Sunday's briefing: England U21s continue Euros defence as PSG begin CWC campaign
Under-21s boss Carsley expects more
England Under-21s boss Carsley insisted his side still had plenty to improve on, despite a winning start at the European Championship.
Goals from Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell saw Croatia defeated 3-1, with Sunday's game against Slovenia providing a chance to cement their place in the knockout rounds.
'It might seem a bit clunky at times, unstructured, but I thought the players took on board what we tried to do, lots of positives, the Czechs had good chances as well so lots to improve,' said Carsley.
'The longer I feel we can stay in the competition, the more clean our play will become.'
Dembele has Ballon d'Or dreams
Champions League winner Ousmane Dembele is chasing the 'holy grail' of the Ballon d'Or.
The forward's performances were integral to Paris St Germain's inaugural triumph in Europe's premier club competition but having conquered that challenge, the 28-year-old is looking to emulate his idol and former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi.
'Winning a Ballon d'Or when you're a footballer is obviously the holy grail on an individual level. It's something you dream of as a child,' Dembele told France Football.
'I've had difficult years with injuries, weak performances as well. This season I think I've been consistent, so we'll see what happens.
'It would be exceptional to have my name on the list and to be one of the favourites is already a great victory, although I hope to win it one day.
Bright future ahead for FC United
FC United want to continue being an 'antidote' to modern football as the breakaway club celebrate their 20th anniversary.
The Glazer family's controversial takeover at Manchester United was the catalyst for the club's foundation on June 14, 2005, offering an affordable, inclusive and fan-owned alternative for disenfranchised supporters.
FCUM reached the National League North and built a 4,900-capacity stadium within a decade and now the goal is for the Northern Premier League Premier Division side to kick on again.
'I think the future's bright. I think we're about to enter into our next grand phase,' chair Nick Boom told the PA news agency.
'We've spent a lot of time trying to kind of get the club into a position where it's financially stable and it feels like we now have got to a position where we can kind of invest.'
What's on today?
Champions League winners Paris St Germain take on Atletico Madrid in an early glamour tie in the Club World Cup. Bayern Munich against Auckland City offers less allure. England Under-21s could secure progress to the European Championship knockout stage with victory over Slovenia.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
24 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
England Under-21s held to goalless stalemate by Slovenia
England Under-21s missed the chance to secure their place in the knockout stage of the European Championship after being held to a goalless draw by Slovenia. Lee Carsley's side were frustrated in the first half against a Slovenia side who threatened at times themselves, but Ethan Nwaneri and Harvey Elliott spurned golden opportunities. Goalkeeper James Beadle played his part in keeping England level with decent saves to deny Svit Seslar. Another point on the board at the #U21EURO finals, as our #YoungLions draw with Slovenia on matchday two. — England (@England) June 15, 2025 England moved to the top of the group, for the time being at least, but will have to wait to secure their qualification against Germany when they meet in Nitra on Wednesday, while Slovenia kept their slim hopes of progressing alive. Slovenia started brightly and came close when Seslar's whipped free-kick deflected inches wide of the target and Beadle was then called into action for the first time to stop Seslar's drilled effort with his legs. England's first chance came in the 20th minute. Captain James McAtee will have been disappointed to drag his close-range effort harmlessly wide. England should have been ahead just before the half-hour when Jonathan Rowe showed great feet to get past his marker and put the ball on a plate for Nwaneri, but with the goal at his mercy he somehow missed an easy tap-in. Slovenia started to threat again, with Seslar proving a menace as he let rip with a ferocious effort from outside the box which Beadle did well to tip over the crossbar. England again came close to an opener before the break. Elliot Anderson superbly picked out the run of Elliott and he lifted his effort over goalkeeper Martin Turk only to see the ball bounce off the upright and away from danger. Another glorious chance went begging when Tino Livramento hooked the ball into the six-yard area and McAtee directed a shot on goal but Turk was in the right place to save. Slovenia almost made England pay for those missed chances as another chance fell to Seslar, but he saw a curling strike saved by Beadle. Substitute Omari Hutchinson injected some pace into England's attack and his cross found Elliott who could not direct his header on target.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
England Under-21s held to goalless stalemate by Slovenia
England Under-21s missed the chance to secure their place in the knockout stage of the European Championship after being held to a goalless draw by Slovenia. Lee Carsley's side were frustrated in the first half against a Slovenia side who threatened at times themselves, but Ethan Nwaneri and Harvey Elliott spurned golden opportunities. Goalkeeper James Beadle played his part in keeping England level with decent saves to deny Svit Seslar. England moved to the top of the group, for the time being at least, but will have to wait to secure their qualification against Germany when they meet in Nitra on Wednesday, while Slovenia kept their slim hopes of progressing alive. Slovenia started brightly and came close when Seslar's whipped free-kick deflected inches wide of the target and Beadle was then called into action for the first time to stop Seslar's drilled effort with his legs. England's first chance came in the 20th minute. Captain James McAtee will have been disappointed to drag his close-range effort harmlessly wide. England should have been ahead just before the half-hour when Jonathan Rowe showed great feet to get past his marker and put the ball on a plate for Nwaneri, but with the goal at his mercy he somehow missed an easy tap-in. Slovenia started to threat again, with Seslar proving a menace as he let rip with a ferocious effort from outside the box which Beadle did well to tip over the crossbar. England again came close to an opener before the break. Elliot Anderson superbly picked out the run of Elliott and he lifted his effort over goalkeeper Martin Turk only to see the ball bounce off the upright and away from danger. Another glorious chance went begging when Tino Livramento hooked the ball into the six-yard area and McAtee directed a shot on goal but Turk was in the right place to save. Slovenia almost made England pay for those missed chances as another chance fell to Seslar, but he saw a curling strike saved by Beadle. Substitute Omari Hutchinson injected some pace into England's attack and his cross found Elliott who could not direct his header on target. England were denied in stoppage time as Brooke Norton-Cuffy's pinpoint cross picked out Jack Hinshelwood who directed a powerful header on target but Turk tipped the ball behind and secured an important point.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic tick all the boxes for Benjamin Nygren as Sweden star outlines exactly what he wants at next club
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BENJAMIN NYGREN craves a big club with a huge support who fill a noisy stadium every week. He wants to fight for trophies, play under pressure and get a crack at Champions League football. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 4 Benjamin Nygren speaking to WTV in Sweden Credit: WTV 4 He addressed his future in football 4 He's closing in on a move to Celtic Credit: Alamy If only there was a club out there that could offer him all of that Nygren didn't name Celtic as he spoke candidly about his ideal next step just two weeks ago. But the Sweden star couldn't have dropped any bigger hints that the Hoops are the perfect club for him. SunSport has unearthed a YouTube interview where Nygren outlined his wishes as he prepares to quit Nordsjaelland. The 23-year-old would have been aware that Celtic were watching him closely as he talked on a Swedish channel. And it appears the Hoops will tick every single box as he closes in on a £2million move to Parkhead. Asked why he is ready to move on, Nygren said: 'I want to go to a bigger club. 'I want to play in the Champions League and I want to get as far as possible in my career. 'We have been in agreement for some time about me leaving in this window. I feel it's time. 'I want to go to a club that has extreme belief in me and has a clear plan for me. The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up 'But also a big club that plays in the best tournaments in Europe. 'At club level, the Champions League is the biggest competition you can play in. 'Nordsjaelland is a very family-orientated club and it can be quiet in the stands. 'That is good in a way maybe but I think it's a lot of fun when there are a lot of fans. 'It's more fun to play when it's a full stadium, where there are a lot of supporters and there is a lot of pressure. 'That is what I like the most.' Nygren has been a revelation in Danish football for the last two years and is now a full Sweden cap. He scored 16 goals for the Superliga side last season and already has two in just four appearaneces for the national team. But he believes there is even more to come from him and wants to play under a manager who truly believes in him. Benjamin Nygren's career 2013 (youth level) - 2019: IFK Goteborg - 15 games (six goals, five assists) 2019 - 2022: Genk - seven games (one goal) 2020 - 2022: Heerenveen (loan) - 51 games (seven goals, six assists) 2022 --: Nordsjaelland - 107 games (35 goals, eight assists) Celtic gaffer Brendan Rodgers has a track record for developing players in his attacking midfield position. Tom Rogic, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Christie and Matt O'Riley all blossomed under his guidance at Parkhead. Nygren could be the next to work with Rodgers and the versatile playmaker has vowed to keep working at his game. He said: 'Being able to play in different positions is a strength for me. 'I know that I can contribute a lot to teams and also help make people get the best out of their own qualities. 'I believe in my abilities and I think I am good at creating chances and finishing when I get them myself.' Nygren will always be grateful to Nordsjaelland for the way they helped revive his career after a £4m move to Genk in 2019 didn't work. The Danish side offered him a platform to show his qualities again after being tipped as Sweden's next big thing as a kid. Nygren has taken that chance and also given a lot back to Nordsjaelland, and captained the team last season. Yet he admits he has now outgrown the club, who focus on developing talent as opposed to winning trophies. He said: 'I would definitely say it's a good environment to develop. 4 'We have a lot of young players. 'Generally, in the last ten games of the season, we had three or four 18-year-olds in the starting line-up. 'That's not very common so it's a platform to learn and develop. 'This is a club that has a lot of eyes on it, but which also maintains a very high level and is a top-five club in Denmark in principle every year. 'Nordsjaelland's highest goal is not to win the league, but to play with young talents to sell. 'It is a selling club and it becomes difficult to compete for the titles when you sell your best players all the time. 'But that doesn't affect my motivation. Wherever I play, even if nobody is watching, I want to win.' Nygren also has an eye on next summer's World Cup after recently breaking into the Sweden squad. Jon Dahl Tomasson's side face Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia in their qualifying group and are favourites to progress. Nygren is desperate to stay in his national squad and playing at a high level in Europe for Celtic would boost his chances. Speaking to Wenstrom Television, he said: 'The World Cup is the biggest thing there is. 'It is one of my highest goals to get there during my career. 'It was extremely fun to get into the Sweden squad and score my first goal. 'That is something I have been dreaming about for a long time. 'I have fought very hard each day to reach that level in my career. 'I felt I was getting closer and closer, and it fun to be called up and play for the national team. 'To make my debut and starting debut and score my first goal was a dream.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
