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A big summer awaits for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

Having not replaced Kyōgo Furuhashi in January, the Hoops will be targeting a new centre-forward, while Kieran Tierney’s return will create much fanfare, replacing the outgoing Greg Taylor at left-back.

In the meantime, ahead of a huge Champions League play-off tie in August, Rodgers will also be looking to bolster his midfield options, so have the club identified their number on target?

Celtic's 'ideal successor to Callum McGregor'

It’s safe to say that Rodgers and Co have been winning plaudits for their recruitment, and it’s clear to see why. The return of a fan favourite in Jota got supporters off their seats and the same will occur when Tierney puts pen to paper in the summer. He was, after all, a bit of a legend during his first stint at Parkhead.

So, what’s next for the Celts?

Transfer Focus

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

Well, as reported by Football Insider, Celtic have ‘identified’ midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj as Callum McGregor’s ‘ideal successor’, adding that current club Augsburg may be willing to sell for as little as £3m, considering he is out of contract in 2026.

A further report from Sky Sports Germany suggests that the Premiership outfit are ‘monitoring’ his situation in Germany, with Besiktas and Hoffenheim also interested in his services.

Rexhbecaj played alongside Celtic’s record-signing Arne Engles 38 times in Bavaria, with the 27-year-old having made 84 appearances for the Fuggerstädter in total, previously spending time at fellow-Bundesliga clubs Wolfsburg, Köln and Bochum.

In an interview with FIFA’s official site, Rexhbecaj stated he is “happy at Augsburg”, adding that “I’ve got the sense that I’m here for the long haul”, but with his contract running down, could the German club decide to sell?

How Elvis Rexhbeçaj would improve Celtic

Rexhbecaj’s performances for Augsburg this season have been described as ‘fantastic’ by local media, deployed in numerous different midfield positions by manager Jess Thorup, but predominantly playing as a defensive anchor.

So, let’s analyse his Bundesliga statistics.

As the table outlines, Rexhbeçaj’s statistics don’t exactly leap off the page, as he is pretty solid, if unspectacular, when it comes to passing as well as all of the defensive metrics, namely ball recoveries, interceptions, blocks and tackles.

Nevertheless, considering that Dominik Schneider of FussballTransfers reports that Parma, Beşiktaş and numerous EFL Championship clubs are all also ‘interested’ in signing him and the fact that FBRef compares him to Newcastle’s £55m man Sandro Tonali, he must be doing something right.

So, could he be the perfect McGregor deputy, perhaps even the captain’s long-term successor?

Last month’s Glasgow derby defeat to Rangers at Parkhead hammered home McGregor’s importance to this Celtic team, with Rodgers himself admitting afterwards that there’s “no doubt” his team missed the skipper, struggling to cope without the “tactical balance” he provides.

Kieran Devlin of the Athletic labeled McGregor Celtic’s ‘most important player’, and the Hoops’ lack of midfield control without him highlighted why.

So, let’s see how McGregor and Rexhbeçaj compare.

As the table outlines, McGregor comes out on top for pretty much every metric this season, % of ground duels won the sole exception, albeit there are stylistic similarities between the pair.

It’s also worth taking into account that Rexhbeçaj is playing at a considerably higher level; according to Global Football Rankings, the Bundesliga is the third strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership ranks 43rd.

What is clear is that Celtic require midfield reinforcements so if Rexhbecaj is available at a cut-price this summer, he could be a useful addition.

Celtic ace left for £600k, now he's similar to a future Ballon d'Or winner

The player Celtic lost for just £600k is now similar to a star who has been tipped to win the Ballon d’Or.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 1, 2025

West Indies captain sealed his hundred and then confirmed victory with late barrage

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20230:58

How MS Dhoni’s words ‘stuck with’ Shai Hope

Shai Hope sealed a dramatic victory for his West Indies side over England with three sixes in four balls off Sam Curran in Antigua on Sunday, then called upon his players to back up their performances next week as they look to clinch a series win.Hope’s unbeaten 109 off 83 balls was his 16th ODI century and the fastest of his career. He brought it up with a flurry of sixes to take West Indies over the line, belting a Curran full toss over wide long-on, pulling a shorter ball over deep midwicket to bring up three figures and repeating the shot to complete a four-wicket win with seven balls to spare.”A very, very famous person, MS Dhoni – we had a chat a while ago, and he was saying, ‘You always have a lot more time than you think,'” Hope said at the post-match presentation. “That’s one thing that has stuck with me throughout the years I’ve been playing ODI cricket.Related

Stats – Shai Hope becomes the first batter to score hundreds against 11 Full Member teams

Shai Hope's unbeaten 109 piles more misery on England

No IPL 2024 for Archer as ECB looks to manage his workload

Speaking to CWI’s in-house channels, he added: “The dimensions of the field and then the wind factor there, I thought the best thing to do was to target that particular over. We knew it was a challenge to score from the other end, especially going against the breeze… regardless of what happened, I was going to try and take down that second-to-last over to give us the best chance of winning the game.”After the second [six of the 49th over], I knew we pretty much had the game in the balance. If we had that over to finish the game, I always try to finish the game with one over to spare if I can. I don’t want to leave it to anyone else, so the aim was to finish off at the back end.”Hope took over as West Indies’ full-time ODI captain earlier this year and while he oversaw an unsuccessful attempt at World Cup qualification in Zimbabwe, he has thrived with the bat since taking on the role. He has moved down to No. 4 after spending much of his career opening, and there has been a notable improvement in both his average and strike rate compared to his overall record.He also became the 11th West Indies batter to reach 5000 runs in men’s ODIs, during what was his 114th innings in the format. Hope was the joint-third-fastest batter of any nationality to reach the landmark, behind Babar Azam (97) and Hashim Amla (101) and level with Viv Richards and Virat Kohli.”It was in a winning cause, and that’s all I play for,” he said. “The stats will come as a bypass [sic] but my aim and my thing is to win games… It feels good, man. It contributed to a win, so I’m just happy that the guys got over the line.”Hope also hailed the contribution of Romario Shepherd, who made 48 off 28 balls during an 89-run stand for the sixth wicket. “He was amazing,” Hope said. “He’s one of those guys you can depend on and he’s continued to show his worth at this level… we’re starting the series on a high and the aim is to repeat this in the second game [on Wednesday].”West Indies’ run chase – their second-highest in men’s ODIs – was set up by Alick Athanaze and Brandon King’s 104-run opening stand. “They’re both quality players,” Hope said. “Again, it’s about how you can continue from this position. You want some consistency, not just a one-off to show the world you can do something.”Whatever is on the board, we have to chase it. If you want to win games, we can’t only win games when we’re bowling teams out for 160 or 150: we’ve got to win from any position. That’s the belief that we need to have in the dressing room. I’m going to be pushing that regardless of what’s going on.”

Former Ajax star Quincy Promes continues to avoid imprisonment as legal uncertainty surrounds his return from Dubai.

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Promes seeks non-custodial return to NetherlandsSentenced to 7.5 years for assault and drug traffickingExtradition from Dubai remains unresolvedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Promes has requested permission to return to the Netherlands without being taken into custody, despite having been sentenced to a combined 7.5 years in prison for two separate convictions. According to RTL Boulevard, the former Ajax and Netherlands forward wants to suspend his pre-trial detention to travel freely for ongoing legal appeals and to continue his football career. He is still in Dubai, where he was arrested after a car accident while at Spartak Moscow and has not been able to leave since due to continuous extradition procedures.

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Promes, 33, was sentenced to one and a half years in prison in 2023 for stabbing his cousin in a serious assault and then received an additional six-year sentence in 2024 for his involvement in the trafficking of cocaine. He did not appear at either trial and has yet to serve any time. Previously denied by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service owing to issues about preferential treatment, his legal team is advocating to let him return for court procedures without imprisonment. Moreover, the current status of the Dutch extradition requests in the UAE remains unclear. Promes earned 50 caps for the Dutch team between 2014 and 2021 and was part of the squad that reached the Nations League final in 2019 that lost to Portugal. Currently, the player plays for Dubai United in the UAE with his contract expiring at the end of June.

WHAT QUINCY PROMES SAID

Promes told RTL Boulevard: "I want to answer for myself in the Netherlands and continue my career. And that I fly back and forth to the Netherlands a few times when I am called up and then I can just continue playing football. That is what I want,"

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PROMES?

Promes' lawyer, Cem Polat, has submitted a fresh request to Dutch authorities asking for the suspension of detention conditions to allow the winger to appear at his appeal hearings. A response from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service is pending. Promes is still playing in the UAE and no schedule for return travel or trial attendance has been announced.

Arsenal have completed their first transfer business of the summer, with a Serie A side parting with €5m to sign a loanee full-back permanently.

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• Arsenal make first sale of summer
• Serie A side complete €5m deal
• Player could move again this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Nuno Tavares signed for the Gunners in 2021 and been on loan at Lazio this season, with the Italian giants taking up their option to sign him permanently, according to Radiosei. The €5m clause was written into the initial loan deal and has now been activated.

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  Tavares has impressed for Lazio this season, registering nine assists across Serie A and the Europa League. But despite completing a permanent move, there are no guarantees he will be with the club next season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to the report, Lazio will now assess the market to see whether they can sell Tavares on for a much bigger fee this summer. The club would be looking for €35-40m to sell him.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TAVARES?

  Lazio still have a shot at qualifying for the Champions League by finishing in the top four of Serie A and must beat Lecce on Sunday to give themselves a chance of overtaking Juventus and Roma. They know that a victory would at least bank them Conference League qualification.

Messi scored two, Suarez added a double of his own, and Inter Miami returned to winning ways against lowly Montreal

Lionel Messi bagged a brace and Luis Suarez was also at the double as Inter Miami rolled past a poor Montreal side to break a poor spell in MLS play with a 4-2 win Wednesday night. The Argentine was instrumental throughout, while his old Barcelona teammate found some life as well, leading the Herons to three vital points.

Messi, as expected, opened the game up after a sluggish start. It was a classic Messi goal, a quick exchange with Sergio Busquets followed by angled curled finish from the top of the box. It was an otherwise languid first half, Messi popping up here and there without creating much.

Then, the second half exploded. It started with a double save from Oscar Ustari, who twice denied close-range efforts with insinctive stops. Miami took advantage immediately, going straight down with a well constructed counter attack. Messi provided the key moment again, dinking a ball into the box that Suarez – afforded far too much space – controlled and finished. He added another three minutes later, reacting first to a loose ball and stroking into the bottom corner.

Montreal gave themselves a glimmer of hope after 73rd minute, Dante Sealy ghosting inside and tucking the ball into the bottom corner. But Messi had the final word, combining with Suarez and dinking over a stranded goalkeeper to wrap up a win.

A late Montreal goal only made the scoreline appear narrower. The result, though, was remarkably comfortable.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium.

Goalkeeper & Defense

Oscar Ustari (6/10):

Made an impressive double save before conceding a couple of goals he really couldn't do anything about.

Ian Fray (6/10):

A solid shift on the right. Got up and down without ever really providing the killer ball.

Gonzalo Lujan (N/A):

Seemed to pick up a groin issue after 12 minutes.

Noah Allen (6/10):

Tidy at the back until he was absolutely skinned in the run up to Montreal's goal. He looks more and more comfortable with each game.

Jordi Alba (N/A):

Went off injured early on. Miami will hope it's not serious.

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Tadeo Allende (5/10):

Ran around a lot and looked to connect, but completed just 61 percent of his passes.

Sergio Busquets (8/10):

Class throughout. Assisted the first goal and was instrumental in a couple more. Tackled well and fouled at the right times, too.

Federico Redondo (6/10):

Ate up ground in the Yannick Bright role. Ensured that there wasn't much of a drop off in the engine room.

Telasco Segovia (7/10):

A more measured evening from last weekend's hero, who offered plenty of control – and linked up with Messi well.

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Lionel Messi (9/10):

Scored a typically outrageous goal. Did all sorts of nice things, and then assisted Suarez wonderfully. Capped off his evening with a delightful dink.

Luis Suarez (8/10):

Pretty sloppy in the first half, and then deadly in the second. Scored two instinctive goals, and then set up another. Quality.

GettySubs & Manager

Tomas Alives (5/10):

Came on and then went off injured. Miami are struggling at center-back.

Hector Martinez (6/10):

Did his job without being revolutionary. Might be asked to play more going forward.

Maxi Falcon (6/10):

A mixed second half. Solid at times but also completely lost his man on Montreal's second.

Benja Cremaschi (N/A):

Barely involved in 20 middling minutes.

Fafa Picault (N/A):

Late legs to stretch the game a bit.

Javier Mascherano (7/10):

Not a bad night's work, all said. Got his system right and relied on his star men for a convincing win. The seat cools down – for now.

Ian Wright hailed Arsenal Women after their Champions League victory over Barcelona as he believes the triumph "saved the club from embarrassment".

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Arsenal crowned European championsEdged out Barcelona 1-0Wright wants a victory parade in North LondonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal etched their name into European football history once again as they secured the Women’s Champions League title in Lisbon, defeating Barcelona 1-0 in a tightly contested final. This marks the North London side’s first continental triumph since 2007, ending an 18-year wait and reviving the club’s glory days in women's football.

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Swedish forward Stina Blackstenius, introduced from the bench, netted the game’s only goal to stun a Barcelona team that had dominated the tournament in recent years. With three Champions League titles in the past four seasons, the Catalan giants entered the final as firm favourites, but Arsenal defied the odds.

WHAT WRIGHT SAID

Arsenal legend Wright, who was present at the Estadio José Alvalade for the final, didn’t hold back in his praise for the women’s team. Speaking to after the match, Wright emphasized the importance of the victory not only in sporting terms but also for the broader morale of the club.

“Saved the club from the embarrassment of getting nothing this season when we played so well in the season with the men," he said.

“The ladies have saved the club, we have got something to celebrate. Of course they need a parade, they have beaten Barcelona in the Champions League [final], no one gave them a chance. Even I was saying it was going to be tough because they average four goals a game!

“So we needed to score goals to make sure that we beat them, in the end it was only one but everybody wrote them off. They deserve everything they are getting, all the accolades because this is a magnificent achievement. Look how far it’s come, I remember the Champions League being at Boreham Wood, look where we are and Arsenal winning it, it’s amazing!”

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Arsenal’s return to the final after nearly two decades had all the makings of a fairytale, especially against a Barcelona side many assumed would dominate. Yet, under the guidance of head coach Renee Slegers, the Gunners displayed tactical discipline and unwavering belief. And with that, the Gunners can celebrate not only a historic win but the pride of a club that refused to be overlooked.

Everything you need to know about Wout Weghorst's salary details playing for Ajax

Dutch striker Wout Weghorst joined Ajax in the summer of 2024 after a rather disappointing spell in England with Burnley. During his two years at Turf Moor, Weghorst was loaned out to Besiktas, Manchester United, and Hoffenheim in Germany.

Now back in his home country and playing for a major club like Ajax, Weghorst appears to have rediscovered his form, scoring consistently for the Eredivisie side since his arrival.

His current contract with Ajax runs until 2026, and he is well-compensated for his contributions with a high salary.

Exactly how much does he earn at the Johan Cruyff Arena?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

*

• Wout Weghorst's wages at Ajax in numbers

  Wout Weghorst's current contract with Ajax provides him a weekly wage of €48,077, ranking him as the joint fifth-highest paid player at the club. His salary is comparable to Josip Sutalo and Bertrand Traore, with an annual income of about €2.5 million.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in Euros	Annual wages in Euros
  Wout Weghorst	Dutch	€48,077	€2,500,000

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  Top earners at Ajax

  Jordan Henderson, previously with Liverpool, is the top earner at Ajax. Daniele Rugani, an Italian center-back on loan from Juventus, follows. Brian Brobbey is third, ahead of Steven Berghuis in fourth.

  Croatian defender Josip Sutalo and Weghorst sit joint fifth.

  Player	Nationality	Weekly wages in Euros	Annual wages in Euros
  Jordan Henderson	English	€90,000	€4,680,000
  Daniele Rugani	Italian	€75,385	€3,920,000
  Brian Brobbey	Dutch	€57,692	€3,000,000
  Steven Berghuis	Dutch	€56,731	€2,950,000
  Josip Sutalo	Croatian	€48,077	€2,500,000
  Wout Weghorst	Dutch	€48,077	€2,500,000

• Top earners in Eredivisie

  Jordan Henderson is the top earner at Ajax and in the Eredivisie, with Sergino Dest from PSV next. Daniele Rugani is third, while Brian Brobbey and Steven Berghuis are fourth and fifth.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages in Euros	Annual wages in Euros
  Jordan Henderson	Ajax	€90,000	€4,680,000
  Sergino Dest	PSV	€75,385	€3,920,000
  Daniele Rugani	Ajax	€75,385	€3,920,000
  Brian Brobbey	Ajax	€57,692	€3,000,000
  Steven Berghuis	Ajax	€56,731	€2,950,000

• AFP
  

  Highest paid players in the world

  Eredivisie player salaries are notable but lower than those of top global footballers, with none in the highest ranks.

  The top five earners are in the Saudi Pro League, led by Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr with the highest salary.

  Karim Benzema, formerly of Real Madrid, is second, followed by Riyad Mahrez, previously with Manchester City and now at Al-Ahli, in third.

  Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, both from Senegal, are in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

  Player	Club	Weekly wages Euros	Annual wages Euros
  Cristiano Ronaldo	Al Nassr	€3,846,154	€200,000,000
  Karim Benzema	Al Ittihad	€1,923,077	€100,000,000
  Riyad Mahrez	Al Ahli	€1,003,846	€52,200,000
  Sadio Mane	Al Nassr	€769,231	€40,000,000
  Kalidou Koulibaly	Al Hilal	€667,308	€34,700,000

Marcus Rashford's agent was spotted in the directors' box at Etihad Stadium during Aston Villa's late defeat to Manchester City.

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• Rashford's agent spotted in City's directors' box
• Could snub Villa permanent transfer
• Man Utd loanee yet to decide on future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford regained his long-lost form after he made a loan switch from Manchester United to Aston Villa in the January transfer window. Now that the 2024-25 campaign has reached its business end, there has been speculation over the English forward's long-term future. While the Villans have a £40m ($49.5m/€48.8m) buy option in the loan deal, reports have emerged that the 27-year-old is likely to snub Unai Emery's side for a permanent move as he wants to play in the Champions League.

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  Amid rumours over his next destination, Rashford's brother and agent, Dwaine Maynard, was spotted in the directors' box at Etihad Stadium during Villa's Premier League clash against Manchester City last week, according to the . Maynard sat near City's current director of football, Txiki Begiristain and his replacement, Hugo Viana.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It now remains to be seen if Rashford, who has spent all his working life on the books at United and is a boyhood fan of the Red Devils, would consider joining their rivals in the summer or even if City hold any formal interest in making that happen.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  Unai Emery's side, who are pushing for a Champions League slot, will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Fulham in a crucial Premier League clash at home. Rashford could miss the rest of the season through injury.

أصبح ريال مدريد يستهدف التعاقد مع أحد لاعبي باريس سان جيرمان، الذين برزوا خلال الموسم الماضي وساهموا في التتويج بعدة ألقاب أهمهم دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وبحسب صحيفة “الماركا” فإن ريال مدريد يراقب فيتينها لاعب خط وسط باريس سان جيرمان والذي تألق في صفوف الفريق.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ريال مدريد يسحق ليجانيس برباعية استعداداً للموسم الجديد

ويتمسك ريال مدريد بتعزيز خط وسطه بلاعب يقدم الإبداع ويتحكم في العمق بشكل جيد وهي صفات يمتلكها جواو فيتينها بشكل رائع.

وقدم اللاعب صاحب الـ25 عاماً موسمًا رائعًا مع باريس سان جيرمان تحت قيادة لويس إنريكي، حيث لعب دورًا حيويًا في الفوز بالثلاثية كما أثار الإعجاب مع المنتخب البرتغالي في فوزه بدوري الأمم الأوروبية.

ويتميز صاحب الـ25 عاماً بذكائه في التعامل مع الكرة وتمريراته المتقنة وهدوئه تحت الضغط، وبرز كواحد من أكثر لاعبي خط الوسط ثباتاً وتكاملاً في أوروبا.

ويعتقد مجلس إدارة ريال مدريد أن فيتينها لاعب خط وسط باريس سان جيرمان هو لاعب خط الوسط الذي سيكمل كل من جود بيلينجهام وفيدي فالفيردي.

ويعتبر ريال مدريد أن فيتينها سيكون قائدًا على المدى الطويل في وسط الملعب، وسيكون خليفة لكل من توني كروس ولوكا مودريتش ويرونه الخيار الأمثل.

Master of self-improvement and reinvention, Broad was a great survivor

Matt Roller31-Jul-20232:24

Stokes ‘proud’ of England team and ‘inspiring’ Stuart Broad

It might not have ended like this. There was the mutinous interview in an Ageas Bowl portacabin. The calf injury that ruled him out of the India series two years ago. The exasperation of the Ashes series he voided, and a blind-siding omission from the squad that toured the Caribbean.But Stuart Broad has often been confronted with his temporality as a Test cricketer across the course of a 16-year career, and has usually responded in the same way. Broad was the master of self-improvement, a man who constantly reinvented himself. It was the only way to survive, and Broad was a great survivor.This was a fitting finale. Broad was predominantly a showman, a great entertainer who played to the gallery, and his bail-switch that immediately preceded his dismissal of Todd Murphy was another moment of pantomime that only he could pull off in the midst of a tense final-day run chase.And yet there was another side to Broad, one that was harder to detect from the public persona who geed up the crowd, wearing a bandana out of superstition and a masterful comedian as well as cricketer.Related

Did the teams catch up after the Oval Test? Yes, at a nightclub, Stokes clarifies

Big-action Broad, and the sharp spells of utter anarchy

Stuart Broad: Last-ball wicket to win Ashes Test was 'pretty cool'

'If Stokesy messages me again, I'm going to delete it' – Moeen Ali bows out of Tests on a high

Cummins rues 'missed opportunities' as Australia settle for 2-2 draw

Behind closed doors, he was a meticulous thinker about the game, described by his Nottinghamshire and ex-England coach Peter Moores as “the best tactician that I’ve been lucky enough to coach”. It was no coincidence that, with two left-handers frustrating England, Ben Stokes threw the ball to Broad.”You’ve seen the way he bowls at them,” Stokes said. It was not always that way: Broad took 71 wickets at 41.11 against left-handers before 2015. But extensive research ahead of that summer’s Ashes series prompted him to change his default angle from over the wicket to around; since 2015, he has dismissed 122 left-handers at 24.85.”That’s part of my personality,” Broad explained. “I’ve never been an amazing trainer. I need to have something to aim for in training all the time, that spurs me on. I need to have a new skill to be working on, otherwise I could float through training a little bit.”Returning after tea, Broad bowled exclusively from around the wicket, inducing regular plays-and-misses; two in a row from Murphy prompted his bail-switch in an attempt to change his luck. “I just kept saying, ‘Keep bowling the same ball over and over again,'” Stokes said.After Murphy edged behind, Broad created two final chances. Carey nicked him to second slip where Zak Crawley spilled a tough low catch, before edging through to Bairstow in Broad’s following over. Both balls were textbook late Broad: angling in before nipping away off the seam to take the edge.Stuart Broad celebrates taking the wicket of Alex Carey and victory•Getty Images

Another feature of Broad’s self-improvement has been his desire to lower his “leave percentage” – a statistic that is rarely referenced publicly by anyone other than him. Four years ago, Moores told Broad that Kunal Manek, the Nottinghamshire analyst, had noticed an uptick in the proportion of his deliveries that batters left alone.”I judge myself now on how much I make a batsman play in a day,” Broad said during the 2019 Ashes. “If I am bowling badly, my leave percentage will be 30 percent – I am getting left 30 percent of the time. If I am bowling brilliantly, it will be 16 percent or 17 percent.”On his final day as a Test cricketer, it was down at eight percent: Australia’s batters left only seven of the 88 balls that he bowled. Broad will not be aware of that statistic as he basks in the glow of his farewell on Monday night, but there is one that makes him prouder than any other: his tally of 153 wickets against Australia, the most by an Englishman and a record that may never be broken.In the build-up to this series, Broad played down his chances of playing anything more than a bit-part role. Instead, he was the only England bowler to feature in all five Tests, finished the summer as their leading wicket-taker, and took centre-stage as six weeks of drama came to a head in the final moments of the series.If there is such a thing as destiny in sport, Stuart Broad was destined not to bow out quietly. “I am not too emotional, to be honest,” he reflected, speaking moments after clinching England’s win. “Taking those last two wickets proved to me that I still loved taking wickets because I just ran around like a headless chicken. I still have that emotion and love for winning Test matches.”To take a wicket to win an Ashes Test match being my final ball was something that will make me smile for the rest of my life,” he added. “When the dust has settled it will sink in. It still doesn’t feel massively real. When I told the guys I couldn’t remember what I said. I didn’t feel like I was in my own body; I feel a little bit like that now.”Broad made an admission on Saturday night that is rare to hear from an elite athlete: “I know I am not the most skilful player that’s played,” he said. But if his eventual Test bowling average, 27.68, does not secure him a place among the game’s greatest fast bowlers, his longevity will – a longevity secured by his self-professed addiction to the sport.