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“I felt blessed to be there, it was just the medicine I needed during my recovery,” says Ross Weatherstone about being at Wembley in March to see his brother celebrate Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley.

Simon Weatherstone, first-team coach and a key member of Eddie Howe’s backroom team at Newcastle, shared an emotional embrace at the national stadium with his younger sibling, who five months earlier had undergone major surgery after being diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer.

“I had a chunk taken out of my right calf,” Ross, manager of Berkshire non-league club Binfield, tells BBC Sport.

“I originally went to the doctor’s because I found some flaky skin on my left leg, which ended up being keratosis moles, which was all fine.

“During the same check in April 2024, we agreed to do a full body check, which turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

“While checking my other leg, the tone of the doctors voice changed, which will live with me forever, when she said ‘oh, ok, this one looks a little different, we need to get this checked and a biopsy done as soon as possible’.

“The NHS were great, I was seen within two weeks and they diagnosed me within 24 hours with melanoma skin cancer. It was quite an aggressive form but they were confident they had caught it early.

“I feel unbelievably lucky. If I had not been checked over that day, if I had left that mole exposed in the summer of 2024, the consultant informed me my situation would have been life-threatening.”

Ross, a former defender with Oxford United, is telling his story to raise awareness about the dangers of skin cancer.

He believes going to the doctor’s to get his left leg checked out helped save his life.

“I was now in the system, where I had test after test,” he says.

“During an eye test, the consultants found a mole/freckle at the back of my eye, close to my blind spot, which was diagnosed as high risk choroidal atypical nevus with leaking subretinal fluid.

“I am still being treated for my eye and monitored every couple of months.

“The scary part reliving this now is, if I had not been checked when I was, I wouldn’t be here to share this story,” he adds.

According to Cancer Research UK, melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, and rates are climbing.

There will be approximately 21,300 cases of melanoma diagnosed this year, according to their projections. Since the early 1990s, skin cancer rates have doubled in women and almost tripled in men.

Wife Angela proved a huge support for Ross when he was diagnosed in May 2024 at the age of 43. It was a shock for the couple, who had welcomed their daughter, Amelie, to the world the previous year.

Ross, who runs the International Development Football Academy in Reading, had two procedures before undergoing a major operation in October which left him unable to walk for several weeks.

“One of the toughest challenges for me was seeing my daughter’s face of disappointment, as I couldn’t play or look after her,” he says.

While doctors are happy with Ross’ left eye, the Binfield boss now wears sunglasses during training and matches for protection.

“It should be made mandatory that coaches wear sunglasses at this time of year,” he adds.

“No-one wears sunglasses as a coach, yet we are educated as teachers and coaches to face the sun while delivering debriefs, so students and players aren’t squinting while you are talking.

“Protecting your eyes and wearing sunglasses should not be frowned upon.

Ross stepped away from his managerial duties at Binfield while he recovered from his operation.

The village club near Bracknell play in the eighth-tier Isthmian League South Central Division.

On Saturday, Binfield are away to Marlow in the preliminary round of the FA Cup (15:00 BST kick-off).

Ross is grateful for the support the club provided him and his family while he recovered.

“I pretty much missed half of last season through illness,” adds the former Stevenage and Boston United player.

“My assistant Andy Bullett and first-team coach Keith Pennicott-Bowen stepped up and took my place.

“The club could quite easily have moved me on for health reasons but they stood by me and my management team. I’m lucky to have the chairman I do. Andy Cotton had been through cancer himself and has been a rock to me.

“The level of support has been overwhelming from everyone at Binfield and the football community in general.

“I cannot stress enough how important the football club has been for me through this process.

Ross is urging people to get themselves checked if they are worried about the possibilities of skin cancer.

“Be brave, go and get your moles checked. The peace of mind is huge,” he says.

“I encourage any coaches, players or athletes who work in the sun to wear sunglasses and use sunscreen because as much as it is nice working outdoors, stay protected.”

Back to 16 March and that day when Newcastle ended a 70-year-wait for a major trophy, beating Liverpool 2-1 in the League Cup final.

Ross sat with his mum, Jennifer, and step-dad, Brian, at Wembley.

It was a proud moment for the family as Simon, who was appointed Newcastle first-team coach in 2021, celebrated with Howe and his players on the pitch at the national stadium.

“After everything I’d been through with my illness, to watch my brother climb the Wembley steps and lift the League Cup, I had an emotional moment,” adds Ross, who played in the same team as his brother at Oxford United and Boston United.

“Imagine if I hadn’t been there to witness it.

Italian orienteer Mattia Debertolis has died after collapsing during the World Games in China last week.

The 29-year-old was found unconscious by organisers during an orienteering event last Friday in Chengdu.

The Italian died on Tuesday – four days after his collapse.

“Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” World Games organisers said in a statement.

International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Tom Hollowell said he was “not able to adequately describe the unfathomable depth of sadness in this tragic loss of life”.

Debertolis’ cause of death is unknown at this stage.

The World Games is a multi-sport event held every four years for events that are not listed in the Olympics.

Debertolis was taking part in the final of the men’s middle-distance event, which took place in temperatures above 30 degrees, when he collapsed.

Orienteering is an outdoor sport in which participants have to navigate between unmarked checkpoints using a map.

It combines physical activity with map-reading and problem-solving.

The Italian was one of 12 athletes listed as “Did Not Finish” in the official results.

He was part of the Italian national team and finished fifth in the 2022 World Cup final.

Debertolis, who was qualified as a civil engineer, resided in Sweden and was studying for a PhD at a university in Stockholm.

In the world of women’s cricket, Ellyse Perry has seen it all.

From an Australia debut in 2007 at the age of just 16, to juggling international football alongside cricket, to the unforgettable 3-19 with a fractured ankle to win the World Cup in 2013 – one of her eight World Cup wins – plus a Commonwealth Games triumph in 2022.

Throughout it all, the game has transformed beyond recognition, with Perry as the star at its centre.

The 34-year-old all-rounder has 337 caps for Australia across formats, having been one of the country’s first players to be awarded a central contract in 2008, and is now one of the top names on any wishlist for the world’s various franchise leagues.

Having represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in India’s Women’s Premier League and Sydney Sixers in her native Women’s Big Bash (WBBL), Perry is now beginning her third season with Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred, having spent the early summer playing for Hampshire in the Women’s Vitality Blast and the One-Day Cup.

Though Perry’s focus is on leading Phoenix, who finished seventh in the table in 2024, she and the other Australians in the tournament – including Alana King, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield – will have one eye on the upcoming challenge of defending their 50-over World Cup title in India this autumn.

The Australia side has a strong case to be regarded as one of the greatest teams in sporting history but their most recent triumph, a 16-0 thrashing of England in the Ashes, saw a spotlight on women’s cricket in the UK like never before.

“It’s really easy to get caught up in the scoreline of that series without really seeing the bigger picture,” said Perry.

“There are some amazing players in that English team, world-class players who can win a game from anywhere.

“It was a moment in time. It was great for us and for our fans, playing at home during our summer, but I sort of feel like it was probably a bit of an anomaly.

“The next time we meet, it’ll be different circumstances – maybe in a World Cup. It’s a moment that has passed and not something that we all want to get stuck on or gloat about because cricket is so fickle, things can change so quickly.”

England received widespread criticism for the defeats and their attitude, with fans becoming increasingly frustrated by repeated claims of them being “so close” to beating Australia and with accusations of cosiness and complacency within the team.

Though Perry admits she did not pay much attention to what was said in the media during the series, she welcomes the increased scrutiny as a good thing for the game.

“It shows that people care, and people expect a certain level of performance from their elite female teams and they are passionate about it.

“That’s a far cry from where the women’s game was five to 10 years ago. So while criticism and being held to account isn’t always a pleasant thing, equally it’s a very positive thing for the direction of the game and that it’s being taken really seriously.

“People expect more [now we are paid more] and all we’ve wanted is to be taken seriously and to be respected, for the way that we play the game and the level that we can take the game to, so with that comes pressure to perform.

Australia’s success has been built from the world’s best domestic set up, with their first contracts introduced in 2017, while England’s county cricketers did not receive theirs until 2020.

But Perry feels that the franchise tournament has a huge role to play in developing England’s young talent, and praises the crowds that it attracts.

There was an attendance of 15,640 at the opening women’s match at Lord’s, 13,675 at the Oval Invincibles’ opener and Southampton saw a record crowd of 11,167 on Sunday.

“The Hundred has just been brilliant for the women’s game over here, you can really feel that interest, and the standard is really high,” Perry told BBC Sport.

“It’s definitely a skill which takes some time to develop [playing in front of bigger crowds] and it probably comes a bit more naturally to some players, but the exposure to that is so important.

“I’ve got no doubt that for players coming through, to be exposed to that, is so beneficial.”

This year is a transformative one for The Hundred and English cricket, with private investors buying stakes in the franchises, with six deals confirmed so far.

Among many questions is whether the women’s matches will eventually become standalone, in line with Australia’s WBBL, but Perry says the success of double-headers should not be overlooked yet.

“We get asked the reverse question back home. It’s contextual – they work really well for The Hundred because of the time of year, the school holidays and the summer when people want to socialise and enjoy their day out watching.

Many football fans will be aware of the story of the volcanic ash cloud that scuppered Robert Lewandowski’s potential move to Blackburn Rovers – but there was another club in England the striker wishes he had joined.

“To Manchester United I decided and said yes,” he told BBC Sport. “I wanted to join Manchester United, to see Alex Ferguson.”

The prospect of a move to the Red Devils came in 2012, when Lewandowski was scoring prolifically at Borussia Dortmund – and two years after a volcanic eruption in Iceland had put paid to his Blackburn switch.

However, the German club simply did not want to let their talismanic striker go.

“They could not sell me,” Lewandowski said. “Because they knew if I stayed they could earn more money, and that I could wait maybe one or two more years.

“But it is true that I said yes to Manchester United.”

While that move failed to materialise, Lewandowski has enjoyed a stellar career at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich and La Liga twice at his current club Barcelona.

At 37 he has no plans to retire any time soon, but accepts a Premier League opportunity has probably passed him by.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Liam MacDevitt, Lewandowski added: “Maybe it could be a regret [not to play in the Premier League].

“But when I am looking back [having] played for Bayern Munich, Dortmund and now Barcelona I have to say I am very happy with my career.

Lewandowski, who has scored more than 700 career goals for club and country, is preparing for his 22nd season as a professional.

He is now the old head in a young Barcelona team featuring supreme talents like Lamine Yamal, but the Poland international believes he still has plenty to offer.

“When I see that I still don’t have to catch the young guys, that they still have to catch me, it means this next season can also be very good,” he said.

“I am still there to show the best performance from myself.”

Lamine Yamal was not even born when Lewandowski’s career began, but despite being 19 years his senior, the striker believes he is still learning from younger players.

“I understood that I cannot fight with them but I can help them and they can also help me,” Lewandowski said.

“I learn from them a lot. I didn’t think it would happen like that.”

Lamine Yamal is widely viewed as a future superstar, and Lewandowski said he could see the winger was special from the moment he trained with the first team aged just 15.

“It is the first time in my life I saw after 50 minutes that he had something special,” he said.

The latest nominees for the Ballon d’Or have been announced, and for Lewandowski this time of year will be a reminder of just how close he came to winning the award.

He was among the favourites for the 2020 edition which was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A year later he finished runner-up to Lionel Messi for the main prize, and was named striker of the year after a record-breaking season when he scored 41 league goals.

“I was in the best moment of my career, I won everything with my club,” he said.

“I think the difficult thing with that case is until now I don’t know why.”

On who could win it this year, Lewandowski added: “You have so many players now who can [win the Ballon d’Or].

“Lamine Yamal’s season was incredible but in the end it depends what is most important. He still has a lot of time, if not this year maybe next year.

Lewandowski has played under some leading managers during his career and is currently working under Hansi Flick, who was also in charge during his trophy-laden spell at Bayern Munich.

But it is former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – who Lewandowski played under at Dortmund – who had the biggest influence on the striker.

“When I moved to Dortmund I was a very young guy, I lost my father when I was 16,” he said.

“I for sure was a boy who was more closed, I didn’t want to speak about my emotion.

“However, after a few years I met someone who I don’t want to say was like a father but similar.

“Maybe after so many years the kind of conversation that I missed with my father, I had with Jurgen.

“I remember the conversation until now because it changed my life, it changed my football life. I put my emotion out, I put out the words I had kept in for a few years and after this I felt freedom.