The 18-year-old has been crowned the best teenage player in the world by NXGN, completing a rise that has seen him thrive for both club and country

As Jude Bellingham waited to be spoken to by the British media, pitchside at Signal-Iduna Park on February 17, disappointment was written all over his face.

Though the midfielder had both scored and assisted a goal on his side’s return to European action following the winter break, an otherwise drab performance had seen them beaten 4-2 at home by Rangers, leaving their hopes of winning the Europa League in tatters.

“We can’t allow those kind of chances,” Bellingham began to BT Sport, “but there’s a bit of hope because there’s a second leg, and there’s not one person in that dressing room who will give up, because I won’t let them.”

The clip soon went viral, with fans amazed at the apparent leadership that was being shown by an 18-year-old inside the dressing room of one of Europe’s elite clubs in a foreign country.

The words “future England captain” were a recurring theme among Three Lions supporters who posted it to their own social media timelines, and there will have been plenty of current and ex-professionals who would likely echo those thoughts.

While Bellingham’s drive to win and willingness to not hold back his feelings can get him into bother – either with his own team-mates, as reportedly happened after his foul-mouthed tirade at team-mate Nico Schulz in the return leg at Ibrox, or with the authorities, who given his previous links to match-fixing – they are a sign of a confidence that has been with him since his days as a fresh-faced teenager at Birmingham City.

“When I first saw him live at a Birmingham City Under-23s game, he was still relatively slight and physically average at best,” “So he didn’t stand out because of his physical abilities, but because he was the captain and already exuded the sense of responsibility on the field that we see here with us now.

“In other words, he took on incredible responsibility, had charisma and personality, was courageous and fulfilled certain leadership criteria. He had a feeling for how the game has to be ordered in central midfield and an incredible work rate.”

It is those attributes that laid the foundations for Bellingham to become one of the leading midfield talents in world football, and helped earn him

It is likely to be the first of many global honours for Bellingham, who has already broken countless records at both club and international level, and was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

The global acclaim that Bellingham is receiving is all a far cry from his early years living in Stourbridge, a town around 15 miles outside of Birmingham city centre.

It was there where was spotted by Birmingham City as an U8s player, and where that drive to succeed and better himself was cultivated.

Once in the Birmingham academy, he would stay late after training to hone his skills, and asked coaches to play him in different positions during matches so as to improve his all-round game.

By the age of 14 he was playing for the club’s U18s, while just a month after his 16th birthday he was afforded a first-team debut by manager Pep Clotet, making him the youngest player in Birmingham history. A few weeks later, he added the youngest goalscorer in team history to his CV.

“When he started playing with the senior team, he fitted in because players recognise good players,” “If you go into a first-team environment and you’re a good player, there’s a respect there.

“I think once he got the opportunity in the first team, the players thought ‘this boy is decent’, and that’s why he fit in so well. When they saw they could trust him, they forgot about his age. He just becomes another player.

“Once you’ve got the combination of being a good player and being able to trust them, then age becomes irrelevant. When you put players of that age in that environment, they can surprise you.”

🎙 “Oh what a moment for Jude Bellingham, in front of the Tilton, 16 years of age.”The time became the Club’s youngest ever goalscorer is our . 💪💙

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC)

Surprising both his own coaches and opposition managers is exactly what Bellingham set about doing, as he made 44 first-team appearances over the course of the 2019-20 season, scoring four goals in the Championship as he took the English second tier by storm.

“In my view, he has to fight to become the most complete player in the game,” Clotet told The Athletic following the culmination of that campaign, with the Spaniard having left the club a few weeks earlier.

“He has everything in his hands to do it. He can touch the sky as a player – he has no roof.”

That was something Europe’s biggest clubs were starting to learn, too.

In truth, given his performances for England’s age-group sides through the years, he was on their radars already, as Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona all made their interest known to Birmingham before Bellingham had even made his senior debut.

Arsenal and Manchester United joined that chasing park as the season progressed, but for a player they had been tracking for the best part of three years.

“He caught our eye as an England U15 international at the end of 2017, and we then followed him again at the other internationals three months later,” Pilawa said. “There, the good impression (he had made) was more than confirmed, and we saw him get even better. From then on, things took their course.

“We were among the first to get hold of him, and wanted to get him on his 16th birthday, when he was still the small, lanky player. We already believed in him then, and not just when he played in the Championship.

“We built a good relationship of trust with his family, his management and him. We gave him a clear plan and a profile of his strengths and weaknesses, where and how we see him fitting in, and why his profile fits us and the composition of our midfield.

“We told him: ‘You will have a lot of competition in terms of quality of players, but your advantage is that we don’t have your profile in the squad, so you will definitely get playing time with us’.

“At Birmingham, he was also used on the right-hand side and as a nine-and-a-half. But we told him: ‘You are not a six or a winger with us, you are clearly our eight’. In the end, it was a damn tough fight because the competition for him was immense.”

‘Immense’ is a good word to describe the reaction to Bellingham’s departure, not least due to Birmingham’s decision to retire the No.22 shirt of a teenager who had spent just a single season in the senior ranks before leaving.

Criticism and mocking jokes rained down on both the player and his boyhood team, but Birmingham knew that the greatest talent that the club has ever produced, and perhaps a footballer who one day will be – if he is not already – regarded as the best player to have ever worn the their blue shirt, had just departed St. Andrew’s.

GOAL

Bellingham wasted little time in silencing the doubters, netting on his Dortmund debut to become the club’s youngest goalscorer, in what was the first of 45 appearances in all competitions during his first season of top-flight football.

“We were reasonably sure that he would get enough playing time in his first year. But I admit that we didn’t know how confidently he would handle his situation,” Pilawa explained.

“There was Covid, the gruelling Championship season until the end of July and the mental strain of the relegation battle with Birmingham. He only had seven days off as a young lad and then arrived here with no holiday and a bit of the pressure of the high transfer fee.

“So there could have been problems at the start of the season, but he surprised us there as well. We wanted to give him more breaks, but he didn’t want them.

“He is just so clear in his head and has such a strong personality, that in the end his development almost did not come as a surprise. But, initially I thought he would only be involved fully in the second half of the season.”

Ten of those games came in the Champions League, with his performances against Manchester City in the quarter-finals showcasing to an English audience just how at home he was at the very highest level of the game.

“I can’t believe it, maybe he’s a liar!” “He’s so good for 17 years old, he’s a fantastic player.

“There was one moment when he didn’t get the ball from central defenders, how he shouts and demands that ball get to him at 17 means a lot.”

A part of England’s squad as they reached the final of the European Championship in 2020, Bellingham became the youngest player to ever appear in a knockout match at the finals.

Clearly not the “small, lanky player” that Pilawa first scouted four years previously, he was now a physically imposing man, and in 2021-22, he has taken his game to a new level as a result.

He has already bettered his best-ever goalscoring season, and is well into double figures for assists across all competitions with two months of the campaign still to go.

and has a relationship with Erling Haaland that a number of top clubs from around the continent would love to have replicated at their own stadiums in years to come.

Where exactly Bellingham will play next remains up for debate.

Liverpool are routinely linked with him, with his all-action style in-keeping with what Jurgen Klopp demands of his players; Chelsea were interested in signing him in the summer of 2021; and Manchester United would love for Bellingham to take the same path as Jadon Sancho and swap Westfalenstadion for Old Trafford.

Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand has already described the teenager as a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, and there are sure to be teams on the continent who are desperate for a player of Bellingham’s talents to join them. Whether they can compete financially with the Premier League’s biggest and best, though, is unlikely.

Article continues below

Regardless, Bellingham has both the ability and self-confidence to make good on the promise he has been showing for more than just his three seasons of first-team football.

He will not give up on reaching the very top. He will not let himself.

Previous reporting by Ronan Murphy.

Click Here:

The European Champions and Copa America winners will battle it out for the trophy for the first edition of the event since 1993

Wembley Stadium will play host to an intercontinental clash that will see the champions of Europe go head-to-head with the South American champions this summer.

For the first time in 29 years, the top national teams of the two continents will battle it out for the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions.

A Diego Maradona-led Argentina beat Denmark in the last iteration of the competition in 1993, and the Albiceleste have the chance to win it once again this year.

What is the Finalissima?

The contest sees the champions of Europe face their South American counterparts in a one-off showdown.

It was decided that the occasion would be revived this year after UEFA and CONMEBOL signed a new deal in September 2021 that would see the two bodies cooperate by sharing an office in London and hosting various football events.

The first of those events will be the showdown at Wembley between the champions of each continent.

Who is playing in the Finalissima?

Euro 2020 winners Italy will take on Copa America champions Argentina to decide who gets to take home the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions, or the Artemio Franchi Trophy.

Getty

The new agreement between CONMEBOL and UEFA will ensure there will be more editions of the clash between their respective champions, being held every four years.

Where will the Finalissima be played?

This year’s match will be held at Wembley Stadium.

Italy will return to the place where they beat England on penalties to secure the Euro 2020 title.

When is the Finalissima?

The event will go ahead on Wednesday June 1, 2022.

Kick-off will be at 7.45pm BST (2.45 ET).

How do you buy tickets for the Finalissima?

Tickets will go on sale on March 24 at 1pm GMT (9am ET).

Article continues below

They can be purchased through

The capacity will be 86,000 and tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Prices are £25 for a Category 3 ticket, £40 for Category 2, £55 for Category 1 and £99 for a Category 1 ticket that comes with access to the Wembley Club level, a premium lounge, a complimentary drink and access to a pay bar and food facilities. A presale for the latter category will be held from March 22 to 24.

Click Here:

The Netherlands based goalkeeper will play no part when the Super Eagles square up against the Black Stars on Friday

Nigeria have suffered a major blow ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualification play-off against Ghana as Maduka Okoye has been ruled out.

Big blow for the Super Eagles as goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has been ruled out of Ghana vs Nigeria clash due to illness. . 🇳🇬

— GOAL Africa (@GOALAfrica)

According to a statement made available to GOAL by the Nigeria Football Federation, the Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper is ill and will not be available against the Black Stars in Kumasi.

Meanwhile, coach Augustine Eguavoen has invited Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble as a replacement, with Cyprus based Francis Uzoho now in pole position to man the goalposts against the West Africans.

Noble was one of the four goalkeepers that made the three-time African champions’ list to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Okoye’s absence will come as a massive setback to the country’s preparations due to his impressive performances for his dutch Eredivisie outfit.

For ex-Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju, the news has not shaken his faith in Nigeria’s ability to qualify for the World Cup and is upbeat about the ability of Eguavoen’s men.

There is no cause for alarm man. will still get the job done because we have the quality. 💕🇳🇬🦅

— Mutiu Adepoju (@MutiuAdepoju8)

“There is no cause for alarm man. Super Eagles will still get the job done because we have the quality. #SoarEagles,” tweeted the former Real Madrid player in response to a tweet confirming the development.

In a related development, 18 of the 25 invited players have arrived at The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments.

Expected later in the evening are Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Zaidu Sanusi, Akinkunmi Amoo, Samuel Chukwueze, and Almeria’s Sadiq Umar.

Article continues below

Leicester City’s Ademola Lookman is billed to join the rest of the team on Wednesday morning.

Friday’s first leg will be the 58th clash between the two countries at senior level.

Click Here:

The Sweden international was also able to test drive the new Ferrari 296 GTB at the car manufacturer's Fiorano testing track

AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to a Ferrari after meeting up with Formula One drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

The 40-year-old took some time out from his schedule at San Siro to visit Ferrari’s Fiorano testing track, with the new F1 season now officially under way.

Ibrahimovic test drove the new Ferrari 296 GTB while meeting the two men that secured a one-two finish for the car manufacturer at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.

Click Here: What’s been said?

Ferrari have linked up with UEFA for a special venture involving Ibrahimovic, Leclerc and Sainz that is set to be released on March 25.

In a teaser clip, Ibrahimovic is seen wearing a helmet while taking the company’s new mid-rear-engined coupe for a spin round the track, with Sainz watching on.

“When you buy Ibrahimovic, you buy a Ferrari,” the Sweden international says while driving.

He can later be heard adding: “They call me a Ferrari on the pitch.”

Article continues below

Two sporting giants. One epic experience at Fiorano 🌟🏁Watch the full video on this Friday. 🔴

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari)

How is Ibrahimovic performing for Milan?

Ibrahimovic has endured an injury-ravaged 2021-22 campaign at Milan, but has still managed to record eight goals and two assists across 22 outings in all competitions.

The veteran forward has helped the Rossoneri rise to the top of the Serie A table and will be available for selection again when they take on Bologna at San Siro in their first game back after the international break in April.

Further reading

Enric Masip admitted it is unlikely the Argentina hero will go back to Camp Nou but would not rule it out

The prospect of Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain is not impossible, says an adviser to Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

Barcelona coach for the Argentina star, telling reporters: “As long as I am Barca coach, he is welcome any day”.

Messi has had a difficult start to life in Paris and was following their Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.

What has been said?

While Enric Masip has moved to calm speculation about a possible return for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, he would not rule it out completely.

“Nothing is impossible, unlikely situations happen in life,” Masip told .

“Xavi’s words were misunderstood. It wasn’t a nod as such.

“It was probably one of the most beautiful periods [for the club], but things went the way they did and he chose a project in Paris.

Click Here:

“What may have seemed to be collapsing here in Barcelona, the team has survived and has worked well.”

Could Barca sign Haaland?

While Barca may not be pushing to bring Messi back to the club, they are eyeing one of Europe’s hottest properties this summer.

The Catalan side are among several top teams hoping to land Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, and Real Madrid.

Laporta admitted recently that he is just to bring the 21-year-old to Camp Nou, and Masip reiterated that message this week.

“I refer to the words that the president said: the club is in a position to be able to sign players, but obviously, there have to be movements,” he added.

“For someone to come in, someone has to leave. That is in the hands of the technical secretary and then later there is the economic part.

Article continues below

“We come at it from an economic situation, but Barca has formulas and plans so that the team can perform at as high a level as possible.

“Speaking of Haaland, he is a player who has enormous quality and is a true ‘number nine’. On a football level, he is a player who would always be interesting to any big team.”

Further reading

In order to take control of a top-flight team in England certain boxes must be ticked by interested parties, but what are they?

An influx of billionaire owners to the Premier League was sparked by the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Chelsea in 2003, with the vast majority of clubs in the English top flight now working under the watchful eye of business persons with the deepest of pockets.

Not just anybody with a healthy bank balance is allowed to take control of historic institutions in English football, though, with certain criteria needing to be met by those looking to inherit the reins of clubs that have often been in existence for well over 100 years.

That box-ticking exercise, which is played out during takeover discussions, is often referred to as the ‘Fit and Proper Person Test’, but it is technically known as the ‘Owners’ and Directors’ Test’. What does it entail and how do you pass? GOAL takes a look…

What is the Premier League ‘Owners’ and Directors’ test’?

The Premier League defines its process of identifying whether or not an interested party is deserving of owning a club in England as:

– The Owners’ and Directors’ Test outlines requirements that would prohibit an individual from becoming an owner or director of a club. These include criminal convictions for a wide range of offences, a ban by a sporting or professional body, or breaches of certain key football regulations, such as match-fixing.

The test is applied to prospective owners and directors, who are then subject to a review on a seasonal basis.

The full criteria laid out for those expressing interest in purchasing a top-flight club can be found in Section F of the Premier League Handbook – which can be accessed .

How are fit and proper Premier League owners assessed?

The Premier League’s ‘Owners’ and Directors’ Test is explained in full across six pages of the organisation’s handbook.

The vast majority of rules that need to be adhered to relate to finances and pre-existing interests in other clubs – with nobody allowed to work as a director of two teams in England.

Among the more notable points that could lead to an application being rejected are:

If they have failed to provide all relevant information requested by the Premier LeagueIf they provide false, misleading or inaccurate informationIf either directly or indirectly he/she is involved in or has any power to determine or influence the management or administration of another club or Football League clubIf either directly or indirectly he/she holds or acquires any significant interest in a club while he either directly or indirectly holds any interest in any class of shares of another clubIf he/she becomes prohibited by law from being a director (including without limitation as a result of being subject to a disqualification order as a director under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986If he/she is being subject to the terms of an undertaking given to the Secretary of State under the CDDA unless a court of competent jurisdiction makes an order under the CDDA permitting an appointment as a DirectorIf he/she has a Conviction (which is not a Spent Conviction) imposed by a court of the United Kingdom or a competent court of foreign jurisdiction

With interest in English clubs continuing to build around the world, the Premier League has vowed to assess its rules and regulations when it comes to matters of human rights.

Article continues below

The league’s chief executive, Richard Masters, has said: “The Owners’ and Directors’ Test has been under a lot of scrutiny over the past 12 months and we’re looking at it again. It’s part of the process of responding to the fan-led review … We’re looking to see if more tests need to be added, if we need to be more transparent and whether those decisions should be approved by an independent body.”

He added on the issue of human rights: “We’ve had some helpful conversations with Amnesty International about those kinds of things. I’m not ready to say how it should change yet because actually it should be across football; it should be us the FA and the EFL agreeing what that test should be, how it should be implemented and how it should be communicated to fans.”

Who are the current owners of Premier League football clubs?

Team

Owner/s

Arsenal

Stan Kroenke

Aston Villa

Nassef Sawiris, Wesley Edens

Brentford

Matthew Benham

Brighton & Hove Albion

Tony Bloom (75.61%)

Burnley

ALK Capital (84%)

Chelsea

Roman Abramovich

Crystal Palace

Steve Parish, Joshua Harris (18%), David S. Blitzer (18%)

Everton

Farhad Moshiri (77.2%), Bill Kenwright

Leeds United

Andrea Radrizzani (56%), 49ers Enterprises, York Family & others (44%)

Leicester City

The Srivaddhanaprabha family

Liverpool

John W Henry, Tom Werner

Manchester City

Abu Dhabi United Group (78%), Silver Lake (10%), China Media Capital & CITIC Group (12%)

Manchester United

Glazer family (69%)

Newcastle United

Public Investment Fund (80%), RB Sports & Media (10%), PCP Capital Partners (10%)

Click Here:

Norwich City

Delia Smith & Michael Wynn-Jones (53%), Michael Foulger (15%)

Southampton

Dragan Solak (80%), Katharina Liebherr (20%)

Tottenham Hotspur

Joe Lewis (70.6%), Daniel Levy (29.4%)

Watford

Gino Pozzo

West Ham United

David Sullivan (38.8%), Daniel Kretinsky (27%), David Gold (25.1%), Albert Smith (8%)

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Guo Guangchang, Liang Xinjun, Wang Qunbin

Table correct at time of writing on 22/03/2022

It was aged 14 that the midfielder first caught Reims' eye, and four years later, she continues to amaze, taking one of Europe's top leagues by storm

It was a bright summer’s day in north-western France, and almost 3,000 spectators were settling into their seats at the Stade de la Rabine for one of the final group stage matches of the 2018 Under-20 Women’s World Cup, Germany vs Haiti.

Among them was Amandine Miquel, head coach of Stade de Reims, and some members of her staff. Reims had a player, Helene Fercocq, competing in the tournament with France, and so the team had set up its pre-season training camp near the host cities.

When the home nation was in action, the whole team would be in the stand supporting Fercocq, and when the staff had some time off, they would head out to other games, too.

On this occasion, they were watching a Germany team touted for the title play against Haiti, debutantes at the tournament. The former, 3-2 winners in this match, were littered with stars already playing Frauen-Bundesliga football, but it was a Haitian player that made Miquel sit up and take notice.

She was a commanding presence in the centre of midfield, despite being just four days away from her 15th birthday – her age meaning she required special authorisation to even compete in the tournament.

She was facing players older and with more top-level experience than her, but you couldn’t tell.

“She was way above the other players,” Miquel recalls to GOAL. “We immediately knew we needed that player.”

The player in question was Melchie Dumornay,

GOAL

It has been almost four years since that game and, as time has passed, the hype around Dumornay has only grown.

That is understandable given the teenager flew back to France soon after the tournament to trial with and the club liked her – but could not sign her because of her age.

The hype was building up to her 18th birthday in the summer of 2021, when she would finally get the chance to put pen to paper on a contract abroad and show what she can do on a regular basis at the highest level.

At home in Haiti, that excitement was particularly big. , a few weeks before her destination could be revealed, Dumornay said, with a laugh: “Many people now are like, ‘Oh my god, you’re moving soon. So, who is it? Paris Saint-Germain or Lyon?’”

Around 50 clubs wanted Dumornay. Clubs in Asia wanted her. Clubs in Europe wanted her. Clubs in the United States wanted her.

“We knew that the closer she got to being 18 years old, the more clubs would know what we already knew,” Miquel says. “We knew we had to keep contact with Haiti and with the player to have a chance that she might choose us when she was 18.”

Click Here:

In the end, Durmonay would indeed choose Reims, a club renowned for its ability to nurture and develop young talents while offering them the chance to compete in one of Europe’s top leagues. The midfielder knew that, but the club also had to make itself stand out from others that could offer similar.

“I think what made the difference was that we didn’t stop taking news from her, information from Haiti, I was even supposed to go and meet her and her family and other players in Haiti, but I couldn’t because of the situation there in 2019,” Miguel explains.

“We were there all along and other clubs just came by at the last minute with bigger offers, obviously, but what we could offer to her in terms of time of playing, level of playing and also a team that is very close to her style – which is that we have a very young team with a lot of promising players that we try to get to their best level – [made the difference].

“She knew she would be in a good championship, but she would still be an important player and not just a substitute.”

The club have not stopped putting that attention and care in since Dumornay arrived at the end of the summer, either. The signing of fellow Haiti international Kethna Louis, who has been playing in France for four years now, has helped her adapt to the “simple things” in particular.

“Her integration was very fast and very, very positive,” Sonia Ouchene, another of Reims’ rising talents who lives next-door to Durmonay, tells GOAL

“She’s still a bit of a baby, she’s barely 18, so she still has that childlike side, that fun side. She’ll annoy everyone, hide, play jokes. I hope she will keep this spirit. She brings good humour and it’s a pleasure to work with girls like her. I think she has brought us even more cohesion.

“I got to know her very quickly. She’s quite an open person. You might think she’s a bit shy, but in fact she’s not. She opened up very quickly, she became part of the group very quickly. She talked to everyone, she asked questions to everyone, she was really interested in our lives and our group life.

“I didn’t know Melchie at all before she signed for Reims. I had never heard of her. I started to hear about her when the signing was about to happen. That’s when I saw some videos of her and I read about her a bit. I haven’t forgotten her since!”

It was October 2, 2021, when Durmonay made her debut for Reims. She had been available for the previous week’s game against Montpellier but, having missed pre-season, Miquel wanted to make sure she had enough training under her belt before getting on the pitch.

She started the game against Issy on the bench. At half-time, the scores were level at 1-1 and the coach turned to her new signing.

“I told her that she didn’t need a full game to score and make good passes,” Miquel remembers. She was right.

On 73 minutes, Dumornay lifted a long ball over the Issy defence for Kessya Bussy to run onto, and the winger made the pass into the assist it deserved to be with a thumping finish past the goalkeeper. 2-1.

Ten minutes later, Dumornay burst down the left wing and drilled an inch-perfect cross along the ground to find Bussy again, unmarked at the back post, who tapped it home. 3-1. The win was secure.

“When we saw that we said, ‘Oh my God, imagine what she can do in a full game! If only in that short time, she can do so much good’,” Miquel says.

On her first start, the following week, she was even better. Against Bordeaux, who finished in the Women’s Champions League spots last season, behind only Lyon and PSG, Dumornay was the best player on the pitch, scoring twice and providing another assist for Bussy.

“Now everyone’s calling me, huh?” Miquel laughs. “To get that player.”

When most teenagers make such a big career move, to a foreign country no less, it usually takes them at least a little bit of time to adapt. Dumornay just has not needed that. Why?

“Because she’s way better than the other players,” Miquel replies, quite simply. “I think she’s at 30 per cent of her level right now. For me, this is going to be one of the best players in the world in the next few years.

“She’s really far from her best level. She’s going to continue to improve physically, technically and tactically. We’ll do our best to get her through those steps and then she will sign to a big Champions League team and we will be very happy to watch her.”

“I’m never surprised by players,” Ouchene adds. “There are really very, very few things that amaze me, and she is one of them, especially because of her age.

“Athletically, she is powerful and fast. In the game, she’s very clever. Technically, she has everything you need, although, of course, she’s going to improve in every aspect.

“She is a very complete player and she has shown it very quickly on the field.”

As was the case in the years before she signed for Reims, with Dumornay continuing to put in performances of this quality, her reputation and the interest in her will only grow. Reims and Miquel are well aware of that.

“We take a lot of time to watch the players from all over the world. Maybe the difference with other clubs is that we’re not scared of taking risks,” she says, with there many young talents in the squad with the Haiti international.

“When we feel that the player has something different, even if she’s very young or if maybe she’s small, or she has got weakness because she doesn’t have enough muscle… Some clubs tell you she’s too small, she doesn’t have enough muscle, we don’t do this. We feel talent.

“If we see a player that has talent, but some weakness, we know we will develop it and make a big player.

“Now, I’m even sometimes refusing some players because I have all the parents, the agents of the best young players in France and in the world calling to come in our team, because they know that it’s a very good experience for them and that we will take care of the players as if they were our own kids. It’s a global project, not just a football one. We develop the human being before the footballer.

“We know at some point, when they’re 20 or 21, they will sign to a bigger club, but that’s our aim right now, to help those young players be seen and progress in a team, maybe with less pressure than in a big team because we’re more focused on the individual development than on the results.”

, Dumornay described playing for Lyon as the “absolute dream” she was working towards – but it is what she wants to do for her home nation if she is successful that speaks wonders of who she is, beyond the football pitch.

“I want to be able to open an academy back home in Haiti to provide opportunities to players that I didn’t have myself,” she explained.

“In Haiti, there are so many talents, not only in soccer, that just don’t get a chance. I got that chance to be in an academy, but there are top players and top talents everywhere. I hope that one day more people get the chance to get out of there.”

“She’s very intelligent, very mature,” Miquel adds. “She knows where she wants to go. She knows how to do it. She knew that she had to sign to a smaller club and not the big club straight away. I think she’s dealing with her career with a lot of intelligence.

Article continues below

“Some people have the qualities but will not make it. But she has the qualities and the intelligence to know what to do. That’s why I’m pretty confident that she will make a very big career.”

She may have only just began her professional career, but there are few doubts that Dumornay is on her way to the very top. What the future has in store for the NXGN 2022 winner is sure to be special.

Additional reporting by Elyes Khouaja.

With supporters facing transport chaos for next month's game, the Football Association cannot pass up this chance to show it really cares

The first time Wembley hosted an FA Cup semi-final, everyone was happy.

It was 1991, and Tottenham were taking on Arsenal. Was Gascoigne going to have a crack? He was, you know.

Two north London teams facing off in a north London stadium? Perfect. The decision was the right one, and not just in a financial sense. And the novelty of another televised game beneath the Twin Towers? Well that was just great, wasn’t it? A rare treat, if you will.

That was then, though, and this is now. And, in 2022, it is clear that something has to change. 

Wembley’s days as a semi-final venue should be numbered, and not just because of the crisis which has emerged over the last 48 hours.

Click Here:

You may have heard about the situation facing Liverpool and Manchester City fans right now. One of travel chaos, hefty costs and long, inconvenient journeys.

English football in a nutshell, you could say.

The problem is, that’s Easter weekend, and what tends to happen in this country over Easter weekend is that rail networks plan “essential maintenance”, which leads to line closures, cancellations and significant inconvenience for travellers and commuters.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happening this year.

So, if you are planning to travel from Liverpool or Manchester to London that weekend, then best of luck. You’ll have a job on your hands.

Getty

Avanti West Coast has confirmed that between April 15-18, no trains will operate to or from London Euston. Services will instead begin and terminate at either Milton Keynes, some 53 miles away, or at Rugby, even further north.

It means that for the vast majority of supporters, rail travel is impossible. Fans looking to travel from Liverpool on the Saturday would face a journey time of around six hours, featuring at least three train changes. Supporters heading down from Manchester, meanwhile, would need to do so via Sheffield or Banbury. 

and on Monday evening it released a statement, together with Manchester City’s 1894 Group, calling for the tie to be switched from Wembley.

“More than 64,000 travelling supporters will be forced onto the roads, which will already be over-burdened with Bank Holiday traffic,” it read.

“For the other semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, Wembley makes sense. For Liverpool and City, it makes no sense.

“We are asking both clubs, the FA and Wembley to reconsider where this game is played and, for once, to put the fans at the forefront of their thinking. 

“City and Liverpool are less than 40 miles apart and there are plenty of grounds big enough far closer than Wembley to stage such a prestigious game.”

The Football Association (FA), too, released a statement on Monday saying it would “liaise closely” with both Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as with Network Rail and National Express (the inter-city coach operator) to “find a solution so that supporters of both teams are able to travel to and from the fixture with as minimal disruption as possible.”

But it has since emerged that they were made aware of the potential for disruption to these semi-finals as far back as 2019, and that a request to consider changing the venue from Wembley was made last September. This is no last-minute shock, this was an avoidable situation.

GOAL understands that it is unlikely that the fixture will be moved.

Old Trafford, which would appear an ideal alternative venue on the face of it, is unavailable that weekend as Manchester United are playing Norwich in the Premier League, while other options such as Goodison Park, Villa Park or Elland Road would not be deemed big enough, despite all having hosted FA Cup semi-finals on numerous occasions in the past. 

The likelihood is that both Liverpool and City, perhaps with input from the FA, will look to offer free, or at least subsidised, coach travel for supporters wishing to travel. The clubs will look to work with supporters, and are acutely aware of their concerns.

That, though, would only be kicking the can down the road. The wider question, surely, is how long will it be before fans are given the consideration they deserve from football’s governing bodies?

Wembley semi-finals happened sporadically during the 1990s – remember Chris Waddle’s free-kick for Sheffield Wednesday against Sheffield United in 1993, or Mark Hughes’ dramatic equaliser for Manchester United against Oldham a year later? – but they only became a staple after the new, redeveloped stadium was opened in 2007. 

A financial decision, naturally, as the FA looked to recoup some of the costs of the rebuild.

And while it has provided some memorable days out – for fans of Millwall, Barnsley, West Brom, Reading, Sheffield United, Hull and Wigan, for example – it is time the plans were reconsidered. 

Forget money, think about people. Especially those who happen to live north of Watford.

Supporters already have to put up with exorbitant ticket costs, overpriced merchandise and kick-off times chosen to suit TV audiences, why continue adding to their woes?  

Article continues below

You might think that, having seen the game struggle on without fans for more than a year due to the pandemic, there might be a greater appetite from the governing bodies to make life a little more comfortable, a little more convenient for those who – and let’s have this right – make the sport what it is: a noisy, colourful spectacle, filled with passion and emotion.

So, if you’re reading this, FA executives, then please take action. Wembley as a final venue? Absolutely fine, no problem. That’s the tradition, and it’s a good one. But as a semi-final host, it’s had its day. 

This year’s farce should make that abundantly clear.

Liverpool have the best chance of winning a coveted quadruple this year, as they are still in the running for success across four major competitions

Winning one major trophy in any given season is a notable achievement, not to mention two or three.

Certain teams are, however, capable of sustaining challenges for silverware on multiple fronts, with several additions being made to well-stocked cabinets.

Has a club ever managed to sweep the board by completing a quadruple in a single campaign? GOAL takes a look…

What is a quadruple?

For a club to win a quadruple it means that they have won four trophies in a single season.

For example, if a team has won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League, they have won the quadruple.

In official terms, a ‘true’ quadruple is when a club wins all four of the major trophies in a single campaign, not across a calendar year.

A team can win four trophies and call it winning a quadruple, but true pedants and football purists will say that trophies like the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup do not count towards ‘quadruple’ tallies as they are not considered to be major trophies by the majority of people.

Similarly, a ‘treble’ is when a single team wins three major trophies in a single season, and the ‘double’ is when a team collects two pieces of major silverware.

Bayern won the unofficial quadruple when they lifted the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League in 2019-20. They went on to win the Club World Cup a few months later, which means that they won four titles but not the true quadruple.

Similarly, Pep Guardiola won six trophies in the 2009 calendar year as manager of Barcelona – the Champions League, La Liga, Spanish Cup, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey.

But he was unable to win the proper quadruple in 2009-10, falling short in the Champions League semi-finals while picking up the Spanish Cup and La Liga trophies.

Has a Premier League team ever won the quadruple?

No Premier League side has managed to win the quadruple.

The closest any side has got was in 1998-99 when – with a League Cup triumph eluding the Red Devils as they tumbled out of that competition at the quarter-final stage against Tottenham.

Manchester City, meanwhile, collected all three domestic trophies in 2018-19 but slipped out of continental competition in the quarter-finals – they also won the Community Shield that year.

– the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League – in the 2021-22 season.

The Reds have already savoured League Cup glory, are through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, quarter-finals in Europe and sit just a point off the pace in a domestic title race.

Article continues belowClubs to win four titles

No team in the top five major European leagues has won the true quadruple, though many clubs have won four titles in a season.

Celtic won the true quadruple in 1966-67, as they had won the European Cup, Scottish First Division, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in a single season.

Click Here:

Bayern Munich2019-20Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, Champions League, Club World CupReal Madrid2017-18Supercopa de Espana, Super Cup, Club World Cup, Champions LeagueParis St-Germain2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe de la LigueReal Madrid2016-17Super Cup, Club World Cup, La Liga, Champions LeagueBarcelona2015-16Super Cup, Club World Cup, La Liga, Copa del ReyBayern Munich2012-13DFL Supercup, Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, Champions LeagueCeltic1966-67European Cup, Scottish First Division, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup

The Red Devils forward has 46 international caps to his name, but he has been overlooked in Gareth Southgate’s latest selection

England will be in international friendly action against Switzerland at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, before then playing host to Ivory Coast on Tuesday, but Marcus Rashford will not be figuring in either of those fixtures.

The Manchester United forward has represented his country on 46 occasions, scoring 12 goals, but will not be adding to his collection of Three Lions caps any time soon after being .

Why has the Red Devils star been overlooked and could his place in plans being drawn up for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year be under threat? GOAL takes a look…

Why is Marcus Rashford not in the England squad?

The 24-year-old has been a regular for England since bursting onto the scene as a teenager in 2016, with appearances made at two European Championships – including a Euro 2020 final against Italy – the 2018 World Cup and UEFA Nations League finals.

His in the 2021-22 campaign – on the back of becoming an MBE for his charity work off the field – and Southgate is looking for a proven performer to rediscover a spark at Old Trafford before being welcomed back into the international arena.

The Three Lions boss has said of his decision to snub Rashford: “I think it is important, perhaps after this camp, for me to go and sit with him and find out a bit more about what is going on.

“We know he is desperate to do well.

“I think Marcus is very realistic. He knows he is in a situation where he has not been getting in the United team consistently and he will be searching as much as anybody to get that form back.

“We all believe he can be an asset for his club and for his country.

“With one or two of our players in the past, who have had dips and come through them, you can say, ‘look, they came through that, they responded well and became more strong and they showed the character needed’.

“That is what he is going to have to prove now in the coming weeks and months. Nobody’s career goes smoothly from start to finish and of course his rise from when he first broke into the team at United was incredible, really.”

How many goals & assists does Marcus Rashford have in 2021-22?

Southgate is right to suggest that Rashford needs to knuckle down at club level and once more.

A home-grown academy graduate at Old Trafford has started only 10 Premier League games this season and has not completed a 90-minute outing for the Red Devils in 2022.

He has in total this term, with a .

Only five goals, the most recent of which came on January 22 against West Ham, and two assists have been recorded across 26 appearances in all competitions and he has not turned out in the colours of his country since being introduced as an extra-time substitute late on in the Euro 2020 final – an outing in which he .

Article continues below

Competition

Appearances

Mins played

Goals

Assists

Premier League

19

936

Click Here:

4

2

FA Cup

2

168

0

0

Champions League

5

258

1

0

Table correct at time of writing on 22/03/2022

He will be desperate to make amends for his failure from the spot, particularly at a major tournament, but the clock is now ticking for him as the countdown to the 2022 World Cup continues.

That event is due to get under way in Qatar on November 21 and Rashford will need to force his way back into contention for UEFA Nations League fixtures across June and September in order to secure himself one of 23 much sought-after tickets that are set to be handed out by Southgate.