Martyn urges Vardy to join Celtic
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Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mikel Arteta shares the MOST IMPORTANT trait he looks for in a signing - and the two players he must gel with in Arsenal dressing room
Mikel Arteta has revealed the crucial trait he looks for in a transfer target and the two players any new signing must gel with in the Arsenal dressing room. As they continue to try and end their more than 20-year wait for the Premier League title, the Gunners have made a number of high-profile signings in recent years. They scooped England midfielder Declan Rice in a £105million deal a couple of years ago, in the same transfer window they splashed out more than £60m on rival Chelsea forward Kai Havertz. And the club's big spending certainly hasn't stopped this summer, with Arteta notably bolstering his squad with Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, Noni Madueke from Chelsea and the highly-sought after Viktor Gyokeres. But despite the undoubted quality on the pitch of Arsenal's glitzy new additions, Arteta revealed this week that a good personality is the most important trait he looks for in a player. He made the surprising revelation while speaking at the announcement of his new role as Under Armour's global ambassador this week, saying: 'Personality (is the most important trait. Without that, you have no chance. You have to look at somebody's eyes. The Gunners have bolstered their squad this summer with the signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, as well as Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi 'When I go to sign a player, sometimes it's on Zoom and I open the laptop. It's the first impression. 'Is this guy ready to put that jersey on, work in that dressing room and take all the noise that us surrounding his signing and deal with it in the right way? 'And then we go to the qualities and how this player is going to relate to other people because at the end, this player is going to have to glide into the dressing room. So, you have to imagine this personality and in this position and how they are going to connect with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.' The Gunners are gearing up for the start of their Premier League campaign on Sunday, when they take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in an important game for both managers. After a dire first season at the helm, Ruben Amorim will be hoping to start his second term strongly after bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo and most recently Benjamin Sesko. While Arteta will be looking to live up to fans' expectations of a trophy this season after plugging the hole up-front which blighted the Gunners last season with Viktor Gyokeres. But Amorim is more likely than most managers to be able to stop the powerful Swede having managed him at Sporting Lisbon. Indeed, in quotes which recirculated this week, back in March 2024 the Portuguese coach gave a brutal assessment of Gyokeres' game, highlighting a major flaw. 'There's a lot Gyokeres needs to improve on,' Amorim had said in the aftermath of Sporting crashing out of the Europa League to Atalanta by virtue of a 3-2 aggregate defeat. 'He plays the same way against a slow or a fast centre-back. Everything he does in the Portuguese First Division, he does against Atalanta. 'He can still improve his understanding of the game. He still lacks defensive reaction, and all coaches look at that.' Gyokeres will no-doubt be looking to get his Arsenal career off to a bang on Sunday with a goal against his former boss's new side.
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Easingwold athlete 'competing for my organ donor'
When Louise Prashad was diagnosed with a rare pregnancy-related condition, there was only a small chance she would years later, she will represent Team GB on the athletics world stage after receiving a successful organ transplant. Louise, from Easingwold in North Yorkshire, is due to compete at the World Transplant Games in Germany next week, where she is aiming for a gold medal in shot 32-year-old said: "I want to show my donor's family that it wasn't all in vain." At just 22 years old and 37 weeks pregnant with twins, her liver went into was then placed into an induced coma at St James's Hospital in Leeds."I woke up to the knowledge that my son and daughter had passed away at full term and that I'd had an organ transplant," Louise said."I really struggled with the grief but knowing that I had somebody else's organ and somebody else's life, really spurred me on to want to live every day like it's the last." Ten years on, Louise has married, graduated with a law degree and has two children."I think if I hadn't had the transplant I'd really have struggled to get out of the dark hole that I was in," she admitted."I'm living for more than me, I'm living for my donor and her family who I met this year, I'm living for the children I've had since and I really want to make the world proud and showcase what can be achieved."The organ recipient has spent almost 10 years conquering ultramarathons, raising more than £350,000 for liver-related charities and giving more than 600 talks about organ donation. Despite not always being sporty, Louise also began training in track and field. For the past three years, she has competed in the British Transplant Games in events such as shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and ball throw, picking up several gold medals. However, it will be the athlete's first time going to the World Transplant Games. "Shot put is my main focus for the World Games, hoping to bring back a gold," she said."It is very competitive, there are some amazing throwers from all different countries this year but I'm quietly confident. "I've been training with my coach Paul Wilson for well over a year now and I hit a PB this weekend."Louise said she owed her success to the woman who donated her liver and whose family she has since met. "I walked into a room and we just hugged and had an instant connection. I felt like I was meeting part of a long-lost family," she said."My donor saved nine people and her husband saved nine people, that's 18 people's lives that wouldn't have carried on without organ donation."She was only 52 years old and I feel a duty to keep on living for her because she gave this gift of life in her final hours. I feel like I need to honour that."Despite there being an opt-out system for organ donation, Louise said it was still important to discuss wishes with family."Your family has the final say so you need to have that conversation to leave your family sure about your decision otherwise your organs may not be donated," she added. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why a banner from Israeli football supporters sparked anger
Israeli football fans sparked outrage in Poland by displaying a banner reading "Murderers since 1939" during a Europa Conference League match against a Polish team in Hungary. The provocative message, unfurled by supporters of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, drew immediate condemnation from Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski. The Israeli Embassy in Warsaw also condemned the banner, stating there is no place for such words or actions, and that they do not reflect the spirit of most Israeli fans. The year 1939 marks the beginning of the Second World War and the Nazi occupation of Poland, during which millions of Polish citizens, including three million Jews, perished. UEFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against both Maccabi Haifa and Rakow Czestochowa for transmitting a message not fit for a sports event, with the banner possibly a response to a previous Polish banner referencing the Gaza conflict.
