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Sport

England’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper, Banks, dies at 81

 

Banks

Stoke-on-Trent (UK), Feb. 12, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, has died at 81, his former club, Stoke City, said on Tuesday.

Banks won 73 caps for England between 1963 and 1972 and made 200 appearances for Stoke before his playing career was brought to an end by a car crash that cost him his sight in one eye.

He was widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers to have played the game.

He will be best remembered for the diving stop he made to deny Brazil’s Pele at the 1970 World Cup, which later became known as the “save of the century”.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that Gordon passed away peacefully overnight,”

“We are devastated to lose him but we have so many happy memories and could not have been more proud of him,” Banks’ family said in a statement posted on Stoke’s official website.

Banks played every game in the 1966 World Cup, including the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley – the only time England has won the world title.

Four years later though, in Mexico, he produced one of the most outstanding saves in the history of the tournament in a group game between England and Brazil, which Brazil won 1-0.

Pele rose to head a cross from the by-line by right-winger Jairzinho, thundering the header down towards Banks’ right hand post.

The ball appeared to be past Banks but his agility and strength saw him get down and palmed it high and wide to safety.

Pele travelled to Stoke 38 years later to unveil a statue to Banks and recalled the save.

“From the moment I headed it, I was sure it had gone in.

“After I headed the ball, I had already began to jump to celebrate the goal. Then I looked back and I couldn’t believe it hadn’t gone in.

“I have scored more than a thousand goals in my life and the thing people always talk to me about is the one I didn’t score,” Pele said.

Banks recalled the moment modestly as a piece of good fortune.

“As soon as I got my hand to it, I thought it was going in the top corner.

“But, after I’d landed on the hard floor, I looked up and saw the ball bounce behind the net and that’s when I said: Banksy, you lucky prat,” he said.

The Sheffield-born Banks began his career at Chesterfield in 1958 and moved to Leicester City the following year. He won his first England cap in 1963, four years before he joined Stoke.

Banks retired in 1973 following the car crash, aged only 33, but four years later he returned to play in the North American Soccer League with Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

The German Football Association (DFB) paid tribute to Banks on, saying on Twitter: “A fierce opponent and a good man.” (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/ERO/OPI
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Edited by Emmanuel Okara and Olisa Ifeajika

Sport

Southgate to lead England until World Cup in 2022

Southgate
Manchester (UK), Oct. 4, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) England national team manager, Gareth Southgate, has signed a new contract which will keep him in charge until the end of the 2022 World Cup.

Southgate and Football Association (FA) chief executive Martin Glenn announced the agreement, which also includes Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland, at a news conference on Thursday.

The former national team defender was widely praised after England reached the semi-finals at the World Cup in Russia before losing to Croatia in the last four.

Southgate, who had two years left on his deal, will now lead England into the Euro 2020 tournament and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the national team through the next two major tournaments,” said Southgate, 48, after signing his new deal.

“The job remains an incredible privilege and a true honour. Experiencing at first-hand how the nation united behind the team this summer was something special and it will be great to see how far this young squad can go in the years to come,” he added.

Southgate initially took over as caretaker manager following the departure of Sam Allardyce in September 2016 before being confirmed in the role.

The FA lost their technical director Dan Ashworth last week, after he opted to move to Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion.

They clearly did not want to risk Southgate departing before the next World Cup.

Martin Glenn, FA chief executive, added: “Securing Gareth on a longer-term contract was always a priority for us.

“He has performed remarkably well and has given everyone the belief that England can compete on a world stage again,” he said. (Reuters/NAN)
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Sport

Rose reveals angry halftime exchange between England players

Exchange
Leicester (UK),  Sept. 12, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) England’s players did not hold back from criticising each other at halftime following a bad start to Tuesday’s friendly against Switzerland.

And defender Danny Rose believes the exchange helped them improve and seal a 1-0 victory.

England, who made nine changes to the starting line-up for the clash, allowed Switzerland to control the match in the first period.

But they returned much sharper to secure the win through forward Marcus Rashford’s 54th minute strike.

“We could have been two or three-nil down at halftime,” Tottenham Hotspur’s Rose told BBC Radio 5 live.

“It’s great we can all shout at each other and tell each other to improve like we did.”

Manager Gareth Southgate said he encouraged dialogue between his players but added that he had to step in during the break to keep things calm in the dressing room.

“The players certainly had a lot to say to each other when they first got into the dressing room.

“It was important then that we solved a couple of the problems they were facing and kept things calm,” Southgate said.

“We expect and encourage it because they’re intelligent footballers and it’s important they have a view.”

England, who avoided a fourth straight defeat, return to action with UEFA Nations League matches against World Cup finalists Croatia and former champions Spain next month. (Reuters/NAN)
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Edited by Omolade Michael/Felix Ajide

Sport

Shaw, Lallana back in England squad for Spain clash

Squad

London, Aug. 30, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana have been re-called to the England squad for September’s matches with Spain and Switzerland.

England manager Gareth Southgate named a 23-man squad on Thursday that was largely the same as the one that reached the semi-final of the World Cup in Russia in July.

Left back Shaw comes in at the expense of United team mate Ashley Young and there are also returns at the back for Liverpool’s Joe Gomez and James Tarkowski of Burnley.

Lallana returns having missed out on the squad for Russia after an injury-hit season, while Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy replaces the injured Nick Pope as back-up keeper.

McCarthy has been called up twice before but never capped by England.

England host Spain at Wembley on Sept. 8 in the UEFA Nations League and then take on Switzerland in a friendly in Leicester three days later.

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy had both announced on Wednesday that they were stepping away from the national team.

And Southgate said he had talked to 33-year-old Young about his preference to bring in younger players with an eye on Euro 2020.

“It would be unfair to say he was happy as he wants to play but he understands I want to see some young players in the shorter term,” said the England manager.

“He has had a difficult period in adapting to a new club and a horrendous injury.

“I am impressed with his physical condition and he had an extra edge in recent games when it has been going against his team, looking back to his powerful best.

“We felt he can add that extra impetus in wide areas,” he said.

Southgate noted there were only 20 games until the next tournament but that he was also keen to keep together the core of the squad that enjoyed their run to the last four in Russia.

“We’re coming off the back of a successful tournament so not a lot has changed,” he said.

“With us only being three games into the (domestic) season, I felt some continuity was important. Those who were with us in the summer deserve the right to go again.

“We wanted some continuity (but) we won’t stand still. We’ve added young players Luke Shaw and Joe Gomez.

“We’re aware of the excitement around some other young players but we think it’s a bit early for them.” (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/AFA

Edited by Felix Ajide

 

Sport

‘Maybe we won’t get this opportunity again’, says Southgate

‘Maybe we won’t get this opportunity again’, says Southgate

Opportunity

Repino (Russia), July 6, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) England came into the World Cup with low expectations from their fans and much talk of building for the future.

However, as they face a quarter-final clash with Sweden on Saturday, manager Gareth Southgate says this generation might not get a better chance to triumph.

England have the most inexperienced squad left in the tournament and should, in theory, be hitting their peak at the European Championships in 2020 or the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

But Southgate believes it would be a mistake to adopt that thinking.

“Although our team will be better in two years with more life experience, maybe the cards on injuries and things won’t fall as kindly and we won’t get this opportunity again,” he told ITV News.

“It’s dangerous if I start to get carried away, but I’m proud of the way we’re playing,” he said.

Should England get past a resilient Swedish side, they will face the winner of the quarter-final between hosts Russia and Croatia in the last four.

The dramatic penalty shootout win over Colombia in the last 16 caused wild celebration back in England and the team have captured the country’s imagination.

While his players have been watching social media videos of the celebrations, Southgate says he is delighted to see the impact of his team.

“It’s a huge privilege to be able to send everybody to work happy, to be able to make a difference to people’s lives,” he said.

“Football can bring connection through a country…

“I’m delighted we are exciting people, bringing enjoyment and we want to keep it going,” added Southgate, who himself has risen to prominence during the tournament with his calm style earning plaudits.

England will probably be without their back-up striker Jamie Vardy for Saturday’s game, due to a groin strain, although injury worries for Ashley Young and Kyle Walker appear not to be so serious.

But Southgate says it can be tricky to rely on players for honest opinions about their fitness at this stage of the tournament.

“The lads would always be prepared to risk injury for these games, but that can’t be to the detriment of the performance level.

“When it gets to these games, they’re not always as honest as they might be about how fit they are. So you’ve got to have a racehorse trainer’s eye at times to really try and sort that out,” he said. (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/ERO/SA

Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Salif Atojoko

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Sport

Troost-Ekong/Balogun pairing no longer comfortable, ex-Eagles player says

Super Eagles
Abuja, June 2, 2018 (NAN) Former Super Eagles player Waidi Akanni says the pairing of William Troost-Ekong and Leon Balogun at the heart of the national team’s defence may not be Nigeria’s best option in Russia.

Akanni, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after the warm-up match between the Super Eagles and Three Lions of England on Saturday, faulted the once-dependable partnership.

Two first-half goals by England defender Gary Cahill and striker Harry Kane proved enough to give the home side a 2-1 victory over the Super Eagles at Wembley.

It was a nervy first half for the Nigerian side, with England constantly knocking at the Eagles’ door and asking questions of the defence.

But for Raheem Sterling who missed two great chances and goalkeeper Francis Uzoho who did well, the first half would have ended in a disaster for the Eagles.

And Akanni, a former head of the Lagos State Football Association, said it was the pairing of Troost-Ekong and Balogun which looked suspect the most.

“I have never been too comfortable with them. I am happy Omeruo has come back and I think he should give them stiff competition.

“So far, Ekong and Balogun have not been playing well together like they did during the qualifiers. With Omeruo jumping into the fray, I think we will have a better defence line.”

Indeed, the introduction of Chelsea defender Kenneth Omeruo, who replaced Balogun in the second half, stabilised the defence and warded off England’s attack.

“In the end, it will be between Ekong, Omeruo and Balogun. But I am happy Omeruo did enough to show the coach that he could compete for a place in our central defence,” Akanni added.

The former player however acknowledged that playing England at the Wembley Stadium could have made the Eagles jittery in the first half.

“It was Nigeria’s first high-profile game in a while and we were playing against England in London. So, you will expect that the first half for the Eagles would not be that perfect.

“Of course, maybe they were trying to study the England team and their play. But they were able to make up in the second half whatever they did wrong in the first,” he said.

An early second half goal by Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi, a rebound off an Odion Ighalo effort which hit the upright, reduced the deficit and restored confidence among the Nigerian players.

Akanni believed that coach Gernot Rohr’s team selection and set-up played their parts in the outcome of the game.

“It was a very interesting friendly game. Nigeria didn’t start on a good note by way of players’ selection and set-up but the second half was a bit better.

“They were able to score a goal and they were able to get behind the English defenders like they never did in the first half,” he observed.

One of the talking points of the Eagles team going to the World Cup in Russia is the decision about the first-choice goalkeeper for the team in Russia.

The former Eagles player told NAN that Rohr might have made that decision already.

“Uzoho has got some match games under his belt and that is what he needs. So, I think he is who the coach will depend on,” he said.

Akanni also stated that there were still areas where the coach had to work on.

“Basically, we need to work on the left-back and then of course one or two players in the midfield. Once we get a good combination, I think we will do well.”(NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)