Justin Kluivert believes Bournemouth can reach "a higher level" in the Premier League under the coaching of Andoni Iraola.

Bournemouth impressively avoided the drop last season by finishing 15th and eyebrows were raised when Gary O'Neil was replaced despite securing survival.

But Iraola arrives with an impressive reputation from Rayo Vallecano and soon after joining he made Kluivert his first signing, with the Dutchman arriving from Roma.

Cherries chief executive Neill Blake said in June that beating a number of other high-profile clubs to the signing of Kluivert was a sign of Bournemouth's ambition.

Kluivert has revealed the opportunity to link up with Iraola was key, and he is starting the Premier League season – which begins with a home match against West Ham on Saturday – in an optimistic mood.

"I'm very excited because his philosophy is a bit what I know from my past teams that I've played at," Kluivert said to Stats Perform.

"Not every [team] but a lot of them – for example at Ajax I'm used to pressing a lot to go for the attack and that is his philosophy also. 

"We need to attack, we need to press, we need to want the ball and that's what I really like to do. 

"So I'm very happy he is the coach and with his philosophy, how he wants to play, I just can't wait to get started, and I know him from the Spanish league last year, so that is also nice.

"We speak some Spanish also a little bit sometimes, so that helps us.

"I'm always positive, I always think high and yeah, I can't wait to show my qualities and help the club and team to a higher level. If you have this mentality you will achieve a lot of good stuff."

Kluivert scored nine goals in 68 appearances for Roma and spent last season on loan at Valencia following similar spells with RB Leipzig and Nice.

It is clear the 24-year-old's goals with Bournemouth are more than simply retaining their Premier League status.

Kluivert added: "What excites me is just that I want to see how high we can end with this team.

"I have a strong belief like we can do very good with the team. I trust myself, I trust the team-mates, I trust the coach.

"I have belief that we can do some great stuff this season and that [belief] is what I always have."

The West Ham opener could be key for Bournemouth, as they have been handed a brutal run of fixtures after that, with matches against Liverpool, Tottenham, Brentford, Chelsea, Brighton and Arsenal to follow in their first seven contests.

Justin Kluivert has named Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Eden Hazard and Son Heung-min among his Premier League inspirations as he prepares to start his career in England with Bournemouth.

The Dutch attacker, son of Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert, has admired the impact made by Manchester City striker Haaland after arriving in the division.

Kluivert has joined Bournemouth from Roma ahead of the new Premier League season.

Having also had loan spells with RB Leipzig, Nice and Valencia, he will complete the set of playing in each of Europe's top five leagues when he makes his debut for the club.

Kluivert is delighted his chance to play in the Premier League has come and has been watching some of English football's greatest recent performers to prepare.

"I've watched a lot of YouTube of course and you watch a lot of Cristiano Ronaldo," Kluivert said to Stats Perform.

"Eden Hazard in his best days at Chelsea was unbelievable if you ask me, so yeah, those are players I like to watch or Heung-min Son maybe – someone like that, a type that is very straight to the goal – I like that."

Asked if he had tracked Haaland's record 36-goal debut top-flight season in England, Kluivert added: "Of course. You always need to look at the guys who are successful in what they do.

"You learn a lot from a player like Haaland or players that have played there like Ronaldo or Eden Hazard. 

"You have a bunch more too and of course you need to look at them, how they have done it and maybe you can learn some stuff from them. It's always good to learn to get the best of yourself."

Kluivert understands that the opportunity to play in all of Europe's top-five leagues, as well as the Eredivisie in Ajax where he started out, is a rare feat, especially doing so by the age of 24.

"All top five leagues, there are not a lot of players who have done that," Kluivert said.

"First of all, I'm very happy to have played at all these clubs, it's an honour. 

"To end in the Premier League, it's the best league in the world, so I'm very happy with that and happy for the opportunity that Bournemouth gave me.

"I'm very happy to be here and to represent Bournemouth, a beautiful club and I can't wait to get started. 

"So I could say that I have a lot in my backpack and can't wait to take them all out to show them here in this great league."

Kluivert thinks the style of play in England should suit him nicely.

He added: "I played in Italy [first]. Germany has, like France, has a little bit of the Italian philosophy, but also parts from the Spanish game, it's right in the middle. 

"And it's nice that when I played in France, Italy, Spain, they all have little bits that are the same but, for me, France is more physical, Italy is also, and then in Spain there is more football. 

"And I think the Premier League is more like you can relate it to La Liga, because the teams want to attack, they want to keep the ball and press. 

"That's a philosophy that the Premier League also has. So yeah, I'm happy to be here on that level."

Kluivert, who earned his two caps for the Netherlands in 2018, thinks the style of play in the Premier League and La Liga is the best fit for his game.

"Yeah [it suits me more]," he said. "Italy is more what I think of as a more defensive, a more tactical game. 

"And Spain was more you have a lot of good footballers who want to attack. 

"They attack with the whole team so there is more space in the back and the football games also are much nicer for the fans to watch – I think the Premier League also has that. 

"That's also good for me to show my qualities. So I'm happy to be here."

Bournemouth begin their Premier League campaign at home to West Ham on Saturday.

Ben Stokes may regret his attacking approach to the Ashes after what England great David Gower sees as a missed opportunity.

England have transformed their red-ball fortunes under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, winning 13 of their 18 Tests after embracing a free-flowing, attacking mentality in the longest format.

An Ashes series victory proved a challenge too great, though, with England recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 – a result that saw Australia retain the urn.

Stokes' tactics have come into question, with England's insistence on attacking sometimes their downfall, and Gower believes the all-rounder may look back with slight regret.

Gower told Stats Perform: "Stokes says that he doesn't want to worry about hindsight, which doesn't win you any games and all the rest of it.

"But there will be thoughts along those lines, because when they look at it next year, it says 2-2 and you were part of that team that could have regained The Ashes.

"Stokes could have been At The Oval, with that little urn in his hand saying I have regained the Ashes or you better say 'we' with this team ethic.

"That would be there again for all to see for the rest of history. But I'm afraid it’s not quite the case."

While Gower suggested Stokes may reconsider his plans at a future date, the former England captain still hailed the new approach against the red ball.

He added: "My view is a mixture of old and new. I love the new approach, especially the culture that Stokes and McCullum have bred in the team since that partnership came together last year.

"I'd imagine that playing in that dressing room must be an enormous pleasure because it takes the pressure off a bad day, takes the pressure off failure, and it encourages people to look ahead.

"The one thing that could have made this series different is being slightly more match aware, slightly smarter at key moments.

"England could have made more runs in the second innings at Edgbaston, put themselves further ahead, played Australia a little bit further out of the game made it harder for them to win the game. In the end, Australia win the game.

"England could have batted like Stokes did at Lord's when the bouncer barrage was coming, Stokes took the blows to the body, and others played shots that got them out.

"There was a collapse from 180 for none, as it were, suddenly were 200 for plenty. And things like that change games in Test cricket.

"Five-day cricket is all about sustaining the effort and the quality throughout, but a bad hour or a bad session can cost you games and that's what happened at Lord's."

A high-quality Ashes series was likely only robbed of a winner due to the rain at Old Trafford, where the fourth Test was washed out on the weekend with England in the ascendancy.

Australia return Down Under with the urn but Gower believes – despite the thrilling encounters – both sides may look back with some sense of a missed opportunity.

He continued: "I think for both teams, at the end of the series, Australia looked a bit muted, because although they retained the Ashes, they struggled in the last three games. 

"Australia would have rued the fact they let things slide a little bit, at the same time I'd give all the credit to England, for the way they played their cricket to put the pressure back on Australia. 

"It was interesting to watch the Australians, they had a very brief celebration in front of the crowd at The Oval but it wasn't sort of leaping up and down saying we've held the Ashes.

"You don't do laps of honour when you've drawn a series, you do laps of honour at the MCG when you have won The Ashes Down Under. Graeme Swann and the sprinkler and all the rest of it.

"It was probably almost a feeling of, actually, we've put everything on the field. They put everything into that series, both sides.

"At the end of it, not so much a relief but a sort of acknowledgement, that 2-2 is probably fair. You sit down and you feel relief, it's a shame that it's all over.

"People would have loved to see this thing, carry on almost you play 10 Tests, keep up the intensity, keep up the rivalry. But there's also a sort of sense of well, it's over now.

"You cast your mind back to all the ups and downs of six, seven weeks of high-pressure cricket."

James Anderson wants to prolong his Test career with England but David Gower believes the seamer "might just be lying to himself" on his future.

Anderson is the leading wicket-taker for seam bowlers in men's Test match history but struggled for large parts of the Ashes against Australia, who retained the urn with a 2-2 series draw.

The 41-year-old managed just five wickets across four Tests, one fewer than England's part-time off-spinner Joe Root, as Anderson struggled to trouble Australian batters.

Stuart Broad finished as England's leading wicket-taker after 22 dismissals and called time on his career, with Gower suggesting it may be time for Anderson to do the same.

"Jimmy wants to prolong his career literally as long as possible," former England captain Gower told Stats Perform. "He is so adamant that thoughts on retirement are not in his mind.

"I don't know Jimmy personally that well, but I suspect that's just because he loves being part of a team.

"Nowadays, you manage workloads, and that management has allowed Jimmy Anderson to still be playing international cricket at the age of 41. He loves it so much he doesn't want to give it away.

"The slight issue could be that people will look at his figures in this series. He's beaten the bat, yes, not as often as normal. He's had catches dropped off his bowling, which always infuriates and also makes the figures look worse, of course, but there's been just a little tiny downturn in the way he's bowled.

"At some stage, you have to say right we need to look ahead to the next generation. [Josh] Tongue, for instance, came in and looked pretty good. He's sharper than Anderson.

"Will Jimmy Anderson want to go to India where there's every likelihood that five pitches might be turning pitches? They're not going to be Jimmy Anderson pitches, I would suspect.

"If he wants to go to India, fair play to him. But selectors might at this stage be thinking now is the time that we have to have a quiet word in his ear.

"You maybe miss India, ostensibly, you could still keep the door open. He might be worried that they might tap him on the shoulder.

"He may say to the rest of the world: 'No, no, no, I'm absolutely fine, still got years left in me' – but he might just be lying to himself."

England captain Ben Stokes has repeatedly reiterated his desire to keep Anderson within the Test setup, with the former and coach Brendon McCullum placing their full backing in the seam bowler.

Regardless of whether Anderson – who has 690 wickets in red-ball internationals – continues, Gower believes the England veteran's legacy will remain intact.

"For Anderson, if this is the end for him, and it's still a very big if, you still look back on 20 years with extraordinary figures," Gower added.

"Even just look back to the winter, his figures in the winter, on very, very good batting pitches. In Pakistan, he played a full part in what was a great team effort winning a series, 3-0 in Pakistan, which in my time, that didn't happen.

"You had dead games on good pitches, maybe two-and-a-half innings in the entire game that was it, dull draws. England made those wins happen.

"They had to take wickets at key times and Jimmy was part of that. So you look back over 20 years and say it's an extraordinary, almost unbelievable record that sticks to his name."

Ben Stokes' development to become an "extraordinary leader" for England's Test side was not something David Gower could have foreseen previously.

Brendon McCullum and Stokes have formed a fearsome duo as England's captain and coach combination of their red-ball side, winning 13 of 18 Tests since joining together.

A stark upturn in fortunes for England's previously flailing side in the longest format of cricket has been led by Stokes and McCullum's insistence to play a free-flowing, attacking style against the red ball.

A 2-2 series draw in the most recent Ashes series further served to grow Stokes' stature as a captain, and former England skipper Gower acknowledged he could not have predicted this development before.

"I think Ben Stokes has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader of a cricket team and men," Gower told Stats Perform. 

"There is a lot about him that knowing him six or seven years ago, I just wouldn't have believed possible. But life has taught him all sorts of lessons.

"First of all, he has a great instinct for the game and a great instinct for pushing a game ahead to win. He loves winning and doesn't like losing, so will hurt for the ones they've lost, but hates drawing even more.

"That's an extraordinary attitude to have, because so many new captains, including his predecessor, Joe Root, would have taken a very different attitude to the possibility of a draw.

"He's created this culture along with McCullum, but he's got the instinct for the game."

Australia retained the Ashes after a 2-2 away series draw, having won the previous edition Down Under, after racing into a 2-0 lead in England with victories at Edgbaston and Lord's.

A first-innings declaration in the first Test at Edgbaston by Stokes, with Root on an unbeaten century and set to punish the toiling Australian bowlers, caused some questions.

Yet Gower refused to criticise Stokes for his decision to again try and push the red-ball outing towards a result.

He added: "The declaration at Edgbaston was derided by some and there's a fair case to argue there but was an interesting one, because [Stuart] Broad against [David] Warner was a tasty morsel at the start of an Ashes series.

"It could have laid down on marker but it didn't, but there you go, it's worth a go. But he has empathy for his players, he seems to understand his players.

"Good captains need to be on duty all the time. You've got decisions to make all the time. There will be mistakes, and there'll be ones you might revise with time to think about it, but you've got to go with your gut.

"Got to go with your instinct, and you've got to take people with you. And that is clearly evident with Stokes and McCullum, but Stokes as captain has taken that team with him all the way through."

While Stokes has largely been heralded for his influence as captain, Australian counterpart Pat Cummins came under scrutiny for a somewhat defensive plan to stem the flow of England's attacking output.

"You've got two very different teams, the makeup of the two teams is very, very different," Gower continued. "So Cummins' options were different.

"Cummins has one of the best attacks in the world at his disposal, and he is the leader of that attack. He also had a very good man, dare I say, in Steve Smith as his vice-captain.

"You need someone else besides you, who can advise and point things out and be in your ear to help you along.

"Both [captains] at various stages lead from the front. Stokes' 150 at Lord's was just awesome to watch. Cummins, at Birmingham with the bat, those crucial runs at the end. 

"He saw it through, lead from the front himself."

Gower also suggested the different options at the captain's disposal somewhat dictated their respective plans.

"The difference is England have six or seven batsmen who can force the pace," he said. "So they were always going to play that way, trust their instincts and accept the mistakes that come along with taking risks.

"Australia are always going to have to play at a different pace to England. That's why the 2-2 result at the end proves that there are various ways to skin a cat, and you can win games by being good at what you do. 

"Cummins and Stokes had different options. That's why in the end, I think it's so fascinating to see it all finish up with the series all square."

England batting great David Gower described Stuart Broad's Ashes send-off as "the stuff of legend" after he delivered two crucial wickets to level the series on the final outing of his career.

Broad announced the fifth Test against Australia would be his last match as a professional cricketer on Saturday, before ending his glittering career on a high two days later.

With England requiring two late wickets on day five to level the series at 2-2, Broad dismissed Todd Murphy and Alex Carey to deny Australia a first series win on English soil since 2001.

The 37-year-old ends his career with 604 Test wickets, a tally only bettered by long-time team-mate James Anderson (690) among England players.

Asked about Broad's remarkable final outing, former England skipper Gower told Stats Perform: "Stuart's finished as anyone would like to, on a high, on an absolute high. 

"The Ashes has probably been his specialist subject, but he's taken wickets all around the world. His record, of course, is absolutely outstanding, bettered only by Jimmy Anderson. 

"His last shot being a six over deep midwicket, then to finish with the two wickets that wrapped up the game at The Oval… that is the stuff of legend. 

"Most of us go out without that script, most of us have to slink off having had a pretty bad day! 

"To go [out] on a highlight… that is a privilege accorded to very, very few. Alastair Cook did it at The Oval, others have done it at The Oval. The gods are looking after you when you have that sort of finish.

"I think for so many players, whatever else happens elsewhere in the world, if you are good at The Ashes – because of the history that comes with it – that stays in your memory forever. 

"I was very lucky to have a pretty good record in The Ashes as a batsman, and that's something I'm very proud of. Stuart can be equally proud about the way he succeeded and the way he played.

"We will always miss great players. When England next take to the field in a test match in India or next summer back here against different opposition, [we'll] be looking at the England eleven and thinking, 'I wish we still had Stuart' because people really enjoyed the way he played the game."

Broad's total of 153 wickets in Ashes series is the best of any England bowler, with only Australia pair Shane Warne (195) and Glenn McGrath (157) boasting more dismissals. 

Meanwhile, fellow bowling great Anderson has refuted suggestions he could follow Broad into retirement, saying his team-mate's exit has made his own desire to play on "even more firm".

Reflecting on the duo's incredible Test records, Gower added: "What will stay indelibly in black ink is that record. 

"The records of the game will show him [Broad] with 600-odd wickets in a lot of Test matches, 600 wickets for a seam bowler of his ilk is a lot of wickets. 

"Jimmy Anderson is ahead in that game, and he is even more incredible for his longevity. Jimmy is saying, 'I don't want to give up, I'm only 41!'

"It's an extraordinary thing for him to be quite so fit and strong and capable at that age as a quick bowler. 

"Both of them will look back as their lives develop, and there will always be those figures in the book."

Retiring playmaker David Silva should be remembered as one of the best players to grace the Premier League, according to his former Manchester City team-mate Joleon Lescott.

Real Sociedad midfielder Silva announced his retirement at the age of 37 last Thursday, having suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season training.

Prior to joining La Real in 2020, Silva won four Premier League titles and seven domestic cups during a memorable spell at the Etihad Stadium, where he has since been honoured with a statue. 

Silva – who also won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championship titles with Spain – led all Premier League players for assists (89) and chances created (768) during the decade between 2010 and 2020.

Having played alongside Silva between 2010 and 2014, former City defender Lescott believes Silva deserves to be seen as a Premier League great. 

"When he joined he was obviously a World Cup winner and a Euros winner, and he turned out to be an iconic Premier League player, one of the best to ever grace the Premier League," Lescott told Stats Perform.

"I think we all are aware of what his qualities were on the pitch, but what a guy. What a human being. My biggest compliment to David is that he's equally as good a person as he is a player."

City have lost two further club icons during the current transfer window, with Ilkay Gundogan joining Barcelona on a free transfer and Riyad Mahrez signing for Saudi side Al Ahli in a £30million deal.

Lescott believes the duo will be missed by Pep Guardiola's treble winners, adding: "The qualities they'll bring to their new teams are obvious. 

"They have superior technical ability. Ilkay is recognised as one of the best leaders in the squad. Riyad is obviously one of the most skilful. 

"They'll bring that to their new teams but they'll be sorely missed, not just because of their ability on the pitch, but [because of] what they brought to the dressing room and what they were to City's fanbase."

Having delivered the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trophies last term, Guardiola is looking to lead City to a fourth successive top-flight title this season.

Asked about Guardiola's impact on English football, Lescott said: "He's obviously changed the game, he's revolutionised different positions, the way we look at it and the way we view it.

"Every country he's managed in, I think they've tried to adapt throughout the leagues, and that's the biggest compliment for Pep. 

"Now in England there are multiple teams in multiple leagues that want to play the way they see Man City play."

England cannot claim a "moral victory" over Australia in this year's "outstanding" Ashes series, which ranks among the best ever played in the view of former skipper David Gower.

Rain during the fourth Test at Old Trafford ruined England's hopes of teeing up a decider at The Oval, though Stuart Broad's heroics did at least allow them to level the series at 2-2 with victory in the fifth Test.

While England's wait to recapture the urn continues, supporters and players took solace in denying Australia a first series win on English soil since 2001.

Captain Ben Stokes said he was "proud" of England's performances after the fifth Test, describing the draw as a "fair reflection" of the series as a whole.

While Gower agrees with that assessment, he does not believe England will be alone in wondering what might have been.

"Let's not talk about moral victories, that's just a red herring," he told Stats Perform. "It's 2-2, that's how it'll stand in history forever. 

"I think it's a fair reflection. If you talk to people in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Perth and all the rest of Australia, they will say Australia could have won it. 

"It's a certainty that if you talk to people in the United Kingdom, they will look at all the things that could have been slightly different.

"They'll look at the weather in Manchester and say we had the moral victory."

Gower added: "I guess what's fair to say is that England were destroying one of the best bowling attacks in world cricket at Old Trafford.

"That assault at Manchester was awesome. If you want to talk about moral victories, maybe that's the one place you're allowed the leniency to say that."

Gower believes the series' many twists and turns should ensure it is remembered as one of the most entertaining of the modern era.

"This is right up there with the great series, or at least the ones in living memory – I can't go back to beyond the 1930s," he added.

"I was part of the 1981 series, which was [Ian] Botham's Ashes, Botham and [Bob] Willis's Ashes in many ways. That was a brilliant, brilliant series to be part of.

"Then 2005 was outstanding, we had some fantastic performances there. Great drama, great theatre, and this year was certainly up there for drama and theatre. You can argue about the overall quality, but there were some stunning performances. 

"You look at the human error… at the end of it all, you can imagine that the results – English fans would say – could have been very different. If only. 

"But the Aussies will say the same. Rain at Manchester, who'd have thought it? Weather in England… you have to factor these things in at some stage. 

"At the end of it, I would say that the quality of the cricket between the two teams was outstanding."

Gower feels much of the series' intrigue came from a clash of styles, with England's aggressive approach under Brendon McCullum contrasting sharply with Australia's more conservative way of playing.

"Before the series started, there was an element of it being a clash of cultures," he said. "The so-called 'Bazball' against the more traditional way that Australia play. 

"Sides have to play the way their players play best. England have a lot of gifted batsmen who have the capacity to force the pace, as per 'Bazball'. 

"Australia have batsman, for instance like Usman Khawaja, who will just stay at the crease and make runs in quantities and buy time, use time. He was outstanding as well throughout the series."

Zak Crawley was "a revelation" for England in The Ashes, according to batting great David Gower.

England recovered from 2-0 down against Australia to draw the five-match series 2-2 and may have even forced a famous victory had the weather not intervened in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

Crawley scored a magnificent 189 from 182 balls in that Manchester contest and finished the series as England's top scorer with 480 runs at an impressive 53.33 average.

Having also hit fifties at Edgbaston and The Oval, Crawley is now established at the top of the order after what had been a mixed start to his Test career.

Prior to this summer, the 25-year-old averaged just 27.60 and had only produced 10 scores of 50+ across his first 61 innings in the longest format.

Gower, who with 3,037 runs is England's second-highest run-scorer in Ashes history, hopes the opener has turned the corner.

"Look at the way Zak Crawley batted – for the last three years he has been an enigma," Gower said to Stats Perform. 

"You look at the man thinking he has got enormous talent. You look at the way he hits the ball and you think this man must make thousands of runs. And yet, he's averaging 20-odd. 

"Suddenly, in this series, that style has been proven to be worthy. 

"The trick for Zak Crawley now would be to carry on doing that wherever else he plays in the world and hopefully the lesson will have stuck. 

"There are ways he can do that because he did change his game slightly, he did become more nuanced in the way he approached the opening overs of an innings. 

"So people do learn as they go. This is the great thing – people learn throughout their careers and you have never nailed it for sure. You are learning each and every day that you are out there. 

"Zak Crawley certainly contended to be a player of the series, I think that was a revelation."

Gower felt it was difficult to select a player of the series, with Chris Woakes ultimately winning the award despite not playing in every match.

The former England captain added: "It is always hard picking a player of a series when you've seen so many performances. The official result was Chris Woakes, who came in to play only three Test matches.

"What was interesting to me was that, for all the preparation and all the planning, things fell into place – not entirely by accident, but by circumstance – with Ollie Pope having to be left out because of injury. 

"So the balance of the team changed, Woakes and [Mark] Wood came in and the Woakes-Wood partnership actually seemed to make a huge difference to England. 

"Wood's pace at Leeds was very much the difference. And Woakes [made an impact] mainly with the ball and a little bit with the bat as well. 

"Woakes just had a series that he will savour for a long, long time."

England do not return to Test action until January 2024, when they will travel to India for a five-match series.

They will now turn their attention to retaining the Cricket World Cup. The latest edition of the 50-over tournament starts in October.

Joleon Lescott warned that Erling Haaland cannot be expected to break even more records after his remarkable debut season in England.

Haaland arrived in the Premier League in style last term, scoring 36 goals - a competition record for a 38-game season.

The Manchester City star scored a further 16 goals in other competitions, finishing on a remarkable 52 for the campaign.

But former City defender Lescott does not believe it can be expected that the 23-year-old continues setting records.

"We can't expect him to continue to break a record every year. It'd be difficult to do that," Lescott said to Stats Perform.

"I think if he maintains the level that he set, then he's going to be an iconic player for the Premier League, for Manchester City.

"Defenders will have to adapt to what he does and what he's done because if they didn't then he would continue to score the goals that he has.

"So I'm sure there will be different approaches and different solutions for [playing against] Erling this season."

Haaland spearheaded City's charge to a treble last season, and Lescott sees his old team as being the very best in the world as it stands.

"They're the best team in Europe for sure," he said.

"Obviously, with the Super Cup and hopefully the Club World Cup to come soon, we can have that honour of being recognised as the best team in the world, but you have to win the honours in order to do that."

City ultimately won the Premier League last term by five points, but they were pushed hard by Arsenal, who led the top flight for much of the season.

And Lescott feels there will be plenty of challengers to their crown in the coming campaign.

"Obviously, Arsenal were there or thereabouts last season. So I anticipate that challenge," he said.

"Liverpool again, they've been on par to a certain extent with Manchester City over the last few seasons. Manchester United have recruited new players, so I'm sure every team going into the start of the season believes they can win."

After facing Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, City play Burnley in their opening Premier League fixture, before taking on Europa League winners Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will bring "energy and quality" to Liverpool, says former Reds midfielder Lucas Leiva.

Liverpool are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing season that saw them fail to win a major trophy for only the second time in five campaigns, while they also failed to qualify for the Champions League.

They have looked to freshen up their midfield in this transfer window, with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai for sizeable fees from Brighton and Hove Albion and RB Leipzig respectively.

Naby Keita and James Milner left on free transfers at the end of last season, though the departure of captain Jordan Henderson, and the impending sale of Fabinho, both to Saudi Pro League clubs, have perhaps left Liverpool with more work to do than they initially planned.

Lucas believes Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will bring an exciting new dimension to Liverpool, who have been known for their workmanlike midfield in their hugely successful recent period under Jurgen Klopp.

"I think they bring energy, a lot of energy and quality," Lucas said. "Things that to play for a club like Liverpool you must have.

"A lot of players departed so it was important to replace these players, especially in midfield where it's an area of the team that is very demanding. Jurgen asks a lot from the midfield players.

"These players for sure bring a lot of energy and I'm looking forward to watching them too, for sure."

Despite the potential for nerves at joining such a big club, Lucas feels Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will hit the ground running at Anfield.

"When you change a club or you move, of course there is a time that you need to adapt," Lucas explained. "But I think in the preseason, that's why starting from the first day is really important and they did that.

"I think the structure of the team as well with a lot of experienced players, I think they will help them.

"It's really important now in the preseason that they take part of the preseason, the full preseason, so they will understand the way the team and Jurgen wants to play, and I'm looking forward to seeing these two players, especially because they are young and very promising."

Lucas was only 20 when he joined Liverpool. The midfielder explained he struggled initially before going on to make 247 Premier League appearances and becoming an Anfield favourite over a 10-year spell with the club. 

He believes that the previous experience of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai playing in Europe's top five leagues will give them an easier start than the one he had.

"Well my first seasons for Liverpool to be honest, were very difficult," Lucas added. "I was very young, I was only 20 and I left Brazil straight to go to the Premier League, so I took a bit of time to adapt.

"But these players that arrived, I think it's different. Mac Allister, he already knows the league. I think it will be it will be easier for him. So that's very important.

"[Szoboszlai] has got experience as well, he played at a great club in Germany. So I think it's a bit different than when I joined Liverpool. I think the team is more robust I would say."

Gary McAllister believes Liverpool are a "couple more additions" away from challenging at the top level again.

The Reds endured a disappointing campaign last season, finishing fifth and outside the Champions League places for the first time since Jurgen Klopp's debut 2015-16 season at Anfield.

Since then, Klopp has led Liverpool to both Premier League and Champions League glory while finishing runners-up in those competitions a combined four times during his tenure.

As they look to bounce back from only their second season without a trophy in the last five campaigns, McAllister believes Liverpool are only a couple of signings away from once again fighting for silverware.

McAllister said: "I think last season, when you look for the reasons why they were quite a bit behind Manchester City, I think there'll be loads of things you could come up with and they always seem to sound like they are excuses.

"But the way the club finished the season and the way the manager and the players got together to finish the season really well, even though they just missed out on the Champions League, I feel with the signings, I think everybody must feel really positive.

"I'm looking at the recruitment and looking at some of the players we have been linked with as well, with a couple more additions I'm sure Liverpool can be challenging at the very top."

The Reds have made it a priority to refresh their ageing midfield, with key men of recent years such as Jordan Henderson and James Milner allowed to leave Anfield while talents like Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have been brought in to replace them.

McAllister is particularly enthused by the arrival of Mac Allister, who boasts a World Cup winner's medal after playing a key part in Argentina's triumph in Qatar last year.

"Yes, there's been some interesting new signings," McAllister added. "Well, first and foremost, they bring quality.

"You’ve also got the added bonus of Mac Allister being a World Cup winner, it brings the confidence that comes with that. Both are very, very talented young players. Younger players [who] are more vibrant but also with the ability to score a goal and make a goal.

"He [Mac Allister] is somebody who can play in two or three positions. But the big thing for me with Mac Allister when you watch him, he's a very good player when his team is in possession of the football, but more importantly, when you look at the other side of the game when you don't have the ball. I think that's where Mac Allister has caught my eye as well.

"He's not frightened of hard work; he works really hard for the team out of possession. You see a player that ticks a lot of boxes, and then the impressive thing is out of possession. That's a big thing."

Liverpool's spending for the window might not be over yet with the Reds reportedly keen on Southampton's Romeo Lavia, while Fabinho's impending move to Al Ittihad is set to bring in £40m.

McAllister has faith the club will give Klopp the financial power many fans feel his work has merited, explaining: "The recruitment is and has been pretty good over the last [seasons], certainly during the period with Jurgen.

"There's a new head of recruitment and I'm sure they're continually watching the market and they're continually watching who's available and who can be bought.

"I think when somebody of quality becomes available, I'm sure Liverpool will be there competing against everybody to try and bring the best players that are needed at Liverpool."

Ons Jabeur will bounce back from her second straight Wimbledon final defeat by winning a "deserved" grand slam, according to Iva Majoli.

Jabeur was beaten 6-4 6-4 in the Wimbledon showpiece match by Marketa Vondrousova, who claimed her first grand slam and became the first ever unseeded champion at SW19.

The loss was Jabeur's second Wimbledon final defeat in as many years, with the Tunisian world number six still yet to win a grand slam despite reaching three finals in the last two years.

However, Majoli, who won the French Open in 1997 when she beat Martina Hingis in the final to deny her Swiss opponent the Grand Slam, is confident Jabeur will get over her recent disappointment by finally winning a major final.

"I think this loss was tough," Majoli told Stats Perform. "I'm sure everyone was expecting Ons [to win] and I love Ons.

"I think in the end there was maybe too much pressure on her. But from the beginning, I said that it was going to be a tough match.

"I think this loss was probably tougher than the one last year and I think she was expecting a lot from herself and I think she was expecting that she's going to win it. But life writes stories and it's not always how you expect.

"I think she will come back and I really wish she's going to win a slam because she deserves it."

Vondrousova's victory was historic, as she became the lowest-ranked player to win the Wimbledon ladies' title.

She also became the first unseeded woman to reach the final in 60 years.

Asked whether Vondrousova's unlikely triumph was a sign of strength or weakness in the women's game, Majoli replied: "There have been a lot of ups and downs, there have been a lot of wins and then disappearances and then wins again.

"But I think there is a strong young generation coming up. It was great to see Marketa Vondrousova winning.

"Marketa being a lefty is very dangerous. She was playing amazingly the whole tournament. And I always think the left-handers are a danger, like Petra Kvitova. So I would love to see them doing much, much better in the tournaments and in the rankings."

Jordan Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia is a "massive step back" for LGBT+ equality in football.

That is the view of Paul Amann, who founded the Liverpool-backed fan group Kop Outs in 2016 to provide a voice for LGBT+ fans.

After a hugely successful 12-year spell that has seen him captain Liverpool to both Premier League and Champions League glory, Henderson joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq this week to play for Reds legend Steven Gerrard.

Henderson is rumoured to be earning up to £700,000 a week in the Gulf state, where it is illegal to be homosexual and LGBT+ rights are not recognised by the government.

Having been a strong supporter of LGBT+ equality while playing in the Premier League, including being a big advocate for the rainbow laces campaign, Henderson's move has been criticised by Amann, who feels the 33-year-old midfielder's relocation to Saudi Arabia will tarnish his legacy as the latest Liverpool favourite to make the transfer.

"It's a massive step back," Amann told Stats Perform. "Not least when you look at the manager who he's moving to play [under], Steven Gerrard.

"You'd like to think that it was just one or two isolated incidents. Sadly you've got Robbie Fowler taking up a managerial post other there, [Roberto] Firmino going to play [there], probably Fabinho as well as Henderson. It's not a good look.

"I'd like to think that the protests bringing to the fore human rights issues, which are the base of our complaint against why people shouldn't go there and take part in sportswashing, will make people more aware of the risks and dangers of going to support that sportswashing operation.

"Fowler, Gerrard, Hendo. They've known working class issues as people born and brought up in the north, they know why we hold the values they do. For them to run off, chase after money, it's pretty shameful."

Amann is particularly disappointed in Gerrard, who signed a two-year contract to coach Al Ettifaq in early July.

"Yes, I've lost a lot of respect for Gerrard as a person," Amann explained. "His playing legacy is secured, same as Hendo, but his personal reputation and their personal legacy – I wouldn't go out of my way to meet them as people, because they've lost a lot of stature by what they've chosen to do.

"Steven Gerrard played at LA Galaxy, alongside Robbie Rogers – another out, gay footballer. If Stevie is prepared to dump a former team-mate and the principles that they stood and lived by so readily to move to Saudi and entice other team-mates to come and play for him… it's a very weird set-up."

Amann is confident that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will, privately, be disappointed in Henderson's decision.

He said: "Jurgen has always struck me as someone who is more than skin deep on these issues, he's invested in the values we espouse as a city and as a club.

"I'd really like to think that he's thinking 'Jordan, just give your head a wobble, you don't need to be going to a place like that'."

Despite recent events, Amann is hopeful that the criticism received by the likes of Henderson will put off players and managers from making the move, much like Fulham head coach Marco Silva, who reportedly turned down a two-year deal worth £40million to join Al Hilal.

"Fortunately, there's proof that not everyone can be bought," Amann stated. "Silva has turned around and said 'No' at least twice, and that's a bit of a beacon of hope that there are more people out there with integrity, who will stand by their principles and won't think the only thing that's important is money.

"We've got to remember the vast majority of people in this world are decent, they stand by their principles and shame on those that don't."

Jordan Henderson has "sided with the oppressor" and tarnished his Liverpool legacy by joining Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia.

That is according to Paul Amann, the founder of Kop Outs, a Liverpool-backed fan group that was formed in 2016 to provide a voice for LGBT+ supporters.

Henderson ended his 12-year association with Liverpool this week as he joined Al Ettifaq, now coached by Reds great Gerrard, in the Saudi Pro League.

Reports have claimed Henderson is set to earn as much as £700,000 per week in the Gulf state. The Saudi regime has been denounced by many organisations and governments for violating human rights within the country.

Homosexuality is illegal, and LGBT+ rights are not recognised by the Saudi government.

Henderson was a huge proponent of the Premier League's rainbow laces campaign, and has been the face of campaigns promoting LGBT+ awareness.

But Amann has been left unimpressed by the 33-year-old.

"As a player he brought us everything," Amann told Stats Perform.

"Every trophy we could have hoped for and ever imagined. He captained us to all that.

"For him to be leaving, effectively slinking out of the back door, to go off to Saudi and chase money, after he'd professed to being such an ally, is really, really disappointing and has left lots of Kop Outs members – and even the wider Liverpool fanbase – wondering: Who was the real Jordan Henderson?

"Twelve years at Liverpool and he appeared to embody the values of the city and the club. He would speak out against the abuse of women, speak out for the ability of women to play the game and take part in wider society.

"He'd speak out for things like the food bank programme, the NHS, and for us most importantly, LGBT+ rights. Yet he's going to a country where much of that would not be allowed."

For Amann, there is no doubt Henderson has severely dented his legacy at Anfield.

"As a player, his legacy is going to live long. No doubt about that. He's won everything," he said.

"As a person, he’s rubbished his own legacy, tarnished his own image by choosing to side with the people who oppress rather than continue the battle against such oppression. He could have gone anywhere in the world if he'd wanted to.

"He had the opportunity to take up positions in this country I'm sure – he could have carried on playing at Liverpool, he would have been given an absolute hero's send-off, which he's denied himself, and he could have been celebrated and lauded until the end of time for Liverpool fans as one of the greatest captains of all time – at Liverpool or indeed anywhere.

"Instead, he's decided to side with the oppressor, slink off through the back door of Anfield, make sure there wasn’t any proper goodbye, and he's gone off to a regime that’s against all the values of Liverpool."

Asked if he had one message for Henderson, Amann said: "Don't ever presume to show allyship unless you genuinely mean it, and what you've done, is proven that your allyship is just pretence."