Retiring playmaker David Silva should be remembered as one of the best players to grace the Premier League, according to his former Manchester City team-mate Joleon Lescott.

Real Sociedad midfielder Silva announced his retirement at the age of 37 last Thursday, having suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season training.

Prior to joining La Real in 2020, Silva won four Premier League titles and seven domestic cups during a memorable spell at the Etihad Stadium, where he has since been honoured with a statue. 

Silva – who also won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championship titles with Spain – led all Premier League players for assists (89) and chances created (768) during the decade between 2010 and 2020.

Having played alongside Silva between 2010 and 2014, former City defender Lescott believes Silva deserves to be seen as a Premier League great. 

"When he joined he was obviously a World Cup winner and a Euros winner, and he turned out to be an iconic Premier League player, one of the best to ever grace the Premier League," Lescott told Stats Perform.

"I think we all are aware of what his qualities were on the pitch, but what a guy. What a human being. My biggest compliment to David is that he's equally as good a person as he is a player."

City have lost two further club icons during the current transfer window, with Ilkay Gundogan joining Barcelona on a free transfer and Riyad Mahrez signing for Saudi side Al Ahli in a £30million deal.

Lescott believes the duo will be missed by Pep Guardiola's treble winners, adding: "The qualities they'll bring to their new teams are obvious. 

"They have superior technical ability. Ilkay is recognised as one of the best leaders in the squad. Riyad is obviously one of the most skilful. 

"They'll bring that to their new teams but they'll be sorely missed, not just because of their ability on the pitch, but [because of] what they brought to the dressing room and what they were to City's fanbase."

Having delivered the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trophies last term, Guardiola is looking to lead City to a fourth successive top-flight title this season.

Asked about Guardiola's impact on English football, Lescott said: "He's obviously changed the game, he's revolutionised different positions, the way we look at it and the way we view it.

"Every country he's managed in, I think they've tried to adapt throughout the leagues, and that's the biggest compliment for Pep. 

"Now in England there are multiple teams in multiple leagues that want to play the way they see Man City play."

Desert Hero emerged as a genuine Classic prospect for the King and Queen as he followed up his famous Royal Ascot success by landing the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.

The William Haggas-trained three-year-old raised the roof when carrying the royal silks to victory in the King George V Stakes, providing the King and Queen with their first winner at the showpiece meeting.

He had more to do stepping up to Group Three level, but proved up to the task under a typically well-judged ride from Tom Marquand.

A field of six runners set out to tackle the mile-and-a-half contest, with James Doyle intent on making every yard of the running aboard Chesspiece.

One by one his challengers came and went, but Marquand always looked confident in behind and after negotiating his way out of a pocket, Desert Hero powered home to get up and score by a neck.

The winner was cut to 6-1 from 16-1 by Betfair for the St Leger at Doncaster in September, a race the late Queen won in her Silver Jubilee year of 1977 with Dunfermline.

Warren Gatland has backed Wales to do “something pretty special” at the World Cup in France.

Wales face England in their opening tournament warm-up game on Saturday after winning just two of the last 10 Tests.

A miserable Six Nations campaign produced a fifth-placed finish, while player contracts, financial issues throughout Welsh professional rugby and the threat of a players’ strike significantly compounded matters.

Wales have also dropped to ninth in World Rugby’s official rankings and seen talismanic figures like Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb all retire from international rugby since the end of last season.

Head coach Gatland, though, has delivered an upbeat message ahead of Wales’ preparation games against England home and away, plus South Africa, before a tough World Cup opener against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.

Asked if he relished Wales being written off, Gatland said: “Yeah. Continue to do it because it’s only going to make us stronger.

“I am really excited. I’m telling you this team will do something pretty special.

“I think if I look back on the Six Nations and all the things that were going on, I probably needed to let things unfold a bit and not be as direct or demanding as I might have normally been.

“The fact that things have settled down and a lot of new players have come in, the way that we’ve been so much more accountable for how we do things and demanding standards, that has been brilliant.

“As a group, we are in a good place. I promise you now, we will surprise some people.”

Wales’ training squad experienced punishing training camps in Switzerland and Turkey during the past month and Gatland will parade three news caps – Max Llewellyn, Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti – among a starting line-up captained for the first time by flanker Jac Morgan.

“I have got to say that I am incredibly impressed with this group of players in the last eight weeks,” Gatland added.

“They are in great shape physically. I couldn’t have asked for any more.

“They have been to the well and had to dig deep with everything we’ve put them through. They have been absolutely brilliant.

“We’ve had tough sessions, but come out the other side. The hardest thing is naming the 33 (final World Cup squad). There will be some real tough calls.”

Gatland, meanwhile, says he can see a likeness between 23-year-old Morgan and Sam Warburton, who was appointed Wales skipper ahead of World Cup in 2011 at the age of 22.

Other leadership candidates will also be assessed during the warm-up schedule, but Morgan has first opportunity to put down a marker.

“He is a fantastic individual and he is respected in the group. He has got a big future for Wales,” Gatland said.

“He doesn’t say a lot or talk a lot, a bit like Sam Warburton. He does his talking out there and leads by example.

“We went to Turkey last week and took a referee out there with us to do some live stuff.

“One of the comments from him (referee) was that some of the interaction from Jac was really impressive. He was asking good, positive questions and that was probably an indication that we had made the right call.”

Gatland, meanwhile, has also hailed full-back Leigh Halfpenny, who will become the ninth player to win 100 Wales caps when he runs out against England.

“He will be leading the side out,” Gatland added. “He is driven and he is a role model for everyone coming through who looks up to him.

“If you are talking about role models as a professional, you could not get a harder worker than Leigh Halfpenny in terms of how he prepares.

“The analysis, training and recovery. He is the ultimate professional.”

England cannot claim a "moral victory" over Australia in this year's "outstanding" Ashes series, which ranks among the best ever played in the view of former skipper David Gower.

Rain during the fourth Test at Old Trafford ruined England's hopes of teeing up a decider at The Oval, though Stuart Broad's heroics did at least allow them to level the series at 2-2 with victory in the fifth Test.

While England's wait to recapture the urn continues, supporters and players took solace in denying Australia a first series win on English soil since 2001.

Captain Ben Stokes said he was "proud" of England's performances after the fifth Test, describing the draw as a "fair reflection" of the series as a whole.

While Gower agrees with that assessment, he does not believe England will be alone in wondering what might have been.

"Let's not talk about moral victories, that's just a red herring," he told Stats Perform. "It's 2-2, that's how it'll stand in history forever. 

"I think it's a fair reflection. If you talk to people in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth and all the rest of Australia, they will say Australia could have won it. 

"It's a certainty that if you talk to people in the United Kingdom, they will look at all the things that could have been slightly different.

"They'll look at the weather in Manchester and say we had the moral victory."

Gower added: "I guess what's fair to say is that England were destroying one of the best bowling attacks in world cricket at Old Trafford.

"That assault at Manchester was awesome. If you want to talk about moral victories, maybe that's the one place you're allowed the leniency to say that."

Gower believes the series' many twists and turns should ensure it is remembered as one of the most entertaining of the modern era.

"This is right up there with the great series, or at least the ones in living memory – I can't go back to beyond the 1930s," he added.

"I was part of the 1981 series, which was [Ian] Botham's Ashes, Botham and [Bob] Willis's Ashes in many ways. That was a brilliant, brilliant series to be part of.

"Then 2005 was outstanding, we had some fantastic performances there. Great drama, great theatre, and this year was certainly up there for drama and theatre. You can argue about the overall quality, but there were some stunning performances. 

"You look at the human error… at the end of it all, you can imagine that the results – English fans would say – could have been very different. If only. 

"But the Aussies will say the same. Rain at Manchester, who'd have thought it? Weather in England… you have to factor these things in at some stage. 

"At the end of it, I would say that the quality of the cricket between the two teams was outstanding."

Gower feels much of the series' intrigue came from a clash of styles, with England's aggressive approach under Brendon McCullum contrasting sharply with Australia's more conservative way of playing.

"Before the series started, there was an element of it being a clash of cultures," he said. "The so-called 'Bazball' against the more traditional way that Australia play. 

"Sides have to play the way their players play best. England have a lot of gifted batsmen who have the capacity to force the pace, as per 'Bazball'. 

"Australia have batsman, for instance like Usman Khawaja, who will just stay at the crease and make runs in quantities and buy time, use time. He was outstanding as well throughout the series."

Vandeek looked an exciting prospect in confirming the promise of his successful racecourse debut with a comprehensive victory in the Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s grey justified cramped odds on his introduction at Nottingham a fortnight ago and was the 11-8 favourite taking a swift step up to Group Two level, in a race that had seen the withdrawal of likely market leader Jasour.

Ridden with plenty of confidence by Andrea Atzeni, Vandeek was initially settled in behind the pacesetting Toca Madera before being switched to the far side of the track to throw down his challenge.

A smart change of gear propelled him clear of the chasing pack and he only needed to pushed out hands and heels in the closing stages to score by a comfortable length.

Atzeni said: “He looked pretty special when he won first time out at Nottingham.

“Obviously when you step up to this level, you never know how good you are until you try. He’s got a bit of a pedigree, he’s obviously improved since Nottingham and he showed today how good he is.

“He’s a very smart colt and I think he is a very good horse. He’s won at Group Two level now, he’s going to go up one way to Group One level and I can’t see why he wouldn’t be good enough.”

Vandeek looks set for an immediate tilt at Group One company in France later in the month.

“Nothing really took him into the race for as long as we would like today, he was in front too soon and he sorted of idled when he hit the front,” said Simon Crisford.

“I think there’s tons of improvement to come and I think we’ll head for the Prix Morny on August 19. Obviously that is dependent on Sheikh Khalid’s wishes, but he likes to be bold and brave and I’m sure he will want to go for the Group One.

“We don’t know how this form is going to stack up, the Prix Morny is going to be an altogether different kind of a race.

“Stamina-wise, he’s of out an Exceed And Excel mare, there’s tons of speed in his pedigree but he strikes us at home like he will go further. He’s big, scopey, he stands over a lot of daylight – he will stay.”

Ballymount Boy outran odds of 25-1 with an excellent effort to fill the runner-up spot, with Toca Madera five lengths further back in third.

Ballymount Boy’s trainer, Adrian Keatley, said: “He didn’t help himself early on – he was a bit slow away and slow to get into his stride, but he’s a fair horse and we were expecting that kind of run from him.

“We’ll see where we go with him next, but we might contemplate going seven furlongs.

“He’s a proper horse now, he’s a Group horse for sure, so onwards and upwards.”

Castleford have pulled off a major coup in their battle for Betfred Super League survival by signing half-back Blake Austin from Leeds on loan for the rest of the season.

The 32-year-old has been one of the best performers for the Rhinos this season but there has been increasing unrest over his future with his current contract set to run out at the end of the current campaign.

The Rhinos were clearly caught off-guard by the news with head coach Rohan Smith calling it “a bit of a surprise”, while chief executive Gary Hetherington admitted the timing of the move was “not ideal”.

Castleford have been sucked into the relegation zone in recent weeks following a surge in form from rivals Wakefield, who hauled themselves level on points after last week’s thrashing of Warrington.

Tigers coach Andy Last said: “Blake is a very exciting player who is of a very high calibre, and we know what he can do when he’s at his best.

“We hope that he can come in and help us in our fight and be a point of difference.”

Austin was not signed in time to feature in Friday night’s match against Huddersfield, which means he is in line to make his make his debut the following week in the crucial relegation clash with Trinity.

Austin’s move comes as a clear blow for Leeds, who head into Friday’s clash with Leigh four points off a play-off place and with one of Austin’s potential replacements in the halves, Richie Myler, facing an extended spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Smith admitted: “It (Austin’s move) was a bit of a surprise to start with.

“I went to bed between 10.30pm and 11pm and when I started my walk in the morning, I turned my phone back on and had a message saying that it was likely a deal had been done with Cas.”

RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is set for a medical at Manchester City in the next few days after the two clubs agreed a 90 million euros (£77.5million) deal.

The Bundesliga side were said to be holding out for a fee of 100m euros (£86m) for the Croatia international, but City have been able to push the transfer through at a price that suits them.

The 21-year-old is due in Manchester before the end of the week for a medical, the PA news agency understands.

Gvardiol would add competition on the left side of City’s defence, having helped Croatia reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and then the final of the Nations League, where they were beaten by Spain.

Midfielder Mateo Kovacic is so far City’s only summer signing, with the Croatian having moved from Chelsea in June.

City saw captain Ilkay Gundogan leave for Barcelona on a free transfer and Riyad Mahrez last week completed a switch to Saudi Arabia club Al-Ahli in a £30m deal.

The Premier League champions will take on Arsenal in the FA Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

The redoubtable Paddington has bounced out of his Qatar Sussex Stakes win in his usual remarkable shape.

Aidan O’Brien has been able to give European racing’s new breakout star a clean bill of health following a fourth successive Group One win.

From taking a handicap on his seasonal reappearance in April, his progress has been nothing short of staggering, adding a Listed race before his Irish 2,000 Guineas success.

Victories in the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Eclipse were subsequently secured before he dropped back down to a mile on Wednesday and proved very testing ground at Goodwood could not stop him.

He is likely to go back up in distance for the Juddmonte International at York next, but as ever, no final decision will be made until closer to the time.

“Everything seems fine with him after the race, absolutely fine,” said O’Brien.

“We’re going to decide over the next week to 10 days where next, but York has to be a possibility.

“He just seems to be thriving for his racing.”

If Paddington heads to York, he would again be bidding to emulate O’Brien’s former inmate Giant’s Causeway, who won the St James’s Palace, Eclipse, Sussex and Juddmonte International in 2000 prior to the Irish Champion Stakes.

Jack Crowley has been given the chance to stake his claim for Ireland’s fly-half role ahead of the World Cup after being selected to start Saturday’s Dublin clash with Italy.

The in-form 23-year-old is preferred to Ross Byrne and the uncapped Ciaran Frawley in the absence of suspended captain Johnny Sexton.

Crowley, who helped Munster win the United Rugby Championship in May, will be partnered by provincial team-mate Craig Casey in the half-back positions on the occasion of his fourth cap.

Frawley joins fellow potential debutants Tom Stewart and Calvin Nash among the replacements.

Head coach Andy Farrell has named an experimental XV for the first of the Six Nations champions’ three warm-up matches, with lock Iain Henderson taking on captaincy duties from Sexton.

Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale will end his two-year wait for an international appearance with an opportunity on the left wing, while veteran Keith Earls wins his first cap since last summer’s series success in New Zealand on the right.

Centre Robbie Henshaw and back-rowers Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird are the only players retained from the XV which began Ireland’s Grand Slam-clinching win over England in March.

The matchday squad is peppered with fringe players hoping to force their way into Farrell’s final 33-man selection for France.

Lock Joe McCarthy makes his first international start, joining Henderson in the second row, with prop Dave Kilcoyne packing down alongside Ulster pair Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole.

Jack Conan will begin at number eight for only the third time since the 2022 Six Nations, in between fellow Leinster men Doris and Baird.

Stuart McCloskey has been picked at inside centre, with Jimmy O’Brien selected at full-back as he seeks to provide competition for undisputed first choice Hugo Keenan.

Sexton, who will also miss the upcoming games against England and Samoa, was the sole member of Ireland’s 42-man squad unavailable for the Aviva Stadium encounter.

Crowley’s only previous start came in last autumn’s win over Australia when he stepped in at the 11th hour following the late withdrawal of Ireland’s 38-year-old skipper.

Byrne was the favoured deputy to Leinster team-mate Sexton during the Six Nations but must wait for his first action of the summer.

Experienced props Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, Munster lock Tadhg Beirne and rookie Connacht pair Cian Prendergast and Caolin Blade complete the bench.

Nostrum again bids to emulate the brilliant Baaeed in the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.

Sir Michael Stoute’s charge was considered a Classic contender at the start of the year after finishing third in last season’s Dewhurst, but a spring setback ruled him out of the 2000 Guineas, the Irish Guineas and Royal Ascot.

However, the Kingman colt blew his rivals away on his belated reappearance in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket, a Listed contest won two years ago by Baaeed before he successfully stepped up to Group Three level in the Thoroughbred Stakes.

Like the William Haggas-trained superstar, who retired last term having won 10 of his 11 starts including six Group Ones, Nostrum had the option of stepping up to the highest level in Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes as a three-year-old – but his connections have also elected to take a smaller step.

“We’re all looking forward to it, he’s in good shape and Sir Michael is happy with him,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager to owners Juddmonte.

“Of course we gave it (Sussex Stakes) consideration, but Michael rightly pointed out and the owners agreed, why go from second gear to fifth? Let’s go through the gears, we’re looking at longevity and we don’t want to kill the horse off with one run.

“We’ll bring him along gradually and there’s plenty of Group Ones later in the season.

“We’re all thinking about stallions and commerciality, but it didn’t do him (Baaeed) any harm. He got to where he needed to get and if we can get there, we’ll be happy.”

Nostrum will be a warm order in the hands of Ryan Moore, but Mahon is taking nothing for granted.

He added: “It’s a good, solid Group Three, hopefully it’s another stepping-stone and it will be nice to see him back on the track.

“Ground-wise I don’t think we’re too concerned – a bit of cut in the ground will be fine for him.”

Chief among Nostrum’s rivals is Docklands, who completed his hat-trick in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and is now given his Pattern-race debut by trainer Harry Eustace.

The three-year-old carries the colours of Australian-based syndicate OTI Racing and will be making a trip to the southern hemisphere before the year is out.

“He won the biggest handicap for the owners this year and this will teach us a lot about him from their point of view and his targets down in Australia, whenever they may be,” said the Newmarket handler.

“He won on soft ground at Ascot in May and good to firm at the Royal meeting. It’s a big positive that, I don’t have to worry about it frankly.”

John and Thady Gosden bring the high-class Epictetus back in trip, while Jessica Harrington sends Bold Discovery across the Irish Sea following a recent Listed triumph at the Curragh.

Simon and Ed Crisford saddle an interesting contender in Knight, who has been gelded since being withdrawn by the starter prior to the French 2000 Guineas.

He had previously disappointed when well fancied for the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April off the back of an unbeaten juvenile campaign.

Ed Crisford said: “He is gelded now after France. He has had some time off and has been doing really well since then.

“We have done a lot of stalls work with him and we hope that on Friday he can take everything in his stride and run a decent race.

“It is a bit of a comeback mission. We need to see him run before making a proper judgement on what we do next with him. It is going to be a case of seeing how he reacts.

“We have done a lot of work with him at home. Hopefully that will pay off and hopefully he can run a decent race. There are plenty of targets throughout the summer and into the autumn.”

Galeron (Charlie Hills) and Montesilvano (Joseph O’Brien) complete the field.

The other Group Three on Friday’s card is the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Glorious Stakes, in which Haggas saddles both the hot favourite Hamish and Candleford.

Having sidestepped a red-hot renewal of the King George at Ascot on Saturday on account of unsuitable ground, Hamish bids for a sixth win at Group Three level, while stablemate Candleford finished third in Goodwood’s Tapster Stakes on his only previous outing this year.

The Gosden-trained Mimikyu is fitted with cheekpieces for the first time after placed efforts at York and Haydock, while Norwegian raider Hard One To Please adds international interest.

Little Big Bear has been supplemented for Sunday’s Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

Last year’s champion juvenile has not quite had things go his own way this season, coming home lame when last in the 2000 Guineas on his return to action.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien once again demonstrated his skill by getting him back on track at Haydock to win the Sandy Lane subsequently.

That set him up for a trip to Royal Ascot and the Commonwealth Cup and everything appeared to be going to plan until the remarkable Shaquille, who had been left at the stalls, flashed by him late on.

More recently his participation in the July Cup had been in some doubt due to a minor setback and while he did make the race, he was eased home in last place after being short of room two furlongs out.

Now he will travel to France for a race in which there are 13 still in contention, including the likes of Khaadem, Art Power, Rohaan and Cold Case.

O’Brien said: “We’ve supplemented him and he seems in good form.

“We’ll decide finally a little bit closer to the weekend, but the plan at the moment is to run.

“The ground is testing over there at the moment, but it can dry up.

“He’d had the problem before Newmarket but since then he has been fine, no problems.”

John Quinn is confident ground conditions will not be a problem for his triple Group One-winning mare Highfield Princess when she bids to get back to winning ways in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.

Expertly handled by the North Yorkshire-based Quinn, she has had a fairytale career, rising through the grades from a 57-rated handicapper to win three top-class sprints last summer. She was also narrowly beaten at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.

A half-length runner-up on her York reappearance, she was then turned out twice in four days at Royal Ascot, narrowly beaten in the King’s Stand and placed again in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.

She drops back a furlong now, with Quinn optimistic she can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity.

“We’re happy with her,” said the Malton-based trainer. “Who knows what the ground will be like on Friday, but the ground will be fine – she has won on soft ground before.

“She is in good form and we’re very hopeful. I’m not worried about the draw – it is other horses I worry about!

“You wouldn’t know where they’ll be racing come Friday, but straight line, she’ll be fine.”

Karl Burke saddles both Silky Wilkie, who was runner-up to the reopposing Nymphadora in York’s City Walls, and White Lavender, a short-neck runner-up in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October.

Burke said: “It is a bit of a punt with Silky Wilkie. He has done nothing but surprise us and impress us all the way through his career, really.

“We never expected him to get to these heights, but he deserves his chance now in these black type races.

“It is certainly a big step up for him, but he won’t mind the ground, he’ll like the track and with the ground being so soft, it might not suit some of the others. The draw in stall seven is good.”

White Lavender returned to France to take a Group Three in May, but was a little too keen on her last run in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

Burke added: “White Lavender is obviously a high-class sprinter and she’s proven herself in the Abbaye.

“She disappointed herself in Ireland, but she ended up making the running, which wasn’t the plan with her – she has to have a bit of cover and come late.

“Maybe I sent her to Ireland a bit too fresh and she took off with Chris Hayes, and she never finishes her races when she runs like that.

“You can put a line through that run. She seems in good form and she’ll love the ground.”

Charlie Hills has won this race five times in the last six seasons, four times with Battaash (2017-2020) and last season with Khaadem.

He saddles both the hat-trick-seeking Equality, who landed the Coral Charge at Sandown when last seen, and Equilateral, who was a decent fifth to Bradsell in the Group One King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on his last run.

Makarova was a length and a half behind Equality at Sandown and Ed Walker, whose string is in fine form, feels the four-year-old Acclamation filly has plenty to offer now that she is becoming accustomed to running over the minimum trip.

He said: “I’m actually super-excited about this race – she is bouncing. Since dropping back to five (furlongs) she has improved. She is really learning to be a five-furlong sprinter now.

“Last time she really jumped and travelled, where in her previous couple of runs over five, she had slightly been outpaced.

“Prior to Sandown, I would have been a bit worried that this race might have had a bit too much early speed for her, but I think she showed at Sandown she’s got bags of boot.

“She won’t mind the ground at all, but drawn in four isn’t great. That won’t help. It is not ideal.”