How SuperCup NI showcases top local talent alongside the stars of the future from across the water
The fact that Rangers, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and the famous 1991 Manchester United squad containing David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes et al were written in the winner's records within the first decade of the tournament's foundation bears that out clearly.
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Metro
27 minutes ago
- Metro
Who is favourite to win 2025 Ballon d'Or and which 30 players are nominated?
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah is among the main favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or after the 30 nominees were announced on Thursday. The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual award in football, handed out to the player deemed to have performed best over the previous season, with this year's winner set to be announced on September 22. Presented by French magazine France Football since 1956, Lionel Messi holds the record for most Ballon d'Or trophies – having clinched eight. Manchester City star Rodri landed the last Ballon d'Or in 2024 – but which 30 players are nominated this time around and who are the favourites? In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – click here and sign up before Friday to make sure you don't miss the first edition. Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris St-Germain) Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) Desire Doue (Paris St-Germain) Denzel Dumfries (Inter) Serhou Guirassy (Dortmund) Erling Haaland (Manchester City) Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal) Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain) Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris St-Germain) Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) Lautaro Martinez (Inter) Scott McTominay (Napoli) Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) Nuno Mendes (Paris St-Germain) Joao Neves (Paris St-Germain) Pedri (Barcelona) Cole Palmer (Chelsea) Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) Raphinha (Barcelona) Declan Rice (Arsenal) Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain) Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid) Florian Wirtz (Liverpool) Vitinha (Paris St-Germain) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) According to football betting site talkSPORT Bet, Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele is the No.1 favourite at odds of 1/5. Dembele registered 21 goals and eight assists across 29 Ligue 1 games last season as PSG were crowned champions of France. The French forward also conjured up eight goals and six assists in 15 Champions League matches to help PSG land their first-ever trophy. Ousmane Dembele 1/5 Lamine Yamal 5/1 Mohamed Salah 16/1 Raphinha 20/1 Vitinha 25/1 Nuno Mendes 33/1 Kylian Mbappe 33/1 Cole Palmer 33/1 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 50/1 Desire Doue 100/1 Lautaro Martinez 100/1 Gianluigi Donnarumma 100/1 Virgil Van Dijk 100/1 Jude Bellingham 100/1 Scott McTominay 150/1 Fabian Ruiz 200/1 Michael Olise 200/1 Joao Neves 200/1 Alexis MacAllister 200/1 Achraf Hakimi 200/1 Serhou Guirassy 200/1 Denzel Dumfries 200/1 Harry Kane 200/1 Florian Wirtz 200/1 Vinicius Junior 250/1 Robert Lewandowski 250/1 Declan Rice 250/1 Erling Haaland 250/1 Viktor Gyokeres 250/1 Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is the second favourite at odds of 5/1 after the Catalan club landed the La Liga title as well as the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España trophies. Salahi is the third favourite after Liverpool finished ahead of Arsenal and Pep Guardiola's City to clinch the Premier League title. Salah believes this year is his 'best chance' to win the Ballon d'Or – with the Egyptian having never landed the trophy before. 'I would say I never had a season like this and winning big trophies so I would say this is my best chance to get it right now while I'm in the club because it's been a crazy year, a crazy season with a trophy,' Salah told Sky Sports. 'It's given me a good chance.'
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Russell Martin told his players to park their egos ... the problem is there aren't ENOUGH egos at Rangers
Having seen the wild oscillations in Rangers ' performance levels at close quarters last season, Billy Dodds wasn't exactly dumbfounded when the side flatlined at Fir Park immediately after advancing in the Champions League in Athens. Across 15 games at the end of last season, the team were capable of winning matches away to Fenerbahce and Celtic. It was their inability to take care of St Mirren and Hibs in the Premiership which cost Barry Ferguson and his interim team any chance of prolonging their stay. Dodds has since put down the clipboard and picked up the microphone again. His return to the radio studio proved typically illuminating, with the former Ibrox striker claiming that too many of the players he worked with lacked the requisite 'mindset'. His views on the fall-out from last weekend's meek display against Motherwell are no less intriguing. Russell Martin's talk of the need for certain individuals to park their egos piqued his interest. Truth be told, this was a character trait he didn't see nearly enough of during his spell at the club. 'Do you know what? There were some players who were harder to handle than others,' says Dodds. 'But there's one thing that was missing at Rangers and it was egos. 'Because I think when you have egos, domestically, it looks after itself. I think you go: 'I'm a good player, we win this game consistently'. 'That's what they actually needed. I think a lot of them need more ego because that will help them consistently, domestically. And I think that's the thing that was missing. 'Look at Celtic last weekend. They weren't at their best against St Mirren, but they won the game.' However Russell Martin chose to phrase it, he clearly didn't like what he saw from some familiar faces. Frank conversations were had. And when the team to play Viktoria Plzen was announced on Tuesday, James Tavernier, Danilo, Nico Raskin and Kieran Dowell were nowhere to be seen. If the manager's harsh words and decisive action felt like a risk, a 3-0 win against the Czechs fully vindicated him. Some established names appear to have been part of the problem. It's now for them to demonstrate that a message has been received and understood. 'It went well for Russell because they won,' offers Dodds. 'It was brave, I'll say that. When it goes for you, it looks like an expert decision. 'You don't have to tell me how good pros Nico and Tav are. I think they'll come back stronger because they'll be dogged and determined to show they want in this team and want to be part of it. 'They'll be hurting. But that's what good pros do. They hurt and then they show you.' The prospect of Raskin being dropped last season would have felt preposterous. The Belgian was his side's best player over the piece. Having previously struggled to live up to expectations, he delivered. The fact that four of his five goals came when the interim team of Ferguson, Dodds and Neil McCann were in the building suggested they understood the player more than his compatriot Philippe Clement ever did. 'He's a very good kid. He's got a good heart,' explains Dodds. 'I think we had him playing some of his best football last season because he was adding goals and he realised he's an all-rounder. 'He wanted to be a six. Nobody's arguing with that. That's what we told him. He's decent there. But he's better as an all-rounder. 'The Belgian manager played him as a six and that was what was in his head. But he's also got to realise that, if you score goals as an all-rounder, then there's more money in it and bigger moves for him. 'I'm not saying he should leave Rangers but, when it comes at the right time, he moves for bigger money. 'That's what was put to him. And then suddenly he starts scoring goals from that energetic position — and then he believes in it, funny enough.' The fact Cyriel Dessers was on his way to becoming the Premiership's top scorer didn't prevent Dodds from also offering the striker the benefit of his wisdom. Long established as the whipping boy of the side, it seems that all the goals in the world won't change how the Nigeria international is perceived in the eyes of his many critics. As a man who also had to strive to earn the appreciation of fans across four years at the club, Dodds was a natural champion for this cause. 'Do you know my first conversation with Cyriel?' he asks. 'I sat him down and I said: 'I love people who have got so much dogged determination about them'. 'I said: 'So many people come to this club and they sink or swim'. And you swam, big man. 'And he just looked at me and said he'd never shirk away from an issue. That told me everything about him. 'He misses chances, he's the first to admit that. But it's just little details. 'I said to him: 'Any time you take more than three touches — or two touches especially in the box — you miss your chances, big man'. 'You miss them because you overthink it. He admits it.' There is definitely a player in there. Dessers demonstrated it again on Tuesday with a brilliant take into feet and pass around the corner to set up Djeidi Gassama's opening goal. Injury has restricted his involvement this season, but he's now looking the part. AEK Athens are prepared to pay £5million for him. If Martin feels he can do better with the money, good luck to him. 'It would be a gamble now,' says Dodds. 'Rangers were maybe looking to sell before, last season into this season. But I think the big man has bounced back again. And I love players who show that.' With nine new players arriving this summer and the style of playing evolving, Martin had correctly predicted the start of the campaign would not be plain sailing. While there was more good than bad on show against a toothless Panathinaikos side, the display at Fir Park was a reminder that this is very much a work in progress. Although the performance against Plzen offered a welcome insight into what all this might eventually look like, Dodds has learned from recent experience that there will be more bumps in the road. 'I think Tuesday night looks after itself,' he says. 'When it's Europe, it's no bother. 'I don't think Plzen were great, but you can only beat what's put in front of you. 'Now on Saturday they've got to handle that it's Dundee, sitting deep. They'll be trying to make it hard for them to get a point on the board themselves. And that's the kind of games that Rangers came unstuck in last season.' Billy Dodds was promoting Premier Sports' live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Dundee on Saturday from 12pm on Premier Sports 1. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code PSCUP25.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Cyriel Dessers puts transfer ball back in Rangers court as former coach reveals priceless lesson he taught him
The striker's future remains uncertain after the club received an offer of around £5m from AEK Athens Billy Dodds has warned his old Rangers bosses will be taking a huge risk if they choose to cash in on Cyriel Dessers this summer. Dessers was a standout performer in his first start of the season on Tuesday night - scoring from the spot after setting up Djeidi Gassama for the opener in a 3-0 first leg win over Viktoria Plzen. But, with the transfer window open until the end of the month, the striker's future remains uncertain after the club received an offer of around £5m from AEK Athens. And Dodds - who was part of Barry Ferguson's coaching staff for the final three months of the previous campaign - is adamant that selling Dessers now might cost the club in the long run. He said: 'It would be a gamble now. Rangers were maybe looking to sell him going into the season. But I think the big man has bounced back again and I love players who show that. 'It's like he thinks to himself, 'Get another one in, I'll put him out of the team. Get another one in, I'll see him off too!'. The big man is now saying: 'Right, bring it on. I'll just show you what I can do.' 'He's scored again and he's probably put it back in Rangers' court. I think probably Rangers did want to sell. But now, there's a question mark about it. 'They could bring in a striker who scores 20 and that's a good return. But it's still not what the big man gets. 'Yes, he misses chances and he's the first to admit that. But it's just little details. 'I'm not saying I changed him but I did point out to him, 'Any time you take more than three touches - or two touches especially in the box - you miss your chances, big man. You miss them because you overthink it!'. 'He actually looked at me one of the times when he took three touches and he's like, 'Ah, you're right!'. He admits it. 'I think that's a great trait to have because he knew what could make him better. And when he scored a few of his goals, he came to me, and said: 'one touch, two touches.' 'Honestly, the admiration I've got for him is incredible because I love people who react to a challenge in the face of adversity. 'I loved working with Cyriel. I'm not scared to say it, he's one of my favourites because I love people who want to learn. And he's a sponge.' And Dodds has backed Nico Raskin to win over new manager Russell Martin despite being axed for Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier on the back of a warning from the boss that some of his key men have to 'drop their egos'. Dodds said: 'Nico's a very good kid. He's got a good heart. The way I would put it is, Nico needs some convincing. But he's great. 'I think we had him playing some of his best football last season because he was adding goals and he realised he's an all-rounder. He wanted to be a No 6. He can play as a No 6 - nobody's arguing with that. That's what we told him. He's decent there. But he's better as an all-rounder. 'The Belgian manager played him as a No 6 and that was what was in his head. But he's also got to realise that if you score goals as an all-rounder then there's more money in it and bigger moves for him. 'I'm not saying he should leave Rangers but when it comes at the right time, he moves for bigger money. That's what was put to him. 'And then suddenly he starts scoring goals for that energetic position and then he believes in it, funny enough.' In fact, Dodds believes Martin's side need more big egos if the new boss is to challenge Celtic's domestic superiority. He went on: 'Some players were harder to handle than others. But there's one thing that was missing at Rangers - and it was egos. 'When you have egos, domestically, it looks after itself. I think you go, 'I'm a good player, we win this game consistently.' 'That's what they actually needed more of and I think that's the thing that was missing.' * Billy Dodds was promoting the Premier Sports' live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Dundee on Saturday from 12pm on Premier Sports 1. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code PSCUP25.'
