‘But players who come from the academy, the problem to settle immediately in the first team, it’s not easy. He told BBC Sport: ‘If I hadn’t played against Arsenal on the first day, I may have signed for them. Yet goals have been at a premium while wearing No 9 for Scotland and trying to climb that chart. The 23-year-old’s nine goals so far this season, including two hat-tricks, have earned him a first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad and he is set to make his debut over the next week with matches against Wales, Belgium and Denmark. In addition to England, Miller can count goals against European class acts Germany, Italy and Croatia among his haul. Miller is sixth highest all-time scorer behind Denis Law, Kenny Dalglish, Hughie Gallacher, Lawrie Reilly and Ally McCoist. The most natural successor to his job with pace, movement, fondness of a dash in behind a defence, scoring instinct and will to run all day is finding out just how tough the gig can be. This hardback coffee table book tells the story of Spurs shirts throughout the ages, from the original lilywhite and navy harry kane replica jersey 2023 to the modern day strip.
There will then be fixtures pretty much every day through to Saturday August 11 when Atletico Madrid host Inter Milan at the Wanda Metropolitano. England’s triple-header against Wales, Belgium and Denmark will have given manager Gareth Southgate some of the answers he was looking for with just eight months until the belated Euro 2020 finals. He debuted under caretaker Billy Stark in November 2012 against Luxembourg and, while at his most prolific for Celtic, played only 15 minutes of the doomed Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. I miss meeting up with the lads, good guys and friends you’ve not played with for a while. Football meeting football (American style) is trope that is more and more common these days. ‘If there was ever a time where maybe I was needed then, obviously, I’d have been more than happy to fill in. Equally, he could be trusted this time to embrace the culture and location of St George’s Park, having spent so much time there as Under 21 and age group coach, and to negotiate his way through hot topic issues such as the wearing of poppies against FIFA’s wishes. The decision was confirmed after the verification of some health issues given the spread of the Delta variant in the United Kingdom, which had put the elderly Sicilian President’s trip at risk.
The hectic Major League Soccer travelling schedule and Scotland duties contrived to create injury issues he felt were not fair on his Canadian employers. It’s 12 caps without a goal, most agonisingly against Slovenia when he struck the woodwork twice in the first half and couldn’t right those wrongs because of a back injury. Leigh Griffiths admitted on the eve of the Slovenia tie in March that he was ‘trying too hard’ to net his first goal for Scotland. Does he see a bit of himself in Griffiths? He never actually made me a serious offer, it was more, ‘I want to see how good you are, what kind of player you are. He nevertheless became the second-youngest player after Duncan Edwards to make his debut in a competitive game and the first player born in the 21st century to play for England. Passionate, fantastic atmosphere. Any big nation who came to Hampden in my time as a player always had a tough, tight game – Italy, Germany, Spain, Holland. The Hampden factor alone, he insists, can make a start towards avenging that event which many thought would claim the Scotland tenure of Miller’s former Celtic boss Strachan.
White made his first start for the Gunners against bitter rivals Tottenham on Sunday and while Mikel Arteta’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat, White impressed. We had really good opportunities to equalise at the start of the second half. It’s always good to win but the result is less important, for us, it’s about getting fit,’ he said. Playing it would have tied him to the country for good. Not one of those Panama players who head to Russia will have taken a straightforward path. Brought in to ultimately replace Serge Aurier who looked destined for the exit door, the Republic of Ireland man’s spell so far has been dogged with inconsistency. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also desired greater flair in an attacking sense and where Shaw has failed, Telles so far appears to have succeeded, showing his ability to create dangerous situations against the likes of Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League. The likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Dele Alli have already taken their ex-boss up on the offer. Travel on the London Underground right now and there is no escaping Dele Alli.
