Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller called his debut an "unforgettable" experience after his first appearance since recovering from testicular cancer.

The Ivory Coast international signed for the Bundesliga outfit last year, but was diagnosed with a tumour just days after making the move from Ajax.

Having gone through several rounds of treatment, Haller scored a hat-trick in a friendly with Basel earlier this month, and enjoyed his maiden competitive outing in Sunday's 4-3 win over Augsburg.

After receiving a standing ovation following his arrival as a second-half substitute, the forward was overwhelmed by the response

"The welcome I received was something unbelievable, unforgettable," he told broadcaster DAZN. "I was just happy to be here and to take my first steps on the pitch.

"It's something we can take with the team, this atmosphere, we can use [it] to win games."

Haller, who sported boots with the slogan 'F*** Cancer*, showed no signs of serious rust during his half-hour cameo for the Black and Yellow, though he acknowledged he still has work to do.

"There are still a few things to do to reach my full fitness," he added. "For the moment I'm just focused on the work. You will see in the next weeks and months how it's going."

Dortmund lie sixth in the Bundesliga, seven points off leaders Bayern Munich in what is shaping up to be a competitive race for European qualification. 

They next travel to Mainz on Wednesday before wrapping up the month on the road against Bayer Leverkusen next Sunday.

Dusan Vlahovic only joined Juventus from Fiorentina last January on a four-year deal, but he could be on the move already.

That is part of the immediate fallout from the Serie A giants' 15-point deduction for alleged financial irregularities and false accounting.

Juventus will appeal the court decision but it does leave them in a major battle to remain in European contention, slipping to 10th already, and reports suggest they will have a tough task on their hands to keep hold of some of their key players.

TOP STORY – VLAHOVIC OFFERED TO MAN UTD

Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic has been offered to Manchester United according to 90min, amid the fallout from the Bianconeri's 15-point deduction.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also been alerted to his availability.

Playing Champions League football is key for the Serbian striker, who has 16 goals in 36 games for Juventus, and the club understands the player's position and could sell in January or at the end of the season.

ROUND-UP

– Jude Bellingham is set to turn down a new Borussia Dortmund contract offer, with Manchester City confident they are in the box seat to land him, reports the Star. Liverpool and Real Madrid are also interested in the England midfielder.

– Arsenal have commenced discussions with Ivan Fresneda as they look to sign the Real Valladolid right-back, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Sport reports that Chelsea are willing to exchange Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie.

– Roma are set to move for Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu should they sell Nicolo Zaniolo, claims Calciomercato.

– The Athletic reports Manchester City are discussing a contract extension with Ilkay Gundogan amid interest from Barcelona.

– The Daily Mail claims that Frank Lampard is on the verge of being sacked as Everton manager following Saturday's 2-0 loss to West Ham.

Youssoufa Moukoko has signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with Borussia Dortmund to end speculation regarding his future.

The 18-year-old Germany international was due to be available as a free agent at the end of the season with his previous deal set to expire, attracting reported interest from Premier League duo Chelsea and Newcastle United.

However, the saga has been brought to a close after Dortmund announced the teenager penned a new deal running to June 2026.

While Moukoko was flattered by interest shown by other clubs, he expressed delight with his new contract.

"It's no secret that I feel comfortable at BVB. I played in the youth teams, took my first steps in professional football here and now I'm ready to take the next step in my development together with the club," he said.

"I feel the trust of the coaching staff and have an environment here in which I can develop perfectly.

"Of course, I was honoured by the interest of other clubs, but ultimately it is a decision of the heart. The fans have always supported me, and I want to give something back to them and the club."

Moukoko was in Germany's squad for the 2022 World Cup and has been involved in nine Bundesliga goals (six scored, three assisted) for Dortmund this season, at least three more than any of his team-mates.

Steven Gerrard believes Jude Bellingham should steer clear of continental Europe's top clubs and come to Liverpool.

Former Reds midfielder Gerrard has offered to take Bellingham out for dinner and tell him about what he could achieve by moving to Anfield.

Bellingham has long been touted as a big-money target for the Reds, and Gerrard believes the 19-year-old would be more likely to flourish with Liverpool than with Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

The attraction of Liverpool may be diminishing, with Jurgen Klopp's team looking highly unlikely to qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League route this season.

They may yet get there by winning the Champions League, but that looks a fantastical prospect given they face Real Madrid in the last-16 stage, and given Liverpool's general form has been terribly patchy this season. A 0-0 draw at Anfield against Chelsea on Saturday left the Reds rooted in mid-table, a worrying distance behind the top four.

"All he needs to do is send his diary to me, when he's got a free day," Gerrard said, while working as a pundit on BT Sport. "I'll fly to Dortmund personally, I'll take him out for a nice dinner and we'll talk about it."

What is beyond dispute is that Bellingham's skill set and dynamism would improve Liverpool's midfield, with Klopp's experienced campaigners Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara not the force they once were. Gerrard described that area as "a little bit stale".

Gerrard said: "I'm sure Jude is bright enough to see there's a stand going up here, this is going to be a 60,000-seat stadium, they've got one of the best five managers in the world, they've won the Premier League of late, they've been in Champions League finals of late, they pay very well here – that's a fact."

Bellingham plays at an 81,000-capacity ground with Dortmund so Anfield is small by comparison, but there are undoubtedly aspects of a move to Liverpool that might appeal.

Dortmund are struggling domestically this season, too, so Bellingham would not be giving up the prospect of likely league titles in Germany, particularly given Bayern have dominated there for the last decade.

But he might have transfer options where winning major trophies would appear more likely than if he were to move to Merseyside.

Even though Bellingham has been playing in Germany for three seasons, and flourishing in the Bundesliga, Gerrard feels the former Birmingham City player belongs in England.

"I think it's important he stays in this country," said former Liverpool captain Gerrard. "He's 19 years of age.

"You talk about Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich; I know he's doing it at Dortmund now, but them clubs are at a higher level than Dortmund and you can get swallowed up.

"There's a lot of stars, and you can get swallowed up by making a move too soon.

"In my opinion, staying around England, staying around this country, getting developed, there's still growth in him, and he can evolve, and I think staying in England until a certain age until he hits his peak years is very important for the boy now."

Jurgen Klopp reaches 1,000 games as a head coach and manager on Saturday when Liverpool tackle Chelsea, and it has been quite a ride.

From a relegation battle with Mainz in the German second division to the heights of Champions League glory with Liverpool, Klopp has achieved more than anyone expected of a man whose playing career was distinctly modest.

It would be stretching it to say the signs were there from day one, but they were certainly there from day two.

Klopp was named as an interim replacement for Eckhard Krautzun when Mainz decided on a change of leader on February 27, 2001.

One day later, Klopp made his debut as a coach in the second tier of the Bundesliga. He had been a player in the team until that point, but this marked the beginning of a new chapter.

Club president Harald Strutz, quoted in the Rheinische Post at the time, voiced the suggestion the interim boss could stake a claim for the full-time job.

"Maybe that will be a permanent solution," Strutz said, presciently.

Midfielder Christof Babatz, who would be a significant figure in Mainz's rise to the Bundesliga under Klopp, then said after the first game resulted in a 1-0 win over Duisburg: "The coach teased that certain something out of us."

And so began the story of Klopp's touchline career, one centred on teasing out the very best from the talent at his disposal, nurturing prospects into polished performers, and tallying trophies along the way. From Mainz, to Borussia Dortmund, and eventually to Liverpool, Klopp has delivered on that initial leap of faith.

There have been league titles, cup triumphs and big European final nights with Liverpool and Dortmund, plus promotion and even a relegation during his formative Mainz days.

Here, Stats Perform looks at those first 999 games, as Opta data shows some essential numbers behind one of the 21st century's great coaching careers.

Pep, Howe, Hecking and Magath – Klopp's rivalries

Klopp has faced Pep Guardiola more than any other rival manager, going head-to-head with the Catalan 27 times across their careers.

There have been notable defeats along the way, including the 2014 DFB-Pokal final, when Klopp's Dortmund went down 2-0 to Guardiola's Bayern, and the 5-0 and 4-0 thrashings meted out by Manchester City to Liverpool in September 2017 and July 2020, both of which rank among the top nine heaviest defeats Klopp has had to stomach.

However, Klopp has the overall upper hand across their meetings, winning 11, drawing seven and losing nine of those games.

He has faced only one other boss more than 20 times: German Dieter Hecking, against whom Klopp pitted his wits 21 times, winning 11, drawing five and losing five. Hecking bossed Lubeck, Alemannia Aachen, Hannover, Nurnberg and Wolfsburg during Klopp's time in the German leagues.

Klopp certainly has a happy record against Newcastle United's former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe, achieving 11 wins from their 13 meetings.

This shows the most wins Klopp has had against any boss is 11, against Guardiola, Hecking and Howe, while it can be revealed the team he has beaten the most are Freiburg (13 times), followed by Crystal Palace, Nurnberg and Arsenal (all 12).

His real nemesis appears to have been Felix Magath, the former Stuttgart, Bayern, Wolfsburg and Schalke coach. In 14 games against Magath teams, Klopp won only three times, losing eight.

Bayern have had the most wins against Klopp, with 16. No other team have reached double figures, with Hamburg, Schalke and Wolfsburg (all nine) next on the list.

The milestones, the biggest and the best... and the games he'd rather forget

Klopp won that first match of his career against Duisburg, and to date he has never lost on each 100th game on his way towards 1,000 as a boss.

There have been wins against the way against Bochum (200th game), Werder Bremen (300th), his old club Mainz (400th), Freiburg (500th) and Southampton (600th), and draws on his 700th, 800th and 900th games, against Newcastle, Chelsea and Real Madrid, respectively. Klopp's 100th game was also a draw, against Unterhaching with Mainz.

His biggest win was the 9-0 trouncing that Liverpool dished out to Bournemouth in August of this season, and his Liverpool team have also hit seven in a game five times (Maribor, Spartak Moscow, Crystal Palace, Lincoln City and Rangers), while his biggest win as a boss in Germany was Dortmund's 6-0 crushing of Arminia Bielefeld in May 2009.

Klopp has suffered four defeats by five-goal margins, the worst he has had to endure, with Aston Villa inflicting two of those: 7-2 in October 2020 and 5-0 in December 2019 – albeit the latter with Klopp and his frontline Liverpool stars out of the country on Club World Cup duty. There was also a 6-1 torching for Mainz at the hands of Werder Bremen in October 2006, and Liverpool's 5-0 whipping by Guardiola's City.

When it comes to promoting young talent, Klopp has rarely hesitated. His youngest player was Harvey Elliott, now a first-team squad regular at Liverpool, who faced MK Dons in the EFL Cup at the age of 16 years and 174 days in September 2019.

Klopp has fielded five 16-year-olds for Liverpool, plus seven 17-year-olds, while he also gave chances to the 17-year-old Mario Gotze at Dortmund, and Mario Vrancic, also 17, during his time at Mainz. Gotze went on to become a World Cup final match-winner.

His oldest player was Peter Neustadter, a Kazakh defender who was older than Klopp himself, aged 37 years and 176 days, when he turned out for Mainz against Alemannia Aachen in the Bundesliga's second tier in August 2003.

Warhorse midfielder James Milner could yet break that record as the oldest Liverpool player to have appeared for Klopp, aged 37 years and 13 days when he played in the recent FA Cup replay win against Wolves this week.

James Woodburn remains the youngest scorer for Klopp after hitting the net against Leeds in an EFL Cup clash in November 2016 at the age of 17 years and 45 days, while Sebastian Kehl ranks as his oldest scorer – 35 years and 53 days old when he bagged for Dortmund against Hoffenheim in a DFB-Pokal quarter-final in April 2015.

Klopp's kingpins

Roberto Firmino has played more games for Klopp than anyone, racking up 341 outings for Liverpool under the manager, with Milner (301) next on the list.

When it comes to starters, though, we get a different picture, with former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller top of the list with 280 games, followed by another BVB stalwart, Neven Subotic (278), and then Firmino (277 starts). Milner is a long way down that list, with 112 of the veteran's appearances for Klopp having come as a substitute.

Mohamed Salah has made 282 appearances and 261 starts for Klopp, and when it comes to scorers for the Reds manager, the brilliant Egyptian is the untouchable number one.

His 173 goals put him streets ahead of Klopp's next highest scorer, Sadio Mane (120), with Firmino (107) and former Dortmund supreme finisher Robert Lewandowski (103) being the only other players to reach three figures.

Among players with 10 or more goals for Klopp teams, Salah has also scored at the fastest rate, netting once every 133 minutes, with Lewandowski in a tie for second place with Darwin Nunez, both scoring at one per 139 minutes. Nunez scrapes onto the list, having scored 10 times so far.

Lewandowski hit four hat-tricks for Klopp's Dortmund, while Salah has managed five for Liverpool under the German.

Both men once hit four in a game for Klopp, with Lewandowski doing so in a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, and Salah in a Premier League match against Watford.

The manager teased plenty out of those two down the years, and Klopp will doubtless look to Salah, a former Chelsea player, to ensure his 1,000th game brings cause for celebration.

Newcastle United have reportedly pushed Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the top of their extended transfer wish-list.

Calvert-Lewin, 25, is in his seventh season with Everton, which has been highlighted by a pair of terrific seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 where he combined for 29 of his 46 total Premier League goals.

He missed three months this past campaign due to a fractured toe, and spent the first two months of the current season on the sideline nursing a knee injury, resulting in only one league goal since May.

Despite his lack of production in recent months, Calvert-Lewin already has 11 senior international caps for England under his belt, and could be viewed as a depreciating asset due to Everton's struggle in the relegation zone.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE IDENTIFY CALVERT-LEWIN AS TOP FORWARD TARGET

According to The Sun, Newcastle want to secure Calvert-Lewin this month as he is "right at the top" of their list of targets.

The report states he is valued at £35million, and Everton are bracing themselves for bids as they sit 19th after just three wins from 19 matches.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph adds Newcastle are in discussions to send striker Chris Wood on loan to Nottingham Forest, as well as listing a number of players the club have expressed interest in.

They include Calvert-Lewin's team-mate Anthony Gordon, Chelsea trio Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

ROUND-UP

– The Athletic are reporting Brighton and Hove Albion have rejected a £55m bid from Chelsea for 21-year-old midfielder Moises Caicedo.

– According to AS, Barcelona would like to sign 26-year-old Wolves forward Goncalo Guedes on a loan with a mandatory buy clause, but Italian journalist Matteo Moretto is reporting Guedes is in Portugal ahead of completing a loan move to Benfica.

– Everton are in talks with Rennes about a loan with an option to buy 20-year-old winger Kamaldeen Sulemana, although the Ghana international is expected to cost in the range of £40m (€45m), per GiveMeSport.

– Bild are reporting highly rated 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko – who had interest from Chelsea and Barcelona as he entered the final six months of his contract – is in the final stages of signing a three-year extension with the German club.

– Leicester City have offered £10m for 24-year-old Stoke City centre-back Harry Souttar, who was a standout for Australia at the World Cup, per GianlucaDimarzio.com.

Manchester City have topped the Deloitte Football Money League for the second year running, with 11 of the world's 20 highest-earning clubs coming from the Premier League.

Reigning English champions City last year became just the fourth club ever to top the list, which examines the top-performing football clubs in terms of revenue every year.

City remained the world's highest revenue-generating club in the 2021-22 campaign – the first season in which fans returned to stadiums as coronavirus restrictions were eased.

They made £619.1million (€731m) over that period to finish ahead of LaLiga giants Real Madrid (€713.8m), while Liverpool climbed from seventh to their highest position of third after making £594.3m (€701.7m).

Fellow English clubs Manchester United (fourth), Chelsea (eighth), Tottenham (ninth) and Arsenal (10th) also make the top 10, with West Ham (15th), Leicester City (17th), Leeds United (18th), Everton (19th) and Newcastle United (20th) in the top 20.

It marks the first time in the report's 26 years that a single country has provided more than half of the rich list.

"The Premier League was the only one of the big five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process," said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals."

Paris Saint-Germain (fifth), Bayern Munich (sixth), Barcelona (seventh), Juventus (11th), Atletico Madrid (12th), Borussia Dortmund (13th), Inter (14th) and Milan (16th) make up the rest of the top 20.

In the women's game, Barcelona generated the highest revenue (€7.7m) after winning the Champions League in 2021 and reaching the final last year.

Memphis Depay has been linked with a move away from Barcelona, having had a frustrating 2022-23 season.

The Dutchman has only made a handful of appearances for the Blaugrana, following an off-season of busy transfer activity at Camp Nou.

Depay had been linked with several clubs, including Premier League outfits Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham.

TOP STORY – MEMPHIS TO EXIT BARCELONA FOR ATLETICO

Depay will leave Barcelona to join Atletico Madrid with an agreement reached on a fee of approximately €3-4million, reports Fabrizio Romano.

The Dutch forward is set to travel to Madrid to complete the formalities and medicals soon.

According to Romano, the 28-year-old will sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with Atleti.

ROUND-UP

– Fabrizio Romano claims Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer will undergo medical tests with Bayern Munich on Thursday, before signing his contract with the Bavarians with the deal done between the clubs.

– Sky Sport Italia claims Roma are willing to sell Nicolo Zaniolo in January at the right price, approximately €40m, as the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham United  and Borussia Dortmund circle.

– Real Madrid are interested in Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho but the Red Devils have made an improved contract offer for the Argentinian, reports The Independent.

– Arsenal are happy to wait until the end of the season to pursue West Ham's Declan Rice, after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk, claims The Sun.

– Tottenham have made a first bid for Sporting right-back Pedro Porro, which included a player plus guaranteed money, but the Portuguese club have turned this down, according to Fabrizio Romano. Sporting want €45m (£39m) with talks ongoing.

– Chris Wood is on the cusp of joining Nottingham Forest on loan from Newcastle United, reports The Athletic. The deal would include an option to make the move permanent.

– West Ham tabled an offer for Aston Villa forward Danny Ings, reports The Telegraph.

Borussia Dortmund have told Youssoufa Moukoko to finalise his future plans "this week" with the Bundesliga club wanting the draw a line under contract negotiations.

The 18-year-old striker's deal expires at the end of the season and Dortmund say they have presented him with a "very attractive offer" to renew.

According to sporting director Sebastian Kehl, the club have now issued Moukoko and his advisor with an ultimatum so the player can "devote himself entirely to the sporting challenges" before the Bundesliga resumes this weekend.

Speaking to Kicker Magazine, Kehl said: "We have put together a very attractive offer that gives him a lot of room for development. That should lead to a decision. He has to make it with his environment and his advisor.

"Youssoufa can now accept this offer and commit to Borussia Dortmund, or we will go our separate ways. I would like him to choose us because he is not yet at the end of his development and I see huge potential in him. But there are limits for us as a club. And we have shown these limits. Now it's up to him to decide.

“Youssoufa and his advisors know that we are expecting a decision this week because we want to have this clarified before the first game back [after the World Cup break] so that the boy can devote himself entirely to the sporting challenges."

Moukoko – who was part of the Germany squad at the World Cup in Qatar – became the Bundesliga's youngest ever player when he replaced Erling Haaland just a day after his 16th birthday in the 5-2 win against Hertha Berlin in November 2020.

He has scored six goals in 14 games (eight starts) in the Bundesliga this season, but Kehl believes there is plenty more to come from him.

"Youssoufa is a great boy," he said. "He's been with us for almost seven years, we trained and developed him. He became a professional and a national player with us. He received an incredible amount of support from us and worked hard to achieve success himself." 

Kehl also said Dortmund are "very relaxed" about Marco Reus and Mats Hummels, who are both also out of contract at the end of the campaign.

"From the conversations with both of them I can say that we are very relaxed about the situation," he added. "Both have already made public statements about this in the past few weeks. Mats has decided that he wants to wait and see how things develop for him. He said that publicly himself.

"Of course the players are concerned about their future. That's normal. I'm convinced that we'll find a way to progress together in talks."

Tottenham and Newcastle United are both keeping a close eye on forward Nicolo Zaniolo despite a mediocre stretch of form with Roma.

The 23-year-old has 11 Italy caps to his name, but he has struggled to show his quality this season.

From 13 Serie A appearances this term, including 12 starts, Zaniolo has only scored one goal with zero assists, after a 2021-22 season where he contributed only two goals in 28 league games.

Despite his disappointing goal tally, Zaniolo is reportedly demanding a significant pay increase to re-sign in Italy's capital, forcing Roma into a difficult decision.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS CIRCLE FOR ZANIOLO

According to Calciomercato, Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte is a fan of Zaniolo, while the "increasingly ambitious" Newcastle are "waiting for new developments".

For Tottenham, their top priority remains retaining the services of Conte, and that could mean taking a leap of faith to secure one of his targets.

The report states the most recent negotiations between Roma and Zaniolo's agents ended with no progress, and with 18 months remaining on his contract, his transfer value will likely not get any higher than it is right now.

ROUND-UP

– The Times is reporting Newcastle also have strong interest in 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.

– According to Caught Offside, Chelsea could sign 25-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram for €10million this month as his contract expires at the end of the season.

– Tottenham, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are among the teams scouting impressive 18-year-old Oscar Gloukh from Maccabi Tel Aviv, who could be purchased for €9m, per The Sun.

– The Daily Mail is reporting 29-year-old Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could leave the club this month, with six months remaining on his contract.

– Liverpool are trying to convince 26-year-old Fiorentina midfielder and Morocco standout Sofyan Amrabat to head to Anfield, but he prefers Atletico Madrid, per The Mirror.

Sebastian Haller intends to hand Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic selection issues in the second half of the season after hitting a hat-trick in only his second appearance.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Bundesliga side from Ajax ahead of the season but is yet to feature competitively, having been diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Haller has now recovered, making his long-awaited debut on Tuesday in a friendly against Fortuna Dusseldorf, and followed that with a superb performance against Basel on Friday with a hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 win.

The 28-year-old is now looking to build upon that when the season resumes, having waited over six months for his chance.

Asked by Sport1 what his objective was for Dortmund, he replied: "Many more goals. I'm expected to score goals, so I'll do it! I want to help the team. I feel better every day. It's nice that I'm back.

"I feel naturally tired after these hard sessions, but it's easier to train with the guys than alone. I want to make it as difficult as possible for the coach. He now has another striker."

Terzic hailed the performance of his striker after the game, telling reporters: "The penalty was really good for him. The boys were very happy for him. After his experience, everything is easier."

Sat sixth in the Bundesliga, Dortmund return to league action on January 22 at home against Augsburg.

Jude Bellingham has got over the disappointment of England's World Cup quarter-final defeat to France but still wonders what might have been.

The 19-year-old midfielder had an impressive tournament in Qatar before England's 2-1 defeat at the hands of the eventual runners-up, with Three Lions captain Harry Kane both scoring and missing a penalty.

Ahead of his return to domestic action with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham spoke to the Bundesliga club's media and opened up on his feelings following the World Cup.

"You come to terms with it pretty quickly, to be honest, but I still think about the game at times," he said. "There was an instance in training where I had a shot and I thought: 'That was just like the one that I had in the France game', and if I put it more to the left, would we have gone through?

"I was involved in the first penalty where I flicked it to Bukayo [Saka], and the second one, when I put the pass behind to Mason [Mount] and I always think: 'What if I'd just put it on Mason's toe and he went and scored?' And then there would have been no second penalty.

"You overthink things, but I think you come to terms with it quickly because you can't change it, whether you like it or not. Then you're on the plane home and think: 'We gave everything.'

"We had a tournament that the country can be proud of. We put up a really strong fight against one of the best teams in the world. We went out narrowly and you learn to kind of use it as ammunition for the next ones, and I think that's how I've taken it."

Despite ultimate disappointment at the last-eight stage, Bellingham was pleased with his first World Cup experience, which helped secure his inclusion in the 14-man shortlist for 2022's The Best FIFA Men's Player award.

"I think it was really good. I was really proud of it," he added.

"But you can't be satisfied because you go with the intention of winning it, and I really did feel like we had the chance to, especially after we got through against Senegal [in the last 16] and you realise there's only three more games. Had we beaten France and gone through, who knows what can happen?

"I personally enjoyed the kind of pressure of the games and the responsibility that the manager [Gareth Southgate] gave me... I think you create the pressure yourself through lack of preparation and confidence.

"Luckily, I don't lack confidence and I always try and stay prepared. I'm always quite confident that I can achieve the things I want to achieve."

Dortmund's season does not resume until January 22, over a month after the World Cup ended, and Bellingham is grateful for the rest.

"After the World Cup I was just drained physically, and I said to myself: 'I want to have a nice long rest'," he said. "But then about two weeks into it, I thought: 'Nah, nah, I need to go back in and get to work and finally be back,' and I can't wait to get going again."

Sebastien Haller made his first appearance for Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, less than six months after starting treatment for testicular cancer.

The Ivory Coast striker arrived from Ajax in July but was almost immediately sidelined after the discovery of a malignant tumour during pre-season testing in July.

Haller underwent two surgeries and chemotherapy, and was present as Dortmund returned to training for the first time after the World Cup last week at a camp in Marbella, Spain.

In the 74th minute of Dortmund's 5-1 friendly win against fellow German side Fortuna Dusseldorf, Haller replaced Youssoufa Moukoko to make his first appearance for the club, sharing a hug with head coach Edin Terzic before entering the pitch.

Terzic's side took an early lead when Felix Passlack finished from a neat throughball by Marco Reus, though Dusseldorf equalised almost immediately via a Dawid Kownacki penalty.

Jude Bellingham dribbled into the box to set up Karim Adeyemi for a simple second for Dortmund just after the half-hour mark, but they had to wait until after Haller's arrival to add further goals.

Nico Schlotterbeck swept home a Julian Brandt cross from the left with nine minutes to go, before Donyell Malen raced onto Thomas Meunier's ball over the top to make it four, and the Dutchman added a fifth just before full-time with a finish into the far-right corner following a delightful jinking run from the left.

Dortmund resume their Bundesliga campaign at home to Augsburg on January 22, having finished the first part of the season before the World Cup in sixth place, nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Sebastien Haller never feared he would be forced to retire and wants to return to action "as quickly as possible".

The Ivory Coast striker joined Borussia Dortmund from Ajax ahead of this season but is yet to feature for the Bundesliga side after discovering a malignant tumour during pre-season testing in July.

Haller underwent two surgeries and chemotherapy, with Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke stating the striker could return after the mid-season break.

The 28-year-old was present as Dortmund returned to training for the first time after the World Cup last week, although he was being "carefully introduced".

In comments to the media on Monday, Haller said: "I want to play as quickly as possible. There are no limits and restrictions on my involvement unless the medical staff tell me otherwise.

"[Returning is the] best feeling I could have. I didn't know what the future will bring, but I focused every day on staying fit.

"I can do everything now that I used to do before; that gives me great confidence.

"I took only 19 days off in the six months. It was hard, but it's my job and I love it."

Haller – who scored 34 goals in 43 games for Ajax last season before joining Dortmund for a reported €34.5million fee – also said he had never had concerns about his career coming to a premature end.

"[Retiring] was never on my mind," he said. "I had the mindset of looking forward and taking every day at a time. It was harder for my family, they suffered a lot because they didn't feel in control. They helped me a lot."

Also speaking at a press conference, Haller's Dortmund team-mate Marco Reus was delighted they could welcome the striker back into the fold ahead of the resumption of the Bundesliga season later this month.

"You can probably tell by my laughter, but it gives me goosebumps that he's back on the field," Reus told reporters. "I don't think he needs to say much at all, we were just so happy to have him back.

"I think we all took our hats off to the fight he put up and, above all, that he came back with a strength, with a mental strength that's really strong, and you can see it every day.

"He trains with us all the way; of course, he has a bit of catching up to do, but he pulls it off completely, and it's just a lot of fun to be back on the pitch with him, because of course he gives us a new alternative in the long run, which we perhaps don't have in our game yet.

"And that's why we're all doing well to stay calm, of course, and just give him a little bit of time until he finds his rhythm. That's going to take a little bit of time, but first and foremost just being healthy and playing what he feels most like playing."

On his own future, Reus also addressed recent rumours he will link up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia at the end of the season when his contract at Dortmund expires.

"I have a consultant to sort these things out," he said. "For me, it's just important that I stay in good health, that I do the complete training camp, do the games, and the rest you'll just really see in the future. But as I said, I have my advisor for that.

"Of course, you look ahead. And of course, I still have half a year left on my contract, and if I didn't worry about that, then it would be wrong.

"But actually, right now, I'm just happy to be back on the pitch and to be with the team. I mean, we are in sixth place and we really have other things to do right now. And that's where the focus is right now.

"Everything else will simply be decided in the next few weeks and months, and then we'll see in which direction it goes."

Paris Saint-Germain are regularly a topic of transfer speculation, with plenty of discussion around Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi recently.

But Neymar is another who has been linked with a move away from Parc des Princes in the past, having been with PSG since 2017.

The former Barcelona forward signed a contract extension in 2021 after originally joining on a five-year deal.

TOP STORY – PSG OPEN TO OFFERS FOR NEYMAR IN JANUARY

Paris Saint-Germain have put Brazil superstar Neymar up for sale, according to Fichajes.

The French champions are willing to listen to offers for the 30-year-old, who is contracted until 2025.

The report claims PSG have lowered their price to €50million, which may attract the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United and Manchester City.

ROUND-UP

– The Mail reports Manchester United have opened talks with Monaco defender Axel Disasi, although the 24-year-old is also being tracked by a few other Premier League clubs.

– Manchester United target Mohammed Kudus has had a £40m price tag slapped on him by his Dutch club Ajax, claims The Star. The 22-year-old Ghana midfielder impressed at the World Cup.

– Real Madrid are bullish about their prospects of beating Liverpool in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, claims Marca.

– Calciomercato reports Madrid will rival Juventus in the chase to sign 18-year-old right-back Ivan Fresneda from Real Valladolid.

– Sevilla are circling to sign Sergio Ramos once his PSG contract expires at the end of this season, claims Fichajes, although he will need to take a pay cut for the move to transpire.

– Fabrizio Romano reports struggling Premier League club Southampton have agreed to a £6m deal to sign Croatia international Mislav Orsic from Dinamo Zagreb.

– Mykhaylo Mudryk has informed Shakhtar Donetsk that he wants to join Arsenal amid talk of interest from Chelsea, reports 90min.