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MELBOURNE, Jan 28 AAP – Acknowledging that 2002-03 had not been his best season, Adam Gilchrist was as surprised as anyone to win the Allan Border Medal tonight as Australia’s cricketer of the year.The wicketkeeper-batsman had indisputably been a key member of the dominant Australian Test and one-day teams.But it was his limited-overs opening partner Matthew Hayden, currently ranked the world’s No.1 Test and one-day batsman, who was the pre-event favourite.Gilchrist polled 88 votes, to edge Ricky Ponting (84), Shane Warne (79) and Hayden (76).”The award was a surprise, it’s amazing, I really didn’t expect it,” said Gilchrist, who also won the one-day international player of the year award.”So many guys had great years, Matty Hayden had a standout year, probably a better year even than last season when he won the award.”So I think all of us were banking that he was going to be the man.”When asked if it had been his best-ever season, Gilchrist replied: “To be honest no, seeing from my reaction tonight.”It started out well…. I was probably a fraction inconsistent in one-day cricket, in Test cricket I felt like I took some opportunities well and missed a few opportunities, although that’s the type of player I am.”Gilchrist nominated skipper Steve Waugh’s century in the fifth Ashes Test earlier this month as his highlight of the season.Personal high points would have included back to back unbeaten Test hundreds against South Africa.The Allan Border Medal is still in its infancy, but Gilchrist said it was already something coveted by the players.”It’s grown in tradition in four years, it’s grown legs,” he said.”It’s got a little bit of history now if you look at the names already on the winners board.”I guess the key ingredient with this one is that the players vote on it.”The previous winners were Hayden (2002), Steve Waugh (2001) and Glenn McGrath (2000).The voting began on the tour of South Africa from February-April last year and finished with the VB Series finals last weekend.Votes were cast by the players, umpires, match referees and media representatives on a 3-2-1 basis for each game, with an extra weighting given to the 11 Tests over the 27 one-day internationals.Test captain-in-waiting Ponting (13 votes) was a narrow winner of the Test Player of the Year ahead of Warne (12) and Gilchrist (10).Warne’s chances were hampered by missing the last two of the 11 Tests in the voting period with a dislocated shoulder.Gilchrist also won the One-Day International Player of the Year with 18 votes, one ahead of Hayden and Brett Lee.He made 751 runs with two centuries at an average of 32.65 and a strike rate of 95.79.Gilchrist also took 40 catches and made five stumpings.But Gilchrist’s Test average of 77.33 this season was the best in a team where Ponting and Hayden also averaged more than 60.Other award winners were Martin Love (State Player of the Year), Nathan Hauritz (Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year) and Karen Rolton (Women’s Cricketer of the Year).Former Test captains Lindsay Hassett and Ian Chappell were inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

Derbyshire tasted victory for the first time since May13th when they beat Middlesex by 42 runs at Derby.Batting was never easy on a slow pitch and Middlesexwere bowled out for 154 with 28 balls to spare inreply to the home side’s 196-7.A typically well paced half-century from Rob Baileyand some powerful strokes from the lower order gaveDerbyshire a challenging total and they defended itskilfully.The bowling was tight and the fielding keen andMiddlesex, handicapped by an injury to StephenFleming, faded away aftger a middle-order collapse.Alex Edwards, signed because of injuries to four pacebowlers, did well against the county he spent lastseason with and ended with figures of 1-25 from nineovers on his Derbyshire debut.But it was the spinners who did the damage with leftarmer Lain Wharton bowling particularly well to take2-23 from his nine overs.By the time Fleming, who dislocated a finger fielding,came in, his side were 94-6 and although the NewZealand skipper played some defiant strokes,Derbyshire were always in control.Fleming fell to a fine running catch at long off byChris Bassano and when Angus Fraser holed out in thedeep, it brought to an end a run of ten games without awin for Derbyshire.

It’s been a period of remarkable change at Rangers in recent weeks, with the Ibrox side having been forced to react following a desperate start to the season.

Gone are Patrick Stewart, Kevin Thelwell and the much-maligned Russell Martin. Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl – yet to taste defeat in the Premiership – has steadied the ship nicely, with Stig Inge Bjornebye also joining the party ahead of the January window.

The former Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers man has signed a six-month deal in a consultancy and advisory role, with the 56-year-old set to aid Rohl and co in seeking out potential new recruits for when the window opens next month.

After the chaos of the summer, which saw £8m dished out on Youssef Chermiti, among other errant deals, the Ibrox side need to get back on track again, replicating the deals that proved so fruitful in recent years.

From Calvin Bassey, to Joe Aribo, to Glen Kamara, the Gers have repeatedly acquired exciting young talents on the cheap and sold them on for sizeable profits, with that true none more so than in the case of one-season wonder, Hamza Igamane.

How Igamane compares to Rangers forwards this season

In what is such a pressure cooker in Glasgow, signing off on eye-watering deals for figures like Chermiti is almost a case of setting the player up to fail from the off, with the man who failed to score a single goal at Everton since netting just once in his new surroundings.

It is far more prudent and astute to seek out bargain deals instead, where possible, with the Light Blues reaping the rewards of having forked out just £1.7m for Igamane back in the summer of 2024.

It was a muted start for the promising Moroccan forward, having taken until early December to net his first Premiership goal, albeit with that kickstarting something of a purple patch, with nine of his 11 league goals coming in December and January.

The Gers’ Europa League voyage arguably brought the best out of the 23-year-old too, with Igamane registering four goals and one assist across his first four league phase outings.

In all, he chalked up 16 goals in 46 games in 2024/25, before departing for Lille on a £10.4m deal over the summer, following just a further three appearances at the start of the campaign.

Now in France, the seven-cap international has exploded in Ligue 1, netting nine goals in his first 18 games for his new club, rubberstamping why former boss Philippe Clement viewed him as a “rough diamond”.

For comparison, that tally eclipses every player at Rangers this season, with James Tavernier – as ever – leading the way with seven goals, ahead of Djeide Gassama on six.

Igamane vs Rangers forwards – 25/26

Player

Games

Goals (Assists)

Igamane

18

9 (2)

Miovski

20

5 (1)

Gassama

30

6 (2)

Curtis

15

3 (0)

Danilo

23

3 (1)

Moore

20

2 (2)

Bajrami

14

2 (0)

Aasgaard

24

1 (1)

Chermiti

18

1 (1)

Stats via Transfermarkt

Igamane’s impact in Glasgow may have been fleeting, but his talent was undeniable, with none of the new faces, evidently, having come close to hitting such heights.

Now, Bjornebye and co need to follow suit by striking gold again in 2026.

Rangers could land their biggest talent since Igamane

While Rangers may wish to be cautious about dipping into the market to back yet another new manager, there is a clear need to strengthen, with the likes of Gassama and Joe Rothwell among those who could already be moving on after just six months at Ibrox.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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In terms of potential incomings, it was reported earlier this month that the Gers – alongside Sunderland – were among the clubs keen on signing Tromso sensation, Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

The 20-year-old – who is not expected to command a sizeable fee – is courting attention following a promising season in his native Norway, having registered four goals and seven assists in 30 league games.

An eye-catching talent at 6 foot 4, the attack-minded midfield “unicorn” – as he’s been hailed by Belgian scout Elijah Michiels – could follow in Igamane’s footsteps as another high-potential, relative unknown talent who can dazzle in Scottish football.

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With his imposing frame and eye for goal, the youngster is a real box-crashing threat for his current side, typically operating as an all-action central midfielder.

While his overall record stands at just 21 goals and assists in 87 senior games, there’s certainly enough to be encouraged by, with that record not too far below Igamane’s 26 goals and assists in 56 games for AS FAR, albeit while operating as a forward.

In the view of analyst Kai Watson, he appears to be destined for one of Europe’s top five leagues, such is his talent, with Rangers perhaps able to provide a suitable stepping stone, as they were for Igamane last season.

Like Igamane too, there is an elegance and silk to the midfielder’s game which could be nurtured under the Rohl regime, with the Gers again in need of that player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck.

This does then look like a deal worth pursuing, with Bjornebye – and his expertise of the Scandinavian market – perhaps the perfect figure to lead this move for his fellow Norwegian.

Related Shades of Aaron Ramsey: Rohl must ditch "terrible" Rangers man after Hibs

Rangers’ look like they’ve plucked another frustrating talent from south of the border.

Posts ByRobbie Walls

When Wenger asked Arsenal fans not to boo Samir Nasri on his return to The Emirates most Arsenal fans read it as a reminder to boo him. To adapt a cliché: hell hath no fury like a fan-base scorned. And Arsenal were scorned indeed. The departure of one of your best players is bad enough, it’s even worse when he’s the back up plan to your departing captain and he also decides to leave for a team that represent the exact opposite philosophy to that of your own club. So, when Nasri did return to north London it was hardly surprising that he was unceremoniously booed throughout the game. You can understand why Wenger would say not to boo a former player, to be fair Nasri gave one hundred per cent whilst he was at the club but to leave under the cloud he did cannot be expected to be forgiven, and it was pretty clear that Wenger knew that. You didn’t hear him calling for Arsenal fans not to boo Thierry Henry when he came back with Barcelona, he didn’t tell the fans not to boo Robert Pires when he came back with Villarreal, and why? Because they never would have been booed, most ex players wouldn’t.

Arsenal have seen a fair few of their players shipped off to other clubs in recent times but their aren’t many that would warrant a poor reception. Players say they don’t understand it when their old fans turn on them but their ignorance is false. Take the players sold to Manchester City: first you have Kolo Toure who gave everything for Arsenal and expressed a desire to finish his career at Arsenal only to be sold against his will. He is always received well; in fact I still wear my Toure Arsenal shirt with pride. Then you have Clichy. Clichy was also a long-standing servant for Arsenal and it was clear that he was stagnating at Arsenal. He is yet to face his old club but you can be sure that nobody will heckle him when he does, there is no cause.

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Finally Adebayor. People think there was no cause to boo Adebayor either but the fans’ problem with the striker stemmed back to long before his sale. He came to Arsenal after falling out of favour at Monaco and developing a bad reputation as a trouble-maker. Arsene Wenger gave him a chance for a fresh start and at first he took it. However after his first really successful season in 2007/08 he began talking up rumours of a move, claiming he wasn’t paid enough and inviting the advances of clubs like AC Milan. Needless to say his form the following season suffered and when his relationship with the fans was never the same. So, unsurprisingly, when he signed for City with wages around £160,000 per week many of the fans disdain increased towards what they saw as a player ungrateful to the manager that made him.

There will always be cause to heckle former players, and if there isn’t then they probably won’t be heckled. Henry, Pires, Campbell, Toure and many others can all pay testament to this; whilst Cole, Nasri, Adebayor and a few others will warn you of the perils of jilting the love of those fans that used to idolise you.

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Only a minority of fans have such short memories that they would resent their former players moving clubs. Players can move on for any number of reasons and most of those are perfectly understandable: not enough game time, more ambition, being unhappy in a foreign country. However to move either for money or to a rival will not go unnoticed; to do both as Nasri and Ashley Cole did is unacceptable. Similarly with Sol Campbell during his time at Tottenham. He had the option of moving to Manchester United but instead he chose Arsenal. Is it at all surprising that Spurs’ fans resented him for it? Football fans are often accused of being fickle but it is rarely the case. As Thomas Vermaelen said recently after signing a new contract at Arsenal: the temptation to jump ship in times of trouble should always be overpowered by the desire to help out the club that has invested so much time and money in you. If you can genuinely say as a player that you gave your all to a club then it is acceptable to move on. If you sign for a club, benefit hugely from their manager and coaching staff before forcing a move to a rival before you’ve even seen out your first contract, as Nasri did, then don’t ever presume that you would be welcome back in that part of the world. Yes, players have short careers and they need to make the most of their opportunities but that doesn’t mean that you can go through life with no principles and expect to be loved for it.

For more Arsenal news and stories follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

Arsenal will need maximum points to keep the pressure on Manchester United when Blackburn Rovers visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The north London side are five points behind United, but have a game in hand over the Premier League leaders.

They were forced to fight back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw away to West Bromwich Albion in their last match, and were held by Sunderland to a scoreless stalemate in their previous home league affair.

Rovers’ form in their past five games has been nothing short of abysmal – scraping a point from their clash with Blackpool after trailing by two; losing to Fulham, Aston Villa and Wigan; and luckily snaring a draw against Newcastle in a game Alan Pardew’s men dominated.

Arsenal’s push for the Premiership could be boosted by the return to fitness of stars Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott for the clash with Steve Kean’s side.

Van Persie picked up a thigh injury while on international duty with the Netherlands, while Fabregas could return from a hamstring injury sustained in their loss to Barcelona in the Champions League this month.

Walcott has not appeared in Arsenal colours since February – outed by a right ankle injury, but reportedly trained well in the international break.

Blackburn have no fresh injury concerns, but will be focussing on breaking their run of five straight away losses in the league.

When Pepe Reina placed a Barcelona jersey on his Spanish World Cup winning team-mate, Cesc Fabregas, it conjured up an unwanted image for Arsenal fans. It may have been a practical joke amidst the joyous Spanish celebrations but it showed their captain in Barcelona’s colours, a sight they had been dreading all summer. Barcelona’s pursuit of their former youth team player has carried on where it left off last summer. It is now a transfer saga destined to rival at least the longevity of Cristiano Ronaldo’s switch to Real Madrid. Fabregas, however, remains an Arsenal player and Arsene Wenger is unyielding. “I always said Cesc Fabregas will be our captain next year and that we want to keep him.” With the Spaniard set to resume training this week, will he commit to the Gunners the only way he knows how? Will he inspire Arsenal once more, grow in authority and break the club’s cycle of trophy-less seasons?

Barcelona who provided seven of Spain’s World Cup winning squad would desperately like to add another to their ranks. The Catalan midfielder unquestionably has the inimitable Barca/Spain style of play. As a central midfielder Fabregas is creative, technically superb and a gifted ball player. Despite the ringing endorsements of current Barcelona players such as, Andres Iniesta it is difficult, as with the Spanish national side, to see where Fabregas would fit into their star studded team. Moreover with Barcelona’s reported financial problems sparked by a rapidly increasing wage bill it is questionable as to whether the side which describes itself as ‘more than a club’ has the resources to recruit Fabregas.

Questions over Fabregas’ position in a squad simply do not arise in north London where he remains critical to the Gunners’ plans. They reportedly dismissed Barcelona’s initial bid and have signalled their reluctance to enter into any negotiations. For a transfer which seemed inevitable it now appears increasingly unlikely that a move will occur this summer. Wenger has accordingly challenged the player to reaffirm his commitment to Arsenal by leading them to major honours. “The biggest achievement for him now is to help us win the championship.” It is a prospect that would eclipse any potential honours secured at the Camp Nou. Does this talismanic midfielder not owe the Arsenal faithful and the club which has nurtured his talents a fervent commitment to challenge for honours once more?

William Gallas’ antics may have propelled Fabrgeas into the role of captain sooner than anticipated but it was always probable for a player whose influence and authority has grown year on year. If some fans and pundits had questioned Wenger’s reliance and belief in youth, the progression of this man alone has done something to justify that policy. He has become the complete midfielder for Arsenal, the creative heartbeat of the team, assisting goals, scoring many himself whilst combining defensive qualities too. Like all good captains he has the ability through his performances to inspire the fans and his team-mates. It was against his potential suitors in the Champions League that brought his most memorable performance of last season. Having been demonstrably outplayed during the first half, Fabregas’ presence was crucial as Arsenal fought back to secure a draw in which he converted a late spot kick and bravely persevered with a broken leg. It came as little shock that in his absence their hopes of continuing in that competition and maintaining their title push evaporated.

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Fabregas indisputably owes plenty to Wenger and Arsenal. He is acutely aware of this and duly dedicated Spain’s World Cup triumph to his club side and its manager. Whilst speculation surrounding the player will continue Fabregas will know the most effective way of eradicating that conjecture is through his performances starting at Anfield on the league’s opening weekend. Arsenal fans will just hope that when he said, “I am really proud to have been an Arsenal player,” it was a minor slip of the tongue.

Over the last 20 years the Premier League has been blessed with players who just have that bit more about them than the average customer. From the hard tacklers to the quirky personalities, the Premier League has been blessed with entertainers, now let’s look at the top ten Premier League characters.

10. Craig Bellamy

Love him or loathe him, Craig Bellamy is undoubtedly one of the biggest characters in the Premier League. A tremendously talented football player, who certainly has not achieved what his ability allowed for, unfortunately Bellamy has too often fallen foul of disciplinary action or injury limiting his playing time. The late Sir Bobby Robson labelled him the ‘gobbiest’ player he had ever worked with. Bellamy’s most controversial incident perhaps came in 2007 when he allegedly confronted John Arne Riise with a golf club before an away game at Barcelona. Bellamy was fined £80,000 by the club but made amends as both the Welshman and Riise scored in a 2-1 victory.

9. Stuart Pearce

Positively nuts in his commitment to the cause, his nickname ‘Psycho’ tells half the story. Stuart Pearce gave everything for club and country throughout his career and was an outstanding left back. Perhaps best remembered for his penalty miss for England against Germany at Italia 90, and subsequent penalty he scored at Euro 1996 against Spain, Pearce embodied passion on the football pitch. Kevin Keegan once stated that Pearce ‘emerged, running out of the mist, wearing nothing but a pair of underpants and a towel wrapped round his head. That’s why they call him Psycho.’

8. David Luiz

For the Sideshow Bob hair alone, David Luiz deserves his place on this list. Yet, there is so much more to the Brazilian. Maybe it’s his recent habit of ‘giving luck’ to teammates in a pre match ritual by touching their foreheads, eyes closed in concentration. Maybe it’s that he is disturbingly attacking centre back, indeed Luiz is more likely to be found on a bamboozling run down the left wing than he is to be making a last ditch tackle. Or maybe it’s that he cannot seem to take life too seriously, indeed his post match interview with Fernando Torres and Frank Lampard is comedy gold. Luiz will need to cut the mistakes from his game if he is remain a cult hero to Chelsea fans, but currently for the neutral he is a joy to watch.

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7. Paolo Di Canio

An enigma, Paolo Di Canio made headlines throughout his time in the Premier League. It was at Sheffield Wednesday that the Italian started his career in English football and it was not long before he courted controversy, with Di Canio fined and suspended for 11 games after he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground. Di Canio moved to West Ham and was consistently one of the Hammers best players in his time at the club, two moments in particular stand out. His scissor kick volley against Wimbledon in 2000 and his outstanding act of fair play against Everton in 2001. Against Everton Di Canio snubbed an open goal, catching the ball from a cross after Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard had went down injured. Di Canio was awarded a FIFA Fair Play Award for the incident.

6. Dennis Wise

At five foot 6 Dennis Wise was hardly one of the Premier League’s intimidating players, yet Wise was not one to shirk a battle in centre midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that Wise ‘could start a fight in an empty house’, he was probably right. Wise amassed 65 yellow and 5 red cards in the Premier League and was never far from trouble. Wise was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver in 1995 and was sacked by Leicester following breaking teammate Callum Davidson’s jaw. Despite his dirty side, Wise was extremely successful as captain in his time at Chelsea, winning two FA Cups, a League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

5. Joey Barton

Is Joey Barton the most outspoken player in the Premier League today? Many would argue that he is, with Twitter a valuable tool at the disposal of the opinionated Mancunian who has over 800,000 followers. Barton has never been far from controversy, publicly denouncing those selected for the England squad on numerous occasions in the belief that he himself should be in the squad, yet thus far Barton has amassed just one cap for English. Barton has spent time in prison and his career at Manchester City was brought to an end following a training ground assault on teammate Ousmane Dabo. Despite these poor marks on his character, Barton is undoubtedly one of the biggest characters in today’s game.

4. Eric Cantona

A unique specimen of a footballer, Eric Cantona will forever be looked back upon as one of the best players and biggest characters to grace the Premier League. His time in English football saw him win five league titles in 6 seasons and he was twice voted PFA Player of the Year. Cantona oozed arrogance on the pitch; he really was a class apart. Unfortunately Cantona may be remembered best for his assault on a fan at Crystal Palace, in the infamous Kung Fu kick incident. Perhaps even more bizarre was his press conference regarding the incident, where Cantona stated, ‘When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much’ before getting up to leave.

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3. Roy Keane

The most successful captain in Manchester United’s history, Roy Keane gave everything to the cause in the heart of midfield. Keane spent 12 years at Old Trafford, 8 of which were spent as captain. He was the definition of box-to-box midfielder both scoring goals and contributing defensively. It was Keane’s leadership and questionable disciplinary record that earn him his place in this countdown however. On the one hand, Keane’s never say die attitude was his best quality, on the other it was his worst. He held a long standing rivalry with Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira which led to numerous confrontations between the pair. It will be his knee high tackle on Alf Inge Haaland that many remember him for though, a tackle that Keane talked about in his autobiography as premeditated.

2. Vinnie Jones

Football’s archetypal hard man, Vinnie Jones has even fashioned out his post football career on the image he obtained during his playing days. In 7 Premier League seasons Jones managed 7 red cards and 39 yellows. Amongst Jones’ honours is the record for the quickest yellow card, when Jones’ was cautioned after just 3 seconds playing for Chelsea back in 1992. A better player than many would admit, Jones spent his career at the top with Wimbledon, Leeds, Sheffield United and Chelsea. In 1998 Jones’ appeared in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and as they say the rest is history, with Jones since appearing in numerous films.

1. Mario Balotelli

What can be said about ‘Super Mario’ Balotelli that has not already been said? The striker is clearly a top class footballer but his behaviour both on the field and off it is notoriously erratic. Balotelli endured a torrid relationship with Jose Mourinho before reuniting with first boss Roberto Mancini at Manchester City. Since joining City Balotelli’s notable exploits include confronting a school bully after asking why a young City fan was not in school, giving £1,000 to a homeless man following a trip to the casino, throwing darts at youth team players at the clubs training ground and becoming the face of a fireworks safety campaign following a fire in his home, cause by, you guessed it – fireworks. At just 21 suppose Balotelli will continue to astound, indeed as the planner for City’s Christmas do, expect the unexpected.

Do you agree with the top 10? Comment to me on Twitter @CamHumphries 

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Arsenal legends don’t come much bigger than Tony Adams. The defender played for the Gunners for two decades and won four First Division / Premier League titles during his time at the club. Here’s Adams talking about playing under Arsene Wenger, the move to bring Jens Lehmann back to the club and Arsenal’s chances of winning the Premier League title this season…

What is your view of the work Arsene Wenger has done at Arsenal in the last 15 years?

He’s been phenomenal, he’s a great man, and he’s a lovely man. Very honest, honest with his players. Physiology is his strength and he’s just been a revolution for Arsenal. You’re talking to a big fan of Arsene Wenger, he was brilliant for me.

Has he been a big influence on your coaching style?

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Well there are many influences. In life, you are what you learn and he’s certainly taught me a great deal. The answer to whether I have actually used it yet at the clubs that I have worked at is, probably not to be completely honest with you. He’s a fantastic physiologist in my opinion, that’s his strength. I’ve been at clubs where that side of the game is not really used. I had technically gifted young players at Feyenoord but I wasn’t really in control of their diets and their physiology. But yes of course he has been an influence.

Do you think this current Arsenal squad can win major silverware?

During the winter break I went back there for the game against Manchester City and I did a couple of interviews and I honestly thought the League Cup was the one for them this season to start the ball rolling. Unfortunately they missed out on that one; I’d like to see them win a trophy soon.

What do you make of the re-signing of Jens Lehmann?

Well I’m thinking of getting the boots back on! I think Jens is a fantastic goalkeeper. I know they’ve got some injuries there including to young Wojciech Szczesny who I like. Arsene needs cover in the goal keeping position and I see the logic in bringing Jens Lehman back.

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Who do you think will win this season’s Barclays Premier League title?

My heart says the Arsenal of course but my head says United, they’ve just got too many players who’ve won it before. When you have done it and you’ve crossed the line, you know when to peak and when not to peak and when to win games. Once you’ve done it once, you know when to step up to the plate.

Visit the Dugout www.yahoo.co.uk/dugout for new interviews every week with England’s top football managers

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When Tottenham signed Jonathan Woodgate in 2008 it looked like a gamble that would pay off. Having resurrected his career with two relatively injury-free seasons at his boyhood club Middlesborough, the £8m Spurs paid for him seemed like money well spent. His first season at White Hart Lane saw him secure a pivotal role in the Spurs’ defence, carrying on where he left off at Boro, with assured performances, but more importantly, plenty of them. A goal in the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea capped off a man-of-the-match performance and an impressive start to his Spurs career, and it appeared that the previous injury problems that had crippled his career were behind him. However, the last twelve months have been an ugly reminder of what Woodgate is up against.

Since breaking into the Leeds team with Alan Smith, Lee Bowyer et al, Woodgate’s quality has been there for all to see. A centre half who managed to balance strong tackling and good aerial ability, with a more graceful art to passing and bringing the ball out of defence, he was constantly tipped to go onto success, not only with his club, but also with England.

In the eleven years since he made his England debut, he has managed just 8 caps. A frightening statistic when you consider the ability that he has. Still, it’s only one less than the 9 appearances he managed in his two and a half year stint at Real Madrid.

The £13m that Real Madrid paid Newcastle for him raised eyebrows. Woodgate hadn’t been able to play regularly for Newcastle due to a cocktail of injuries, but his style of play suited the Spanish giants and a fully fit Woodgate may well have been exactly what they needed at the time – some added steel, but with some flair thrown in. So few English players play abroad and when he completed the move there was a genuine sense of fans wishing him well, and hoping he could succeed at such a big club. Real would have taken his history with injuries into account but even they would have hoped for more than the nine games that he managed.

For Tottenham, this is becoming all too repetitive. As well as Bassong and Dawson have played, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate would be one of the classiest centre-back pairings the Premiership has ever seen, and yet they have had such little opportunity to form a relationship because of the injuries that they have suffered. Even with his chronic knee problems, King managed 21 games last season; the total lack of training in between appearances meant that his quality performances were bordering on the freakish. For Woodgate however, he managed just the three games. For someone on £50k per week, Spurs can only wait for so long.

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Watching England’s backline getting torn apart in South Africa only highlighted a lack of complete defenders produced by this country. John Terry isn’t as bad as some have you believe, yet his lack of pace was horribly exposed. Matthew Upson is solid without being spectacular, but maybe out of depth at international level. Maybe if Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate had had two seasons of playing week in, week out, alongside each other, who’s to say that wouldn’t have been Fabio Capello’s preferred pairing.

In a position that lacks depth in this country, Woodgate is a classic example of ‘what might have been’. Harry Redknapp can’t envisage registering him for the upcoming season unless there is a drastic improvement in the player’s recovery. That would mean he would be out until January at the earliest, and with King’s fitness a constant issue, Redknapp may well have to bring in another centre-half. The fact that so many managers have taken a chance on him simply shows the quality he has, but now on the wrong side of 30, the stifled career of a highly gifted player hangs in the balance.

Yohan Cabaye was the hero for Newcastle as they left it late once again to beat Wigan 1-0 at St James’ Park and stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions.

The Frenchman was on hand 10 minutes from time to curl a sublime effort into the top corner at the Gallowgate End to keep the Magpies in fourth place whilst Roberto Martinez’s Latics stay in the Premier League relegation zone after their sixth defeat on the trot. It could have been so different for the visitors who were bright in the first half keeping Newcastle at bay with some resolute defending. They should have opened the scoring early on with Victor Moses’ fierce half volley from just inside the area superbly tipped wide by Tim Krul after four minutes. Confidence levels were boosted by that as they continued to frustrate the hosts with some resolute defending as they went close to breaking the deadlock again only for Hugo Rodallega to flash his shot wide of Krul’s near post on the quarter hour mark. That was a wake up call for the Geordies who took a foothold in the game from then on but just couldn’t turn their high percentage of possession into goals. Their best chance of the half fell to Leon Best but the Republic of Ireland strikers angled header from a Jonas Gutierrez cross was acrobatically parried away by Ali Al Habsi in the visitors goal. Ryan Taylor then curled a free kick narrowly wide as the home side pushed for a opener before Best found himself lucky to still be on the field after wild tackle on Maynor Figueroa resulted in a yellow card.

Magpies Boss Alan Pardew recognised the need for an extra dash of creativity and responded by taking Best off and throwing Hatem Ben Arfa on for the second half playing just off Demba Ba. It paid off almost instantly with the Frenchman’s movement allowing Taylor to find space and swing a cross over from the left with Ba meeting the ball with a downward header that was saved on the line by Al Habsi. That seemed to wake Wigan from their slumber and they almost broke the deadlock through Rodallega again with the Colombian collecting Figuero’s long punt only to smash the ball into the side netting. Still it was Newcastle who looked the more likely to score and Ben Arfa almost did just that but Al Habsi was equal to his fiercely struck shot as the Toon Army supporters started to become restless.

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Their grumbles turned to cheers just minutes later though as Cabaye struck to notch is first goal for the club since his move from Lille in the summer. Again Taylor was afforded plenty of room to swing in a cross that found substitute Sylvaine Marveaux with the winger taking a neat touch and laying it off to Cabaye to bend a right footed effort away from Al Habsi and into the top corner to send the Geordie faithful wild. However celebrations should have been short lived as Wigan went on the offensive and any touch to Moses’ low cross across the face of goal would have resulted in an equaliser. Fortunately for the Magpies they held on claim yet another three points and maintain their impressive start to season.