Georgia Stanway feels she has developed “so much” on and off the pitch during her year with Bayern Munich – although she rates her German as “terrible”.

The 24-year-old midfielder left Manchester City, where she had been since 2015, and joined Bayern last summer before playing a key role in England’s home-soil Euros triumph.

As she now prepares for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand starting next week, Stanway has had a season with her new club which began with some issues, ended with a league title and overall, she says, has enhanced her as a player and person.

Asked how she is faring in terms of picking up the local language, though, she said: “Terrible. I’ve seen a quote which says ‘life’s too short to learn German’ and I completely agree.

“I have two lessons a week and my teacher keeps saying ‘it’s going to click’, but nearly 12 months in and there’s no click yet.”

Of the bigger picture, Stanway said: “I’ve developed so much on and off the pitch.

“On the pitch I’ve got so much more responsibility. I have a leadership role which I never expected to happen in such a short space of time.

“I’ve been consistent in my performances in the position I’m playing in which I’ve been able to make my own and that only helps me when I come into this environment. Whether it’s technical actions or that I’ve got more control over my game, it helps.

“In terms of the way I am as a person I’m just so much more open. I went to a country where no-one knew who I was and I’d never met anyone I was with before and I could be whoever I wanted to be and no-one was going to judge me for that.

“I think that’s so important in a football environment…to just be you.”

Stanway arrived in Germany four days after the Euros final, was in one apartment for three months, then moved into one of her own that had no kitchen at first – a situation that meant, in a good way, that she “had to ask for help”.

Socialising with team-mates has been a big aspect of her experience, with her saying: “We do so much outside of football as a team at Bayern and that has made us stronger on the pitch which is really important.”

Stanway says she had a winter break “dip”, adding: “It wasn’t necessarily an emotional time but it was more just the kind of time where I could have just stayed on the sofa for two weeks.

“I was supposed to meet Keira (Walsh, her England and former City team-mate) in Barcelona for New Year but I didn’t even make it out there for New Year because I was just that tired. I was sleeping long past my alarm until the middle of the afternoon which is something I’ve never done before.

“I was just absolutely shattered. After that two weeks you’re able to go again. But it’s important people do recognise how hard we work.”

Stanway’s Bayern debut last September was a 0-0 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt in which, she says, she “really struggled”.

She said: “I couldn’t get on the ball and gave away a few fouls. Obviously first-game nerves, you want to try and turn up, be the hero, which is normal.

“But since then I’ve gained consistency. My technical actions are much more consistent and my range of passing is massively improved.”

She ended up making 21 starts, scoring six times, in Bayern’s league success, and also netted three Champions League goals.

Stanway – who sang Sweet Caroline to her team-mates as an initiation song, and then, thanks to an audio delay, “the worst version you’ve ever heard” to a Munich crowd after the title win – says she is “really proud” of how she has performed for Bayern, adding: “To win a trophy in my first year is unbelievable.”

Germany could be World Cup quarter-final opponents for England and Stanway said: “To be fair Sarina (Wiegman, the England manager) probably knows everything already. She probably knows more than me. She’s a genius that way.

“That could be interesting. I’ll probably have to stay off my phone that week.”

Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton offered no guarantees that an earlier start time will be considered on Centre Court for next year’s tournament.

Matches involving Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have both been forced into a second day because they have not finished before the 11pm curfew while Djokovic’s third-round match against Stan Wawrinka concluded with 14 minutes to spare.

Two years ago organisers cited Covid for the decision to stagger start times on the two main show courts, keeping Court One at 1pm and pushing Centre back to 1.30pm, while also adding breaks between the matches.

This had the consequence of making the final match of the day a prime-time occasion on the BBC and it appears very much that is now the goal, with Bolton reporting record viewing figures.

She did not seem to view the issue of the late finishes as a particular problem, saying: “Historically over many, many decades we’ve always started play on our show courts around early afternoon.

“And that’s very much about ensuring that people have the opportunity to get on court so, as much as is possible the case, we have full courts for when the players walk on, and that’s still absolutely our intention.

“And the other thing we think carefully about is, when people buy a ticket to come to Wimbledon, they want to experience a day at the Championships and that involves going and seeing some play on outside courts, perhaps going to get something to eat, getting some strawberries and cream.

“We understand that our guests want that whole day. Of course every year we look at everything and we get feedback from all of our guest groups, from the player groups and all of our stakeholders.

“We will have a look at that beyond this year’s Championships but that’s the real background to why we have the start time when we do.

“Matches are happening at a time when they’re accessible to people. We’re seeing (TV) viewing figures that are beyond our expectations and beyond previous years so I think they probably speak for themselves.”

Bolton denied the 1.30pm start time was directly influenced by the BBC, saying: “The broadcasters are one of the stakeholders we consult as we put together all the plans for the Championships but they’re not having a direct input into start time on a court.”

The curfew is imposed by the local council to prevent late-night disruption from people leaving the grounds in what is a quiet, residential area, and Bolton said the club would not look to try to extend it.

There will also be no instruction to umpires to inform crowds not to expect a handshake if a Ukrainian player faces a Russian or Belarusian.

Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka left Court One to deafening boos on Sunday night after acknowledging Svitolina with a raise of the racket, and was clearly furious at the reaction.

There were similar and repeated scenes at the French Open, and Svitolina believes tennis authorities need to act to ensure crowds are aware of the situation.

“We’ve no intention of doing that,” said Bolton. “Historically in tennis the decision on how a player reacts at the end of a match is entirely a personal decision for them and I think we don’t really want to start mandating what happens.

“I think we have an incredibly knowledgeable audience at Wimbledon and I think in the most part they would understand what was going on. I wouldn’t want to speculate on what everybody in the crowd was thinking last night.

“I would echo what Elina and Vika said. Having witnessed one of the most incredible matches on number one court to an absolutely rapt audience, we should be focusing on the tennis and the match we saw, not all of the other stuff that went on.”

The issue is unlikely to come up again, with Svitolina the only remaining Ukrainian and set to take on top seed Iga Swiatek next, while the Russians and Belarusians left are all in the other half of the draw.

It has been a strong showing from Russians and Belarusians following the lifting of last year’s ban, with seven making the fourth round across the men’s and women’s singles.

The prospect of the Princess of Wales giving a trophy to a player from one of the two countries was cited as a factor in last year’s ban, and that is a very real possibility.

“When we made the decision earlier this year to admit Russians and Belarusians, we thought really carefully about all of those things and, having made the decision to admit them, we are comfortable about how that plays out,” added Bolton.

Captain Callum McGregor has signed a new five-year contract with Celtic and is targeting more success under returning boss Brendan Rodgers.

The 30-year-old Scotland midfielder’s new deal – which comes after recent contract extensions for both Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda – will see him remain at Parkhead until the summer of 2028.

McGregor came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has spent over 20 years with the club, winning 20 trophies to date including a record five domestic trebles.

Rodgers returned to the Hoops hot seat following the departure of Ange Postecoglou to Tottenham after winning the treble, and McGregor is hoping to keep the trophies coming.

He told the club’s official website: “It’s amazing to extend my stay at the club. As I’ve touched on before, this club means so much to me and the success that we’ve had over the past few seasons has cemented that.

“I feel like the club’s in a great place to move forward as well, and when they came and asked me to extend my stay I was absolutely delighted.

“Brendan’s a top manager and I had the pleasure of working with him before and seeing what he did with that group of players, especially a young, hungry group similar to ourselves, and the way he progressed us and took us on.

“His personality around the place gives the building another lift as well, so the club’s in a really strong place.

“We did some great work over the last couple of years but it’s important that we bank that and we continue to move forward because in football you always have to continue your progress and get even better.

“I’m delighted that the manager’s back, I’m delighted that I’m going to be here long-term as well, so here’s to many more successful years.

“I just want it to continue for as long as possible. I’ve spoken before about the trust that the guys have put in me at this club, and I want to repay that every time I go on the pitch.

“They’ve been amazing for myself and for my family. It’s given me a wonderful life and some amazing memories.

“Together with the Celtic fans what we’ve achieved are memories that will stay with me forever, and there’s only one place that I want to play football and that’s here.”

England sparked the men’s Ashes back into life at Headingley, claiming a three-wicket win that leaves them 2-1 down with two Tests to play.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the series is set and the key issues affecting each side.

How important was England’s win in the third Test?

After losing narrowly at Edgbaston and Lord’s, it was do or die in Leeds. By getting over the line they stopped the Australian juggernaut in its tracks and kept the intrigue of a gripping series burning. England have played some compelling cricket but would have found it hard to talk their way out of a 3-0 scoreline that would have ended their hopes of regaining the urn. Now the country’s cricket fans can enjoy another week of hype and expectation.

Who has the momentum?

Ever since Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping on the final day at Lord’s, England have played their cricket with greater edge and steel. They may not admit it, but the controversial incident appeared to awaken an extra level of competitive edge that had yet to surface. Deep down, the tourists may already be regretting riling up their opponents with an opportunistic dismissal that raised their hackles. But when it was put to Australia captain Pat Cummins that England may have the elusive ‘momentum’ he rejected the notion, explaining his position in the simplest terms: by reciting the series scoreline.

Have England belatedly found their best XI?

Both Chris Woakes and Mark Wood had to wait for their chance to make an impression this summer, but the pair made up for lost time at Headingley. They shared 13 of the 20 Australia wickets to fall, with Wood’s raw pace and Woakes’ reliability elevating the attack to its best performance yet. They then saw their side home with bat on day four and it is already hard to imagine either man making way at Emirates Old Trafford or The Kia Oval. One change does look certain for the fourth Test, with record wicket-taker James Anderson all but guaranteed his place at his home ground and Ollie Robinson in line for a rest following his fitness issues last week.

Will Bairstow keep the gloves?

England made a tough selection call at the start of the campaign when they axed Ben Foakes, a man they repeatedly trumpeted as the best wicketkeeper in the world, to make room for the returning Bairstow. The Yorkshireman was the standout player of last year’s ‘Bazball’ bonanza but his return behind the stumps has been troubling. He has put down seven catches and a stumping so far, with his movement behind the stumps apparently affected by the horror leg-break that forced him out of the game for nine months. But there is nothing in the mood music to suggest England are about to make a U-turn on Foakes and ditch a player with Bairstow’s seniority. It is clearly a gamble, but one they seem committed to.

How fit is Ben Stokes

The England captain is very clearly, very visibly close to breaking point. He was desperate to play as an all-action all-rounder but has chipped in just 29 overs across six innings and did not bowl at all at Headingley. Even batting is putting him through the ringer due to his longstanding left knee problem. Watching Stokes grimace, wince and hobble his way through an innings has become par for the course but he has somehow retained his effectiveness and is the second highest run-scorer on either side. Stokes may well require a long break soon, but while the Ashes is alive he is surely going nowhere.

What does Old Trafford hold

First and foremost, England will be hoping for another sporty pitch with enough pace, carry and sideways movement to keep their bowlers interested. The Lancashire ground staff have typically done a good job of delivering surfaces that fit the bill and the home side rounded up South Africa cheaply twice last summer en route to an innings victory. But the last Ashes clash in Manchester also offers a possible warning. England were fresh from Stokes’ 2019 miracle when they pitched up in Lancashire and lost by 185 runs, guaranteeing the tourists would retain the urn. Australia will be eager to recreate their celebrations four years on, while England know all too well how it feels to see their surge fall flat.

Luton midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu is to continue his remarkable journey from non-league football to the Premier League after agreeing a new contract, the Hatters have announced.

The 29-year-old midfielder, the first man to have won promotion from the Conference to the English top flight with the same club, has committed himself to an 11th season at Kenilworth Road.

Former West Ham trainee Mpanzu has made 364 appearances, the most recent of them in last season’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final victory over Coventry, for the club he initially joined on loan in November 2013 before completing a permanent move in January 2014.

He told Luton’s official website: “It’s great to be back and I’m ready to get to work. Hopefully it’s going to be a great new season for us in the Premier League.

“I’ve got to play the Brighton game [the opening Premier League fixture] to make that history first, but once I get through pre-season it should be all good. We are looking to fight and stay in this league, I cannot wait to contribute to that this season.

“I’ve been at the club for so long, so to get it sorted and get it signed is all good. I’m so happy and looking forward to getting back out there at Kenilworth Road in front of the fans.”

Manager Rob Edwards added: “Pelly’s story is such a special one, and everyone knows that now. Ever since we came in, his consistency has been brilliant. He is someone who gives everything. He leaves it all out there.

“On and off the pitch, he is just a huge part of what we do, he’s the heartbeat of the dressing room, a brilliant lad who everyone loves, so it’s only right that he now gets this opportunity to play in the Premier League because he’s worked so hard for it.”

Red Bull equalled a Formula One record in Sunday’s British Grand Prix with their 11th consecutive win as Max Verstappen closes in on a landmark of his own.

Here, the PA news agency looks at how the dominant Dutchman and his team compare to the greats of the grid.

Channelling Prost and Senna

Verstappen has won eight of this season’s 10 races, with team-mate Sergio Perez taking the other two.

Verstappen also won last season’s final race and not since the great McLaren pairing of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost has a single team dominated to such an extent.

The 1988 season began in Brazil and while Senna was disqualified from his home race for an illegal car change, Prost took the chequered flag.

Senna won in San Marino and he and Prost shared the next four races equally before Prost recorded a home win in the French Grand Prix.

Four straight wins for Senna followed before Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger broke the streak in Italy, the only race all season not won by McLaren as they and Senna won a championship double with Prost close behind in second in the drivers’ standings.

That is the case for Verstappen and Perez this season as well, albeit with Verstappen almost 100 points clear of his team-mate.

Verstappen added Bahrain and Australia to last season’s success in Abu Dhabi, alternating at the start of the season with Perez’s wins in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan before taking sole control.

Mercedes had three separate runs of 10 successive wins during Lewis Hamilton’s period of dominance, with Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari team also hitting double figures in 2002.

Six of the best

Since the start of May, Verstappen has won the Miami, Monaco, Spanish, Canadian, Austrian and now British Grands Prix to match Schumacher’s run of six straight wins across the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

He already sits joint fifth on the all-time list and has the chance to quickly climb the rankings further.

Of the four names ahead of him on the list, three saw their streak end at seven wins in a row – meaning victory in Hungary later this month would leave only Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine straight wins in 2013 for Verstappen to chase.

Alberto Ascari has a claim to matching that record. The Italian won the last six races of the 1952 season and the Argentine Grand Prix at the start of 1953 before not entering the Indianapolis 500, which at the time was part of the drivers’ championship. He went on to win the Dutch and Belgian GPs on his next two starts.

Schumacher won seven in a row in 2004, as did Nico Rosberg at the end of 2015 and the start of his 2016 title-winning season.

Verstappen’s win on Sunday took him clear of Hamilton’s longest run of five wins, set in both 2014 and 2020, and his own previous best from last season.

With eight wins out of 10, his current 80 per cent win rate would be the highest ever if he can sustain it all season – beating Ascari’s 75 per cent in 1952, when there were only eight races in total – and the first over 70 per cent since Schumacher in 2004.

Kieran Dowell is ready to handle the challenge at Rangers as he prepares for a different football life north of the border.

Rangers announced in May that the 25-year-old midfielder would officially move to Ibrox from Norwich at the start of July on a three-year deal.

Dowell was the first of boss Michael Beale’s six summer signings so far as the Govan outfit look to wrench the cinch Premiership title – as well as both domestic cups – away from Old Firm rivals Celtic.

With the move to the Light Blues comes expectation, pressure and scrutiny but former England Under-21 international Dowell is relishing the prospect.

He said: “When I first met the manager he said it was a new challenge for me, he sold it to me and it is something I am excited about.

“The intensity up here is not one I have seen in the Championship and that is a big reason why I wanted to come here.

“That is the job we are in. If you don’t embrace it then you are going to fall by the wayside. If you don’t embrace it you shouldn’t be in the game.

“One of the pinnacles of that intensity, (is) these fans.

“I saw the last home game of the season (against Hearts) and it was an incredible reception for the lads who were leaving the club.

“There was nothing on the game but the atmosphere was still unbelievable so I am excited for the new season.”

Dowell revealed that after speaking to Beale, he quickly contacted former Norwich team-mate Todd Cantwell, who has impressed since arriving in Glasgow in January and who has become a fans’ favourite at Ibrox.

Dowell said: “He has had an amazing start.

“When I first got in touch with the manager I was straight on the phone to Todd asking him how he had found it so far and he was raving about it, saying it was something different but something that he has really enjoyed.”

The former Everton academy player had loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Derby and Wigan before he moved to Norwich in 2020 where he made 75 appearances for the Canaries.

He has represented England at youth level up to U21s and played his part in winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2017.

However, Dowell knows he will have to fight for his place in Beale’s side.

He said: “The first thing is work as hard as you can on the training pitch and let the talent come through.

“I feel like I am a creative player and I can help the team in that way, scoring goals, creating goals. I take risks, have a pop at goal, try to slide people through.

“There are a number of positions I can fit in. There is a lot of talented players but that is healthy.”

Laurel will miss the rest of the season due to the injury which saw her ruled out of Royal Ascot.

John and Thady Gosden’s lightly-raced daughter of Kingman was due to line-up in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the summer showcase, but was a late absentee having suffered setback the weekend before her intended engagement.

Connections did have their sights on a quick return in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket later this week.

But it appears the issue is more serious than first envisaged with the Group One-placed filly set to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the current campaign and a decision on her future still to be made.

“Unfortunately she is going to miss the rest of the season,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“Initially it looked like it was going to be an insignificant thing, but it turned out to be a bit more than we thought.

“She’s on her way back to the farm for a rest, she definitely won’t run again this season and it is to be decided whether she stays in training next year or not.

“She’s a very lightly-raced filly and John and Thady both said to me last week they would love to keep her in training next year.

“She’s a high-class filly who could win a Group One and she’s only run five times in her life so I can sort of understand their point and maybe that is the right thing to do. But we will speak with Prince Khalid’s family and see what they would like to do and unfortunately she won’t be running again this season.”

Tom Pidcock believes he is learning more about himself and his capabilities on a bike as he tests himself in the general classification at the Tour de France.

The 23-year-old Olympic mountain bike champion went into Monday’s rest day seventh overall, five minutes 26 seconds off yellow having picked up time on a number of rivals as he finished fourth amongst the overall contenders after a breakaway triumphed on Sunday’s stage atop the Puy de Dome.

Pidcock, who memorably won the stage on the Alpe d’Huez on his Tour debut last summer, began this year’s race wanting to see if he had the discipline and consistency to stay high on the general classification, not having a bad day across the full three weeks.

As he sat exhausted at the top of the mountain on Sunday he had said he still wanted a stage win “and then I’ll be happy”, but when he spoke on Monday Pidcock was looking at the bigger picture.

“I’m enjoying it,” the Ineos Grenadiers rider said. “I’m getting a bit better. With each test I’m improving and staying near the front, it’s actually motivating me.

“Before if you’d said racing for top 10 I wouldn’t really be so bothered but actually now I’m really enjoying the challenge and each little win.

“I wouldn’t normally have the patience and focus required for three weeks riding the GC, it’s not really in my characteristics but now I’m kind of enjoying it. It’s my first actual time riding with senior pros in a proper stage race like this, it’s all kind of new and I’m enjoying it…

“I’m growing in confidence and just exploring my limits.”

After Michael Woods won from a breakaway, Sunday’s stage saw Tadej Pogacar take eight seconds out of defending champion and race leader Jonas Vingegaard’s advantage in their battle for yellow.

But Simon Yates and Pidcock were the next riders over the line, a result that moved the Yorkshireman up two places from ninth overall.

“Yesterday was a great day and if I can replicate that again, that’s fantastic,” Pidcock said. “The next two weeks now, there are some pretty tough days ahead, back-to-back days and three days in the Alps and it’s going to be a big test.

“Week two into week three is where cracks start to show. My goal is to be consistent. Personally, in my head, it’s becoming more of a challenge and a target to see where I can go on GC because I’m enjoying it.

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“If that means I don’t get a stage win maybe that’s the case but I feel I can learn a lot about myself if I fully commit to the GC now.”

Pidcock has ambitions to one day challenge for yellow himself in the Tour, but for now the former world cyclo-cross champion continues to compete across different disciplines – and will be back on his mountain bike at next month’s world championships in Scotland.

How these next two weeks go will tell Pidcock a lot about what he might be able to do in the future.

“As soon as we finish this race I’m going to be going to try and win the mountain bike worlds, which is not very normal for all the people I’m racing against, it’s a bit strange,” he said when asked if this Tour was making him change the way he thinks about balancing his goals.

“I don’t know. We’ll see in a week’s time.”

Royal Ascot runner-up Sacred will head to Deauville for her next appearance with the Prix Maurice de Gheest identified by William Haggas as the perfect destination for his versatile mare.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old has been a consistent performer for connections throughout her career and won on reappearance at Lingfield in the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes in May.

However, she was narrowly denied when taking her chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second season in a row, having victory snatched from her grasp when headed late in the day by the fast-finishing Khaadem.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel holds entries over a mile closer to home over the next month, but following her fine effort at Ascot, Haggas is keen to keep Sacred to sprinting distances and will send her across the Channel for the six-and-a-half-furlong Group One in early August.

“She’s fine and we’re aiming her at the Prix Maurice de Gheest on August 6 which is a Group One over six and a half furlongs,” said Haggas.

“She likes going to her races relatively fresh, so she will go there and there is nothing overly obvious for her in the meantime.

“She’s in the Sussex, but I think we felt she ran very well over six furlongs at Ascot and six and a half in Deauville, providing the ground isn’t soft, should be fine for her.”

Haggas also revealed that My Prospero will head to York for the Sky Bet York Stakes on July 29 as the four-year-old attempts to tee-up a Knavesmire return for the Juddmonte International Stakes during the Ebor Festival.

“He’ll go for the Sky Bet at York,” added Haggas.

“He didn’t run as well as I hoped at Ascot. He didn’t run badly, but it wasn’t as well as I hoped and he will go to York and if he wins and wins nicely he will go back there for the Juddmonte.”

Test stars Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Filer return for England ahead of the decisive three ODIs in the multi-format Women’s Ashes after being overlooked for the T20s.

Beaumont became England’s first Test double centurion while Filer’s burst of speed on debut troubled Australia in the defeat at Trent Bridge but both were deemed surplus to requirements for the three T20s.

England lost the opener at Edgbaston but won twice in London at the Kia Oval and Lord’s in front of record crowds to breathe fresh life into their bid to beat Australia for the first time since 2013-14.

And Beaumont, an ODI regular after losing her T20 spot ahead of the Commonwealth Games last year, comes back into the reckoning as does Filer, who could make her debut in the format on Wednesday at Bristol.

Alternatively she could come in at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday or Taunton next Tuesday, with all three matches sold out and England needing a clean sweep – or two wins if there is a washout – to prevail.

“We were delighted with our T20 series win and look forward to the next stage of the Ashes with everything to play for,” said England head coach Jon Lewis, whose side currently trail 6-4 on points.

“We’re pleased to welcome Tammy and Lauren back into the group. Tammy showed her quality during the Test match with her double-hundred while Lauren offers us real pace in our bowling.

“The support the team have received throughout the series so far has been incredible and it is fitting to finish with this deciding ODI campaign as the first sell-out series in England Women’s history.

“We respect Australia and know that this part of the Ashes series will again be a big challenge.

“However, we take a great deal of confidence and belief from our recent T20 victories and will, as always, be trying to put on a great showing for our fans.”

Maia Bouchier, Freya Davies and Lauren Winfield-Hill drop out of the reckoning but all-rounder Danielle Gibson, who made her England bow in the T20 series, keeps her spot in a 15-strong squad.

England squad for three ODIs against Australia in multi-format Women’s Ashes: H Knight (captain), T Beaumont, L Bell, A Capsey, K Cross, C Dean, S Dunkley, S Ecclestone, L Filer, D Gibson, S Glenn, A Jones, N Sciver-Brunt, I Wong, D Wyatt.

Mark Randall believes lining up for Larne on the club’s Champions League debut will top his experiences with Arsenal.

The Irish Premiership champions are set to make history on Wednesday when they begin their two-legged first qualifying round tie against HJK Helsinki in Finland.

Former Gunners midfielder Randall made 13 appearances under Arsene Wenger between 2006 and 2009, including two European outings and a brief cameo in a north London derby against Tottenham.

The 33-year-old trained and played alongside the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry back then but is now preparing for what he anticipates will be the highlight of his career.

“This will be at the top, I think, because of the achievement for the club and the fans,” he told the PA news agency ahead of the midweek visit to the 10,770-capacity Bolt Arena in Finland’s capital.

“It’s little old Larne but it’s a massive achievement and everyone’s really looking forward to it.

“I think this tops it because at clubs like Arsenal you get that every year but this is such a massive thing for the club and the town.

“It’s not expected over here, especially to have a good run. For me, it means a lot more, competing in that competition for Larne.”

Randall helped Larne claim the Irish Premiership title for the first time in their 134-year history last season.

The former England Under-18 international made his Champions League debut aged 18 in August 2008 when eventual semi-finalists Arsenal defeated FC Twente in the final qualifying round before he appeared in a group stage clash with Porto four months later.

Yet, following just two Premier League substitute appearances for the Gunners and a handful of loan spells, he moved on to Chesterfield in 2011 before arriving on Northern Ireland’s east coast via stints with Italian side Ascoli, MK Dons, Barnet, Newport, Crawley and Hemel Hempstead.

Randall is loving life in County Antrim after being tempted over by the vision of millionaire owner Kenny Bruce – co-founder of online estate agent Purplebricks – following the club’s promotion to the top flight in 2019.

“This was a new challenge for me and my family,” said the father-of-three. “We were looking to get away from England and this came up.

“I was a hundred per cent in, my wife was a bit worried at the start but as soon as she came over she absolutely loved it, the kids love it here, so it’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done.

“I wanted to come over and play in a league where I could win things instead of being in League Two, League One just floating about at mid-table teams.

“I could see the vision before I signed when I met Kenny and the manager (Tiernan Lynch) and they’ve been true to their word.

“I love it here. People around the town are just really great people. After games we’ll go and have a beer with the fans and it’s just little things like that that make a massive difference.”

Randall was initially tipped for big things by long-reigning Arsenal boss Wenger.

He has no real regrets about his time in north London but concedes his attitude and work ethic perhaps dipped below the required level.

“It’s the best coaching you will get at that age,” said Randall, who remains in contact with former Gunners team-mate Kieran Gibbs from that era.

“Back then, they had unbelievable players that you can learn so much from on a daily basis.

“At a top Premier League club, you’re going to get the best facilities, best training ground, best food and the lower you go, you don’t really get that.

“Probably, if I’m honest, my attitude and maybe my work ethic weren’t up to scratch as the top players are. They are 100 per cent professional and maybe that’s where I let myself down.”

Larne’s greatest European adventure follows two successive Europa Conference League qualifying campaigns, which included a run to the third round in 2021-22.

They will play next week’s second leg against HJK at Cliftonville’s Solitude stadium in Belfast after the synthetic pitch at their Inver Park home failed to satisfy FIFA criteria.

The 32-time Finnish champions have far more experience at this level and even reached the group stage in 1998-99, leading to clashes with Kaiserslautern, Benfica and PSV Eindhoven.

“We feel like on our day we can give anyone a good game,” said Randall. “I don’t think it’s going to be a walk in the park for them.”

Harry Brook announced himself on the Ashes stage with a match-winning knock for England that kept the series alive and delivered another memorable Headingley climax.

Brook batted with great maturity as he made a steely 75, taking a decisive chunk out of the 251-run target and set a fire under this summer’s rivalry, leaving Australia 2-1 ahead with two to play.

The Yorkshireman fell with 21 still needed as the third Test descended into nerve-shredding tension, but Mark Wood cut through the anxiety with a feisty 16 not out and Chris Woakes completed a remarkable return to the Test arena by crunching the winning runs towards the delirious Western Terrace to finish unbeaten on 32.

England’s three-wicket win was achieved despite Ben Stokes’ dismissal for just 13, a soft nick down the leg-side robbing the hosts of their inspirational captain and the architect of their 2019 Ashes miracle here at the start of the decisive final session.

Mastering the chase

Under the leadership of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England have now successfully chased down five 250-plus totals in the last 13 months. Hauling down 378 against India last summer is their highest-ever chase while Stokes has admitted in the past he would cheerily see England set totals above 400 to test their limits.

What they said

Stokes was succinct after being quizzed whether this was his most satisfying win as England’s Test captain.

Neser up

Are Australia planning on freshening up their attack for Emirates Old Trafford? Michael Neser has been released from the squad to rejoin Glamorgan for their County Championship match against Leicestershire, starting on Monday. He will then rejoin Australia ahead of the fourth Test with the school of thought being the move allows Neser to regain some match sharpness, having last played competitively on May 21. He had a stint at the start of the season with Glamorgan, taking 19 wickets in five matches at an average of 25.63. His most telling contribution there, though, was a hat-trick…at Headingley.

The magic numberRooted out

Root’s record against Cummins is not quite the stranglehold Stuart Broad has over David Warner. But the Australia captain has had the Yorkshireman’s number in three successive innings now. This was the most innocuous of the lot as a miscued pull from a shorter ball down leg-side tickled the glove on the way through to Alex Carey. Since a century at Edgbaston, Root’s returns have been diminishing.

Record-Brooking HarryWood fires – again

There was no keeping Wood out of the game. The Durham quick has made an impact every time he has been called upon with ball in hand – when he touched 96.5mph and averaged 90mph in the first innings. But his runs also proved crucial to England’s success. A cameo of 24 from just eight balls in the first innings lit the fuse for England to get somewhere near Australia’s total. He also faced just eight balls second time around but flayed an unbeaten 16 to help get England over the line. Seven wickets in the match and 40 runs from just 16 deliveries deservedly earned Wood his first man of the match award on home soil in Tests.

What’s next?

The teams will have a week’s rest before reconvening for a crucial fourth Test, starting on July 19 at Emirates Old Trafford.