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Cristiano Ronaldo continued to raise the bar on Tuesday as he fired Juventus to a 3-0 win over Spezia.

The Portuguese goalscorer was joined on the scoresheet by Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa as Juve ran rampant as they looked to keep pace in the Serie A title race.

And, with his 83rd-minute goal, Ronaldo made history once again as one of the game's greatest-ever goalscorers.

What did Ronaldo accomplish?

With his goal on Tuesday, Ronaldo became the only player to score at least 20 goals in each of the last 12 seasons in the top-five European Leagues.

The stretch began in 2009-10, his first season with Real Madrid, after he had scored a mere 18 goals during his last season with Manchester United.

The Portuguese star scored at least 25 times during each of his nine seasons in Madrid, hitting the 40-goal mark three times during his trophy-filled time in Spain.

Since moving to Juventus, Ronaldo has barely slowed down, as he scored 52 goals across his first two seasons in Serie A.

He hit the 20-goal mark with his finish against Spezia, having scored a further seven in other competitions so far this campaign.

Juventus in Serie A

Juventus' win keeps them in third in Serie A, behind only the two Milan giants on the table.

Inter currently sits atop the league with 56 points with AC Milan four points behind them in second.

Juventus, meanwhile, will face a major battle to defend their title as they currently sit third on 49 points while Atalanta are in fourth just three points behind them.

Further reading

West Bromwich Albion Mbaye Diagne is thrilled to have scored against Manchester United while expressing his desire to keep finding the net for the Baggies.

The 29-year-old forward - who joined Sam Allardyce’s men on loan from Galatasaray until the end of the season – got his maiden English topflight strike in his team’s 1-1 draw with the Red Devils on February 14.

Two minutes into the tie at Old Trafford, he outmuscled Victor Lindelof to head Conor Gallagher’s cross past David Dea Gea. With that, he became only the 20th Senegalese to find the net in the Premier League.

The former Kasimpasa man is gratified to score against a ‘big team’ like United, while hoping to keep firing on all cylinders having settled down in England.

“I feel like I have adapted to the Premier League and England now,” Diagne told club website.

“I think it was difficult at the start because of lots of reasons including the driving, the language and the different way of life.

“The Premier League is living up to its reputation. I like it when the games are tough. You have to fight and I like fighting to win games and score goals. I am really enjoying playing in the Premier League.

“I was really happy to score against Manchester United a few weeks ago. I was really happy for the team that we secured an important draw against a really big team like Man United.

“It was a pleasure to score. I want to show that I can score goals against any team.”

“I want to have those feelings I felt against Manchester United again. In that game I missed some chances and I scored the most difficult one,” he continued.

“If I get chances, I know I will score goals. If I score goals, I will be helping out my team which is the main thing I want to do.

“The manager believes in me and he has faith in me.

“I was scoring more goals when I was at Galatasaray, but I know the Turkish league more than I know the Premier League.

“I am getting to know all my new team-mates and the link-up still isn’t 100% but it’s getting better and better.

“It’s my job to adapt and score goals and I’m confident of doing that. I’m feeling better each game in every aspect. I really like it here at West Bromwich Albion.”

He is expected to be on parade when Allardyce’s side welcomes Everton to the Hawthorns in Thursday’s league showdown.  

Chief Football Officer Fabio Paratici has reiterated that Juventus have full faith in Andrea Pirlo as the former midfield maestro attempts to usher the club into a new era of success.

Pirlo took charge of Juventus this summer, taking over from Maurizio Sarri, who lasted just one season.

The job is Pirlo's first senior managerial position, and he currently has the Old Lady in third place behind Inter and AC Milan.

What did Paratici have to say?

“Andrea is someone who enjoys pressure, as we all did when playing football at a certain level. I think that is his state of mind at this moment,” Paratici told Sky Sport Italia.

“The team is trying to take a certain tactical approach, we are convinced it is the right one, and will continue with it.

“We’ve been here for 11 years and eras tend to last for 3-4 years, so we have already gone through different eras and continued to win. That is a huge achievement.

“We have now started another new path, we are well aware of the choices we have made, and we want to see it through.

“Logically, choices have to be placed in context with that moment, because a month, a year or two years later, things can change.

“We renovated the squad, changed the coach, and we are very happy with the path we have taken. We have players with quality throughout, although naturally any team would struggle when there are several players missing all in the same area.”

Recent results

Juventus entered Tuesday's clash with Spezia still stewing from a 1-1 draw with Verona that only further complicated their push to defend the Serie A title.

With that draw, Juventus were left 10 points behind league-leaders Inter with Pirlo's side having a game in hand.

AC Milan also sit in between the two, as they are within four points of their local rivals.

“Unfortunately, to those who don’t work in football, the result is the only thing that counts," Paratici said of Juventus' recent misstep.

"To us, we know it’s important, but we also need to follow certain steps to get there, such as training well, etc."

Further reading

Torino's match at Lazio on Tuesday was abandoned after the visitors did not travel to Rome due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the squad. 

Health authorities in Turin did not allow Torino to travel for the match, which came just four days after the club's game against Sassuolo was postponed because of the outbreak.

Though Torino did not travel, Lazio still turned up to the stadium and named a line-up before the game was officially abandoned 45 minutes after its scheduled kick-off.

What happens next?

Because Serie A did not allow the match to be postponed, Lazio will likely be awarded a 3-0 win through a forfeit. 

Torino, however, will be allowed to appeal the result, which their president Urbano Cairo has indicated the club will do. 

What has been said?

Speaking to LaPresse, Cairo said: “You cannot defend the league and its integrity by ignoring objective reality, a reality that says we cannot move, nor leave the city.

"It’s all so logical that one plus one is two, instead here in order to reach two, they are going through a thousand steps.

“The only logical consequence was to postpone the match. Now we await the decision of the sporting justice system.

“Obviously, we will seek every possible avenue to appeal.”

Will Torino succeed in their appeal?

Based on recent precedent, Torino have a decent chance of overturning their forfeit loss. 

Juventus were awarded a 3-0 win over Napoli back in October after a similar incident, with Naples health authorities refusing to allow Napoli to travel due to a number of Covid-19 cases.

However, Napoli won their appeal and will be allowed to replay the match against the defending Serie A champions.

Further reading

World football governing body Fifa has issued African football giants Zamalek a "final warning" concerning their reluctance to pay Ghanaian striker Ben Acheampong an amount of over of $1 million (€827,575) for unfair treatment during a spell with the club between 2017 to 2018.

The five-time African champions risk being handed a transfer ban, deducted points or being demoted to the lower tier should they fail to honour a Court of Arbitration for Sport order by the end of March.

In December, Cas found the Egyptian fold guilty of 'forcing' the striker to terminate his own contract by a series of frustrating treatments.

"Zamalek Sports Club is granted a final deadline of 30 days as from notification of the present decision in which to settle said amount," Fifa's Disciplinary Department wrote to the concerned parties on 1 March, the BBC has reported.

"Upon expiry of the aforementioned final deadline and in the event of persistent default or failure to comply in full with the decision within the period stipulated, a transfer ban will be pronounced until the complete amount due is paid.

"In addition, a deduction of points or relegation to a lower division may also be ordered in addition to a transfer ban in the event of persistent failure, repeated offences or serious infringements or if no full transfer could be imposed or served for any reason."

Acheampong claims his Zamalek predicament began following a managerial change at the club shortly after his arrival. 

After being pushed to the periphery of the team, the 30-year-old pursued a loan move to Petrojet and was upon his return frozen out of the first team, leading to his decision to terminate his contract.

The Ghanaian believes the Egyptian club meted out the treatment on purpose, in a bid to force him to terminate his own contract and save the club from financial obligations should they be the one cutting short the deal.

"I feel great - great that the decision went in my favour for a second time," he told BBC Sport Africa at the time. "I feel vindicated. At the end of the day, the truth speaks.

"Now the decision is in my favour, I am desperate that Zamalek follow the instructions and pay the money as soon as possible. I am very, very happy."

According to Acheampong, he received only half of his financial entitlements ahead of his loan deal with Petrojet but Zamalek claims the player signed a contract, stating he would forfeit his salary while out on loan. 

Again, the Ghanaian said he was compelled into an agreement indicating he had received all money owed him by Zamalek before the club would process paperwork needed by Fifa to approve a transfer to a Qatari side upon the termination of his contract.

"This is an important message from Fifa that they do not tolerate the abusive behaviour of Zamalek and Nader El Sayed," Roy Vermeer, a lawyer with global players' union Fifpro, told BBC Sport Africa.

"It's time that Zamalek starts engaging in a discussion with the player and his real legal representatives instead of playing tricks to get out of their obligations."

A former Ghana youth international, Acheampong played for Asante Kotoko during his time in his home league.
 

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer says they cannot be considered to be PSL title contenders at the moment following their win over Bloemfontein Celtic on Tuesday evening.

The Buccaneers were made to sweat for a 1-0 victory over Phunya Sele Sele, who played the entire second-half with 10 players at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. 

Former Pirates striker Ndumiso Mabena was red-carded on the stroke of half-time after making a reckless challenge on Linda Mntambo. 

Zinnbauer admitted that it was not Bucs' best performance, but he was pleased to see his side collect the maximum points on the night. 

"Difficult game. Not the best performance from us. But recently we had a lot of games and here we didn't play so well but we have three points," Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.

"We can discuss against 10. But sometimes it's more work against 10 players. Not a good performance from us but we are happy with three points. It was important for us.

"Now the players can rest. You can see they are very tired."

The victory took Pirates to third place on the league standings - four points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, who have three games in hand. 

When asked whether the Buccaneers are competing for the league trophy, Zinnbauer insisted that Bucs do not have enough points to be considered as title contenders at the moment.

"We don't have enough points we can talk about the top of the log. It's not possible. We look from game to game," the German tactician said. 

"We have also the cup in the handbag. We have to see what happens in the future. When we come closer, we can talk about the title."

Pirates ended their six-year trophy drought by winning the 2020 MTN8 title under Zinnbauer, who masterminded a 2-1 win over Celtic in the final in December 2020.

The last time the Buccaneers won the PSL title was in May 2012 under coach Augusto Palacios and since then the Soweto giants have finished second twice in the league between 2018 and 2019. 

Bucs are set to face Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on March 6.

Mabel Effiom was on target for Bnot Netanya as they saw off Hapoel Ra'anana 3-1 in an Israeli Ligat Al encounter on Monday night.

Going to the tie, Effiom was hoping to end her six-game goal drought since a brace in 4-1 win at Hapoel Be'er Sheva on December 24.

The 25-year-old was handed her seventh start of the season for the Israeli outfit and she managed to get on the scoresheet again.

In a search for a sixth win this term, the former Nigeria youth international fired her side to a promising start as she opened the scoring for Netanya after 27 minutes of action.

Four minutes after  the half-time break, the hosts stepped up their pursuit for a fifth home win as Hannah Madison Adler doubled the lead before she grabbed her brace of the match in the 57th minute.

Hapoel Ra'anana, however, pulled one back when Eden Yaari netted five minutes from full-time but could not derail the hosts' bid for the maximum points.

Nigeria's Effiom lasted the entirety of the match for Netanya and has now scored thrice in seven league games, alongside compatriot Adeboyejo, who also featured for the whole of the match.

Despite the win, Bnot Netanya remain in the second position on the log with 18 points from eight matches, while Hapoel Ra'anana stay put in sixth with nine points from eight games.

In their next fixtures, Netanya visit Maccabi Emek Hefer on March 4, while Ra'anana welcome ASA Tel Aviv on the same day.

Tom Dele-Bashiru and Isaac Success will be unavailable when Watford take on Wycombe Wanderers in Wednesday’s English Championship game, the club has announced.

Nonetheless, the Nigerians are edging ever closer to a return, in what would be a major boost for the Premier League chasers.

Success, 25, last featured for Xisco Munoz’s team in an English top-flight encounter against Everton in February 2020. However, a long-term injury setback kept him out of the Hornets squad.

Although he has recovered from the knock and has started individual training in December, he continues with his rehabilitation in a bid to get back to full fitness.

“Isaac Success continues to work with the medical team as he returns following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the forward having appeared for the Under-23s in recent weeks,” a statement from the club read ahead of their blockbuster fixture against relegation-threatened Gareth Ainsworth’s side.

In the same vein, Nigerian midfielder Dele-Bashiru is back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered against Reading in October 2020.

Since teaming up with Watford in the summer of 2019 from Manchester City, where he spent 14 years – the Nigeria youth international has made just two appearances for Munoz’s men in all competitions.

“There is positive news regarding Tom Dele-Bashiru's rehabilitation though, as the midfielder is now back full-time at the training ground following an ACL injury suffered at Reading in October,” the report continued.

Elsewhere, inspirational skipper Troy Deeney is facing a spell on the sidelines after a scan confirmed Achilles tendon damage for the Englishman, with a second scan scheduled within the next couple of weeks.

For Joao Pedro and Nathaniel Chalobah, they will play no part against the Chairboys since they are suspended.

Following their 1-0 defeat to AFC Bournemouth their last time out, Watford would be gunning for all points at stake to boost their aspirations of returning to the Premier League.

As it stands, they are third on the log having accrued 60 points from 33 outings in the 2020-21 campaign

Simba SC winger Luis Miquissone has been named the best player of the week by Caf, after the Mozambican scored the winner for the Msimbazi giants during their Champions League home game against Al Ahly, when they beat the Egyptian giants 1-0.

The goal by Miquissone came in the 31st minute after he exchanged passes with midfielder Clatous Chama, before unleashing a right-footed effort from outside the box which beat Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El Shenawy to the top corner before sinking into the net.

The 25-year-old has taken to his social media pages to welcome the decision by Caf to pick him as the best player of the week.

“I am the Caf Player of the Week,” Miquissone wrote with his picture celebrating the goal against the African champions.

Simba have also saluted the player for the honour as they have taken to their social media pages to state: “Luis [Miquissone] has been named the best player of the week by Caf, this is the year for Simba.”

In a recent interview, Simba media officer Haji Manara warned teams that are salivating for his services to be ready to cough up one million euros for his signature

Goal understands Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly are among the clubs ready to sign the player but according to Manara, Simba will only let the player leave if a club pays 1m euros for his signature.

“You know a lot of people are asking about Luis [Miquissone], he’s a very special player with a lot of potential on the pitch,” Manara explained.

“Now we know and have seen what he can do after his exploits during the Champions League, then those interested for his services must plan to land his services, they don’t have to say they want him without action, they must plan because he is a player who will cost them millions.

“I want to make it very clear that Luis is currently under contract with Simba and his final offer cannot be less than one million euros, that is the last offer that Simba will accept for the player to leave.

“The current world spends more on Euros so his offer cannot be less than that.”

In a separate interview, Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane named Miquissone and Kenya defender Joash Onyango as his stand-out opposition players.

“Simba managed to play hard and defend themselves well for the entire 90 minutes,” Mosimane said. “They were careful to save all the dangerous balls that came in their goal, dangerous players were number 11 [Luis] and 16 [Onyango].”

Other teams reportedly keen to sign Miquissone include Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bel Belizizadad of Algeria, and Al Hilal of Sudan.

Kenya international Michael Olunga was on target to help Al Duhail SC beat Al-Shamal 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the Emir Cup on Tuesday.

The towering striker, who joined the Qatari club from Kashiwa Reysol of Japan, started in the game played at Suheim bin Hamad Stadium and put his team ahead in the 45th minute before Abdullah Al-Ahrak grabbed the second goal in the 84th minute.

Duhail started the game on a high note, raiding their opponents with long balls, which Al-Shamal did well to contain, but in the 20th minute, Olunga received a through-ball from Ian Diakite which he did well to control but his final shot was weak and did not trouble the keeper.

In the added minutes of extra-time, Olunga gave Duhail the lead after he composed himself inside the box, to outmuscle one defender from Al-Shamal before planting the ball into the net with his left foot and into the net, though the ball took a slight deflection off a Shamal player.

Duhail went into the break enjoying a 1-0 lead and on resumption, they kept pressing their opponents and they got the second goal when Al-Ahrak unleashed a shot from outside the box which sizzled past the defenders and into the net for the 2-0 win.

The former Gor Mahia star has now scored four goals in the tournament, having notched a hat-trick during the team’s 6-0 win against Al Ahli Doha en route to reaching the quarters.

Five days ago, Olunga and his team missed out on a chance to bag their first silverware this campaign after they lost 2-0 to rivals Al Sadd in the final of the Qatar Cup.

Striker Baghdad Bounajah was the hero for Al Sadd, who are coached by former Barcelona player Xavi, as he notched the two goals - the opener coming in the ninth minute and the second in the 77th minute.

Olunga did not start in the game but was introduced in the second half with his team trailing 1-0 and almost immediately after he came on, Al Sadd added their second goal as Bounajah beat Duhail’s offside trap and rounded the keeper before finishing into the open goal.

Duhail will now shift their focus to the Qatar Stars League when they travel away to face Al Kharaitiyat on March 7.

Orlando Pirates secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in a PSL encounter at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Man of the Match Fortune Makaringe scored the only goal of the match in the second half in a game which saw former Pirates striker Ndumiso Mabena sent off in the first-half. 

Going into the match, the Buccaneers were enjoying a six-match unbeaten run across all competitions, having defeated Maritzburg United 3-1 in the Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash over the weekend.

Kabelo Dlamini, who netted against Maritzburg after coming on as a substitute, was rewarded with a starting berth as coach Josef Zinnbauer made one change to the starting line-up.

On the other hand, Phunya Sele Sele were winless in two matches, having succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to TS Galaxy in a PSL encounter last week. 

Justice Chabalala, who is on loan from Pirates, made his return to the starting line-up for Celtic and coach John Maduka deployed Mabena and Victor Letsoalo as out-and-out strikers.

Celtic sat back and allowed Pirates to control the match, with the visitors looking to exploit the Soweto giants' defence on the flanks through pacey wingers Menzi Masuku and Sifiso Ngobeni.

The Buccaneers struggled to penetrate the Phunya Sele Sele defence and they resorted to playing crosses into the box, but goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane dealt well with the aerial balls.

Bucs upped the tempo towards half-time as they unsettled the Celtic defence with their pace down the wings and Vincent Pule's cross was acrobatically placed over the crossbar by Deon Hotto.

The ball then fell kindly for Siphesihle Ndlovu in the box and the Pirates defender-come-midfielder forced Mabokgwane into a fine diving save with a curling shot. 

Celtic were reduced to 10 players on the stroke of half-time when Mabena was shown a straight red card after making a dangerous tackle on Linda Mntambo and the score was 0-0 at the interval.

Phunya Sele Sele launched attacks in the second-half despite being numerically disadvantaged and Letsoalo was denied at the near post by goalkeeper Richard Ofori after a quick counter-attack by the visitors.

Lucky Baloyi had a glorious opportunity to score after he found himself in a one-on-one situation with Ofori, who pulled off a fantastic save to deny the former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder.

This served as a wake-up call for Pirates and they broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Makaringe, who cut inside before beating Mabokgwane with a low shot to make it 1-0 to Pirates. 

The Buccaneers took the foot off the pedal after taking the lead and they allowed Phunya Sele Sele to launch attacks, but they could not seriously test Ofori in the hosts' goal.

Baloyi's shot, which was heading for the top left corner, was deflected wide of the target by Happy Jele and Zinnbauer refreshed his defence by introducing Bongani Sam.

Pirates were able to contain Celtic in the latter stages of the game and ultimately, the Soweto giants emerged 1-0 winners on the night.

The win took Pirates to third place on the league standings - a point behind second-placed SuperSport United and four behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, while Celtic remained 11th on the log.

Pirates will be away to Chippa United in a league game on March 6 and Celtic are scheduled to host Maritzburg United on the same day.

Pep Guardiola’s pattern of football and depth of quality in the Manchester City squad will see them win the Premier League this season, according to Yakubu Ayegbeni.

Having won their last 14 games in the 2020-21 English elite division, the Citizens pulled 12 points clear of closest challengers Manchester United at the top of the log, even though they were made to work hard for the three points against a well organised West Ham United last time out.

Nonetheless, the former Everton and Leicester City striker says the path appears to have been cleared for the Etihad Stadium giants to ease their way over the line ahead of other rivals – for a seventh English top-flight diadem in their history.

“I don’t think anyone can challenge them. I think [they are 12 points already ahead of Manchester United] and against Liverpool about 16 points – it’s a long way to go,” Ayegbeni told Goal.

“The title is gone already, and Manchester City will win the league. They are going to win for sure.”

Manchester City’s last league success came in the 2018-19 season and they have shelled out £160m this term to boost their chances of emerging as English champions.

Little wonder Guardiola has been able to consistently rotate his starting line-up to keep everyone fit, with a plethora of top talent to choose from in all areas of the pitch. This, ‘the Yak’ feels makes the team so well rounded.

“They’ve got quality players,” he added. “[John] Stones is playing really well, Rodri as well. They have got some quality defenders and they don’t make mistakes like they use to do.

“When you have quality players, for sure, you will always try to win the league.

“They have a great manager – [Pep] Guardiola – his style of football is unbelievable and that is evident in the way his team plays. The boys understand themselves and when you see them play, you just love football.

“You also have to give credit to the owner for backing the manager up to spend money to buy better players. At the moment, they’ve got those players and they should also see if they can win the Champions League.”

They continue their march towards the Premier League title when they host Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Wolves are unbeaten in their last three games with their last result a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United.

KCCA FC defeated Busoga United 4-0 in the Ugandan Premier League match at Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru on Tuesday. 

Sadat Anaku scored a hat-trick with another goal coming from Charles Lwanga.

The Kasasiro Boys were hungry from the start and it took them just two minutes to get their lead. Anaku, who was making his first appearance this season after recovering from an injury, converted a Bright Anukani pass as the hosts started the game slowly.

It happened to be the only goal in the first half as several chances went begging for both sides.

The Garbage Collectors had to wait until the 57th minute to get their second. This time around, it was Hassan Musana who managed to go past his markers before setting Anaku who tapped in from close range.

The forward completed his hattrick in the 78th minute to put more light between the sides.

Lwanga hit the back of the net, later on, to ensure the former champions are on 21 points from the 11 games played while Busoga remain in the danger zone with just five points.

Meanwhile, Express FC went top of the table after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kitara in another top-tier game.

The lone goal for the visitors came in the 75th minute. Kitara conceded a penalty and Frank Kalanda successfully converted to ensure his team's points tally increased to 25 from 11 games played.

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) FC also defeated their hosts UPDF by a solitary goal scored by Stephen Mukwala in the 30th minute. It was a win that took the Tax Collectors to third position with 24 points.

The administrative side are placed sixth on the table with 18 points after six wins and five losses.

The 10-man SC Villa also bagged maximum points after a 1-0 win over their hosts Kyetume. The lone goal for the former champions came in the 68th minute courtesy of Abdallah Salim.

With 12 minutes to go, Asuman Harisheh was sent off but his team held on to win the game.

Lastly, Wakiso Giants were held to a 2-2 draw by Myda while BUL claimed a 1-0 win over Onduparaka FC.

Tuesday results: 
Busoga United 0-4 KCCA 
Kyetume 0-1 SC Villa
Kitara 0-1 Express
Onduparaka 0-1 BUL
UPDF 0-1 URA
Wakiso Giants 2-2 Myda

Sebastien Haller is expecting Declan Rice to become a “world-class player” in the years to come, with the Ivory Coast international frustrated that he will not be at West Ham to witness that development.

The versatile 22-year-old is already well on his way to reaching the top of the game, with the captain’s armband taken on at the London Stadium while earning 13 caps for England.

Big-money moves have been mooted for Rice, amid talk of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United, with Haller among those expecting the combative midfielder to become a superstar performer of the modern era.

What has been said?

Haller, who left West Ham for Ajax in January, told talkSPORT of his former team-mate: “He can definitely become a world-class player, I'm sure.

“He has everything. He's still really young, he's technically strong and a good captain.

“I can easily say that during my time at West Ham he was one of the two most important players in the team.

“The only thing I can wish is that he becomes a world-class player, because he has the potential.”

Rice’s record at West Ham

Having been released by Chelsea at the age of 14, Rice opted to try his luck across London at West Ham.

He has stepped out of their academy system to become a senior star, with 137 appearances taken in for the Hammers since making his debut in May 2017.

David Moyes sees the youngster being a key part of his plans for the foreseeable future, with their no intention to sell on the part of those in the East End, and further international recognition is expected heading towards World Cup qualifiers and the delayed European Championship finals.

Why is Haller not helping Rice?

The 26-year-old frontman joined West Ham from Eintracht Frankfurt for £45 million ($63m) in the summer of 2019, but left just 18 months later for half that fee as Ajax swooped in to prise him away from a forgettable spell in England that delivered just 14 goals through 54 appearances.

Haller has said of that experience, with many writing him off as a big-money flop: “I feel frustrated because it is like I left without finishing something.

“When people are talking about the price tag every day, they are waiting every day for something for this money. They expect even more from you than someone else.”

Further reading

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has delivered positive injury updates on Wilfried Zaha and Jeffrey Schlupp, explaining they are near to returning to action.

Zaha has been on the sidelines since February 2 when he suffered a hamstring injury in a Premier League game against Newcastle United.

The forward has subsequently missed Palace’s last four games, including their back-to-back defeats to Leeds United and Burnley.

Since the winger suffered the injury, the Eagles have only struggled for points and managed to win just once, against 16thh-placed Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Ivory Coast international has now recovered from the strain and has returned to training.

Ahead of Palace’s Premier League game against Manchester United on Wednesday night, Hodgson has confirmed the 28-year-old is "ready to go again".

“It’s quite good news really. [Zaha] has returned to training, albeit a little bit modified, at the start of this week. But he looks ready to go again,” Hodgson said in a pre-match press conference.

“We’ll have to wait for the green light from the doctor and the medical staff, but it’s looking positive. I think I’ll be able to work him back into the squad very soon.”

Hodgson has also received a boost over Schlupp’s fitness ahead of their encounter with the Red Devils, as the Ghana international is set to play a part in the outing, after also recovering from a hamstring injury.

 “While we’re talking about positive news, I’m happy that Jeff Schlupp and Connor Wickham have recovered and will be available for me too,” he continued.

“I’m optimistic that both of those players will be back for me very soon – they will be available even for tomorrow evening.

“Wilf, James McArthur, James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho at the minute are missing. Unfortunately, we’re also missing Nathaniel Clyne and Tyrick Mitchell with minor injuries that will keep them out for a week or two.”

Zaha has made 20 appearances for Crystal Palace this season, scoring nine goals and providing two assists, amid other dazzling displays.

Schlupp, meanwhile, has featured in 15 Premier League games for the Eagles this campaign, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

Former Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk has aired his surprise at the struggles being endured by Donny van de Beek at Manchester United, with the experienced Dutchman pointing out that the classy midfielder is “not suddenly a bad football player” and has been overlooked by his current colleagues.

The Red Devils invested £35 million ($49m) in the 23-year-old’s obvious potential during the summer transfer window of 2020, with a big-money agreement pushed through with Ajax.

Van de Beek was expected to thrive in the Premier League, given his ball-playing ability, but regular game time has been in short supply and questions are already being asked of his long-term future at Old Trafford.

What has been said?

Van Marwijk, who was manager of the Dutch national side between 2008 and 2012, has said in his column for De Telegraaf: “I think Donny van den Beek is an excellent football player.

“He has excellent functional technique and despite his young age, he already has the insight to usually make the right choices. He also has a great running ability.

“So, I understand that Manchester United paid him some £35m last summer. Only he plays far too little. On Sunday he was again on the bench for 90 minutes in the top match against Chelsea.

“How is that possible? Van de Beek is not suddenly a bad football player or someone who could not handle the level. I think that is why it is not a matter of too little quality, but that other things are also involved in a different environment.”

Van Marwijk added: “The same position play that made him so strong at Ajax is not there at Manchester United.

“There, the spaces he is looking for between midfield and defence of the opposing team are missing or his team-mates let the moment pass by. His well-timed runs are not recognised there. So, this is also the problem for him.

“He is an excellent player, but at the same time he is dependent on his team-mates and the position play that brings his team to the pitch.

“In order to succeed and survive abroad, it seems that something else is necessary. Then you will also have to have or develop other qualities.

“If your team-mates overlook you and the game is not aligned with you, you will also need to be able to find your way. Then that good team player will have to think more about themselves and also have the technical and tactical qualities to make the difference on their own.”

How many appearances has Van de Beek made this season?

A product of Ajax’s famed academy system has figured in 26 games this season.

Only 13 of those outings have been in the Premier League, with just two starts made and 314 minutes seen in total.

A goal on debut in a meeting with Crystal Palace remains the only effort he has contributed to United’s collective cause, while a solitary assist came in Carabao Cup competition.

The bigger picture

The Red Devils tied Van de Beek to a five-year contract when securing his signature, with that deal due to run through to the summer of 2025.

It remains to be seen whether that agreement will be seen out, with a hasty exit from English football being mooted.

Van de Beek does face fierce competition for places at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes very much in possession of the No.10 role while the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata compete for other midfield berths.

Further reading