admitted afterwards that he had given his team a “difficult task” as a lack of “cohesion” made for a tougher evening than he would have liked.

“We have had a few days, we met on Monday so we have been training hard,” Colwill added on the unfamiliar look to the team.

“Getting to know players is obviously tough as that isn’t a lot of time but I think we put in a performance we can be proud of and we have just got to build from there.”

Ollie Watkins has praised Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery for helping him get back in the England squad.

The striker returned to the international scene for the first time since March 2022 and hit the only goal of the game as England beat Australia 1-0 in a Wembley friendly on Friday night.

Watkins, 27, has scored four goals and provided four assists in the first eight Premier League games of the new season – including a memorable hat-trick against Brighton.

He had scored just twice last campaign before Emery was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor in November but then hit 14 in 26 matches following the Spaniard’s arrival at Villa Park.

Asked how it felt to return to the England set-up following time out of the squad, Watkins said: “I think my mindset has changed since the boss has come in, Unai Emery at Villa.

“He’s filled me with a lot of confidence. I’ve definitely improved in these last 18 months since I was last in the England camp.

“I think it shows in my form and my performance here so I’m really happy and I’m delighted to be back in the squad and putting on an England shirt.

“I envisioned it all (playing and scoring against Australia). I was itching to get on the pitch so I’m delighted I got my goal and it helped the team to win.”

Realistically, Watkins is one of a number of forward options who will be vying to be the back-up to England captain and all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane at Euro 2024.

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Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and newly-capped Eddie Nketiah are other strikers in Gareth Southgate’s pool but Watkins believes he is not a like-for-like replacement for Kane when he is given the nod.

“I think I’ve got a completely different playing style to Harry, he can drop deep and play some unbelievable long passes – that’s not my game. I can’t do that,” he added.

“My strengths are running in behind and stretching them so I can only do what I can do. When I put on the shirt I’ll try and do the best I can for my country and then it is the manager’s decision.”

Australia manager Graham Arnold reiterated Ange Postecoglou’s message for his side to beat England for “the kids and the nation” ahead of the first ever meeting between the countries at Wembley.

Arnold brought in Spurs boss Postecoglou and his fellow former Australia head coach Guus Hiddink in a bid to inspire the Socceroos ahead of Friday’s friendly in London.

Australia are underdogs going into the encounter, having only beaten England once in seven meetings – a 3-1 triumph at Upton Park in 2003 – and sitting 23 spots below their fourth-placed hosts in the FIFA world rankings, but Arnold says his side will only have victory on their minds when they take the pitch.

He said: “The speeches that Ange said yesterday were very similar about what we’ve been saying for years with doing it for the kids in Australia, the nation and your family and people who are close by and the supporters.

“I know one thing is that they (the players) will run until they drop, the energy will be there and they’ll put in the performance of their lives.

“I have got a special relationship with both (Postecoglou and Hiddink). I’ve known Ange for 40 odd years, I’ve played and coached against him, worked with him and we’ve had a great connection for years.

“With Guus, he’s pretty much a mentor to me and like a brother, a father. I’ve got to be careful with what I say because he’s not that old but he’s always been a great man to me and I worked with him during the 2006 World Cup as his assistant.

“We aim to win. We’re not going out there to lose or draw the game, we’re going out there to win the game.

“It’s the culture that we bring. We’ve seen the Socceroos and the Matildas (Australia women’s team) bring the nation together and this is not my team, it’s the nation’s team.”

While Australia are looking to make history at Wembley, Arnold highlighted some of the challenges he says they face trying to grow the game back home.

Despite the successful co-hosting of the Women’s World Cup this summer, where the Matildas got to the semi-finals, Arnold says the infrastructure and support they receive pales in comparison to other sports Down Under, or that England enjoy.

“We don’t get anywhere near the help and resources (of Australian rules football),” Arnold said.

“We see the Prime Minister and the government say they love coming out to watch the Socceroos and Matildas with scarves on but they must lose them when they go home.

“We don’t have a home of football. Whether you believe that or not, we don’t have a home.

“When the Socceroos come to Sydney to train, we have to go to a rugby league field where they remove the posts and put soccer posts up. That’s the truth.

“We are the highest participated sport at grassroots (in Australia). The last four days England have been at St George’s Park and they come down to (Wembley) where they are inspired and have a culture, we don’t have anything like that.

“After the World Cup I said ‘hopefully this will make things change’ and that government funding will help inspire the kid’s lives and fulfil their dreams.”

Australia’s most recent meeting with England saw the home side claim a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light in 2016, when an 18-year-old Marcus Rashford because the youngest player to score on his England debut.

Roy Hodgson was in charge of England for that match but Arnold, who took charge in 2018, is looking forward to pitting his wits against the present incumbent Gareth Southgate.

Arnold said: “England are a fantastic team and Gareth Southgate is a great coach, a wonderful man and I look forward to seeing him tomorrow night.

“We are very appreciative of the invitation to play here and we’re looking forward to the match.”

Black armbands will be worn and a period of silence observed at the England v Australia friendly to remember the innocent victims of the conflict in Israel and Palestine.

The Football Association has confirmed its plans to pay tribute, having come under pressure to illuminate the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israeli flag following attacks by Hamas militants over the weekend which were followed by Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

“On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine,” the FA said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with them, and their families and friends in England and Australia and with all the communities who are affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to the death, violence, fear and suffering.

“England and Australia players will wear black armbands during their match at Wembley Stadium and there will also be a period of silence held before kick-off.”

The statement added that flags, replica kits and other representations of nationality not linked to England or Australia will not be permitted inside Wembley on Friday night.

Anthony Joshua defended his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Alexander Povetkin at Wembley on this day in 2018.

The then 28-year-old retained his belts after twice knocking Povetkin down to the canvas.

The British fighter earned his 22nd consecutive victory and remained unbeaten despite having his nose broken by the Russian in the first round.

Joshua fought back to win after knocking Povetkin down in the seventh round. The Russian beat the count of 10 before Joshua delivered a combination of punches to finish the bout.

After the fight, Joshua said: “Alexander Povetkin is a very tough challenger, and he proved that. But I’ve come in here to have fun, do what I’ve been working on in the gym and give it my best.

“I realised he was strong to the head, but I know that he was weak to the body, so instead of jabbing to the head, I was switching it up. He threw a good right, but let’s not worry about that, that’s out of the way.”

Nine months after his victory over Povetkin, Joshua suffered his first shock defeat after being knocked down by Andy Ruiz Jr in the seventh round before winning a rematch.

Last month, Joshua, now 33, produced a thunderous seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius to stay on track for a future bout with Deontay Wilder.

Plans to honour the Lionesses with a statue outside Wembley Stadium have progressed, Football Association chief Mark Bullingham says.

Bullingham was speaking down the road from the team’s tournament base in Terrigal, New South Wales, three nights before first-time World Cup finalists England will play Spain for the title.

The Lionesses secured their first major trophy at last summer’s European Championships and could add another 13 months later with victory in Sydney on Sunday.

Bullingham said: “In terms of statues it’s something we are looking at post Euros (2022), we’ve made progress on that, and it would be right to have something to commemorate that success outside Wembley.

“We’ve made progress with the discussions but I don’t think we can announce any more than that yet.

“There are many stages you’ve got to get through – we’ve managed to get through the first stage.

“You have to go through various permissions – we’ve gone through that. The next stage is working on the design.”

Who will feature and how remains up in the air, though Bullingham added: “Our starting point was more for plans around a collective but we’ll see what design ideas come up, and you can imagine the iconic images that came out of the Euros.

“There’s some brilliant things which could be produced. Our starting point is that it’s a brilliant team.”

The time-scale for the statue’s erection is also unknown and, said Bullingham, “out of our hands” as the process also involves Brent Council, although he remains optimistic further progress is imminent.

Before the World Cup, England captain Millie Bright tweeted a statement, signed by her team-mates, outlining the players’ disappointment over the fact that an ongoing dispute with the FA over bonus payments and commercial structures had not been solved.

In the statement, the Lionesses promised to “pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament,” adding, “We collectively feel a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game. And while our focus now switches fully to the tournament ahead, we believe every tackle, pass and goal will contribute to the work we are committed to doing off the pitch”.

FIFA announced its new prize money structure for this World Cup in early June, just under a month before England flew to Australia to begin pre-tournament training and preparation.

An increased prize pot of 110 million US dollars (£84.2m) came after an open letter to FIFA signed by 150 players from 25 national teams called for equal conditions and a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players.

For the first time, FIFA has earmarked specific amounts for each player, increasing the deeper their team goes in the tournament, though the funds will ultimately still be distributed to federations to then allocate.

Each player on Sunday’s World Cup-winning team is set to receive $270,000 (£211,785), while the runners-up will get $195,000 (£152,813) apiece.

The Lionesses want more than that, with countries including two-time champions the United States offering additional match bonuses.

Bullingham said: “We’re sorting it after the tournament. I think they have a very strong case before, a very strong case after but the reality is, there’s a discussion to be had.

“There wasn’t a lot of time before the tournament, FIFA announced the prize money very late and a completely different model that led to a different type of discussion so it just means there wasn’t a lot of time. It’s more time being an issue rather than anything else.”

The Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph captivated the country and drove both spectators and participants to girls’ and women’s football in record numbers, while the Women’s Super League (WSL) and Championship are on target to move out from under the FA umbrella and into an independent club-owned structure next summer.

Bullingham was optimistic about the future of the English women’s game, but pragmatically pointed out commercial investment still lags behind the eye-watering sums funnelled to the men.

He added: “I know people always think if you win a tournament you can flick a switch and you can get multi-million pound deals flying in the door. That isn’t the reality (though) we’d love it to be.”

Leigh Leopards hero Lachlan Lam revealed he entered unknown territory when he let fly with the drop-goal that sealed his side’s historic Betfred Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR at Wembley.

Lam was set up by team-mate Gareth O’Brien, who minutes earlier had missed his own glaring opportunity to clinch the winner in golden point extra time, and duly converted for the first time in his career.

“It was my first pro field goal, and it felt like I had a lot of time when I kicked it,” said Lam, one of the stand-outs of the season who added the prestigious Lance Todd Trophy for his man of the match display in Leigh’s 17-16 win.

“We’ve done a lot of work on it in the last few months because you know you’re going to be in that position at some stage,” added Lam. “Gaz missed the first one and had the trust to throw it back to me to take that kick.

“I dropped it a little bit on the angle but halfway towards the posts I knew it was going over. It happened really quickly. I went to celebrate and all of a sudden I was on my back.”

Leigh’s win, which continued an astonishing first season back among the top flight, was fashioned in the most dramatic of circumstances after Matt Parcell helped haul Rovers level with 80 seconds left of normal time.

After O’Brien missed the first chance to win it, the usually dependable Brad Schneider came up short for Hull KR with a rash long-ranger and gave Lam, the son of Leopards head coach Adrian, the chance to seal a fairytale title.

The pride was etched on the face of father Adrian, the architect of Leigh’s amazing campaign, who said: “It’s just incredible to talk about how this has happened.

“This time last year we were coming in to prepare for the (1895 Cup) final. How that’s gone around in the last 12 months, it’s an incredible story for rugby league for us even to be here.

“I don’t just want to make it about Lachlan but it was a special moment. I’ve thought this week how lucky I am having him playing here for my team and doing well.

“It was just a really weird moment when he went to take the field goal, the ball was thrown back to him and I thought, he’s going to win us the game here.

“I’ve coached him since he was six so what went through my mind was knowing how many times we’d been in the opposite position and been left heartbroken, so that was a bit of serendipity.”

Rovers boss Willie Peters hoped his side had the momentum following their late fightback but admitted a botched extra period cost them dear.

Instead of the ice-cool way in which they sank Wigan in similar circumstances in the semi-final, Rovers coughed up an early error then Schneider’s snatched effort failed to find touch.

“I thought our luck had changed and we had got the momentum,” said Peters. “But we’ve got to learn our lessons and Leigh showed us how to play in golden point, we took six carries and went for a long-distance field goal.

“We didn’t handle golden point very well but I’m very proud of the players. We just hung in there and it proves the fight and character of this team to keep going to the end there and lock it up.

“We had our chances so it’s really hard to take. We will have a good little break now but we have always come back and responded, and on Friday when we go to St Helens, if we want to be flat and complacent we’re in for a long night.”

Lachlan Lam kicked the first golden point in Betfred Challenge Cup final history as Leigh Leopards ended over half a century of hurt by clinching a dramatic 17-16 win over Hull KR at Wembley.

Lam, the son of Leopards head coach Adrian, made no mistake in a dramatic extra period after team-mate Gareth O’Brien spurned an earlier chance and Brad Schneider also fell short for Rovers.

Tom Briscoe’s late try left Leigh within two minutes of victory in normal time before Matt Parcell pounced to slap down a high kick and Schneider’s nerveless conversion forced the extra period.

It was a remarkable ending to an absorbing but error-strewn affair in which the magnitude of the occasion clearly got to both sides as they sought to end their long waits for silverware.

And all the more amazing was the sight of the leopardskin-clad Leigh staff storming onto the pitch to celebrate one of the most remarkable Cup wins in the sport’s history in the first season back among the game’s elite.

In truth Leigh had always looked the better team with Rovers fortunate to emerge from a mistake-filled first period with just a two-point deficit after losing Elliot Minchella for the last 10 minutes of the half for a high tackle.

And Parcell’s late intervention – awarded after a nailbiting series of replays to determine if Kane Linnett had knocked on – might have favoured Rovers, fresh from a similar golden point escape act in their semi-final win over Wigan.

The errors continued in the early heart-stopping moments of the extra period with O’Brien, whose drop goal for Salford had relegated Rovers in 2016, inches from repeating the misery before his team-mate Lam came to the rescue.

Errors had poured in from the opening set, Rhys Kennedy’s fumble handing Leigh the early advantage, before Ben Reynolds kicked Leigh into a two-point lead after Minchella was penalised for charging in to protest a tackle by John Asiata.

Asiata’s tackling technique has been the subject of strong criticism in recent weeks but the apparent plot back-fired on Rovers who fell behind then spectacularly failed to capitalise when O’Brien grounded a routine kick.

Handed the initiative 15 metres from the Leigh line, Schneider served up a loose pass which almost sent Leigh winger Josh Charnley scampering clear, with Rovers plainly struggling to adapt to the occasion.

Seemingly at the centre of everything, Minchella wrested the initiative on the quarter-hour with a rugged run that split the Leigh line before he handed over to Jez Litten to shunt Rovers in front.

Schneider atoned for his earlier error with the conversion and as Rovers pressed again, Tom Opacic was denied a penalty try after protesting he was pulled back as he tried to force his way through.

Leigh responded with a sweeping move that ended with Lam scampering clear under the posts, and when Minchella saw yellow for going high on Reynolds shortly after the Leigh stand-off’s conversion, it looked set to be a testing last 10 for Rovers.

Schneider came to Rovers’ rescue by stopping O’Brien in his tracks, then desperate defending kept Zak Hardaker and Josh Charnley at Bay, and Rovers even narrowed the deficit from Schneider’s long-range kick on the hooter after Ed Chamberlain coughed up the final error of a wild and woolly first half.

Schneider kicked Rovers level as the second half started in much the same fashion as the first, but Leigh were slowly ratcheting up the pressure with only some valiant defence preventing Adrian Lam’s men going back in front.

Rovers continued to be their own worst enemy, an awful spill by Ethan Ryan stretching his side through a torrid set, before a Mikey Lewis spill in his own 30 on 65 proved an error too far.

Leigh finally converted their opportunity when O’Brien arrowed his pass to send Briscoe diving over in the corner, and Reynolds’ conversion from the touchline sent Leigh within 10 minutes of history.

Parcell served up one last twist in the dying seconds, with Schneider sending the game into the extra period, but there was to be no great escape act again as Lam ensured that Wembley would turn an improbable shade of leopardskin.

Tara Jones sparked a first-half burst which left Leeds Rhinos reeling as St Helens kept their grip on the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup for the third straight year.

In the first women’s final played at Wembley, Saints scored tries in three consecutive sets and seldom looked in danger of surrendering their advantage as they cruised to a 22-8 triumph.

Caitlin Beevers did give Leeds some degree of hope with a brilliant solo try two minutes after the interval, but a swift response from Shona Hoyle effectively sealed a second straight loss for the Rhinos.

Lois Forsell’s side had started strongly with Dannielle Anderson and Jasmine Cudjoe both held up over the line before former Saint Amy Hardcastle’s 40 metre surge was brought to an end by a last-gasp tackle by Eboni Partington.

Jones created the shift in momentum by crashing over from dummy half in the 13th minute and two minutes later, Zoe Harris sent Phoebe Hook jinking down the right wing to add Saints’ second.

Two fine conversions from Amy Taylor – the second from the touchline – extended Saints’ advantage and they extended their lead three minutes later when Chantelle Crowl’s tenacity made space for an attack which ended in Partington crossing in the corner.

Saints were scything through the Leeds defence almost at will, but the Rhinos clung on and finally got on the board in the 25th minute when Beevers sent Sophie Robinson over in the corner.

Beevers’ sensational start to the second half – when she picked up the ball on her own 30 and shrugged off a series of Saints defenders – hauled Leeds back to within eight points and suggested a significant momentum shift.

But Leeds were guilty of slacking off at a crucial moment as Shona Hoyle found it too easy to bull over on the right to land their fourth try and restore Saints’ 12-point cushion.

Despite some tricky kicking from Caitlin Casey, Leeds were unable to breach a resolute Saints rearguard and a two-point kick from Taylor in the 64th minute stretched Matty Smith’s side further out of sight.

Hull KR coach Willie Peters will spare his star men the prospect of facing a potentially-vengeful Wigan on Friday night with their Wembley Challenge Cup final date fast approaching.

Peters plans to field a virtually-unrecognisable line-up for their Betfred Super League clash at the DW Stadium, including three players he has brought in this week on short-term loan deals plus three academy graduates who will make their first-team debuts.

Rovers edged Matt Peet’s men in a semi-final thriller at Headingley less than two weeks ago and despite their desire to cement a play-off spot, Peters is making no apologies for refusing to take risks with his already injury-hit squad.

“Obviously it’s a very important game this week but it’s a very important game next week too,” said Peters. “We will be going there with a team that is going to compete but we’ve got to be smart as well.

“If we have a team that goes out and competes from one minute to 80, I’ll be a proud coach. I think this is a game that we can hopefully go and make our fans proud of us, that a young team has gone over to Wigan and given their all.”

Rovers face Leigh at Wembley on August 12 where they will hunt their first Challenge Cup victory since their only previous triumph over city rivals Hull FC in 1980.

Peters confirmed the respective signings of Catalans half-back Cesar Rouge, Wakefield prop Isaac Shaw and Warrington forward Luke Thomas, all on two-week loan deals.

In addition, academy players Leo Tennison, Louix Gorman and Lennie Ellis will make the first team for the first time.

Peters is still hopeful that Tom Opacic, Eliot Minchella and Ethan Ryan will all recover from their current injuries in time for the Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday, but Jordan Abdull will definitely miss the Wembley date.

Wigan head coach Matt Peet hopes to give out-going joint-owner and chairman Ian Lenagan a fitting send-off with more Challenge Cup glory at Wembley.

Lenagan, 77, announced last Saturday that he will stand down at the end of the season in November, ending his 16-year association with the club.

Wigan, who lifted the Cup at Wembley last season for a record-extending 20th time after victory over Huddersfield, take on Hull KR at Headingley on Sunday for a place in this year’s final.

Peet said: “I think everyone understands how much he has committed to the club, financially obviously, but in terms of emotion and dedication of his life and his family’s life.

“It would be fitting if we could get him to at least one more final. We’ll take this opportunity this week to try and do it, but we’re up against another proud club with plenty of motivation of their own.”

Since Lenagan bought the Warriors from Dave Whelan in 2007, they have been Grand Final winners four times and have won three League Leaders’ Shields, three Challenge Cups and a World Club Challenge.

Peet, promoted from assistant to head coach after Adrian Lam’s departure in October 2021, said: “I think it’s where (Lenagan) picked the club up and on and off the field, where the club was at and where he’ll leave them.

“Everything that’s gone on between will be the biggest indication and history will remember Ian Lenagan as one of the greatest leaders in the history of the club, and rightly so.

“The influence he’s had on the education in the town, community, the engagement and obviously on the field.

“He’s also made his mark on the game as a whole. Internally, we always make decisions which are best for Wigan, but he always has the bigger picture in mind of what’s best for the game.”

Peet has warned his side must produce top form if they are to beat Hull KR on Sunday to set up a Wembley showdown against either St Helens or Leigh on August 12.

Wigan lost 27-18 to Hull KR at Craven Park on the opening day of the Super League season in February and edged a 26-22 golden-point win in the return in May.

“They’ve outplayed us twice so it’s obvious anything less than our best performance of the season and we’ll not be in the final,” added Peet, who has no new injuries following Friday’s 26-12 win against Warrington.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters, appointed as Tony Smith’s successor for the start of the season, is waiting for fitness reports on doubtful trio Ryan Hall, Jimmy Keinhorst and Elliot Minchella.

Rovers, who lost in the semi-finals to Huddersfield last season, have seen a strong Super League challenge hit by a string of injuries.

Australian Peters, 44, who played on the losing side for Wigan in the  2000 Super League Grand Final defeat to St Helens, said: “If we can beat a club like Wigan to go and play at Wembley, it would be huge.

“Everything we’ve been through, the adversity in terms of injuries, it would be massive.

“We need to enjoy ourselves, celebrate the little wins along the way, like getting to the semis, but every team wants to get to Wembley.

“If we were to do the job, it would give the club huge belief, that’s for sure.”

British boxer Sunny Edwards successfully defended his IBF world flyweight title for a fourth time with a unanimous decision over Chilean Andres Campos at Wembley.

The fight was judged 117-111 in the Croydon-born 27-year-old’s favour by all three judges in his first performance after signing with promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.

Edwards came out bursting with confidence and controlled the opening stages of the 12-round fight, frustrating his previously-undefeated opponent by the midway point.

But Campos, seventh in the IBF rankings, began to close the gap down the stretch, forcing Edwards onto the ropes in round eight before the Briton replied with a flurry of shots.

Campos found another gear in the 12th and final round but it was too late as Edwards closed the contest with a body blow.

Edwards, who called for a unification fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, told DAZN: “I’m 27 years old. I don’t even think I’m at the peak yet.

“I think I’m still going and going, but Bam makes perfect sense. I want to be a great, I want to be perceived as a great, I want to go down as a great in British boxing history.”

Earlier in the evening, fellow Brit Ellie Scotney defeated Kiwi Cherneka Johnson to become the new IBF world super bantamweight champion with a unanimous 98-92, 98-92, 97-93 decision.

And in an all-British bout, Nina Hughes defeated Katie Healy by unanimous decision over 10 rounds to retain her WBA bantamweight world title.

Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.

Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.

This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.

Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.

“I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.

“The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”

He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”

Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.

“I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.

Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.

“I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”

It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.

David Beckham thanked Pele for his influence on football and Harry Kane labelled the Brazil great as a "true inspiration" after the Selecao legend's death.

Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital confirmed the three-time World Cup winner's passing on Thursday after suffering multiple organ failure.

The 82-year-old had battled health issues throughout the latter stages of his life, with his family travelling to join him before Christmas Day after he was moved into palliative care following cancer struggles.

Pele remains an icon of the game with many regarding him as the greatest footballer of all time and former England star Beckham paid tribute to the ex-Santos forward.

"It was HIS beautiful game, thank you and goodbye. Rest in peace my friend," Beckham wrote on Instagram.

England captain Kane was quick to offer his well wishes during the World Cup in Qatar when reports over Pele's health continued to circulate.

The Tottenham striker has repeatedly labelled Pele as a reference point for all attackers within the modern game and he echoed that sentiment on Twitter.

"Pele was a true inspiration and one of the greatest to ever play the game. Rest in peace," Kane wrote.

England's Football Association (The FA) also paid respects, posting: "Everyone who loves football, loves Pele. His unique talent lit up the game and inspired the world.

"Our thoughts are with his family, the Brazil Football Confederation and the Brazilian people."

As part of The FA's tributes, Wembley Stadium's iconic arch was lit up in Brazilian yellow and green in honour of the iconic star.