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Australia’s captain Steven Smith has conceded that his team has plenty of improvement left in them despite their victory in the tri-series final against West Indies in Barbados on Sunday

Brydon Coverdale27-Jun-20162:58

‘Our fielding needs a lot of work’ – Smith

Australia’s captain Steven Smith has conceded that his team has plenty of improvement left in them despite their victory in the tri-series final against West Indies in Barbados on Sunday. The win extended Australia’s margin as the No.1-ranked ODI side in the world and they have now lost only one of their past eight ODI series, the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy campaign in New Zealand this year.That run of success includes the 2015 World Cup triumph, but from that team they have lost Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson to retirement. Under Smith, the Australians will aim to add another significant piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet next year when the Champions Trophy tournament is held in England.The post-World Cup exodus of experience has left Australia without any current hundred-game players in ODIs, although a solid core are in the 50- to 80-game range: Smith (79), George Bailey (76), David Warner (74), Matthew Wade (68), Glenn Maxwell (67), Aaron Finch (64), James Faulkner (54) and Mitchell Starc (51). It is this group that will lead Australia into the Champions Trophy and while they will likely enter the tournament as favourites, Smith knows it won’t be easy.”We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Smith said after the tri-series final. “I was pleased with the way we scrapped today. I’m using that word a lot, but it’s been a bit of a theme throughout this series with the wickets we’ve been playing on. I was pleased we were able to get the job done. Our fielding still needs a lot of work. We need to be able to have the energy we had today in every game, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”We’ve got to continue to start well with the ball. In the last three or four series we’ve been up against some pretty dynamic opening batters, but they’ve got the better of us at the start. We’ve been lucky enough to pull it back in the middle overs and bowl pretty well at the death. We’ll make things a lot easier for ourselves if we start really well.”There were no such issues against West Indies in the final. The first ten overs brought 48 for 0 but Josh Hazlewood struck in the next over with the first of his five wickets, and Mitchell Marsh claimed wickets in three consecutive overs to leave West Indies in trouble at 74 for 4 after 21 overs in their chase of 271.”I think Josh is getting better and better every day,” Smith said. “He’s getting more comfortable in his body. He’s been on the park for a significant amount of time now and he’s very comfortable in that regard. That’s a start. His skill set is outstanding. He hits terrific lengths, hits the seam and he’s getting better and better every day. I’m really pleased for him to win the Man of the Series in this particular series.”I thought the way Mitchell used his variations today was spot on. He’s come a long way in this series. I thought he batted beautifully the other day [league match against West Indies] and I guess he’s just going to gain a lot more confidence out of what he did the other day and what he’s done today. I’m really pleased for him.”That Australia had a decent total to defend was largely down to the work of wicketkeeper Wade, whose 57 from 52 balls batting at No.7 ensured that 173 for 6 did not become all-out in the low 200s. Wade has been Australia’s preferred ODI wicketkeeper since the retirement of Haddin last year, and in that time has made 352 runs at 32.00, with three fifties from 15 innings.”I thought Matthew Wade played beautifully,” Smith said. “He played with a lot of composure and played good cricket shots, and batted with the tail, who stuck around and did a terrific job to get us to 270. That was incredibly pleasing.”I think he can take a lot of confidence out of the way he played today. He’s played pretty well with the bat throughout the series as well. I’ve watched him in the nets, he’s probably hitting the ball as well as anyone. I wasn’t surprised that he was able to do what he did today. I’m pleased for him.”No doubt he was disappointed about not keeping at the World Cup. You’ve got to be disappointed with that. He’s been great around the group. He’s been very vocal. He gets the guys up as much as he can drive the energy. That’s what the keeper needs to do, and he’s done that very well throughout this series.”

Manchester United suffered a late 1-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Thursday evening.

It was nearly a repeat of the score line when Erik ten Hag’s side took on the Seagulls at Wembley a matter of weeks ago.

It took a penalty shoot out on that occasion to ensure a place in the FA Cup final but no such luck fell United’s way this week.

Instead, the good fortune went to Roberto De Zerbi as Alexis Mac Allister popped up in the 99th minute to send the home support wild.

it wasn’t a positive night for the Old Trafford outfit at all, as Ten Hag took a brunt of criticism for his behaviour on the touchline.

What did Ten Hag do againsg Brighton?

Last weekend Jurgen Klopp went viral for his reaction to Liverpool’s winning goal against Tottenham.

The German dashed down the touch line and in the process of injuring his hamstring, decided to scream in the face of the fourth official.

Ten Hag wasn’t quite a boisterous as the Liverpool boss on Thursday but he had his own encounter at the Amex.

indeed, footage has been pinpointed during the game a moment where the Dutchman had an angry exchange with the linesman.

After the way Klopp was criticised for his actions last weekend, fans were keen to ensure Ten Hag didn’t get away lightly either.

The best of the reaction from around Twitter can be found below…

Holders Gloucestershire fell to arch rivals Somerset thanks to a game-chanfging last-wicket stand in front of 4,500 at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2016
ScorecardChris Dent’s hundred was not enough to spare holders Gloucestershire•Getty ImagesJamie Overton and Tim Groenewald produced an unbroken last-wicket stand of 65 as Somerset pulled off a nerve-tingling one-wicket Royal London Cup win over arch-rivals Gloucestershire at Taunton.Chris Dent hit exactly 100 in holders Gloucestershire’s total of 260 all out. Jack Taylor made 43 and Benny Howell 35, while Roelof van der Merwe was involved in seven of the dismissals, three with his left-arm spin, three catches and a run-out.Somerset looked to be cruising at 166 for 3 in reply, Johann Myburgh leading the way with 81. But his dismissal brought a dramatic collapse to 198 for 9, with only James Hildreth of the other batsmen making an impression.It looked all over, but Overton (40 not out) and Groenewald (34 not out) had other ideas. The pair shared 6 fours and 3 sixes, surviving just one major run-out scare when wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick failed to gather a throw, before clinching victory with three balls to spare. A crowd of 4,600 enjoyed every moment.Groenewald said: “I think sharing a match-winning last-wicket stand against Surrey in our last Championship game gave me confidence that we could get the required runs. Jamie Overton played so well that it seemed easier than in the Surrey match.”Both innings gave me an equal buzz. When you think we also won a T20 game batting second on Friday, I can’t think of a better week in my career.”I just set out to bat properly and concentrate on each ball. The crowd were brilliant and we could really feel them behind us for every ball.”After Somerset had chosen to field, Craig Overton struck a major early blow with an outswinger that clipped the top of Michael Klinger’s off stump in the sixth over.It was 51 for 2 when Roderick cut Lewis Gregory and was caught by van der Merwe, two-handed diving to his left at cover. After ten overs Gloucestershire had progressed to 54 for two.Dent reached his half-century off 55 balls, with nine sweetly struck boundaries. Hamish Marshall helped take the total to 94 before he was bowled by Peter Trego’s second delivery of the game.The next ball saw Ian Cockbain play into the covers where van der Merwe dived and initially fumbled, but then recovered to effect a brilliant run-out, hitting the stumps at the bowlers’ end with a throw while still on the ground.Howell hit the first six of the game over long-on off van der Merwe before Dent reached a chanceless hundred off 107 balls, having extended his boundary count to 16.Without adding, the left-hander tried to drive Groenewald and only succeeded in giving another catch to van der Merwe. Howell and Jack Taylor batted sensibly to bring to take the score to 207 with ten overs left. But Howell then advanced to van der Merwe and feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Alex Barrow.Smith departed to a slog-sweep off van der Merwe and Gloucestershire’s last hope of reaching 300 disappeared when Taylor drove a wide ball from Jamie Overton to cover where van der Merwe took his best catch, low to his left.The hosts’ reply started badly as Adam Hose nicked a high catch to Klinger at slip off Matt Taylor and Peter Trego fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Howell at short cover off Payne.Jim Allenby and Myburgh took the score to 79 before Allenby, on 29, launched an irresponsible swing at Howell and was bowled. Myburgh reached his half-century off 63 balls, with 7 fours, and had progressed to 81 when losing concentration and lofting Dent’s left-arm spin straight to Howell at long-off with 95 still needed.Lewis Gregory ran himself out attempting a suicidal single to short cover and when Hildreth got a leading edge to be caught and bowled by Smith, having looked untroubled, Somerset were in a hole at 181 for 6.Another wild swing by van der Merwe saw him bowled by Smith and five wickets had fallen for just 21 runs when Craig Overton was bowled by Howell.Payne produced a good one to bowl Alex Barrow and it seemed Gloucestershire could celebrate. But Jamie Overton and Groenewald showed great shot selection to reduce the deficit before Overton drove Miles for the winning boundary in the final over of a riveting match.

Feyenoord are very worried Tottenham Hotspur managerial target Arne Slot could join the north Londoners, according to reports.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

The Lilywhites and chairman Daniel Levy have commenced their search for Antonio Conte's replacement, but over a month after his departure, they're still yet to make an official announcement on who will come in.

In the meantime, it has been a turbulent time at Tottenham, with Spurs seeing two interim managers take charge.

Former temporary head coach Cristian Stellini, after a dismal 6-1 battering away to Newcastle United, was relieved of his duties after that result severely dampened Spurs' hopes of a top four Premier League finish.

Tottenham are now outside contenders for a Champions League place at best, with Man United possessing two games in hand on them whilst sitting nine points clear of Spurs in fourth.

The club are without a win in their last four league games with current interim boss Ryan Mason now more realistically fighting for a Europa League place.

Tottenham must also look ahead to next campaign and consider which manager is the best option to take them forward, with reports suggesting that former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann is a prime contender for the job.

As well as Nagelsmann, it is believed that Slot, who is leading the Eredivisie with Feyenoord, is well and truly in Tottenham's thinking.

Now, journalists Etienne Verhoeff and Johan Inan have discussed the topic of Slot to Spurs (via Feyenoord Pings and Sport Witness).

There is a belief Feyenoord are 'holding their breath' and waiting for Tottenham to make a move for the tactician, with Inan getting the feeling for some time that Slot feels ready for another challenge – especially if an English club come calling.

What could Slot bring to Spurs?

The former AZ Alkmaar boss has been praised for both his attacking style and 'maniac' approach to games, witb Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan claiming just this to talkSPORT.

"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

Van der Kraan, speaking to the same outlet, has also called Slot the 'most exciting' manager he's seen in the last 10 years.

He is arguably unlucky to not have more silverware in his locker, with Feyenoord reaching the Europa Conference League Final last season to unluckily lose to Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Scottish champions Celtic continue to march on toward a second successive league title under manager Ange Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old having fashioned a truly rampant outfit at Parkhead.

A key feature in the Greek-Aussie's tenure thus far has been his "exceptional" recruitment record thus far, according to former Hoops skipper Scott Brown, with the Old Firm outfit having only recently been able to ease the loss of Croatian star, Josip Juranovic by landing a "definite upgrade" in the form of Alistair Johnston, as per club legend, Stiliyan Petrov.

That transfer success, in particular, has showcased just how effectively Postecoglou has been able to move players on and bring in players in recent times, with such astute deals having been vital in the Glasgow side's current domestic dominance.

That being said, however, there may be those that the former Yokohama F.Marinos will ultimately regret allowing to leave during his tenure, with Scotland international Ryan Christie among those to have thrived elsewhere in recent times.

The 28-year-old – who made the move to Bournemouth on a £2.5m deal back in the summer of 2021 – first proved vital in steering the Cherries to promotion from the Championship last season, providing 11 goals and assists in the league alone in that 2021/22 campaign.

The one-time Aberdeen ace has also since blossomed amid the step-up to the Premier League, having been hailed as a "really important player" for the south coast side by manager Gary O'Neil.

That being said, however, Postecoglou may well have had little choice but to cash on the 37-cap playmaker at the time with just over a left to run on his existing deal, while the Inverness native had at least been able to mark his mark at the club, providing 85 goal involvements in just 151 games in all competitions.

The same cannot be said of another ex-Celtic talent who is beginning to flourish south of the border, however, with Luca Connell now looking "unbelievable" for League One side, Barnsley, according to manager Michael Duff.

Where is Luca Connell now?

It could well be argued that it was something of a mistake for the Hoops to have allowed the young midfielder to depart without ever giving him a chance to impress, with the Liverpool-born maestro remarkably never making a first-team appearance during his three-year spell at Paradise.

It had initially looked like a real coup when the Scottish Premiership side snapped up the then-teenager back in 2019, with Neil Lennon and co forking out around £350k in compensation to sign the youngster from Bolton Wanderers – amid rival interest from a 'number of clubs'.

Having been hailed as 'highly-rated' by Celtic's official website amid his arrival in Glasgow, Connell was ultimately something of a spare part over the next few years, after never being given a look in by either Lennon or Postecoglou.

That "bizarre" treatment of the 5 foot 11 ace – as per The Sun's Paul Dollery – culminated in his exit on a free transfer last summer, with the player himself admitting that the move to Scotland "didn’t go exactly as planned."

Since that release, however, the 22-year-old has thrived back in the EFL at Oakwell, having already scored twice and provided nine assists in 43 games for the promotion-chasing outfit this season.

The former Queen's Park loanee has made such an impression in his new surroundings that the aforementioned Duff suggested that the £4k-per-week dynamo will "definitely be a captain of a football club at some point", such is the "way he drives it and carries himself" both on and off the pitch.

For Celtic supporters to have not ever even seen the former Republic of Ireland youth international in action – unlike Christie – will be something of a headscratcher such is his current form, with it looking as if Postecoglou and co have let a truly exciting gem slip through their fingers without even raking in a transfer fee.

Tottenham Hotspur's next appointment is so incredibly important for many reasons, as Daniel Levy seeks to ensure he does not make it four failures from his last four managerial additions.

Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte both fell flat despite their experience winning silverware, and Nuno Espirito Santo always seemed like a doomed appointment. His dismissal after just under five months was more an admittance of such failure from the hierarchy than anything else, and the football has hardly improved much since.

Now, the club find themselves back to square one, seeking the next top boss to grace their dugout, hopefully with more success than those that came before him. However, the worry remains the same; arguably it has even intensified.

Nobody wants to watch the slow turgid football that has been on offer, so a younger, more exciting coach should surely be prioritised this time. However, with the rumours linking the Lilywhites with a move for Reims' head coach Will Still, they cannot afford to go too dramatically in the other direction.

Given the toxicity that seemingly runs throughout the dressing room, there is little hope that the 30-year-old, who is enjoying his first year in management within a league of note, could turn them around. Levy will want a statement appointment of someone who can lead them into the future but should seek to ensure he does not go too aggressively towards one particular type of manager.

How does Will Still play?

Preferring a system that relies upon a 4-2-3-1 shape, the young Englishman shot to fame after becoming the youngest manager within Europe's top five leagues. However, despite such youth, what truly garnered praise was the remarkable run on which he had led his French outfit.

Reims enjoyed a 17-match unbeaten period in the league, which included two draws with league leaders Paris Saint-Germain too.

However, his 1.88 points per match average across his career is still hardly exceptional. This run might have been a fairytale story, but it does not merit a move to one of England's biggest clubs.

What should ward Levy even further away from this youngster is the fact that his philosophy is far from the champagne football fans would now demand, with a preference instead to go long from the centre-backs. He seeks to find space behind the full-backs and exploit the width, yet this often surrenders the ball.

Conte received scorn for often sitting back too often, against teams that on paper they should have dismantled. With Still, this would likely be exacerbated further. His team have averaged just 47% possession this season.

Although his last three appointments were big mistakes, to sign this unproven head coach would arguably be Levy's biggest yet given the lack of proof that suggests he would take to such a job. It is a monumental risk for the little reward proposed.

When asked about a move to England, Still claimed:

"Why not? I've done some crazy things in the past; I was head coach at 24 and the same thing happened at 28 back in Belgium and now I'm 30 and people are saying this is crazy."

However, it would arguably be Levy who was the crazy one, should he take such a huge risk when their next appointment has to be right.

Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun is heading for the exit door this summer, as he has no intention of signing a new contract with the club, according to a recent report from L'Equipe.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta already has the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to choose from in attack, with Balogun currently on loan at Reims, however Football Insider report the manager wants to bring in a new striker in the summer transfer window.

Arteta is aiming to bring in a player who is completely different to the options he already has, urging the club to bring in someone who is powerful and physically-gifted, to give his side more balance going forward.

With those parameters in mind, the manager has set his sights on Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dusan Vlahovic, with the latter set to be made the Gunners' priority target, although it would take a huge fee to convince Juventus to sell the Serbian.

If a new attacker is brought in, there will be stiff competition for the starting spot up front, particularly because Arsenal almost exclusively utilise a formation with a lone striker, and they may need to let some players go this summer.

According to a report from L'Equipe (via Sport Witness), Balogun's departure is becoming inevitable this summer, as he has no intention of extending his current contract without guaranteed game time.

As such, the Gunners are hoping to sell the forward for at least €30m (£27m) in the upcoming window, with Marseille becoming the latest club to join the race for his signature, amid links to Everton, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Should Arsenal sell Folarin Balogun?

The 21-year-old has been enjoying a fantastic loan spell with Reims, having scored 18 goals in Ligue 1, a figure that places him right near the top of the goal-scoring charts.

Arteta has clearly been impressed with the £32k-per-week starlet's performances, describing him as "incredible" back in February, which indicates the Spaniard would be keen to keep him at the Emirates Stadium.

However, it is probably not feasible to keep the New York City-born marksman, as there will be so much competition in his position next season, particularly if either Vlahovic or Calvert-Lewin is signed.

It would also be unwise to drop Gabriel Jesus, given the number of goals and assists he has provided in the Premier League this season, therefore Arsenal should cash-in on Balogun, and invest the money into other areas of the squad.

Frank Lampard was dealt a tough hand during his first stint at Chelsea, having to operate under a strict transfer embargo in his opening campaign.

His accomplishments, therefore, are impressive. The former midfielder guided the Blues to a top-four place in his debut season, qualification that ultimately paved the way for a Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel.

Much of his philosophy was based upon the promotion of Cobham youngsters with Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, two players who had featured under Lampard at Derby County, becoming notable names in the first-team set-up.

Tammy Abraham and Reece James also rose to prominence under the current interim boss at Stamford Bridge, only for the former to be sold to Roma.

It's likely Chelsea regret that decision given their meagre tally of 29 goals in 30 Premier League matches this term, but for now, Lampard will have to work with what he's given, again.

Who will benefit from Lampard's appointment at Chelsea?

The 44-year-old will only have a matter of weeks in which to weave his magic in west London but fortunately for him, Todd Boehly's transfer strategy has largely focused on young stars of tomorrow, even if they do cost a pretty fortune.

The likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, an £88.5m acquisition and Noni Madueke, a £29m purchase are notable additions, but it's a cut price £20m signing who perhaps stands the greatest chance of replicating Mount and co under Lampard.

Indeed, that happens to be Carney Chukwuemeka, a 19-year-old who wasted away under Graham Potter this term.

Having previously been dubbed "the best 16-year-old in England" by Aston Villa CEO, Christian Purslow, he has the world at his feet but hasn't managed to realise that in London yet.

The teenager has featured on just 12 occasions in all competitions after arriving last summer, with just 224 minutes being afforded in the Premier League.

For a young talent boasting nearly 30 goal involvements in the upper age levels at Villa, it is surprising he hasn't been given a chance when creativity and goals are so sparse at Chelsea this term.

However, it may not be too long before we see the 6 foot 2 powerhouse given his big break.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, who was writing for GIVEMESPORT, Chukwuemeka is already impressing behind the scenes, having 'caught Lampard's eye so far'.

On that evidence, it's strange that he wasn't in the squad for the trip to Wolves last weekend, but now must be his time to shine.

A clash against Real Madrid may be a step too far, but there feels little reason to ignore him when the Blues face Brighton on Saturday.

The "exciting" wonderkid – as dubbed by Boehly – has a big future ahead of him and simply must be unleashed by Lampard. After all, performances can't get much worse.

Leeds United fans were no doubt disappointed to see Ross McCormack depart for Fulham in the summer of 2014 after he had crashed in 29 goals the season before.

However, the Scottish forward's shocking career since then, which has left him without a club since 2021, suggests that the Whites did incredibly well to sell him for £11m.

How did McCormack perform at Leeds?

Leeds would sign McCormack for an undisclosed fee of around £350k in the summer of 2010, joining from Cardiff City.

After a slow start to life at Elland Road, which saw him manage just two league goals in his first season at the club, the forward would become the main man under Neil Warnock the following campaign.

The former Rangers man would fire in 18 goals and six assists in just 45 Championship appearances, before adding another eight goals and 14 assists the following campaign.

His best period at Leeds came in the 2013/14 season however, as he notched an incredible 28 goals and ten assists in the second tier, which saw him finish as the top scorer in the division, despite the club enduring a disappointing year which saw them finish 15th in the league.

Therefore, with Leeds fans still dreaming of a return to the top flight, it was a real source of disappointment when McCormack departed for recently relegated Fulham the following year, and he would deliver similar success at Craven Cottage.

How has McCormack done since leaving Leeds?

In 100 appearances for the west London outfit, he would register an impressive 42 goals and 22 assists, yet he was never able to break into the Premier League, joining fellow Champoinship side Aston Vila in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £12m.

It was here that the once-promising striker's career began to go downhill, as he mustered just three goals and one assist in 24 appearances for the Midlands club and was criticised by manager Steve Bruce for failing to turn up to training on a number of occasions, with his infamous broken gate excuse the beginning of the end for McCormack.

Another failed loan stint at Nottingham Forest, where he hit one goal in seven appearances, would follow, before the Scottish striker, who was dubbed "lazy" by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, moved to Australia.

Although he was able to briefly rediscover his best form with Melbourne City, finding the back of the net on 14 occasions in just 17 outings, he would then score just once for Central Coast Mariners, before enduring goalless spells at Motherwell and embarrassingly, Aldershot in non-league.

Since leaving the Shots, McCormack has failed to find a new club and at the age of 36, it seems his career is well and truly over. Thus, it's safe to say Leeds actually struck gold when selling him, even if it felt like poor business at the time.

Everton have enjoyed an upturn in form since Sean Dyche's appointment, with the 51-year-old taking over a squad admittedly lacking in quality and confidence and managing to steer them out of the relegation zone thus far.

Since the Toffees brought him in, they have yielded the fourth-most points, with only Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur having recorded more.

It marks a mini miracle, as the ex-Burnley boss seeks to continue this following the imminent conclusion of the international break.

However, disaster has once again struck for the Merseyside outfit, who were dealt a huge blow as their club captain Seamus Coleman was outlined as a doubt for his country's upcoming game.

The Irishman has seldom had much fortune when playing for the Boys in Green, with the 34-year-old suffering the worst injury of his career in a match against Wales where he sustained a broken leg.

Given that this potential ailment is of far less concern, despite him enjoying the best form he's had in recent years, it does now allow the returning Nathan Patterson to prove to the new boss why he is the perfect man to take over from him in the near future.

When will Nathan Patterson play for Everton?

Having joined for £16m back in January of 2022, the youngster has struggled for fitness throughout his tenure at Goodison Park. Just when opportunities seem to arise for him, the Scotsman is usually struck down with an issue of his own.

His latest came against Brighton and Hove Albion, where he suffered what Frank Lampard described as a "freak" injury that has seen him ruled out ever since.

But whilst one right back suffers on international duty, the other made his triumphant long-awaited return to senior football in a short cameo for Scotland.

The 21-year-old came on for the final portion of the game, having built up to a re-emergence by featuring for Everton's youth sides multiple times.

But by finally getting on the pitch again, for club or country, it bodes well for a strong finish to the season back at Everton.

Having only featured 13 times this season before the injury, Patterson's 6.74 average rating thus far in his debut Premier League season is impressive. He has already established himself as a capable defender, boasting three tackles and 2.1 interceptions per game (via Sofascore), but it is his youthful energy that marks him apart from the £55k-per-week "leader", as branded by journalist Paddy Boyland.

Although he has impressed this season, Coleman will eventually start to slow down. It, therefore, means that his young successor needs to be ready to step up, and this marks his huge chance to do so. With pundit Danny Murphy having lauded him as a "diamond" already for his displays in Royal Blue, should he find consistency then it could prove incredibly fruitful for Dyche and the club.