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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Michail Antonio snubs Marcus Rashford and names forgotten star as toughest opponent
Michail Antonio came up against some stellar attackers during his time in the Premier League but it was Swansea's Mo Barrow who left him stunned as he wiped the floor with the ex-West Ham star Michail Antonio has claimed the player he struggled to cope with the most was former Swansea striker Mo Barrow, who is now playing in the second tier of South Korean football with Incheon United. The ex- West Ham star was a prolific frontman during his time in London, but earlier in his career played as a right-back and a right-winger before converting to a striker. It meant Antonio previously had to do his fair share of defensive work. His entire Premier League career was spent with the Hammers and he was tasked with containing the likes of Marcus Rashford and Eden Hazard, admitting that felt he'd "done well" when he had to keep them quiet. But the player who had Antonio's number was Barrow, who made very little of an impression in England, but clearly left his mark on the Jamaican international. He recalled a game when he could do nothing to stop the Swansea man, who continued to cause havoc. He the Beast Mode On podcast: "You know who ripped me the most? You wouldn't even know who he is. Mo Barrow. No one will know who he is. Swansea. I marked Martial, Hazard, Rashford, all these people and I done well. The one who ripped me the most was Mo Barrow. "They won 3-0 all from him. One skill, you know when you drag it back, through my legs. The worst thing about is I stop there like 'oh s***, he got me' I didn't even chase back. He destroyed me and I was like Mo, out of all the people." Barrow moved to England from Swedish side Ostersunds but scored just twice throughout his time with the Welsh outfit despite playing more than 50 games. He had several loan spells down to the Championship, having stints with Blackburn, Nottingham Forest and Leeds. He would leave Swansea permanently to join Reading, before later leaving British shores and heading overseas. His spell in Wales though did land him the accolade of becoming Gambia's first Barclays Premier League footballer Barrow previously said: "Where I lived in Gambia, there were a lot of poor people. There are a lot of kids that love to play football, but they don't have the help to be the players they want to be. Whenever I get the chance, I go back to Gambia. Sometimes I try and give money, but I believe more in going and seeing with my own eyes and helping than just giving money." 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.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
South Korean football to end 27-year ban on foreign goalkeepers
South Korean professional football will lift a 27-year ban on foreign goalkeepers for its new season in 2026. The ban was introduced as an initiative to develop local goalkeeping talent in the nation, with appearances restricted from 1996 before a full ban was imposed in 1999. That was when only 10 professional clubs existed in South Korea, and was three years before the nation co-hosted the 2002 World Cup alongside Japan. There are now 26 professional clubs across South Korea's top two divisions. Advertisement 'Starting in 2026, clubs will be permitted to register foreign goalkeepers,' the Korea Professional Football League said on Friday. 'The K League previously restricted their participation beginning in 1996 and introduced a full ban in 1999 to encourage the development of domestic goalkeepers, as most clubs at the time relied on foreign players in the position.' As per a report in K League United, the K League board said at its annual summit in Seoul this week that the restrictions on a specialised position had led to a disproportionate rise in wages, leading for the ban to be removed. The three goalkeepers in South Korea's most recent international squad, for their FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Iraq and Kuwait earlier this month, all play in the K League. Kim Dong-heon and Lee Chang-geun play for Incheon United and Daejeon Hana Citizen respectively, while 42-time international Jo Hyeon-woo is currently representing Ulsan HD at the Club World Cup. Kim Seung-gyu, who has played 81 times for South Korea, currently is in the J League for FC Tokyo while Kim Jun-hong, who appeared in Korean squads in 2024, joined MLS side D.C. United this year. (Photo of Jo Hyeon-woo, Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
