In what is a truly special moment for women’s football, the UK will see its first ever statue of a female footballer in honour of women’s football trailblazer Lily Parr.

The statue has been commissioned by Mars, as part of their ongoing sponsorship of The FA to inspire the current England team in their bid for glory at this summer’s World Cup tournament.

Parr scored over 980 goals in her 32-year career, making her a true legend of the sport. She was also the first woman to enter the Football Hall of Fame, an iconic achievement in itself.

She now looks set to record yet another historic accomplishment with the unveiling of the first ever statue of a woman footballer, which is due to be unveiled at the National Football Museum in Manchester at the beginning of June.

The date is yet to be confirmed, although it is expected to land on either the 4th or 5th of June.

It is a groundbreaking moment in the women’s game and will hopefully be the catalyst for all football to be held in equal regard no matter what gender is participating.

Furthermore, the historic unveiling will no doubt spur the England ladies team on to great things in France this summer as they aim to bring home the World Cup.

Get involved in all the action and support England’s Lionesses this summer on social media using the Mars hashtag #SupportHer.

When Vurnon Anita joined Leeds United from Newcastle United in 2017, their supporters had every right to be excited as, on paper, he looked to be the perfect fit for their club.

An extremely versatile player who could operate both as a full-back and as a defensive midfielder, the Dutchman seemingly had all the ingredients needed to thrive in the Championship.

However, despite making a bright start to life at Elland Road in which he started eight of the Whites opening nine fixtures of the 2017/18 campaign, things started to unravel for Anita when then-boss Thomas Christiansen decided to drop him for Dallas.

After making just ten more league appearances for the rest of the year, the £1.8m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) was then made surplus to requirements by Marcelo Bielsa who decided to loan him out to Eredivisie side Willem II in January.

Although he has been involved on a regular basis for the Tricolores, his performances have not given Leeds any reason to keep him at the club next season.

With the Whites facing another year in the Championship following their gut-wrenching play-off defeat to Derby County last Wednesday, it is clear that they need to launch an overhaul of their squad when the transfer window opens in July.

Whereas Anita is a solid player on his day, if Bielsa is to lead his side to the Premier League in 2020, he simply has to cut ties with the 30-year-old as in the form of Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich, he already has better options to choose from in his position.

By recuperating a fee for the former Netherlands international, Leeds could use the money to bolster their squad in areas which need improving upon this summer.

What do you think Leeds fans? Would you pleased to see the back of Anita given his struggles for your club over the past two years? Or should Bielsa give the midfielder another chance to shine next season? Let us know below.

تحدث راؤول خيمينيز نجم فريق ولفرهامبتون لأول مرة بعد إصابته الخطيرة التي تعرض لها في مباراة أمس الأول أمام فريق آرسنال، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة العاشرة من البطولة، حيث فاز ولفرهامبتون بهدفين مقابل هدفين.

وشهدت المباراة في الدقيقة 5 تلاحم رأسي عنيف وقوي بين ديفيد لويز مدافع آرسنال ومهاجم ولفرهامبتون راؤول خيمينيز. إصابة راؤول خيمينيز الخطيرة أمام آرسنال

وظل اللاعب المكسيكي فاقدًا الوعي على أرض الملعب قبل أن يُنقل على نقالة طبية، بعد دعمه بقناع أكسجين.

وأعلن ولفرهامبتون في بيان رسمي، أمس، أن خيمينيز يعاني من كسر في الجمجمة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وكتب راؤول خيمينيز عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع تويتر: “شكرًا على رسائل دعمكم، سأكون تحت الملاحظة، آمل العودة إلى الملاعب قريبًا”.

🙏 pic.twitter.com/CPQDuq7B9E

— Raúl Jiménez (@Raul_Jimenez9) November 30, 2020

[ad_pod ]Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham are all legends of West Brom. So to see them cast in bronze in West Bromwich was a wonderful tribute to their phenomenal contributions to the club.The trio, known as the Three Degrees, were tremendous influences both on and off the pitch, and as a result, a commemorative statue has been produced in their honour.In a ceremony on Tuesday the statue was unveiled to fans but the appearance seemed to take Albion supporters by surprise.Despite the brilliant gesture they were quick to question the designer who sculpted it.One fan claimed it didn’t look like any of the players it was supposed to resemble, whilst another individual was just pleased it hadn’t been erected at the Hawthorns.A further member of the Baggies faithful said it looked terrible, urging the artist to have another go at making the statue.

Seeing the negative comments was a shame given the statue’s intentions. However, the fact the three players have now been recognised in such a manner will undoubtedly please those associated with the team for years to come. It’s certainly a fitting way to recognise just what they did for West Brom.

Here’s what Albion fans have been saying.

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Lots of Everton fans on Twitter have responded to L’Equipe’s story (via Sports Witness) which states that Everton are interested in bringing Memphis Depay back to the Premier League.

The story states that the Toffees hold an advantage as Sporting Director Marcel Brands used to work at PSV Eindhoven whilst Depay was contracted to the Dutch outfit.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Merseyside rivals Liverpool have also monitored the player, but have done nothing more than that.

It is a fair comment from the former Manchester United ace, as he would be giving up Champions League football with Lyon to go and play for Marco Silva’s side – the Toffees will not even be competing in the Europa League next season.

However, some fans have not seen the logic behind his reasoning and have taken a swipe at the 25-year-old on Twitter, although one supporter is grateful for his honesty and would prefer that to being led on.

Let’s take a look at some more responses…

Tottenham have reportedly rejected an opportunity to sign Edin Dzeko.

As per Football Insider, Spurs have turned down the opportunity to sign veteran forward Dzeko this summer after he was made available by Serie A side Roma.

The former Manchester City man has been sporting Roma’s colours for three years now but at 33-years-old and with just one season remaining on his current deal, which is set to expire in 2020, his representatives are said to be looking for one last hoorah in what has been a wonderful career.

However, it seems Spurs are not feeling particularly charitable this summer – having waited since the winter of 2018 to introduce a new face – and they will turn down the opportunity to recruit the Bosnian as they apparently do not believe he represents a good-value signing.

The 14-goal forward has been linked (as per Sky Sports via CalcioMercato) with a move to Inter Milan as well as Spurs, but if reports are correct, I Nerazzurri have the advantage (in what appears to be just a one horse race).

This is the second big profile name Spurs have rejected this summer with the Mirror reporting that Gareth Bale has received the cold shoulder; and we don’t doubt some fans will be inspired by the positive decision – knowing full well the mammoth £600,000 the Welshman earns per week would certainly a wage structure previously reported to pay highest earner Harry Kane £200k.

Though he likely wouldn’t demand the same sort of wage package, signing Dzeko would be a step backwards for a club that is surely looking to improve on their season with young, vibrant talent. Despite his performances towards the latter stages of the Champions League campaign, it’s fair to say the Fernando Llorente experiment hasn’t worked too well (the Spaniard has scored just 13 goals since his arrival from Swansea) and, while there are obvious differences, perhaps relying on a veteran marksman to back-up Kane isn’t the best way to go here.

Pochettino’s project has largely been built on youth since his arrival in North London and despite the fact he has called for a change in tact this summer, moving for someone like Dzeko clearly does not fit that mould at all. A prolific marksman no doubt but the fact those behind the scenes at the club apparently do not see any value in moving for him shows Tottenham, once again, know what they’re doing.

Spurs fans, are you pleased that Pochettino has turned away Dzeko? Who would you like to see brought in? Let us know in the comments below…

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino insists that he will involve the entirety of his matchday squad in the pre-match photograph prior to the Champions League final, per the Daily Mail.

Spurs will play Liverpool in Madrid on Saturday as they bid to win the competition for the first time in their history.

Pochettino’s side have beaten Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages, with the latter result coming after a scarcely believable comeback; Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick to save Spurs after falling three goals behind.

It is normal that the starting XI are included in the photograph but Pochettino insists that he wants to flout the rules and include every single substitute in the picture, too.

Indeed, the Argentine claims that a substitute could ultimately change the game, just as Fernando Llorente did in Amsterdam, without getting any recognition.

He said: “I say: ‘F*** off!’ What I want is all the players before the start of the game — 22 or 23 — in the picture on the pitch. That is the team that won or lost.”

He added: “People care a lot about that. The players care more than we believe. When I was a player I always fought with the organisation and the club. And the same now I’m a manager. I’m going to propose it.”

And fans love the fact that Pochettino is so conscious of the feelings of his players, while also surely appreciating his fearlessness in directly defying the usual UEFA practices.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Lots of Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported by the BBC’s David Ornstein that a £15m bid for Celtic’s Kieran Tierney had been rejected, but the Gunners are ‘optimistic’ over a deal being struck.

The report also states that agreeing personal terms with the Scottish international shouldn’t be a problem, although the actual fee involved is clearly proving to be a stumbling block.

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

Tierney is an exciting left-back who could be likened to Andy Robertson based on their style of play and Scottish origins – the Celtic hero scored once and set up six goals last term as the Bhoys won another treble.

He only featured sporadically in 2019 due to a hernia operation, but that doesn’t appear to have put Arsenal off from signing him.

If the 5 ft 10 full-back did arrive, he would be a welcome addition to an area that the north Londoners are struggling in right now.

Unai Emery seemingly doesn’t trust Kolasinac as a conventional No.3, having utilised him 21 times as a wing-back instead in the Premier League and Europe last season, while Nacho Monreal will be 34 by the end of next term.

Let’s see what the Arsenal fans on Twitter have been saying about Tierney…

£0. Nada. Zilch. That’s the total amount of money Tottenham have spent in the transfer window for the past eighteen months. And yet, Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured another top-four finish, opened the world’s shiniest new stadium, and are in the Champions League final this season. Whilst the club were expected to finally open up the chequebook this summer, perhaps no Spurs fan even in their wildest dream would have thought they would be willing to show their hand quite like a £53m bid for Giovani Lo Celso. If this is a sign of things to come over the next couple of months for the north London side, then 2019 could be the biggest year in the history of the club.

For all of Pochettino’s wonders with this side, even the Argentine has gone on record to say that the club need to be active in the transfer market in order to bridge the gap to the league’s top two. Top-four finishes are fine and dandy, but as those from the red half of north London will attest to, it all means nothing if trophies don’t come at the end of it. So by making a big-money bid for Lo Celso, the club are essentially killing two birds with one stone.

Not just are they attempting to sign one of the best midfielders in European football this season, but also a statement that they are ready to dine at the top table. No longer will they be the victim of another ‘Willian’, and seeing transfer targets slip away at the 11th hour and joining one of their big rivals. With Pochettino at the helm, and reaching a first Champions League final in their history, the club will be seen as a viable destination by many players now. The feeling before was always that Spurs weren’t even the most desirable option in north London, let alone the entire Premier League.

Indeed, whilst the £53m bid for Lo Celso could bring in an exciting young talent, the very intent in placing the bid could be huge in respect to something far bigger than any potential signing; the future of Pochettino himself. The former Southampton boss has been the subject of great speculation in recent months over potentially joining one of the elite sides in Europe, where he would be unrestrained by club finances. The 47-year-old even went so far as to admit that he would be prepared to walk away if he felt the club failed to match his ambition; that statement came in the aftermath of Spurs’ euphoric semi-final comeback against Ajax. It may be £53m for Lo Celso, but in the case of Pochettino, it would be priceless.

So whether Spurs do the unthinkable on Saturday or not, the bid for Lo Celso is very much a marker of things to come, and a potential ushering in of a glorious new era for the Lilywhites.

Spurs fans, how important is this summer’s transfer window for the future of the club? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Arrogance looks like it’s going to be the downfall of Yacine Brahimi, who is rather bizarrely apparently not convinced by Everton’s reported approaches.

There’s nothing worse is there, a player thinking they’re better than they are. It makes the blood boil.

Porto ace Yacine Brahimi, who is a free agent this summer, is looking for a new club for next season and is apparently the subject of interest from Premier League sides Everton and West Ham. A real achievement, right? Wrong, it would seem.

While Goodison Park and the London Stadium would be a goal for any right-minded footballer, it seems neither arena is sufficient another for His Highness, who is apparently a chasing a ‘golden throne’ (A Bola via Sport Witness).

As it stands, Betis, Everton, Fenerbahçe, Olympique Marseille and West Ham are the only club who have been in touch, but none of them are considered as the “perfect” destination. Whatever that means.

Like any and all mercenaries in world football Brahimi is reportedly looking for two things: money and a competitive club, which likely means he will end up on a plane to China by the end of the summer seeking “exciting new adventures”.

Of course, the issue is that he isn’t even getting that so far, with the best offer coming from Turkey, who wanted to pay him a paltry €3m per season. How dare they insult him like that!

The winger also apparently wants a destination where he could challenge for titles, which simply isn’t the case for any of the clubs currently on the list, especially Everton, since none of them can even offer European football in the next season. Quite why he has the right to demand such things is beyond us, though.

We remember when the Eden Hazard transfer saga was raging when he was still playing at Lille and he was literally teasing clubs with videos deciding where he was going. It wasn’t the classiest move in the world, but we could kind of appreciate and understand the arrogance because he was such a damned good player.

However, there’s absolutely no chance we’re falling for this budget attempt, and neither should Everton.

They’ve got plenty of plucky spirits at the club who genuinely look invested in the badge and who look like they’re willing to give it their all. Why on earth would Marco Silva want to add this toxic mercenary into the equation when he knows he’s got one eye on leaving?

Who on earth does Yacine Brahimi think he is?

Everton fans, what do you know about Brahimi? Would you like to see him at the club knowing what you know now? Join the discussion by commenting below…