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Teenagers Miller & Wilson in Scotland squad for play-offs

SNS

Uncapped teenagers Lennon Miller and James Wilson have been named in Scotland’s squad for this month’s Nations League play-off matches with Greece.

Meanwhile, Lewis Ferguson, Kevin Nisbet and Kieran Tierney have been recalled by Steve Clarke.

Motherwell midfielder Miller and Hearts forward Wilson, both 18, have represented their country at age grade level. Well regular Miller has captained his club side of late while Wilson, who also qualifies for Northern Ireland, has broken into the Hearts team in recent months, scoring six times.

“A lot of call-offs, a lot of injuries, especially in middle to forward areas”, Clarke said.

“I just felt it was a chance to have a look at two young boys, who’ve caught the eye – Lennon certainly over the last 18 months and James over the last six months. Two for the future but also can help us just now.

” Lennon plays with a maturity beyond his year. Good qualities, he can play deep in midfield, can play higher midfield, good delivery, box-to-box, good energy. Now we have to see if he can fit in among the group.

“]James] is someone who catches your eye, runs behind, looks to score goals, which is a great trait. We’re always looking for goal scorers.

Bologna midfielder Ferguson, 25, missed Euro 2024 with a long-term knee injury but has returned to action in Serie A. Forward Nisbet, 28, is rewarded for his recent form on loan at Aberdeen from Millwall, netting 10 goals this season including five in his past six appearances.

Defender Tierney, 27, last played for Scotland during the Euros, where he picked up a hamstring injury, but recently returned to the Arsenal side. He will move back to first club Celtic this summer.

” Always good to get your good players, “Clarke said of Ferguson and Tierney”. Unlucky with injury. Fingers crossed they can come back and have an injury-free year and help us stay in]the highest tier of] the Nations League and qualify for the World Cup.

“Kevin’s scored a couple of goals recently. Sometimes when a striker starts scoring goals, it becomes a habit so hopefully with Kevin that’s the case.

” We want to stay at the top level, we want to be competitive against the top teams and to do that, we’re going to have beat a good Greece side over two games.

“Good team, defend well, don’t give many goals away, score goals. Really good on the counter attack, their away performances particularly catch the eye.

” Any team that goes to Wembley and beats England is always going to catch your eye. “

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland, 29, also featured in the finals in Germany but is not included in the latest squad.

Ipswich Town forward George Hirst, 26, had been linked with a Scotland call-up and Clarke commented:” It’s possible, there was a delay in the paperwork.

Lewis Ferguson in a graphic of the Scotland squadSNS

Greece named their squad on Monday, with head coach Ivan Jovanovic including three Premier League players.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas and West Ham defender Konstantinos Mavropanos are part of Jovanovic’s 26-strong squad.

Genk midfielder Kostas Karetsas, 17, is given a first call-up but 31-year-old captain Tasos Bakasetas misses out after sitting out Panathinaikos ‘ past four games, as does former Celtic forward Giorgos Giakoumakis, now with Cruz Azul.

Related topics

  • Greece
  • Football
  • Scotland Men’s Football Team

Ukraine targets Moscow with ‘massive’ drone attack

Ukraine has targeted Moscow with a large overnight drone attack as Russia’s Ministry of Defence says it has shot down 337 unmanned aircraft across the country.

“The Defence Ministry’s air defence continues to repel a massive attack by enemy drones on Moscow”, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram early on Tuesday.

Three people are reported to have been killed and three wounded in the southern suburbs of Moscow, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov.

He added that drone debris damaged at least seven units in a residential building in another suburb southeast of the city.

The attack on the Russian capital, hundreds of kilometres from the Ukrainian border, comes before a meeting between United States and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine is to present a plan for a partial ceasefire with Russia as it hopes to restore support from what had been its biggest supplier of military aid.

President Donald Trump, who last month unilaterally launched talks with the Kremlin, has demanded Kyiv make concessions to end the war, which began three years ago when Russia invaded the country and later sought to annex four of its regions.

The talks in Saudi Arabia will be the most senior since a disastrous White House meeting last month when Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of ingratitude and demanding he make a deal with Russia.

Washington has since suspended military aid, intelligence sharing and access to satellite imagery for Kyiv in a bid to force it to the negotiating table.

A Ukrainian official said Tuesday’s drone attack should encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept the proposals Kyiv plans to present in Saudi Arabia.

ECOWAS Activates Standby Force Against Insurgency

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its Standby Force to curb terrorism and other transborder crimes in the subregion.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Forty-third ordinary meeting of ECOWAS Committee Chiefs of Defence Staff said the economic growth of the region is dependent on stable peace.

The minister added that there is a need for members of ECOWAS to close ranks against all forms of threats against the region.

Walsh alleges ‘corruption’ in World Championships defeat

Inpho

Michaela Walsh has alleged “corruption” played a role in her unanimous decision defeat at the World Boxing Championships by Serbia’s Andjela Brankovic.

Home fighter Brankovic was unanimously awarded the opening round and claimed a 4-1 split decision in the final round by the judges of the 58kg contest, while Belfast boxer Walsh forced a 3-2 split decision in the second.

Overall, sixth seed Brankovic was awarded the win by all five judges.

Belfast fighter Walsh, 31, posted on her Instagram that her “dream was stolen” and she refuses “to let corruption define my story”.

“I stepped into the ring at the World Championships against hometown boxer and dominated the fight”, she said.

“It was clear as day. Yet somehow, the decision went against me”.

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) boycotted both the previous men’s and women’s amateur World Championships in 2023 in protest over the way the sport is governed by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

In October, member clubs of the IABA voted to remove any references of the IBA from its constitution, although it remains a member to compete at its events.

The future of amateur boxing at the Olympics had been in doubt after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the IBA of its status as the sport’s world governing body in 2023 after it failed to meet reforms following its 2019 suspension over governance issues and alleged corruption.

However, the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles was boosted in February after the breakaway World Boxing was provisionally recognised by the IOC.

In her post, two-time Olympian Walsh said decisions have “real consequences” for the fighters and added it was something she “cannot accept”.

“This sport is my livelihood, my passion, my life. Decisions like this have real consequences – funding cut, years of sacrifice overlooked, and dreams stolen in plain sight”, she added.

“Do they not understand what we put into this? The blood, sweat and tears?

” But let me be clear: this was a victory. I refuse to let corruption define my story.

Related topics

  • Boxing

From wonderkid to father figure – how Ampadu leads Leeds

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At the age of just 24, Ethan Ampadu has led a nomadic career, with four loan destinations that can sometimes become part of being a young footballer at Chelsea.

But last summer was the first post-season in five years where the Wales international didn’t have to pack any bags.

Signed by Leeds United 12 months previously, he helped form the foundations on which Daniel Farke is building their push for automatic promotion, following defeat by Southampton in the play-off final last season.

Beyond Ampadu’s talents and versatility was his growing leadership and dressing room presence, honed over the seven different professional clubs that make up his varied CV.

Ampadu made his professional debut aged 15 years, 10 months and 26 days against Brentford in the EFL Cup for League Two side Exeter City in 2016.

His big transfer to Chelsea came just 12 months later. A series of four loans to RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia and Spezia each arrived with their own challenges, whether they were culture, language, tactical differences or situation.

Ampadu became the fastest player to 50 Wales caps last year, with former manager Rob Page saying he is a “future captain” for his country.

“I feel like I’ve found a home, and hopefully I can show that in performances and in the way I am as a person. I feel like those things I’ve experienced and lived through, I’ve had to mature quite early”, he told BBC Sport.

“I’ve lived in a few different places, experienced different cultures and see how people conduct themselves in those professional environments.

” Being trusted at 15 to play and perform to get results, I guess that’s one way I’ve had to mature. But also just being around people who are older than me for a large part of my development plays a part in it as well.

“I feel like I can come across as mature because of how I’ve been raised, but I’m sure if you were to ask a few of the boys around the training ground, they’ll probably still say I’m 24”.

Former Wales captains Gareth Bale and Ashley Williams are cited as major influences, as are Chelsea legend Cesar Azpilicueta and former Leeds centre-back Liam Cooper, who was his captain last season.

But his father Kwame Ampadu, a former footballer who coached him at Exeter, is “the first person I look up to”, but “also someone I butt heads with as a player talking to a coach”.

Ethan Ampadu in action for Exeter against Hull during the 2016-17 season when he was just 15 Rex Features

“I’ve got a little boy, so if I can pass on and influence him to become the man that I’d like him to become – and that he wants to become when he’s older – definitely. That’s a really big part of my life at the moment”, he added.

It is rare for Ampadu to conduct a media appearance away from football, but he was offering support to Green Football’s Great Save, donating his first shirt as Leeds captain in a surprise appearance at a charity shop in Ripon in North Yorkshire.

“I feel like it is a time where I can portray my message”, he added. “Even if it’s just to one person, just to be able to influence one person and benefit the environment – that would be really good.

” I’m not an expert and may never be but what I want to show is that I am learning. There’s this figure -100, 000 tons of sportswear end up in landfill every year – so it is about showing how to impact the environment in a positive way. “

Ampadu is currently out with a knee injury but hopes to return in time to help boost Leeds ‘ title push in a fierce automatic promotion battle with Sheffield United and Burnley.

” It’s the run-in, “he said”. There’s three top teams at the minute that are all fighting for the same thing – four, if you want to include Sunderland as well. But for us, we’ve got full confidence in what we can achieve.

Related topics

  • Wales Men’s Football Team
  • Championship
  • Football
  • Leeds United

Meghan Markle’s defiant response after Thomas Markle’s scathing review of her Netflix show

Meghan Markle has faced a great deal of criticism following the release of her Netflix lifestyle series – including some harsh words from her estranged father. But she has remained defiant in the wake of Thomas Markle’s review, taking to Instagram to issue a telling message.

Thomas, who is no longer in contact with his daughter, recently shared his critique of With Love, Meghan with the Mail, saying: “Unfortunately Meghan has never been authentic. She has to think about everything. She’s not spontaneous”.

He continued: “Everything she says is pre-planned and rehearsed. It makes me laugh because I know all her looks and expressions. I know when she’s faking it for the cameras. She’s trying so hard to be perfect that she tenses up every time the camera is on her”.

His brutal assessment was one of several disparaging reviews for the eight-part series, but Meghan has risen above the negativity. Taking to her Instagram stories, she posted videos made by her viewers as they followed the recipes shown in the show.

Meghan wrote: “Love seeing how inspired you are by With Love, Meghan. Keep up the beautiful work”! The first season of With Love, Meghan dropped on Netflix on Tuesday last week.

And on Friday, the streaming service revealed that – despite being panned by critics – the show has already been renewed for a second season. It was further confirmed that episodes for the follow-up series have already been taped, and will be available to watch later this year.

Netflix announced the news via its TuDum website, saying, “Don’t put away your flower sprinkles just yet—With Love, Meghan will be back for Season 2”. Tellingly, the announcement added, “And now, there’s more joy to be shared as With Love, Meghan returns later this fall. The second season has completed filming”.

It means that Netflix planned to release a second season of the show whether it performed well both in terms of critical response and streaming consumption. The show has been widely slammed by TV fans who have branded it “bland” and it has been panned by critics.

The season two announcement added: “For those looking to try some of Meghan and her guests ‘ favorite recipes and crafts at home, check out our collection of some of the show’s how-tos. Plus, now you can use products personally developed by Meghan for her lifestyle brand, As ever. Launching this spring, it showcases a collection of items like the aforementioned flower sprinkles, teas, and baking mixes that will change seasonally”.

And Meghan herself has promoted the new season via her Instagram page. Posing in a cap with the words “Lettuce, romaine, calm”, written across the front and “With Love, Meghan, Season 2” on the back. She added a caption stating: “Lettuce remain calm… or not (!) because I’m thrilled to share that Season 2 of With Love, Meghan is coming”!