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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Commanders rookie running back is no flash in the pan
Every summer, in every training camp around the NFL, fans and media members select one guy for their "summer crush." We've found that guy for the Washington Commanders this summer: running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. A seventh-round pick from the University of Arizona, Croskey-Merritt has a unique story. First, he was a zero-star recruit from Montgomery, Alabama. After a record-breaking career at Alabama State, Croskey-Merritt wanted to face stiffer competition to help his chances of making it to the NFL. He rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns at New Mexico in 2023 and transferred to Arizona in 2024. In his only start for the Wildcats, Croskey-Merritt rushed for over 100 yards before a bogus eligibility issue cost him the rest of his final collegiate season. The NCAA's poor decision likely cost Croskey-Merritt in the draft. The Commanders were thankful he was there when it was their turn to make their final pick. Since his arrival, coaches and teammates have praised "Bill." Yes, Bill is Croskey-Merritt's nickname and the name by which everyone calls him. Last week, head coach Dan Quinn praised Bill's "violent cuts." On Monday, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury met with the media, and it was his turn to praise Bill. "Bill, for a young guy who loves football, competes, very explosive," Kingsbury said. "He got ruled ineligible at Arizona and stayed and played scout team the whole year, which is like nobody would do that, so that tells you right there the type of passion he has for, and it shows up." Kingsbury can't wait to see the rookie in the preseason. "There's no doubt Bill's had some good flashes for a young guy," he said. Check out this video captured at Monday's practice. A violent cut, indeed. Croskey-Merritt is not only making Washington's roster, but he will, at some point, figure into the Commanders' offensive plans. Most summer crushes fizzle once they fail to make the roster. Bill is different. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: The hype around 'Bill' is real
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
West Ham and Wolves among clubs keen on Liverpool winger
West Ham United and Wolves are among the clubs interested in signing Liverpool winger Ben Doak. Doak spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough where he scored three times and provided seven assists in 21 Championship starts. He ranked fourth in the second tier for assists per 90 minutes and second for carries into the penalty area. Liverpool turned down bids in the region of £20m from Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town in the January transfer window, with Doak finishing the season with Middlesbrough. He has returned to Liverpool this summer, scoring in Monday's friendly with Athletic Club, and is again subject of interest from rival clubs. Journalist David Lynch has revealed that West Ham and Wolves are among the clubs considering the 19-year-old. Liverpool's stance on his future is unclear but it is expected significant offers will be considered for the teenager. Doak is also keen to secure regular first-team football to ensure his place in the Scotland squad. Liverpool are close to finalising the £15m sale of Tyler Morton to Lyon. That deal will see the Reds' revenue from sales this summer swell to more than £128m. Interest also remains in Darwin Nunez, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott. Read – See more – Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: | | | |
New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
Tottenham's Brennan Johnson: ‘Last season was a rollercoaster – I would not change any of it'
Brennan Johnson travelled to Barbados with his family earlier this summer and visited the Caribbean island's famous market in Oistins. It is based on the south coast, and on the weekend, visitors can enjoy live music, cocktails and Barbados' special dish of grilled or fried flying fish while looking out at beautiful views of the ocean. Over two months after he scored the winning goal in the Europa League final and paraded the trophy through north London with his team-mates, on his 24th birthday, Johnson still feels like he is flying. Advertisement 'It's an amazing memory,' the winger tells a group of journalists, including The Athletic, at an event in Hong Kong on their pre-season tour. 'It opened my eyes to how big the club is. We experience the sold-out stadium every week, but then when you do these parades and you keep going further away, no one is going anywhere. You get more and more people. The energy was so high. It was a special day.' Johnson will never be forgotten by Tottenham supporters thanks to his scrappy strike in Bilbao against Manchester United (he insists he touched the ball after it spun up off Luke Shaw following Pape Matar Sarr's cross), and finished the campaign as their top goalscorer in all competitions, with 18. However, there were also some testing moments for the Wales international throughout the season. Last September, he temporarily deleted his social media accounts after receiving abuse. A few days later, he scored a dramatic winner in stoppage time against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup and barely celebrated. 'Last season was like a rollercoaster,' he says. 'There were so many different emotions. It taught me so much about football. Not just on the pitch but off it. How you spend your spare time and who you spend it with. How you get on with your team, speaking to people. It takes a while to find a balance. 'I wouldn't have last season any different than it was. I learned and improved a lot. Won as a team, lost a lot of games as well. I don't think this season will be like last season with the ups and downs. It was an important season for my development.' Johnson was speaking at a session organised by family literacy charity Bring Me a Book Hong Kong, which inspires young people to read, as part of Tottenham Hotspur's traditional support for local charitable organisations on overseas tours. Johnson rarely takes players on compared to other wingers in the division. Former head coach Ange Postecoglou's system was about creating first-time shooting opportunities for him and Son Heung-min by encouraging the full-backs to overlap and fire crosses towards the penalty spot. It worked because Johnson scored 11 times in 33 appearances, but at times it felt like he was not involved enough in matches. Advertisement 'On the ball, I want to be better in one-v-one dribbling situations,' he says. 'I look back at least season and I was always trying to improve on it, and I think I did towards the end. Directness. More of a forward-thinking mentality from me and scoring goals. I scored a lot off one touch. I'm trying to improve my left foot and (shooting) off the dribble. It's about trying to get an overall better game.' Johnson has a close relationship with Son, who probably played his final game for Spurs in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. Johnson scored and copied his team-mate's celebration in tribute. He has found it invaluable working with the South Korean forward, who scored 127 Premier League goals and registered 71 assists across his 10 years with Spurs. 'I'm a right-footed player who played on the right last season,' Johnson says a few days before Son announced his desire to leave Spurs. 'He is both-footed and has helped me with little techniques on how to improve my left. He is a great player, so it is impossible to learn everything he does. He does it at such a high level. His career speaks for itself. How amazing and professional he is.' Such is the bond between the pair that when Spurs faced Brighton on the final day of last season, Johnson wore a pair of boots that Son had designed. They were inscribed with Son's name, but Johnson made a cheeky modification. 'I remember when he first showed me the picture that he was getting his own shoe last year,' Johnson says. 'A long time before they came out. I said to him, 'Can I have some?'. Then they were released in April, I went into training one day, and the boots were there. I love Sonny. He is a great guy. 'The shoes are cool and he is my friend. They were white, red and blue, so matched the kit. It was his idea (to add Johnson's name). I probably won't wear them again, but if he gets a new boot in the future, I will.' In the summer of 2023, Johnson was ready to leave Nottingham Forest, and he had a couple of different options. Thomas Frank tried to persuade him to join Brentford, who had come close to signing him on multiple occasions across a two-year period but never agreed a deal with Forest, but he moved to Spurs in a £47.5million ($63m) deal. Johnson and Frank are finally working together after the latter replaced Postecoglou in June. Frank has used a 4-2-3-1 formation throughout pre-season and Johnson has appeared on both wings. Advertisement 'He was always someone who impressed me, even though I never played under him,' Johnson says. 'Lots of people could respect how Brentford played, how hard they were to beat, and the quality they had in attacking areas. He took them to become an established Premier League team. It shows what kind of development he can do and we are all excited.' Matt Wells is the only surviving member of Postecoglou's backroom staff. Spurs have hired a specialist set-piece coach in Andreas Georgson and Cameron Campbell has been appointed to the newly created role of an individual development (IDP) coach. Frank takes responsibility for coaching the attacking unit along with Justin Cochrane, who has made a strong impression. 'Justin is a great coach,' Johnson says. 'His drills are realistic to games. He is good at working on finishes that people do. It feels like it is almost instinct. He practises on getting the contact right. A lot of finishing, dribbling, movement, which is important. We have such good attacking options and it's nice to learn from the people you are with and see how they like to score.' The change that will have the biggest impact on Johnson is the arrival of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United in a deal worth £50m. Kudus operates as a No 10 for Ghana but primarily played on the right for West Ham, where he would cut inside onto his stronger left foot. Last season, Kudus attempted the second-most take-ons per 90 minutes (7.2) in the Premier League, and had the second-highest successful take-ons per game (3.2) among players with at least 75 attempts. 'I've been really impressed with him and he is a nice guy,' Johnson says. 'Last season, there were quite a few games when I don't think we even had 11 first-team players. Getting as much quality as we can is important and it is what we need because we are in the Champions League and want to go far in all competitions. It wasn't just a one-off thing. We want to be in the Champions League every year. It's nice to have options, different styles, and versatility in the squad.' One player who will not be joining Spurs this summer is Johnson's former team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White. Spurs made an offer of £60m, which matched his release clause, but Forest reported them to the Premier League for an illegal approach. The England international signed a new three-year contract with Forest last month that makes him the best-paid player in their history. 'I haven't (spoken to Gibbs-White) because I knew his phone would be all over the place,' Johnson says. 'I didn't want to put more pressure on him or anything. Morgan is a great guy. We got on really well and I wish him all the best.' After a week on tour in Hong Kong and South Korea, Frank's plan for the new season is coming together. Johnson was a crucial player under Postecoglou and, despite the arrival of Kudus, looks set to be just as important to his new boss.
