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Rangers have been dealt a major transfer blow over Ibrox academy striker Rory Wilson…

What’s the talk?

According to Rangers sources speaking to Football Insider, the attacker has told the club that he wants to depart from Glasgow in the summer and continue his career elsewhere.

The report claimed that unnamed Premier League ‘big guns’ are interested in signing him, with the player rejecting a fresh contract offer from Rangers recently. English teams are unable to give him a professional contract until next year but can take him on a scholarship deal with the option to become a pro when the time comes.

Gilmour repeat

Ross Wilson is now in grave danger of repeating the club’s big Billy Gilmour disaster with his 16-year-old namesake.

The Scotland midfielder left Ibrox as a teen to join Chelsea in England and he has come on leaps and bounds since moving south of the border.

Transfermarkt currently value Gilmour at a whopping £10.8m almost five years on from his move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017. He was valued at £2.7m in 2020 and Transfermarkt cites his move to Chelsea as being worth £1.53m – well short of what he is worth now.

The 20-year-old has been capped 11 times by Scotland’s first team and is currently on loan at Norwich in the Premier League. This shows that he is making great strides as a player, but Rangers will not benefit from it as they lost him at under-17 level.

Rory Wilson now looks set to be the next big talent to fall through their grasp. He has found the back of the net a sensational 47 times at youth level for club and country this season, suggesting that the 16-year-old predator has immense potential, having scored at a phenomenal rate throughout the campaign.

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Rangers have already been burned by Gilmour’s progression since leaving the club, and having it happen a second time with Wilson would be a huge disaster. It would mean that the Glasgow giants potentially miss out on another huge payday in the future, as they will not be able to sell the forward at a point when his value is similar to Gilmour’s £10.8m.

The recent club-record sale of Nathan Patterson highlights the benefit of keeping top talent and bringing them through into the first team before selling them further down the line. This is why Ross Wilson must now do everything in his power to change the teenager’s mind and get him to remain at Ibrox, potentially bolstering Gio van Bronckhorst’s team in the years to come.

AND in other news, Rangers played a masterclass over Ibrox “dafty” whose value plummeted 50% in one year…

As South Africa’s domestic structures come under scrutiny for their standard of cricket, Stephen Cook has proved that spending sufficient time in the set-up can still be prime players up for success at the top level.Cook became the sixth South Africa batsman to score a century on Test debut with his 115 on the opening day against England in Centurion after making 415 runs in three Sunfoil Series matches this season to continue a strong domestic output.”It’s a good sounding ground,” Cook said. “I think we need to be more patient and not think that after one or two good franchise performances, a guy will step up. A lot of the guys who have done well have come through that system and are hardened cricketers.”Cook is certainly one of them. Since playing Under-19 cricket with Hashim Amla, he waited 15 years to make an international appearance. In that time, he was picked for a South African A side in 2010, a sign that a promotion was imminent but it didn’t come.”As time wore on, I knew it was getting more difficult and less likely,” he said. “But I never gave up hope. If I had given up on that hope, it would be have been difficult to carry on playing domestically. It would have just been retirement.”Instead he carried on believing he could become South Africa’s own Chris Rogers. “There are a couple of guys who have inspired me, even someone like Neil McKenzie whose second coming was at a later age,” Cook said. “I knew that it did happen to other people and it could happen to me.”Perhaps that’s why now that the debut has finally come, everyone else seems a little more surprised than Cook himself. He has handled the call-up with maturity, so much so that he could assess the pitch and the opposition on a day that should have been all about him.”The surface did play a little bit slowly but having played first-class cricket here, it should quicken up a little bit. It’s not a coastal slow, it’s a Highveld slow,” he said. “I think early on, England searched for wickets a little bit more but later they went back into their normal patterns and they were quite patient.”Not nearly as patient as Cook has been has had to be though. With a century already under his belt it would understandable if he let himself ponder the future, but he was not getting carried away,”I always thought to myself that it’s about making your debut and playing for South Africa but it’s about performing and scoring hundreds. I want to contribute to Proteas successes and victories. But I am very much a guy who looks after today. I’ve learnt that getting ahead of myself is the worst thing I can do.”

Kenya are not expected to make any changes to their squad for the Intercontinental Cup clash against UAE in Sharjah later this month.The side are due to resume training at the Aga Khan Sports Club on Monday (January 7) but the continuing unrest and political uncertainty following the disputed elections have thrown questions over how much preparation they can expect before leaving for the UAE next Friday.”We were to resume training [on Thursday] but the current situation in the country cannot allow us, it’s even unsafe for players,” interim coach Alfred Njuguna told The Standard. “We have decided to resume on Monday depending on how the situation would be. Before we broke for Christmas holiday, we were basically focusing on physical fitness, but we are now going to embark on serious fielding and batting practices. Despite UAE being underdogs, we are not taking them lightly,”.No decision has been taken over the home tie against Namibia at the end of January but there are already questions being asked about how safe Nairobi is. More than 300 people have died and as many as 250,000 left homeless in continuing violence following the presidential elections.

England’s late one-day charge has given Duncan Fletcher something to take from the Australian tour © Getty Images

Duncan Fletcher has hit back at his critics after England completed their 2-0 victory in the CB finals. His earlier calls to have faith in a ‘young side’ often resulted in derision from many quarters, but he can now reflect on a team that has beaten Australia in its own tournament.”People didn’t believe me when I said the growth in this side can go anywhere and it’s really pleasing to see the young players come through like that,” he told .”To withstand the pressure and beat Australia three times in a row is quite an achievement and there’s no better place to produce that than in Australia in a one-day series.”Whereas a matter of weeks ago England’s planning for the World Cup almost revolved around picking random names out of a hat, Fletcher now says there is a clear plan heading into the tournament.”We’ve got a side that have won here and done very, very well and yet we are still missing people of the calibre of [Michael] Vaughan and [Kevin] Pietersen who are two very important players for us, so it’s still going to be very difficult for us [to narrow down the squad].””But we’re a lot clearer than we were at the start of this series. We really believe in the side now, four in a row is a great achievement and we’ve just got to continue with that momentum.”Fletcher, himself, received a special mention as Andrew Flintoff relished his first success as captain. “The one person I really want to thank is Duncan Fletcher,” said Flintoff, “throughout the trip he has kept taking the knocks for us but he has kept backing us.””He has been our coach for a long time and he has taken this team forward. You can see the improvement of this team since he has been with us.”Last week Fletcher said Flintoff was more relaxed without the pressures of captaincy, but any job is easier when you are winning and Flintoff soaked up the moment. “To take some silverware home is a great thrill. The past four games has been as good as I have seen an England side play. It’s been unbelievable.”From where we were at in Adelaide to come back in the manner we have done is credit to the team. We knew we could get better and knew we had to.”Sounding a lot like Michael Vaughan, Flintoff said he knew what the team was capable of. “Two weeks of cricket is a long time, we knew we had it in us, it took a while to come out but I am pleased it has done. We can also take a lot of heart from beating Australia three times on the bounce. It shows what this team can do and we will take a good spirit to the World Cup.”

Without any advance publicity or fanfare, on January 15 the USA Cricket Association revealed its Strategic Development plan for 2006-2007. It makes for some interesting reading.The 2006-2007 Plan’s Mission Statement states that the USACA is to “develop and promote the game of cricket, to select and prepare our teams to compete successfully in international competitions, and to provide the necessary supporting infrastructure” for this purpose.This mission statement puts USACA on a different track to Major League Cricket (MLC), with which its plan will inevitably be compared. MLC’s focus is on the development of a self-sufficient US domestic cricket as its major priority, with the development of state-level infrastructures, a US based Twenty20 League, and a long-range program for “mainstreaming” US cricket as its primary goals. Its international objectives do mention training MLC national squads to competitive standards in world cricket, but this is secondary to achieving what MLC considers to be its main goal of establishing US cricket as a distinctively “American” sport. MLC’s vision of its “necessary supporting infrastructure” is geared to domestic objectives, with international recognition coming only as a result of its domestic achievements.The USACA plan sets out 12 objectives to accomplish its stated mission.The first three represent the meat of the strategy; setting out what USACA proposes to do with actual playing of cricket. There is to be a Junior and Youth Development Program in several tiers, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19; a senior program involving a national and a U-23 A squad, rather like MLC’s program goals; and a series of national competitions for leagues, clubs and regions (but not states, which is MLC’s unit of account). In terms of support services, action is promised on national coaches’ and umpires’ associations; and improving facilities and infrastructure. “Improving information and communications” and “restoring USACA’s image”, are inserted as statements of intent, and a wistful note is added by the objective that USACA will host ICC tournaments in 2006-2007 as well as participate in them.This strategic development plan can be best understood if it is placed alongside its predecessor, the USACA’s five-year plan the period 2000-2006 which was developed by USACA at the insistence of Clyde Walcott but which has been gathering dust on the shelf since it was first published. The differences between them are dramatic, and offer a clue to USACA’s thinking on the issues.The 2000 mission statement sounds like its 2006-2007 counterpart: “To promote the game of cricket at all levels in the United States of America, develop national teams that will be competitive and successful in international competitions and to become the symbol of excellence in sports throughout the world.” But the 2000 objectives were specific, and measurable – they represented targets to be achieved, as well as when they would be attained.The 2000 plan boldly stated that the USA would “attain ODI status by 2006 and thereby qualify automatically for [the] 2007 World Cup.” Along the way, the USA would win the ” ICC World Cup series competition 2004, the ICC Trophy 2005, Americas Regional Championships (2002,2004,2006), Win or finish in second position in Americas Regional U-15, U-19 championship in 2002 and 2003, and make a strong showing in other international tournaments where a USA team would participate”.There were also specific targets; “Increase participation of players from its current 10,000 to 40,000 in a five-year period, Certify 2000 umpires, 2000 coaches, [and] at least 150 advanced certified coaches”, and thoroughly review its “organizational and administrative structures and its constitution by 2003″. USACA was planning to host the “Americas U15 (2002), Americas U-19 (2005) Americas Championship (2006), and two visits from Full Member A teams (2003 & 2004)”. The USACA would also “embark on an aggressive promotion and advertising campaign to increase the profile of the game by staging festival Cricket games, hold ODI games between Full members at various locations, [and] Increase the general media coverage of cricket”.As of 2006, it is very clear that USACA was unable to achieve most of its 2000 objectives. It not only failed to achieve ODI status, but it saw other Associate Members achieve this and was the one left out in the cold. It won none of the tournaments it had targeted in 2000 except the Americas U-19, where the youngsters performed brilliantly and exceeded its own expectations.The USACA’s numerical targets were unmet by substantial margins, the cancellation of Project USA obviated its plans for “holding ODI games between Full Members at various locations”, and there was no “aggressive promotion and advertising campaign” or “festival cricket games” to “increase the profile of the game”. Most importantly, the “[review of its] organizational and administrative structures and its constitution by 2003″ had not even begun as of 2006.If the USACA was so singularly ineffective in achieving its five-year goals set out in 2000, is there any assurance that it will be able to do so in 2006? There are many who would question USACA’s abilities to do so, let alone raise the massive resources required to meet its ambitious new goals. If the USACA had not demonstrated its failure to meet its own stated objectives since 2000, there are many who might choose to give USACA the benefit of the doubt for the time being. But a five-year track record of failure is not easy to overlook, and there will be skeptics and cynics who will be comparing the past with the present and asking some very hard questions.If the USACA is able to make real progress on its 2006 objectives after all, the stage could be set for an interesting confrontation between two different world views about US cricket– MLC’s vision of an all-American cricket future, and USACA’s of a world cricket order where meeting and exceeding international standards would be the raison d’etre driving US cricket development. But a great deal has to happen before such a confrontation could even take place. Both MLC and USACA have more urgent short-term goals to meet, and these deserve attention in the years ahead.

Scorecard

Michael Clarke’s classy 97 destroyed Pakistan’s hopes© Getty Images

Michael Clarke gave Australia an opening-batting headache with a brilliant 97 as they survived a brutal Shahid Afridi attack and a mid-innings stumble against Pakistan at the Bellerive Oval. Chasing a target reduced to 253 in 45 overs after a 40-minute rain break, Australia nervously slipped to 5 for 186, but eventually won by four wickets, thankful for the cool bald head of Darren Lehmann and the calm of Brad Haddin.Hobart was hit by chilly conditions, and strong winds which knocked off the bails, but nobody blew harder than Afridi as he clattered four sixes and four fours in a devastating late spree of 56 from 26 balls. Australia were ruffled, but Clarke helped them relax at the same time as causing a jam at the top of the order for Australia’s next match on Friday.Matthew Hayden was resting and Adam Gilchrist battling a slightly sore knee, but Clarke made sure they were barely missed with a half-century to add to his 66 against West Indies last Friday. His brilliant innings included severe punishment for Shoaib Akhtar, who was taken for 14 in a one-over mid-innings spell, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan after he dropped a disappointing effort when Clarke was 7. As misty rain fell in patches, Clarke was quick to slide forward, back or sideways, and lofted the ball fearlessly.Clarke and Simon Katich gave Australia a superb start, the brand-new combination piling on 107 at more than six an over in reply to Pakistan’s 272. While Clarke was always searching – usually successfully – for the big shot, Katich was happy to creep along in support in a complementary partnership. Clarke reached his half-century from 53 balls, but lost his partner eight runs later when Katich played on to Azhar Mahmood, then Ricky Ponting was caught behind off Afridi as rain forced an interval (2 for 118).Damien Martyn went quickly to Abdul Razzaq in a similar manner to Katich when they came back from the rain break, and Australia started to frown when Clarke, on the verge of a century, mis-hit Mohammad Hafeez to Naved-ul-Hasan, and Andrew Symonds also inside-edged onto his stumps (5 for 186).But Lehmann eased Australia to victory with an unbeaten 49 and Haddin as his sidekick. Playing only his eighth one-day international as a replacement for Gilchrist, Haddin walked out for his fifth match against the touring sides in nine days, and departed with a run-a-ball 30. In what will probably be a one-off appearance, Haddin at least made a valued contribution to a win that required some heavy work after Pakistan’s hot-and-cold batting.The Afridi explosion began in the 44th over, included a six over point off Brett Lee, and lifted a gear against Glenn McGrath, who was pounded for sixes over cover and midwicket – and three fours in the 49th over. Afridi, who added 47 with Razzaq in 4.4 overs, then brought up his half-century in the final over, by hammering Lee over the boundary. Pakistan had scored an amazing 97 in their last ten overs.

Shahid Afridi lifted Pakistani spirits with a blistering 56 from 26 balls© Getty Images

The onslaught turned a solid performance into an exciting one after Inzamam and Salman Butt provided warmth for Afridi’s fire. After winning the toss, Inzamam puffed his way to 68 to prove his recovery from the back injury that ruled him out of the last two Tests, and Butt carried his tour form into the one-day arena with his second limited-overs half-century.A minute’s silence on Australia’s day of mourning for the tsunami victims interrupted the innings, and after the break Inzamam and Youhana set about rebuilding Pakistan’s tour. The squad’s most experienced batsmen surprisingly lined up at Nos. 5 and 6, and as they collected 74 runs questions were raised about why they weren’t batting higher. Both were cleverly removed by Michael Kasprowicz (6 for 204).Butt provided a stable platform on a morning for long-sleeved shirts and jumpers,with some smooth shots square of the wicket. But once again Brad Hogg, who took five wickets and career-best figures on Friday, made a crucial breakthrough when Butt top-edged a cut and Lehmann took a smart catch (4 for 117).The gamble to make an opener of Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper, failed when he edged McGrath to Clarke, who took a sharp two-handed catch to his right (1 for 15). Lee’s early pace was again frightening, which Mohammad Hafeez discovered when he tried an unsuccessful hook. Hafeez was beaten by the pace as the ball clipped his glove before cannoning into the golden star of his helmet and rebounding to Hogg behind square leg (2 for 30).Peter English is the Australasian editor of Cricinfo.

Australia 225 for 7 (Bevan 84*, Ponting 52) beat New Zealand 181 (Styris 54, Bracken 3-34) by 44 runs
Scorecard

What can break this man? Nothing. Michael Bevan came to the rescue again © Getty Images

The Australians showed that losing the toss and batting first in a daytime one-dayer in India need not be an insurmountable barrier, as they overcame the early perils of tackling the moving ball to eke out a comfortable 44-run win at Guwahati. Michael Bevan lifted the Australians to 225 with a typically efficient and well-paced unbeaten 84, and thereafter, the Aussies kept up the pressure in the field, as New Zealand folded for 181. That total was enough, though, to prevent Australia from getting a bonus point.As in the earlier day games in this tournament, the team batting first lost quick wickets at the start: Australia were 34 for 3 and 61 for 4. Unlike New Zealand in the two earlier matches, though, the Australians – who rested Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Brad Williams from this inconsequential game for them – ensured a healthy run-rate from the start, so that despite being choked in the middle overs by Daniel Vettori (10-0-20-2), they were still able to post a competitive total.The New Zealand reply was characterised by plenty of starts and mini-partnerships, but apart from Scott Styris’s 54, none of the batsmen got a score of any substance. The top order, as usual, fell away without making a significant contribution. Chris Nevin notched up his third failure in four games, edging a full-length ball from Nathan Bracken to Ricky Ponting in the slips (7 for 1). Bracken constantly troubled both batsmen with his swing and seam, and soon tasted further success when Lou Vincent shaped to play to leg and got a leading edge to point (38 for 2).Stephen Fleming showed glimpses of his class, punching a couple of elegant fours down the ground and through the off side. His partnership with Styris was looking increasingly dangerous, when Ian Harvey produced the breakthrough with a superb slower ball. Fleming went for the drive, then checked his stroke and only managed to scoop it back to the bowler (66 for 3). For Fleming, who made 29, it was another start squandered.A comfortable situation suddenly became a tricky one for New Zealand when Craig McMillan – New Zealand’s hero in the previous match – was given out caught behind down the leg side for 0, although the replays suggested that the ball might only have clipped his trousers (68 for 4).Brad Hogg then got into the act, trapping Jacob Oram in front with a quicker ball (88 for 5), and then nabbing the crucial wicket of Styris, who chipped a catch to Ponting at midwicket, ending a 55-run partnership with Chris Harris (143 for 6). The lower order has often bailed out New Zealand, but here it fell away without trace, and only just managed to pass the target of 180 needed to avoid conceding the bonus point.Earlier, the Australian innings was characterised by a frenetic start, a mid-innings stutter, and a strong finish. They were 102 for 2 after 20, added just 54 in the next 20 overs, and needed a strong finishing act by Bevan to reach a respectable total.

Ian Harvey got off to a blistering start, which remained just that © AFP

The innings began with a flurry of runs, as Ian Harvey demonstrated the skills which allowed him to score the only century of the Twenty20 Cup in the English season. The early moisture gave the New Zealand bowlers some encouragement, but it mattered little to Harvey, who took a special liking for Daryl Tuffey, whose first 15 balls went for 24.After the rash of runs came the rash of wickets. Tuffey started the slide with two wickets from consecutive deliveries: Harvey skewed a catch to Nevin at cover (33 for 1), and next ball, Jimmy Maher was trapped plumb in front. Kyle Mills then joined in the act, dismissing Damien Martyn (0) and Andrew Symonds (18).Ponting (52) and Bevan began the recovery process, with generous assistance from New Zealand’s seamers, who insisted on serving up plenty of four-balls. A total in the region of 250 was a distinct possibility, before Vettori came on to bowl and changed the complexion of the innings. Exhibiting all the tricks in the bag – variations in flight, turn and pace were all on show, with exceptional control – he first frustrated the batsmen by denying the runs, then reaped the rewards.Ponting was his first victim of the match – and his 100th in all ODIs – as he lofted a catch to McMillan at long-off (139 for 5). Michael Clarke fell soon after in similar fashion as the Australian innings came apart as Styris and Oram provided excellent support to Vettori.Through this middle-innings slump, Bevan continued to nurdle the singles, leaving all the risk-taking to the rest of the batsmen. With the overs running out, though, Bevan upped the tempo with a spate of fours towards the end to lift the Australians to a total, which, in the end, proved to be more than enough.

Souths left-hander Michael Sippel will make his State debut againstTasmania on Sunday with XXXX Queensland Bulls captain Stuart Law missinghis first game since 1998-99.Law and his wife Debbie are expecting their first child on Monday and itwas not possible for the Bulls skipper to play on Sunday in the ING Cupmatch against the Tigers and return back from Hobart in time for thebirth.It will break a run of 62 consecutive four-day and one-day matches forQueensland for Law, who last missed a game in the 1998-99 season when hewas on international duties.Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Graham Dixon announced that openerJimmy Maher would captain the Bulls in the absence of Law. It will beMaher’s first match as Queensland captain and comes hard on the heels ofhis selection in the Australia ‘A’ team that plays tomorrow nightagainst New Zealand at the Gabba.The Queensland selectors have opted to blood the 26-year-old Sippel forthe ING Cup clash with the Tigers at Bellerive Oval, with the Bulls alsomissing Australian one-day players Matthew Hayden, Andy Bichel andAndrew Symonds.Allrounder Lee Carseldine, a century-maker for the QAS againstQueensland Country last week, will make his first appearance this seasonin the Bulls one-day strip in the only other change to the team thatlost to WA by 42-runs at the WACA on Friday.Sippel, a regional sales manager for Yates Seed Company who lives inGatton, said he was thrilled at his selection, which follows impressiveperformances at club and 2nd XI level this season.”I’ve been pretty happy with how my game has been going this seasonalthough I didn’t think this would happen. I was working onconsolidating a QAS spot and getting runs for Souths so this is a bit ofa shock," he said.The clean-hitting left-hander has scored three centuries in the BrisbaneXXXX First Grade competition and produced a useful 58 for the QASagainst New Zealand in one of the tour practice matches in October.Sippel, who is a second cousin of Bichel, is a former QueenslandUnder-19 and Colts player who has been a member of the QueenslandAcademy of Sport program.The Bulls leave on Thursday for the match. The Pura Cup team will beannounced later this week, with Queensland and Tasmania meeting in thefour-day match from next Thursday.XXXX Queensland Bulls v Tasmanian Tigers, ING Cup, Sunday, Hobart: JimmyMaher (c), Martin Love, Clinton Perren, Lee Carseldine, Brendan Nash,Michael Sippel, James Hopes, Wade Seccombe, Nathan Hauritz, AshleyNoffke, Michael Kasprowicz, Joe Dawes. (all 12 to play).

Worcester were left reaching for the weather forecast – it wasn’t good – as they ended the third day 111 ahead of Gloucestershire with four wickets standing.Having bowled the home side out for 119 they finished their first innings on 310-6, a platform for more quick runs on the final morning and the chance for their new-ball attack of Glenn McGrath and Alamgir Sheriyar to drive home a win which could see them at the top of Division Two.”We have the ability and strengths to win this division” said coach Bill Athey, on crutches after the third of three knee operations. “Led by Vikram (Solanki) we dominated the day and I don’t think I’ve seen him bat better.”The 26 year old finished unbeaten on 161 and Athey’s judgment must have been a fine one for at last year’s Cheltenham Festival Solanki had a career best of 171.This was the record he was chasing in the final half hour on a dry wicket at Bristol where he gave the spinners the charge in a bid for a new personal best before the close.Gloucestershire had failed by one run to gather in a batting point as they last two wickets fell in eight overs after a delayed start to the pace of Australian Glenn McGrath, who has now taken 20 first class wickets since arriving here, and Sheriyar who finished with four wickets in the innings.While the rain had gone, at least for the day, there was a troublesome wind to aid the bowler from the pavilion end on the big Bristol ground. It was a two-sweater day and the wind was strong enough to whip the bails off three times.With some quite remarkable slip catching by the Australian Ian Harvey the home side reduced Worcester to 56-3 in 17 overs. Harvey’s hands were on them all and Graeme Hick was among his victims, dismissed by 14 off the left armer Mike Smith. Bowling wide of the stumps he saw one carry through to take an edge but Hick in 45 minutes had not been at his most confident.Solanki was different, going for his shots early, he had already overtaken Hick when his captain was out and was soon putting the seven bowlers used by Mark Alleyne to flight.Last winter he toured with England ‘A’ under Alleyne and they became good friends, a friendship which was stretched as he took six fours off the Gloucestershire skipper as he raced to his first 50.Runs came easily on a corn-coloured surface which had been well protected from the rain by the vast covers. There was no malice in it and the bowlers toiled, especially into the wind.With Paul Spiring (28) Solanki shared a fifth wicket stand of 78 and when Spiring fell to a low return catch to Alleyne there followed an aggressive stand of 112 for the next wicket with David Leatherdale.Their cool dissection of an average-looking attack last 30 overs until Alleyne moved one away and had Leatherdale caught at the wicket for 65. Nine overs later Jack Russell stumped his opposite number Steve Rhodes off the left arm spin of newcomer Tom Cotterell for 16 and Solanki realised his old record wasn’t going to fall to him that day.He tried hard but his 161 had come off 207 balls and he had hit 27 boundaries, two of them sixes.

While Tottenham have enjoyed a resurgence under Antonio Conte and a number of players have found their form, one man who has been left on the outside looking in, is Steven Bergwijn.

Signed for £27m from Dutch giants PSV back in January 2020, the winger was quick to express his satisfaction at sealing a move to the Lilywhites, saying: “I think it is an amazing move, an amazing club.

“When I was a young boy I looked up to the coach, of course Mourinho, and now I play for him. You have to believe in yourself and I know what I can bring to this club and this team – I am good with the ball and I can score. They play good football and that is what I like, to play here is a dream for me. It is an honour.”

And, he got his Spurs career off to the perfect start by netting in the victory over Manchester City at home, and fans of the north London club would’ve been forgiven if they had thought they had pulled off an absolute masterstroke in signing him.

Instead, things have not quite hit the heights of his debut, with some fleeting moments here and there – his role in the thrilling comeback victory over Leicester being one – not doing enough to justify his price tag from a couple of years ago.

Indeed, according to CIES, his value has now dropped to £13.5m, exactly half of what Spurs actually paid for him.

With just seven goals and ten assists in 76 games across all competitions for the north Londoners, Bergwijn has struggled to really adjust to life in English football, and his game-time under Conte has become increasingly limited.

The last 11 games in the Premier League have seen him start and play the full 90 minutes just once, while his previous seven outings have amounted to just 51 minutes of football, with Conte restricting him to meaningless cameos.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Given the kind of fee Daniel Levy shelled out to sign Bergwijn at the time, seeing the Dutchman completely fall off the radar at Spurs and almost become an outcast will surely have left the Spurs supremo tearing his hair out.

AND in other news: Left in 2019, now worth £50m: Levy suffered shocking Spurs howler over “insane” star