Two victories in the Nunthorpe Stakes rank highly among the career highlights of “adopted Yorkshireman” Kevin Darley.

The Staffordshire-born rider enjoyed a long and successful career in the saddle spanning over three decades, from his first competitive mount in 1976 to his eventual retirement in 2007.

Having lifting the champion apprentice title in 1978, it took Darley a while to climb the ladder as a fully-fledged professional – but from the mid-1990s he began making a name for himself on the Group One stage and in millennium year he was crowned Britain’s champion jockey for the first and only time.

It was in 1997 that Darley first struck Group One gold at York as he and Coastal Bluff shared the spoils in one of the most memorable and dramatic renewals of the Nunthorpe in recent history.

Coastal Bluff was a 6-1 shot for Yorkshire trainer David Barron and Darley recalls having high hopes before a major tack failure soon after the start threatened to ruin his chances.

“He was a little bit of a quirky horse, but he’d won the Stewards’ Cup and the Ayr Gold Cup the year before, so he was obviously a horse with potential,” he said.

“He just needed things to go right on the day, which we thought they might do in the Nunthorpe until the stalls opened and two strides later the bridle broke!

“When something like that happens you’re just riding on instinct really. It’s five furlongs in a straight line and we were probably going 40 miles per hour without any brakes!”

It is testament to Darley’s skills and Coastal Bluff’s talent that he was still in there pitching as the line loomed and he flashed by the post alongside Ya Malak, trained by David Nicholls and ridden by Alex Greaves.

The judge was ultimately unable to split the pair and declared a dead-heat, seeing Greaves become the first female jockey to ride a Group One winner in Britain.

For Darley’s part, he was happy with the result.

He added: “The track opened up more back then than it does now and my immediate thoughts passing the line were ‘what am I going to do now’ and ‘how am I going to stop’!

“I was totally unaware of the result until I got back, but I didn’t think I’d got beat. The dead-heat was probably a good result in the end.”

Nine years later came Darley’s second Nunthorpe triumph as he teamed up with another popular sprinter in Eric Alston’s Reverence.

Success was significantly more straightforward in 2006 as the jockey’s mud-loving partner made every yard of the running in soft ground and came home with two lengths in hand over Amadeus Wolf.

Darley and Reverence went on to enjoy another top-level win that year in Haydock’s Sprint Cup and in all the combination claimed seven victories.

“I still see Gary Middlebrook (owner) at the races and we had some great times together with Reverence,” said Darley.

“I think he was plagued with injuries in the early part of his career, but credit to Eric who took his time and once he found the key to him, he never stopped progressing really.

“He was phenomenal little horse and a real character. He loved a bit of cut in the ground and you just let him do his own thing.

“He was one of those horses that was blessed with a lot of early tactical speed and in the Nunthorpe I think the other jockeys in behind were thinking ‘he’s going too fast’, but Reverence used to fill himself up a furlong down and was able to go again.”

Darley rode almost 2,500 winners before hanging up his riding boots, many trained in Yorkshire, and he has fond memories of booting home those on the Knavesmire.

“I still live in Yorkshire, I’m an adopted Yorkshireman and I always say if you’re on the best horse at York, you should win really and there should be no excuses because it’s a very fair track,” he said.

“Credit to them as resources wise they put everything back into the track and I think any jockey past or present will tell you it’s a pleasure to go there really.

“They moved the winner’s enclosure a few years ago to be a lot more public friendly. I always used to like the old winner’s enclosure as you walked through the crowd with a rope either side of you.

“I thought when they changed that you’d never get the same atmosphere, but it is exactly the same and that’s a credit to York and the people that go there – it’s a great stage.”

Desert Crown will undergo surgery after sustaining a season-ending fetlock injury on Sunday.

Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, last year’s Derby winner was being put through his paces on the Al Bahathri gallop ahead of an intended run in York’s Juddmonte International Stakes on Wednesday when the injury occurred.

He was immediately transferred to the Newmarket Equine Hospital where the four-year-old will be operated on.

The son of Nathaniel’s Epsom triumph is the notable highlight in a career that has been plagued by setbacks and he has been seen just once since his finest hour, when losing his unbeaten record to Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May.

He subsequently missed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot due to a setback, with a leg infection preventing a rematch with Hukum in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes last month.

This latest injury will rule the colt out for the rest of the season, with his racing career hanging in the balance.

“I’ve just been to see him and they will operate this morning,” said Bruce Raymond, racing manager for owner Saeed Suhail.

“It is a fetlock injury and he won’t be running again this year, that’s for sure.”

England will learn on Tuesday the consequences for their World Cup group campaign caused by Billy Vunipola and Owen Farrell being summoned to face rugby’s judiciary.

Six Nations, the organisers for the warm-up fixtures, has announced Vunipola’s hearing for being sent off for a dangerous tackle against Ireland will take place on Tuesday evening.

Earlier that morning, Farrell faces an independent disciplinary panel for the second time in a week after World Rugby appealed the decision to overturn his red card for a high challenge against Wales.

Both players are facing six-week bans that can be reduced for mitigation but with just one match left until the World Cup – against Fiji on Saturday – any suspension will impact their quest to qualify from Pool D and most importantly their key opening fixture against Argentina on September 9.

Vunipola is the squad’s only specialist number eight while Farrell is its captain, talisman and goalkicker, making the duo influential personnel who Steve Borthwick can not afford to lose.

Each player was shown a yellow card that was upgraded to red by the bunker review system after making similar tackles in a collapse of England defensive discipline.

Vunipola’s came on Saturday during a 29-10 rout by Ireland in Dublin, the Saracens back row clattering into Andrew Porter’s head with his shoulder.

A week earlier Farrell had ploughed into Taine Basham’s head, causing the Wales flanker to fail an HIA.

The original disciplinary hearing cleared Farrell, finding mitigation in a late change in dynamics by Basham, but an outcry followed the failure to issue a ban and World Rugby appealed.

Paddington and Mostahdaf will face off as a field of four go to post for Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at York.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington will be seeking a fifth successive Group One triumph, having landed the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse and Sussex Stakes on his last four runs, cementing him as the cream of the three-year-old crop.

He will clash with Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Mostahdaf as he moves back up to 10 furlongs, with the Ballydoyle team opting not to field Point Lonsdale in support.

Mostahdaf’s trainers John and Thady Gosden also run Nashwa, winner of the Falmouth Stakes, while Andrew Balding’s The Foxes completes the line up.

Sir Michael Stoute did not declare Bay Bridge, leaving him without a runner after last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown sustained a season-ending injury on Sunday.

The Gosden-trained Gregory headlines five in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes, with the Queen’s Vase winner seeking to underline his St Leger claims in this traditional trial.

Castle Way is Charlie Appleby’s contender having won the Bahrain Trophy last time with O’Brien relying on King Edward VII Stakes runner-up Continuous.

Gordon Stakes third and fourth, Canberra Legend and Artistic Star, represent James Ferguson and Ralph Beckett respectively.

Six go to post for the Tattersalls Acomb Stakes headed by Richmond second Ballymount Boy, whose form got a huge boost when his Goodwood conqueror Vandeek won the Group One Prix Morny on Sunday.

Naas maiden winner Edwardian is O’Brien’s pick with Cogitate, Hot Fuss, Indian Run and Loose Cannon the other Group Three runners.

Spain won their first Women’s World Cup as England came up just short in Sunday’s final in Sydney.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the key tournament statistics.

Goals

Olga Carmona’s winner in the final was the 164th goal of the tournament, meaning an average of 2.56 in each of the 64 matches.

That is significantly lower than last summer’s European Championship, won by the Lionesses on home soil, when there was an average of just over three goals per game – 95 in 31.

While that was higher than the last men’s Euros – averaging 2.78 goals per game (142 in 51) – this summer has seen fewer goals than at the most recent men’s World Cups. The 2022 event in Qatar saw 172 goals in 64 games (2.69 per game), three more than in 2018 (169, 2.64 per game).

Spain led the way with 18, with Miyazawa helping Japan rack up an impressive 15 before being knocked out in the quarter-finals. Sweden scored 14 and England 13 with the Netherlands, France and Australia the other teams in double figures.

Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa won the Golden Boot with five, one ahead of Sweden defender Amanda Ilestedt, Germany’s Alexandra Popp, Jill Roord of the Netherlands and France striker Kadidiatou Diani.

Attendances

There were record attendances for a women’s game in both host nations.

Australia played in front of capacity crowds of 75,784 at Stadium Australia in Sydney for their opener against the Republic of Ireland, against Denmark in the last 16 and for their semi-final against England. The Lionesses’ quarter-final against Colombia and the final also matched that record.

In New Zealand, Auckland’s Eden Park hosted 43,217 fans for Spain and Sweden’s semi-final and their respective previous knockout matches against Switzerland and Japan. The 42,137 at the same venue for the opening game of the tournament, New Zealand’s win over Norway, was the country’s record for a home international involving either the men’s or women’s teams.

Almost two million fans came through the turnstiles in all for an average attendance of 30,911.

Landmarks

The group stage witnessed the 1,000th goal at a Women’s World Cup as tournament debutants Zambia left their mark via Barbra Banda’s penalty against Costa Rica.

England completed a record run of scoring in 16 consecutive World Cup games with their 6-1 win over China, adding to all seven of their games at the 2019 tournament and six in 2015.

It was immediately ended by Nigeria in the last 16, but Sarina Wiegman’s side prevailed on penalties before going on to the final.

Casey Phair became the youngest player at a Women’s World Cup, as a substitute for South Korea against Colombia aged just 16 years and 26 days.

Spain are the fifth different winners of the tournament, following the United States (four times), Norway, Germany (twice) and Japan. England were also playing in their first final.

Penalties

There were penalties awarded in each of the first seven games, before Denmark and China became the first teams to get through a game without one in Group D.

The pace slowed significantly after that frenetic start, with 20 spot-kicks the rest of the way for a total of 27 to the end of the third-place play-off.

Twenty of those have been scored, a 74.1 per cent success rate. Australia’s Steph Catley, China’s Wang Shuang and France’s Kadidiatou Diani each scored two penalties while Fridolina Rolfo, in the third-place play-off against Australia, became the third different Sweden player to net from the spot.

What the papers say

Manchester United are interested in Paris St Germain’s Marco Verratti to bolster the Devils’ midfield, the Mirror reports. Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli are also reported to be interested in the 30-year-old alongside a number of European clubs.

After losing their first two games of the Premier League season Everton are hoping they will land the signature of Scottish forward Che Adams. The 27-year-old could move to the club from Southampton for a fee worth around £15million, the Telegraph says.

The Sun says Nottingham Forest are willing to pay the same amount for Brazilian Matheus Nascimento from Botafogo, but he may stay with the club with the goal to help them win the Brazilian Serie A.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Pablo Fornals: Sevilla are interested in signing the West Ham midfielder who is in the final year of his contract, according to Spanish outlet AS.

Jeremy Doku: French outlet Foot Mercato says Rennes have rejected a bid from Manchester City for the 21-year-old.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup came to a close with Spain securing the top prize with a 1-0 win against England.

A month’s worth of action has seen a tournament packed with plenty of standout players from different countries.

Here, the PA news agency’s Reuben Rosso-Powell looks at five star players who have shone the brightest during the competition.

Linda Caicedo, Colombia

The 18-year-old had a breakout tournament and her two goals and an assist played an important role in Colombia advancing into the quarter-finals. Her stunning strike against Germany will no doubt be a contender for goal of the tournament.

Amanda Ilestedt

Centre-back Ilestedt has been an unlikely top scorer for her nation this summer having netted an impressive four goals from Sweden’s dominant set-pieces which helped her side reach the semi-finals. Her performances earned her the Bronze Ball Award at the end of the tournament.

Lauren Hemp, England

Hemp scored important goals at crucial times for Sarina Wiegman’s England, including an equaliser in the Lionesses’ quarter-final victory over Colombia and putting them back in front against Australia in the semi-final. The Manchester City forward had England’s best chance of the final against Spain, rattling the crossbar in the first half.

Hinata Miyazawa, Japan

Miyazawa won the Golden Boot with five goals and was at the forefront of Japan’s free-flowing attacking football which dominated the early stages before they fell to Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Lauren James, England

James shone in the early stages of the tournament and gained plaudits for her memorable display against China. The Chelsea winger scored three goals and provided three assists in total before seeing red in England’s last-16 victory over Nigeria but returned from suspension as a substitute in the second half of Sunday’s final.

Captain Millie Bright is confident England will emerge a stronger side after processing the gut-wrenching reality of finishing as World Cup runners-up.

The Lionesses overcame obstacles and disproved doubters over the expanded month-long competition, which for the first time saw 32 teams whittled down to two, Spain and England, who were both making their debuts in the showpiece final.

Olga Carmona’s first-half strike in Sydney proved enough to send La Roja home with the trophy, while England were reminded that football can be a game of cruel inches after Lauren Hemp’s near-opener pinged off the crossbar.

Bright said: “The mentality has always been there. The character has been there, too. We show that, day in, day out, and in every game. We’ve just played in a World Cup final, it’s hard to see it like that at the moment. I’m proud of the girls.

“We’ve played on the highest stage. We’ve had a shot at competing for the trophy we have always wanted but this isn’t the end of the journey and we will definitely bounce back. For now, though, we’ll let it settle.”

While each of Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will rue and process the loss differently, their skipper is the sole member of the squad for whom the morning after also happens to be a birthday.

Bright, who turns 30 today, inherited the captain’s armband before the World Cup from Euro 2022-winning skipper Leah Williamson, who was forced to miss the tournament after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in April.

Beth Mead, last summer’s Golden Boot winner, was also unavailable for selection after she was unable to recover in time from the same problem, while Chelsea midfielder Fran Kirby missed out with a separate knee issue.

Perhaps some inside the England camp are now wondering what might have been had those European champions been available, or perhaps not, but the only regrets Bright was willing to share after coming so close to bringing the World Cup home to England were the minor moments that made the difference. 

“There are probably one million different feelings,” said Bright. “Pride, disappointment, heartbroken that we didn’t win.

“We came off the pitch holding our heads high, knowing that we have given absolutely everything in the game. In the second half especially we left it all out there.

“We didn’t take our chances today and those are the small margins that decide football in a final against a top, top team.

“You get those chances and hit the crossbar, the keeper makes saves. They get theirs and put it in the net.”

Bright, whose club boss Emma Hayes was an ITV pundit for the World Cup, will soon return to Chelsea where she looks a shoo-in to replace departed captain Magda Eriksson.

But before the Blues kick-off their campaign in search of a fifth straight Women’s Super League (WSL) title against Tottenham on October 1, Bright and the Lionesses will face Scotland then the Netherlands in the new UEFA Women’s Nations League in late September.

That competition will decide which two European teams will join co-hosts France at the Paris Olympics, which begin in just 340 days.

Perhaps next year’s birthday will come accompanied with a fresh gold medal from those Games, but for now Bright is feeling grateful for the support that helped secure her World Cup silver.

She added: “It’s been incredible. It’s surreal. Thank you for believing in us. I hope you have enjoyed the ride. It’s been amazing. It’s hard to see it like that. It’s been incredible. We’ve had an opportunity and we’ve gained a medal that not many other players have got.”

Adrian Houser pitched five effective innings and Tyrone Taylor drove in two runs as the Milwaukee Brewers completed a three-game sweep of the American League West-leading Texas Rangers with Sunday's 6-2 win.

Milwaukee chased three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer in the fourth inning to maintain a three-game advantage on second-place Chicago in the National League Central. The Cubs kept pace with Sunday's 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Houser allowed just one run on six hits and struck out seven to help the Brewers deal the slumping Rangers a fourth consecutive loss. Taylor finished 2 for 3 with three runs scored and Christian Yelich had a pair of hits, including an RBI double, as Milwaukee took advantage of an uncharacteristically wild outing from Scherzer.

Scherzer walked four batters and hit another while being charged with three runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The star hurler entered Sunday's matchup having allowed just four runs in 20 innings in winning each of his first three starts since being traded to Texas by the New York Mets on July 30.

The 39-year-old did record his 3,343rd career strikeout in the third inning to pass Hall of Famer Phil Niekro for 11th place on MLB's all-time list.

Corey Seager went 2 for 4 and accounted for the Rangers' lone run off Houser with a solo homer in the third inning.

Surging Mariners hold off Astros to sweep three-game series

The AL West is quickly becoming a three-team race thanks to the recent tear of the Seattle Mariners, who won for the 14th time in 17 games by holding on for a 7-6 victory over the division-rival Houston Astros on Sunday.

Seattle built a 6-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings en route to a sweep of the three-game series and sixth straight win overall. The surge has moved the Mariners within three games of the first-place Texas Rangers in the AL West and a half-game back of Houston for the league's second wild card.

Dominic Canzone and Dylan Moore each went 4 for 5 with an RBI to lead Seattle's 15-hit attack, while Eugenio Suarez had a two-run homer as the Mariners pounded Astros starter Hunter Brown for six runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Astros rallied with five runs in the bottom of the third, but were held scoreless by the Seattle bullpen over the final three innings to lose for the fifth time in seven games.

Gabe Speier protected the one-run lead in the ninth to record his first career major league save.

Yordan Alvarez and Mauricio Dubon each knocked in two runs during Houston's big third inning, while Alex Bregman finished 2 for 4 with an RBI triple.

Red Sox extend Yankees' skid to eight games, finish series sweep

Justin Turner's ninth-inning double drove in the deciding run as the Boston Red Sox earned a 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees that sent the Bronx Bombers to their longest losing streak in 28 years.

The Yankees have now dropped eight games in a row for the first time since Aug. 19-26, 1995 despite rallying from a three-run deficit and nearly going ahead in the eighth inning.

New York appeared to take a 6-5 lead when Isiah Kiner-Falefa was called safe at home while attempting to score on Anthony Volpe's single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. The ruling was overturned after the Red Sox challenged the play, however, to keep the game tied entering the ninth.

Pablo Reyes led off the ninth with a single off Clay Holmes and stole second before crossing the plate on Turner's opposite-field double, the veteran's fourth RBI of the game.

Kenley Jansen then worked around a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 29th save and close out Boston's eighth win in nine meetings with New York this season.

Turner also had a three-run homer in the seventh that snapped a 2-2 tie, while Rafael Devers delivered a solo shot for Boston and finished 3 for 4 with three runs scored.

The Yankees homered three times on the day, including Volpe's three-run blast off reliever John Schreiber in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game at 5-5. Gleyber Torres and Kyle Higashioka had solo shots in defeat.

Keith Earls has a “burning desire” to travel to the fourth World Cup of his career after celebrating his 100th Ireland cap with a stunning try on an emotional outing against England.

Munster wing Earls led out his country alongside his three daughters on Saturday evening in Dublin before marking the occasion in style by coming off the bench to seal a 29-10 victory with a superb diving finish.

The 35-year-old received a host of touching tributes ahead of the landmark appearance at the Aviva Stadium, while his family were invited into camp on Thursday.

Earls went a year without international action due to injury issues before lining up against Italy at the start of the month but insists he did not return solely on sentimental grounds as he eyes a place on the plane to France.

“That’s the reason I’m here, that’s the reason I came back for pre-season, that’s the reason I’m doing everything possible to stay fit,” he said of World Cup selection.

“I have that burning desire to give myself the best chance of going to the World Cup and I tell you one thing I’d hate to be the coaches trying to pick their 33-man squad. It’s going to be tough.”

Andy Farrell is due to reduce his squad by five to a final 33 following next weekend’s clash with Samoa in Bayonne.

His Six Nations champions registered a 12th consecutive win by comfortably dispatching Steve Borthwick’s side.

The unassuming Earls, who added to scores from Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, James Lowe and Mack Hansen with his 36th Ireland try, felt a little uncomfortable in the spotlight and feared being left embarrassed as an unused replacement following the big build up.

“I was saying to the lads, it was probably the worst week of my life with all the attention around the 100th cap,” he said.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done on Thursday trying to keep the tears out of my eyes around all of the lads.

“But I think I managed to do it, so that was grand.

“I’m delighted everything worked out perfectly and there’s not a better bunch of lads to do it with.

“It was hell sitting on the bench. It was nerve-wracking, thinking: ‘will he put me on? This will be very embarrassing after everything I’ve gone through’.”

In addition to receiving video messages from the likes of Ireland great Brian O’Driscoll and former coaches Declan Kidney and Joe Schmidt, Earls was presented with his milestone cap by head coach Farrell, while captain Johnny Sexton and forwards coach Paul O’Connell gave speeches.

A more offbeat homage came from team-mate Hansen, who shaved the initials KE and the number 100 into an eye-catching green haircut before claiming the man of the match award against England.

“He actually came in with just his hair dyed green and then he got this idea he wanted to cut a shamrock into the side of his head,” said Earls.

“That kind of went a bit pear-shaped and then he was like, ‘let’s get KE 100 into my head’.

“I was sitting in the team room and I was like, I want no part in this and walked away and then Craig (Casey) sent me a picture and what a horrendous job they had done on it.

“That man (Hansen), he’s such a unique character in rugby.

“When you can act like that and cut your hair like that and then go out and perform like that, you just have to leave him be.”

Norway’s Viktor Hovland fired a stunning final round of 61 to win his fifth PGA Tour title in the BMW Championship.

Hovland birdied seven of the last nine holes at Olympia Fields to cover the back nine in just 28 shots and overhaul world number one Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler began the day in a tie for the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick and carded a closing 66, but had no answer to Hovland’s stunning scoring burst.

Hovland found himself four shots off the pace when he followed birdies on the first, third and fifth with a three-putt bogey on the seventh, but surged back into contention with a hat-trick of birdies from the 10th.

The 25-year-old also picked up shots on the 14th and 15th and moved into a share of the lead with his ninth birdie of the day on the 17th.

Another birdie on the last took the Ryder Cup star to the top of the leaderboard on 17 under par and his victory was effectively secured moments later when Scheffler three-putted the 17th.

Fitzpatrick, whose younger brother Alex finished second on the DP World Tour earlier in the day, ended the day in the same position after matching playing partner Scheffler’s 66 to finish 15 under.

Asked where that round ranked in his career, Hovland told Sky Sports: “It has to be number one.

“I remember playing a pretty special round of golf my first year on Tour, I shot seven under at Torrey Pines when it was hailing and windy and raining and that’s probably the best I’ve ever struck it throughout a round.

“But to shoot 61 and shoot 28 on the back nine at this golf course and under the circumstances, I have nothing that beats that.”

Hovland, who started the day three off the lead, added: “I was thinking if I post a score like I did yesterday (65) I could at least have a chance, but it’s hard when you have so many guys in front of you that are really good and playing awesome.

“Catching heat on the back nine was what I had to do.”

The victory lifts Hovland to second in the FedEx Cup standings behind Scheffler heading into the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Roy Hodgson admits every Premier League manager is looking for a player like Declan Rice to anchor their team as he prepares his Crystal Palace side to come up against the England midfielder on Monday.

The 24-year-old’s £105million move to Arsenal from West Ham last month made him one of four players in his position to have been bought for a nine-figure fee by European clubs during the last eight months, as the value placed by top sides on central midfielders has rocketed.

Rice is part of an elite group that includes World Cup-winner Enzo Fernandez and his new Chelsea team-mate Moises Caicedo – both signed by the Blues for British record fees – and England’s Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in July, with each having been signed for fees that could exceed £100m.

Hodgson’s Palace began the Premier League season with a 1-0 win at promoted Sheffield United but face a stern test when last year’s runners-up arrive at Selhurst Park, with Mikel Arteta’s side buoyed by the arrival of Rice to add steel to their midfield ahead of their return to the Champions League.

Experienced manager Hodgson said that, whilst it remains the game’s great goalscorers that command the highest fees, the importance of a deeper-lying central midfielder has been proven by English football’s most successful sides.

“I think it (central midfield) has always been big,” said Hodgson. “I don’t think it’s anything new. You will never be able to align it to centre forward because centre forwards will always be right up there as really big ones.

“It’s still Neymar and (Kylian) Mbappe that go beyond our hundred million pounds here. Harry Kane, yes he cost just over a hundred million (when he signed for Bayern Munich), but only because he was in the last year of his contract. If he’d have had a three-year contract, Tottenham would have been asking for a lot more money. They score the goals. The game is about goals.

“But I think the midfield area is an area where people within football have always understood the importance of it and the importance of getting good players in, none more so than Sir Alex (Ferguson) at Manchester United because he always had really, really top-class players in that centre of midfield, all of whom brought him trophies.

“(Rice) has got strength, he’s got energy, he understands the game very well. He gets from box to box, and when he’s in each of the boxes, he does a really good job. He knows how to defend and he also has an eye for goal, so really he’s the type of player that every person is looking for.”

Hodgson enjoyed the boost of winger Michael Olise turning down the chance to join Chelsea last week after Mauricio Pochettino’s side activated a £35m release clause.

The France Under-21 international, who Palace signed from Reading for a relatively modest £8m two years ago and has since flourished into an accomplished Premier League performer, instead opted to agree a new four-year deal to continue his development in south London.

He will be missing from Hodgson’s team to face Arsenal as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Yet it is Arsenal’s transfer business that occupied Hodgson’s attention ahead of Monday’s game, with Rice set to make his second Premier League start as the Gunners look to go one better and take the crown from champions Manchester City.

“It’s been an interesting development for him,” said the manager. “I’ve followed him a little bit myself through (James) Tomkins (who) told me about him many years ago. He said there’s a very good young player at West Ham, and I’ve seen that as he’s gone along.

“He’s done his apprenticeship really, coming through the ranks. He’s done his years at West Ham, each year getting better, and in the end becomes an international and clubs are (thinking) ‘who can I get who’s the best at his particular job for this role?’

“Declan Rice’s name is always going to be right up there on the top of the list, as was Bellingham of course at Real Madrid.”

Son Heung-min says Dele Alli will always be part of the family and hopes his former Tottenham team-mate will not “have tough times anymore” as he looks to kick-start his career.

Things have gone awry for the 27-year-old since he helped Spurs reach the 2019 Champions League final, with the England international failing to make an impact at Everton after moving there in January 2022.

Alli recently revealed he had considered hanging up his boots in an emotional interview that saw him talk about how he was “molested” as a six-year-old and dealing drugs aged eight.

The attacking midfielder also spoke about alcohol problems, sleeping-pill addiction and addressing his mental-health issues by spending six weeks in a rehab clinic – situations he kept away from many of his nearest and dearest.

The football world has thrown its support behind Alli and he was warmly greeted at Tottenham on Saturday as he watched their 2-0 win against Manchester United, where the former Spur caught up with many of his former team-mates afterwards.

“Dele was always close, as a friend with me,” the recently appointed Tottenham skipper said.

“It was a really tough moment for him and obviously I’m always there to support him because he’s one of my closest friends.

“Christian (Eriksen), as well today. Yeah, it’s just old team-mates but I think this relationship (with Dele) is very special.

“He helped me a lot settling down in the UK when I was struggling. He was helping me a lot and is still a good friend of mine.

“It’s always good to see him and any time if he needs anything, any second, I will be always there for him. I don’t want him to have tough times anymore.”

Put to Son that it would be great if Alli could get his career back on track, he said: “We will always support him.

“Obviously it’s up to him now because he has to recover well, get fit and play well because his quality is not in doubt because he has been showing in the Premier League what he can do.

“Look, I’m always supporting him, like a member of family.”