Hibernian have allowed Croatian left-back Marijan Cabraja to return to his homeland to sign for HNK Rijeka.

The terms of the 26-year-old’s transfer are undisclosed, although the cinch Premiership club have secured a sell-on clause.

Cabraja joined Hibs last summer from Dinamo Zagreb on a three-year deal but after a promising start in which he appeared to have become first-choice left-back, he lost his place to long-serving veteran Lewis Stevenson after the World Cup break.

The Croat also had to contend with the death of his father just weeks after his move to Easter Road. He made 26 appearances – 19 as a starter – for Hibs in all competitions.

“We’d like to thank Marijan for all his hard work and dedication,” said manager Lee Johnson.

“This transfer works well for both of us and allows Marijan to compete back in his homeland, Croatia. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Cabraja is the second under-contract player to depart Hibs since the end of the season after striker Kevin Nisbet was sold to Millwall last weekend.

The Hibs squad return for pre-season next week, while they will learn their Europa Conference League second qualifying round opponents when the draw is made next Wednesday.

Female football supporters from Wales’ South Asian communities will watch the national team play for the first time on Friday through a new initiative designed to create a more diverse fan base.

The sold-out signs are set to go up for Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium with Rob Page’s side hoping to take another step towards next summer’s finals in Germany.

Among the 33,000-plus capacity crowd will be women benefiting from a partnership between Her Game Too Cymru, Amar Cymru – the group launched in 2020 to give the South Asian community a voice in the national team – and the Football Association of Wales.

Thirty tickets were made available to women from South Asian communities to attend the game. With the offer oversubscribed, fans that missed out have been invited to a Cardiff restaurant on Monday to watch Wales’ Euro qualifier in Turkey.

Roopa Vyas is a director of Her Game Too, the campaign group run by fans to raise awareness of sexism in sport, and has followed the Wales national team at home and abroad.

“We want to show the Red Wall is the friendliest fan base around,” said Caerphilly-born Vyas, who has a Ugandan father and an Indian mother.

“I have gone to games off my own back but I know the barriers that exist and it not easy for people from Muslim, Hindu, Bengali, Somali and other communities to do that.

“Amar Cymru is a progressive group that want to get female fans to games and they came to me as they knew I went to games and could shine a light on it.

“Hopefully we can go back to the FAW after the game and show them it was successful.”

Shazia Zahoor, born in Cardiff of Pakistani heritage, once played for Dinas Powys Ladies alongside current Wales captain Sophie Ingle and will be among fans experiencing her first international action on Friday.

“I’ve been a football fanatic since I was 13 and wanted to play but the culture did not encourage it,” said Zahoor, who will be joined at the Wales game by her sons Ibrahim, 11, and Zakariya, five.

“Even now I would feel uncomfortable talking to my father about playing football.

“I’m thrilled to be going to a Wales game and taking my two boys. It will be lovely to see other Asian women there because it really is breaking down barriers.”

The FAW want to create a more diverse fan base and has had mascots with South Asian heritage at home games and discussed establishing prayer rooms for fans at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Members of Amar Cymru – which translates to ‘My Wales’ and resonates with the South Indian, Bangladeshi and Punjabi communities – attended a Wales match for the first time in September 2021.

Jalal Goni, the organisation’s founder, says the landscape of Welsh football has changed even in that short time.

“When Amar Cymru started in lockdown it was pre-dominantly made up of males, but Wales being at the World Cup changed things,” said Goni.

“Females were saying how we can watch it and we had an event for the USA game at the World Cup that included arts and crafts and other things for the family as well as the football.

“The World Cup opened up the stadium experience for females. We know the older generation in our communities would not support females going to a male dominated event but we are breaking that stigma down.”

Goni, who will be part of a 10-strong Amar Cymru delegation in Turkey as the group attends a stand-alone Wales away fixture for the first time, added: “There is a lot riding on it.

“Female fans will be dressed differently in head scarves and cultural dresses and we hope there will be no negative comments.

“It is a massive step but the FAW have done a tremendous job in reshaping Welsh football, certainly since Euro 2016.

“Attending Wales games has become more of a family experience and we feel we are ready for this.”

Jude Bellingham has joined a select group of British players in signing for Real Madrid.

The 19-year-old England international has agreed a six-year deal to move to the Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the male players from these shores to have played for the Spanish giants.

Laurie Cunningham

England international Cunningham was the trailblazer for those that followed him after becoming the first Englishman to play for Real Madrid after signing from West Brom in 1979. The left winger brought plenty of excitement to the fans and after scoring on his debut, went on to win the league and cup double in his first season. His time at the Bernabeu was hampered by injuries and he left to join Marseille in 1984, having scored 20 goals in 66 appearances. He was sadly killed six years later in a car crash, aged just 33, while playing for Raya Vallecano.

Steve McManaman (1999-2003)

Twenty years after Cunningham, Steve McManaman followed as he joined from Liverpool. The floppy-haired winger played in one of the great Madrid teams alongside the likes of Raul, Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane, winning two LaLiga titles and two Champions League titles, scoring in the 2000 final against Valencia. He made over 150 appearances and moved to Manchester City in 2003, where he spent two years before retiring in 2005.

David Beckham (2003-2007)

Already a global superstar, David Beckham’s footballing image went to the next level when he signed for Madrid in 2003. Although his time in the Spanish capital was not the silverware haul he enjoyed at Manchester United, winning just one league title, he was a fan favourite. He made 155 appearances, scored 20 goals and notched 59 assists before moving to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.

Michael Owen (2005-2006)

Real Madrid have completed the signing of England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal.

Dortmund confirmed in a statement last week that Real have agreed to pay an initial 103million euros (£88.5m) to land Bellingham, who moved to Germany from boyhood club Birmingham in 2020.

Now both clubs have announced the deal for the 19-year-old has been finalised, with Real adding that he will be unveiled in the Spanish capital on Thursday.

“Real Madrid CF and Borussia Dortmund have agreed on the transfer of the player Jude Bellingham, who will remain linked to our club for the next six seasons,” a Real statement read.

“Tomorrow, Thursday, June 15, at 12:00 noon at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Jude Bellingham as a new Real Madrid player will take place.

“After, Jude Bellingham will appear before the media.”

Bellingham was recently named Bundesliga player of the season after his starring role for Dortmund, who missed out on the title in agonising fashion on the final day of the campaign.

He scored his first England goal in their World Cup win over Iran but is absent from the squad to face Malta and North Macedonia in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers due to injury.

He has long dreamt of a move to the 14-time European champions and recently told the PA news agency that he sees the Champions League as “the biggest stage”.

“The goal has always been winning,” he told PA last month.

“When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that.

“You know, everyone should have that goal, I feel like, as professional footballers.”

Jude Bellingham has praised England manager Gareth Southgate for the “amazing job” he has done in easing him into the set-up and aiding the ascension of fellow young stars.

With talent and maturity that belies his tender years, the nascent 19-year-old midfielder has established himself as a key player for the national team and has two major tournaments under his belt.

Bellingham has won 24 caps under Southgate and only a knee injury has prevented the England star from adding to that tally in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.

“I think Gareth has done an amazing job in easing me in,” Bellingham told the PA news agency. 

Rico Lewis is a surprise omission from the England Under-21s squad for their Euro 2023 campaign this summer.

Lee Carsley’s Young Lions head to Romania and Georgia hoping for a first European Championship success since 1984, but they will be without the young City star after he was not included in the 23-man squad.

Lewis, just 18, played 23 times for City during their treble-winning season.

Folarin Balogun is a notable absentee following his recent decision to represent the United States.

Head coach Carsley had been hopeful that Balogun would decide on his future after this summer’s tournament, but the 21-year-old informed the Football Association of his choice to play for the US last month.

His absence means Cameron Archer is the only out-and-out striker in the squad, with Rhian Brewster injured.

Tottenham right-back Djed Spence, City forward James McAtee, who is injured, and Club Brugge goalkeeper Joe Bursik also missed out.

But there is a plethora of Premier League experience in there, with the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Emile Smith Rowe, Oliver Skipp, Anthony Gordon, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott among the 23-man squad gunning for glory.

England begin their campaign against the Czech Republic in Georgia on June 22.

Jodi Jones was wooed by Malta on Instagram and now he is looking for a picture perfect finish against England.

The Bow-born forward is ready for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Gareth Southgate’s side and he has been ready for some time.

Three cruciate ligament injuries in just over three years at Coventry put his career on hold and thwarted a move to Leeds.

His injury despair also delayed international recognition with Malta, who initially made contact with Jones via social media four years ago.

But, having made his debut in last year’s Nations League loss to Estonia before winning promotion to the Football League at Wembley with Notts County this season, Jones is ready to make up for lost time.

“I remember getting messages on Instagram. Obviously, I didn’t know if they were genuine but then they started contacting my family regularly,” he tells the PA news agency.

“It was the president (Bjorn Vassallo) who reached out to me on there, then he got my number and was calling me a lot.

“I played against Luke (Gambin, Sutton’s Malta international) and he messaged me on Instagram saying they were asking about me out there.

“Then they reached out to me not too long after that with a proper phone call and contacted the club, that’s when I thought, ‘oh, yeah, obviously this is genuine’.

“I was injured at the time so I wasn’t really interested, not because I didn’t want to do it, I was interested but I just wanted to focus on getting back fit. As soon as I was and I thought I was back to my best I thought, ‘now’s the perfect time’.”

A seventh appearance came in Friday’s 1-0 win in Luxembourg, a victory which may not resonate worldwide but against a team 80 places above them in the FIFA rankings it suggests quick progress in Michele Marcolini’s three games in charge.

“It’s got my love for the game back. It’s been a great experience, playing international football, even just little things on a shirt like a badge that says Euro qualifiers,” says Jones.

“As a kid when you get a football kit you want it to have everything on. I remember Arsenal kits when I was younger, I wanted the Champions League badge on it, I wanted the Premier League badge. I’m still like a kid when I see things like that.

“It’s got my name back out there as well, which I really needed because if you mentioned my name, people say, ‘well, he’s done his ACL three times’.

“Now, if you say my name they’ll say, ‘he did his ACL three times, but he’s still playing, he’s just been promoted with Notts County, he’s an international and is playing against England’. So the positives have overtaken now.

“I just enjoy the little things, like just being able to play. I know how quickly things can change, especially with what I’ve been through.”

The support of his family – and godparents Terry and Geraldine – has been crucial in helping Jones return from despair but it took dad Jay to remind him of how far he has come.

“My godparents, they’ve sacrificed a lot for me. From the age of six they’ve taken me to football because my parents were very young when they had me,” said the 25-year-old, who made just two appearances for Coventry between November 2018 and August 2021 because of injury.

“Without them I definitely wouldn’t be a footballer. I can’t thank them enough. For my parents and my partner I’d say it’s more they’re just relieved to see me back playing.

“My dad said to me the other day, ‘for all you’ve been through you’ve still played at Wembley twice, you’re going to be playing against England, you’ve been promoted two or three times’.

“He said for someone to have missed so much you’ve also achieved so much.

“Being from England and watching England when I was a kid, playing against them would mean just a little bit more. It’ll just be a massive thing.

“I’m just really excited my family can come and watch me play. I want to be able to be a role model to them, just show them to follow your dreams and they can come true.”

Jones has Maltese connections on both sides of his family but more on his father’s side with Jay and mum, Frances, flying out. His partner Zoe, children and godparents will be at the Ta’ Qali Stadium for the Group C game.

He also remains close with James Maddison, remaining in a WhatsApp group with former Coventry team-mates with the ribbing about trying to keep up with the Leicester star ongoing.

Friday will cap his comeback season after Notts County’s dramatic National League play-off promotion.

Last month, Jones’ first goal since October 2018 sent the Magpies to Wembley after his last-minute extra-time winner capped a thrilling 3-2 semi-final victory over Boreham Wood before a penalty shoot-out win over Chesterfield in the final.

Jones, who made his senior debut at 16 for Dagenham in 2014, scored in the shoot-out and knows how special one more goal on Friday would be.

“I’ve pictured it loads of times, whether it’ll happen is another thing,” says Jones, who joined the Magpies permanently this month after leaving Oxford.

“I believe in my ability and I know if I get one chance I will take it.”

Neil Warnock has agreed a one-year extension to stay on as Huddersfield boss for the 2023-24 season, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

The 74-year-old came out of retirement in February for a second spell in charge of the Terriers, having previously been their manager from 1993 to 1995, and guided them to safety in the second tier.

The team recorded seven wins and four draws in their final 15 matches of the campaign as they moved out of the relegation zone and finished 18th in the table.

Warnock, whose assistant Ronnie Jepson has also agreed a one-year extension, said on Huddersfield’s official website: “After having conversations with (the club’s new chief executive) Jake Edwards, it became obvious that this was going to be a difficult job for me to leave and for anybody new to come into after what we’d built at the end of last season.

“I’ve agreed to stay on alongside Ronnie and, just as we did when we came back last February, we’re going to try and do the best we can with our squad that we can hopefully make one or two additions to.

“We’re quietly confident – I know what the club is all about and I have to say, the response I got after those last two games (home wins against Sheffield United and Reading) is something I’ve never experienced in my whole life. This is now a chance for me to put something back into the club and give us some stability during this transitional period.

“Once I knew that Sharon (his wife) was okay with me continuing, I’ve been fully concentrating on knuckling down to do the best we can in trying to get this great club up the league.”

Edwards said: “We’ve heard Town fans loud and clear, both at the Reading game and ever since. You all wanted ‘one more year’ under Neil and Ronnie, and this had to be our first order of business as we prepare for the new season.

“Neil and Ronnie have incredible knowledge and skill as a management team – that was clear in the job they achieved here at the end of last season. They also have an amazing connection with this club and our supporters, which is also so valuable.

“We’re so pleased Neil has agreed to stay on for another season. I know how determined he is to build on the job he’s done last season, and he offers us great experience and stability on the football side as we prepare for the prospective change of ownership.”

Former captain Andy Morrison expects Manchester City’s Champions League triumph to open the door to many more European successes.

City are celebrating becoming continental kings for the first time, as well as a memorable treble, after beating Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.

Victory marked the end of a long quest for the club and Morrison does not think City, and their inspirational manager Pep Guardiola, will rest on their laurels.

Morrison told the PA news agency: “The celebrations are well deserved. What they’ve done in the last four months has been miraculous. It was physically draining and even more so mentally.

“They’ll have a break but then start again next season. I know how the manager works. He will be relentless.

“It is so important to him to keep winning. It’s in his DNA and he’s done it all his career. Next season will be no different.

“He’s spoken this week about the two years left on his contract and he’ll want back-to-back (Champions League) titles. That’s the way he is.

“It’s a knockout competition and it’s so hard but they’ve done it once now and will believe they can do it again.”

City’s triumph saw them become only the second side to win the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in the same season, emulating the achievement of rivals Manchester United in 1999.

United’s success came when City were at one of the lowest points in their history, having sunk to the third tier of the English game.

Their revival began when they beat Gillingham in a play-off final to secure promotion at the end of that 1998-99 campaign and Morrison, who led the team at Wembley, says the journey since has been extraordinary.

Morrison, 52, said: “It is remarkable. The stigma City had to carry being in that second division, especially when their rivals won the treble – it was so difficult for City fans at the time but they stuck with the club.

“There were 32, 33, 34,000 every week cheering us on.

“Good things happen to good people. These fans deserve it. It is another part of the journey.

“There are good times, bad times, indifferent and incredible times. It is all part of the journey and at this moment it is magical for City fans.”

What the papers say

Many of the papers speculate over Kylian Mbappe‘s future after the striker told Paris St Germain he did not want to extend his contract beyond 2024.

Metro says Manchester United will lead the race to sign the 24-year-old if Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani completes his takeover at Old Trafford.

The Times reports Real Madrid is the France international’s “most likely destination”, although Premier League clubs including Chelsea are expected to register their interest. Manchester City had also previously shown an interest in the forward but have since signed Erling Haaland.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are seeking buyers for winger Nicolas Pepe and have no plans to reintegrate the £72 million club-record signing into their first-team squad ahead of next season, the Daily Telegraph says. The 28-year-old spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at French side Nice.

According to The Guardian, Romelu Lukaku has been offered a deal worth up to £20m a season by Al-Hilal, with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, 30, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 33, and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, 32, also being targeted by clubs in Saudi Arabia. Chelsea striker Lukaku spent last season on loan at Inter Milan.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Manu Kone: The Daily Mail reports that Aston Villa and Wolves are interested in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 22-year-old midfielder, who has also been linked with Liverpool.

David Raya: The Evening Standard says Tottenham are close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old Brentford goalkeeper and hope to negotiate a lower fee with the Bees, who want £40m.

Marcus Rashford says he is fully committed to England and does not care if onlookers criticise or question his dedication to the national team.

The 25-year-old is preparing for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia having withdrawn from March’s meet-up through injury.

Rashford has had to pull out of numerous camps over the years but his decision to head to New York while England were winning their Group C opener 2-1 in Italy sparked debate.

Boss Gareth Southgate defended the 51-cap forward’s decision to jet off to the United States at the time and the Manchester United forward says he was unmoved by critical voices.

“I didn’t see it, to be honest with you,” Rashford said. “I didn’t see it until I got home.

“I need time to switch off and recover, so I took a short trip, four days, then went back to do rehab and just try and get ready as soon as possible.

“With injuries, you can’t predict when they’re going to happen.

“Thankfully I have very few muscle strains and them type of injuries, but occasionally you do get impact injuries. The majority of my injuries have been that.”

Asked if people questioning his commitment to playing for his country hurt, Rashford replied: “Honestly, it doesn’t.

“I know that I’m committed to it 100 per cent, people are going to say what they’re going to say. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Rashford laughed off that talk as he prepares to play in his first qualifier since England won 4-0 away to Kosovo in November 2019 – the last international before the schedule paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He will surely get minutes in Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at Malta, but the availability of England’s Manchester City quintet is unclear.

Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday after days celebrating their treble triumph.

Saturday’s Champions League win over Inter Milan saw City join Manchester United as the only English sides to win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup – a bruising moment for the red half of the city.

“To be honest, it’s not nice (to see City’s success) but at the same time it’s football,” United product Rashford said.

“The best team that’s consistently playing the best football is going to win the most trophies and they’ve managed to win three this year.

“Well done to them and we just move on now and it’s up to them to keep it up, and it’s up to the rest of us to try and catch them up.”

Asked if City’s achievements provide extra motivation, United’s homegrown star said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.”

Rashford’s attention now is squarely on international matters as a mammoth, unrelenting campaign finally comes to a conclusion.

He has made an eye-watering 61 appearances for club and country in an unprecedented campaign that had the World Cup in Qatar wedged in the middle.

That figure could reach 63 if he plays against Malta and at Old Trafford against North Macedonia on Monday – a qualifier that is just 23 days before United’s first pre-season match.

Rashford, when asked about the need for the calendar to be looked at, said: “I think that’s evident.

“It’s mad that at club level we’re playing against teams that are playing one game a week, and we’re playing three games a week from November up until we got knocked out of Europa League.

“It’s difficult but at the same time we’re used to doing it, but I don’t think it’s right.”

Rashford does not know what he would like to see altered but said he is “not the one that’s supposed to have the answers”.

“The players are going to push ourselves to the absolute limits,” he added.

“I did say it’s nothing new so it’s not a complaint or a dig, I’m just giving you my honest opinion and I don’t think it’s correct.

“We need to be given more time to recover between certain games and at different stages of the season.

“That’s my opinion but I don’t think it’s down to the players. We shouldn’t have to put ourselves in a position to speak out about something that we’re not in control of or we’re not going to make the final decision on.”

Everton appointed Ronald Koeman as manager on this day in 2016.

The former Southampton boss was installed in place of Roberto Martinez who was removed in the final week of the previous season.

The Toffees had finished a disappointing 11th after Martinez lost eight of his last 15 Premier League matches in charge.

Southampton received a reported £5million in compensation to bring the former Barcelona player, then 53, to Goodison Park from Saints, who had finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League.

Chairman Bill Kenwright said of Koeman after the parties had agreed a three-year deal: “We are really pleased to have secured the man who was our number one target from the moment we set out to appoint a new manager.”

Everton had briefly looked like breaking into the top four during Martinez’s early tenure, finishing fifth in 2013-14 and missing out on the Champions League only after falling away in the final weeks.

They failed to build on that progress during his second and third seasons, and Kenwright turned to Koeman to try and revive the team’s European ambitions.

“Everton’s history is a big one and we will try to reach what they did in the past,” said Koeman. “That is difficult but everything is possible.”

It was to prove an underwhelming appointment, however, with Koeman lasting just 16 months before being sacked with Everton 18th nine games into the 2017-18 campaign.

There has been something of a revolving door at the club since with Sam Allardyce, Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafael Benitez and Frank Lampard having all come and gone before Sean Dyche took over in January.

Koeman was not out of work long, landing the job as Netherlands national team manager the following February after they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. He left in 2020 to take over at Barcelona but lasted just a year at the Nou Camp.

He returned to the national team job after Louis van Gaal stood down following the 2022 World Cup.

Marcus Rashford says he is fully committed to England and does not care if onlookers criticise or question his dedication to the national team.

The 25-year-old is preparing for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia having withdrawn from March’s meet-up through injury.

Rashford has had to pull out of numerous camps over the years but his decision to head to New York while England were winning their Group C opener 2-1 in Italy sparked debate.

Boss Gareth Southgate defended the 51-cap forward’s decision to jet off to the United States at the time and the Manchester United forward says he was unmoved by critical voices.

“I didn’t see it, to be honest with you,” Rashford said. “I didn’t see it until I got home.

“I need time to switch off and recover, so I took a short trip, four days, then went back to do rehab and just try and get ready as soon as possible.

“With injuries, you can’t predict when they’re going to happen.

“Thankfully I have very few muscle strains and them type of injuries, but occasionally you do get impact injuries. The majority of my injuries have been that.”

Asked if people questioning his commitment to playing for his country hurt, Rashford replied: “Honestly, it doesn’t.

“I know that I’m committed to it 100 per cent, people are going to say what they’re going to say. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Rashford laughed off that talk as he prepares to play in his first qualifier since England won 4-0 away to Kosovo in November 2019 – the last international before the schedule paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He will surely get minutes in Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier at Malta, but the availability of England’s Manchester City quintet is unclear.

Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kalvin Phillips arrived at St George’s Park on Tuesday after days celebrating their treble triumph.

Saturday’s Champions League win over Inter Milan saw City join Manchester United as the only English sides to win the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup – a bruising moment for the red half of the city.

“To be honest, it’s not nice (to see City’s success) but at the same time it’s football,” United product Rashford said.

“The best team that’s consistently playing the best football is going to win the most trophies and they’ve managed to win three this year.

“Well done to them and we just move on now and it’s up to them to keep it up, and it’s up to the rest of us to try and catch them up.”

Asked if City’s achievements provide extra motivation, United’s homegrown star said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.”

Rashford’s attention now is squarely on international matters as a mammoth, unrelenting campaign finally comes to a conclusion.

He has made an eye-watering 61 appearances for club and country in an unprecedented campaign that had the World Cup in Qatar wedged in the middle.

That figure could reach 63 if he plays against Malta and at Old Trafford against North Macedonia on Monday – a qualifier that is just 23 days before United’s first pre-season match.

Rashford, when asked about the need for the calendar to be looked at, said: “I think that’s evident.

“It’s mad that at club level we’re playing against teams that are playing one game a week, and we’re playing three games a week from November up until we got knocked out of Europa League.

“It’s difficult but at the same time we’re used to doing it, but I don’t think it’s right.”

Rashford does not know what he would like to see altered but said he is “not the one that’s supposed to have the answers”.

“The players are going to push ourselves to the absolute limits,” he added.

“I did say it’s nothing new so it’s not a complaint or a dig, I’m just giving you my honest opinion and I don’t think it’s correct.

“We need to be given more time to recover between certain games and at different stages of the season.

“That’s my opinion but I don’t think it’s down to the players. We shouldn’t have to put ourselves in a position to speak out about something that we’re not in control of or we’re not going to make the final decision on.”

For some, owning a football club is a statement that you are at a certain level as a businessman. But for Mount Pleasant Football Academy’s owner Peter Gould, it is not just about status.

In fact, Gould would readily tell you that he cares little what others think about his financial status and more about fulfilling his heart’s desire –to change the landscape and, by extension, help shape the legacy of Jamaica’s football through his academy.

“We had a couple of setbacks, you know the Covid-19 pandemic was a big setback obviously, but we are gaining back our strength and momentum and I think we should be in a better place by September. So, we are pretty excited, we have put a lot of work into the academy and the platform is well and truly set to accomplish all that we want to,” Gould declared.

“It will take a few years to build a complete institution, but we have people willing to come along and help us to move to another level, so we firmly believe we will be able to get there and put Jamaica’s football on the map the real way,” he added.

The Englishman established the academy in 2016 after he travelled to Jamaica and fell in love with the Mount Pleasant community in St Ann. Two years later, Gould opened a state-of-the-art football facility, which he said was designed to properly develop and nurture the talent of some of country’s young football prospects.

Incidentally, 2018 was also the same year that Mount Pleasant’s senior team, formerly known as “Stush in the Bush”, earned promotion to the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), and five years later, they are crowned kings of top-flight football.

The team, boasting one of its academy products, Devonte Campbell, defeated Cavalier 2-1 in Sunday’s final at Sabina Park, courtesy of a Sue-Lae McCalla brace. Collin Anderson got Cavalier’s goal.

“This is our first Premier League success, so it feels good, this was one of our objectives and it is great that we achieved it. I am happy, the fans are happy, and I also believe the community is widening in terms of people supporting our movement. So, obviously we are doing something right and I firmly believe that they only way to build is from the community,” Gould noted, as they continue to celebrate the parish’s first national title.

While it is unlikely that the entire Mount Pleasant setup, including the academy is yielding much return on investment for Gould and his wife Amanda, he said it is imperative that they maintain their standards to continue impacting the lives of the young charges, in particular.

Through the innovative project at the academy, the young men benefit from a high school education, as directed by the Ministry of Education, along with a structured football training programme.

The Mount Pleasant Football Academy has already sent Under-13 and Under-15 teams overseas to compete, with the latter currently representing St Ann in a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) youth tournament.

“Listen the investment, I don’t even count it, the investment is about changing people’s lives, it is about the kids and exposing them. The ambition is to develop talent for the future, but more than that, they are getting an education and that I believe is the way of getting quality football…educating your players and then you get that discipline on and off the field," Gould opined.

He continued: “This is what we have coming through the vine and as we keep expanding you will have more kids coming to Jamaica to do their English and Mathematics and to play football. Many parents are making plans for their kids in the coming period, so they can go into officiating or coaching and analytics, so it is looking quite lovely.

“So, we are absolutely in it for the long haul, we are still building and putting in plans as we go along, it is just to get it done faster but it has been non-stop movements.”

Though admitting that there were times when he was infuriated by the Premier League team’s substandard performances, Gould reiterated that his approach is one of heart over head as he is well aware that in football, success comes at a high price. As such, he pointed out that the thought of backing out never once surfaced.

“I can’t say I was never disappointed especially when we were losing against 10 men, I was like what the hell, but still I was planning for the next match. So, we had some bad days on the road but no, never felt like backing out. We are here for the cause, we started something, and we intend to see it through. We know it won’t all happen one time, but we are managing to stay on the horse and get down the course,” the benefactor shared.

“We will announce some plans in a few weeks that I think really will engage the audience and will hopefully help the transformation of football and the youths. So, we have some experienced people coming on board because obviously it is not a two-person job me and my wife, we have other people wanting to join the train,” Gould disclosed.

Like every sporting team, Mount Pleasant also have their fair share of behind-the-scenes flaws, but Gould praised the efforts of Head coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore and his assistant Davion Ferguson, as well as manager Paul Christie in ensuring that whatever issues arise, are dealt with in a professional manner.

“To be quite honest I don’t really get involved in the day-to-day happenings. We have a management in place and Paul Christie is that lieutenant, he manages to take that control of leading with Tappa and Fergie. We have a meeting once a week when I’m in the country, but he [Christie] has put in tremendous work since he joined, Tappa has been so easy to work with, Fergie as well, so it has been a good team effort.

“They have a good team there, doctors and physios, again I don’t want to get involved in the players’ day-to-day, so yes we have issues, but we have people there that manage it as best as we can,” Gould explained.

Finally, the businessman said they will continue to aim high with Mount Pleasant Football Academy which he believes boasts a bright future.

“The plan is just to keep engaging the kids in Jamaica, we will be taking more kids on, and we will be doing a few projects in the summer,” he said.

“The future is looking bright, and we want to make Mount Pleasant a household name in Jamaica and so we will carry on with pride. I am not saying we will win the title every year, but we want to continue raising the bar,” Gould ended.

Brendan Rodgers could be set for an unlikely return to Celtic four years and four months after his sudden exit for Leicester.

The former Liverpool manager is reportedly set for further talks after majority shareholder Dermot Desmond made him made the number one target to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Rodgers won all seven major Scottish trophies he competed for during his first spell as Celtic boss and completed an unbeaten campaign in his debut season of 2016-17.

Here, we look at how two other managers fared when they returned to Celtic for a second time.

Billy McNeill

The Lisbon Lions captain initially enjoyed a triumphant comeback when returning to the managerial hotseat in 1987 before the club went on to experience some turbulent times. McNeill had succeeded his former boss Jock Stein back in 1978 after a successful spell as Aberdeen manager, and won three titles in his five seasons as well as one Scottish Cup and one League Cup, during a spell when the Dons and Dundee United upset the Old Firm duopoly.  After spells with Manchester City and Aston Villa, McNeill replaced Davie Hay after his former team-mate paid the price for a barren season in the face of a Rangers side rejuvenated by Graeme Souness. McNeill immediately led Celtic to the double in their centenary season and stopped Rangers winning the treble in 1989 when Joe Miller’s goal earned the Hoops a Scottish Cup final win. But Celtic missed out on European qualification the following season and McNeill was sacked in May 1991 after a second campaign without a trophy.

Neil Lennon

Lennon continued the success of Rodgers after being drafted in to replace his fellow Northern Irishman in February 2019 but he also suffered a disappointing end to his second reign. The former Hoops skipper won the Scottish Cup in 2011 at the end of his first full season in charge and went on to win three consecutive titles as well as the 2013 Scottish Cup. Lennon is the last man to lead Celtic into the knockout stages of the Champions League, with victory over Barcelona helping them make the last 16 in 2012-13. After spells with Bolton and Hibernian, he finished off the clean sweep Rodgers started in 2019 and was in charge when they completed the quadruple treble in December 2020 following Covid disruptions. His reign was starting to implode though and Celtic’s 10-in-a-row dreams crashed and burned. A League Cup defeat by Ross County ended their 12-trophy run of success and he resigned after a league defeat by the Staggies in February 2021.