Latest news with #EmileHeskey
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘He reminds me of Philippe Coutinho' Emile Heskey waxes lyrical about expected new Liverpool signing
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Emile Heskey in action for Liverpool. | Credit: Premier League champions Liverpool have wasted no time in kicking off their summer transfer business, securing the signing of Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong. Advertisement The 23-year-old arrives as a dynamic alternative to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid, bringing a more direct, attack-minded edge to the right-back position. And it's a trait that's already won admirers within the football world, including former Reds striker Emile Heskey. Heskey: 'Frimpong offers something a little different to Trent in terms of his profile as a right-back' Liverpool moved swiftly to make Jeremie Frimpong their first summer signing. | Credit: Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi Images via Getty Images 'I know a little bit about Jeremie Frimpong from his time in Manchester City's academy, where my boys still play,' Heskey tells FourFourTwo on behalf of Poker Scout. 'It seems as if there are talented former Manchester City youth team players in top leagues all over Europe – plenty in the Bundesliga and the Premier League. Frimpong was actually linked with Liverpool's youth academy before he went to Man City in 2010, so it's kind of come full circle for him.' Advertisement A reported Liverpool fan himself, Frimpong's move to Anfield also carries an emotional element that could go some way to replacing the heroics of local lad Alexander-Arnold. Heskey believes the Dutchman's profile also adds a new dimension to Arne Slot's side. 'He's a player I'm very excited about,' he tells FFT. 'He offers something a little different to Trent in terms of his profile as a right-back – he's a bit more direct when it comes to running with the ball and getting into scoring positions inside the box, whereas Trent was more of a creator in possession.' Florian Wirtz is considered one of Germany's most exciting talents. | Credit: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images While Frimpong's arrival has grabbed headlines, Liverpool may not be done yet. Reports in Germany suggest that the club have tabled a €130 million offer for Florian Wirtz, the jewel in Bayer Leverkusen's crown and one of Europe's most coveted young attacking midfielders. Advertisement Heskey is full of praise for the 21-year-old and drew a flattering comparison to a former Liverpool fan favourite. 'Florian Wirtz reminds me a little bit of Philippe Coutinho – the way he picks up the ball in those pockets of space, on the half-turn, drives at defenders and picks those cute passes,' he says. 'He can thread a ball and he can finish from distance. So there's another very exciting player.' With Frimpong already confirmed and Wirtz potentially on the way, Liverpool's summer rebuild is taking shape. And with more transfer activity expected before the window closes, it's clear the reigning champions are not content to rest on their laurels.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Former Liverpool star's son and 15-year-old Arsenal wonderkid are named in England's U17 Euros squad
A former Liverpool star's son has been named in England's Under-17 squad for their European Championship campaign this summer. The team, currently coached by Neil Bryan, will head to Albania in around a week for the competition, with their first game against Belgium on May 20. England have won the competition once, with the success coming back in 2010 with a squad including the likes of Jack Butland and Ross Barkley - though the tournament only has eight teams competing. It's the same this year, with England placed in Group B alongside Belgium, Italy and Czechia. They will open their tournament against Belgium, before facing Italy on May 23 and then Czechia on May 26. Should they progress, they will face either Albania, France, Germany or Portugal in the knockouts. And they will have high hopes of success, having named their squad on Monday and including a former Premier League forward's son - as well as an Arsenal wonderkid. Our #YoungLions squad for the upcoming #U17EURO in Albania has been named 🙌 — England (@England) May 12, 2025 A former Liverpool star's son has been named in the England squad for the Under-17 Euros Reigan Heskey, who is the son of former Liverpool - among others - forward Emile has been named in the 21-player squad for the competition. Heskey, who was born in January 2008, is 17 and on the books at Manchester City. He joined the club in 2016, and appeared for the Under-15 side in November 2023 at the age of 15. At club level, he has been involved with City's Under-21 side, and gained attention when he scored a hat-trick in the space of 22 minutes on his debut in Premier League 2. He has also played alongside his brother, Jaden, at City. And Heskey is no stranger to the England U17 set-up, having played seven times and scoring his first goal against Germany in September 2024. Arsenal star Max Dowman, meanwhile, is also involved following his impressive run for the Gunners' Under-18 side. The 15-year-old is expected to go on tour with Arsenal's first team this summer, and was praised by head coach Adam Birchall after his brace against Aston Villa at the weekend. 'Obviously, people see him and he glides and he moves so wonderfully with the ball,' Adam Birchall said. 'But that side of the game, I know, means a lot to him. 'He's really trying to develop it, and that showed development today. So, yes, he had a wonderful day.'
Metro
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
FA bans transgender women from playing women's football
The Football Association has announced that transgender women will be banned from playing in women's football in England from June. The decision from the FA comes after the Supreme Court judgment earlier this month which ruled that a woman is legally defined based on her biological sex. The FA has allowed trans women to play in women's teams on a case-by-case basis, although players were required to reduce their testosterone levels. However, the FA has now changed its stance and trans women will no longer be able to participate in women's football from June 1. A statement from the FA read: 'As the governing body of the national sport, our role is to make football accessible to as many people as possible, operating within the law and international football policy defined by UEFA and FIFA. 'Our current policy, which allows transgender women to participate in the women's game, was based on this principle and supported by expert legal advice. More Trending 'This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football then we would review it and change it if necessary. 'The Supreme Court's ruling on the 16 April means that we will be changing our policy. Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women's football in England, and this policy will be implemented from 1 June 2025. 'We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game.' More to follow… For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Emile Heskey backs four teams to rival Liverpool for the Premier League title next season MORE: Mikel Arteta sent sack warning by Arsenal legend Jens Lehmann MORE: Chelsea fans celebrate injury to their own player Christopher Nkunku
The Guardian
12-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘A dagger to the heart': can Pakistan recover from latest Fifa ban?
Last June, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey revived their once-feared partnership to travel to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi and spearhead promotion of the Pakistan Football League, a new franchise-based tournament that was due to start in November and come to a head around now. 'Pakistan is a nation with a real passion for the game, and while many will say that cricket is the country's main sport, the fact that there are 3.4 million registered footballers in Pakistan tells you just how popular the game is,' Owen said. The reaction to the visit (which, according to reports, also included officials from European clubs as well as Michael Knighton of short-lived Manchester United ownership fame) was mixed. Some football-starved fans in this nation of 240 million were excited at the prospect of professional football and big names. Others felt that the country actually needed a proper national league and an organised pyramid before thinking about add-ons. The kick-off never came, but now there are bigger problems to deal with. Last week Fifa suspended Pakistan from international football, a third ban in eight years. 'It's a dagger to the heart and I don't know how they will recover from another ban,' Stephen Constantine, whose contract as Pakistan head coach ended in November, says. The first ban, back in 2017, was owing to third-party interference after the Lahore High Court got involved in the running of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). That was lifted after five months in March 2018. Four years ago a group led by former PFF officials stormed the body's headquarters, occupied by the Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee (NC) put in place to organise new elections. The ensuing ban lasted more than a year. Not that much has changed since. The long-awaited elections that were supposed to be held have yet to take place and a dispute over the rules has led to the latest sanction. Ban number three stems from the PFF's congress last month when 19 out of 25 members rejected constitutional amendments demanded by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Fifa, including widening the eligibility criteria for candidates who wanted to run for election. Fifa responded with the ultimate sanction on a federation that depends more than most on the funds that come from the world governing body. 'The PFF has been suspended with immediate effect due to its failure to adopt a revision of the PFF Constitution that would ensure truly fair and democratic elections and thereby fulfil its obligations as mandated by Fifa as part of the ongoing normalisation process of PFF,' Fifa wrote. 'The suspension will only be lifted subject to the PFF Congress approving the version of the PFF Constitution presented by Fifa and the AFC.' For Constantine, who has also led the national teams of India, Nepal, Sudan and Rwanda, the solution is simple, even if it is evidently difficult for those involved in the game. 'My message is that you have to put your personal interests aside and think about the football,' he says. 'Obviously, they haven't been able to do that. All you have to do is to think: 'What is best for Pakistan football?' Then you will make the right decision. I don't know what Fifa is asking for is any different than any association. Fifa is the governing body. You don't have to like it but, if you want to play football, you have to adhere to it.' Even during ban-free times, there wasn't much football played. Under Constantine, Pakistan had their best result in years. In October 2023, they beat a strongly fancied Cambodia to reach the second round of World Cup qualification for the first time. Incredibly, that Islamabad victory was a first home game for nine years. It meant six more qualifiers – including two against Roberto Mancini's Saudi Arabia – and a good deal of excitement. 'There was such a buzz, just walking around in Islamabad and people were shouting about the team,' remembers Constantine. A lack of a nationwide league, among other things, made it hard to build on those good vibes – Constantine would settle for state leagues – and now all football has stalled. If the ban is not lifted by 4 March, the men's national team will be kicked out of qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup which starts three weeks later. They have an interesting group, containing Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar. Pakistan are never going to finish first and book that place in Saudi Arabia – not coming last would be a sign of progress for a team ranked 198th in the world – but just having competitive games is important. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Had all been well, Constantine may have received a request to return. 'Last month, the captain was calling me asking about plans for March's qualifiers,' he says. 'There was also the South Asian Cup later in the year which would have meant more games.' It's not just the men. The women were preparing to enter their first ever qualification campaign for the Asian Cup in June. It is all very depressing for what could be a major power in Asian football. Big name stars and new leagues sound good, but a bit of Owen and Heskey-style teamwork is what Pakistani football needs at the moment. Then the hard work really starts.
