Category Sports News

“Game time is a challenge. It’s always been a little bit of a challenge for Northern Ireland squads”.

Since Michael O’Neill’s return as Northern Ireland manager in 2022, when he inherited a much younger squad than the one he had taken to Euro 2016 during his first stint, he has consistently stressed the need for his players to be playing as often as possible at as high a level as possible.

As such, the final weekend of the domestic seasons in England and Scotland could prove important for his international squad.

While the likes of Callum Marshall, Jamie Donley and Dale Taylor are on the books of Premier League teams, with that trio having spent the season on loan in League One, just two players in O’Neill’s 26-man squad for friendlies against Denmark and Iceland next month featured in England’s top tier this season.

Liverpool’s Conor Bradley picked up a Premier League winners ‘ medal, with Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny doing likewise in the FA Cup.

However, citing the challenging experience of facing Alexander Isak in defeat by Sweden in March, O’Neill knows regular exposure to such talents would be hugely beneficial.

“In the past, we would have had more players playing their club football at a higher level”, he said.

“If you look back to the team that went to the Euros, there was probably maybe as many as six, seven, eight players playing at Premier League level and had played at that level for quite a number of years, most of their career, if not all of their career.

That could change for two of his panel on Saturday with key defenders Dan Ballard and Trai Hume involved in the Championship play-off for Sunderland against Sheffield United at Wembley.

Ballard came through the ranks at Arsenal but did not feature for the club before moving to the Stadium of Light in 2022, while Trai Hume took a different path to the Black Cats, playing more than 50 games in the Irish League.

O’Neill said he is” desperate “for Sunderland to achieve promotion, believing the pair are capable of playing Premier League football.

” I think sometimes we maybe underestimate our players in that situation. I do believe they are, “he said of their ability to step up a division.

” There would be a lot of clubs aware of how consistent they have been in the Championship, and we have seen other players step up from the Championship and do well in the Premier League, but it is a challenge.

“Sometimes, I believe, it’s preferable to join a team than to join a club. If you enter that position, as Sunderland might, you already have a strong club presence, and they are also considered first-choice players, which is crucial.

With Ethan Galbraith and Jamie Donley both on loan at Leyton Orient and competing in the League One play-off final on Sunday, O’Neill will also be monitoring that game.

Paddy McNair, 30, and George Saville, 31, both from Millwall, are the two most experienced players in Northern Ireland’s squad for the upcoming month’s games.

O’Neill believes his players are at the same stage of their professional and professional careers as their younger counterparts, but one that is still in its early stages with Nations League promotion secured in November.

He said, “I do believe the squad is progressing in two ways: it can progress when it joins as a team and they can progress when they return to their clubs.”

“I believe this squad is still a long way from where it should be in terms of where the players will be in their professional roles as well as their international careers,” he said.

Under a new agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Channel 5 will continue to air the matches on free-to-air television for four of its home T20 matches annually for the next four years.

The two men’s and two women’s matches, which were previously broadcast on the BBC, will also be available on Channel 5’s streaming service.

They will still be streamed on Sky Sports, which broadcasts all of England’s home games.

Highlights of the T20 Blast will also be streamed on Channel 5.

The women’s T20 game between England and the West Indies will take place on Monday in Chelmsford for the first time on the network.

Additionally, it will show England’s men playing South Africa on Sunday 14 September, followed by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s countrymen’s match against India on Saturday 28 June, and then England’s men playing Brazil on Sunday 8 September.

Highlights from all red and white ball internationals are available on television, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website under a new deal that the BBC signed this year with the ECB.

On the BBC Sport website and app, live TV coverage of eight double-headers in each season of The Hundred, as well as in-play clips of all games.

As he prepares to step down from the Spanish club this weekend and become Brazil’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti claimed that his relationship with Real Madrid “is eternal.”

Ancelotti has agreed to take charge of the national team starting on May 26, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CFB).

Real have confirmed that Ancelotti’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu will end following Saturday’s home game against Real Sociedad, rubber-stamping that news.

One of the greatest Real Madrid legends and players in history, our club expresses its gratitude and affection to him, according to a statement from Real Madrid.

“We feel incredibly honoured to have had the chance to work with a coach who has not only embodied our club’s values in a high caliber, but also who has helped us achieve so much success,” said club president Florentino Perez.

In his two years as Real manager, Ancelotti has won 15 titles, including the Champions League and La Liga titles.

His first stint, which spanned 2013 to 2015, and his second stint, which spanned 2021 and was a plot he escaped from Everton, ended in 2021.

The 65-year-old’s contract with Real was scheduled to expire in June 2026, but he has now been changed so that he can start working on Monday.

Ancelotti wrote on X, “I carry with me in my heart every moment of this wonderful second stint as Real Madrid manager.”

“They have been unforgettable years, a remarkable journey filled with titles, emotions, and, most importantly, the pride of representing this club.

What we accomplished as a team will forever be remembered by Real Madrid fans, not just for the victories but also for the manner in which they were achieved. The Bernabeu’s magical nights are now a part of history.

My relationship with Real Madrid is unbreakable, even though it just started anew.

Ancelotti will take Xabi Alonso’s place in the premier league, playing for Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Spain.

Alonso, 43, has confirmed that he will step down from Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the upcoming Fifa Club World Cup.

Dorival Junior, who was fired in March after losing to Argentina 4-1 in World Cup qualifying, was replaced by Brazil with Ancelotti.

The Selecao are currently fourth in the South American group, having lost five of their final five games.

After Las Palmas’ relegation, Swansea City are considering a move for former striker Oli McBurnie, who has since become a free agent.

The 28-year-old Scotland international confirmed that his contract has a clause that allows him to leave the Gran Canaria club for good after their relegation from Spain’s top flight.

McBurnie signed for Las Palmas in 2024 on a three-year deal from Sheffield United, which paid Swansea £20m for his signature five years prior.

He has impressed both on and off the field, winning both Spanish media and fans by conducting post-game interviews in Spanish.

However, he was a target for a number of Championship clubs in January, and Las Palmas’ relegation will give him new life.

My contract has increased from three years being renewed, making me a free agent, McBurnie told BBC Radio Sheffield’s Football Heaven. “We didn’t reach our goal this year and we didn’t manage to stay up,” McBurnie said.

“We have one game against Espanyol to play, and then I’ll head back home for the summer and spend a few weeks with the family.” Being outside makes it feel wonderful, but it’s also difficult to be so close to family. We’ll talk and decide what to do next.

McBurnie had a fan favorite in his first season at Swansea, scoring 26 goals in 62 appearances.

Zeidane Inoussa and Bobby Wales, both of whom the Welsh club signed for the 2025-26 season, are already signings.

Ivan Toney, a former Brentford striker, has been called back to England’s squad for the matches against Andorra and Senegal in the upcoming month.

The 29-year-old has received his first call-up since joining Al-Ahli from the Bees last summer.

In the final match of the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain, he made his final six appearances for England.

After leaving him out of his first team in March, England head coach Thomas Tuchel was moved to his next team after seeing him score 28 goals in 42 appearances for Al-Ahli this year.

On June 7, England will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier, before hosting Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 10.

Despite the midfielder’s pending shoulder surgery, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has also been chosen.

The 21-year-old hasn’t had a shoulder issue since 2023, and will need surgery following the Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 15 and follows England’s games.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Trevor Chalobah (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Ac Milan, on loan from Manchester City), and Kyle Walker (Ac Milan) are the defenders.

Midfielders: Eberechi Eze (Real Madrid), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Newcastle), and Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)

Phil Foden, a midfielder for Manchester City, has been replaced, according to a statement released this week that his form this season has deteriorated due to off-field issues and an ankle injury.

Marcus Rashford, a loanee from Manchester United to Aston Villa, misses out due to a season-ending hamstring injury.

Due to his absence, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, and Harry Maguire are also missing, making it impossible for them to select a representative from Manchester United.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton and West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen are both absentees.

Former Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been recalled to England’s squad for next month’s matches against Andorra and Senegal.

It is a first call-up for the 29-year-old since he moved to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli from the Bees last summer.

He made the last of his six England appearances in the Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.

But 28 goals in 42 appearances for Al-Ahli this season has convinced England head coach Thomas Tuchel to have a closer look at the striker, having left him out of his first squad in March.

England face Andorra in a World Cup qualifier on 7 June, before welcoming Senegal to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground for a friendly on 10 June.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham has also been selected, despite the midfielder’s upcoming shoulder surgery.

The 21-year-old is set to have an operation following the Club World Cup – which starts on 15 June and follows England’s matches – to resolve a long-term shoulder issue that has troubled him since 2023.

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Burnley)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Trevor Chalobah (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Kyle Walker (Ac Milan, on loan from Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)

There is no place for Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden, who said this week that his form this season has suffered because of off-field issues and an ankle injury.

Marcus Rashford, on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, misses out after suffering a season-ending hamstring injury.

His omission means there is not a single representative from Manchester United in the squad, with Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire also missing out.

West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen is a notable absentee, while Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton has also been left out.