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Bowling for the first time since the Old Trafford Test, having put fitness concerns behind him, the fast bowler looked on the road back to his best rhythm

Srinidhi Ramanujam05-Sep-2025Every few minutes, a flight takes off from the airport just beyond the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) ground on the outskirts of Bengaluru. There’s a steady hum in the background, easy to tune out, and constant enough to notice if you’re paying attention. On the field, Anshul Kamboj’s bowling had a similar feel: there was an unhurried, deliberate rhythm to it, as he returned to action far from the spotlight that had briefly found him in England.After a challenging Test debut in Manchester in July, when he toiled for 18 overs for a solitary wicket, this Duleep Trophy semi-final for North Zone (NZ) against South Zone (SZ) marked a quieter, more controlled step forward.”I’m just trying to get into rhythm, focus on the present, and push myself without thinking too far ahead,” Kamboj had told ESPNcricinfo after the first day’s play. After missing NZ’s quarter-final due to a fitness concern, acknowledged that two weeks off from bowling had made this match just as much about rebuilding his body as it was about performance.Related

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“I felt really good this morning,” he said, reflecting on his first competitive match since the Test debut. “It’s been a month since I’ve played, so I’m just trying to get into the rhythm of playing a match again. I’m trying to push myself without thinking too much about what’s ahead, [and] just focusing on the present.”For Kamboj, the pre-season preparation is “just a matter of intensity”. It isn’t something that simply turns up on match day – it must be cultivated in the days leading up to it. That intensity was evident in his opening spells on the first and second days against SZ, when he steamed in with pace. His actions were sharp, and his focus clear.”For a fast bowler, loading [the body] during the off-season is crucial for the long season ahead,” Kamboj said. “You can’t train too much during the season; it’s about maintaining yourself. If you load your body well in the off-season, it helps you sustain performance over time.Anshul Kamboj picked up just the solitary wicket in 18 overs on Test debut in Manchester•Getty Images”When in competition, you focus more on refining your skills since you can’t train heavily. But in the off-season, you can build up gradually [by] working on both fitness and skills. The key is not to rest [for] too long, but to keep your body fit through shorter, focused training sessions. If you’re prepared in the off-season, you’ll just need to maintain it during the season, making it easier to perform consistently.”On Thursday, the first day of the Duleep match, Kamboj bowled a seven-over spell and almost had a wicket, forcing N Jagadeesan, on 9 at the time, to nick a length ball to the keeper only to be no-balled for overstepping. It turned out to be a costly mistake, as Jagadeesan went on to score 197 and pushed SZ’s total to 536. Kamboj, however, got on the wickets column soon after, getting Devdutt Padikkal caught behind just as tea approached.On day two, with 15 overs already under his belt, Kamboj’s workload was lighter, with spinners Nishant Sindhu and Mayank Dagar shouldering most of the responsibility, with Sindhu picking up a five-wicket haul. Kamboj still set the tone early on, however, running in hard, hitting the deck, and getting Mohammad Azharrudden caught at first slip with his second ball of the day.Kamboj, who finished with 2 for 67 in 24 overs, underscored the role of mental fitness in sustaining match intensity.”If you maintain the intensity of the match in practice, it puts a lot of pressure on the mind,” he said. “If you’re mentally fit, you can sustain that intensity in practice. But if you’re not, it becomes very difficult, and you might give up halfway. It’s about pushing yourself extra, even when it feels tough, because that’s how you build long-term results.”Last season, Kamboj was the highest wicket-taker in the Duleep Trophy. That followed a haul of 34 wickets in six matches for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. These performances fast-tracked his road to that India cap.Now, after that difficult Test debut, the selectors were at the CoE, watching him closely. As the new season progresses, Kamboj will hope his preparation, both mental and physical, will enable him to keep putting up these performances of quiet control.

The former captain acknowledges his life priorities have shifted as he prepares to play for his country for the first time since March

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2025Kane Williamson says he remains committed to playing for New Zealand, and has half an eye on the next ODI World Cup in 2027, but acknowledges that his life priorities have shifted as he prepares to play for his country for the first time since the Champions Trophy final in March.Williamson, 35, was not considered for last week’s three-match T20I series against England, as he was recovering from an unspecified medical issue. However, he is back with the squad for the ODI leg of England’s visit, which gets underway at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.”It’s nice to be back amongst the group,” Williamson told NZC, after linking up with a squad that is now coached by Rob Walter, following Gary Stead’s departure in the off-season. “There’s been quite a bit of change since the last time I was here, so it’s nice to meet the new coach and some new players as well. And I’m looking forward to the start of the series.”Williamson spent much of New Zealand’s winter in England, on an extended contract with Hundred-franchise London Spirit that included a multi-format stint with Middlesex. As one of a group of senior players on a casual contract with NZC, he missed New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe in order to fulfil that deal, and also made himself unavailable for this month’s early-season T20Is against Australia.However, Williamson reiterated his commitment to international cricket, while also acknowledging that his involvement with New Zealand’s squads could not simply be a case of him doing all the picking and choosing.”It’s just an ongoing communication with New Zealand Cricket and with Rob, and I’m grateful for that,” he said. “It’s a lot about the balance, with family and time away, but also the delicate balance of being a part of this team that I’ve really loved and enjoyed for such a long period of time.Kane Williamson spent much of New Zealand’s winter in England•Getty Images”Your life situation changes, as mine has, and I’m incredibly grateful as well for that,” he added. “With three young children, the balance between where you spend your time and [who] give your attention [to] is really important to me. Still being able to play for New Zealand, and play the sport that I love at the highest level, is great, but the balance is the most important thing for me.”I still love the game. I still have a strong desire to get better and train hard, and offer whatever I can for the team. It’s been a huge part of my life for 15-plus years, we’ve been through a lot as a group, and a number of transitions. But I’ve just loved playing with a bunch of people that are really committed to each other, and to the team.”New Zealand’s run to the Champions Trophy final was a continuation of their strong showing in ICC events during Williamson’s career. When asked what ambitions he still harboured, he acknowledged the 2027 ODI World Cup – scheduled for Southern Africa in 24 months’ time – remained “at the back of my mind”.”There’s always other things,” he added. “Test cricket is pretty dear to me as well. So it’s a little bit about what I want, and little bit more about what the team wants, and where it’s going, and what we’re buying into.”We’ll keep those lines of communication open to make sure that we’re focused and clear on what it looks like,” he added. “I’m respectful of the fact that this is a team and a special place, and that they’re always trying to build towards something. For me, in this phase of my career, if I’m there and able to add to it, then brilliant.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has plenty to stew on after his side were beaten 3-1 in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday.

It was a valiant effort from the Light Blues, though, as they played the majority of the game with ten men after Thelo Aasgaard’s red card in the first half for a challenge on Anthony Ralston.

Given the circumstances, the fact that Rangers took the game to extra time is a credit to Rohl and the work that his coaching team have done to make the side harder to play against.

Of course, the German tactician has also won both of his Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the club since he came in to replace Russell Martin, which has provided supporters with a slither of hope for the rest of the season.

There is plenty of work left to do, though, if the Light Blues want to enjoy a successful end to the 2025/26 campaign, as Rohl needs to get more out of the current group of players, at least until the January transfer window.

One player the manager needs to work with to improve his performance is winger Djeidi Gassama, whom he worked with at Sheffield Wednesday.

Why Djeidi Gassama needs to improve his Rangers performances

The French forward arrived at Ibrox from the Owls in a £2.2m deal during the summer transfer window to bolster then-manager Martin’s options at the top end of the pitch.

Gassama made an electric start to life in Glasgow with a return of four goals in six Champions League qualifiers, per Transfermarkt, for the Scottish giants.

Unfortunately, the left-sided attacker has only scored one goal in 15 appearances in every other competition combined so far this season, with no goals in ten appearances in the Premiership.

Gassama has failed to provide consistency in his end product after that exciting start to his career in Glasgow, with just one goal and one assist in his last ten appearances.

Djeidi Gassama’s last 10 appearances

Opponent

Goals

Assists

Celtic

0

0

Hibernian

0

0

Kilmarnock

0

0

Brann

0

0

Dundee United

0

1

Falkirk

0

0

Sturm Graz

1

0

Livingston

0

0

Genk

0

0

Hibernian

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Frenchman has rarely contributed at the top end of the pitch in recent months, which is why he needs to step up under Rohl and prove that he deserves to be a regular starter.

His inconsistency in the final third should not be a huge surprise, though, as he ended the 2024/25 campaign with eight goals and one assist in 47 games for Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

With this in mind, it remains to be seen whether or not Gassama will be able to find that consistency as a scorer and a creator of goals, or if he will have those issues with his game throughout his Rangers career.

Meanwhile, there is another winger in the club’s ranks who has the potential to be an even bigger talent than Gassama at the top end of the pitch.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Mikey Moore has not set the world alight since his move on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, but his form at youth level suggests that there is much more to come from him.

Why Mikey Moore can be a bigger talent than Djeidi Gassama

The 18-year-old forward has provided no goals and two assists in 15 appearances in all competitions for Rangers, per Transfermarkt, which is far from an impressive return.

However, it is worth taking into account that this is Moore’s first-ever loan move and first taste of regular first-team football, and he was dropped into an incredibly difficult situation during Martin’s tenure.

Rangers were a struggling team playing in front of a frustrated crowd at Ibrox more often than not, given a run of five wins in 17 matches, and that cannot have been an easy environment for an 18-year-old forward to come into.

It is, therefore, understandable, with the benefit of hindsight, why Moore did not hit the ground running and provide goals and assists straight away.

He has shown some signs of promise since Martin’s departure. After four goals in two matches for England’s U19s during the October international break, Moore provided an assist for James Tavernier in the 2-2 draw with Dundee United.

The English forward also showed some great moments off the bench against Celtic on Sunday, driving Rangers up the pitch with his impressive ball-carrying skills. Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar even described his cameo as “terrific”.

Mikey Moore’s career (U18, U21, and first-team)

Position (appearances)

Goals

Assists

Left wing (19)

4

6

Attacking midfield (9)

6

4

Centre-forward (7)

11

4

Right wing (10)

1

0

Left midfield (1)

0

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Moore’s most productive performances as an attacking force have come in central positions as a number ten or as a centre-forward, but he has mainly played on the wing for the Light Blues.

The England youth international delivered 19 goals and 13 assists in 24 games for Spurs at U18 level, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he does have the potential to provide consistency in the final third when at his best and playing in the right areas.

As you can see in the clip above, Moore pressed well from a central position to create a chance for himself, which he then finished brilliantly.

This suggests that Rohl could get the best out of the young attacker by deploying him in a central role, allowing him to use his ball-carrying and pressing skills to impact games in the middle of the park.

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His form at youth level in central positions then suggests that Moore could be an even bigger talent than Gassama for Rangers because of his consistency, with goals and assists, in the final third, which the Frenchman has struggled with.

India impressively defended what had initially seemed a slightly light total on the Gold Coast

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2025

Axar Patel used angles to take his wickets and then to celebrate them•Getty Images

Led by their spinners and a vital pair of inroads from Shivam Dube, India impressively defended what had initially seemed a slightly light total to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20I series on a Gold Coast surface that both sides agreed had shades of the subcontinent about it.From 121 for 2 after 14 overs, India were only able to post 167 largely due to the key breakthroughs provided by Adam Zampa, back in the side after the birth of his second child, and late-overs brilliance of Nathan Ellis.But Australia shed wickets at regular intervals in the first stage of their chase before collapsing in a heap to lose 7 for 28. Axar Patel conceded just 20 off his four overs, including 12 dot balls, while Dube claimed the key wicket of Tim David. Varun Chakravarthy’s final delivery of the evening all but sealed the contest when Glenn Maxwell, returning from his broken wrist, completely failed to pick a googly.The result left a large proportion of the 20,470 crowd delighted and meant that the best Australia could hope for is a share of the series in the final game at the Gabba on Saturday.Shivam Dube took over with his seemingly magical wicket-taking ability•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Axar ties up Australia

Axar only had a limited role with the ball in the first three matches of the series; India didn’t bowl in Canberra, he wasn’t used at the MCG, then he returned 0 for 35 in Hobart. Here, however, he came to the fore, as his darting left-arm spin proved very difficult to combat.Matthew Short, back in his favoured opening role but one he has conceded is probably not realistic to have at the T20 World Cup, had dominated the early stages of the chase before falling lbw sweeping at Axar when India successfully reviewed the not out decision. Axar then defeated Josh Inglis, a player who looked rusty after a period on the sidelines, when he charged down the pitch.

Dube at the double

As in the previous match, Mitchell Marsh had not had a huge amount of strike early in the chase but was starting to move through the gears. Dube dropped a slower delivery in short, it was very much in Marsh’s wheelhouse, and the pull went flat towards deep square leg where Arshdeep Singh took an excellent running catch around the boundary. However, Dube’s big moment was to come.David launched him for a huge six over long-on – it wasn’t far from striking the overhanging roof – but Dube’s revenge only took one delivery. Banging the ball in short, David was hurried into a pull and top edged into the covers.When Josh Philippe spliced to short midwicket two overs later it was another game that needed Maxwell to salvage it but having not batted in the middle since mid-September, that was always a tall order. The dominance of the visiting spinners was perhaps a little warning to Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year where the types of surfaces on offer could vary.Josh Inglis claims a catch off Tilak Varma•Getty Images

Zampa back with a bang

Abhishek Sharma had been dropped second ball of the match by Xavier Bartlett, a running chance at deep point where he may have been distracted by another fielder, and when Abhishek deposited Zampa’s second ball of the series straight down the ground for six India were a healthy 56 for 0 in the seventh over. However, two balls later Zampa evened the ledger when Abhishek tried to repeat the stroke against a googly and was safely held at long-on by David.Zampa was then held back until the second half of the innings and it threatened to be a rough night. In the 13th over Suryakumar took him for two sixes over deep midwicket as the India captain looked set to kick start a late surge for his team. However, Suryakumar picked out David in the deep – who held on his with fingertips – and when Zampa returned for his final over in the 17th of the innings he had an impact.Tilak Varma gloved a sweep which popped up for Inglis to gather, then three balls later Australia successfully reviewed for an lbw against Jitesh Sharma when he missed a sweep.

Ellis shines again

It is nothing unusual for Ellis to impress in this format, but this was another outstanding display of his T20 skills. The final figures of 4-0-21-3 were made even more noteworthy by the fact his first four deliveries cost 10 as Shubman Gill took him on the powerplay. That meant his 21 deliveries cost just 11, and he bowled three of the last nine overs.His first wicket ended Dube’s experimental innings at No. 3 when he played across a slightly slower delivery. Then at the start of the 15th over he finished Gill’s rather laboured stay, although which grew in value as the night wore on, with a back-of-the-hand slower ball. He closed out with the 19th over, homing in outside off with wide yorkers and changes of pace. Occasionally he got a little too wide and was called, but none of the batters could get him away. In the end, however, as the pitch continued to slow up, India still had more than enough.

Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the injured Cole Palmer being the jewel in their crown.

The former Manchester City prospect joined the club over two years ago and, since then, has been nothing short of world-class.

In 101 appearances, the Englishman has racked up a monstrous tally of 45 goals and 29 assists.

So, fans should be delighted about reports linking Chelsea to an international star who could be another Palmer-type signing for them.

Chelsea target their next Palmer

Even though the transfer window is still over a month away, Chelsea have already been linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The likes of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Atlético Madrid’s Julian Alvarez are just some of the names touted for a move to Stamford Bridge.

Yet, while they’re both incredible players, it would be hard to describe them as Palmer-like, which isn’t the case with Marcus Rashford.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are interested in signing the England international next summer.

The report has revealed that, while Barcelona are happy with how the 27-year-old is performing on loan this season and have a €30m buy option – £26m – they are also still considering whether he’d be worth the financial outlay, given the club’s position on that front.

Moreover, as the Spanish side have been deliberating on the matter, the report claims that the Blues have already been in contact with the player’s camp, and want to make him a key part of their attack next year.

It’s unclear how much Manchester United would charge the West Londoners, but given their desire to move him on, it could be in the region of his Transfermarkt valuation of €40m, or about £35m.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Rashford’s ability and form, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as he could be another Palmer.

Why Rashford would be another Palmer

Now, while there certainly are some differences between the two players, such as their ages, there are still several reasons why Rashford could be another Palmer-type signing for Chelsea.

For example, and this is the most important of them all, while he has had a few down seasons since he broke onto the scene, the 28-year-old has also had more than a few in which he’s been practically unplayable.

In the 22/23 season, before the wheels well and truly fell off at Old Trafford, the Manchester-born monster racked up an utterly sensational tally of 30 goals and 12 assists in 56 games.

A couple of years before that, he scored 21 goals and provided 18 assists in 57 games, and his overall tally of 216 goal involvements in 426 games for the Red Devils is genuinely astounding.

Moreover, he is currently showing that he can reproduce such numbers in another league entirely: in 16 appearances for Barca, totalling 1134 minutes, he’s scored six goals and provided nine assists, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.06 games, or every 70.87 minutes.

Appearances

16

Starts

13

Minutes

1134′

Goals

6

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.93

Minutes per Goal Involvement

70.87′

In other words, the dynamic attacker, whom content creator Neal Gardner dubbed one of “the best in the world”, is someone who could have a similar game-changing impact on Enzo Maresca’s side as Palmer has.

Furthermore, it would also be another instance of the West Londoners pouncing on an incredible English player no longer wanted by one of the Manchester clubs.

Finally, just like Pensioners’ talismanic number ten, the 68-capped international is almost certainly going to be heading to the World Cup with England in the summer and will likely play a key role for Thomas Tuchel.

Ultimately, while it might be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Rashford in the summer, as he could be another Palmer.

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Labuschagne released from ODI squad to play Shield cricket while Hazlewood and Abbott will miss back-end of T20I series to play a Shield game

Alex Malcolm24-Oct-2025

Jack Edwards has been added to Australia’s ODI squad•Getty Images

New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards has been called into his first international squad after being added to Australia’s ODI side for the final match in Sydney while Glenn Maxwell and Ben Dwarshuis are fit to return for the latter stages of the upcoming T20I series against India, with young WA quick Mahli Beardman also called up for the T20Is.Cricket Australia confirmed a host of changes to the two white-ball squads on Friday with Marnus Labuschagne released from the ODI squad ahead of the final game in Sydney on Saturday to prepare for Queensland’s Sheffield Shield clash with NSW that starts on Tuesday at the Gabba.Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott will both miss the back-end of the T20I series against India in order play the round four Shield match for NSW against Victoria which starts at the SCG on November 10. Hazlewood will only play the first two T20Is while Abbott, who is recovering from split webbing in his hand, will leave Australia’s squad after the third T20I in Hobart.Related

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Matthew Kuhnemann, who played in the first ODI against India in Perth but then missed the second in Adelaide when Adam Zampa returned, was recalled to the squad for the third game in Sydney alongside Edwards. Josh Philippe, who also played the opening ODI and then was left out of the second when Alex Carey returned, was added to the T20I squad as the spare wicketkeeper with doubt remaining over Josh Inglis’ fitness as he is yet to return from a calf strain.Maxwell will return for the last three matches of the T20I series having been ruled out of the first two after fracturing his wrist while bowling in the nets in New Zealand late last month. Dwarshuis was ruled out of the ODI series and the first three T20Is with a calf injury but has been named to return for the fourth and fifth matches in Queensland.Mahli Beardman has been called up to Australia’s T20I squad•CA/Getty Images

Beardman, 20, is a surprise call-up for the last three T20Is. The former Australia Under-19 quick was a shock inclusion as an injury replacement on Australia’s 2024 white-ball tour of England having played only one List A game for Western Australia. He is also coming off stress fractures over the winter but he has made an impressive start to his T20 and List A career for Perth Scorchers and WA. He took 3 for 17 in his second BBL game, his last T20 appearance in January, and has 12 wickets at 17.75 with an economy rate of 5.75 from his first four List A games for WA, including 3 for 48 and 2 for 55 in his only two games so far this season coming back from injury.Edwards’ call-up to the ODI squad has come on the back of some excellent performances for Australia A on the recent tour of India. He made 88 in the second four-day game in Lucknow and then took 4 for 56 and 89 off 75 in the second and third 50-over matches in Kanpur respectively while captaining Australia A.His addition to the squad does provide Australia the opportunity to extend their batting and trial an allrounder heavy line-up in the dead rubber in Sydney. Such an XI would present the selectors with the chance to rest either one or both of Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc given there is just one day of rest between the second and third ODI.Australia ODI squad for the third ODI vs IndiaMitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam ZampaAustralia T20I squad vs IndiaMitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott (first three matches only), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (last three matches only), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (last two matches only), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell (last three matches only), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank will be delighted with where the team is currently at, after moving up to third in the Premier League table on Sunday.

The former Brentford boss inherited a team that finished 17th in the division under Ange Postecoglou last season, despite winning the Europa League, which makes their current form all the more impressive.

Spurs travelled to Merseyside to take on Everton at the Hill Dickinson stadium on Sunday in the Premier League, and came away from that match with a 3-0 win.

Central midfielder Micky van de Ven took his tally for the season to five goals with two strikes in the first half, before Pape Matar Sarr added a third late on by heading in from close-range after Richarlison nodded the ball back across goal.

You would often be hard-pressed to find many negatives from a 3-0 win away from home in the Premier League, but there were some for the Lilywhites on Sunday.

For example, there was another fairly underwhelming performance from summer signing Xavi Simons in the middle of the park, and he needs to step up for Spurs in the coming weeks and months.

Why Xavi Simons needs to step up for Spurs

The Europa League champions splashed out £52m to sign the Netherlands international from RB Leipzig, possibly with the intention of him replacing James Maddison, who suffered an ACL injury in pre-season.

It is easy to see why they were willing to splash the cash on the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona youngster, as he produced consistent quality in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons.

Appearances

32

25

xG

8.26

5.11

Goals

8

10

Big chances created

14

12

Key passes per game

2.5

2.0

Assists

11

7

As you can see in the table above, Simons racked up 18 goals and 26 ‘big chances’ created as an attacking midfielder or winger, proving that he can make a big impact in the final third.

However, the Dutchman has no goals and one assist, which came from a corner, in ten appearances in all competitions for Tottenham since his move to the club in the summer window.

Simons, as of yet, has been unable to translate his influence in the Bundesliga over to the Premier League. Whether that will come with more time and experience in England, it remains to be seen.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder played 62 minutes against Everton on Sunday, per Sofascore, and came off the pitch without any shots on goal or any chances created to show for his efforts for the Lilywhites, which shows that it was an ineffective performances in the final third.

Along with his struggles in the Premier League, Simons also has no goals, one key pass, and no ‘big chances’ created in three appearances in the Championship for Tottenham this term.

This shows that he has been struggling domestically and on the continent stage, which will be a concern for supporters and Frank at this stage, as the Dutch star is clearly capable of much better than he is showing, given his output for Leipzig in his two full seasons in Germany.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

With the £52m signing’s struggles at the top end of the pitch, though, it could be the right time for the Danish head coach to provide a young player with an opportunity to step up.

Luca Williams-Barnett made his first-team debut for the club in the League Cup in a 3-0 win against Doncaster Rovers, and he could emerge as a surprise upgrade on Simons.

Spurs travel to Tyneside to take on Newcastle United in the League Cup on Wednesday night, which could be the perfect opportunity to offer the teenage starlet a chance to shine.

Why Luca Williams-Barnett could be a Xavi Simons upgrade

The 17-year-old star’s form for the club at academy level this season suggests that he has the potential to be an exciting player for the first-team if he can make the step up.

As aforementioned, Simons has not stepped up to deliver goals and assists since his big-money move from Leipzig, with a goal contribution every ten matches on average so far.

Williams-Barnett, meanwhile, has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 12 appearances in all competitions this season, including a three-minute cameo for the first-team, per Transfermarkt.

On top of his exceptional form in front of goal in the current campaign for Tottenham’s youth teams, the England U18 international also scored 20 goals in all competitions last season.

Appearances

23

12

Minutes

1857

894

Goals

20

8

Minutes per goal

93

112

Assists

12

7

Minutes per assist

155

128

Minutes per goal contribution

58

60

As you can see in the table above, Williams-Barnett has provided goals and assists on a consistent basis since the start of last season, averaging a goal or an assist every hour or so over the past 18 months.

U23 scout Antonio Mango went as far as to call him the “most underrated talent in English Academies”, which speaks to how impressed he has been with the Spurs youngster’s performances.

His talent has been recognised this season, though, as he won the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for his displays at U21 level in September.

With all of this in mind, and the fact that his main position is as an attacking midfielder, it could be the right time for Frank to provide him with another chance to impress at first-team level after his debut against Doncaster last month.

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Tottenham Hotspur may have found their next Jan Vertonghen, and it is not Micky van de Ven.

ByDan Emery Oct 27, 2025

He has shown unbelievable form and consistency for the academy team for more than a year, and his numbers at youth level suggest that he does have the potential to be an upgrade on the currently underperforming Xavi Simons, if he can make the step up.

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