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David Beckham has a lifetime contract with adidas, with Gary Neville looking to claim credit for the Manchester United legend landing that deal.

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Red Devils icon shot to fame in 1990sBecame the face of leading brandsNeville helped to get boot dealWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Red Devils and England star Beckham entered into a long-term agreement with adidas back in 2003. He had already been part of that sponsorship stable for some time prior to that, with Beckham becoming the face, body and feet of the iconic three-striped brand in the late 1990s.

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Beckham is now synonymous with adidas and proved to be the perfect PR machine for offerings such as the famous Predator boot line. But it is Neville – who was never quite as flashy on and off the pitch – that claims to have first introduced Beckham to the footwear that helped to enhance his image and make him a global superstar.

WHAT THEY SAID

Ex-United defender Neville has told the Red Devils’ social media channels: “Do you know something? You know David Beckham is with adidas because of me. I gave him his first pair of Predators in the USA in 1994. And that is a true story my friends at adidas. I don’t get the actual recognition I deserve for that!”

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Beckham is still tied to adidas and they are the kit manufacturers for the Inter Miami MLS franchise that he now co-owns. They also have a long-term contract with Lionel Messi in place, and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has linked up with Beckham in Florida.

Warren Zaire-Emery had a bittersweet France debut as he scored and then got injured inside 20 minutes against Gibraltar in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

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Zaire-Emery scores against GibraltarYoungest French scorer in more than a centuryTeenager forced off with injury early onGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old started against the European minnows on Saturday night and got on the scoresheet in fine style with a clinical finish after 17 minutes to make it 3-0, following own goals from Ethan Santos and Aymen Mouelhi.

However, his evening was cut short when Santos scythed him down as he swept the ball home. A VAR review followed and the Gibraltar defender was sent off. The Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid, meanwhile, was forced from the field with an ankle injury in the 20th minute.

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Zaire-Emery is seen as the next big thing in France. He is already a regular at PSG and now he is a French international at the tender age of 17. He is now the third youngest French scorer for the national side behind Maurice Gastiger (also 17) and Julien Verbrugghe (16) – with the duo playing back in 1914 and 1906 respectively.

Incidentally, PSG will hope the teenager's injury is not a serious one as they try to win Ligue 1 once again and mount a serious challenge in the Champions League.

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France are next in action on Tuesday when they travel to Greece for their final Euro 2024 qualifier. Zaire-Emery will hope to be fit for that clash, but if not, they host Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday.

Barcelona have given Frenkie de Jong an ultimatum over his future, amid a reported €60m bid from Tottenham for the midfielder.

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Spurs have reportedly made bid for De JongBarcelona have offered midfielder a new dealNetherlands international yet to put pen to paperWHAT HAPPENED?

Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have essentially given De Jong an ultimatum, and have demanded he either sign the contract that has been offered to him – it has been on the table since November – or bring an offer to the table. Following that report, Jijantes claims that Tottenham have made a bid worth €60m (£51m) for the midfielder, and have offered him a four-year deal with the same wages he is currently earning at the Camp Nou. It remains to be seen if De Jong would be willing to make that move, or if Spurs would need to sell players to fund it, given the costs involved.

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De Jong's current contract expires in 2026, and Barca are aware that this summer may mark the final time they can receive a hefty fee for the 26-year-old, and would prefer to go into the next transfer window knowing his intention to either leave or remain. There is rival interest to Spurs, with Chelsea and Manchester United also interested, along with Paris Saint-Germain. Barca have placed a €100m (£85m) asking price on De Jong.

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De Jong remains a key part of Barcelona's squad and has made 23 appearances in all competitions, with his only absences coming through either injury or suspension. He has also won 54 caps for the Netherlands.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCA?

De Jong's side face Celta Vigo away from home this weekend. They then face Napoli in the Champions League next week.

A polished 83 from Varun Chopra laid the base for a busy, unbeaten 130-run stand between Chris Woakes and Scott Borthwick in the evening, as England Lions moved to a comfortable 302 for 5

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo26-Feb-2014
Scorecard0:00

Chopra, Woakes dominate Sri Lanka A

Chris Woakes steadied England Lions with an unbeaten 84•ECBA polished 83 from Varun Chopra laid the base for a busy, unbeaten 130-run stand between Chris Woakes and Scott Borthwick in the evening, as England Lions moved to a comfortable 302 for 5 at stumps on the opening of the final unofficial Test. Sri Lanka A did themselves few favours as they chased a series-levelling win, shelling two chances and fluffing a straightforward run out, but the Premadasa surface also eased the visitors’ progress, flattening out considerably in the afternoon sun.Organisation was Chopra’s hallmark, as he felt his way scrupulously through a sedate morning session. At lunch, England were 60 for 2, half those runs having come from Chopra’s bat. There was little in the surface to warrant a run rate of 2.14, but Vishwa Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera found bounce when they bent their backs, and Chopra was content to sway away. He was just as comfortable leaving when the seam bowlers attacked outside the off stump.Eventually, after lunch, the scoring strokes appeared. Chameera was pasted through the covers, and behind point, and Suraj Randiv whipped square on the leg side. Chopra favoured the back foot, particularly against the spinners, and having begun gingerly against them, progressed with increasing skill and conviction.He remained vigilant as team-mates gave in to dips in concentration at the other end. James Taylor chopped Lahiru Gamage on to his stumps to collect a rare failure on the tour, and Jonny Bairstow chased a head-high bouncer from Chameera, edging behind. Chopra went to tea 17 short of a 15th first-class ton, but on resumption he was also guilty of letting his focus slip. He played a complacent swipe across the line to a quicker, flatter Jeevan Mendis delivery that skidded through to strike him on the front pad.Chopra had made three starts in the series so far – one of them a fifty – but this innings had been his most significant of the tour. “I’ve been fairly pleased with the way I’ve been batting on tour, without having that team-defining or day-defining total,” Chopra said. “The mornings here generally do a little bit and the seamers bowled well with the new ball, but we managed to fight through and the runs became easier as the day went on. The carry was a bit better here than in Dambulla, but once you get in as a batsman you prefer a bit of pace and bounce on the ball.”The bowlers’ effort waned in the evening, and Woakes and Borthwick progressed at more than four an over. Neither batsman was particularly secure, offering edges that fell short, or just evaded the slips, but they were punishing on errors of length, slamming short balls to the square leg fence, and driving confidently when the bowlers overcorrected. Having come together at 172 for 5, the pair ensured Chopra’s heavy work earlier did not go wasted. Woakes finished the day on 84 and Borthwick had 55.”I think we shaded that day. We’re pretty happy with the score,” Chopra said. “If we look to make it fast the first hour and bat half a day tomorrow, we’ll be in a good position, having won the series.”If Sri Lanka A are pursuing a level series, they had made a strange choice before the match had even begun. Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, the top wicket-taker in the series, was omitted from the side, ostensibly to allow Randiv a run, perhaps with a view to sending Randiv on the tour to England in June.Randiv has had rich returns from his first-class outings so far in the season, having claimed 29 wickets in eight innings. He could not extract substantial turn from the Premadasa surface, but he bowled brave lengths nonetheless, and avoided the sort of wayward overs that had cost him his place in the Test side.Sri Lanka’s most costly missed chance of the day was perhaps also the most difficult. Fernando drew Woakes’ outside edge on 31, but a diving Niroshan Dickwella could not close his gloves on the chance. Having toured with the national team in the UAE and Bangladesh, this series has been a sobering return to earth for Fernando. He has only claimed one wicket in the four-dayers so far, perhaps learning like several Sri Lanka tearaways before him that pace alone may not prove penetrative against high-quality batsmen.

Peter Moores, the new England coach, has given a lukewarm response to the idea of Andrew Flintoff coming out of retirement to represent Lancashire in T20 cricket

George Dobell and Paul Edwards02-Jun-20140:21

Freddie Flintoff takes stunning catch off own bowling

Peter Moores, the new England coach, has given a lukewarm response to the idea of Andrew Flintoff coming out of retirement to represent Lancashire in T20 cricket.Moores, who was the Lancashire coach until April, accepted that Flintoff, at his best, would be an asset to any side but warned that his return could present a challenge to the club management and risks destabilising a side that has started well in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast. Lancashire are currently top of the North Division, with four wins in their first five games.While interest in Flintoff’s return has led to a flurry of ticket sales ahead of Lancashire T20 Roses clash against Yorkshire at Old Trafford, Moores warned that his selection should only be made for “cricketing reasons” and not simply as a marketing tool. He also suggested that it could be a distraction for the rest of the team.”It’s a sensitive issue with the players that are there,” Moores said. “They are playing really good cricket at the moment, so definitely you’d think it would be a tough side to get into.”A fit, strong, playing-well Andrew Flintoff is going to add to any side. But he is coming back from retirement, so they have got to make the assessment of where he is, against what they have in their current staff.”To know that, you’d have to be on the inside. You have to be watching people practise and play and decide that it’s not too much of a distraction and if it’s going to work. It’s got to be a cricketing decision.”It’s a challenge and it has to be handled well. But you have to pick the best side to play for Lancashire. That’s what the supporters are going to watch, and that’s the most important thing.”Glen Chapple, who stepped up to take responsibility for Lancashire’s first team after the departure of Moores, also offered a note of caution, despite the momentum building behind a Flintoff return against Yorkshire. “It would not be an easy game to come back in,” Chapple said, after the second day of Lancashire’s Championship match against Somerset.”In terms of him playing, we will just have to see how things go,” he said. “The team will be picked on merit. When and if he plays, it will be very exciting for everybody who comes to watch.”They have all been tough teams to pick. We are leaving out good players all the time, which is difficult to do. We have won the last four games and the squad will understand that. All we can do is pick the team we feel is the right one.”The players who are in possession have done a fantastic job, especially our bowlers. We won’t be taking any liberties with their positions. They are doing really well. The way ‘Fred’ plays his cricket, you can see him being beneficial for any time. Let’s wait and see what Friday morning brings.”

Australia and India will belatedly begin their Test series in Adelaide on Tuesday, although nothing about the match will quite be normal

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale08-Dec-2014Match factsDec 9-13, 2014, Adelaide Oval
Start time 10.30 local (00.00 GMT)5:59

‘I hope Kohli is his own man’ – Dravid

Big PictureA fortnight ago, everyone thought the first Test would be finishing today if it hadn’t already, the teams wrapping things up at the Gabba and about to move on to Adelaide Oval. They thought the series would begin without either side being led by their regular captain. They thought that Michael Clarke’s hamstring was the most important issue affecting the Australian team. They thought that Phillip Hughes was a strong chance to replace Clarke in Australia’s XI. Nobody ever thought cricket would witness what it has over the past two weeks. And when the tragedy of Hughes’ death became a reality, nobody thought it would be a big surprise if the series was trimmed back to three Tests to give the players some grieving time.But, here we are at the new beginning. A reworked fixture list retained all four Tests in the series, which now starts in Adelaide before moving on to Brisbane. Clarke was certain to miss the Gabba Test had it started last Thursday, but now will lead the Australians in a Test that will be more emotional than any they have played. Clarke saw Hughes as a “little brother” and struggled to hold back tears while delivering his remarkable tribute at Wednesday’s funeral. Australia could not risk Clarke re-injuring his hamstring at the start of such an enormous summer, but it was also unthinkable that anyone else might lead Australia in Adelaide. Fortunately, he has looked genuinely fit at training.MS Dhoni has also looked fit at training, but unlike Clarke has been ruled out as he continues to recover from a broken thumb. India will be captained by Virat Kohli, whose task is to ensure his men are up and ready for the challenge of a Test match given their unusual preparation. Not only was their previous Test series cancelled when West Indies pulled out, but since arriving in Australia they have had a pair of two-day matches separated by a period of mourning for Hughes and a trip to the funeral for several of the players.But then, nothing about this match will quite be normal, as much as everyone wants to be able to switch their focus to the cricket. Tributes to Hughes will include 63 seconds of applause from the crowd and players before the match, the Australians wearing his Test number 408 on their shirts, and his being listed as “13th man” on the Australian team sheet. Many questions remain, including how the Australian players will mentally handle returning to action after farewelling their team-mate. But as Clarke said in his speech at Hughes’ funeral: “We must play on”.Form guideAustralia LLWLW
India LLLWDIn the spotlightOne of the great unknowns is how the tragedy of Hughes’ death will affect the use of the bouncer, and the response of players and fans to its bowling. Never will that be more the case than when one of the world’s fastest and most fearsome bowlers, Mitchell Johnson, is operating. There can be no doubt that England’s batsmen were at times scared of Johnson during last year’s Ashes campaign on these same pitches, and presumably India’s batsmen will be no different this summer. It will be just as interesting to see how often Johnson uses the bouncer, and whether he gives it everything when he does.”We must play on,” Michael Clarke said at Phillip Hughes’ funeral. On Tuesday, his team will do so.•Getty ImagesIndia have few reasons to remember their previous Test tour of Australia with fondness, but it was notable as the series in which Virat Kohli came of age as a Test player. In just his second Test series, Kohli was India’s leading run scorer and was third only to Clarke and Ricky Ponting on the series tally, which was a fine effort given Australia’s dominance over the four Tests. He was also the only Indian to score a century, which he achieved in the fourth Test in Adelaide. Now, he returns to the same venue captaining his country.Team newsAustralia named their side on the day before the match, with Clarke passed fit and Shaun Marsh therefore left out. Josh Hazlewood was the unlucky bowler to miss selection. Shane Watson returns to the Test side after missing the series against Pakistan in the UAE due to injury, and is expected to slot in at No.3.Australia 1 Chris Rogers, 2 David Warner, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Nathan Lyon.The absence of Dhoni means Wriddiman Saha will keep wickets and Kohli will captain India for the first time in a Test. It also appears unlikely that Bhuvneshwar Kumar will play due to an ankle injury, which would leave Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Mohammed Shami as the probable pace attack.India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Varun Aaron, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Mohammad Shami.Pitch and conditionsAdelaide Oval now uses drop-in pitches but the curator Damian Hough said on match eve that he expected “a typical Adelaide Oval pitch” for the Test. “Hopefully there is a little bit in it early, it’s going to be good to bat on, and then take a little bit of spin and some inconsistency later in the game,” Hough said. The forecast for most of the Test is for fine weather and temperatures in the high 20s.Stats and trivia Kohli will become the 32nd man to captain India in a Test Clarke has a remarkable record at Adelaide Oval, where in nine Tests he has scored 1279 runs at 98.38, including six centuries Australia begin the series ranked second and India sixth in Tests; India could drop to seventh if they lose 3-0 or 4-0Quotes”The first spell might be the most difficult. Then we might just get back into the game a bit more.”

“This one of the best bowling attacks we’ve had in a while. Guys who are bowling with pace and they’re fit.”

The Under-19 World Cup kicks off in the UAE on February 14, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies scheduled for action

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2013

Group A: India, Pakistan, Scotland, Papua New Guinea

Group B: Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Namibia

Group C: South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Canada

Group D: New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, UAE

The Under-19 World Cup will kick off in the UAE on February 14, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies scheduled for action on the opening day. Defending champions India will open their campaign against two-time winners Pakistan the next day.The tournament features 16 teams divided into four groups and the top two would progress to the quarter-finals. The other two teams from each group will compete in the Plate Championship quarter-finals.Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, considered the under-19 world cup to be an important stepping stone for young players. “Having played in a couple of ICC U19 Cricket World Cups, I can tell you that this is the best stage for any raw talent to polish his skills and see if he’s worthy enough of progressing to the biggest stage of them all – international cricket at the senior level,” he said.Afghanistan, Canada, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, United Arab Emirates and the 10 Full Member nations will compete in 48 matches, which will be staged across seven venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

According to Spanish outlet Don Balon, European giants Real Madrid are planning to offer Liverpool £43m plus Marco Asensio for Roberto Firmino. 

The article does not specify when Los Blancos are planning to launch this bid, but it could be this month given the fact that they have still failed to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabéu.

If this were launched in the summer, this would be an offer worth looking at. Asensio is just 22, and is highly thought of across Europe. What’s more is that he could fill the attacking midfielder or number ten position that The Reds seem to be lacking at the moment. The Spaniard could fill the hole left by Philippe Coutinho when he left last January.

Of course, the club would then need to replace Firmino, but they could do so with the extra funds they will be given. They could even make a move for 22-year-old Timo Werner, who is five years younger than the Brazilian. Therefore, Liverpool can get two of Europe’s most promising 22-year-olds for Firmino, which would be a tempting prospect.

However, in this season, in particular, Liverpool simply cannot risk a deal like this one. If the Champions League champions were wanting to bring the striker to Madrid this month, it could do some serious damage to Jürgen Klopp’s title challenge. There is no guarantee that Asensio would be an instant success, and while they sit at the apex of the Premier League, four points ahead of rivals Man City, this would be a terrible decision.

Warm sunshine, wonderful setting and a former international batsman making the sure-footed, seldom in doubt century that turned Surrey’s slim advantage into a position of strength

David Lloyd at Arundel14-Jun-2013
ScorecardVikram Solanki produced the most dominating batting of the match•Getty ImagesWarm sunshine, wonderful setting and a former international batsman making the sure-footed, seldom in doubt century that turned Surrey’s slim advantage into a position of strength. And all Ricky Ponting needed to do for most of the day was watch from the sidelines.At 37, Vikram Solanki is one of those veterans whose move to The Oval has earned Surrey criticism from a number of directions – not because the former Worcestershire player is a poor signing, by any means, but for the fact his arrival, and that of others, may have blocked the progress of home grown talent.Well, whatever the rights and wrongs of Surrey’s recruitment policy, watching Solanki in prime form has never been anything less than a pleasure. And in terms of what the acting captain’s first hundred in these colours could do for his new county, the hierarchy must feel he is worth every penny.Surrey are without a win in the Championship, and the odds are against them breaking their duck here with only a day remaining. But this was the sort of dominating performance which they were expected to produce on a regular basis in 2013 – and it ought to do wonders for their confidence for the rest of the campaign.In fairness to Sussex, who have lost their position as table-toppers to Yorkshire, the visitors enjoyed the best batting conditions of the match either side of tea when there was barely a cloud in the sky. And while the pitch remained slow, with the odd delivery still sticking in the surface, there was a clear invitation for Surrey to take control.Solanki, who played 51 one-day internationals for England and is currently leading this side because both Graeme Smith and Gareth Batty are injured, needed little encouragement. He had to find a supporting act, though, and, crucially, a perfect one presented itself in the shape of another middle order veteran, Zander de Bruyn.The pair added 177 for the fourth wicket, de Bruyn ending the day unbeaten and just one run short of his own century.Six members of the Sussex line-up had passed 30 on the second day of this game but only Mike Yardy reached 50. And when Surrey openers Rory Burns and Arun Harinath both perished when apparently established, the impression that batsmen could never consider themselves truly ‘in’ on this surface was strengthened.What is more, the dismissal of Ponting – squared up by fellow Australian Steve Magoffin and caught in the slips by Chris Jordan – for only 13 left the battle for first innings supremacy in the balance. Or so it seemed.Jordan, playing against his old county, Magoffin and Jimmy Anyon combined to produce a real threat. And had Jordan speared a yorker through Solanki’s defences early on, instead of seeing it dug out, it is anyone’s guess how the third day would have panned out. Instead, Surrey’s No. 3 was soon driving sumptuously, cutting firmly and taking the initiative away from the hosts.Having reached 50, Solanki pulled Jordan for another emphatic boundary, de Bruyn set about Monty Panesar’s left-arm spin and, for the first time in the match, a big partnership seemed probable rather than just possible.The century stand was sealed with the help of Solanki’s off-driven six against Chris Nash (he later pulled Anyon for another big ‘un) and his hundred came up with a gorgeous cover drive – one of 11 fours. A little punch of delight marked the milestone, then the captain went into overdrive, taking 30 more runs from 17 balls before holing out to long-on.That acceleration underlined Solanki’s belief that there could be some life left in a match which lost its first day to rain. And with de Bruyn staying around to supervise a final morning charge, there is hope for Surrey and a possible nervy survival battle for Sussex.”Once you get in it’s a reasonably good wicket but you have to work hard when you first some in,” said Solanki. “It was very pleasing to score my first first-class hundred for Surrey but more important was that we were able to get into a position where we might be able to exert some pressure on the final day.”

Phillip Hughes has ensured that if Australia need a batting replacement during the Ashes they will have an in-form opener to call on, after he scored his third century of the Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2013
ScorecardPhillip Hughes has scored three hundreds this Sheffield Shield season (file photo)•Getty ImagesPhillip Hughes has ensured that if Australia need a batting replacement during the Ashes they will have an in-form opener to call on, after he scored his third century of the Sheffield Shield season. At stumps on the second day against New South Wales at the SCG, South Australia were on 5 for 288, needing another 86 runs to take first-innings points, and they were relying on captain Johan Botha, who had 32, and Tim Ludeman, who was yet to score.Hughes made 118 in his 277-ball innings, and it continued a strong start to his season after he was dropped from the Test side during the Ashes tour of England. He made 204 against Western Australia at Adelaide Oval and followed that two games later with 103 against Victoria at the MCG, and his latest effort in Sydney will have caught the attention of the selectors.”All I want to do is continue to score runs. That’s what they’ve told me to do,” Hughes told reporters in Sydney. “I just love to be talked about. That’s something that I want to keep doing, keep making noise and scoring as many behind me as possible. If something comes up around the selection table that I’m one of the few they’re talking about, that’s something that I’d really love. I want to just continue to make big statements with big runs.”Hughes put on 148 for the fourth wicket with Callum Ferguson before becoming one of three wickets for Trent Copeland. Ferguson struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 80 before he was caught off the bowling of Steve O’Keefe.