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Bruno Fernandes is the "hero" Manchester United fans wanted, according to Paul Ince, who says the £50 million (€55m/$63m) star 'has made the difference' for the Red Devils.

United are currently enjoying a 19-match unbeaten run across all competitions, which has seen them move to within touching distance of a top-four finish and glory in both the FA Cup and Europa League.

Fernandes has yet to experience a loss in the famous red shirt, and his contribution of eight goals and eight assists in his first 17 appearances has been seen as the main reason behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side's resurgence in the second half of the season.

Ince has been hugely impressed with the impact the Portugal international has had since arriving at Old Trafford from Sporting CP in January. The former United midfielder thinks his old club are finally heading in the right direction again under Solskjaer, and he believes Fernandes has been the catalyst for major change.

When asked about the Red Devils' recent progress and possible transfer activity this summer, Ince told the Daily Star: "What you're seeing now is a solid nucleus in that side, but there's also plenty of talk about the likes of Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz. It's exciting times for United, it really is.

"Solskjaer is putting himself in a position where he can win things and suddenly all of this talk about Mauricio Pochettino is drifting away.

"There was a lot of gloom hanging over Old Trafford and that's now gone as United have improved.

"It was Fernandes from day one that made the difference. You come to United and it's one of the biggest clubs in the world. You can't take your time to settle in. You have to hit the ground running - which is something Paul Pogba didn't do.

"United fans have always wanted a hero and they've not had that for a long time. Fernandes is now the star name to sing about."

Ahead of United's FA Cup semi-final showdown against Chelsea on Sunday, Ince went on to challenge Fernandes to prove he can sustain the same level of outstanding performances over a lengthy period.

"His performances have been so good but you do still have to give it more time," he said. "Players like Roy Keane and Paul Scholes did it over several seasons, but the first signs are he's got a bit of everything. He has a lovely touch and awareness - as well as being a set-piece specialist."

Fernandes has also had a positive effect on Pogba, who is now being tipped to sign a new long-term contract with United after months of speculation over his future.

However, Ince thinks there is still a possibility that the Frenchman could be sold now that he is no longer the main man in Solskjaer's midfield.

"Player prices now are going to come down," he added. "Would Real Madrid or Juventus pay £90m for Pogba?

"He won't command that sort of money. It'd be more like £60m. But with the introduction of Fernandes, you never know, United might consider letting him go if they need some cash."

When Liverpool squeezed Bournemouth for £17 million for striker Dominic Solanke, the consensus was that the Cherries had been had.

Sure, Solanke had absolutely ripped it up in the youth set-up for Chelsea before making his senior debut at the age of 17. He was also widely regarded as one of the finest striking talents to emerge in English football in quite a while, and led the U-20 national team to World Cup glory in 2017.

Still though, it seemed odd that Eddie Howe and Bournemouth were desperate enough to overlook the fact he had barely featured for the Reds, and had only managed one goal in a paltry 21 appearances over two years. Not even an earlier move to Chelsea's Dutch satellite club Vitesse Arnhem – theoretically a slower-paced league – was enough to get Solanke flowing: he averaged less than a goal every three games in the Eredivisie.

It is not unheard of for a club in the Premier League's lower reaches might turn to a promising young forward struggling to make a name for himself at one of the division's bigger sides. But to pay a fee that handsome; what were Bournemouth thinking?

Here was Howe's reasoning. “He brings a different dynamic to the front-line,” he said upon getting his man. “He is good in the air, a physical presence. It’s a lot of money across the board to sign players now but look at his international record. He is one of most talented young strikers in country.”

Whatever optimism he harboured quickly dissipated as, predictably (to everyone but him and the decision-makers at the Vitality Stadium), Solanke failed to fire. The 22-year-old played well over 1000 minutes (38 league matches) in search of a first goal for the Cherries, looking for all the world like a foal tottering about on skates.

There is a suspicion that his relatively early physical development may have been a major factor in his absurd domination of the youth ranks. While that seems overly simplistic, it explained to a degree his drastically weaker output when playing against his physical peers.

Even more concerning was his inability to form a coherent partnership with club talisman Calum Wilson upfront, and in recent times Howe began to suggest Solanke's intelligence could translate well to a midfield role; gone was the devastating centre-forward, and in his stead was a player who was being damned with faint praise.

That all changed, however, in the 4-1 win over Leicester last weekend. Half time gave no indication of what was to follow: Leicester were a goal up and purring, while Bournemouth were in all-too-familiar disarray and had lost their best defender in Nathan Ake.

A change in shape after the break saw Howe's side roar back, and suddenly it was the Foxes rocking, scampering for cover as their opponents rediscovered their menace.

No player embodied this transformation more than Solanke, suddenly arriving as a goal threat in Dorset. After Junior Stanislas drew the Cherries level from the spot, Solanke finally broke his duck, slipping a finish under Kasper Schmeichel in the Leicester goal for 2-1.

If there was an element of good fortune about the first (there was and no one could have done with a good heaping of luck more than he), there was no doubting his second and Bournemouth's fourth.

“I thought he took his two goals very well,” Howe gushed afterward. “Especially the second one because that was a really difficult ball to receive and his quick feet and his technical abilities presented him with the chance and he’s taken it really well, so very positive signs for him. I thought he was outstanding.”

It was a performance to redeem both men to a degree: Howe from a perceived incompetence in the transfer market (Jordon Ibe, anyone?), and Solanke from being labelled a complete bust.

However, comforting as the repair to both their reputations must have been, there is the looming danger of relegation still, suggesting that perhaps Solanke has left it too late.

The renewed confidence from the result was evident in the subsequent game, albeit in defeat to Manchester City. Solanke failed to add to his tally, but the team-wide fight shown was admirable.

Games against Southampton and Everton (both teams with little more to play for) remain, and offer Solanke a chance to kick on and make up for lost time. If Bournemouth, three points from safety, stand any chance of pulling it out of the fire at the death, then a confident, firing Solanke is as good a portent as any in these trying circumstances.

Kenya international Michael Olunga claims he has regained his scoring boots after ending a dry spell to help Kashiwa Reysol beat Shonan Bellmare 3-2 on Saturday.

Olunga earned a brace after going for three matches without finding the back of the net despite starting in all the previous encounters.

The former Thika United star scored the opener in the 19th minute with an assist from Yuta Kamiya. He earned the second from a spot-kick when Hayato Nakama was fouled inside the box in the 44th minute.

Nakama scored the third for Kashiwa Reysol in the 77th minute with Hayato providing the assist to help the home side register what became their second win of the season.

The former Gor Mahia striker has since revealed he was delighted to get off the mark and promised to score more goals now that the gates are opened.

“Of course as a striker when you go into games your main aim is to score goals but at the end of the day in football, there are moments where you will have a goal drought and you cannot find the back of the net again,” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“But of course it is a good feeling to get my scoring boots back again and I know now the gates are open and it is going to be a different ball game altogether and today [Saturday] I scored two goals and I am looking forward to the upcoming games.”

On the overall performance of his team, Olunga said: “The game was a little bit intense you know [Shonan] is a team that came to press us and they were trying to close the space and in the early minutes it was a balanced affair and then we scored from a corner the first goal and the things went calm for us and then we tried to dominate the game and try to create more chances.

“I am glad we managed to score three goals but still we had a lot of chances to convert but we will have to work hard, it is a good victory because we had lost three games in a row and it a positive step to regain our momentum.”

Olunga and Nakama’s efforts ensured Reysol picked up a second win in five matches while Bellmare are still in search of a win in five attempts.

Reysol, now with six points after five matches, moved up the ladder and are now 12th while Bellmare dropped to the 17th spot with just a point.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have reacted for the first time on the saga surrounding forward Bernard Morrison by asking him to leave the club if he feels he has ended a contract with them.

The Ghanaian forward has not reported to the Yanga camp since the team suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat against rivals Simba SC in the FA Cup semi-final clash at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam a week ago.

It was during the match when Morrison’s conduct came into the limelight after he was substituted for Patrick Sibomana and instead of going to the bench, the player threw a tantrum towards the technical bench and headed straight to the dressing room, where he changed and left the stadium.

Yanga have always insisted Morrison, who has been linked with a transfer move to Simba, has two years on his contract remaining but the player insists he has run down his contract and his free to leave.

It is, for this reason, Yanga information officer Hassan Bumbuli has told the player to go ahead and leave if he feels he has run down his contract he signed after joining from Orlando Pirates of South Africa.

“If he knows he has no contract at Yanga, he should immediately leave and sign a new deal wherever he thinks is good for him other than keeping damaging the image of the club,” Bumbuli is quoted by Daily News.

“He said he has not been paid a two-month salary which is not right. If that is the case, then he should print a bank statement that he has not received a two-month salary and show it to the reporters.

“After he was substituted on the day against Simba, he went to the dressing room, packed his belongings, and went away to an unknown destination until now nobody is aware of his whereabouts.

"The following day, he never showed up for training sessions so as the second day and nobody chased him away. I remember David Molinga also did the same thing previously but later, he came and joined his teammates at the camp, as such, what is so special about him [Morrison].

“We know many teams are after him and he should go other than speaking a lot about Yanga. He is a big player who is wanted by many teams.

“We have many domestic players who are doing a recommendable job for their respective clubs and the national team. We have players like Waziri Junior and John Bocco who are at the peak of their careers and deserve to be promoted like talking about Morrison all the time.”

After being substituted against Simba, Morrison looked to have waved ‘bye-bye’ to Yanga fans, with many saying he had played his last game for the Timu ya Mwanachi.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says he is treated more harshly than other managers, and that "people look at me with different eyes".

Mourinho inherited a squad which had fallen to 14th in the Premier League standings when he was drafted in to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the Spurs hot seat back in November.

The Lilywhites have since won 12 of their 24 top-flight games under Mourinho, and only Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have amassed more points in the same period.

Despite that impressive record, Mourinho has come in for plenty of criticism for his perceived negative style of play and rigid tactical set-up in north London.

His selection policy has also been called into question, with club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele now struggling to hold down a place in the squad.

Mourinho feels he is unfairly scrutinised for every decision he makes, telling Sky Sports: "People look at me with different eyes. I know people expect me to do things that you don't expect with many others. I don't read much, but with some of the questions I get, I have that feeling, yes.

"For example, the other day after a game (the 3-1 win at Newcastle) the first question was about a player that didn't start.

"When a player is not playing with other coaches it's never a problem. They make rotations. They make decisions. They leave on the bench incredible players and everyone looks at them and feels that this is their job. That's the way a big team has to be.

"When Tottenham, for the first time in the season has, for example, Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Heung-Min Son (all available), people always ask me about the ones that are not playing. So, yes, in some aspects I feel that a bit."

The 57-year-old is confident that his side are now on course to fight for major honours, as he compared his first few months in charge at Tottenham to the beginning of his hugely successful spell at Porto.

"We, myself and the staff, analyse internally and we know we are doing a very positive job," he said. "I can compare it a little bit with my experience at Porto. When I got to Porto in January (2002), that half of the season was really hard, but was so important for the preparation of the next one.

"So that's what I'm doing now, accumulating knowledge and experience in the club to prepare for what's next."

Mourinho added on the possibility of adding to his Spurs' squad in the summer transfer window: "In normal circumstances, it's easy to see, Tottenham would be in the top four.

"Let's see what the others do. It's not just about us analysing ourselves it's also about being realistic and analysing our opponents.

"I'm happy with the globality of the squad I have, and I hope we can give some little touches to improve and make us better, more competitive, more adapted to my way of thinking with a balance I always try to find in a squad. If we manage that, then we will see."

Former Bafana Bafana international Shuaib Walters is concerned by the fact that South Africa is not producing goalkeepers who play in top European Leagues.

The 38-year-old was a professional goalkeeper for 15 years and he played for clubs in the Premier Soccer League and National First Division (NFD).

Walters was part of the Bafana squad at the 2010 Fifa World Cup finals - serving as the third choice keeper behind Itumeleng Khune and Moeneeb Josephs.

Walters also feels that experienced goalkeepers are usually backed over youth which is alarming for the state of South African football.

“We are really thin in the goalkeeping department. We don’t see young goalkeepers that are coming through and doing well at their clubs,” Walters told IOL.

“We are not exporting any goalkeepers to the big leagues either. Towards the end of my career. I still managed to get a national team call-up at the age of 36."

Bafana international Darren Keet, who is on the books of Belgian side OH Leuven, is one of the few South African goalkeepers plying their trade in Europe.

"But you then ask yourself where are the Under-23 goalkeepers who are playing regularly at their clubs?" the former Cape Town City keeper said.

"It is a concerning factor for domestic football and national team selectors.”

Walters retired from professional football in 2019 and he has since opened his goalkeeping academy to nurture youngsters from the age of 12.

Meanwhile, the former Ajax Cape Town shot-stopper believes few goalkeepers in the current crop come as equipped and knowledgeable as Ronwen Williams of SuperSport United.

“Ronwen is a perfect example of the development process that a goalkeeper needs. SuperSport took him in and they gave him proper fundamentals that goalkeepers need in order to mature," he said.

"They gave him the platform to make errors, become stronger and mature as a goalkeeper - and not a lot of clubs do that.”

Williams is an accomplished shot-stopper having been named PSL Young Player of the Season twice and he also won last's season PSL Goalkeeper of the Season accolade.

The 28-year-old is the current Bafana first-choice goalkeeper having represented South Africa at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Egypt.

Former Onduparaka FC coach Asaph Mwebaze has accused Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) officials of meddling with sponsorship deals.

Mwebaze, who has been a coach for more than two decades, claims such underhand moves by officials end up affecting those involved in the game, especially clubs and players, negatively.

“Fufa and its officials are deep into club business as middlemen in sponsorships deals and then tax it after taking commissions. One would look at the Sports Broadcasting Limited deal and the current television deal,” Mwebaze said as he was quoted by Football256.

“Clubs in Uganda are actually charities that are looking after people without returns and without a futuristic plan to get better.

“Everybody in the industry is not making money or a profit on an investment of money and time. Everybody is operating on losses, club owners, players, coaches, referees, sponsors, journalists, service providers and the fans of the game.

“This is not surprising that many people are jumping a sinking ship in hope for a better life or a better payday.

“Market failure is the economic situation defined by an inefficient distribution of goods and services in the free market. In market failure, the individual incentives for rational behaviour do not lead to rational outcomes for the group. 

“This has been the story of ‘professional football’ in Uganda.”

The tactician went further to accuse the local FA of stifling dissenting voices especially from people involved in football.

“In Ugandan football, the word politics is a misdemeanour and discouraged at all levels,” Mwebaze added.

“Every facilitator in the different associations that make up Fufa the association, discourages members from participating in politics in the football arena.

“What is disturbing is that politics is defined as that gross activity where participants are fighting to see the national team fail. If anyone has a difference in opinion, then the definition is applied.

“People in Ugandan football get elected to the office then disparage the same act that got them there in the first place.

“This is done with the intent of blocking conversation, debate and critical thinking about the game and its administration.”

Mwebaze also coached Ugandan Premier League side Maroons FC.

Real Madrid coach David Bettoni has talked up Zinedine Zidane's man-management skills, revealing the "extraordinary" relationship he enjoys with his players.

Zidane picked up the 11th trophy of his managerial career on Thursday after the Blancos secured their 34th Liga title.

The Frenchman returned to the Santiago Bernabeu dugout in March 2019 after nine months away, with the club in a far worse position than when he left.

Madrid won La Liga and three successive Champions League crowns during his first spell in charge between 2016 and 2018, but results took a turn for the worst following his departure.

Zidane was convinced to make his way back to the Spanish capital and steady the ship following the high-profile failures of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari, both of whom were sacked within the first few months of their reigns.

Real's winning mentality has returned in 2019-20, with a run of ten consecutive victories post-coronavirus lockdown ensuring that they wrestled the Liga trophy away from arch-rivals Barcelona. 

Bettoni has now outlined the qualities which make Zidane such a successful head coach, including his ability to command respect in the dressing room.

"He is extraordinary in his relationship with the players," the Madrid assistant told L'Equipe.  "It is not a method, he is just like that: he has a natural connection with the locker room. Therefore, he is respected. That also goes with the unhappy elements of their playing time.

"He knows how to talk to them. He's a whole guy, who is aligned between what he feels and what he says. When he declares at a press conference that for him all the players are important, he really means it.

"He manages conflict by telling the truth and being fair. In the long term, it works."

Madrid will conclude their domestic campaign when they take in a trip to Leganes on Sunday night, before their focus switches back to the Champions League.

Zidane's men face an uphill battle to qualify for the quarter-finals when the competition resumes next month, as they will look to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Manchester City.

Punjab FC owners RoundGlass Sports have released Technical Director Michael Browne and Head of Scouting Kenneth Santa, Goal understands.

The Australian who joined the club in March last year parted ways with 2017-18 I-League champions.

Browne is a UEFA Pro Licence holder who had previously worked with the likes of Northern New South Wales Football Federation, the national team of Qatar and Charlton Athletic in various capacities. He also served as the head coach of the famous Aspire Academy in Qatar.

The Australian viewed the integration of youth players into the first team as a key indicator of good grass-root development. He emphasised on maintaining an academy of high standards which would produce national team players.

“Clubs need to focus on developing players. We want to have the best academy in India.  From last season we have got some promising young players. We hope to push quite a few of them to the senior team this year," Browne said in an interview with Goal last month.

"At the youth level, there are various yardsticks to measure success. Some judge success by the number of players that get promoted to the first team. It's not only about winning tournaments. It's also about developing potential talents into first-team players. Success can also be measured by how many of them get to play for India in the future. We certainly would not measure success by winning U13 trophies.

"There are always a few 19-year olds who are highly rated and yet they are not ready to start. They are not part of key training sessions. And all of a sudden they are not getting their needs looked after. We are going to make sure that their training needs are well taken care of. They can definitely be improved."

Along with Browne, Head of Scouting Santa will also be parting ways with the club. The Dane had previously worked with Premier League side Wolverhampton Wolves and had also served as the scout for Aspire Academy and the Qatar national team.

When Goal tried to reach out to Browne, he chose not to comment.

There was a big fanfare on July 16, the very first day that US-based Wan Kuzri joined the Malaysia U-19 training camp, not only by a curious horde of media personnel by also by his brother Wan Fayhsal who also happens to be the Deputy Youth and Sports Minister of Malaysia.

His presence raised suggestions from some quarters that it may influence Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and head coach Brad Maloney to ensure Wan Kuzri reach the final squad for the 2020 AFC U19 Championship but the notion has been rubbished by the governing body through a statement released on July 18.

FAM's general-secretary Stuart Ramalingam said in his statement that just like the Marcel Kalonda case, there isn't a practice within the organisation to compromise on quality because of relationships and stressed that Wan Kuzri will be given a fair and just audition of his level as a footballer. 

"FAM does not take shortcuts nor go against the rules in place when it comes to selecting players. The internal FAM process includes decisions from the coach and FAM committee that is aided by evaluation protocols from a technical aspect that is respected and fair for all parties.

"In the case of Wan Kuzri, he has obeyed the quarantine process in his return from United States to be part of the Under-19 training squad. And he will be judged like everyone else based on his technical abilities where he has to convince the panel of coaches that he is worthy to be selected.

"So there's no special treatment that is given to any player. We are respectful of all the processes whether that is internal or external, especially when it comes to player evaluation from a technical point which we don't depend entirely on just reputation and video recordings.

"No player can think he will be selected automatically based on reputation. But FAM is always ready to give help and opportunity to any player who is sincere in putting on the national jersey," said Ramalingam in his statement.

After two weeks in isolation and quarantine upon arriving in Malaysia, Wan Kuzri will have just half the time to impress the coaches compared to the other players in the training camp who has had a two-week head start on him although it would look on the surface that the rest of the squad was rather welcoming towards him in that first training session.

The training camp will only be until the end of July with the possibility of friendly matches still being mulled over to give all the players a chance to be part of the next training camp in preparation for Tashkent.

Zinedine Zidane insisted he was not "special", saying he was simply lucky to be in charge of Real Madrid.

Zidane has led Madrid to the La Liga title this season for his 11th trophy as coach of the Spanish giants.

But the Frenchman dismissed any suggestions he felt like the "special one" – a title Jose Mourinho has previously used to describe himself.

"No, no. I don't feel that. I feel lucky to be here with these players every day," Zidane told a news conference.

"And being in this club, that's why I feel lucky, and that's why I enjoy that much every day. Because one day [it] will finish, as it happened already, but this time for real.

"That's why I am enjoying and focused on these kinds of things."

Madrid's La Liga title was their first since 2016-17, when Cristiano Ronaldo led them to the crown.

Ahead of their final game of the league season against Leganes on Sunday, Zidane paid tribute to his players for delivering the title.

"I think every title we get is merit of the team, the players who are involved in that time," he said.

"It doesn't have to demerit them, especially this one, as it has been very complicated and tough. We have fought until the end.

"It is time to enjoy the achievement, but for football and for everyone, we have a game [against Leganes]."

Zidane has refused to confirm whether he'll be managing Madrid next season, admitting the future is never certain in football.

"Nobody knows what's going to happen in the future. I never talk about next season or the following year. I've got a contract and I'm happy. You never know what will happen in the future," he said.

"Things can change overnight in the world of football and I have no idea what the future holds.

"We want to keep pushing and testing ourselves until the very end of the season. There will be a few days' rest after the game against Leganes, but the season continues. We will be back training and preparing for City after the game against Leganes."

Galatasaray continued their push for a place in Europe defeating Goztepe 3-1 in Saturday’s Turkish Super Lig clash at the Turk Telekom Stadium.

Having suffered defeats in their last three encounters, Fatih Terim’s men returned to winning ways thanks to second-half goals from Marcelo Saracchi, Emre Akbaba and Yunus Akgun, while Stefano Napoleoni’s effort served as a mere consolation for the visitors.

In a game characterised by several misses from the hosts, it was Sofiane Feghouli who was presented with the chance to Gala ahead in the 18th minute, however, his shot went off target.

Six minutes later, Adem Buyuk rounded off goalkeeper Beto to poke into an empty net, however, VAR replay showed that the Turkish forward had received the ball from an offside position.

Marcio Mossoro blew away Goztepe’s biggest chance in the first chance as his strike went wide after finding his way in the Yellow-Reds’ goal area with a minute before the half-time break.

In dire of a win, Terim’s team continued their push for a goal, and luckily for them, they were rewarded with a penalty kick after VAR ruled that Beto had fouled once of Gala’s forwards.

Sadly, Younes Belhanda missed the kick as the Morocco international’s kick kissed the upright despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

10 minutes later, left-back Saracchi saved the 30-year-old’s blushes after drilling home a long-range effort that was unstoppable by Beto.

In the 77th minute, Napoleoni levelled matters for the visitors after profiting from a defensive mishap from the hosts to head home a Murat Paluli cross.

With nine minutes left to play, Akbaba restored the lead with a well-taken freekick from the edge of Goz Goz box before substitute Akgun sealed the win in the 90th minute.

Belhanda saw every minute of action as well as Cote d’Ivoire’s Jean Seri who is on loan from Fulham, while Taylan Antalyali came in for Algeria’s Feghouli with a minute left to play.

Gabon's Mario Lemina, Nigeria's Jesse Sekidika and DR Congo defender Christian Luyindama were unused substitutes.

With this win, Galatasaray climbed to fifth having accrued 55 points from 33 games – a point behind Besiktas who occupy the last Europa League spot. They travel to Antalyaspor on Saturday for their last game of the season.

Former Indian team defender Gouramangi Singh believes that the fresh crop of young defenders must be given enough opportunities to prove themselves before becoming a regular in the national team.

The likes of Jamshedpur FC’s Narender Gahlot and ATK’s Sumit Rathi have attracted eyeballs with their performances for the country at the junior level and in the Indian Super League (ISL) respectively. While Gouramangi believes these players have done well, he remained hesitant in suggesting that these players are in a good position to challenge the national team mainstays.

The former defender praised the likes of Sandesh Jhingan and Adil Khan. He was of the opinion that for the young talents to be considered in the top echelons of the country, they need to play more matches and display consistency.

At the same time, he believes that the youngsters must not be subjected to external pressure and must try to explore the game on their own.

“I like Sandesh Jhingan. He was there when I was with the national team. I think he is doing very well. Among the youngsters, I am talking about Narender Gahlot. I don’t know how many games he was involved in. But we need to give these boys more time. They will need at least 20-30 games a seasonin your bag to be considered as “arrived”,” he said.

“It’s the senior players who are currently doing well. It’s good to see Adil Khan and Sandesh doing well. Regarding the younger players, let’s not put too much pressure on them. Let them explore and find a way for themselves. Of course, they are good. But to prove that they belong to this level, they need to play more matches and fight for their place.

“Time flies. Playing football is the best job. Training every morning and waiting for the weekend game is the best feeling. The sooner they realise this, the better. And they need to take care of themselves, stay away from injuries, enjoy the game and improve every day. We have the likes of Adil only for a few more years and then we will need more names to come up. Hopefully we get to see more new talent coming up in the I-League and the ISL in the new season.

The 34-year-old also spoke about how the Coronavirus situation has affected his pet project KAGO – which aims at training kids and young adults in Manipur. Yet again, he emphasised on the need for enough game-time to help the youngsters gain experience.

“The Covid-19 situation has affected KAGO like it has affected every walks of life. In the last few months, there has been no training. It would be stupid for us to do anything now. There are four coaches who are involved with the academy. We are in touch with the players, we have groups and try to connect over call. But officially we are not open. We are not having any regular training. We are waiting for the government to release new regulations so we can start training. It is very uncertain now.

“Last year they started the Manipur Youth League – a tournament with eight teams playing in the home-away format. The teams get to play 14 matches, but they were unable to complete it because of the Covid-19 situation. We are hoping that the situation is normal soon and they get to play. There are talks that by October they can resume the new league again. For them the U13, U15 and Youth League is very important because they will get some game-time," he concluded.

This year's FA Cup final will see Arsenal battling it out with either Manchester United or Chelsea at Wembley for the coveted trophy.

The North Londoners defeated Pep Guardiola's side - who were defending champions - in a shock 2-0 loss at Wembley with a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang double proving the difference.

Goal has the details on when the FA Cup final will take place and more.

When is the 2020 FA Cup final?

The FA Cup final is set to be played Saturday August 1 at Wembley, and will be shown on BBC One.

Mikel Arteta will have the opportunity to win his first piece of silverware as Arsenal coach, and a victory in the final would see the Gunners win a record 14th title

The competition was forced to be halted for three months due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was announced earlier this year by the FA that this year's edition will be known as the Heads Up FA Cup final in order to raise awareness about mental health.

Prince William, who serves as president of the FA, said: “We’re going to really use the final as a moment to promote good, positive mental health for everyone.

"It’s quite timely bearing in mind what we’ve all been through with this pandemic."

The Emirates, who usually serve as the sponsor of the tournament, agreed with the name change.

Heads Up is a campaign that serves to encourage the conversation about mental health in football. The campaign hopes to emphasise that the mental health of players is as important as their physical health. 

Will fans be allowed to attend the 2020 FA Cup final?

As has been the case with all games played in England since the restart, the 2020 FA Cup final will be played behind closed doors with no fans in order to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

FA's chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "We are pleased to agree the provisional restart date for the FA Cup.

"The competition has been an integral part of the English football calendar for nearly 150 years and we'd like to thank the Premier League executive and clubs for their support in scheduling the remaining matches during this unprecedented time."

Nicolas Pepe continued his fine form this season to star as Arsenal defeated Manchester City 2-0 to reach the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The Cote d’Ivoire international set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the opener before Kieran Tierney assisted the Gabon international for his second of the night.

Pepe’s contributions to the Gunners’ triumph at Wembley Stadium means he has been involved in 17 goals in all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s men, with eight goals and none assists.

Even more impressively, the former Lille ace is next to Aubameyang in terms of involvement for Arsenal’s goals this term - with the captain having an input in 27 goals scored this season.

Despite Pep Guardiola’s men boasting of a superior ball possession, they were unable to contain a disciplined Gunners’ team that looked resolute in defence marshalled by David Luiz - while Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez’s combination failed to beat impressive goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

After putting up a fine shift at England’s football cathedral, the Cote d’Ivoire international was replaced in the 72nd minute by Joseph Willock.

With the striker helping Lille qualify for the 2018-19 Champions League with 22 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1, Pepe joined Arsenal for €80million (£72.9m).

“We are really happy with what has happened in the last four or five days,” said Arteta after the game.

“To beat probably the best two teams in Europe is the nicest thing to do so credit to the players for what they are doing, their performances and the level of fight they are showing.”

The victory by the North London outfit will now see them wait patiently for either Chelsea or Odion Ighalo’s Manchester United to battle for the winners’ diadem on August 1.

The Emirates Stadium giants who will not feature in next season’s Champions League have two Premier League fixtures remaining, playing on Tuesday and Sunday. 

Manchester City are away at Watford before finishing up at home to relegated Norwich City. The Gunners also have the Hornets to come, though before that final-day encounter they travel to Aston Villa.

Ismael Bennacer broke his Serie A duck in AC Milan's 4-1 victory against Bologna on Saturday.

The Algerian midfielder scored the Rossoneri's third goal at the San Siro Stadium four minutes into the second half, after goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Hakan Calhanoglu gave them a 2-1 lead into the break.

The strike was Bennacer’s maiden goal for AC Milan and his first goal in the Serie A after 65 appearances since he made his debut for Empoli last season.

Later in the game, efforts from Ante Rebic and Davide Calabria sealed victory for Stefano Pioli's men.

Bennacer and Ivory Coast's Franck Kessie were the double pivots in Milan's midfield, and they helped them stretch their unbeaten run to eight league matches since the restart of the football in Italy.

The Ivorian midfielder featured for the entire duration of the encounter but Bennacer played 79 minutes before his substitution.

Bennacer who was named the Best Player at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, has established himself in Pioli's system this campaign with 28 league appearances so far and his impressive performances have made him a transfer target for French champions PSG.

Kessie who has also been a key player in the Rossoneri's midfield is reportedly attracting interest from city rivals Inter Milan after his contribution of four goals after 31 league games,

For Bologna, Senegal's Ibrahima Mbaye was introduced as a 59th-minute substitute while Gambia duo Musa Juwara and Musa Barrow were not involved in the game as they watched on as unused substitutes.

The victory boosted Milan's chances of qualifying for European football next season as they moved to sixth in the Serie A table with 56 points after 34 matches.

Kessie and Bennacer will be hoping to help AC Milan stretch their unbeaten run when they travel to Sassuolo on Tuesday for their next league fixture.

Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney took to social media to apologise after a picture was shared online of him putting his middle finger up following the club's 2-0 win over Manchester City. 

The now deleted picture showed the the entire squad celebrating with fans on Twitter quick to spot and point out Tierney's gesture. 

Tierney, 23, has struggled with injury since joining the Gunners from Celtic in 2019 and seemed to acknowledge his joke may not have gone down too well with everyone online. 

"Didn’t realise this was getting posted," Tierney said on Twitter in reference to the picture. 

"Was a joke with the kitman. I’m so sorry if it caused anyone offence - wasn’t meant in anyway."

Thankfully for Tierney, most fans weren't offended, with one that is currently battling cancer seeing the lighter side of the joke.

Tierney was quick to acknowledge the Gunners supporter, urging him to keep fighting and promising to send him his Arsenal jersey worn in the club's 2-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday. 

The Scottish defender was a class act on and off the pitch on Saturday as he starred in the club's FA Cup semi-final win. 

Along with the clean sheet, Tierney claimed the assist for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's second goal with a fantastic pass, and is hopeful the Gunners can now kick on to bigger and better things moving forward. 

"It was tough, we knew we would have less of the ball against City and you have to take your chances when you get them. Aubameyang does what he does," Tierney told BBC's Match of the Day. 

"We have to suffer together in games like this, When we get the ball we have to play well but we know we will have 5-10 minute spells when we won't see the ball.

"Aubameyang has done it for so long, it's an honour for me to play with him. That ball I played isn't a goal-scoring ball but he makes it one.

"We are building for something big."

Arsenal will now face either Chelsea or Manchester United in the FA Cup final next month at Wembley, where a win for the Gunners would guarantee their place in the Europa League next season. 

Jean-Pierre Nsame maintained his astonishing goalscoring form in the Swiss Super League with a hat-trick as Young Boys ran rampant against FC Zurich with a 5-0 win.

The Indomitable Lions striker produced a man-of-the-match performance with his return in front of goal which helped his team bag an emphatic away victory at Zurich on Saturday.

Nsame assisted Miralem Sulejmani in starting the party at the Stadion Letzigrund in the 33rd minute before scoring his first goal of the night nine minutes later, thanks to an assist from DR Congo's Meschack Elia.

Three minutes into the second half, the 27-year-old continued from where he left off by stretching Young Boys' lead to 3-0 and he also scored the fourth after converting from the penalty spot in the 59th minute.

Marvin Spielmann wrapped up the victory for Gerardo Seoane's side after benefitting an assist from Cameroon's Moumi Ngamaleu in the 73rd minute.

Nsame who is the leading top scorer in the Super League, has been in outstanding form this season with 28 goals in 28 league matches and he has scored 10 goals in seven games since the Swiss top-flight resumed from the coronavirus hiatus.

The former Angers forward has scored three hat-tricks so far with two of them coming against FC Zurich.

The triumph shot Young Boys to the summit of the Super League table as they aim to retain the top-flight title.  They have gathered 64 points from 32 matches, two points above second-placed St. Gallen who have a game in hand.

Next up for Young Boys is a trip to Neuchatel Xamax on Thursday and Nsame will be aiming to extend his goalscoring run against the bottom-placed side.