#fc-twente

#fc-twente

They are paying the consequences of the lack of leaders, players with good technique and confidence in the youngsters. In Italy, Lamine Yamal and Musiala would probably play in Serie B to gain experience. And that can't be.

Ngumoha was handed just his fourth senior start, yet he played like someone far more experienced, driving relentlessly at defenders, injecting tempo into Liverpool's attack, and offering the kind of directness and unpredictability supporters have long craved.

Koni De Winter is heading for his fifth start in the last six games, and although there were concerns initially, the former Genoa man has grown into his role. Ahead of the January window, more specifically after the games against Sassuolo and Napoli (Supercoppa), there was a lot of discussion about the centre-back position at Milan. De Winter, who arrived for around €20m in the summer, hadn't exactly impressed at that point.

Michael Carrick may have won it all with Manchester United as a player, but he came from humble beginnings. The classy former midfielder, who played 464 times for the Red Devils in an illustrious career, was appointed as the club's interim manager until the end of the season earlier this week. But a video showing a teenaged Carrick making his way as a youth footballer in the North East highlights the remarkable journey he has been on.

Image source, Getty Images "Football obsessive." Ask people who know Steve Holland well how they would describe the former Chelsea and England coach and the same phrase is repeated. "Football is his life," a source told BBC Sport. "Whether it's Champions League, thoughts on players or something else, he has a hell of a brain when it comes to football detail."

Manchester United have officially made an enquiry for Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, according to Mundo Deportivo. The 22-year-old, widely regarded as one of La Masia's most disciplined and intelligent holding midfielders, has attracted interest not only from United but also from Wolves, who have added him to their shortlist ahead of the summer window. Casado is valued internally for his maturity, pressing intelligence and ball-winning ability.

Bodø/Glimt were already admired for their ascent through the Norwegian system-returning to the top flight only in 2017 and winning four league titles in the years that followed. But their leap into the Champions League spotlight this season has been extraordinary. As tournament debutants, they arrived with curiosity surrounding them-but they quickly replaced intrigue with astonishment.

When you lose, you're never in a good mood. But we're all experienced enough and know how to deal with defeats. You experience defeats not only in football, but also off the pitch, and you learn from them. We're fully focused and motivated for the game tomorrow,

Chelsea are very interested in signing AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit. The 20-year-old Netherlands prodigy has attracted the attention of Real Madrid and Barcelona as well. According to Fichajes, Real Madrid have already submitted a 50 million offer to get the deal done, but the Dutch outfit is holding out for a fee of 60 million. Smit has also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool.

In Saturday's game against Millwall Cleworth became the leading appearance-maker of Phil Parkinson's reign, surpassing Paul Mullin's 172 games under the English boss. Cleworth, still only 23, is Wrexham's final on-field survivor of the National League days, though Davis Keillor-Dunn and Ryan Barnett, who has played 12 times in the league this season, have recently returned. Since his debut while a 17-year-old academy player in the Scottish Challenge Cup in 2019, the Chester-born defender has made 175 appearances in red.

Heitinga enjoyed a positive spell as interim coach of the Eredivisie giants in 2023, winning 11 of his 16 league games in charge (D2 L3), but he did not have the same success in the permanent role this season. After being appointed in May 2025, Heitinga won just five of his 11 league matches (D5 L1), averaging just 1.82 points per game before getting sacked in November.