Mark Cueto believes that the Sale Sharks forwards hold a key to unlocking success in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final against Saracens.
It is 17 years since Cueto and company stormed Twickenham, mauling Leicester Tigers 45-20 and being crowned champions for the first time.
Sale have not been part of English rugby’s showpiece domestic occasion since then, but Alex Sanderson’s class of 2023 have given themselves every chance to emulate household names in the club’s history like Cueto, Jason Robinson, Charlie Hodgson and Sebastien Chabal.
“I am really chuffed for everyone involved,” former England and British and Irish Lions wing Cueto, 43, told the PA news agency.
“It is so hard to win a trophy, and it is not until you have finished and you look back on your career that you realise how hard.
“We won the title in 2006, and we should have won it more than once. We were good enough to at least get to another final, but we fell short a couple of times, unfortunately.
“Rugby doesn’t change. You have got to keep on top of the opposition, and you have got to get on top up-front first.
“I think we are probably one of the only packs that can at least go head-to-head with the Saracens pack, if not get on top, and if we do that then we have got a really good chance.”
Rugby director Sanderson has proved a driving force behind Sale once again mixing it with the heavyweights of English rugby.
And Cueto added: “Alex and I were the same school year, and he was already a bit of a rock star when I pitched up at Sale.
“He had played for England at 22, then he carved out another career after playing and spent 10-plus years coaching at Saracens, the most successful club in Europe.
“Where better to earn your stripes, as it were, and it was a natural step for him to take a director of rugby job.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, he is a grafter and he cares. He has got the skill, knowledge and attitude.
“When we lost Faf (de Klerk) and Lood (de Jager) at the end of last season, I was really apprehensive of how it was going to go this year, but how little do I know?”
Cueto and his family will be at Twickenham to witness Sale’s latest bid for silverware, and he admits that the heroics of 2006 are a vivid memory.
“I remember in 05, we had five or six Lions from Sale. It is big news when Saracens and Leicester have got five or six players in a Lions squad, and that was us 18 years ago,” he said.
“We just had such a good team – Charlie at 10, Jason Robinson, Mark Taylor in the centre, Chabal, Jason White, and we were just so confident.
“We had a simple game-plan – Robbo only scored one more try than he kicked drop-goals that season we won the league, and I was the club’s top try-scorer with six.
“It’s crazy to think that was the way we played, considering we were led by a maverick of a French winger in Philippe Saint-Andre. You would think we would be fast, open and loose, but the focus was the opposite.
“It was very structured, very efficient. If we got in the opposition third and three or four phases went by and we weren’t making decent ground, it was back in the pocket and take a drop-goal.
“It was rare that we left the opposition third without any points, and it was effective. Would I rather score 20 tries and come second, or six and win the league? You know the answer to that.
“It was the first time that a club had finished top of the domestic league and won the title through the play-offs.
“We had a forward pack that could beat anybody up, and sat behind that we had two of the best tactical kickers in the game in Charlie Hodgson and Richard Wigglesworth. We scored 45 points in a final. It was mega.”
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille is Royal Ascot bound after his smart success in the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.
The Charm Spirit colt has done little wrong in six runs so far, winning five of those outings and looking to takes strides forward each time.
He began this year with a handicap victory at Newmarket, prevailing by two and three-quarter lengths despite a less than perfect run, and he was then a comfortable victor when making the running in the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.
Having taken that Listed race by two lengths, another step up in class beckons as the colt is likely to to take his place in next month’s Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant, said: “He taken his exertions well from the weekend, he’s had a few quiet days but he’ll be back in full exercise by the end of the week.
“The next obvious option is to go to Ascot with him for the Commonwealth Cup, we’re pleased with what he’s doing as he seems to be settling into his racing and showing a bit more maturity.
“He keeps finding a bit of improvement, so at the minute we feel as though that’s the right option. We’ll ask him for a little bit more and see what he’s got to say.
“Saturday will be informative at Haydock (the Sandy Lane Stakes), we’ll see what comes out of that.”
Shaquille, who was bred by one of his co-owners and is by a Galileo mare in Magic, has impressed connections not only in his ability on the track but also with a constitution that seems to thrive on racing.
Brown said: “The fascinating thing with this horse is that he never comes home tired, he always comes home and says ‘well that was OK, what are we doing next?’.
“He had a long day, he travelled down to Newbury and back in a day and within an hour he’d eaten his tea up and he was ready to do whatever you asked of him next.”
Wales great Alun Wyn Jones will captain Eddie Jones’ Barbarians in their fixture against the World XV at Twickenham on Sunday.
Jones announced he is retiring from the international game on Friday having amassed 170 caps, including 12 for the British and Irish Lions, in a decision that means he will miss this autumn’s World Cup.
The 37-year-old Ospreys lock captains a side that includes Australia stars Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi.
World XV coach Steve Hansen has pressed ahead with the controversial selection of Israel Folau on the right wing.
The Rugby Football Union has decided to raise the pride flag at Twickenham for the game after Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia in 2019 because of a series of anti-gay posts on social media.
Italy flanker Michele Lamaro skippers the side in the final fixture of the 2022-23 season.
Barbarians team: G Anscombe, A Radwan, S Tamanivalu, S Kerevi, T Li; Q Cooper, J Maunder; A Waller, N Dolly, E Pieretto, AW Jones (capt), S Lewies, A Wainwright, K Yamamoto, S Luatua.
Replacements: H Thacker, T West, C Sadie, R Simmons, S Vailanu, F Hougaard, A Cruden, S Johnson.
World XV team: C Piutau; I Folau, S Radradra, N Laumape, Sbu Nkosi; Adam Hastings, Nick Phipps; W Jones, F Brown, O Kebble, A Ratuniyarawa, H Hockings, S Negri, M Lamaro (capt), V Mata.
Replacements: E Dee, A Dell, M Street, N Cannone, J Murphy, B Hall, R Patchell, K Rasaku.
Adin Hill stopped 34 shots and the Vegas Golden Knights scored three first-period goals in a 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Jonathan Marchessault, Ivan Barbashev and William Carrier all scored in the first 7 1/2 minutes and Hill took care of the rest as Vegas moved a win away from a sweep and the franchise's second Stanley Cup Final appearance in its six-year existence.
Hill has won five consecutive starts with a 1.98 goals-against average and will try to make it six in a row in Game 4 Thursday in Dallas.
In the history of the NHL playoffs, teams with a 3-0 lead have advanced in 200 of the previous 204 occurrences.
Stars captain Jamie Benn received a five-minute major for a cross-check on Vegas captain Mark Stone less than two minutes into the game, with his team already down 1-0. Barbashev extended the lead to 2-0 with a power play goal just over four minutes later and assisted on Alex Pietrangelo's goal in the second period.
Dallas' Jake Oettinger was pulled after giving up three goals on five shots in the shortest start of his career. He was replaced by Scott Wedgewood, who stopped 10 of 11 shots the rest of the way.
Club professional Michael Block admits he is hoping to avoid a return to reality for as long as possible after his US PGA Championship heroics.
Block almost stole the show from winner Brooks Koepka at Oak Hill, making a hole-in-one during the final round while playing alongside Rory McIlroy and finishing in a tie for 15th place.
The 46-year-old’s display captured the imagination of the spectators and his tie for 15th secured a place in next year’s US PGA at Valhalla, followed soon after by invites for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour and June’s Canadian Open.
“I’ve said it a lot, but it’s just a dream,” Block told a pre-tournament press conference at Colonial.
“I’m just cruising. I’m actually kind of glad that at this point I haven’t come to the reality about what’s happening so I can actually play pretty good golf.
“I think if I sit down and think about it too much, I’m not sure I could swing the club on Thursday.
“There’s a lot going on and I really apologise to all my friends and fans and PGA members out there that have texted me. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten back to you.
“I literally scroll and scroll and scroll and it’s never ending. I can’t even get to the bottom of any of my feeds to even see how many or who’s seeing me. So it’s been crazy.”
Among the messages Block has been able to reply to was one from his hero Michael Jordan, the former basketball star telling Block that his performance was “why he loves the game of golf so much”.
“I’m a big Jordan guy my whole life,” Block said. “I was a little kid in Iowa saving 100 bucks for a pair of Jordans back in the day. Pretty darn cool, to say the least.”
Block also revealed he became friends with baseball star Albert Pujols after being paired with him in a golf tournament in California and will be attending his wedding in the Dominican Republic in December.
And although he, understandably, has never received such attention before, he has been around the professional game for long enough to get a sense of how it works.
“I’ve been around it in a weird kind of small way in little bits here and there over the last 10 years,” the Block said. “So I’m somewhat comfortable with it.
“It’s just weird now where I come up through a gate and the guys at the gate are screaming ‘Block Party’ when I’m going through – and the guy making me an omelette gave me knuckles and said I did awesome last week.
“I mean, that’s the part where it’s a little beyond me at this point. So it’s cool, but I’m trying to enjoy it.
“I don’t really know what the future is going to hold whatsoever. I’m not trying to guess what’s going to happen. I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.
“I just show up on Thursday and tee it up with Min (Woo Lee), which is a buddy of mine, which is great – so super comfortable pairing – and just have fun. Whatever comes of it, comes of it. I’ll enjoy it one way or the other. I’ve got a great life both ways so it’s good all the way.”
Valencia will appeal against their five-game partial stadium closure and hefty fine following the racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, calling the sanction “unfair and disproportionate”.
Vinicius threatened to leave the pitch in the second half of Sunday’s LaLiga match at the Mestalla after being subjected to alleged monkey chants from the crowd and Real Madrid, who said the incident constituted a “hate crime”, filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.
In response, the club have been ordered to shut the Mario Kempes south stand, where the alleged abuse happened, for five matches and have also been fined 45,000 euros (£39,000) by the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
Valencia said in a strongly worded statement: “Valencia CF wishes to show its total disagreement and indignation at the unfair and disproportionate penalty imposed by the competition committee on the club with the closure of the stand for five games.
“Valencia CF wants to publicly denounce that in this resolution of the RFEF competition committee they show evidence that contradicts what the national police and LaLiga say.
“In addition, this sanction is based on evidence that the club has not been able to see and without giving us a hearing.
“Valencia CF has condemned, condemns and will condemn in the most energetic way any act of racism or violence. These behaviours have no place in football or in society and we will continue to act in the most forceful way to eradicate this scourge.
“For this reason, Valencia CF is collaborating from the first minute with the police and all relevant authorities to clarify the events that occurred last Sunday.
“In addition, it has applied the maximum possible sanction with the expulsion for life from our stadium to the fans that the police have identified for their racist behaviour.
“For this reason we consider that penalising and depriving all the fans who were not involved in these unfortunate incidents from seeing their team is a totally disproportionate, unfair and unprecedented measure against which we will fight.
“The fight against racism requires the real commitment of all the parties involved without using it as a pretext to incur serious injustices.
“Valencia CF will appeal to the last instance the closure of the stand, a sanction that it considers totally unfair and one more offence in the latest disciplinary decisions that have been taken against the club. Valencia CF asks for the utmost respect and rigour for our institution and fans.”
An RFEF statement on Tuesday night read: “The competition committee has sanctioned Valencia CF with the partial closure of the Mestalla stadium for five matches, more specifically the Mario Kempes south stand, following the events that occurred during the league match between the local team and Real Madrid CF.
“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his minutes, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, a Real Madrid CF player, during the aforementioned match, altering the normal course of the match and considering the infractions very serious.
“In addition, an economic sanction of 45,000 euros (£39,000) is imposed on Valencia.”
LaLiga players and officials called for racism to be tackled in Spain in the wake of Sunday’s match.
Before Tuesday night’s games between Real Valladolid and Barcelona, and Celta Vigo and Girona, players from both sides, as well as the match officials, stood behind banners which read ‘Racism, out of football’.
LaLiga shared a pre-match clip from the Celta-Girona game on its official Twitter account with the hashtag #JUNTOSContraElRacismo (#TOGETHERagainstRacism).
The footage also showed a supporter holding up a placard with ‘No Al Racismo’ (No to Racism) written on it.
There were similar sentiments at the Valladolid-Barcelona game as fans showed their support for Brazil international Vinicius.
Barcelona forward Raphinha removed his shirt when substituted to show a message which read: “As long as the colour of the skin is more important than the brightness of the eyes, there will be war.”
Jayson Tatum had 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Boston Celtics kept their season alive for at least one more game with a 116-99 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each added 16 points and Grant Williams had 14 Boston, which trails the best-of-seven series 3-1 and will try to avoid elimination again in Game 5 on Thursday in Boston.
No team in NBA history has ever successfully rallied from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
The Celtics trailed by nine early in the second half before reeling off 18 straight points for a 70-61 lead. Tatum ignited the run with consecutive 3-pointers, White followed with another, and Marcus Smart also connected from deep.
Boston maintained the lead the rest of the way, though the Heat got within four late in the third. The Celtics responded to score the next seven points and led 88-79 heading to the fourth quarter.
After shooting 11 for 42 from long range in Game 3, the Celtics regained their stroke in this one by going 19 of 45 and limited the Heat to 8 for 32.
Jimmy Butler had 29 points for Miami, which was outscored 48-22 during a 14-minute stretch across the third and fourth quarters.
The French Open will take place without Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004.
The Spaniard’s withdrawal through injury opens the door for the rest of the men’s field, while two-time champion Iga Swiatek will look to cement her dominance of the women’s event.
Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 players to watch at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic
While the king of clay is absent, title hopefuls will still have to get past another 22-time grand slam champion. Djokovic has lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires twice and lost in the final on four other occasions. However, his preparation has been far from perfect, with surprise losses and concern over an elbow problem.
Carlos Alcaraz
View this post on Instagram
While Nadal’s absence undoubtedly leaves a huge hole, Spanish fans have another phenomenon to cheer in the shape of Alcaraz, who has reclaimed the world number one ranking from Djokovic. An early loss at the Italian Open was a shock but the 20-year-old was supreme in winning titles in Barcelona and Madrid and is firmly in the frame for a second grand slam title.
Holger Rune
If neither Djokovic nor Alcaraz lifts the title then the best bet may be on young Dane Rune. The 20-year-old has soared into the top 10 over the last six months and already boasts two wins over Djokovic. Ambitious and not afraid to rile up opponents or the crowd, Rune looks a slam champion in the making.
Daniil Medvedev
The mercurial Russian is no lover of clay but the confidence he has carried from an excellent season has translated to the red stuff, bringing him victory in Rome on Sunday. Medvedev has won more matches than any other man so far this year and will be seeded second in Paris.
Jannik Sinner
View this post on Instagram
Sinner’s emergence at the top of the game was rather overshadowed by Alcaraz’s even more rapid ascent but their rivalry has been a tonic to a sport adjusting to the loss of its aging superstars. This year has seen the big-hitting Italian establish himself in the top 10 and a grand slam breakthrough may not be too far away.
Iga Swiatek
The Pole strolled to her second Roland Garros title last year as part of a 37-match winning streak. A clay-court natural, Swiatek can appear unstoppable on the surface but the gap at the top of the women’s game has certainly narrowed. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina have been the players of the season so far while Swiatek has had a couple of injury niggles.
Aryna Sabalenka
The jocular Belarusian got the grand slam monkey off her back by beating Rybakina in a superb Australian Open final and has continued in the same vein ever since. Defeating Swiatek to win the clay title in Madrid was a big moment, although that is a much faster court. Sabalenka is yet to do well in Paris but she is a different player and competitor to 12 months ago.
Elena Rybakina
Rybakina may have been a surprise Wimbledon winner for many last summer but the danger caused by her power game is self evident, while she is as cool a customer as they come. The 23-year-old has shown excellent consistency this season and lifting the title in Rome saw her climb to fourth in the rankings.
Zheng Qinwen
China has been searching for a star to follow in the footsteps of former French Open winner Li Na and, in 20-year-old Zheng, they might just have found it. Athletic and powerful, she has risen steadily up the rankings into the top 20. Zheng reach the fourth round on her Roland Garros debut last year and was the only player to take a set off Swiatek.
Marketa Vondrousova
Even among the numerous women who have made grand slam finals in recent years, Vondrousova flies under the radar. Beaten by Ashleigh Barty at Roland Garros in 2019 as a teenager, the Czech has struggled with injury since. But she is one of the most naturally talented players on clay and has been showing good signs this season.
Tony Blair was in Downing Street, Carlos Alcaraz a baby and Twitter and Instagram non-existent the last time the French Open took place without Rafael Nadal.
But the Spaniard will be at Roland Garros in statue form only this year after giving notice that the end of one of the great sporting careers is looming.
Nadal’s record on the Parisian clay is absurd – since winning on his debut in 2005, he has lifted the title 14 times, lost three matches and withdrawn mid-tournament once.
View this post on Instagram
The dynamic will undoubtedly be different without him and, for those players now seeing an opportunity, how they handle the situation will go a long way to determining who walks away with the trophy.
Novak Djokovic takes over favourite status given his history at the tournament – two titles and four more finals – and the 22 slam titles he has already won.
The Serbian turned 36 this week and, although he has shown many times – including at the Australian Open this year – that he can fight through physical issues to win slams, there are major question marks about the state of his right elbow.
Djokovic has suffered defeats to Lorenzo Musetti, Dusan Lajovic and Holger Rune on clay this season but still spoke bullishly about his chances in Paris.
“I know I can always play better,” he said in Rome. “Definitely I am looking forward to working on various aspects of my game, of my body, hopefully getting myself in 100 per cent shape. That’s the goal.
“I always like my chances in grand slams against anybody on any surface, best-of-five (sets).”
Djokovic is increasingly mounting a one-man defence against the younger generation, and 20-year-old Alcaraz reclaimed the world number one ranking from him this week.
Rune, also 20, has established himself as a big-time talent over the past six months while 21-year-old Jannik Sinner is having the best season of his career.
Only Rome champion Daniil Medvedev is within a decade of Djokovic in the top 10, and the Serbian said: “A new generation is here already. Alcaraz is number one in the world. Obviously he’s playing amazing tennis. I think it’s also good for our sport that we have new faces, new guys coming up. It’s normal.
View this post on Instagram
“We’ve been saying this for years, that we can expect it to come, that moment when you have a shift of generations. I’m personally still trying to hang in there with all of them. I’m, of course, very happy with my career so far. I still have the hunger to keep going. Let’s see how far I’m going to play.”
On the women’s side, a top three has emerged this season, with Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina closing the gap to world number one Iga Swiatek.
The Pole remains a class act on clay in particular but is certainly not as clear a favourite as 12 months ago, when her second French Open title came as part of a 37-match winning run.
The best hope for a strong British run once again is Cameron Norrie, whose top-16 ranking ensures he will avoid other top players in the early rounds.
The withdrawals of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu are a blow but 21-year-old Jack Draper has recovered from an abdominal problem in time and will look to show his potential on the big stage again.
Roland Garros will have a very different feel this year with Rafael Nadal absent for the first time in nearly two decades.
But, while the king of clay will be much missed, two major trophies are on the line and a host of young pretenders bidding to claim the silverware.
Here, the PA news agency picks out five talking points for the Parisian fortnight.
Can Alcaraz take Nadal’s crown?
View this post on Instagram
Spanish tennis fans should not feel too sorry for themselves because the heir to Nadal’s place at the top of the sport is already here. Having only just turned 20, Carlos Alcaraz has already won his first grand-slam title at the US Open and this week reclaimed the world number one ranking. As confident on hard courts as clay, Alcaraz is an astounding athlete while his all-round game and calm temperament belong to a much more experienced player. There is a lot of hype but boy is it justified.
How fit is Djokovic?
Novak Djokovic has two French Open titles on his CV but how many more would there be had he not continually bumped into Nadal? This would appear to be a golden chance not just to win in Paris again but also to move past his great rival and become the first man ever to reach 23 grand slam singles titles. All has not been well with the Serbian since he won the Australian Open again, though, and he goes into the tournament with doubts over an elbow problem.
Swiatek hat-trick?
View this post on Instagram
Last year it seemed inevitable Iga Swiatek would win a second French Open title, and she duly brushed aside all comers on an unbeaten run that eventually ended at 37 matches. This season has been different, though. The Pole has struggled at times with the expectation on her shoulders, while there have been physical issues, too. A WTA big three is emerging comprising of Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, and the 21-year-old’s number one ranking could soon be under threat.
Norrie carries British hopes
It has been a rather underwhelming spring for Britain’s leading players and hopes of a strong French Open appear remote. With Emma Raducanu recovering from three operations, no British women gained direct entry – a damning statistic. Things are better for the men but Jack Draper’s progress has again been frustratingly held up by injury and Andy Murray has opted to prioritise preparation for the grass-court season. As has become the norm, Britain’s best hope of a second week appearance is Cameron Norrie, who has reached the third round the last two years.
Night session equality?
One of the big talking points last year was how organisers used their new single-match night session. Only one women’s match topped the bill, and tournament director Amelie Mauresmo apologised after saying men’s contests had more appeal. How close to 50-50 they will go this year remains to be seen but, with no Nadal, the star power of the men’s game is reduced, while Caroline Garcia is by some distance France’s best player.
Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt says England “would consider” bidding to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
Having won last year’s European Championship on home soil, Sarina Wiegman’s side will bid for the global title in Australia and New Zealand this summer and could soon be in contention to host another showpiece event.
Hewitt told the Times: “We want to be known as a centre for successfully hosting major events.
“It has a hugely positive impact on the country and on local communities who participate, so why wouldn’t we have ambitions to host a Women’s World Cup, particularly as the women’s game is growing?”
Asked whether that meant a possible bid for the 2031 tournament, Hewitt said: “We would certainly consider it.”
The bidding process will not open until the host of the 2027 tournament is decided next May. Should a joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium be successful, there will not be a second successive European host so England would have to wait until 2035 at the earliest.
Real Valladolid took a massive stride towards LaLiga safety as they moved out of the relegation zone after a shock 3-1 home win against Barcelona at Jose Zorrilla.
The hosts had lost their last five games, but stormed into a two-goal lead after 22 minutes when Andreas Christensen's own goal was followed by Cyle Larin's penalty.
Gonzalo Plata’s second-half strike put the result beyond doubt before Robert Lewandowski grabbed a consolation late on.
The result moves Paulo Pezzolano's side above Getafe and into 17th in the LaLiga table, while Barca remain in search of their first league win since being crowned champions a fortnight ago.
Valladolid had the ball in the net after just 82 seconds when Christensen headed Darwin Machis' cross past his own goalkeeper.
Machis and Raphinha went close at either end before the hosts doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute, Larin converting from the penalty spot after Plata was brought down by Eric Garcia.
Barca were denied an instant response with Masip producing a fine pair of saves to deny Raphinha and Christensen from close range.
Alejandro Balde fired wide shortly after the break, but Valladolid continued to impress, nearly adding a third when Plata's cross struck the outside of the post.
Ferran Torres came closest to igniting a comeback for Xavi's side, but the substitute was unable to turn home Balde's cross at full stretch.
Instead, Valladolid would seal the points in the 73rd minute when Plata's composed finish from Larin's cross was awarded after a VAR check.
Lucas Rosa's deft chip hit the post for the home side late on, though they were denied a clean sheet when Lewandowski pulled a goal back six minutes from time.
Roberto De Zerbi revealed Lewis Dunk has played through the pain barrier to aid Brighton’s European quest as he backed his captain for an England recall.
Seagulls centre-back Dunk has been ever-present in the Premier League this campaign but could begin on the bench against champions Manchester City on Wednesday evening due to ongoing calf and back issues.
Albion boss De Zerbi admits the 31-year-old took time to adapt to his high-intensity, possession-based style of play after he replaced Graham Potter in September.
Yet the Italian says influential leader Dunk has since cemented his status as a guaranteed starter and “deserves” another shot at international football.
“At first it was not so easy for him to understand my idea but he gave me total availability,” said De Zerbi.
“I would like him to be more open because he doesn’t speak a lot but he’s an example inside of the dressing room, inside of the pitch.
“He’s playing with a lot of problems because he has calf and back problems but he is playing every game.
“Tomorrow he can start on the bench but I don’t know because if he can play with me in Brighton, he has to play always.”
England manager Gareth Southgate will on Wednesday name his squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.
Dunk was capped by Southgate in a 3-0 friendly win over the United States in November 2018 but has not featured again for his country.
“He deserves to play in the national team,” said De Zerbi.
“It’s not my work to decide the players of the national team but for us it should be a target.
“I hope he can play in the national team.”
Brighton secured continental football next term with two games to spare thanks to Sunday’s 3-1 win over relegated Southampton.
Sixth-placed Albion will almost certainly be in the Europa League due to their healthy goal difference but need one more point to banish any prospect of having to settle for the Europa Conference League.
De Zerbi has warned the Seagulls must improve their squad during the summer in order to avoid potentially following divisional rivals Leicester and West Ham in slipping from European contenders to relegation candidates.
The Foxes are on the brink of falling into the Sky Bet Championship after playing in Europe during the previous two seasons, while David Moyes’ Europa Conference League finalists were in danger of the drop for much of this campaign.
“I push with Tony (Bloom, Brighton owner) to improve the squad every day,” said De Zerbi.
“I don’t want my club to spend too much money but we have to improve. To compete in four competitions, we have to improve and know the situation.
“Leicester, West Ham this year explain the Premier League.
“If you don’t improve year by year you can find a surprise the year after because our achievement this year is not important for the next year.
“Next year we will start not in sixth position, we start level with the other teams.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
