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WA opener axed after averaging 13.16 this season only seven months after being in Australia’s Test opener in the 2019 Ashes

Alex Malcolm05-Mar-2020Cameron Bancroft has been dropped from Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield side to face Queensland after a horror run of form this summer.Bancroft, 27, has scored just 158 runs from 13 Shield innings this season at an average of 13.16 with a highest score of 30.He will make way at the top of the order with Sam Whiteman likely to move up to open alongside Jake Carder to create room for the return of Marcus Stoinis from injury and Josh Inglis from Australia A duty for WA’s must-win clash at the WACA starting on Friday.It is an extraordinary fall in form for Bancroft having started the Ashes series in August as Australia’s Test opener alongside David Warner in the pair’s first Test back since the ball-tampering bans. He was axed after two Tests in England following scores of 8, 7, 13 and 16, and replaced by Marcus Harris.Bancroft began the home summer with a run of dismissals in Shield cricket where he was bizarrely and repeatedly caught at leg gully with several teams setting leg-side traps. He was initially not selected for Australia A’s tour match against Pakistan in November but despite his dismissals was called in to replace Nic Maddinson who withdrew due to mental health issues.Bancroft top-scored with 49 as Australia A were skittled by Pakistan and was strangely added to Australia’s first Test squad of the summer but was overlooked for selection with Joe Burns getting the nod.Bancroft’s white-ball form has been steady across the summer despite his lean red-ball form. He scored three half-centuries during WA’s Marsh Cup 50-over campaign prior to the BBL season to help them win the title. He also scored two half-centuries batting in the middle order for the Perth Scorchers during the BBL.But upon return to Shield cricket, he scored 25 off 155 balls against South Australia, before adding 19, 12, and 0 in his next three innings. He also missed out in two second XI innings against Queensland prior to the South Australia match.Bancroft has been working diligently with WA-based batting coach and former first-class player Bob Meuleman on his technique. Meuleman has long been regarded as one of WA’s best technical coaches, having worked with Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Marcus North and Adam Voges during their international careers.Voges is Bancroft’s current WA coach and a former teammate. He made the call to drop Bancroft from the WA side but backed him to come good.”Cameron Bancroft is a quality player, ultimately he hasn’t been at his best this season which sees him miss this match,” Voges said. “We are looking forward to seeing him bounce back.”Bancroft now finds himself out of the WA Shield team alongside Hilton Cartwright and Ashton Turner, with all three having played international cricket for Australia within the last three years. Bancroft and Turner have both played for Australia within the last nine months.Matt Renshaw, who replaced Bancroft as the Test opener for Australia after the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, having lost his place to Bancroft for the 2017-18 Ashes, is also out of Queensland’s Shield team at the moment and subsequently took a short break from the game.Renshaw returned to Queensland grade cricket last Saturday for his club side Toombul, scoring 42 against Valley. But he has not been selected in the Bulls squad to travel west to WA.

England spinner may need to move on from Somerset to secure regular first-team action

Matt Roller30-Jun-2020After confirming the arrival of Tim Bresnan on Tuesday, Warwickshire look set to turn their attention to Dom Bess, the England offspinner.Bess’s contract at Somerset expires at the end of the 2020 season, and ESPNcricinfo understands that Warwickshire see him as a potential long-term replacement for the retiring Jeetan Patel. The club’s sport director Paul Farbrace is known to be an admirer from his time working with Bess as England’s assistant coach, and is hopeful that the prospect of first-team cricket in all formats might lure him to Edgbaston.From this season, counties are no longer required to give 28 days’ notice to other clubs before entering negotiations with an out-of-contract player, and have been free to do so since the beginning of June. It is understood that Warwickshire are yet to make a formal approach to Somerset or to Bess’s agent, but that they are likely to do so later in the summer.Bess spent two months of last season on loan at Yorkshire, playing four County Championship games and six T20s. Head coach Andrew Gale said at the time that the club would “try everything we can” to sign him permanently, but the situation is complicated this year by the fact 12 players at the club are out of contract at a time when funds are limited due to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.ALSO READ: Tim Bresnan joins Warwickshire on two-year dealThere may be several contributing factors when Bess makes his decision whether or not to stay at Taunton. He is currently Somerset’s second-choice red-ball spinner behind Jack Leach, whose contract runs until 2022, but they are competing against one another – and Moeen Ali – for a place in England’s Test team.Neither player is currently on a central contract – Leach was awarded an incremental contract for 2019-20, meaning the ECB top up his county salary – but both will hope to win one for 2020-21 if they can hold down a spot this summer.Bess also has ambitions to play white-ball cricket, but has only made four limited-overs appearances (three 50-over, one T20) for Somerset to date. Max Waller, Somerset’s main T20 spinner, is also out of contract at the end of the year, while allrounder Roelof van der Merwe’s deal runs until 2021. It also remains to be seen whether Bess would want move to the Midlands, having bought a house in Taunton two years ago.Another promising bowler whose contract expires at the end of the season is Mason Crane, the Hampshire legspinner. Crane has had a frustrating two years with injuries, but was part of the initial 55-man training group named by England in May and will come into contention for the ODI series against Ireland at the end of the month. He was expecting to focus on white-ball cricket this year after Hampshire signed Nathan Lyon to complement Liam Dawson in their Championship side, but the opportunity to play across formats elsewhere could turn his head.Somerset may also face a battle to keep hold of the Overton twins, Craig and Jamie. Both players’ contracts expire at the end of the season, and are sure to attract interest from any clubs in a financial position to offer them a deal. Somerset declined to comment.

Jesse Marsch has explained how Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Neymar contributed to the biggest strength Mauricio Pochettino will bring to the USMNT.

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Successor to Berhalter being soughtArgentine expected to take the reinsWorked at Spurs, Chelsea & PSGGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine coach is expected to become the United States’ next boss as a long-term successor to Gregg Berhalter is sought. The decision to make another change in the dugout was made following a disappointing group stage exit at the 2024 Copa America – an event that saw Marsch lead Canada to a fourth-placed finish.

AdvertisementWHAT MARSCH SAID

Marsch could soon be a direct rival of Pochettino, and he has told the of what the former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss will bring to another demanding role: “I think Pochettino is a good coach. One of his best things is that he's pretty malleable. He really is pragmatic and tries to get the best out of his teams, he's not married to one system – you can argue that's good and bad – but I think that his focus will be about how to get the best out of his best players which he had to do at PSG, he had to do at Tottenham, he had to do at Chelsea and typically that's been one of the things that he's done well.

“He's gotten really good performances out of his best players and that's helped his team win matches. It's yet to be known how it will all turn out but I would be optimistic that he would be able to have a positive impact on the team and on the sport in the country.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Marsch believes the right call has been made by the USMNT as they move in a different direction, with their exciting squad – which is brimming with potential – wanting to be challenged. The ex-Leeds and RB Leipzig manager added: “This sport and this world that you play in has to be about constantly being challenged to be your best. Period. Right? I don't care like who the coach is and, and there shouldn't be a comfortability. There should always be a drive to be better. And yeah, it's fun to be on teams, right? You want the process of growth and improvement to be an enjoyable one, but it has to be about demands, right? And this life should never be about complacency, right?

“If you want to be a good professional coach, a good professional player, a good professional team, this has to be about the drive and the obsession to be your best and the only way to do that is to constantly be challenged and to be put over your head, To be asked more, to have higher standards, higher demands, right? So I don't care if it's the U.S. team or it's any team. That's that's what professional football is.”

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WHAT NEXT?

The United States and Canada are counting down the days to the 2026 World Cup finals that will see them fill roles as co-hosts, alongside Mexico. Their next outing will be against one another, with a friendly date in Kansas City set to take place on Saturday.

Chelsea are advancing and preparing a bid for one £65 million forward who has been called "very similar" to footballing icon Lionel Messi.

Chelsea make transfer plans amid PSR concerns and managerial uncertainty

The Blues' topsy-turvy season under Mauricio Pochettino has resulted in rumours that the Argentine could well leave his post before the beginning of 2024/25, with the manager himself refusing to rule out that possibility.

Chelsea contact former manager in last few days as Pochettino exit nears

The Blues have been very up and down this season.

ByEmilio Galantini May 3, 2024

"Enough is enough. All managers need time to translate their ideas and philosophy," said Pochettino on his future at Chelsea.

"It's not my decision [if I get time]. I don't know [if I am being judged by the owners]. It's difficult to see every single week that I am under scrutiny and judgement. It's not my decision whether to be here or not to be here [next season]. I can't say nothing. What I can say is if after the decision, if we want to match the history of Chelsea it's a lot of work to do. We'll see if we have time to build this way."

Meanwhile, concerns have also surrounded Chelsea's ability to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules. Rival clubs even believe that Chelsea have to raise £100 million through player sales before the financial deadline on June 30th, leading to suggestions that Stamford Bridge chiefs could green-light exits for the likes of Conor Gallagher.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhailo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

Supporters could be set for a very interesting, albeit chaotic, next few months in west London. Amid all of this, Chelsea are also making their transfer plans for the summer as chairman Todd Boehly and co look to evolve the team.

The west Londoners are believed to be chasing a prolific new goalscorer ahead of 2024/2025, with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen attracting real interest from Chelsea, though much will depend on PSR before they decide on how much they're willing to pay (Fabrizio Romano).

Elsewhere, Chelsea will also be keen to add more of world football's hottest young talent to their ranks.

Chelsea: Every signing Todd Boehly has made at Stamford Bridge

The full list is absolutely crazy!

ByAlex Caple May 5, 2025 Chelsea advancing in offer for Estevao Willian

According to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade, Palmeiras forward Estevao Willian is firmly on their agenda.

The teenage sensation, who has a £51 million release clause in his contract, could cost as much as £65 million including commissions and other financial factors (Sport via Football 365).

However, Andrade claims Chelsea are advancing and preparing to test Palmeiras with a potential £47 million bid including add-ons for Estevao, though it remains to be seen whether this is enough to complete a deal.

Interestingly, the Brazilian's agent, Andre Crury, has called Estevao "very similar" to Messi and even tips him for the Ballon d'Or.

“He’s a real phenomenon," said Crury to AS (via Sport Witness).

"He’s the next Ballon d’Or [winner]. His name is Estevão. He’s very similar to Leo. He has power from set pieces, he is also left-footed. Not physically, because he’s taller, he’s black, but there are things that remind Messi.”

Liverpool have confirmed Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's successor, with Feyenoord's trophy-winning manager set to start his tenure on Merseyside on June 1st.

It was hardly a secret, but it's exciting – and poignant – nonetheless, with a strong belief from Michael Edwards and Anfield's sporting director, Richard Hughes, that the 45-year-old's man management ability and high-octane tactics will meld into the Reds' first team.

The likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez are among the most salient stars brimming with quality but requiring polishing and sharpening.

But possibly the biggest winner of this change in manager could be Harvey Elliott, who has bloomed into a wonderful player during the final months of Klopp's reign.

How Harvey Elliott could perform for Arne Slot

Klopp said that Elliott has "everything you need" to make a marked impact on England's European Championship campaign this summer, and based on recent evidence it's hard to argue that the young star is shaping into something remarkable.

He's a sensational playmaker with inborn match intelligence and an electric delivery, having scored four goals and supplied 11 assists in all competitions this season – despite only starting 27 matches. It's no surprise that podcast host Adam Rowe described him as "outrageous".

Elliott did, however, grow as the campaign entered its late phase, providing an assist in each of Liverpool's final three Premier League matches and scoring a brilliant thumping strike against Tottenham Hotspur.

His final performance, against Wolverhampton Wanderers, earned him an 8/10 match rating from the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, who said: 'Another impressively busy display, his cross inviting the opener and gave Liverpool attacking momentum. Popped up on the left occasionally, too.'

As per FBref, the one-time Fulham youngster ranks among the top 10% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90.

Elliott's 23.2 sprints per 90 in the Premier League this season ranks him 12th in the division, speaking of his tenacity and elite athleticism, closing down the ball and always seeking to influence the play.

1.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

2.

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

3.

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal

4.

Bernardo Silva

Manchester City

5.

Phil Foden

Manchester City

His energy and explosiveness could even see him develop into Slot's very own version of Phil Foden, who are noted as 'similar' players statistically, as per FBref.

The six-time Premier League winner and the current Player of the Year has enjoyed an extraordinary campaign with Manchester City that has seen him plunder 27 goals and 11 assists from 52 matches in all competitions, including a 19-goal return in the English top flight.

While Pep Guardiola's prized gem has staggered supporters with his sharpshooting exploits, he's equally as impressive from a ball-playing standpoint, ranking among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 9% for passes attempted and the top 17% for progressive passes per 90.

Foden has been praised for his cleverness in attacking phases, with pundit Danny Murphy saying: "He finds pockets of space, wherever he plays, because he's just got that brightness about his game."

He might have more of a clinical touch than his English counterpart, Elliott, but the Liverpool phenom is skyrocketing toward the forefront of the Premier League and could find that the high-pressing system of Slot, who is believed to have the faculty to lift players like Elliott to a new level, unearths a jewel in the form of Anfield's creative talent, who is yet to reach the full scope of what his skill set suggests is possible.

Liverpool favourites to seal "crazy" signing who plays like Van Dijk

Michael Edwards and co are believed to have stolen ahead of Real Madrid in the race.

ByAngus Sinclair May 20, 2024

Lutfullah Stanikzai was let go two years before his contract expires

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Jul-2020The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has abruptly sacked its chief executive officer Lutfullah Stanikzai on Monday, two years before his contract expires. In a letter written to Stanikzai, which ESPNcricinfo has seen, ACB chairman Farhan Yusefzai said Stanikzai’s contract was being terminated for “mismanagement”, “unsatisfactory performance,” and “misbehavior with managers.” The board also made the announcement through a release on Monday.”This is to inform you that this letter serves as confirmation that your employment contract in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Afghanistan Cricket Board is terminated effectively. Your last employment date with ACB is July 29, 2020,” the letter said.”The reason(s) of your contract termination is as below:
Mismanagement Unsatisfactory Performance Misbehavior with Managers.”The ACB release also stated Stanikzai had been sacked due to “ignorance in his responsibilities,” and he had been “warned verbally and in writing in the past.” The board said it would advertise for the vacancy soon.Stanikzai said he was surprised by the development and first found out about it from social media and not by any communication from the board. He said he had spoken to Zia-ul-Haq Amarkhail, the state minister for parliamentary affairs, who sits on the ACB Board and even he was not aware.”I spoke to a [ACB] board member and was told that they are not aware” Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo. “According to ACB constitution, the CEO is appointed by the Board and any decision concerning the CEO should be done by the Board.”Stanikzai, who had served previously as a media manager, was hired as the CEO on a three-year contract in July last year immediately after Afghanistan’s dismal performance at the 2019 World Cup where they finished last in the 10-team tournament without a single win.Stanikzai had replaced Asadullah Khan, who had been charged with breaching the ACB constitution and policies on various decisions. Khan’s tenure as acting chief executive was short-lived after he was replaced in July. He had replaced Shafiqullah Stanikzai whose four-year term had ended in February 2019.The hand of the Afghanistan government in the ACB politics is not lost upon the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands the ICC last year alerted the ACB that it was concerned by the inconsistency in the leadership in the Afghanistan board. That message was delivered by Imran Khawaja, then ICC’s deputy chairman, who was recently appointed as interim chair of the global cricket body.It is understood that Khawaja raised three issues with the ACB last September: concerns about its leadership, the money that the ACB receives from the ICC be strictly utilised for development of cricket in the country and, thirdly, the ACB should strengthen its internal audit.Afghanistan were granted Full Membership in 2017, which entitled them to a distribution cost from the ICC for participating in global tournaments. As per the new finance model, they would get around US$ 40 million for the 2016-23 commercial rights cycle for projected ICC revenues of $2.7 billion. However, with the ICC’s projected revenues coming down, those costs have been adjusted to close to $4.8 million per year.In January this year the ACB received about $2.4 million as part of the ICC’s distribution money. However, the ACB has been reeling financially after one of its major team sponsors pulled out in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Consequently the ACB cut salaries of its entire coaching staff since May.

Rivaldo has urged Brazil to call up Hulk and Thiago Silva to aid Selecao's struggling World Cup qualifying campaign.

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Brazil beaten 1-0 by ParaguayCurrently fifth in CONMEBOL standingsRivaldo wants Hulk & Silva backWHAT HAPPENED?

Dorival Junior's men succumbed to a 1-0 loss to Paraguay in Asuncion during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers which have left them reeling in the fifth spot in the CONMEBOL standings. The manager decided to start the Real Madrid trident of Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Endrick in attack but they failed to fire home their side against a rugged defensive unit.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The string of lacklustre performances has forced 2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo to suggest that Atletico Mineiro forward Hulk and Fluminense defender Thiago Silva should be recalled to the national team. Hulk had last represented Brazil in 2021 while the former Chelsea defender has not received a call since the 2022 World Cup quarter-final loss to Croatia.

WHAT RIVALDO SAID

In an interview with Rivaldo said: "From what I saw in yesterday's game, if you call up Hulk, even if it's not for the World Cup, he would be a huge help in these qualifiers. Thiago Silva could come back to a team like this, to help us qualify more easily. They are big names who would be good for the moment, they can handle the pressure of these games and the pressure from the press.

"We have many standout players in the Brasileirão who have already played for the national team. Hulk would play very well against these teams in the qualifiers, looking at how he trains and prepares, he would have a great chance of returning to the national team at this time."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Rivaldo was extremely critical of Brazil's performance against Paraguay and labelled the side as a "very poor team."

"It's not the team that fans and football fans like to see," he said.

"It's a very poor team. The team is going through very complicated and difficult times. The defeat to Paraguay, which has a much inferior team to Brazil, is sad, and it makes the Brazilian people angry. But the players need to keep going, there's no way around it. There's no going back. We have to think about Chile away from home, which is going through a very bad moment.

"If we lose to the Chileans, it will be even more complicated, because we are getting closer and closer to the start of the World Cup and we should already be much more prepared and in tune. At that point, the other teams would already be worried about Brazil."

The striker, who scored 23 goals for the Dutch side last year, will miss October's friendly against the USMNT

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Santi Gimenez suffered thigh injury against NAC BredaFigured to be in the picture for Mexico in USMNT friendlyWill be out for up to three monthsImagoWHAT HAPPENED?

Mexico international Santiago Gimenez has sustained a serious thigh injury, Feyenoord reported on Tuesday afternoon. After examinations, it was determined that the 23-year-old will be out for up to three months. He left the field after 30 minutes in the Dutch side's win over NAC Breda, and left play on a stretcher. His replacement, Ayase Ueda, swiftly opened the scoring for Feyenoord.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ueda is expected to get his chance to impress in Gimenez's absence. He has played 1,373 minutes for Feyenoord since his arrival last summer, spread over 44 official appearances. The 26-year-old striker scored 6 goals and 3 assists.

They also have former Philadelphia Union striker Julian Carranza in their ranks – who joined from the MLS side last summer.

WHAT FEYENOORD SAID

The Dutch club confirmed Gimenez's injury in an official statement: "Santiago Gimenez has sustained a thigh injury. Further medical examination has shown that the injury has an expected recovery period of three months."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Gimenez's absence is expected to be a blow for, who have a friendly against the USMNT to worry about on Oct. 15. That fixture will be new U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino's first high-profile fixture in charge of the team.

England batsman suffers recurrence of injury that caused three-month absence in 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2020Ollie Pope has been ruled out for up to four months after dislocating his left shoulder during last week’s third Test against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl.The injury occurred on the fourth day of the match, when Pope slid to save a boundary off the second ball of Stuart Broad’s first over of the day and left the pitch immediately.He underwent an MRI scan in London on Wednesday and was reviewed by a consultant on Thursday. He will now have surgery on the injured shoulder in the next couple of weeks before commencing a rehabilitation programme with the Surrey and England medical teams.The injury is a cruel recurrence for Pope, given that he injured the same shoulder while playing for Surrey last summer. He was out of action for three months on that occasion, and was unavailable for selection during England’s Ashes campaign.It is possible, however, that Pope will not miss any Test cricket on this occasion, with England’s next engagements coming against Sri Lanka and India in early 2021, by which stage it is hoped that he will have recovered full fitness.Despite a tailing-off in form during the Pakistan series, Pope has been one of England’s breakthrough players of the past few months. He scored a matchwinning 135 not out against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in January, then made a crucial 91 in the series decider against West Indies in Manchester.He was also England’s top scorer in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan, making 62 out of a total of 219, a performance that would prove vital in the team’s fightback to win on the fourth afternoon.After his previous shoulder injury, Pope told Wisden Cricket Monthly that the time away from the game had been a “blessing in disguise”, allowing him the chance to take stock and make changes to his technique.

Everton have usually conducted better business in offloading players rather than signing them in recent times, with the Toffees often able to make hefty profits on players after their excellent stints on Merseyside.

Romelu Lukaku is arguably one of the club’s best pieces of business in their history, after signing him for £28m, before selling him less than four years later to Manchester United for a deal that could’ve reached up to £90m – a profit of £62m, a staggering amount.

The club also sold winger Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United in 2022 for £45m and as the forward came through the club’s academy, the Toffees kept all of the figure, making it a complete profit and one that decreased the PSR breach astronomically.

In Gordon’s case, the move has been a success, reaching double figures in the Premier League in goals and assists for the first time ever – subsequently receiving a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad for the European Championship.

However, the club have also offloaded one player who never reached his potential shown at Goodison Park, with his deal being worth a hell of a lot more in 2024.

Jack Rodwell’s stats at Everton

After spending his youth years on Merseyside with the Toffees, midfielder Jack Rodwell made his Everton first-team debut during the 2007/08 campaign as just a tender 17-year-old.

Over the next couple of seasons, he would become a regular player under David Moyes, featuring 26 times during the 2009/10 campaign – his highest tally during his time at Goodison Park.

He would score his first goal for the Toffees during the aforementioned campaign in the 3-1 win over Manchester United, before adding to his tally a couple of weeks later in the 5-1 rout of Hull City.

Games

2

19

26

24

14

Goals

0

0

2

0

2

Minutes played

3'

859'

1,619'

1,415'

925'

His time was constantly plagued with injuries, however – with Rodwell missing over three months of the following season with an ankle issue, restricting him to just 24 appearances.

The 2011/12 season would be his final one before departing the club to sign for Manchester City, for a deal in the region of £12m – a move that would spark something of a downward spiral in his career.

How much Jack Rodwell’s transfer would be worth in 2024

Nearly 12 years on from his move to the Etihad, it’s safe to say Rodwell’s career has dramatically dropped since then, with the now 33-year-old a free agent after being released by Australian side Sydney FC just a couple of days ago.

He also endured a difficult spell at Sheffield United in 2020, making just two appearances during his short-term contract with the Blades, before once again being released – a familiar tale of his career in recent times.

As each year passes by, it goes to show how much of a good piece of business it was by the Everton board to part ways with their star talent, but just how much would that deal be worth now in 2024? Well, we have the answer.

The deal for Rodwell would see him worth £36.1m, according to a conversion tool from The Totally Money Transfer Index.

The figure would see him be worth more than current Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford – who cost Everton a whopping £30m from Sunderland, way back in the summer of 2017 – in a move that was then a club record.

The England number one has enjoyed a stellar campaign that has seen him keep 13 clean sheets in his 38 Premier League matches during the 2023/24 season – the second most of any ‘keeper in the division.

Pickford has been a sensational signing for the club and is still worth £18.7m, as per Transfermarkt, despite recently turning 30 years of age.

The same can’t be said for Rodwell, with his career taking a huge nosedive since his departure from Goodison over a decade ago.

His move goes to show that joining a big club isn’t always best for a youngster’s progression, with the midfielder undoubtedly going on to have a better career had he stayed put on Merseyside.

Everton must rue losing a star who's now worth £42m more than Lookman

The former Everton man created new history in the Europa League final last night.

ByEthan Lamb May 23, 2024