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Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has recalled the moment Robin van Persie completely lost his head in the dressing room immediately after a win – Arsene Wenger wanted nothing to do with it.

Has Theo Walcott retired?

After first emerging as a fresh-faced teenager, the 34-year-old has put an end to an 18-year career and hung up his boots; reminding us all of just how old we are getting.

Walcott played for Premier League clubs in Southampton, Arsenal and Everton, as well as representing England on the international stage, but has now retired after playing over 560 senior games.

"The first moment I put my football boots on aged 10, was the start of a special journey for me," he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. Adding: "Thank you to everyone who has been with me along the way."

Beyond that social media post, Walcott also announced the news while speaking on Gary Neville’s Overlap YouTube channel.

In the same interview, he took the opportunity to speak about some of the juicier stories from behind the scenes during his time in North London – as you can see in the clip shared below.

Walcott said: “Robin was going for the Golden Boot and I understand strikers are selfish, they want to score, I get it. We were playing Man City and Arteta scored, it was quite a famous goal for him, actually. I remember we came in [to the dressing room] and everyone was happy and Robin wasn’t happy because he didn’t score.

"Aaron went clean through at the end, he should have squared it to him and Robin scores. We were all happy and then Robin goes off on one with Aaron.

“It gets all heated and players are getting thrown all over the place. I remember seeing Arsene [Wenger], sort of, slip past and go to his back office because he thought the players will just deal with this.

"So when I say he didn't like confrontation, I felt like he would get the team to deal with the problems.”

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

A fan on Twitter has since dug out the actual moment being spoken about and, to be fair, you can completely understand why Van Persie got so upset with Ramsey.

Indeed, in the 94th minute of the match, Tomas Rosicky pokes through a fine pass to Aaron Ramsey, who runs through on goal and selfishly tries to score himself when he had Van Persie – who was hoping to win the Golden Boot at the time – standing unmarked in acres of space.

The chance is wasted and it's no shock to learn how angry the Dutch forward was even long after the incident.

How many Premier League goals has Theo Walcott scored?

During his time in the Premier League, Walcott played 397 times in total, scoring 80 goals, while also picking up 56 assists along the way as he turned out for Arsenal, Everton and Southampton.

His best-ever goalscoring season came for the Gunners in 2012/13 when he netted 14 league goals in 32 outings and he will likely be most fondly remembered in North London as he scored 108 goals in all competitions for the team he joined as a 16-year-old.

Inter Miami endured an evening to forget against Al-Nassr, with Lionel Messi finding himself booed from the stands by YouTube star IShowSpeed.

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• MLS outfit taking in pre-season tour
• Still waiting on first win of 2024
• Heavy defeat suffered in Saudi Arabia

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The MLS outfit are readying themselves for the start of a new domestic season, with a historic first international tour being taken in before competitive action kicks off in the United States. Tata Martino’s side have found the going tough across four friendly dates so far.

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  Inter Miami are yet to win a game, suffering defeats against FC Dallas, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr while also playing out a goalless draw with El Salvador. They are searching for a spark, and Messi was unable to provide that when being restricted to seven minutes off the bench in their latest outing.

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• TELL ME MORE

  IShowSpeed was among those in attendance for a contest in Saudi Arabia that had been billed as ‘The Last Dance’ between Messi and his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine was introduced as a token gesture to those in attendance late on, while his fellow Ballon d’Or winner missed out entirely due to injury.

Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the signing of Chelsea flop Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig on Tuesday.

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Werner failed to adjust at ChelseaWas detached and failed to follow tacticsTottenham confirmed loan deal for WernerWHAT HAPPENED?

The German striker returned to England after a gap of one and a half years as he joined Spurs on a short-term loan deal from RB Leipzig. Werner's first spell in London did not go to plan as the once highly-rated forward disappointed at Chelsea, scoring just 23 goals across two seasons.

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According to the , the German did not enjoy his two-season-long stay at the Blues and was perceived as detached and immature by the people at the club. While the player got along with his colleagues, he reportedly never went out of his way to mix with people. He also came across as unenthusiastic in training, struggling to comprehend tactics as neither Frank Lampard nor Thomas Tuchel could bring the best out of the talented forward.

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Despite his failed stint with Chelsea, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou went ahead and signed the attacker primarily due to the absence of club captain Heung-min Son, who will be away on national duty for nearly a month for the Asian Cup 2023. Also, Werner will be desperate to prove his critics wrong and try to book a place in the German squad for the Euro 2024. The striker is also known to be versatile as he can play in multiple attacking positions.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR?

The Lilywhites are preparing to face Manchester United in their first Premier League of 2024 on Sunday, although their new signing is unlikely to take the field this early. Spurs would go ahead of bitter rivals Arsenal in fourth if they can defeat Erik ten Hag's side.

Visitors to Miami's South Beach got a surprise this week when they spotted Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing a game of pick-up soccer.

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Ibrahimovic spotted playing soccer on South BeachSwedish superstar showed off skillsZlatan has new role at AC MilanWHAT HAPPENED?

On Wednesday a video emerged on X (formerly Twitter) of Ibrahimovic taking part in a small-sided game on the beach in South Florida. Onlookers couldn't quite believe their eyes as the Swede showed off his skills and tattoos as he dribbled past fellow players shirtless.

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Ibrahimovic brought his 24-year professional career to and end in June when he retired at the age of 41. The striker turned out for Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Sweden, but he clearly hasn't had enough of the beautiful game.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR IBRAHIMOVIC?

Ibrahimovic won't be spending his retirement taking it easy and playing beach soccer; earlier this month he returned to AC Milan as an advisor to the club's owners. He'll be hoping Stefano Pioli's team can close the 11-point gap between themselves at table toppers – and arch-rivals – Inter.

A year ago there were tears in the pavilion for Middlesex’s title win. This year the need is only for survival and the most valuable fizz is on the field

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's20-Sep-20171:18

Kumar Sangakkara’s staggering record leads our Championship round-up

There is something oddly beautiful about a relegation scrap, even here, with only Middlesex in danger. Lancashire, safe, dismayed the race to the top was settled so soon, with a million excuses to have mentally checked out of the 2017 season, are playing their part in a back-and-forth tussle that started with brass knuckles and will be settled by brass balls. That this match, on an unpredictable pitch which has created more errors than excellence, is being played at Lord’s is a quirky filter that provides a wonderfully distorted picture.Oh, the wonders this ground has seen. You only need to go back to the end of last summer when the 2016 season was brought to such a thrilling conclusion for Middlesex’s title win. There were tears in the Pavilion, champagne on the outfield and, after 23 years, a trophy in the cabinet.A year on, barring a handful of interruptions for bad light, the sun shone brightly and the members ensured the best seats in the house didn’t go to waste for the last match of the season. And while the fizz still flowed, the cricket on show was gritty rather than golden. It had to be.No batsman has come in and looked comfortable. Sam Robson was the most at ease with a battling half-century brought up off 96 balls in a Middlesex’s second innings in which his 56 was top score, one of three in double figures, was the top scorer.Luckily for Middlesex, they went into the second innings with the benefit of a 68-run lead, having taken the final five Lancashire first innings wickets for just 52 runs. To do so with a bowler light – Toby Roland-Jones, unable to take to the field with a stiff back, will play no more part in this match after an inconclusive back scan today – spoke volumes of the dirty work that needs to be done.Middlesex fans would rather it did not have to be this way, but they should be proud that their side have rediscovered the grimy qualities that sometimes four-day cricket requires. Traditionalists might see the defending Champions embroiled in a dog fight at Lord’s to stay in the division as unbecoming. And sure: you wouldn’t fork out £1,615-a-night for the Piccadilly Suite at the Ritz only to raid the discount aisle at Tesco for your dinner.But needs must and Middlesex discarded whatever baggage that might have been holding them back this summer – selfish goals, England ambitions and whatever else – to fight together as they did last summer.After 15 wickets fell on day one, 15 more fell to leave Lancashire a target of 221. By stumps, they had made it to 46 for the loss of Alex Davies. They need 175 tomorrow but rather less than Middlesex need those nine wickets.Sam Robson compiled a vital half-century•Getty ImagesThe day’s end came just as the hosts were starting to lose focus. Tim Murtagh, excellent in the morning to remove a dangerous-looking Steven Croft and Jordan Clark (his third and fourth of the innings), lost his usually unerring accuracy to give Haseeb Hameed the four boundaries that currently make up his unbeaten 22.Whatever bruises Lancashire took in the morning in being dismissed for 165 were avenged by Tom Bailey, who collected his second five-wicket haul of the match. His match figures of 10 for 98 are a new career best. He profited most from bounce: pushing Nick Compton back before finding his edge with a fuller delivery and then pinning Stevie Eskinazi on the hand in a set-up that finished with knocking over the right-hander’s off stump. His third kept Lancashire in the match when Robson felt compelled to hook out to deep square leg, where Kyle Jarvis leapt superbly to his right to take one of the catches of the season. The same combination of bowler, fielder and athleticism did for John Simpson, this time at cover, allowing Bailey to claim his maiden ten-for in a match when he trapped Ollie Rayner in front for five.Neither Rayner, nor Roland-Jones, who was able to bat but walked like a man who had forgot to take the hanger out of his shirt, were able to recreate their opening-day blitz of 102 in 20.5 overs.Lancashire will entertain a similar approach when they arrive for the third day. Liam Livingstone is timing the ball nicely. Never mind that a match winning turn on this pitch could grant him a seat on that plane to Australia next month – tomorrow brings a battle and Livingstone is not one to retreat.

Nottingham Forest are looking to bring in six new players before the end of the summer transfer window, according to an encouraging new report.

Who have Nottingham Forest signed this summer?

The Reds enjoyed an impressive return to the Premier League last season, even though it looked as though relegation was potentially on the cards at times. In the end, they finished 16th in the table, which was a very respectable effort in their first year back in the top flight.

The key now is to ensure that Forest don't rest on their laurels and undergo a quiet summer, suddenly finding themselves firmly in the relegation mire early in the new campaign, with pressure immediately put on Steve Cooper and his players if that were to happen.

There has been little business on show at the City Ground so far this summer, but there is clearly still plenty of time for that to change, with the end of the transfer window not arriving until the end of August and players only recently returning from their holidays.

A new update has now emerged regarding Forest's potential transfer business, though, and it is likely to be one that is met with positivity from the majority of the supporters.

Are Nottingham Forest set to sign six new players?

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O'Rourke, Forest are eyeing up as many as six new signings in the coming weeks, although others will have to leave for that happen:

"Nottingham Forest could add six new signings this summer, sources have told Football Insider. Whilst fans shouldn’t expect to see a similar influx of players as last year, Forest are still set to add to their current squad.

"Forest are in search of reinforcements for the 2023-24 season in an attempt to survive in the Premier League for another year."

This is exactly what Forest fans will want to hear, especially considering how low-key the summer has been to date compared to last year, when so many new faces made the move to the City Ground in what proved to be a relentless and almost too-busy window.

It is clear that signings are needed, in order for Cooper's men to improve on last season's efforts and become an even more established Premier League team again, and this news suggests that they will look to ensure that happens sooner rather than later.

Getting rid of some players is also vital, in terms of cleaning up the squad, getting players off the wage bill and generating more transfer funds, and the club should be trusted to nail their business.

It has to be a case of strengthening the squad all over the pitch, bringing in competition for the likes of Taiwo Awoniyi and Brennan Johnson in attack, for example, who scored 18 league goals between them last season, but could do with more attacking assistance at times.

Similarly, Morgan Gibbs-White can't be so heavily relied on in midfield, in terms of creativity, with the Englishman assisting eight times in the league in 2022/23 – nearly three times the amount of any other player, so it'll be interesting to see where the Reds strengthen.

Luke Wright has announced he will step down as Sussex captain with immediate effect, with Chris Nash taking charge

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2017Luke Wright has announced he will step down as Sussex captain with immediate effect, with Chris Nash taking charge for this week’s Specsavers County Championship clash with Worcestershire.Wright, 32, joined Sussex from Leicestershire in 2004, and was originally appointed NatWest T20 Blast captain in 2015. He took over in all three forms of the game when Ed Joyce stepped down as club captain in 2016, but he has struggled for form this season, and believes a return to the ranks is best for all concerned.”Firstly, I would like thank Sussex for the privilege and honour of being made captain of this fantastic club,” Wright said.”I have always been someone that loves and enjoys the game, but over a period of time now whilst being captain, this has not been the case and it has affected me both on and off the pitch.”After taking some time I decided that stepping down was in mine and the club’s best interests going forward. I look forward to giving my full commitment as a player to future Sussex successes.”Wright has a top score of 38 in seven first-class innings so far this season, while Sussex have already been eliminated from the Royal London Cup, having missed out on a quarter-final berth.”Luke has made this decision with the best interests of himself, his young family and the team,” said Keith Greenfield, Sussex’s director of cricket. “We thank him for all of his efforts while captaining the club. It is an all-encompassing position, particularly whilst rebuilding the team.”Luke plays his best when enjoying his cricket and playing in an attacking manner. We all want to see Luke play with a smile on his face and enjoying his cricket.”This way, we will all see the best of Luke and we know he’ll continue to drive success for Sussex Cricket going forward.”Head Coach Mark Davis said, “I would like to thank Luke for everything he has done for the team in his role as captain. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Luke and establishing a new-look Sussex team that will bring success back to our great club.”His passion and enthusiasm for the club is second to none and without the stress and strains of captaincy, I am convinced he will be back to winning games for the club.”

Everything you need to know about how to watch the U17 World Cup live on TV and stream online.

The FIFA Under-17 World Cup takes place every two years and gives a glimpse of the best young footballers in the world who may well become stars of the future.

Watch the U17 World Cup on fuboFind the best deals

England star Phil Foden, Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Mexico legend Carlos Vela are among the previous winners of the competition, showing the level of quality that is typically on display.

So how can you watch the stars of tomorrow in action this November? GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch live on TV, stream online, and more.

• Where to watch U17 World Cup: TV channels, live streaming & highlights

  Country	TV + streaming
  United States	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes
  United Kingdom	FIFA+
  Canada	TSN, RDS
  Argentina	TyC Sports
  New Zealand	Sky Sport
  International	FIFA+

  In the United States, the U17 World Cup will be available to watch live on the FOX network, with FS1, FS2, Fox Deportes and Fox Soccer Plus, Telemundo and Universo showing games, including those involving the USMNT U17s and Mexico U17s.

  You can also stream U17 World Cup games live with fubo – find out everything you need to know here.

  Watch U17 World Cup games on fuboFind the best deals

  Fans in the United Kingdom who wish to watch England games, or indeed any games at the U17 World Cup, can do so by subscribing to FIFA+, which is broadcasting every game live.

  FIFA U17 World Cup highlights will be available to watch on FIFA's official YouTube and social media channels, as well as FIFA+.

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• Getty
  

  2023 U17 World Cup fixture schedule

  Group stage

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 10	Panama 0-2 Morocco	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, Universo, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Mali 3-0 Uzbekistan	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Indonesia 1-1 Ecuador	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 10	Spain 2-0 Canada	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, Universo, FIFA+
  Nov 11	New Caledonia 0-10 England	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Japan 1-0 Poland	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Argentina 1-2 Senegal	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 11	Brazil 2-3 Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 12	France 3-0 Burkina Faso	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 12	Venezuela 3-0 New Zealand	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 12	South Korea 1-3 USA	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 12	Mexico 1-3 Germany	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Spain 1-0 Mali	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Morocco 0-2 Ecuador	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Uzbekistan 3-0 Canada	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 13	Indonesia 1-1 Panama	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Brazil 9-0 New Caledonia	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Senegal 4-1 Poland	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 14	England 2-1 Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 14	Japan 1-3 Argentina	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 15	USA 2-1 Burkina Faso	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 15	Mexico 2-2 Venezuela	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 15	France 1-0 South Korea	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 15	New Zealand 1-3 Germany	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Uzbekistan 2-2 Spain	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Canada 1-5 Mali	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Ecuador 1-1 Panama	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 16	Morocco 3-1 Indonesia	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Poland 0-4 Argentina	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Senegal 0-2 Japan	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 17	England 1-2 Brazil	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 17	Iran 5-0 New Caledonia	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 18	Germany 3-0 Venezuela	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 18	New Zealand 0-4 Mexico	4am ET / 9am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 18	USA 0-3 France	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 18	Burkina Faso 2-1 South Korea	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Last 16

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 20	Ecuador 1-3 Brazil	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 20	Spain 2-1 Japan	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Mali vs Mexico	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Germany vs USA	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Argentina vs Venezuela	7am ET, 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 21	Morocco vs Iran	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, Fox Soccer Plus, FIFA+
  Nov 22	England vs Uzbekistan	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 22	France vs Senegal	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Quarter-finals

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 24	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 24	TBC	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2,FIFA+
  Nov 25	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+
  Nov 25	TBC	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+

  Semi-finals

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Nov 28	TBC	3:30am ET / 8:30am GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+
  Nov 28	TBC	7am ET, 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Third-place playoff

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Dec 1	Loser semi-final 1 vs Loser semi-final 2	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS2, FIFA+

  Final

  Date	Game	Kickoff time	TV channel
  Dec 2	Winner semi-final 1 vs Winner semi-final 2	7am ET / 12 noon GMT	fubo, FS1, FIFA+

• Where is the 2023 U17 World Cup final being played?

  Stadium:	Manahan Stadium
  Capacity:	20,000
  Tenant(s):	Persis Solo
  Address:	Adi Sucipto St, Manahan, Surakarta, Central Java

  The Manahan Stadium in Surakarta will host the 2023 U17 World Cup final.

  First built in 1998 and then renovated in 2018, the Manahan Stadium has a capacity of 20,000.

  It is the home stadium of Indonesian team Persis Solo.

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  Who won the last U17 World Cup?

  Brazil won the last U17 World Cup in 2019 as hosts. They defeated Mexico in the final to secure their fourth World Cup at Under-17 level.

  Goals from Kaio Jorge and Lazaro were enough as Brazil defeated Mexico 2-1 in the final, which was held in front of 13,000 people at Estadio Bezerrao.

  Gabriel Veron was awarded the Golden Ball at the tournament, seeing off competition from France's Adil Aouchiche and Mexico's Eugenio Pizzuto.

The job of the crowd at a sporting event is to create the best possible atmosphere for their team. They need to be noisy in their support of the home team, nicely nasty when the opposition are around and never short of a contribution to the sporting spectacle in front of them. Dunedin’s university crowd got that exactly right, especially when it came to Morne Morkel, who had a cunning plan to win them over.”The best way to get them on your side for the rest of the day is to do something funny and I thought I will join the crowd and have a down-down,” Morkel said, referring to his antics on the third afternoon when the students were sculling their beers on the embankment and a thirsty Morkel suspected if he wanted to quench his thirst, he would have to copy their methods.”I knew if I went to the cooler box, they were going to shout ‘down down’. It has happened to me before, in Australia,” Morkel said. “After that Faf came to me and he wanted me to bowl another over but I was too bloated. So I said, ‘Faf, you need to give me half an hour here.'”Luckily for Morkel, a full stomach – and not his bad back – was the only thing that kept him from bowling at that point as he confirmed his return to the Test cricket, after 14 months out of the side. Morkel had not been part of the Test XI since January 2016, had not played an international match since June last year and had been nursing a bulging disc in his back since. During his rehabilitation, he had played just one full first-class game and coming into this Test series, the only game time he had was two List A matches.”I was more nervous that I don’t pull up [a back strain]. That’s the last thing you want, especially when you are playing three seam bowlers. I was a little bit nervous because I hadn’t been in the field for longer than 50 overs. In the back of my mind it was going to be a real test going for more 20 overs with the ball and 100 overs in the field,” Morkel said. “One of my biggest worries was that in Dunedin I knew it was going to be cold, so I was wondering if my muscles would recover. There were a lot of ifs and buts.”In total, Morkel spent 102 overs in the field and bowled 24 overs. Results aside, just to have put in that amount of time is reason enough for Morkel to declare his comeback a success. “For me to break that mental barrier was quite pleasing.and now I can put those things to rest and just focus on cricket,” he said. “All those demons that were on my mind, I managed to control it and get through it. I have that peace of mind that I can play Test matches again.”Over the last few months, Morkel has received some medical opinion that his injury would end his career. “In the back of my mind, I didn’t believe it,” he said.But he knew that in order to return, he would have to do extensive strengthening work. “The main issue was that my lower core was weak and in a way I needed to rewire my body,” he explained. “I had so many bad movements, mechanically with my body that created tension and inflammation. I had a massive bulge in the top of the core which caused spasms and all those sorts of things.”With an important tour of England coming up, Morkel has decided to skip the 2017 IPL•BCCI

Part of Morkel’s recovery has included the use of Pilates, some of it has concentrated on his action and a lot of it has been in his mind. “I’ve had a lot of work in getting certain muscles to switch on and switch off at certain times,” he said. “I needed to find a way to relax my upper core so my lower core could work.”Getting that right took time, which is why Morkel’s return was postponed several times. He was originally due to play Tests in Australia in November last year and went on the tour but only took part in the warm-up matches, he was then ruled out of the Sri Lanka series at home with a view to playing in the ODIs but a recurrence of symptoms meant he could only return for these Tests. And still, he cannot be absolutely certain the issue has disappeared.”I don’t think I have solved it. I need to take a lot of responsibility now, to look after my body. I can’t take any shortcuts with my training and my gym work. I need to manage my load with cricket outside the South African season and just be clever with that,” Morkel said.He is already doing that. Morkel opted out of this year’s IPL auction with a view to prolonging his international career as long as possible. “Because I haven’t played any cricket for South Africa for so long, if I put my name in the auction, it will be frowned upon, plus we have some big cricket coming in England. I thought if I go well in this New Zealand series, then I’ve got four weeks at home to really get strong. For me that was the important thing: to get myself fit for South Africa and to play well for South Africa,” Morkel said.He has not put a timeframe on how much longer he is looking to play at the highest level beyond “as long as possible”. But he is expecting to take his place in the team later this week at the Basin Reserve, where he took career-best figures of 6 for 23 the last time South Africa were in New Zealand, five years ago. He hopes he can draw on his experience to enjoy similar success this time.”I bowled quite well in that [2011-12] series and for some reason my length was a touch fuller. Depending on the sort of surfaces they are going to prepare – and it looks like they are going to go with slow, turning wickets – it’s going to be crucial for me to play with my lengths. Even though It looks pretty and you can control the right with back of a length, I reckon if you want to strike and you want to get wickets you have to go a touch fuller. It worked for me last time,” Morkel said. “Then again, I also need to play to my strengths. If I just bowl full, its going to be easy for the batsmen so I need to bowl that intimidating length and get the guys on the back foot and try and strike from there. It’s about the intensity that I bowl with and to have body language. It’s about reading the situation and knowing when to go fuller.”And about reading the crowd and when to join in the fun. Now that Morkel is in the twilight years of his career, he wants to do that as much as possible.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for talks with Barcelona regarding a summer move for defender Clement Lenglet, according to reports from Spain.

Is Clement Lenglet joining Tottenham?

Considering Barcelona were willing to loan Lenglet out to Tottenham for the 2022-23 campaign, and they went on to win La Liga in his absence, conceding just 20 goals in the process, it is no real wonder they are keen to ship him out this summer.

The Spanish champions have identified the Frenchman as a player they are willing to sell, potentially opening the door for a permanent switch to north London, and there have been reports he could go for as little as €6m (£5.1m).

If the centre-back were to return to Barca, his £145k-per-week wages would reportedly make him one of the highest earners in the squad, meaning they could let him go for lower than he is worth, in order to get him off the wage bill.

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham have already made contact with Barca to discuss the exact terms of a deal, and the La Liga club want to resolve the situation this week, with more talks pencilled in.

Contrary to previous reports, Spurs would reportedly be willing to pay between €10m – €15m (£8.6m – £12.9m) for the 27-year-old, with the fee needing to be negotiated, as there was no purchase option included in last summer's loan deal.

Should Tottenham sign Lenglet?

As a collective, Tottenham had a very disappointing 2022-23 campaign, finishing in eighth place, and Lenglet could perhaps be criticised for the part he played, with the Lilywhites shipping 63 goals, the sixth-highest total in the top flight.

The France international made a total of 26 appearances in the Premier League, by and large managing to hold down a regular place in the starting XI, and it would be fair to say he had a mixed season on loan in north London.

In August, the centre-back was hailed as "outstanding" by members of the media, however he also put in some subpar performances later in the campaign, receiving the lowest Sofascore match rating of any player against Manchester United in April.

That said, if Tottenham are able to do a deal for £5.1m, as previously suggested, Lenglet could be a solid signing, and he may be able to kick on now that he has a season in the Premier League under his belt.