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Ruben Dias is fast becoming a "real captaincy candidate" at Manchester City, according to Richard Dunne.

City spent £65 million ($90m) to bring Dias to Manchester from Benfica last summer, and the Portuguese justified the club's initial investment in his talent by playing a key role in their run to a fifth Premier League title.

Dias struck up a formidable partnership with John Stones at the back as Pep Guardiola's side finished with the best defensive record in the division, and Dunne believes he can reach even greater heights in the coming years.

What's been said?

The former City defender singled Dias out for special praise after the team's 4-0 pre-season friendly victory over Barnsley on Saturday, backing him to inherit the captain's armband at Etihad Stadium if he continues on his current trajectory.

“He’ll be looking to start the season well, continue to progress because as a centre back there was nobody near him last season,” Dunne told the club's official media channel.

“You’d imagine he’s settled in and feels more comfortable, so he can improve again. It’s very important he starts well and continues the form from last season.

“The other players will know him and understand what he’s good and what to expect, so let’s hope that continues. Although he’s still very young, he’s got that stature and aura about him. Looking ahead, I think he could be a real captaincy candidate going forward in the next few years.”

Dias' stellar 2020-21 campaign

Dias racked up 50 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign at City, scoring one goal.

The 24-year-old helped the Manchester outfit pick up their fourth successive Carabao Cup alongside their latest top-flight crown, and also scooped the end-of-season Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year awards.

Who is Man City's current captain?

Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho has served as City's captain since the departure of Vincent Kompany at the end of the 2018-19 season. The 36-year-old penned a new one year deal in June, which will keep him at Etihad Stadium until next summer, but Dias could inherit the armband from his team-mate if his services are not retained beyond that.

Further reading

AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia have been deducted three points each and fined a total of Ksh 10 million after skipping their Football Kenya Federation Premier League match which was scheduled for Saturday, July 31.

The two teams, through a joint communication signed by Dan Shikanda, on behalf of Ingwe, and Ambrose Rachier who represented K'Ogalo claimed they are owed by FKF and as a result, will not honour the fixture. The two, arguably biggest clubs in the country, stated they have not been paid sponsorship grants as well as the FKF Shield Cup cash prize totalling Ksh 3 million.

K'Ogalo and Ingwe to pay the fine

"The League and Competitions Committee met virtually on Sunday to discuss the issue," FKF President Nick Mwendwa told Goal.

"We had written a letter to both clubs on July 8 and communicated we will pay them their Shield Cup money by August 5. Rules are clear, you cannot refuse to honour a league match because of Shield Cup money, it is a joke and lack of seriousness considering the fact that the Shield Cup and league are two different competitions.

"Prizes are paid later after the final [is played], which takes about three weeks. Everything was ready at Thika Stadium on Saturday but the two teams refused to play and went for a friendly game.

"The clubs have been deducted three points each effective immediately. Leopards were the home team, and as a result, they have been fined Ksh 6 million while Gor Mahia, who were the away team, have been fined Ksh 4 million.

Anything for the clubs?

The youthful administrator went on to urge the clubs to follow the right procedure if they are not satisfied with the action taken.

"They can appeal the decision by following the right channel," Mwendwa continued.

"They have been further warned over their conduct in the future. No club is bigger or better than another in the league."

The chairmen of both clubs, Shikanda and Rachier, have not answered Goal's calls to comment on their respective punishments. 

Olivier Giroud scored four minutes into his Milan debut following his €2 million switch from Chelsea earlier this summer.

Giroud signed a two-season contract with the Rossoneri upon his arrival at San Siro earlier this month, bringing to an end his four-year spell at Chelsea.

The 34-year-old was handed his first appearance for Stefano Pioli's side in a pre-season friendly against Nice on Saturday, and didn't take long to make his mark.

How did Giroud open his account?

After a goalless first half of action, Amine Gouiri opened the scoring for Nice just before the hour mark via the penalty spot.

Pioli responded by introducing Giroud to the action, and the Frenchman managed to haul the Rossoneri level in trademark style with 66 minutes on the clock.

Samu Castillejo whipped in a free-kick towards the back post which fell straight into the path of Giroud, who brushed off his marker to head the ball low into the back of the net.

Giroud shows what he will bring to Milan

Giroud has already given supporters a glimpse of what to expect from him when Milan kick off their latest Serie A season with a trip to Sampdoria on August 23.

The World Cup winner's instincts in the final third remain as sharp as ever, and he will now hope to challenge Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a regular spot in Pioli's starting XI.

Giroud has hit 221 career goals to date, having also played for Montpellier and Arsenal, and has another 46 to his name from 110 appearances for France at international level.

The experienced frontman had a strong record in his final season at Chelsea too, despite having been reduced to a backup role in the squad, finding the net 11 times in 31 matches to help the club finish fourth in the Premier League and clinch their second Champions League crown.

Giroud's presence could help Milan reach new heights in 2021-22 as they seek to dethrone Italian champions Inter and make a mark on Europe's elite stage after qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2013.

Further reading

Hansi Flick has insisted that Germany will not repeat the Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller saga on his watch, declaring "there is no age at which I exclude players".

Hummels and Muller were both exiled from the national team fold in 2019 as Joachim Low sought to usher in a new era focusing on the development of the country's next generation of talent.

Low's plan ultimately failed as the team's form faltered and he recalled both men for the European Championship after their strong 2020-21 seasons at Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

What has Hansi Flick said?

Low stepped down from his 16-year spell as Germany head coach after their round of 16 exit at Euro 2020, with Flick drafted in as his replacement following his departure from Bayern Munich.

Asked if he will still consider Hummels and Muller for selection ahead of the resumption of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in September, Flick told the DFB's official website: "There is no age at which I exclude players from the national team.

"The most important thing is that the player is good enough and has a desire for the national team."

Hansi Flick's short-term Germany goals 

Flick went on to outline his desire to transform Germany back into a free-flowing attacking outfit while warning that established stars will have to meet his demands in terms of work rate and effort in order to retain their places in the squad.

"We are working with the best players in the country, they have to show that they are the best ones," he said. 

"It's about every single player giving their very best, giving everything. We want to fascinate the fans with our offensive play. We still have a lot of work to do."

Germany are sitting third in World Cup qualifying Group J after three fixtures, with fixtures against Liechtenstein, Armenia and Iceland to come next month.

Flick added on the importance of winning those three games: "We want to get nine points and finish first in the group stage - that's clear."

Flick's credentials

Flick earned the right to coach his country after a trophy-laden two years spell at Bayern, having initially been drafted in to succeed Niko Kovac at Allianz Arena in November 2019.

The 56-year-old delivered the treble in 2019-20 and the club's ninth successive Bundesliga title last term, but ultimately decided to cut short his contract by two years to pursue his ambitions at international level.

Further reading

The U.S. women's national team will look to ensure their shot at an Olympic medal is a golden one when they face Canada in the women's tournament semi-finals at Tokyo 2020.

Watch USWNT vs Canada on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

Having edged out the Netherlands in a World Cup final rematch, the USWNT are guaranteed to play for a podium finish - but will be determined to beat Les Rouges in Kashima.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), this year's USWNT Olympic soccer games can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news & rosters

Having arrived in Japan as overwhelming favourites, the USWNT have struggled to make their mark on the tournament, with just one regular-time win - a 6-1 demolition of New Zealand - to their name.

However, their penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals means Vlatko Andonovski's pursuit of an Olympic gold to match their World Cup crown remains alive - and with talents like Tobin Heath and Megan Rapinoe set to start, they will fancy their chances.

Predicted USWNT starting XI: Naeher; O'Hara, Dahlkemper, Sauerbrunn, Dunn; Horan, Ertz, S Mewis; Morgan, Rapinoe, Heath.

Like their opponents, Les Rouges have won just the single game at Tokyo 2020 during 90 minutes, a 2-1 victory over Chile in the group stage, and given the pedigree of the USWNT they undoubtedly enter as underdogs, even with their shootout success against Brazil.

Bev Priestman's team have no shortage of matchwinners among their ranks however, not least skipper Christine Sinclair - who at 38 is likely looking at her final chance to snag a gold medal after bronze finishes in London and Rio on her previous Olympic campaigns.

Predicted Canada starting XI:  Labbe; Lawrence, Gilles, Buchanan, Chapman; Scott; Fleming, Quinn; Sinclair; Beckie, Prince.

Recent results & head-to-head

Last five results

Head-to-head

Sweden will aim to maintain their hot streak all the way through to Olympic gold as they take on Australia in the semi-finals of the women's tournament at Tokyo 2020, in Yokohama.

Watch Australia vs Sweden on fuboTV (free 7-day trial)

The Blue and Yellow are unbeaten in 2021 as they hunt a medal finish, but will need to overcome a Matildas side transformed since they beat them in the group stage a week ago.

Ahead of the game, Goal has the details of how to watch on TV, stream online, team news and more.

TV channel, live stream & how to watch

In the United States (US), this year's USWNT Olympics soccer games can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (watch with a 7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Team news and rosters

An extra-time battle with Great Britain saw the Matildas book their place in the last four in dramatic circumstances - and they'll fancy their chances to go all the way in Japan now.

Teenager Mary Fowler's sensational contributions off the bench may well have earned her a starting spot for this clash, while the almost peerless Sam Kerr will surely retain her spot as they look to make amends for that 4-2 loss in Group G.

Predicted Australia starting XI: Micah; Carpenter, Kennedy, Luuik; Raso, Van Egmond, Yallop, Catley; Fowler, Kerr, Foord.

The Blue and Yellow will make no mistakes about this being a foregone conclusion despite delivering a key defeat of their rivals during the early stages of the tournament - but they will be the favourites nevertheless after beating Japan.

Having returned to lead the line against the tournament hosts from injury in the last eight, Stina Blackstenius will likely start up front again, with captain Caroline Seger the rock in midfield.

Predicted Sweden starting XI: Lindahl; Glas, Ilestedt, Bjorn, Eriksson; Hurtig, Seger; Jakobsson; Janogy, Rolfo; Blackstenius.

Recent results and head-to-head

Last five results

Head-to-head

Ex-AFC Leopards attacker Boniface Ambani has challenged Ingwe and their rivals Gor Mahia to consider reviewing their structures to avoid being taken for granted by the Football Kenya Federation.

On Saturday, the two biggest clubs in Kenya refused to honour their league assignment, stating the Federation has to pay their grants as well as the FKF Shield Cup winnings amounting to Ksh 3 million.

However, the former Harambee Stars striker believes none of this would have happened if the two teams had "well-oiled structures".

You don't want to be told the truth

"AFC Leopards and [my in-laws] Gor Mahia I know you don't like to be told the truth," Ambani posted on his official social media account.

"But let me tell you something that you've been missing all along. With well-oiled structures, I am 100% sure, these little monies you guys are chasing from the federation will never bother you. The powers you will have will make that president [Nick Mwendwa] be dancing to your tune. 

"Yanga SC and Simba SC might not be having the best structures but no [FA] president will dictate to them [on what to do]. My little advice, it's high time you guys go back to the drawing board, see where you've gone wrong all these years, do the necessary, and that president [Mwendwa] will never hold you at ransom."

Players have no voice

The former Kenya international further stated the players are suffering but they cannot air their grievances, and urged the clubs to ensure they have sustainable measures that will ensure supporters are attached to the teams.

"The players in our clubs are suffering. They have no voice due to club rules that they have to uphold, but in real essence, they are suffering," Ambani continued.

"The cash you guys are fighting over, yes, it is your right, but the two clubs can do better than this. Sustainable measures; measures that will help even a standard four dropout with brains carry on with the club generations after generations."

It is yet to be known if action will be taken against the two teams after deliberately skipping Saturday's league match.

Former Uganda international goalkeeper Denis Onyango has ruled out any possibility of returning to play for the national team.

The 36-year-old announced his international retirement on April 12 after the Cranes failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations following their 1-0 defeat against Malawi.

With the return of Milutin Sredojevic to handle the Cranes for a second stint, many Ugandans felt he would get the goalkeeper out of retirement as they had achieved a lot together with the team during his last stint from 2013-2017.

Onyango has, however, completely ruled out any possible return, stating he is committed to playing for PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

What has been said?

“I served my part as national captain and player, and I think it is time for the other goalkeepers in Jamal [Salim], Odongkara [Robert], Lukwago [Charles], and so many young goalkeepers,” Onyango told KFM Sports as quoted by Football256.

“Well, I am not thinking about it. I am now fully focused with my club Mamelodi [Sundowns] and think about what I’ll do when I completely retire from football.”

On his retirement, the then stand-in coach for Uganda, Abdallah Mubiru, handed the armband to Emmanuel Okwi, who plays for the Egyptian club Al Ittihad Alexandria Club.

On July 27, Fufa announced the return of Sredojevic as the new Cranes head coach.

The Serbian arrived in Uganda after parting ways with Zambia and agreed to pen a three-year renewable contract, which came into effect on August 1.

“Federation of Uganda Football Associations hereby announces that Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic has been appointed Head coach of the Uganda Cranes on a three-year renewable contract effective August 1, 2021,” read part of the statement from Fufa revealed in a statement obtained by Goal.

“The head coach has a contractual mandate to name his backroom staff and Sredojevic will address the media on Tuesday, August 1, 2021. It is Our Game, It is Our Country.”

Sredojevic will handle the team during the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches where Uganda have been pooled in Group E alongside Kenya, Rwanda, and Mali.

Tottenham's youngest ever player and goal scorer Alfie Devine has signed his first professional contract.

Devine has been handed a new three-year deal at Spurs after turning 17 on Sunday, and will remain in north London until 2024.

The English midfielder scored on his senior debut for Tottenham last season, making history in the process, and will hope to establish himself in the first-team squad under new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021-22.

What's been said?

Spurs have confirmed the news in an official statement on their website, which reads: "We are delighted to announce that Alfie Devine has signed his first professional contract with the club. The young midfielder, who celebrates his 17th birthday today, has signed a contract that will run until 2024."

Devine's memorable debut

Devine joined Tottenham from Wigan last summer, and made his first appearance for the club in their third-round FA Cup clash with eighth-tier minnows Marine in January.

The talented teenager came off the bench to break the record for the youngest player to ever appear for Spurs at 16 years and 163 days, and marked the occasion by also setting a new mark as the youngest goalscorer in their history.

Devine produced a sublime low drive that rounded off a thumping 5-0 victory for the north London outfit, with his stellar performance ultimately proving to be one of the few high points in a difficult campaign.

The bigger picture

Devine earned special praise from then-manager Jose Mourinho after his impressive debut, as the Portuguese told reporters: "He's a kid with good potential. He's basically a midfield player but with an instinct to appear in finishing zones and to score goals. We like him and of course for him, it was a special day."

The one-time England U16 international will have to continue being patient in his pursuit of regular minutes at Spurs, but could be handed opportunities in the cup competitions as Nuno seeks to build a strong squad for the future.

He might even push for a place on the bench in Tottenham's opening game of the new Premier League season against champions Manchester City on August 15.

Further reading 

South Africa forward Percy Tau hopes Brighton and Hove Albion fans will witness more of his goal celebrations after scoring during a pre-season friendly match against Luton.

The Seagulls won 3-1 at Kenilworth Road with Tau registering his name on the scoresheet and put up an impressive display.

It was the Bafana Bafana star’s first-ever goal for Brighton after he started playing for the club in January following some loan stints in Belgium.

He scored in style after first sensationally eliminating some Luton defenders before firing home, and celebrated the way he used to do during his Mamelodi Sundowns days.

“Hopefully they’ll [fans] see more of it. That’s the one, that’s my celebration,” Tau told Brighton’s media department as per iDiski Times.

“It’s a celebration from South Africa that I used to do. I just twisted it a bit to make it a bit fun.

“Yeah, look I’m pleased it’s my first goal for the club, I’m so happy. I tried something and in the end of the day it worked out.

"I saw an opportunity that I could score and I tried to do something and it happened. It worked out pretty well.”

Tau struggled for game time last season, making just three Premier League appearances and played as many games in the FA Cup for Brighton.

In trying to raise his hand for more game time in the upcoming season, the player skipped the Olympic Games with South Africa and has now made his case with an impressive pre-season performance.

“I think it has been going well. We are happy that we got a win,” added Tau.

“I played some minutes and hopefully I’ll get more minutes and I’ll get better. Of course we want to win it but at the moment the focus is to try and get better during these pre-season games.

"Get our confidence, get our flow so that we feel fresh for the first game.”

It is yet to be seen if manager Graham Potter will hand the Bafana star some more playing minutes when they face Getafe in another friendly match next Saturday, before they kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Burnley seven days later.

West Ham United manager David Moyes was impressed with Said Benrahma's strike that sealed the 1-0 win for his charges against Brentford in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The Algeria international struck in the 66th minute against his former team to ensure the Hammers continued with their fine form in pre-season.

It was his second consecutive goal for the Londoners after also getting his name on the scoresheet in the 6-2 win over Celtic.

The veteran tactician believes the winger's form will also impact his charges positively ahead of the Premier League campaign.

"It was a good goal. He has been waiting on that one for a year, hasn't he?" Moyes posed a question as told by the club's official portal.

"He practices it a lot and today he hit the target. Maybe it's fitting that he did it here. He also scored at Celtic last week and it is good to build his confidence in that way. 

"We have got a lot of hope that he will get in and find his goalscoring touch, and assists and all those bits to do with his game. We want good competition and hopefully, we'll have lots of people threatening to score goals this season."

Despite a good pre-season run, the 58-year-old has conceded his main aim is to continue building the team.

"I think we were quite good in the first half. We did some good stuff and I am pleased because we are not at full tilt but we are getting there," Moyes continued.

"We saw this as being a really tough game - probably tougher, even, than the game last week at Celtic - and it proved to be, and I am pleased we got a result.

"We don't get carried away by the results, of course. I want to build a better team, I want to help build a better club all round, and the way to do that is by winning. 

"That gives us a chance and hopefully we can keep it going."

West Ham will start their Premier League campaign with an away trip to Newcastle United.

Gonzalo Higuain scored two second-half goals to help Inter Miami beat Victor Wanyama's CF Montreal 2-1 in a Major League Soccer match on Saturday.

Captained by Kenya international Wanyama, Montreal took the lead courtesy of Joaquin Torres, but two defensive blunders in the second half allowed the Argentine forward to score to give Miami a first win since May 16 

Wilfried Nancy’s men had won their last two games against Miami this season, without conceding a goal, and they started strongly as Mathieu Choiniere set up Torres to score the opener in the 20th minute.

Miami, under the tutelage of Phil Neville, were forced to wait until the second half when they levelled matters in the 49th minute, Higuain converting from the penalty spot after Federico Higuain was taken down inside the box and referee Victor Rivas pointed to the spot.

Montreal protested the penalty decision but it was given and in the 56th minute, Wanyama almost scored for his side after his header from a corner hit the woodwork before bouncing out for a goal-kick.

As Montreal pushed to take the lead again, Miami completed their comeback when defender Rudy Camacho committed a mistake by giving the ball away inside his box, and the ball fell to Higuain, who made no mistake by slotting it home past goalkeeper James Pantemis for a 2-1 lead.

Robbie Robinson could have made it 3-1 for Miami, but Pantemis came out of his line to deny him with his legs.

Despite a series of attacks by Montreal to found a leveller, Miami held on to snatch a vital win at DRV PNK Stadium.

It was a second straight defeat for Wanyama’s Montreal as they had lost 2-1 against New England Revolution in their last assignment and coach Nancy has called on his players to play better, especially when they have the lead.

"Sometimes, it's better not to perform a risky play for nothing when we can do a pass and eliminate many players,” Nancy said as quoted by CBC Sports.

“We created some chances and we could have scored to get a better lead earlier. We will keep working on that.”

On his part, defender Zorhan Bassong said: “We have a style of play. There are situations in which we need to get rid of the ball. But we keep respecting our principles of play," he said. "We learn from our mistakes. I'm frustrated with the loss. For me, it's a game we can't lose.”

Montreal will next face Atlanta United on Wednesday and on the same day Miami will host Orlando City.

Julian Nagelsmann is "confident" Leon Goretzka will extend his contract at Bayern Munich amid rumours linking him with a transfer to Manchester United.

Goretzka has entered the final 12 months of his current deal at Allianz Arena and it has been suggested Bayern could cash in on the midfielder this summer to avoid losing him for nothing in 2022.

Old Trafford has been mooted as the most likely next destination for the 26-year-old with United reportedly ready to submit a formal offer, but Nagelsmann is optimistic he will choose to remain with the German champions.

What has been said?

Goretzka returned to action for Bayern following his exploits for Germany at Euro 2020 as they suffered a 3-0 friendly defeat to Napoli on Saturday.

Asked for an update on his contract situation post-match, Nagelsmann told reporters: "I'm not involved enough that I have a say every day. I stay out of these issues.

"Of course I have talked to him about my plans for him. I've told him I'd be happy if he extended and I'm also confident. There are several topics involved when it comes to discussing a contract extension.

"I'll continue to focus on the sports side of things and show him he can be one of the most dangerous midfielders in Europe. He has potential to get even better."

Will there be any more incomings at Bayern?

Bayern have already snapped up Omar Richards and Sven Ulreich on free transfers, while Dayot Upamecano has been officially unveiled at Allianz Arena after agreeing to join the club from RB Leipzig for £38 million ($53m) back in February.

However, after seeing his side lose their opening four pre-season fixtures, Nagelsmann is open to dipping back into the market for reinforcements.

"I said before that I'm taking over a well-functioning team," he said. "I haven't had the full team yet. On Monday we will be complete when others return, and then it's about finding the rhythm in training.

"I'm not worried about these scores. I think the first half today was good. We had control and played well, but we didn't manage to create a lot of chances in the final third. 

"Our task as a club is to always observe the market. We have a good squad, but we can always improve it. Every coach in the world wants the best possible team."

Further readings

Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Katlego Mphela has claimed Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly are not the same high-performing players they were at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Dolly returned to South Africa earlier this week to sign for Chiefs, where he will link up with Billiat and Castro again, but Mphela has explained why he thinks the players are not capable of replicating their performances from when they were with the Brazilians.

Mphela himself featured for Sundowns and Amakhosi but his stint with the latter was largely hampered by injuries.

"I really don't know, I think it's a tricky one. As you know, the environments and tactics are not the same," Mphela told KickOff.com.

"I don't think they are still the same players. If you can look at Billiat, he is coming back from a long-term injury, Dolly has not been playing overseas and Castro was playing bits and pieces last season. 

"And again, I think [Samir] Nurkovic is the who is going to start ahead of Castro because of the form he was in previously. 

"But even if they play together, I don't see them producing the same performances or the same results as they did at Sundowns, because, again, the tactics of Stuart Baxter differ from those of Pitso [Mosimane]. 

"And obviously, they are getting to a stage in their careers where they are getting old. But they are still good players, they will help Chiefs with their experience. They still have quality in them, it depends how Baxter uses them."

When he signed his Chiefs deal, Dolly cherished his reunion with Billiat and said their association will help the club get goals.

"I speak with Khama a lot and it is an exciting time to play with him again, especially after we had good connections when we played at Sundowns," he said.

"We will bring what we have learnt throughout a couple of seasons that we played for different clubs. We can come back, work hard for the team and score more goals as we encourage each other."

Dolly returned to PSL after he spent four seasons with Montpellier in France.

Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko has revealed he wanted to quit football due to pressure after bursting onto the senior stage.

Moukoko was drafted into Dortmund's first team as a 15-year-old in January 2020, having scored a staggering 88 goals in 141 games for the club at academy level.

In November that year, the striker became the youngest player in Bundesliga history when making his debut one day after his 16th birthday and has since nailed down a role in the squad, but his rise to prominence hasn't all been plain sailing.

What has been said?

Moukoko has now admitted to struggling mentally with the weight of expectation that comes with playing at the highest level, while crediting Dortmund youth coach Sebastian Geppert for helping him navigate his way through a testing period.

“In the beginning, the reports were very stressful for me, especially when my age was discussed," the teenager told German publication WAZ. "I didn't want to do this to myself anymore. I wanted to quit, but my trainer helped me a lot, he supported me. I could forget everything on the pitch."

Moukoko's record for Dortmund

Since making his first senior appearance for Dortmund against Hertha Berlin, Moukoko has racked up 15 appearances for the club across all competitions, including one in the Champions League.

The Germany U20 international also has three goals to his name, having become the youngest scorer in Bundesliga history when opening his account in a clash with Union Berlin in December.

Moukoko's goals for 2021-22

Moukoko is eager to reach even greater heights in the upcoming campaign under new head coach Marco Rose, who replaced Edin Terzic in the hot seat earlier this summer.

"I want to accumulate more minutes than in my first season, score more goals, make more assists," he said. "I always want to be there when the team needs me.

"Of course it's going to be difficult. But I have to be confident in my abilities. I need playing time. I'm sure I will have more playing time."

Moukoko has also expressed his belief that Dortmund can challenge Bayern for the Bundesliga crown and make a big impact in the Champions League in 2021-22.

"Our captain Marco Reus has already said that we can play for the title," he added. "That's why I want to become a German champion and win the trophy. If we believe in ourselves, we can also achieve a lot in the Champions League. Why not?"

Further reading