Scotland defender Jack Hendry is relishing the prospect of facing Erling Haaland after enjoying previous battles against some of the world’s best forwards.
Hendry has a good chance of starting in Saturday’s Euro 2024 qualifier in Oslo despite missing Scotland’s opening wins with injury. Grant Hanley and Scott McKenna are absent with injuries ahead of this month’s double header.
Haaland also missed the March qualifiers through injury and will be determined to add to his 53 goals for club and country this season after helping Manchester City clinch the treble last weekend.
When asked how you stop the striker, Hendry said: “I think we will keep that amongst ourselves in the group, I don’t want to give too much away. But a lot of people have tried to stop him this season and they haven’t done.
“He is an amazing player with an amazing record this season but we will taking a look at the full team and trying to combat that.
“We will do our best but it’s something I will definitely be relishing if I get called upon, to try and get the better of him.
“Obviously he has had an amazing season and of course that’s the type of players you want to test yourselves against. If I am called upon it’s a game I will be really looking forward to, testing yourself against the best in the world.
“I think we concentrate on ourselves, we did that for the first two games. If we keep on focusing on ourselves that will stand us in good stead.”
The Club Brugge defender faced City last season in the Champions League and also Paris St Germain, helping his side to a 1-1 draw against a forward line of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
“Not just big names, every game I am going into, I will have a quick look at the strikers I am coming up against, what their movements etc might be,” he said.
“Like Haaland, with every other player, I will study them and see how they are going to play and come up with a best solution on how to deal with them.
“But playing against top strikers like Mbappe will give me great experience going into these type of contests.
“The more games you play at that level the more confidence it gives you and I am lucky enough to have played quite a few games at that level now.
“I know that’s the level I can play at and I get a real excitement out of coming up against these type of players. It’s something the full team are looking forward to.”
Hendry missed three months of the season with a knee injury shortly after facing Benfica in the Champions League knockout stages in February, but he was back in the team for the final three games of the season.
Hendry, who had a loan spell at Serie A side Cremonese earlier in the season, said: “It was vital for me on a personal note at Club Brugge but also to now come into the international set-up, those games were vital for me to get that rhythm.
“They couldn’t have come about at a better time for Scotland. It was kind of an up-and-down season for me but I made sure I worked hard at Club Brugge to get those games and get those minutes and it has paid off coming into these games.
“I like to put myself out the comfort zone and went to play in Italy. The chance came up, it was probably just the wrong club at the wrong time, but I learnt a lot from it.
“Obviously there have been a few managerial changes at the clubs I have been at this season so it’s not been easy, with a couple of niggling injuries that recurred a couple of times. But that’s part and parcel of being a footballer and I still managed to get a few games under my belt.”
Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Iniesta announces retirement
Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.
Iniesta, who also played for Japanese side Vissel Kobe, most recently played for UAE Pro League club Emirates and had the option to extend his contract until 2025, but has instead decided to hang up his boots.
The midfielder started his career at Barcelona, joining at the age of 12 before making his senior debut in 2002.
He went on to make 674 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, the fourth-most in the history of the club, behind Lionel Messi (778), Xavi (767) and Sergio Busquets (722).
"Please allow me to be a little emotional today..." a tearful Iniesta said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness.
"They are tears of that boy from a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice... of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this path, with all the people who have accompanied me."
Iniesta scored 35 goals in 442 LaLiga appearances, with Barcelona unbeaten in the 35 league games in which he scored (W33 D2). Only Angel Correa (58 games) has scored in more games without losing in the competition in the 21st century.
While at Barcelona, he won 29 major honours, including nine LaLiga titles, four Champions League, two UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups.
Iniesta also made 131 appearances for Spain, the fifth-most in the history of the male national team, and famously scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final as La Roja lifted the trophy for the first time.
His strike in the 116th minute against the Netherlands (115:54 exactly) is the latest winning goal in the showpiece match in the history of the tournament.
He was also a part of Spain's European Championship successes in 2008 and 2012, being named the Player of the Tournament at the latter edition.
Despite playing an integral role in those tournaments, Iniesta failed to score with any of the 34 shots he attempted in his three appearances at the Euros finals (2008, 2012, 2016), a record number of attempts without scoring by any player at the tournament since at least the 1980 edition.
Bonmati refuses to rule out WSL move but open to retiring at Barcelona
Aitana Bonmati has refused to rule out a move to the Women's Super League in the future, though she is also open to the prospect of ending her career at Barcelona.
Bonmati, who won the Ballon d'Or last year after helping Spain become world champions for the first time, recently put pen to paper on a new four-year contract with Barca.
She has been with the club since 2012, winning 23 trophies with the senior side to sit eighth in the all-time ranking for most titles with the Catalan giants.
Bonmati, who is Barcelona's all-time leading scorer, has won the Champions League on three occasions, netting in last season's final victory over Lyon.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Bonmati was asked if she could foresee a scenario in which she never leaves Barca, and she is open to the idea.
"Yes, that would be nice to be a one-club player," the creative midfielder said.
"For now, I've been playing for Barcelona since I was 13 years old. It would be nice if I could end my career like this… but you never know.
"I'd never close the door. You never know what might happen in the future. But for now, I'm here for four more years, so I want to enjoy."
If Bonmati were to leave Spain, a number of WSL clubs – including Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal – would likely be in the hunt for her signature.
Bonmati appreciates the growing strength of the WSL, saying the investment in women's football in England compares favourably with that seen in Spain.
"It's a league that is so nice because England are investing a lot in women's football since the Euros – I cannot say the same about here in Spain," she said.
"Of course, it's a league that we have to keep watching, to be like them for helping women's football grow."
Barcelona open their Women's Champions League campaign against City on Wednesday, having been drawn into Group D alongside Hammarby and St Polten.
Messi headlines 23-player MLS MVP shortlist
Lionel Messi is one of 23 players to be nominated for the 2024 MLS MVP award, being joined on the shortlist by Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez.
Messi is considered the leading candidate to win the league's top individual prize after scoring 17 goals and contributing 10 assists in just 18 regular-season matches this year.
The Argentina legend has missed large chunks of the campaign through injury, recently sitting out two months with an ankle problem he sustained while representing his country in the Copa America final.
Yet only four players – D.C. United's Christian Benteke (23), Los Angeles FC's Denis Bouanga, the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernandez (both 19) and Suarez (18) – have outscored him this term, and he also sits joint-eighth in the assist charts.
Suarez is the other Miami player to be nominated for the prize, having put himself in Golden Boot contention in his first season in the United States.
The Uruguayan's 18 league goals have come from chances with a total expected goals (xG) value of 12.04, giving him an overperformance of 5.96.
Only New York City's Alonso Martinez (6.13, 16 goals from 9.87 xG) and Messi (6.08, 17 from 10.92 xG) have overperformed their underlying figures by a greater margin.
Suarez is also up for the league's Newcomer of the Year award, alongside players including Hugo Lloris of LAFC and the Galaxy's leading scorer Gabriel Pec.
Last season's MVP, FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta, is in the running for the top prize once more after providing more direct goal involvements (30, 14 goals, 16 assists) than any other player in the league.
With Miami winning the Supporters' Shield and remaining on course to break the league's single-season points record (73 by the 2021 New England Revolution), head coach Gerardo Martino has been nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The Colorado Rapids' Chris Armas, Greg Vanney of the LA Galaxy and the Columbus Crew's Wilfried Nancy are considered among the other leading contenders.
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