Dungannon Swifts will enjoy Irish Cup Final occasion… but we're not there just to make up numbers, insists Declan Dunne
The ex-Cliftonville goalkeeper, who swapped Solitude for Stangmore Park in 2022, is tasked with keeping the Reds' feared forward line at bay.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Lionel Messi's changing room conduct emerges as ex-team-mate tells all
Ex-Barcelona star Marc Bartra has opened up about the intense drive and high standards of the legendary Lionel Messi. The defender shared a dressing room with the Argentine icon at the Catalan giants for six years. Bartra, who rose through the ranks at La Masia alongside Messi and spent his early professional years at Camp Nou, has since moved on to play for Borussia Dortmund and is currently in his second spell at Real Betis. He recently contested the Europa Conference League final against Chelsea, losing 4-1. The ex-Spain international has now spoken out about his time with Messi during the latter's golden years at Barcelona. Appearing on the Spanish TV show Viajando con Chester, hosted by Risto Mejide, Bartra revealed insights into Messi's self-criticism and relentless pursuit of excellence. He recounted witnessing Messi berate himself for errors made on the pitch, even to the point of swearing and tugging at his own shirt in frustration, before making an immediate amends when he took to the field again. Bartra recalled Messi's reaction after missing a penalty, saying: "He has had bad moments on a football field. I've seen him in a dressing room swearing at himself and pulling his shirt for missing a penalty. I heard him saying, 'What have I done?' "Then he would come out in the second half and be the best, dominating the field. That's what made him the best. Beyond technique, it's about getting up again. "It is about knowing what to do with what happens to you, what solution you bring to what you encounter. Not playing the victim, but taking it with responsibility." Messi's passion for the game and winning attitude were also echoed by Josef Martinez, another former team-mate who played with the Argentine maestro at Inter Miami, reports the Mirror US. The Venezuelan, who briefly shared a changing room with Messi in Florida before moving to CF Montreal, was taken aback by the Argentine superstar's down-to-earth nature and meticulous habits. "Everything changed in a day. I swear. It was shocking," said Martinez. "You see him sitting there, and he's the most normal person I've ever seen in my life, and he's famous. "Not even God is as well-known as he is. Seeing him sitting there was something impressive: folding his shirt, matching his uniform with his watch, and shoes with his shirt. "He would sit down, and you'd say: 'Wow!' He'd greet you normally. That, despite being a guy who has won everything, he always arrived first for training." Martinez continued, adding that Messi raised the standards of everyone in his squad, as he claimed: "He was great with us, he was great with me. And you felt you had to be at his same level." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Steve Smith not thinking about Ashes as Australia prepare for World Test final
England have been vocal about their long-term planning being geared towards building a team capable of wresting the urn from Australia for the first time in a decade ahead of the 2025-26 series Down Under. However, Smith is zoned in on this week's World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, starting on Wednesday, before Australia head to the Caribbean for three Tests and five T20s. Steve Smith trains at Lord's ahead of the World Test Championship final (Ben Whitley/PA) 'The Ashes is a big series but you also can't look too far ahead,' said Smith, winner of the Compton–Miller Medal for player of the Ashes series in 2017-18 and 2019. 'You've got to keep playing each game as it comes, every game is important with the World Test Championship on the line. 'That's the reason it came in: to make every Test more relevant. We go to the West Indies next week and we've got a series there, that'll be the next focus after this game.' Australia's last Test visit to Lord's in the 2023 Ashes saw an extraordinary bust-up between a couple of players and Marylebone Cricket Club members, one of whom was expelled and two others suspended. Asked about sort of reception he is anticipating from the members this time, Smith replied: 'Unsure, and I'm actually not fussed either way.' Australia defeated India in the 2023 final and are overwhelming favourites to see off the Proteas, whose place at the showpiece has been questioned, including by former England captain Michael Vaughan. Vaughan said they got there 'on the back of beating pretty much nobody', while ex-Australia spinner Kerry O'Keeffe likened their run to 'making the Wimbledon final without playing a seed along the way'. South Africa played only a dozen Tests in the 2023-25 edition and did not have to face either England or Australia, although six successive wins saw them book their spot in the final with a match to spare. Head coach Shukri Conrad said: 'I'm tired of speaking about it, we're here and that's all that matters. We get a chance to walk away World Test champions. 'Playing Australia, it doesn't get any bigger than that. What's gone before counts for absolutely nothing at the minute. We're quietly confident going into this game that we can pull one over them. 'We still hold Test cricket very dearly, our fixture list might not speak to that, but this is the biggest final all of our players have ever been involved in and their biggest match.' Stuart Broad joined South Africa as a consultant on Monday (Ben Whitley/PA) Conrad and his coaching staff had dinner on Sunday evening with former England seamer Stuart Broad, who took 113 of his 604 Test wickets at Lord's and has more dismissals against Australia than anyone else. Broad joined South Africa as a consultant at practice on Monday to pass on tips to the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen about dealing with the notorious slope at the home of cricket. 'It was just a casual chat and if I didn't call time at 10:30pm, I think he'd still be there chatting to us,' Conrad said. 'It was really enlightening, really casual and everybody walked away thinking 'that was great', Broady included.'
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Steve Smith not thinking about Ashes as Australia prepare for World Test final
England have been vocal about their long-term planning being geared towards building a team capable of wresting the urn from Australia for the first time in a decade ahead of the 2025-26 series Down Under. However, Smith is zoned in on this week's World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, starting on Wednesday, before Australia head to the Caribbean for three Tests and five T20s. 'The Ashes is a big series but you also can't look too far ahead,' said Smith, winner of the Compton–Miller Medal for player of the Ashes series in 2017-18 and 2019. 'You've got to keep playing each game as it comes, every game is important with the World Test Championship on the line. 'That's the reason it came in: to make every Test more relevant. We go to the West Indies next week and we've got a series there, that'll be the next focus after this game.' Australia's last Test visit to Lord's in the 2023 Ashes saw an extraordinary bust-up between a couple of players and Marylebone Cricket Club members, one of whom was expelled and two others suspended. Asked about sort of reception he is anticipating from the members this time, Smith replied: 'Unsure, and I'm actually not fussed either way.' Australia defeated India in the 2023 final and are overwhelming favourites to see off the Proteas, whose place at the showpiece has been questioned, including by former England captain Michael Vaughan. Vaughan said they got there 'on the back of beating pretty much nobody', while ex-Australia spinner Kerry O'Keeffe likened their run to 'making the Wimbledon final without playing a seed along the way'. South Africa played only a dozen Tests in the 2023-25 edition and did not have to face either England or Australia, although six successive wins saw them book their spot in the final with a match to spare. Head coach Shukri Conrad said: 'I'm tired of speaking about it, we're here and that's all that matters. We get a chance to walk away World Test champions. 'Playing Australia, it doesn't get any bigger than that. What's gone before counts for absolutely nothing at the minute. We're quietly confident going into this game that we can pull one over them. 'We still hold Test cricket very dearly, our fixture list might not speak to that, but this is the biggest final all of our players have ever been involved in and their biggest match.' Conrad and his coaching staff had dinner on Sunday evening with former England seamer Stuart Broad, who took 113 of his 604 Test wickets at Lord's and has more dismissals against Australia than anyone else. Broad joined South Africa as a consultant at practice on Monday to pass on tips to the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen about dealing with the notorious slope at the home of cricket. 'It was just a casual chat and if I didn't call time at 10:30pm, I think he'd still be there chatting to us,' Conrad said. 'It was really enlightening, really casual and everybody walked away thinking 'that was great', Broady included.'
