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Celtic ensured that they will be top of the Scottish Premiership table ahead of their Old Firm clash on Saturday as they beat Dundee 3-0 away from Parkhead on Boxing Day.

An untidy finish from Paulo Bernardo and a double from Michael Johnston off the bench secured all three points for Brendan Rodgers' side.

The Hoops have now won back-to-back top-flight matches without conceding a goal to bounce back from successive defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts.

Whilst academy graduate Johnston caught the eye with two goals off the bench for the Scottish giants, the real star of the show for Brendan Rodgers was the man he replaced – Luis Palma.

Johnston's performance against Dundee in numbers

The Republic of Ireland international came on as a substitute with just over ten minutes to play and scored twice from four shots on goal.

His first goal came just four minutes after his introduction as the attacker was given the space to drive inside onto his right foot and that allowed him to unleash a shot from distance that Trevor Carson may feel he should have done better with as it did not go in the corner.

The second then came in stoppage time as a loose ball in the box fell into his path and allowed the forward to stroke a composed finish into the bottom right corner.

Johnston also completed ten of his 11 (91%) attempted passes to go along with the goals that sealed a comfortable victory for the Hoops.

He had an impressive cameo and it was great to see the academy product on the scoresheet twice but the real star of the show was Palma as the sublime whiz ran the game and constantly opened up the opposition defence.

Luis Palma's performance in numbers

The Honduras international played the first 79 minutes of the match and his attacking prowess was on full display as he put on a magical show for the supporters.

Palma produced a staggering 11 key passes for his teammates to fire a shot on goal, one of which resulted in the opening goal and another created a 'big chance'.

The summer signing from Aris provided the pass for Bernardo's opener as he brilliantly slid the ball down the channel for the midfielder to run onto and slot, albeit unconvincingly, past the goalkeeper.

His quick feet were also on display as Palma completed all five of his attempted dribbles to get past his opponent to then open up space further up the pitch for him to then create a chance or get a shot away.

The exciting magician also stood up to the physical nature of the match as he won 11 of his 17 duels, including two of his three aerial battles.

Palma was, therefore, excellent in and out of possession for Celtic and had contributed to what would have been the winning goal from Bernardo before Johnston's late double.

He was the star of the show with his exceptional creativity and is now on five goals and nine assists in 12 Premiership matches so far this season since his move to Scotland in the summer.

South Africa could look to give Sinethemba Qeshile a bigger role with the bat in the final match of their home season

The Preview by Liam Brickhill23-Mar-2019Big PictureAnd so to the Bullring for the last international of the South African summer. Aside from the surprise Test defeat to Sri Lanka, the hosts have enjoyed great success this season, winning every series. This one is also in the bag, after David Miller and Imran Tahir aced the Super Over at Newlands and Isuru Udana’s one-man show went unsupported at Centurion, and despite the absence of a couple of key players South Africa appear set to make it 3-0.Udana’s batting has been one of the only bright marks for a visiting side that has stumbled from match to match through a poor limited-overs leg. Having lost the ODIs 5-0, Sri Lanka are in danger of going winless through the T20Is too, and at the end of the last match a tired Lasith Malinga let slip that the end of his international career could come after next year’s World T20.Malinga hasn’t had a bad tour with the ball, and more often than not it’s been the batting that has let Sri Lanka down. They have been frustratingly disjointed after what should have been a morale-boosting Test win at the start of their trip, but they have one last chance to get things right and click in all departments – though at the end of what must have been a challenging couple of weeks the visitors might be forgiven for just wanting to get things over with and move on with an eye on the World Cup.South Africa might also be struggling for a bit of context to a game that doesn’t have a whole lot riding on it. Coach Ottis Gibson has said that all international form would be part of the conversation around World Cup squads, but it’s hard to imagine that one game will really swing any selection votes at this point. But there’s pride to play for, for both sides, and the hosts will be particularly motivated to end their home season on a high.Form guideSouth Africa WWLWW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLWIn the spotlightHe held two catches behind the stumps but Sinethemba Qeshile didn’t get a bat in the last game, and it would be a shame if a young player who has shown unmistakable potential on the domestic scene doesn’t get a look-in during the last home international of the summer. Qeshile is only just over a month into his 20s but he has swiftly played himself into national contention this season, averaging 46.16 in the Momentum One Day Cup and 52.50 in the 4-Day Franchise Series.Early wickets have haunted Sri Lanka’s tour, and the limited-overs opening stands have been particularly weak at 13, 11, 11, 13, 14, 0 and 1. While they’re not going to solve all their problems in one game, the desire for a steady opening pair will at least inform Sri Lanka’s thinking as they build their own World Cup squad. If the top order can lead the way, things will get much easier for everyone else behind them.Rassie van der Dussen goes for a pull•Getty ImagesTeam newsSouth Africa have no major reason to tinker with their XI, and could well go in with the same players as the last game.South Africa (possible): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 JP Duminy (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Sinethemba Qeshile (wk), 7 Chris Morris, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiSadeera Samarawickrama and Asitha Fernando are the only players in Sri Lanka’s squad who haven’t had a game yet on the tour, so they could slot in to the playing XI if the visitors look to hand out more opportunities.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, 2 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Kamindu Mendis, 5 Angelo Perera, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jeffrey Vandersay/Asitha FernandoPitch and conditionsPitches at the Wanderers have been a little drier than is traditional this season, but the runs have still generally flowed in white-ball cricket at this ground and South Africa’s last T20 at the ground against Pakistan in February brought 369 runs and a tight win for the hosts. There might be a few showers overnight, but there is no rain predicted for Sunday.Stats and trivia You might be surprised to read that the joint-leading wicket-takers in T20Is at the Wanderers are Bangladesh’s Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan, and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori. Four of the top five wicket-takers here are left-arm spinners. South Africa have a strong record in this format at the Wanderers, having won 12 of the 19 T20Is they’ve played at the ground. For almost ten years, Sri Lanka held a world record at this ground for the 260 for 6 they scored against Kenya here at the World T20 in 2007. Malinga played in that game.Quotes”In the previous series we were 2-0 up and then we lost the last one and weren’t as clinical as we would like to be … And it’s always a good crowd [at the Wanderers] and the people are really passionate, so we’ll look to give them what they want.”

Third in the Championship and ten points adrift of Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion spot, Leeds United are by no means a finished product in pursuit of an instant return to the Premier League. Daniel Farke has at least got the Yorkshire side in amongst the play-offs, creating a comfortable gap of eight points between the Whites and Hull City in seventh. As the January window approaches, however, the former Norwich City boss could look to make some vital changes to seal promotion.

Among those changes could be one that doesn't cost a single transfer fee, with Leeds reportedly looking to welcome back a player who has struggled on loan elsewhere.

Leeds United transfer news

From Rodrigo to Tyler Adams, Leeds United weren't lucky enough to keep hold of every star player following relegation from the Premier League, whether it be permanent deals away or loan moves. A number of those players have quickly discovered that the grass isn't always greener though, and may even regret leaving Elland Road so soon after relegation. And that includes Brenden Aaronson, who left for Union Berlin on loan in the summer, only to struggle for minutes. At a crossroads, the American could now be offered a lifeline by Farke.

According to TeamTalk, Aaronson is set to hold discussions with Farke about a return to Leeds in January. The Elland Road boss is reportedly open to the midfielder's return and thinks that he could be a huge boost for his squad ahead of their promotion push in the second half of the campaign.

Aaronson is reportedly considering his options and will leave on loan again if he decides against staying at Leeds. Still only 23-years-old and with Premier League experience under his belt, there's little doubt that Aaronson could hand the Yorkshire side a major boost.

"impressive" Aaronson can be a game-changer for Leeds

Though Aaronson's game-time at Union Berlin hasn't been as he may have expected upon making the move, there's no taking away the potential that the American still has. During his time in the Bundesliga, the Leeds loanee has played just under 500 minutes and made just 17 appearances in a Union Berlin side that have struggled compared to recent years. In the Premier League last season, however, his numbers were good enough to draw some interesting names on the FBRef Player Comparison Tool.

Similar players to Brenden Aaronson (based on FBRef statistics)

Bobby Reid (Fulham)

Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli)

Mario Gotze (Frankfurt)

Oliver Torres (Sevilla)

Elba Rashani (Clermont Foot)

When at his best, the midfielder has been at the centre of praise from the likes of Steve Nicol, who said on ESPN via Leeds Live: "I think the most impressive thing about Aaronson was that he was all over the park, and he was closing the ball, and he was winning it and he was giving it. We know that he can do all that stuff.

"I think the best part of his game was the way he delivered these passes and the decision-making, not just with the ball at his feet, but again, choosing when to go and close down, and choosing when to stay off. You're talking about almost a complete performance, because obviously scoring would have been the cherry on the top."

West Ham United are considering an approach to sign a defender who is currently playing his football in League One, according to a fresh report.

David Moyes' summer arrivals

The Irons recruited five fresh faces during the previous transfer window in the form of James Ward-Prowse, Mohammed Kudus, Edson Alvarez, Andy Irving and Konstantinos Mavropanos, with all of the new signings putting pen to paper on a permanent basis.

Ahead of January though, David Moyes may want to bolster his ranks even further as he looks to secure as high a place as possible in the Premier League table, and he has highlighted a target from a lower division to increase his options at the heart of the backline.

Related West Ham scouting exciting defender and Steidten is personally a big fan

West Ham are keen to make upgrades in certain positions to ensure David Moyes has adequate squad depth at the London Stadium…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 27, 2023

Derby County centre-back Eiran Cashin will have reached the expiration of his deal at the end of the season (Derby contracts), meaning that the upcoming window could be the final opportunity for Paul Warne to cash in, should he not want to risk losing his prized asset for free.

The Rams academy graduate has established himself as his club’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.38 (WhoScored – Derby statistics), and the 22-year-old’s impressive form has brought him onto the radar at the London Stadium.

West Ham plotting swoop for Eiran Cashin

According to TEAMtalk, West Ham are interested in Cashin, but they aren’t alone in their pursuit with several other clubs also hoping to secure his services in January.

“TEAMtalk can reveal that Derby County are set to lose their star defender Eiran Cashin in the January transfer window, with a host of clubs ready to make a move for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international.

"West Ham, Burnley and Middlesbrough are all showing an interest, whilst Chris Wilder – who is taking charge at Sheffield United – is also keen on him.”

Cashin is already a defensive "warrior"

At Derby, Cashin is currently averaging a remarkable 5.4 clearances and 5.2 aerial wins per game in League One, highlighting what a real rock he can be, not to mention the physical presence he provides both on and off the ground (WhoScored – Cashin statistics).

The Mansfield-born talent is also capable of getting involved with the action at the opposite end of the pitch with 17 involvements, 12 goals and five assists, to his name in 159 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – Cashin statistics).

The Pride Park colossus additionally only pockets £3.3k-per-week as it stands (Derby salaries), so that could make him a more than affordable option to purchase because he may be the lowest earner on the books (West Ham salaries), which is another attractive quality for the board to consider.

According to football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Cashin is an “Irish Warrior” for his fighting spirit and determination to get stuck in when clearing the danger, so there’s no doubt that he could be a fantastic signing for Moyes and West Ham.

Pakistan’s coach has struck up a bullish note upon his team’s arrival in South Africa for three Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is

Liam Brickhill15-Dec-2018Born in Johannesburg, schooled at Westville Boys’ High, and fluent in Afrikaans, Mickey Arthur is as South African as they come. But Arthur hasn’t been here for five years, having last visited for a family funeral, and his intentions for this homecoming are clear: “I’ll make no secret of it, I’d love to come back here with a Pakistan team that is very talented, and win,” Arthur said after Pakistan arrived for three Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is.Arthur’s first Christmas in the country of his birth for half a decade won’t involve much of the usual festive celebrations, and he insisted he “does not do” holidays. “Cricket is 24/7 for me,” Arthur added . “This is hard work. In fact, I’m working even harder here. But it is great to come back into an environment that I’m so familiar with.”Arthur has brought a Test squad that is rebuilding around the experienced core of captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah, and Arthur reckons they have a “good chance” of securing a first ever Test series win in the country.”We’ve come here with a very exciting young team. It’s a team that’s starting to gel well together. We’ve played unbelievable white-ball cricket. Our 50-over team is on the up, our T20 team has been exceptional, but we sit trying to build up a Test team. It’s a young Test team at the moment, but a very exciting Test team. We really think we have a good chance out here.”The last time Pakistan toured, playing three Tests in 2013, AB de Villiers scored two hundreds and was Player of the Series. There is a very different look to South Africa’s current squad, and Arthur suggested that while South Africa’s batting is still good without de Villiers, Pakistan’s bowling is better than it was five years ago.”They’re a good batting line-up, they are, but we’re a very good bowling line-up. So we do feel we can make some inroads there, for sure. Our bowling attack is incredibly skillful in all conditions. The one thing we do know is that we’ve got a bowling attack that can take 20 wickets comfortably. Our challenge is getting ourselves to 350, 400. If we can get runs on the board, we know that we can get 20 wickets and we can bowl in all conditions.”The visiting batsmen will be aiming to move ahead of the inconsistencies that saw them twice score more than 300 and twice being rolled for under 200 in the recent 2-1 loss to New Zealand. “I hate that word ‘inconsistency’ because we’re trying everything to try and make us more and more consistent,” said Arthur.Azhar Ali ducks under a bouncer•Getty ImagesIndeed, the Pakistan coach is realistic about the challenge facing his batsmen, but also laid out a statement of intent for the current batting crop. “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that the South African bowling attack is exceptionally good. We know that that’s going to be a real challenge.”I’ll make a statement now, that our young batting group now bat better outside the UAE than they do in the UAE. There’s some very talented young batsmen there. They don’t stand on leg stump anymore. Our batsmen get to off stump, they cover the bounce, they cover the pace and they cover the swing. And they play very well in these conditions.”As for the lower order, which folded so spectacularly to hand New Zealand a win and the early advantage in the series in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, Arthur joked: “They’re going to get a lot of hard nets.”For Sarfraz, the key ingredient for his batsmen to prosper on South African tracks will be to play “positive cricket”, a mantra that he broke down thus: “You have to show intent. Positive is not just to play your shots all around the world, just like Fakhar Zaman. Only Fakhar Zaman can play like Fakhar Zaman, and we tell him to play his own game. But the other players also have to show intent and play positive cricket. You have to, to win series outside your country.”After a warm-up against an Invitation XI, Pakistan’s tour will start with a historic Boxing Day Test match at Centurion – the first time that the annual fixture has moved inland from the coast since readmission. It’s a ground Arthur knows well, having played 17 times there during his domestic career with Griqualand West and Free State teams, but the character of the Centurion pitch has changed dramatically since his playing days.”It’s changed totally,” Arthur agreed . “I was watching the Test match last year, and it looked like you were playing in the UAE. The surface was completely bare. I’m not sure what’s going on over there. If it does turn, then happy days. I’m not sure it will, but I watched the [Mzansi Super League] T20 game the other night, and the square did look a lot better. We just hope for good wickets. If there’s a bit of grass, then happy days as well, because we’ve got the bowlers to expose that.”Before the first ball is bowled at Centurion, Arthur will no doubt catch up with friends and family in South Africa, and for him, South Africa is a ” (a great place to come and play),” but he doubled down on his intentions here. There will be, he says, “no holiday. I’ll enjoy only if we win.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are a prime example of how quickly things can change in football with the club now in 13th position in the Premier League table following a five-match unbeaten streak.

Prior to Gary O'Neil's arrival, the Old Gold were in freefall, especially across the summer as the club were hit with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and sold some of their star names, including Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, to balance the books.

Subsequently, O'Neil was presented with a cash-strapped squad and many envisaged Wolves struggling towards the bottom, however, the Englishman has masterminded a remarkable turnaround.

The feel-good factor around Molineux is currently at the best it has been since Nuno Espirito Santo was in charge of the club and, although his spell in the Midlands was largely successful having qualified for the Europa League and brought in an abundance of Portuguese stars, including Neves, Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Diogo Jota, he was also presented with challenges.

One of those was justifying the large sums of money spent on disappointing talent and while the club-record £35.6m acquisition of Fabio Silva may go down as the worst of the lot, Patrick Cutrone's arrival in 2019 certainly runs him close.

The fee Wolves paid for Patrick Cutrone

In the summer of 2019, Wolves flexed their financial muscles on several stars and one of those brought in was AC Milan striker Patrick Cutrone for a deal worth up to £23m.

The 21-year-old ace was regarded as the next Italian prodigy and this was accentuated further by the praise directed towards him.

Gennaro Gattuso, who was Milan's manager at the time, likened him to Rossoneri legend Filippo Inzaghi after his brace against SPAL in February 2018.

During his full breakout year in the 2017/18 campaign, Cutrone was threatening to deliver on the hype surrounding his talents as he fired in ten goals and four assists in 28 Serie A appearances, including six goal contributions in nine Europa League outings that term.

He was even lauded by Gattuso for his "venom" in front of goal during that season and although his form tailed off after that, scoring just nine times in 43 matches for Milan, this did not stop Wolves from snapping him up.

Patrick Cutrone bled Wolves dry financially

If Wolves were expecting Cutrone to rediscover his killer instinct in front of goal that saw him rise to stardom in Italy, unfortunately, Nuno Santo would be left disappointed with how the move turned out.

In 23 appearances across two seasons at the club, the 6-foot marksman only notched up three goals, and considering he was reportedly the club's fourth-highest earner on £62k-per-week, pocketing more than the likes of Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez, the Italian seriously bled the club dry.

Over those two years, he only spent around seven months and one week at the club and not on loan elsewhere, which meant that he earned around 29 weeks' worth of those £62k-per-week wages, with it unclear as to how the wage split worked between Wolves and his loan clubs.

From the £23m expenditure to bring him to the Midlands to the £1.8m he reportedly collected in wages during those 29 weeks, Wolves spent an eye-watering total of £24.8m to maintain Cutrone during his two seasons at the club, one of which was spent on loan at La Liga side Valencia.

When you divide that total that the Old Gold threw away to accommodate the Italian by what he gave back in goals, it works out that the forward cost the club a whopping £8.3m per goal.

While Wolves may have thought that they struck gold with the signing of Cutrone, his spell turned into a nightmare, departing the club in 2022 to join hometown club Como in Serie B, which further emphasises the 25-year-old flop's rapid downfall.

تمكن فريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي من تحقيق فوز صعب على الألومنيوم بهدف دون رد، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس مصر.

وحل الألومنيوم ضيفًا على الأهلي مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات دور الـ32 من كأس مصر على أرضية استاد القاهرة.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في الفوز بلقب كأس مصر عن الموسم الماضي على حساب غريمه التقليدي الزمالك بنتيجة 2-1.

طالع | موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة أمام بيراميدز بعد الفوز على الألومنيوم في كأس مصر

ولم يتم تحديد مواعيد مباريات دور الـ16 من كأس مصر، على أن يتم إعلانها من جانب اتحاد الكرة خلال الفترة المقبلة. منافس الأهلي في دور الـ16 من كأس مصر بعد الفوز على الألومنيوم

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الأهلي منافسه فاركو بعد تخطي عقبة الألومنيوم.

وكان فريق فاركو قد تأهل لدور الـ16 ببطولة كأس مصر على حساب فريق الواسطى بالفوز بنتيجة 3-0.

Big Picture

Try as they might, Sri Lanka can’t seem to put together a competent ODI performance against South Africa. In the first ODI of the series, the batsmen failed spectacularly. In the second, they hauled themselves to a competitive score, only for fielders to drop near-undroppable catches early in South Africa’s chase, in addition to producing several other acts of fielding slapstick. The moment Sri Lanka put out one fire, another one breaks out in some other part of their ODI game. Then while they are heading over to deal with that flame, they discover their trousers have also been set alight. They’ve lost 10 consecutive ODIs to South Africa now – a sequence that goes back to July 2014. People who can’t control their bowels have less embarrassing streaks than that.South Africa, meanwhile, have restored a little dignity to their own outfit with the two comfortable wins, and may have begun to feel like there is some depth to their ODI squad, despite the 5-1 drubbing by India earlier this year. Lungi Ngidi continues to impress, much like Tabraiz Shamsi and Andile Phehlukwayo. Wiaan Mulder showed in Dambulla that he could be a handy utility option in the long term, while Quinton de Kock produced a solid innings to break out of a spell of poor scores. But at some point, even South Africa might start to wonder if they are really gaining much by repeatedly thumping this same opposition over and over and over. What happens in Sri Lanka might stay in Sri Lanka, essentially – it’s not necessarily going to leave them that much better placed for the World Cup next year.So with the series on the line in Pallekele, the situation is that it might be a good thing for both teams for Sri Lanka to get themselves to a winning position on Sunday. The hosts would have the chance to break this terrible bad run, and South Africa may have their skills and mettle properly tested, if they have to fight through a tough match situation.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LLWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WWLLW

In the spotlight

Aiden Markram has not had a lot of fun so far on this tour. He didn’t breach 20 in any of his Tests innings, and unlike for most of his team-mates, the troubles against spin have followed him into the ODIs, where he has collected scores of 0 and 3. Anyone who watched South Africa’s Tests against Australia earlier this year will know Markram is a phenomenal talent. But it may be that at 23, he is not a complete batsman yet, and he is finding out his shortcomings on this tour.Kusal Mendis, also 23, also a possible future star, has not had a productive series either, thrice making starts in the Tests, and yet failing to get past 30. In the ODIs, his scores are identical to Markram’s – 3 and 0. It will be hoped by the coaching staff that an average of less than 30 will be much closer to 40 by the time Sri Lanka go to the World Cup next year.

Team news

South Africa are likely to keep their XI from Wednesday.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt.), 5 JP Duminy, 6 DA Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi NgidiSri Lanka may think about leaving Shehan Jayasuriya loose in favour of Dhananjaya de Silva, but are likelier to keep the same team as well.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 3 Upul Tharanga, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Shehan Jayasuriya, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Kasun Rajitha

Pitch and conditions

Pallekele is Sri Lanka’s wettest venue, and there is some rain forecast for Sunday. Showers at this time of year tend to be short and sharp, however, so it is likely there will be a completed game, even if there are some delays. The pitch generally has plenty of bounce and zip for the quicks, though spinners can be effective as well.

Stats and trivia

• Throughout this streak of ten losses, Sri Lanka have not even come close to beating South Africa, with the lowest margins of victory being 40 runs and four wickets.
• Aiden Markram has not passed fifty in eight innings, since he hit 66 against Bangladesh on debut.
• Sri Lanka have lost a whopping 27 of the 35 completed ODIs they have played since the start of 2017.

Newcastle United have enjoyed drastic transformation over the past two years, going from strength to strength and now a force to be reckoned with in the Champions League, having previously struggled against the incessant threat of relegation from the Premier League.

It had been a dark, protracted period for the Magpies, under the shadow of despised owner Mike Ashley after once fighting for glory at the right end of the spectrum with regularity.

But the Saudi-led consortium that lodged an enticing offer set a new era in motion in 2021, with the moves made now systematically rewriting Newcastle's future, and while there has been so much to wax lyrical over, Wednesday night's 4-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League stakes a pretty compelling case for the finest night under Eddie Howe's management.

Those former times under Ashley are now but a forgotten memory, a smear in the club's distinguished history no doubt, but now in the past and fuel to ensure that the fruitful present period is cemented and solidified into something permanent.

There were so many negatives over the interminable years of mediocrity, but one of the biggest positives is surely the success of Ayoze Perez, who captured the Toon faithfuls' awe before ultimately leaving for a lucrative fee.

Why did Newcastle sell Ayoze Perez?

"It was a big factor, but also I felt it was time for a change and a new challenge," Perez remarks pensively following his departure from St. James' Park, where he was held in such high regard.

He's talking about the loss of manager Rafa Benitez, who himself left the club in the summer of 2019 – shortly before Perez – after expressing concerns about trust in the ownership and the direction the club was headed.

Perez had been a central star on Tyneside since signing from Spanish side Tenerife for a bargain £1.5m in 2014, when he was just 20 years old.

Upon his departure to Premier League rivals Leicester City, the Spaniard revealed that his thoughts mirrored his former manager's, and he made his move just days into Steve Bruce's reign of the club.

How much did Newcastle sell Ayoze Perez for?

Newcastle did not want to sell an exciting attacker they had nurtured to the fore, but were left with little choice when Leicester met his £30m buy-out clause, snapping up his signature on a four-year contract.

A host of top European outfits were rumoured to be interested, but the Foxes were on the rise and it was a project to get behind, with Newcastle showing little sign of breaking free from midtable, having finished 13th in the 2018/19 season, regressing from tenth the term before.

Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin was signed from OGC Nice for an initial £16m soon after, a mercurial replacement who certainly captured the awe on Tyneside, but there was undoubtedly disgruntlement that a player who had been so important during the progress under Benitez had been sold to a rival.

How good was Ayoze Perez at Newcastle?

Having made 195 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 48 goals and supplying 17 assists, Perez was a valuable and clinical member of the squad, praised for his "unbelievable" performances by Matt Ritchie.

Across his final two Premier League campaigns at St. James' Park, the 30-year-old would finish as Newcastle's top scorer on both occasions, bagging eight in 2017/18 and 12 in 2018/19.

He was an impressive player capable of thriving both as a centre-forward and on the left wing; during those final two seasons for United, Perez had 115 shots in 73 Premier League appearances – averaging 1.57 per game.

Colourful and confident, he was efficient and often popped up at the right times to inflict damage on opposition, with Benitez even remarking that a goal scored in a 3-2 comeback victory over Everton would have left Lionel Messi feeling proud.

He is remembered endearingly at Newcastle, but the fact that such a lofty fee was received for the gem, who has since languished, it's certainly one to recall with fondness after maximising his potential before reaping the lucrative rewards.

How much is Ayoze Perez worth now?

He's never really returned to the kind of form that earned him that big-money move to Leicester, and while he scored eight times during his first Premier League season at the King Power Stadium, he followed that up with just four goals across the following three seasons in the English top-flight.

According to Football Transfers, Perez – now playing for Real Betis in his homeland – is valued at just £8m, which is a staggering 167% decrease from the price that Leicester paid Newcastle.

This can only be regarded as a major win for the Magpies, who have since risen to prominence unheard of for many years and are in good stead to continue their climb right to the forefront of the European game.

Since joining Betis, Perez has only scored five goals and supplied three assists across 30 outings, which is further evidence that, now 30, his once impressive cutting edge has been dulled and shows little sign of rekindling its former intensity.

And while he still boasts a defensive application to be proud of, ranking among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 5% for interceptions and the top 14% for blocks per 90, he ranks among the bottom 55% for goals and the bottom 21% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

Good business was not a phrase used regularly before the change of ownership at St. James' Park, but signing Perez for a paltry fee as a youngster, channelling the best of his talents on the major stage and then selling him for a 1900% profit is pretty sensational stuff.

They really did hit the jackpot with this dynamic forward, with his sale bringing in Saint-Maximin for half the price, who was integral in the future fight against relegation and the maiden period of Howe's managerial reign.

Two years ago, Felix Anderson wanted a little help with his batting and so he wrote to the Pakistan batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2018Two years ago, a young fan from New Zealand Felix Anderson wanted a little help with his batting. So he wrote a letter to one of his heroes – Younis Khan.Twitter

After recalling his favorite Younis innings – the treble against Sri Lanka and the 2016 double against England – Felix asked for advice on how to play the cover drive and the cut shot.Younis has retired from international cricket since but the letter finally found its way to him. And in response, he made a personal coaching video just for Felix, now 12 years old.A coaching career awaits Younis, as well as a tutorial for his fans on the shot he played arguably better than anyone else: the sweep.