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Football is about comebacks, character, resilience and drive.

These traits can get a player to levels that their talent shouldn’t normally see them reach. It can make a player who is far from world class become a cult hero at a club, and that is exactly what has happened to Divock Origi at Liverpool.

The Belgian arrived at Anfield as a skinny, unassuming young striker who had played only one full season of professional football when Liverpool splashed out £10m to sign him, before loaning him back to Lille for the following campaign.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

He has since scored goals that will go down in the club’s history and will live long in the memories of Liverpool supporters, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing for the man who wears the No.27 shirt at Anfield.

Let’s take a look at some of the setbacks that Origi has had to overcome throughout his Liverpool career…

Voted into Ligue 1’s Worst Team of the Season

At the end of his first season as a Liverpool player – despite not pulling on the shirt yet – Origi was named in L’Equipe’s Ligue 1 Worst Team of the Season.

This unfortunate incident happened after his campaign on loan at Lille. Having signed for the Reds in the previous summer, he went on a 20-game goal drought and scored just eight goals in 33 league appearances.

Humiliated by Wolfsburg 

In what was Origi’s second spell away from Anfield on a loan deal, he suffered yet another setback, this time in the Bundesliga.

The Belgian signed for Wolfsburg in the summer of 2017, and started off well with four goals in his first nine league appearances. However, things quickly went sour.

After Martin Schmidt replaced Andries Jonker and Origi was moved from a central position to the right-wing, his form nosedived.

He managed just one goal in his last 17 games, but was humiliated after being subbed off with just 42 minutes on the clock in a 3-0 defeat to Hoffenheim.

Origi’s father later revealed that his son was ‘very disappointed after the game.’

Transfer listed by Liverpool 

The Reds may not have added a sixth major European Cup to their trophy cabinet if someone had submitted a suitable offer for Origi.

The Merseysiders were reportedly willing to listen to offers for their seemingly surplus to requirements frontman, but after no such bid arrived, the 24-year-old knuckled down and eventually played a humongous role in their 2018/19 season.

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Former Everton star James McFadden believes his former teammate Phil Jagielka can play a big role for Celtic if he signs up with Neil Lennon’s side this summer, speaking to The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

The paper reported earlier this week that the Hoops were keen on a move for the veteran centre-back after he left Everton, with the club needing reinforcements in the position after the exits of Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic.

Now 36 years old, Jagielka’s arrival at Celtic Park would certainly raise eyebrows, but McFadden feels his experience can be a real benefit to the Celtic dressing room as they launch a bid to win their ninth successive league title.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the former Scotland international said:

“People will look at Phil’s age, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

“Look at Davie Weir. He was 36 when he joined Rangers and look at the impact he had. Because of his ability and the way he carried himself he commanded the instant respect of his team-mates.

“Phil would be exactly the same at Celtic. He would have a tremendous influence on the entire club. I looked up to David because of the way he led his life. Phil would set the same example for the Celtic lads, no doubt about it.”

Watch a tribute to Celtic’s late Lisbon Lion and greatest ever captain, Billy McNeill in the video below…

Clash of styles

There’s no doubt that Jagielka has immense experience.

With 40 caps for England and 360 career appearances in the Premier League, he’s a player who has featured at the top level for over a decade.

That would obviously command the respect McFadden mentions in his comments, but Jagielka still doesn’t feel like the right kind of signing for Celtic this summer.

When Davie Weir signed for Rangers they were managed by Walter Smith, who notably preferred to play with a much more defensive and pragmatic outlook than currently seen at Celtic.

It was a successful model, one which got them to a UEFA Cup final and won them domestic trophies, but it also meant that pace wasn’t the biggest concern when it came to the centre-back pairing, ideal for a veteran defender like Weir or Jagielka.

The Hoops play a high defensive line, with defenders often taking the ball for a run into the midfield or playing it out from the back rather than passing it forward over the top. McFadden doesn’t appear to have really appreciated that, which is where his comparison falls flat.

Jagielka isn’t exactly known for his ball-playing ability, with his commitment to defending first and foremost his most endearing trait.

Perhaps Neil Lennon will be looking to change the way Celtic play, but as it stands, a move for Jagielka doesn’t make much sense despite his experience and leadership attributes.

تلقى نادي الزمالك إخطارا رسميًا من مسئولي ملعب بتروسبورت، بالموافقة على استضافة مباراة الفريق مع الجونة في الدوري المصري.

وكان مسئولو استاد بتروسبورت رفضوا استضافة مباراة الزمالك والجونة بسبب تصريحات المدير الفني البرتغالي، جايمي باتشيكو، التي أدلي بها عقب مواجهة إنبي في الدوري المصري.

وانتقد باتشيكو أرضية ملعب بتروسبورت، واصفًا إياها بالأسوأ، رغم الفوز على إنبي بثنائية.

اقرأ ايضًا.. خاص | الزمالك ينهي الأزمة وبتروسبورت يستضيف مباراته أمام الجونة

ومن المقرر، أن تُقام مباراة الزمالك والجونة، في الخامسة من مساء الثلاثاء المقبل، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من مسابقة الدوري المصري.

يحتل الزمالك وصافة ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 16 نقطة، بعدما خاض 6 مباريات حقق خلالها الفوز في 5 مباريات والتعادل في مباراة ولم يهزم في أي مباراة، فيما سجل 11 هدفًا واستقبل هدفين.

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are hoping that their team sign Erling Haland after his remarkable display of goalscoring at the U20 World Cup.

The Norwegian made headlines as he scored an incredible nine goals against Honduras this week.

The striker was born in Leeds and supported the Whites as a youngster due to his Dad’s affinity with the club.

His father is none other than Alf-Inge Haland who played for the Yorkshire outfit between 1997 and 2000.

The striker has previously said that his dream is to win the Premier League with Leeds United, and with Marcelo Bielsa’s side narrowly missing out on promotion last season members of the fanbase are calling for him to be signed.

If Victor Orta did want to make a move for the Norwegian, then it would come at a price as his stock will have skyrocketed after his record-breaking performance at the U20 World Cup.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

West Ham United look set to benefit from saying goodbye to one of their players this summer.

According to a report by The Sun, Edimilson Fernandes is set to end his nightmare time at the London Stadium and join FC Mainz for a fee thought to be around £8million. That is great news!

The Switzerland international failed to really establish himself in the side during Slaven Bilic’s tenure and was subsequently used as a bit-part player.

Last season may have seen him put in some impressive performances for Fiorentina whilst out on loan with the Serie A outfit, however, it would have been difficult to see him make an impression in the first-team this time around – although a case could be made for him with their concerns at right-back because of the versatility the midfielder offers.

Hence, as we mentioned, receiving a transfer fee of around £8m for the 23-year-old is a great piece of business and should provide some much-needed cash for Manuel Pellegrini to spend on new additions – provided that money is made available for that reason.

It is thought the Chilean will only have around £30m (per Football.London) to spend on new signings this summer (a far cry from the £100m or so they spent this time last year), although player sales are said to go towards increasing that budget.

As The Sun continued their report, the Hammers are very keen on bringing Barcelona’s Andre Gomes to the London Stadium this summer following an exceptional spell with Everton.

The Portugal international is a player that would have to be regarded as a must-have in east London and one man that could help take them to the next step of their ambitious plans.

Sky Sports recently claimed that the La Liga giants turned down an offer of around £18m for Gomes (that was never going to be enough, was it?), however, with the alleged imminent departure of Fernandes, they could finally be in a position to give Barcelona what they want.

It must be said, the midfielder is not the only player sale that the Irons can do with and a number of others are going to have to be shifted this summer if they are able to address every concern Pellegrini has in his squad.

West Ham fans, who else do you think the club can sell this summer to raise funds for new additions? Let us know below!

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A number of Everton stars are away competing in international tournaments this summer, giving the Goodison Park faithful something to keep an eye on whilst domestic football takes a break.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is away with England’s Under-21 side at the European Championships, but Yerry Mina is also in action for Colombia at the Copa America.

Not just in action, but he is starring – the centre-back is starting to return to his best form.

Check out a fan’s outrageous call for England to take a leaf of out cricket and rugby’s book after a limp Nations League performance in the video below…

His latest game may only have been against Qatar, but you can only beat what’s in front of you and Mina did that and more on an impressive night for himself personally.

The 24-year-old endured a mixed first season on Merseyside following a €30.25m (£26.9m) move from Barcelona last summer which had one fan questioning if they had signed a ‘dud’ – he made just 15 appearances in total whilst suffering niggling foot and hamstring injuries.

However, he has since recovered and look back to normal for his country.

Mina had two shots on goal against Qatar; unusual for a centre-back, but not really for himself personally after he notched three goals in three games at the World Cup last summer. The former Palmeiras man likes to get involved in front of goal, and the fact that he hit two shots last night suggests that he was back in a confident mood.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He was also near-perfect with his passing as he normally is, completing an impressive 93% of his passes on the night as Colombia recorded a 1-0 win thanks to Duvan Zapata’s late strike.

Mina will have been happy with the clean sheet and the win, a victory that put them four points clear at the top of Group B with six points from two games.

It was a tough first season in the English top-flight for the £26.9m man, but hopefully he will have settled by now and is ready to kick on next term.

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According to Le10sport, Liverpool are monitoring Philippe Coutinho along with Manchester United and Chelsea in what would be a sensational swoop for their former player if it were to happen.

What’s the word, then?

Well, as many of us will know, Coutinho left Anfield back in January 2018 in a mega £142m move to Barcelona – he even handed in a transfer request and paid a chunk of his own money in order to make the move happen.

Things haven’t gone to plan for the Brazilian international at the Camp Nou, however. Coutinho admitted after his latest Copa America match that he ‘doesn’t know’ if he will continue at Barcelona, after a dismal campaign in which his own fans booed him at times.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

The former Inter playmaker netted just 11 times for the Spanish champions last term whilst making little impact, and the signs point to an exit this summer after just a season-and-a-half in Catalonia.

Would he even get into Liverpool’s team now?

Make no mistake about it, Liverpool have progressed significantly since the 5 ft 8 attacker’s departure.

The influential duo of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk were signed in the aftermath of Coutinho’s exit, and Jurgen Klopp has transformed his team from one that used to rely on the Brazilian’s wizardry, to one that has become much more defensively solid and well rounded.

Part of that is down to the German not using an out-and-out No.10 anymore like Coutinho was. A more compact midfield trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner or Georginio Wijnaldum tends to be used by Klopp, especially in the bigger games.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The likes of Henderson and Wijnaldum are more box-to-box midfielders and arguably offer more to Klopp, whereas Coutinho is just an out-and-out No.10 who primarily covers the final third of the field – it could be said that he would only be a luxury player were he to return to Anfield.

Klopp seems to prefer a defensive-minded player in the position where Coutinho once stood now; the Reds have left their former magician behind and have no need for him anymore – the fact that they scored a whopping 89 goals in 38 Premier League games last term reinforces that fact very nicely.

سخرت زوجة مدافع فريق تشيلسي تياجو سيلفا من لاعب ليفربول أندي روبرتسون عبر تطبيق “تيك توك”.

ونشر أندي روبرتسون عبر حسابه الشخصي بالتطبيق المذكور مقطع فيديو يظهر فيه قدراته المهارية خلال مواجهة تشيلسي في وقت سابق من شهر سبتمبر الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: وكيل رونالدو السر وراء صفقة ليفربول المنتظرة

وفاز ليفربول في تلك المباراة بهدفين دون رد في الدوري الإنجليزي.

وظهر روبرتسون في ذلك المقطع وهو يراوغ لاعب تشيلسي جورجينيو حيث تسبب في سقوطه على أرض الملعب.

وردت إيزابيل سيلفا زوجة تياجو سيلفا ساخرة: “بن تشيلويل أفضل منك (روبرتسون)، لقد خسرت من ساوثهامبتون!”.

جاء رد إيزابيل سيلفا بعد مرور ما يقرب من شهر على منشور روبرتسون.

وخسر ليفربول أمام ساوثهامبتون بهدف دون رد في وقت سابق من شهر يناير الجاري.

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According to TeamTalk, Leicester are eyeing up Lewis Dunk as a replacement for Harry Maguire should he leave this summer.

What’s the word?

Harry Maguire has had no shortage of potential suitors in recent times, attracting the interest of Jose Mourinho when he was at Manchester United last summer whilst also taking the eye of Manchester City.

Maguire has been a rock for Leicester, quickly establishing himself as one of the leading defenders in the Premier League, but it appears as though the Foxes could be willing to let him leave.

That’s according to TeamTalk who state Leicester won’t get in his way if a club meets their £85m valuation.

The same report suggests that they see Lewis Dunk as his replacement in a deal which may cost £40m.

Questionable transfer on the cards

If Leicester were to spend £40m on Dunk this summer it would be incredibly suspect.

When it’s come to transfer dealings since the club won the league they’ve done some remarkably poor business, particularly in signing the likes of Islam Slimani and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Bringing in the Brighton man as a replacement for Maguire makes sense but spending that sum of money does not.

If the club were put off by a £40m valuation of Youri Tielemans then signing a defender for the same price would surely anger Leicester supporters.

The Belgian was an instant hit at the King Power and it would be foolish to spend the money they could use in a deal for him elsewhere.

The millions the club can potentially make from Maguire would be significant but if it was spent on replacing the former Hull man, rather than simply promoting Filip Benkovic, the Foxes would have to be called into question.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Dunk impressed for Brighton but he doesn’t warrant the same sort of fee that Tielemans is worth, especially considering it’s a deal that would smash their transfer record by £11m.

The Foxes need to learn from their mistakes in previous windows by avoiding a hefty transfer for the 27-year-old.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to French media outlet L’Equipe, Aston Villa are interested in signing Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

What’s the word?

Despite Jed Steer signing a new deal last week, it appears as though Villa are keen to add a new goalkeeper to their ranks.

The club have had a bid knocked back for Neil Etheridge, whilst they’ve also been attracted to Jack Butland and Tom Heaton.

However, now in their sights is Stade de Reims’ Mendy, according to L’Equipe.

They claim that his club have received phone calls from England with both the Villans and Norwich showing an interest in the stopper.

Mendy eclipses all other targets

Currently on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, Mendy helped his side keep 14 clean sheets in Ligue 1 last term, featuring on 38 occasions.

But it’s not necessarily his shot stopping that catches the eye.

Standing at a colossal 6 ft 6, he is particularly outstanding when it comes to aerial duels. In the league last term he won on average 0.6 per game which ensured he came out on top in 23 duels in the air over the course of the season.

Given his height and presence inside the penalty area, this is a particular strength for the 27-year-old.

Butland is nearest to him in stature, measuring at 6 ft 5 but in seven more matches than Mendy, he only won 24 aerial duels at an average of 0.5 per game.

Etheridge and Heaton, on the other, are much smaller, both standing at just 6 ft 2. In comparison, they won the same number of aerial duels as each other but that was a measly 0.2 every 90 minutes in the Premier League.

During 2018/19, the former only won eight aerial duels as opposed to Heaton’s four.

That shows where their weakness lies and if Dean Smith is looking for a goalkeeper who offers something different to other targets, Mendy would be their man.

Despite not having the experience of playing in England’s top-flight, his ability to get up above defenders could prove vital if he signs for Villa this summer.