Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has bid farewell to the club as he closes in on a move to Al-Ettifaq.

The 33-year-old will bring to an end a 12-year spell at Anfield, in which he won every single major club honour, when his move to the Saudi Pro League club is confirmed.

“It’s hard to put these last 12 years into words and it’s even harder to say goodbye. I will always be a Red. Until the day I die,” he posted on Instagram.

“Thank you for everything. You’ll never walk alone.”

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He added in a video accompanying his post: “I’m in the (Liverpool) dressing room for the last time so, as you can imagine, it is very emotional.

“I need to somehow explain what these last 12 years have meant for me and my family.

“Being made the captain of Liverpool Football Club was one the greatest honours of my life.

“From the day the armband was passed to me I did everything I could to behave like a Liverpool captain should.

“Thank you for allowing me to be part of your club, thank you for your support in good time and bad.”

Henderson’s move to the Middle East – where he will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as manager – has been in the pipeline for several weeks but on Wednesday a fan posted a video on social media of him training with his new club in Croatia.

Despite the very public interest in the England international he flew out to Liverpool’s training camp in Germany 11 days ago, although he did not play in either of their friendlies out there after an offer of an initial £12million was accepted.

In contrast, fellow midfielder Fabinho was left at home as a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad arrived hours before they were due to travel.

The Brazil international is still awaiting the conclusion of the deal but that is expected to go through this week.

Scotland international Jack Hendry’s arrival at Al-Ettifaq from Club Brugge has already been confirmed, while former Celtic forward Moussa Dembele appears set to join him.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson believes standing David Marshall down as captain will suit the goalkeeper as well as the team.

Paul Hanlon has been restored as Hibs captain after Marshall wore the armband in Johnson’s first season in charge.

The 38-year-old faces fresh competition for the gloves with former Swindon keeper JoJo Wollacott, who joined on a three-year deal this summer.

But Johnson confirmed that Marshall would start in goal on Thursday when Hibs face Inter Club d’Escaldes in the first leg of the Europa Conference League second qualifying round in Andorra.

Johnson added: “It allows Marsh to concentrate on that goalkeeping battle.

“One of the big things is positionally on the pitch, you are trying to get information to players and it’s not easy to go by your captain when he’s in goal and 50-60 yards away.

“When I came through the door, don’t forget, Paul Hanlon was injured. I didn’t know anybody and at that point David Marshall was probably the only one in the squad I could guarantee would play.

“Marsh is a leader anyway, that’s a factor in this after having a discussion with Marsh.

“And also both ways, Marsh is also taking on an awful lot in terms of his future. He is doing a sporting directorship, he is doing his coaching badges as well, and being captain of a football club like this takes an awful lot of time up.

“You’d be surprised, just the little things like arranging the bonuses, the tickets, all that type of stuff, is a really important factor.”

Hanlon has played 535 times for Hibs and sits fifth on the club’s all time appearance holders list.

“With Paul having been here a while, it probably suits him best this season,” Johnson added.

“It’s clear for everyone to see that Paul is extremely trusted, that he has strong leadership and communication skills, and by playing in the centre of defence it allows him to get messages around the whole team quickly and effectively.”

Hanlon is one of several players Johnson has been mining for information ahead of his own European debut.

“I will have to lean on the experience of the boys,” the former Sunderland manager said.

“I have had a lot of conversations with the lads that have played in these European games because I didn’t play in European competition and nor have I managed in that.

“You can do all the work in the world in terms of studying the opposition but inevitably experience is always welcome. I don’t feel like we are short of it, the lads are well versed in foreign competition.”

Johnson revealed Martin Boyle would be on the bench in Andorra in a “cheerleading” capacity and would not feature as he continues his comeback from a serious knee injury.

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe said she was “heartbroken” after her team’s World Cup last-16 hopes were ended by a 2-1 loss to Canada in Perth in their second group game.

Ireland, who had opened their debut campaign at a major tournament with last week’s 1-0 loss to co-hosts Australia, were on course for an historic victory after McCabe gave them an early lead, scoring direct from a corner in the fourth minute.

But Canada hit back as a Megan Connolly own goal restored parity in first-half stoppage time and Adriana Leon then netted the winner eight minutes into the second half.

With their efforts to respond against the Olympic champions falling short, Vera Pauw’s side, bottom of Group B, were left knowing they will be heading home after facing Nigeria in their final pool match in Brisbane next Monday.

Asked about scoring the first Irish goal at a Women’s World Cup, McCabe said on ITV1: “It’s bittersweet, isn’t it?

“Of course it’s nice to score and get us off to a good start, but it’s the results that matter in this game, at this level, in these type of tournaments. I’m just heartbroken for the girls because I felt like we deserved so much more from the game.

“I think we took a lot of positives from that second half against Australia, decided to be more confident and back ourselves a bit more going forward.

“We know we have the quality and the pace as well, especially on the flanks. We wanted to start the game with a lot of energy, getting in Canada’s face as much as possible and putting them under a lot of pressure, and I felt we did that. It’s just about capitalising on those moments then as well.”

Regarding the equaliser, McCabe said: “I think we felt like we were in control. It was unfortunate, it’s a sucker punch just before half-time, getting so close – it would have been nice to go in at 1-0.

“Even then, we felt the second half we could push for another goal, and obviously they scored then.”

The versatile Arsenal player said it was “an absolute honour and an absolute privilege” to captain the Ireland side, adding: “I’m just so proud of each and every single one of them, staff included.

“We’ve done so much to get here and now it’s about pushing on. We know now we’ve had tournament experience and we’re going to be hungry for more.

“Against Nigeria we want to end this tournament on a high and give the fans something to cheer about, because they were absolutely immense all game.”

Ireland crashed out of the Women’s World Cup after Canada came from behind to beat them 2-1 on Wednesday.

Spain and Japan reached the last 16 with a game to spare.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at all of Wednesday’s action.

Spain cruise into last 16

Jenni Hermoso and Alba Redondo scored twice as Spain thumped Zambia 5-0 to reach the last 16.

One of the tournament favourites made the knockout stages with a game to spare having already beaten Costa Rica in their first match.

Teresa Abelleira opened the scoring before Hermoso and Redondo took charge as Spain eased to victory.

Japan ease past Costa Rica

Japan also qualified for the last 16 with a routine win over Costa Rica.

Quickfire first-half goals from Hikaru Naomoto and Aoba Fujino saw the 2011 champions through.

Japan and Spain will battle it out for top spot in their final Group C game when they face each other on Monday.

Canada fight back to break Irish hearts

Ireland bowed out of the tournament after Canada came from behind to win in Group B.

Captain Katie McCabe gave Ireland the lead when she scored straight from a corner after just four minutes.

Megan Connolly’s own goal levelled just before half-time and Adriana Leon grabbed Canada’s winner eight minutes after the break.

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Group E: USA v Netherlands (2am, Wellington Regional Stadium)
Group E: Portugal v Vietnam (830am, Waikato Stadium)
Group B: Australia v Nigeria (11am, Brisbane Stadium)

Republic of Ireland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup last 16 came to an end as Canada came from behind to beat Vera Pauw’s side 2-1 in their second group game in Perth.

Ireland, who had opened what is their debut campaign at a major tournament finals with last week’s 1-0 loss to co-hosts Australia, were set for an historic victory after captain Katie McCabe gave them an early lead, audaciously scoring direct from a corner in the fourth minute.

But things turned around as a Megan Connolly own goal restored parity in first-half stoppage time, and Adriana Leon then put Canada in front eight minutes into the second half.

McCabe saw a subsequent strike deflect wide as Ireland sought an equaliser but were unable to hit back against the Olympic champions.

As Canada move to the top of Group B on four points, one clear of Australia having played a game more, Ireland are left knowing they will be heading home after facing Nigeria in their final pool match in Brisbane next Monday.

While there was disruption for Ireland just before kick-off as Heather Payne felt a tweak in her hamstring during the warm-up and was replaced in the team by Aine O’Gorman, they made a great start to the game, putting Canada under pressure almost immediately.

And after Kyra Carusa brought a third-minute save out Kailen Sheridan and the ball went behind, the resulting corner brought the Girls in Green their first World Cup goal thanks to an outrageous effort from their skipper.

McCabe sent the corner spinning goalwards and although Sheridan got a slight touch it was not enough as the ball went in off the far post.

Ireland’s early momentum continued with Sinead Farrelly having a shot pushed behind by Sheridan and McCabe skewing off-target as she attempted a low drive.

Canada then started to show some threat as Jordyn Huitema’s firm strike was saved by Courtney Brosnan and Vanessa Gilles passed up a good opportunity, poking over the Irish bar from close range.

Denise O’Sullivan shot over at the other end and a Carusa effort was dealt with by Sheridan before Canada pulled level in time added on prior to the interval when Julia Grosso’s cross was diverted into her own net by Connolly.

There was also time just before the break for a header wide from Gilles as Canada looked to strike another blow.

After Canada boss Bev Priestman, the former England assistant coach, then made a treble substitution at half-time, it took a fine Brosnan save to deny Huitema early in the second half.

And moments later Canada had the lead as Leon prodded in having received the ball from Sophie Schmidt, one of the trio to have come on.

Carusa subsequently headed over before Ireland were on the back foot again, Brosnan making saves from Christine Sinclair, another introduced at half-time, and Huitema.

Ireland’s further efforts to salvage a point included a McCabe shot going wide off a Canada shirt and another being blazed into the stand, and there was also a late shot from distance by substitute Lily Agg caught by Sheridan before the final whistle confirmed their campaign would not go beyond the group stage.

England defender Alex Greenwood enjoys channelling her younger self at the colouring-in station, while Lauren Hemp, Niamh Charles and Keira Walsh prefer playing table tennis in the swanky Australian hotel which will be the Lionesses’ base for the remainder of the World Cup.

The European champions’ private wing of the Crowne Plaza in the coastal New South Wales town of Terrigal is the product of more than 18 months of Football Association planning, including extensive consultation with players to create an area they hope will provide a “home from home” and lead to better performances on the pitch.

The Lionesses were an integral part of the design, from picking the inspirational quotes on the walls to requesting the wide range of activities on offer, including arcade games, a library, darts, and a popular coffee station serving up brews emblazoned with custom images in the foam. By midday on Wednesday, baristas estimated they had served up about 40 cups.

Greenwood, who alongside Lucy Bronze is playing in a third consecutive World Cup, said: “We have got an amazing base camp.

“A lot of people are doing colouring in and (doing) jigsaws. We’ve got an unbelievable set-up with a games room. The younger ones play a bit more games than the older ones. It’s a relaxed camp. The staff make it really relaxed and the experienced players help the younger ones. There’s no concern there.

“I’m actually loving colouring in at the moment. I’ve found my inner-child Alex again! Coffees and walks have been my go-to at the minute. I’m colouring in all kinds, whatever I can get my hands on. I’m running out of spaces now.”

In a tribute to team history, rooms are named after former Lionesses, including Mary Phillip, Rachel Yankey, Ellen White and ‘The Scott’ relaxation room, which former midfielder Jill joked she hoped is named after her and not defender-turned-BBC pundit Alex.

The Lionesses had a similar base at the Lensbury Resort in Teddington during Euro 2022. The FA picked up on the positive impact that retreat had on England’s triumphant campaign and were keen to recreate a similar environment for a tournament that will see them hop between three cities in the world’s sixth largest country during their quest for a maiden global title.

Kay Cossington, women’s technical director at the FA, said: “We learned so much from the Lensbury…it was the home-from-home feel, the different activities, the relaxation area, the fact that everything was in such close proximity.

“Coming to a tournament this size and scale in a country this big, we wanted to try and make the tournament as small as we could in terms of the logistics and the travel to help the loading.

“You can imagine how much kit and equipment gets shifted from venue to venue. It was really nice for us to land here and know that, although we travel to games, this is now where we come back to. This is our base. This is our home in Australia.

“We choose from a performance lens, but equally the players have got to feel that it’s right for them as well. Thankfully we are actually joined with what the need is (for them) because it’s a performance reason.”

The first time the FA spoke with FIFA about their plans was in December 2021. Six months later, Cossington and Lionesses general manager Anja van Ginhoven visited about 23 hotels and 18 training grounds in 11 days.

When the Lionesses were drawn in Group D, which will see them play matches in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide during the group stage, they were ready to submit the Crowne Plaza and nearby palm tree-lined Central Coast Stadium to FIFA as their first choice, a decision ultimately made by England boss Sarina Wiegman after extensive meetings with her team.

Everything from the player pictures splashed on the wall to the three lions etched in glass above the private entrance, not to mention the decked-out studio where Jill Scott hosts Lionesses: Down Under, is a far cry from 2005, when England hosted the European Championships for the first time.

Cossington added: “We never had anything like this. We did the best we could with the resources we had at the time. You were printing things off yourself and putting them on doors, the banners, the pop-ups, you’d carry them around with you.

“It is night and day. I’ve seen it grow and evolve incredibly, but this I truly feel has gone another step another level another mile and I think that’s again testimony to how the game has grown.”

Steven Naismith is adamant Hearts’ managerial team will continue to run smoothly even though the official titles of he and Frankie McAvoy have been changed since the end of last season.

Following the sacking of Robbie Neilson in April, Jambos’ B team manager Naismith was promoted to the role of interim first-team boss for the last seven games of last term, assisted by McAvoy and Gordon Forrest.

However, Naismith does not yet have his UEFA Pro Licence qualification, which is a prerequisite for managing in Europe, so when it came to a permanent arrangement, Hearts announced at the start of June that 56-year-old McAvoy would become head coach and the 36-year-old former Rangers, Everton and Scotland attacker had been appointed technical director.

The general understanding at the time was that Naismith would continue to call the shots although McAvoy is maintaining in interviews that he will have the final say on all team-related matters. Naismith is confident there will be no issues with the new set-up.

“It’s very much like we were last season,” Naismith told Sky Sports. “The biggest thing is we’re here because of what we did last season. Yes, the roles were slightly different, but the way we work is the exact same.

“Going forward the club wanted us to be involved to try and continue what we did, the way we played and get the results we want to challenge for the expectations of the club.

“The structure this season is what it is, Frankie is obviously leading stuff in terms of decisions with the team but day-to-day nothing really changes. It’s very much a team thing.

“We’ve got Frankie, who’s got different attributes to what I have, to what Gordon Forrest has, to what (goalkeeping coach) Paul Gallagher has within the coaching team. As we’ve worked from the off, we’ve all got an opinion and we all come to a good decision and that’s what we want again this season.”

Naismith feels that he, McAvoy and Forrest work well together and does not envisage that changing.

“There hasn’t really been (any dissent) and I think that’s why we’re all very comfortable with the way it has been,” he said. “Last season we had the seven or eight weeks together and we debate things but there’s never been a stand-off.

“We sit and discuss it then we decide the way forward. In terms of the bigger picture, the expectations of the club, how we want to play and how we evaluate a performance, that’s very clear-cut for us all.

“We’re all on the same page for that and that’s the biggest thing we’ll use to move forward and progress. We’re all on the same page and it has been seamless so far.”

Naismith is aiming to undertake his Pro Licence and he hinted that completion of the qualification could lead to a change in job titles.

“Again that’s something we’ve spoken about and I think for the longer-term thing, there could be changes,” he said. “The here and now, what we’re dealing with, what we’re happy with and accepting of is this structure, and that’s what we’ll go forward with.

“I’ve got a plan in place (for Pro Licence) and that will come into effect when it can and we’ll move forward from that point.”

The Saudi Pro League could soon be adding a World Cup final hat-trick goalscorer, a Manchester City treble-winner and Liverpool’s Premier League-winning captain to their burgeoning collection of big-name signings.

There has been a powerful recruitment drive by the PIF-owned clubs in Saudi Arabia as the league looks to establish itself among the best in the world and now Kylian Mbappe, Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson could be the next additions.

Here, the PA news agency looks at 10 players already in the Middle East preparing for the new season.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Al-Nassr

After his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, five-time Ballon D’Or winner Ronaldo headed to Saudi Arabia as a statement signing that told the footballing world the league meant business.

Karim Benzema – Al-Ittihad

Reigning Ballon D’Or winner Benzema followed his former Real Madrid team-mate, leaving the Spanish capital after his contract expired having won five Champions League titles during his stay.

N’Golo Kante – Al-Ittihad

Like his fellow France international Benzema, Kante headed for the Gulf on a free transfer as he opted to leave Chelsea at the end of his deal, albeit with considerable concerns over his fitness.

Ruben Neves – Al-Hilal

Portugal international Neves had helped Wolves out of the Sky Bet Championship before enjoying five Premier League campaigns at Molineux, establishing himself as one of the highest-regarded midfielders in the division – something that earned him a reported £47million move.

Kalidou Koulibaly – Al Hilal

Having spent just a single season at Stamford Bridge, Senegal centre-back Koulibaly departed Chelsea for a fee in the region of £20m and with a team-mate and compatriot not far behind.

Edoaurd Mendy – Al-Ahli

Mendy lost his place as first-choice goalkeeper at Chelsea having arrived at the club in 2020. He made just 10 Premier League appearances last season before opting for a move to Saudi Arabia.

Jota – Al-Ittihad

Having hit 15 goals to help Celtic win a domestic treble, former Portugal youth international Jota clearly caught the eye of the money-men in Saudi Arabia and made the £25mn move at the start of July.

Marcelo Brozovic – Al-Nassr

Brozovic bowed out of Inter Milan after captaining the Serie A side in their Champions League final loss to Manchester City, the 30-year-old Croatia midfielder heading to Saudi after eight seasons and five major trophies in Italy.

Roberto Firmino – Al-Ahli

The highest-scoring Brazilian in Premier League history, Firmino enjoyed a long and emotional goodbye to the Liverpool supporters, among whom he was a firm favourite after eight years at Anfield.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – Al-Hilal

Lazio’s player of the season in 2020-21 and 2021-22, Milinkovic-Savic had been touted as a midfielder who would make his mark at the highest level of European football. Now, though, he will be turning out in the Saudi Pro League after a reported £34.3m switch.

Boss Julen Lopetegui has revealed his frustration at Wolves’ transfer woes and admitted the club are struggling to sign players.

The head coach feels the problems spell “bad news” for him as he tries to rebuild after Premier League survival last season.

Wolves have signed just Matt Doherty on a free transfer, with the defender returning to Molineux three years after leaving for Tottenham.

They are interested in Bristol City’s Alex Scott and West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell but have sold Ruben Neves, Conor Coady, Nathan Collins and Raul Jimenez to raise around £84million.

Lopetegui needed assurances at the end of last season that Wolves, who need to comply with financial fair play rules, could invest and compete after he guided them to Premier League safety but remains unhappy.

“I came here with a project and idea that, if we were able to save the team, we would be able to improve,” he told Guillem Balague’s Pure Football podcast.

“It was bad news for me. I tried in the summer. This was plan A. We went to a plan B, trying to think about cost-effective players, but it’s true at the moment we can’t develop this plan, too.

“We lost a lot of players and we think the club want to sell more players. In this situation, we need players to balance the squad and be competitive in the Premier League.

“I know the sporting director, Matt Hobbs, and the recruitment, all this team, have worked very hard to have a plan A and plan B, but unfortunately we can’t develop this plan.

“It’s a pity because you are thinking at any moment key players can come and, in the end, they don’t for different reasons. We were excited by this new plan, but now we don’t have this plan because we don’t have any new players.

“We had a lot of players out and now we have only incorporated one new free player (Doherty). It is not just for me, but for the sporting director, a big disappointment.”

The manager also confirmed forward Daniel Podence is likely to be sold after he did not join the squad for their pre-season trip to Portugal, with Jimenez having already moved to Fulham this week.

“Daniel Podence is not here because the club want to sell him,” said Lopetegui.

“If you asked me yesterday morning about Raul, I think Raul is going to stay here and now he leaves. So I don’t know what else will happen, we will see.”

Joe Lewis’ journey from leaving school at 15 to having an estimated worth of £5billion has included currency trading, property development, Toby Carvery, the Nolan Sisters and – most notably – Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The 86-year-old is rarely in attendance when Spurs – the club in which he has majority ownership – host Premier League rivals at their state-of-the-art stadium.

The 62,850-seater venue opened in 2019 just six miles up the road from Bow, where Lewis was born in 1937. He went on to purchase Spurs from fellow east-end businessman Lord Sugar in 2001 for £22million.

Unlike Sugar, however, he seldom watches the team he owns, with chairman Daniel Levy the more recognised senior figure at the club, with Lewis based in the Bahamas or aboard his superyacht, Aviva.

His varied business ventures have previously seen Lewis launch the singing career of the Nolans in his London club, hand Robert Earl – the founder of Planet Hollywood – his first job and host the Tavistock Cup golf tournament, in which the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo and Sergio Garcia have all played.

Lewis himself emerged from humble backgrounds, taking over – and eventually selling – the family catering company which gave him his first pay-cheque after leaving school.

Currency trading saw Lewis amass the majority of his early fortune and he benefited hugely on the events of ‘Black Wednesday’ – the sterling crisis in September 1992 which was caused by the British government withdrawing currency from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism – which Lewis had backed would occur.

It is through Tavistock Group – in which he is the primary investor – that Lewis owns Spurs, the ENIC Group purchasing the club 22 years ago.

Investments – largely in the United States – in finance, restaurants (including British chains Toby Carvery and All Bar One), resorts, energy, manufacturing and agriculture also form parts of the Tavistock Group, founded in 1975 and named after the Tavistock Catering firm in which Lewis had worked alongside his father.

ENIC’s ownership of Tottenham has led to an increasingly fraught relationship with fans who believe not enough money is being invested into the team to allow them to challenge for major honours.

The 2008 League Cup remains the only trophy won since Lewis took ownership of the club and, while Levy, in a more high-profile role, has been criticised for some time, the last few seasons have seen ENIC also come under increasing pressure.

The news of Lewis’ charges over alleged insider trading will do nothing to help build that bridge with supporters.

New head coach Ange Postecoglou will no doubt have to answer questions on the subject, while the uncertain future of Harry Kane, the club’s all-time record goalscorer, only adds to the unrest.

England defender Alex Greenwood is confident vital new connections are forming in camp that will see an improved display when the Lionesses take on Denmark in their second World Cup game on Friday.

Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty was enough to secure England a nervy 1-0 victory in their opener against underdogs Haiti, but did little to ease concerns about their attack as it extended the streak without a goal from open play to three matches.

Yet this is a much-changed line-up from last summer’s European Championship triumph, with Sarina Wiegman’s starting line-up in Brisbane showing five changes from the one that lifted that trophy almost a year ago.

Greenwood, who replaced now-forward Rachel Daly at left-back against Haiti, said: “I was prepared. I knew my role in the team and whether that’s centre-back or that’s left-back, we’ve all played in those positions before whether that’s at club or country.

“We might not play together every week at club level, but we’re very familiar with each other.

“And that’s in training, we’ve been in training camp for three weeks together before the tournament started, and that’s enough time to prepare for your partnerships.

“You build up relationships, but as a tournament starts those things develop naturally as well. So for us, again, it’s just about keeping doing that in training, keeping forming those partnerships and eventually it will come together.

“I think it’s a case of coming together and trying different things with different people. Everyone has different strengths, and our wingers are all so gifted in different ways.

“Whoever you play with you try and play to their strengths.”

Greenwood will hope it comes together sooner rather than later as the world number four Lionesses now face much higher-ranked opponents than debutants Haiti, number 53 in FIFA’s global table, in 13th-placed Denmark.

England’s defence face a particularly potent challenge in ex-Chelsea forward Pernille Harder, while Wiegman’s forwards will need to find the finishing touch after squandering numerous chances in their opener.

While she would not speculate over potential changes to the starting line-up, Greenwood added: “I don’t know about changes in personnel, but I think for us coming away from the game, we definitely created chances and had chances to score more goals.

“That’s not a concern. We know we’ve got to put the ball in the back of the net when we have those chances and I think that will come.

“We’ve got enough players, enough quality in this team to create the chances and to put the ball in the back of the net.”

Declan Rice is aiming for Premier League and Champions League glory at Arsenal, insisting he will take his £105million price tag in his stride.

The England midfielder joined from London rivals West Ham earlier this month after the two clubs negotiated how the record payment for a British player in the Premier League would be broken down.

Now Rice is in the United States, having joined his new team-mates to prepare for the upcoming campaign, with the Gunners aiming to go one better than their second-placed finish last season.

Mikel Arteta’s side will also return to the top table of European football for the first time since 2017 and Rice is hungry for success, having lifted the Europa Conference League trophy in his final game as West Ham skipper.

“I think it’s time now. You know Arsenal under Mikel have won Community Shields, FA Cups, but I think now, this is a massive club, it’s constant pressure of delivering titles and it’s been such a long time now since Arsenal won the Premier League,” Rice told Sky Sports News.

“Last year was so close, I feel like we’re better off now this year, learning from that experience. I think that’s definitely a target and of course you’re in the Champions League, you go into the Champions League to win, you don’t go into (it) just to take part.

“There’s always a narrative around Arsenal that they’re not going to win the Premier League or they haven’t been good enough.

“But I didn’t see it in that way at all. I see it in a way that he (Arteta) has improved the squad every year. The players have improved individually. Everyone’s gone up another level and when I spoke to Mikel about the way he wanted me to play, where he sees me playing and the vision he has for Arsenal.

“For me it is really exciting now to be a part of this project that Arsenal can get back to the big time and win some trophies.”

Rice’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium has eclipsed Arsenal’s previous transfer record – the signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille for £72m – and will see West Ham receive a guaranteed £100m, with a potential £5m in add-ons.

The 24-year-old believes it is unfair he will carry increased expectations because of his price tag but insists he will not be weighed down by it.

“I just try to take everything in my stride. I can’t control what I’ve been bought for, that’s obviously been determined on how well I’ve played consistently over the last couple years,” he added.

“West Ham have obviously set that price, I tried to take it all of my stride, I’ve not really thought about the price tag once. I’ve been brought to Arsenal for a reason and that is to perform, to play football. To try and add to the squad, to try and win trophies.

“I’m not going to get involved in price tags. Of course people have always got opinions, you can’t please everybody. Someone’s always got something to say, but what’s important is that the manager, you know you’ve got his support, you’ve got family support, people that are close to you, that’s all that matters.

“I won’t try to think about that too much and to be honest with you, I haven’t. It’s football. A lot of players have been bought for £80, £90, £100million. It’s our profession. It’s just down to us to perform. So over the six years (of his contract), hopefully I can repay that price tag.”

Chelsea and Arsenal were the leading producers of Premier League players in the 2022-23 season, research by the PA news agency has found.

The two clubs’ academy products each racked up just over 21,000 minutes of playing time but remarkably were separated by just 37 seconds, with Chelsea edging top spot.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main stories to come out of the data.

Small margins

On August 6, 2022, Chelsea sent on Conor Gallagher to replace Jorginho in the ninth added minute of their season-opening 1-0 win over Everton.

It may have been a mere game management move by then-manager Thomas Tuchel but Gallagher’s two-and-a-half-minute appearance – Chelsea’s shortest all season – ended up deciding top spot in the academy study.

PA’s data includes minutes and seconds played by each player in every match, including stoppage time, and the total of 21,031 minutes and 44 seconds for Chelsea graduates put them fractionally ahead of their Arsenal counterparts’ 21,031 minutes, seven seconds.

The other headline news is that Manchester United – leaders in every previous edition of the academy study, most recently after the 2018-19 season – drop to fourth place and have been overtaken by rivals Manchester City, whose total of almost 19,458 minutes is over 1,500 behind the leading pair.

United graduates managed just under 18,533 minutes and they gave playing time to five products of their own academy – Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Elanga and Kobbie Mainoo.

Relegated Southampton completed the top five with almost 16,570 minutes.

What they said

Former AFC Wimbledon manager Mark Robinson is now Chelsea’s development squad head coach.

He recently told The Athletic: “If the (youth-team) trophies come, that’s great. But it’s more about ‘who is the next one we can produce for the first team?’.

“It’s also given the other lads an incentive — the ones who have trained with the first team but haven’t played yet, plus the ones who haven’t had the opportunity. It drives them on, thinking ‘am I going to be next?’.”

Arsenal’s habit of handing key roles to their recent players, with manager Mikel Arteta working alongside technical director Edu, extends to the youth set-up with Per Mertesacker and Jack Wilshere as academy manager and under-18 coach respectively.

Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah lead the homegrown contingent in the first team and Mertesacker told the club’s website: “It feels really positive. It sends a message that we need to be developing strong, young individuals who can cope with pressure. I like that, setting standards at the highest level.

“We have always been at the forefront of giving young players a chance. This is something that has been part of Arsenal DNA forever.

“You have to look at a 10-year cycle in the academy. I’m looking at the next three years thinking ‘this is when the real work starts’.”

Global giants

It is not just Premier League clubs represented in the study, with many players’ English Football League beginnings and the top flight’s global reach also captured.

In fact Dutch club Ajax rank sixth, just ahead of domestic heavyweights Liverpool and Tottenham.

Sven Botman, Kenny Tete, Pascal Struijk, Joel Veltman and Christian Eriksen each played over 2,000 minutes as Donny van de Beek and Jairo Riedewald rounded out a group of seven Ajax graduates.

Benfica were 10th behind Nottingham Forest and produced as many players in Manchester City’s treble-winning squad – four – as City’s own academy.

Fellow Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon are 11th with Anderlecht, Genk, Nice and St Etienne also in the top 20.

Sheffield United were the top EFL side in 17th as they secured their return to the Premier League, while League One Charlton were 20th.

Far and wide

There were 277 academies represented in the study, with playing time ranging from Chelsea and Arsenal’s totals all the way down to Lagans AIK’s three minutes and 22 seconds in a solitary appearance for Newcastle full-back Emil Krafth.

Lagan were one of 190 academies represented by just a single player each, Blackburn ranking highest among them thanks to David Raya’s 3,765 minutes for Brentford.

The Bees themselves produced only Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham, whose 2,408 minutes placed them 132nd in the rankings and last among the 20 top-flight clubs.

Only seven clubs hit double figures for players – Chelsea in front again with 16, one more than Manchester United. City produced 14, Arsenal and Southampton 13 apiece, Liverpool 11 and Tottenham 10.

What the papers say

West Ham believe they are still in the box seat to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher despite a rejected £40million bid, the Evening Standard reports. Tottenham are also interested in the 23-year-old.

The Mirror says the Bayern Munich’s chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Marco Neppe have not joined the club on their trip to Japan to stay behind to work on another bid for Harry Kane. Tottenham want £100million for the England captain.

Liverpool have had their bid for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia rejected with the £35million offer deemed not enough, according to the Guardian. Southampton are hoping for a bid closer to £50million.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Fabinho: The Liverpool midfielder looks set to start pre-season training with the club which could be a blow to Saudi Pro League team Al Ittihad who are hoping to sign the 29-year-old, the Athletic reports.

Bernardo Silva: The Manchester City midfielder looks set to stay after the club told the 28-year-old they do not want to sell him, despite his desire to leave, 90 min says.

Wrexham’s ‘USA invasion’ has won hearts and minds this summer as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s club continue their seemingly inexorable rise.

Last July’s pre-season got under way at Nantwich Town, whereas this time more than 50,000 were in attendance in North Carolina as the EFL new boys began preparations for life in League Two against Chelsea.

A 4-0 victory against LA Galaxy II followed before taking on Manchester United’s youngsters in San Diego, where Wrexham’s impact meant that, incredibly, they felt like the home team at times.

Goalkeeper Nathan Bishop was booed mercilessly by fans for injuring star striker Paul Mullin, while fireworks and Wrexham celebrations filled the air as Phil Parkinson’s men took a two-goal lead at sold-out Snapdragon Stadium.

Elliot Lee and Aaron Hayden scored before Marc Jurado reduced the deficit for United, only for Sam Dalby to wrap up a 3-1 win after Dan Gore received a harsh-looking red.

McElhenney looked in dreamland as his team soared in San Diego – a night when fellow owner Reynolds was absent due to filming Deadpool 3 in London.

This summer’s US tour is the latest chapter in a remarkable story that has seen Wrexham go from the National League quagmire to become one of the world’s most talked about teams in 30 months.

Reynolds and McElhenney put the club on the map with the critically acclaimed FX docuseries ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ and have overseen a rapid improvement in fortunes.

The second series starts in September and documents last season’s dramatic National League triumph, when they pipped Notts County to the title and ended their 15 years in non-league.

Viewers across the world have been hooked and Wrexham players have become stars, with thousands of the club’s new fans making journeys from across the US to catch a glimpse of their heroes over the past fortnight.

Keri Eaton, who took the 90-minute flight from Salt Lake City, Utah with husband Todd to be in San Diego, said: “As soon as I heard Rob and Ryan bought the team I did a deep dive.

“I was really excited and kind of just spiralled from there. I watched as many games as I could.

“I like the fact that they were kind of at the top and then have been the underdogs for so long.

“Then to turn around and have owners that come in that are passionate, and not only care about the club but the town. That’s what I fell in love with.”

The American fans’ passion was palpable and their interest visible, with queues for merchandise snaking around the ground. The impressive engagement with fans also came with reminders of their home 3,800 miles away.

Every sign was in Welsh as well as English, with a food truck outside the stadium serving free Welsh rarebit and Welsh cake. Supplies ran out long before kick-off.

Wrexham’s fan fest offered a chance to see if supporters could take a throw-in like captain Ben Tozer and visit a giant mock-up of The Turf – the much-loved pub next door to the Racecourse Ground.

Landlord Wayne Jones features regularly on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ and still struggles to get his head around the whole experience.

“I’m proud, I guess, but it’s just surreal, isn’t it? You know, it’s crazy, it’s bonkers,” he told the PA news agency. “This is the third one now – obviously we had one in Chapel Hill, one in LA and now we’ve got one in beautiful San Diego.

“Bonkers, just insane. Everybody’s enjoying themselves and the weather is a lot nicer here than it is in Wrexham, right? Having a whale of a time.

“People ask me all the time if life has changed. You know, I’m just the same person. I’ll be cleaning the toilets this time next week, for example.

“But I’m in San Diego, with a mock-up Turf with thousands of fans all cheering on Wrexham, so of course life has changed but it’s all for the better.

“All I really cared about was that the football team continues to grow and becomes better, and the town is thriving, and that continues.”

To underline that how surreal Jones’ life has become, Californian brothers David and Chris Hudson were quick to get a photo with the landlord inside the giant mock-up of his pub.

“It’s the real underdog thing,” Chris, from Fresno said of his passion for Wrexham. “I really got into soccer during the pandemic so it just kind of all came along all at the right time for me.

“Then all of a sudden there was this show on TV and then I’m hooked. What can I say?”

David, who lives in Los Angeles, added: “Total underdog story, promotion and relegation.

“I mean, how can you not root for someone in the National League trying to come up? It’s just a great story.”

The pair would wait with bated breath for the next episode to drop on Disney+ and are excited for League Two action after streaming National League games at awkward times.

As for the possibility of Wrexham securing back-to-back promotions, David said: “A lot of the soccer pundits say we have got a chance… Wrexham, I can’t say we.”

Chris – wearing a red Wrexham t-shirt featuring a dragon – interjected, saying as he put a hand on his brother’s shoulder: “Oh no, we’re part of it now.” Ends