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Julio Rodríguez is doing his part for the Mariners in their winner-take-all Game 7 as Seattle plays for the franchise's first trip to the World Series.

To begin the American League Championship Series decider, he hit a leadoff double on the second pitch of the game to get in scoring position for Josh Naylor, who drove him in two batters later. That gave Seattle an early 1-0 lead, but the Blue Jays were able to tie the game in the bottom half of the first thanks to an RBI single from Daulton Varsho.

Rodríguez wasn't done, though, crushing a go-ahead solo home run in his next at-bat to take back the early lead. The ball sailed 423 feet over the left center field fence after a seven-pitch at bat.

In the clutch at-bat, he quickly got down 0-2 and was nearly called out on strikes on a checked swing down in the count. First base umpire Doug Eddings ruled that Rodríguez didn't go around, but the checked swing was insanely close and could have went either way:

Rodríguez took a second ball before fouling off two pitches ahead of the massive homer to break the 1-1 tie. He may have gotten away with one, but Eddings had to go with his gut which said Rodríguez held off. The call can't be taken back and it may prove to be critical in the decisive matchup for a trip to the World Series.

تُوّج فريق أهلي طرابلس بقيادة المدير الفني المصري حسام البدري، بلقب كأس ليبيا بعد الفوز على نظيره الأهلي بنغازي بثلاثة أهداف دون مقابل، في المباراة النهائية التي أُقيمت مساء اليوم الخميس على استاد القاهرة.

وكان من المقرر إقامة المواجهة مساء الأربعاء، قبل أن يتم تأجيلها بسبب أزمة تقنية تتعلق بكاميرات البث التابعة للقناة الناقلة. 

طالع.. رئيس البنك الأهلي يكشف لـ”بطولات” حقيقة بيع ياو أنور إلى أهلي طرابلس الليبي

في الدقيقة 67 افتتح عزو المريمي أهداف اللقاء برأسية بعد ارتداد الكرة من القائم بينما في الدقيقة 89 سجل البديل عمران سالم الهدف الثاني بعد استقبال عرضية متقنة من الجهة اليسرى.

وفي الدقيقة 95 تمكن الأنجولي كريستوفر مابولولو من تسجيل هدف احتسبه الحكم بعد العودة إلى تقنية الفيديو.

وتمكن حسام البدري من قيادة فريقه لتحقيق الثنائية هذا الموسم بعد الفوز سابقًا بلقب الدوري الليبي الممتاز.

يذكر أن أهلي بنغازي يقوده فنيا المدرب المصري طارق مصطفى، وطارق يحيى مديرا رياضيا. 

It has become a frustratingly familiar sight at Liverpool, with Alexander Isak trudging off in the second half against Inter Milan having had little impact up against last season’s beaten Champions League finalists.

The man whom Virgil van Dijk lauded as “the most in-form striker” in the world ahead of March’s Carabao Cup final, the 26-year-old looks like a shadow of his former self right now.

With just two goals to his name in all competitions thus far, only one of which has come in the Premier League, the Reds are in need of far better, with Isak running out of rope despite the potential impact of a lack of pre-season.

Of course, a delayed start to life at Anfield, following that need to get up to speed fitness-wise, has played its part in the Swede making just 14 appearances to date, while the chaos around him has likely not helped matters either.

Indeed, as the explosive Mohamed Salah debacle has epitomised, Arne Slot has yet to settle on a consistent forward line in 2025/26 – might that all change in January, however?

Latest on Liverpool's transfer search

For all the talk of a £450m spend over the summer, there is evidently a need for further reinforcements at Anfield heading into the New Year, with centre-back still an area of concern amid the lack of depth beyond Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Transfer Focus

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

Having come agonisingly close to moving to Merseyside on deadline day, Marc Guehi seemingly remains a leading target ahead of the winter window, with the Englishman now left with just six months on his existing deal at Selhurst Park.

Of course, the exclusion, and potential exit, of Salah has also highlighted the need to bolster the ranks at the top end of the pitch too, with Slot particularly short on depth on either flank.

Well, with that search underway, the Reds might have received some welcome news, with TEAMtalk reporting that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has made Anfield his ‘preferred destination’, if and when he does decide to leave the south coast side.

As per the report, despite rival interest from the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, it is Liverpool who are believed to be the Ghanaian’s ‘first choice’, with there a ‘real chance’ that he could move on next month.

Available for £65m, due to his much-publicised release clause, the 25-year-old wouldn’t exactly break the bank, but he could be the missing piece for Slot’s attacking jigsaw.

How Liverpool could finally get Isak firing

There’s no denying it, Liverpool look like they’ve been burned by their £125m investment in Isak, with the 6 foot 4 marksman almost unrecognisable from the player who terrorised Premier League defences for the Magpies.

It may matter little considering his current form, although it’s worth remembering just how highly-rated he was just a matter of months ago, having ended 2024/25 with 23 league goals to his name, after netting 21 times in the top-flight the year prior.

The difference? Well, in the view of Slot, it could be the lack of a suitable supplier from the flanks, with the Dutch coach pointing to the fruitful partnership that Isak enjoyed with Jacob Murphy at St James’ Park.

As per Transfermarkt, Murphy assisted his free-scoring colleague 11 times in all competitions for the Tynesiders, with the unsung hero offering a reliable source of creativity from his right-wing berth.

While no doubt a step above the Englishman, having been hailed as the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, Semenyo could be the Murphy-esque figure that Isak is in need of, having wreaked havoc down the flanks in recent seasons.

Erling Haaland

18

Igor Thiago

11

Bruno Fernandes

10

Antoine Semenyo

9

Phil Foden

8

Richarlison

8

Cody Gakpo

7

Leandro Trossard

7

Jean-Philippe Mateta…

7

Currently looking “unstoppable” under Andoni Iraola, in the view of pundit Darren Bent, the ex-Bristol City man has six goals and three assists to his name this season.

With blistering pace and lethal on either foot, Semenyo is in the form of his life right now, having also ended 2024/25 with 16 goals and assists in the Premier League.

The key benefit for Isak would be the 11 ‘big chances’ that the £65m man created last term, as per Sofascore, highlighting how he could emerge as Isak’s chief supplier under Slot’s watch.

As was evident with his stunning, solo goal on the opening day at Anfield, the Bournemouth talisman can also turn defence into attack in an instant, while occupying defenders to free up space for those around him.

That sense of chaos and unpredictability could help to breathe new life into Slot’s forward line, with Isak likely to be the big beneficiary if he can convert the ample opportunities that should fall his way.

Dream for Wirtz: Liverpool hold talks to hire "football's next elite manager"

Liverpool are beginning to face the possibility that Arne Slot is on borrowed time in the Anfield hot seat.

ByAngus Sinclair 6 days ago

For 36 years, Major League Baseball has been a fixture on ESPN's airwaves—but it appears that partnership is coming to an end, and two new platforms are poised to capitalize.

Apple TV is a leading candidate among streamers to land an expanded MLB rights package when baseball's agreement with ESPN ends after this season, according to a Monday afternoon report from Austin Karp of . NBC, per Karp, remains a leading player among traditional television networks.

"The league—like many other properties—is weighing the pros and cons of potentially fewer dollars from a legacy media company with more reach vs. more dollars from a digitally native platform with fewer eyeballs domestically," Karp wrote.

At stake is the fate of , an ESPN institution since 1990 and still the country's most reliable window into regular-season baseball; both Apple TV and NBC are reportedly players for the package.

Intriguingly, Karp suggested that any deal or deals composed of ESPN's constituent events would last three years. That would align MLB's entire national rights package for a potential windfall after the 2028 season.

It does not appear as if the Chicago White Sox were prepared for the possibility of inclement weather on Sunday.

Rain began pouring down at Rate Field in the middle of the bottom of the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The rain came down hard and fast, so much so that the White Sox's grounds crew struggled to get a hold of the situation.

In the process of laying out the tarp, the weight of the rainwater prevented the crew from getting the tarp all the way across the infield. The tarp got stuck after it was spread out across roughly half of the infield, forcing the grounds crew to explore alternative measures of protecting the field.

With the big tarp unable to fulfill its duties, the grounds crew brought out various smaller tarps of different shapes and sizes in order to get as much of the infield covered as possible.

It didn't go too well.

With the downpour not relenting, the game runs the risk of being suspended since it was tied 2–2 at the time of the delay.

The disastrous tarp job over the Rate Field infield led to plenty of jokes from MLB fans, who couldn't help but laugh at the unfortunate situation in Chicago.

Liverpool had defeated Real Madrid 1-0. It wasn’t spectacular. It was gritty and to their credit, Arne Slot’s side were by far the best team on the field.

Not bad for a team supposedly in a mini-crisis. Coming into this game, the Reds had won just two of their last eight games in all competitions.

So, are they back? Quite possibly. One man who was indeed back at Anfield was Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Merseysider, Liverpool’s great son, was welcomed home to his city of birth to a chorus of boos. His exit still stings, of course it does, and the fanbase will have achieved a sense of great comfort from seeing him suffer defeat on Tuesday evening.

Being interviewed on Prime Video post-game, skipper Virgil van Dijk was asked by Theo Walcott if he had spoken to Trent or had any desire to meet with him. The colossal Dutchman had an emphatic one-word response: “No.” Each to their own, eh, Virgil?

Trent's Anfield return in numbers

It wasn’t a great surprise to see Alexander-Arnold named among the subs for Tuesday’s encounter.

Trent is a fine right-back but hasn’t set the world alight after moving to Madrid over the summer. The defender was initially set to move on a free transfer but as Real aimed to push a move through before the Club World Cup, Liverpool ended up getting £10m for him.

Money well spent? Arguably not. The 27-year-old has battled with a hamstring injury in the embryonic stages of his Madrid career, playing just 14 minutes in this season’s Champions League and starting only twice in LaLiga.

It’s not the start Trent will have wanted and the last thing he probably needed was a return to Liverpool.

Fede Valverde started ahead of him at right-back on the night but with nine minutes remaining the Reds academy graduate finally got his chance to play at Anfield again.

While some did applaud, for the most part, he was met with a series of boos. Who can blame them?

As Xabi Alonso’s men tried desperately to score an equaliser, their efforts were ultimately in vain as Trent failed to inspire the European giants to a point.

After coming on, Alexander-Arnold managed just ten touches of the ball and was only able to complete six of his eight passes. His only cross was inaccurate and he didn’t manage a key pass.

Minutes played

9

Touches

10

Accurate passes

6/8 (75%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/1

Dribbles

0

Possession lost

3x

Shots

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

1

He had limited minutes, of course, but it was far from the heroic involvement we were used to seeing from the England international during his days in red.

As it happens, he was completely outshone by fellow right-back Conor Bradley. In the words of content creator, George Scaife, the Northern Irishman’s display was “the best performance by a Liverpool player this season” having locked down one of the best wingers in the world in the form of Vinicius Junior.

Yet, it’s not Bradley who is more closely evoking memories of Trent this term.

Liverpool's summer signing is suffering from the Alexander-Arnold treatment

In the bigger picture, Alexander-Arnold’s time in England must be celebrated. He is one of the most iconic right-backs the Premier League has ever seen.

He scored 23 goals and racked up a rather mind-boggling tally of 92 assists from defence. There have been very few like him in the modern era.

Trent was very much one of the pioneers of the modern full-back. Creative, attacking and possessing the ability to invert into midfield, he offered a great deal to both Jurgen Klopp and Slot. Except, he was always a little bit suspect defensively.

While Bradley dealt with Kylian Mbappe and Vini Jr with ease on Tuesday, on the contrary, Liverpool’s great Liverpudlian has struggled in games like these before.

Remember the quarter-final in 2021? It was Trent’s mistake that led to Marco Asensio scoring. The final in 2022? On that occasion, the full-back allowed Vini to ghost behind him and find the net.

While some of his defending was pretty inexcusable during his time at Liverpool, the threat he carried in the final third and from set-pieces always rescued him. He was a special player.

Yet, 2024/25 was a tough one as he geared up for his move to Madrid. Trent did feature in 49 matches across all competitions but he only completed 13 full 90 minutes in his 33 league outings.

Slot regularly withdrew him early from games and once it got towards the end of his time in England, he didn’t get much of a look in.

During Liverpool’s last six fixtures in the Premier League, he featured for a combined 220 minutes of the 540 that were played.

While the defender had suffered from a late-season ankle injury, his defending also hadn’t improved. After Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United back in January, Roy Keane was brutal with his criticism: “There’s talk about him going to Real Madrid, the way he’s defending he’s going to Tranmere Rovers after this. He’s got to do better.”

Well, in 2025/26, it would appear as though summer arrival Milos Kerkez is also suffering from a bout of Trent-itis.

Last season he was hailed as “one of the best left-backs in world football” by Troy Deeney and few would have disputed that claim.

The Hungarian was a rampaging threat on the left-hand side of the Bournemouth side, ending the campaign with two goals and six assists.

Like Trent, he’s got a wicked delivery in him. He’s a great creator of chances. Yet, also like Trent, he’s suspect defensively and has been found out since his big £40m move in the summer.

Not one to mince his words, Gary Neville was particularly scathing of the full-back in October, saying: “The left back hasn’t settled in. He plays like a 10-year-old; he is all over the place.” Harsh but you’d certainly expect better of a player who cost as much as he did.

As such, Kerkez has been in and out of the team much like Trent was last season. Like Alexander-Arnold, Slot cannot trust him, particularly in the big games. Indeed, against Man United, Jamie Redknapp described the defender as a “nervous wreck”, constantly hassled by Bryan Mbeumo.

Consequently, the former Cherries full-back has completed 90 minutes on just five of his nine league starts and now finds himself out of the team. Andy Robertson has started the last two games and Liverpool have won both. That is surely no coincidence.

Kerkez will no doubt come good in a Reds shirt. He was electric for Andoni Iraola’s side last campaign but he is going to have to eradicate his haphazard defending if he is to make it at Anfield.

If he doesn’t, then he can expect further Trent-like treatment in the months to come. An unreliable figure who’s excellent in attack but suspect at the back.

Edwin Diaz was sure to avoid repeating the worst moment of his career on Monday.

Diaz and the New York Mets won the first game of their doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves to clinch a spot in the MLB postseason. After getting the final out, the Mets celebrated on the field, but the Mets closer claims he avoided a previous mistake.

In his post-game comments, Diaz claimed he purposely didn't jump around during the celebration, staying on his feet to avoid a past catastrophe.

Back in March of 2023, Diaz was pitching for Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. After he secured the final out in the ninth inning against the Dominican Republic to send his country to the quarterfinals, the on-field celebration got ugly. Diaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee while jumping to celebrate and he missed the entire 2023 MLB season.

It's safe to say he probably has a bit of celebration PTSD after that incident.

On Monday, Diaz entered with one out in the eighth inning of the first game. The Mets had a 6-3 lead. He four runs came across before he was able to end the inning and New York went to the top of the ninth trailing 7-6. Luckily, Francisco Lindor blasted a two-run home run to give the Mets a lead again 8-7.

Diaz was back out for the ninth and was able to pitch around a one-out single to close the game out and clinch the Mets' spot in the postseason.

He was wise to keep his end of the celebration muted.

Look closely and you’ll see the first shoots of success springing from the St. James’ Park turf. Newcastle United started the season poorly, but then the same happened last year.

How did the 2024/25 campaign turn out for Eddie Howe and his men?

Newcastle’s win over Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday was more than just three points. It signified tenacity and togetherness, with captain Bruno Guimaraes striking at the eleventh hour to lift his team toward the top half of the table.

With the signs of success also found out on the continent in the Champions League, there’s just cause for optimism, alright, with the physical and mental parts of the battle both favouring the Magpies as they start to find form.

Those two facets are both sides of the same coin, and it is something Nick Woltemade has embraced since joining from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m before deadline day. He’s been brilliant, but Howe and technical director Ross Wilson are already considering another striker.

Newcastle planning move for new striker

Newcastle didn’t just add Woltemade to their squad this summer. The saga linking Yoane Wissa to Tyneside was of a higher profile, raging throughout the summer and lacking clarity. Wissa wanted to go; Brentford wanted to keep him. It was balanced on a knife-edge.

Typical, then, that the DR Congo international has yet to feature or even get up to speed in full training, injured on international duty shortly after completing his deadline-day £55m move.

Wissa, 29, is recovering well, due to return in two or three weeks. He could feature before the November international break, but Howe has intimated a desire to give the goalscoring recruit a pre-season of his own, and so he could make his bow against Manchester City on November 22nd.

The fine form of Woltemade across the opening weeks of the term eases the need for rapid integration. Woltemade, 23, has already scored six times for United, so elegant and intelligent. Newcastle have got bang for their buck (despite what some envious rivals might think).

Still, with the uncertainty around Wissa and the struggles for attacking fluidity, as a whole, this year, Wilson has reportedly registered Newcastle’s interest in Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who faces an uncertain future in Portugal.

According to Spanish sources, the 21-year-old is attracting interest from Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur after his prolific start to life with Porto, with the Iberian outfit for a little over a year.

The report suggests that while the Magpies’ ability to invest may be limited in January, they ‘aren’t ruling out entering the bidding’ for the in-demand striker, should the opportunity arise.

Valued at €100m (about £88m), Samu clearly wouldn’t come cheap, but he’d be worth the investment, one of the most potent young strikers in Europe.

What Samu would bring to Newcastle

Samu might be young, but he was coveted by Chelsea in 2024 before that move fell through, and he wound up at Porto. He is well regarded as one of the most exciting attacking talents out there, and his track record in the final third suggests he could provide Newcastle with an even greater goal threat than Woltemade is offering.

This year, the Spain international has posted nine goals from 11 matches. This after a 27-goal campaign in his maiden year away from home soil.

Woltemade, too, knows something of hitting the ground running in a strange land, but for all the German’s exquisite link-up play, he might not quite have the same prowess and hunger in front of goal as the 6 foot 4 Samu, who has been described as an “absolute powerhouse” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Samu Aghehowa – Stats by Club

Club

Apps

Goals (assists)

Porto

56

36 (3)

Recre Granada

36

18 (0)

Alaves

35

8 (1)

Granada

1

1 (0)

Data via Transfermarkt

Wherever he goes, goals are scored. Though Samu may be a touch more one-track-minded than Woltemade in his attacking approach, there’s little question that he is an expansive striker, with elements to his game. After all, you cannot be laden with holes and described as having “everything it takes to be one of the best strikers in Europe” by journalist Zach Lowy.

This is further corroborated by Samu’s underrated passing game. Data from FBref reveals that, while he is among the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, he also ranks among the top 10% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 14% for through balls, the top 8% for switches and the top 13% for goal-creating actions per 90.

Like Woltemade at Newcastle, the Spaniard is a jack of many trades, and there’s a sense when watching him in action that he might actually be the superior goalscorer besides.

Sofascore show the incremental progress that may have been made in this regard. Samu scored 19 times in the Liga Portugal last term, and he missed 18 big chances across the year. We may be early into the new campaign, but he has bagged himself six goals in 2025/26 while fumbling only two golden opportunities in the final third.

Woltemade is a brilliant up-and-coming striker, but four converted and missed big chances apiece in the Premier League this year show where he needs to sharpen his game.

Howe could actually strike a wonderful balance with both Woltemade and Samu in the Toon mix, the contrasting elements of each man piecing together a new synergised quality at number nine in Newcastle.

What’s not to like? Newcastle plan to attack the many forks in a season’s road time and time again over the coming years. Both have their strengths.

But in terms of goals, Samu might just prove an upgrade on Woltemade, maybe even rivalling the very best across Europe.

Related Newcastle's “outstanding” talent can help Woltemade reach Shearer levels

Eddie Howe has an outstanding star at his disposal at Newcastle United who can help Nick Woltemade reach Alan Shearer levels.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 28, 2025

The summer of 2025 was a significant one for Everton. David Moyes’ side moved into their new stadium on Bramley Moore Docks, and are yet to lose in the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Some of their new signings this summer have already made a real impression.

In particular, one of the standouts has been Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The former Leicester City star joined from Chelsea and has gone on to make seven appearances so far for the Merseysiders. Operating as a number ten, the 27-year-old has one goal and one assist in the Premier League so far.

Dewsbury-Hall is not the only new signing flying under Moyes, with Jack Grealish in sparkling form.

What Grealish has said about working under Moyes

After joining Everton on a season-long loan from Manchester City this summer, Grealish has shown the kind of form that earned him the £100m move to the Etihad Stadium four years ago.

He has been sensational under Moyes so far.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the 30-year-old gave his new manager plenty of credit for how well he’s playing.

Grealish said his form is thanks to the Scot “for giving me that platform to go and play the way I’ve been playing.” The attacker went on to explain that Moyes says, “when you get the ball just go and do what you want to do.”

Well, that seems to be working perfectly for the former Aston Villa star. He’s already assisted four goals and scored once in seven Premier League games under Moyes, playing 90 minutes five times and 88 minutes once.

The England international has put in some huge contributions, too. His first goal in that famous Blue shirt came last weekend, in the 93rd minute, to secure all three points against Crystal Palace.

He also assisted both goals in a 2-0 home win over Brighton and set up two more away to Wolves in a 3-2 win.

Yet, there is no guarantee that Grealish will stay at the club beyond this summer. He’s only at the club on a season-long loan, and whilst there is a £50m buy option, there is no saying Everton will trigger it.

Whatever Grealish’s future may be, the Toffees have a youngster in the academy who could be seen as the homegrown version of their number 18.

Everton’s homegrown Grealish

Over the years, there have been some iconic footballers to have played in Everton’s academy. Of course, the most famous has to be Wayne Rooney, an academy graduate who went on to become one of the Premier League’s all-time greats.

Well, representing the Toffees in their academy now is 17-year-old winger Justin Clarke. The former AFC Wimbledon star has already played professional football, making his debut for the League One side as a 15-year-old back in November 2023.

Having now signed a professional contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the youngster has impressed for Everton’s academy. In the under-21s, he’s scored three goals and assisted one in eight appearances.

In the under-18s, Clarke has shone, with 11 goals and one assist in 19 games. It is easy to see why Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas called him ‘outstanding’, having also highlighted how “thrilling” it is to see such “fearlessness” in action.

The former Wimbledon star has already had a taste of first-team football in preseason, where he even had the chance to get on the pitch. In a later interview, Clarke said he will “always be confident, and I’ll never abandon my gameplan,” even in a senior environment.

That courageousness is certainly similar to Grealish, described by England teammate Phil Foden as a “fearless” operator.

Earlier in the season, Toffees fans might have seen more similarities between the pair. Clarke shone in the EFL Trophy against Doncaster Rovers, where he scored a late goal and completed four dribbles.

Touches

43

Passes completed

12/16

Dribbles completed

4

Ground duels won

7

Fouls won

3

Shots

2

Goals

1

That performance against a group of experienced senior players highlighted the confidence Clarke plays with. It is easy to see how he is like Grealish, in that sense, who is also unlikely to shy away from a challenge.

Whatever Grealish’s future is on Merseyside, Everton fans can certainly get excited about Clarke, who seems to be a player with a bright future.

Moyes may have the new Moise Kean in Everton's "world-class talent"

This Everton star hasn’t started the season as he might have hoped.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2025

Glasgow Rangers need to improve the pipeline from the academy to the first-team because it has not produced enough in the way of regular starters in recent years.

So far this season, no academy graduate has played more than 35 minutes of football for the Light Blues in the Scottish Premiership under Russell Martin, per WhoScored.

Last season, Ross McCausland was the only academy graduate who started more than one league match for the club, starting four times in total before his summer exit on loan.

Why Rangers need to improve their academy pipeline

Whether it comes down to academy recruitment, the facilities at the academy, the first-team coaching staff and their willingness to bring through academy talent, something needs to be done.

Findlay Curtis, who turns 19 next month, has scored three goals in 228 minutes of action in all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt, yet he has only played 35 minutes in the league.

Given that Rangers have scored one goal in their last three Premiership matches combined, Curtis’ lack of involvement does not feel like a wise use, or lack of use, of talent.

Bringing through academy talent is important for multiple reasons, because it can save the club millions on new signings by creating players for the first-team, and it shows young players that this is the place to be if you want to progress your career.

The lack of examples in recent years of players making the step from academy football to first-team regular at Rangers may cause players to rethink whether they want to be at Ibrox, which may be part of the reason why the Gers lost their own version of Bukayo Saka.

Rangers must rue losing their own Bukayo Saka

19-year-old whiz Archie Stevens left the Light Blues this summer upon the expiry of his contract, after the club failed to agree new terms with the winger.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The teenage talent has since signed for Premier League giants and Champions League outfit Arsenal, though there is no mention of any potential compensation for Rangers, which means that they may have lost him for £0.

Stevens, who signed from Wimbledon in 2022, made his first-team debut for Rangers against Queen of the South in the League Cup in August 2022, at the age of just 16.

Player

Age at debut

Derek Ferguson

16 years, 24 days

Bailey Rice

16 years, four months, and 14 days

Tom Walsh

16 years, four months, and 27 days

Paul Nsio

16 years, five months, and 15 days

Zak Lovelace

16 years, seven months, and 7 days

Alfie Conn

16 years, seven months, and 8 days

Archie Stevens

16 years, six months, and 19 days

The English forward became one of the youngest players in the club’s history when he made that appearance in the cup, but he left this summer with that being his only outing in the first-team.

Now, he has been compared to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka upon his arrival at The Emirates. The Sun are said to have compared the two in because of their similar style of play, as both are wingers who like to drive at defenders and excite supporters.

Dunfermline boss Michael Tidser described him as a player who likes to “get bums off seats”, which is what he did for the B team at the start of last season with one goal and two assists in four Challenge Cup matches, per Transfermarkt.

Whilst it remains unclear as to why the winger decided to move on from Ibrox, the lack of a clear pathway to the first-team may have been a contributing factor.

Rangers must regret losing star who was "like Lionel Messi" for nothing

Rangers had a star who was compared to Lionel Messi and allowed him to leave for nothing.

ByDan Emery Sep 22, 2025

Now, the Gers are left to rue losing a player who is now at one of the biggest clubs in the world at the age of 19, with a chance to progress and become the next Saka or Noni Madueke with the Gunners in the biggest competitions in the world, and they may have lost him for nothing.