Even with Sunderland announcing that Mike Dodds would be manager until the end of the season following Michael Beale's dismissal, that hasn't stopped the Black Cats rumour mill churning out possible Beale successors for the summer.

It will be a major decision for the Black Cats board to get right, with Dodds even in line for the permanent job if he excels in his temporary duties between now and the end of this campaign.

With the likes of Steve Cooper linked to the vacancy, another name that has tasted promotion success up to the Premier League is also being touted to be in the running for the Sunderland job.

Yet, unlike Cooper, this appointment might not be the best fit despite this name's impressive unbeaten record against the Black Cats when occupying the other dug-out.

Sunderland's manager search

TEAMTalk have reported that former Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom will be spoken to regarding the Sunderland vacancy, the 46-year-old manager eager to dip his toes back into the cut and thrust of second-tier football despite the calamitous end to his Blades reign.

This would be a risky decision to take by those associated with the Black Cats, with Heckingbottom exiting South Yorkshire with just one Premier League win from 14 matches in charge this campaign with the Blades looking doomed to an immediate return to the Championship.

Still, with an automatic promotion up to the top flight on his resume sticking out – with football pundit Carlton Palmer describing this feat as "remarkable" at the time – the Sunderland hierarchy could deem Heckingbottom as a potentially successful successor to Beale regardless of any recent misfires.

Heckingbottom's managerial record

The 46-year-old boss is certainly one that divides opinion, with fans of Barnsley and Leeds United cold on their ex-manager after struggling at both Oakwell and Elland Road.

Winning just four matches in charge of the Whites from the 16 games he was in the dug-out for, on top of accumulating 40 losses with the Tykes, it's fair to say Heckingbottom had to rebuild his scarred managerial career somewhat at Bramall Lane.

Heckingbottom would win 51 games for Sheffield United as both a permanent manager and as a caretaker, which coincided in the South Yorkshire outfit winning automatic promotion last season comfortably before the wheels came off making the jump up.

Club

Games managed

Wins

Draws

Losses

Sheffield United (permanent/caretaker)

109

51

18

40

Hibernian

32

12

10

10

Leeds United

16

4

4

8

Barnsley

105

37

28

40

Still, it's not as if Chris Wilder – Heckingbottom's immediate replacement – has fared any better with the Blades rooted to the foot of the Premier League table on 13 points currently.

Heckingbottom's insistence on playing a 3-5-2 formation – which saw varied levels of success at Bramall Lane – could work at the Stadium of Light away from his numbers as a boss, with the likes of Trai Hume excelling potentially as a wing-back figure.

Moreover, amazingly so, Heckingbottom has never lost a game when facing off against the Wearside outfit as a manager – picking up four wins and a draw from his five encounters with Sunderland, with the last win coming just last year as the Blades won 2-1 away from home.

It would be a major risk to throw Heckingbottom into the spotlight at Sunderland, with the job having a reputation for swallowing managers whole and then spitting them back out again as was seen with Beale, but his recent promotion-winning status could sway the Black Cats hierarchy somewhat.

Regardless of who is chosen next as Beale's successor, it will no doubt be an interesting managerial saga to watch unfold with Dodds keen to impress now to stake his own claim for the permanent job.

Demiral scored two brilliant goals as Turkey beat Austria to book a quarter-final tie with the Netherlands.

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Demiral scores twiceAustria couldn't mount comebackNetherlands await in BerlinGettyTELL ME MORE

Both teams came into the game looking to underline their credentials as dark horses at Euro 2024, and they put on a game to match, as the tie was played at 100 miles per hour. Indeed, having played out a thriller with Georgia in the group stages, this was yet another classic involving Turkey at this tournament.

Turkey had the lead, staggeringly, within a minute, as Merih Demiral capitalised on confused Austrian defending to fire home from close-range.

And Austria were almost level within two minutes, as a corner flashed across the face of goal and Christoph Baumgartner came agonisingly close to poking it over the line.

Austria kept pouring forward as rain lashed down, but while they created openings, they struggled to find a way to truly test goalkeeper Mert Gunok.

And just before the hour mark, Demiral added a shock second, as the centre-back met a brilliant corner delivery from Arda Guler to give Turkey breathing room.

It was required, too, as Austria pulled a goal back just six minutes later. A flick-on from a corner found Michael Gregoritsch, who had ghosted in at the back post, and he finished brilliantly.

There were some unsavoury scenes whenever a set-piece was awarded, however, with plastic cups being thrown by supporters onto the pitch. Marcel Sabitzer was struck by one such missile while lining up a corner with the score at 2-1.

Austria did everything they could to mount a late comeback, but Turkey's backline would not buckle, with Gunok making a sensational late save to deny Ralf Rangnick's men. The Netherlands await.

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Neither team have an immense amount of pedigree in the European Championship. Austria's best finish in the competition came at the delayed Euro 2020, when they reached the Round of 16. Turkey, by comparison, reached the semi-finals at Euro 2008.

GettyTHE MVP

Demiral was an absolute colossus for Turkey. He scored a shock brace, and continually put his body on the line at the last. As brave a defender as you will ever see, and a player whose stock has undoubtedly risen after this performance. He was incredible.

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THE BIG LOSER

Marko Arnautovic cut a lonely, isolated figure for Austria up front. While you would expect the striker to operate as a figurehead, he was regularly blocked off by the Turkish backline, and failed to take a massive chance at 1-0, when he was sent through one-on-one but was denied by goalkeeper Gunok.

Glasgow Rangers are still on course to secure a remarkable treble and considering where the Ibrox side were back in September under Michael Beale, winning the Premiership this term could be on of their finest achievements.

The Gers lost three of their opening seven league matches under the current Sunderland manager, and he was eventually sacked, with Philippe Clement coming in to replace him.

While the football was not pretty and Beale failed to lead the club to a trophy during his disappointing ten-month stint, the Englishman did manage to make a few decent signings for the club.

Jack Butland, Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin were all signed by Beale and have contributed well, most notably the former two.

Might he have missed out on another fine talent during his early stages in charge, however which could have transformed the second half of the 2022/23 campaign?

Rangers missed out on Cole Palmer in 2023

Having taken over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst towards the end of 2022, Beale led Rangers to nine wins and a draw in his first ten matches, but he was looking to bolster the team during the final weeks of the January transfer window.

According to the Sun, Rangers had a loan deal for Cole Palmer rejected by Manchester City during the dying embers of the transfer window as he still had a part to play under Pep Guardiola during the second half of last season.

Several other clubs also missed out on the chance to secure the talented Englishman on loan, and it certainly looked like an ambitious move by Beale at the time, yet if Palmer had joined, he would have vastly improved the Ibrox first team squad, no doubt about that.

The youngster went on to make a handful of appearances for City towards the end of the season, and he claimed winners medals in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League indicating that it was clearly the best move for him to remain with the club.

Despite looking like he had a promising future at City, Palmer was sold last summer to Chelsea and the move looks like it has certainly benefited the youngster, especially as he has secured more regular game time.

What happened to Cole Palmer

The 21-year-old joined the Stamford Bridge side for a £40m transfer fee prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, and it looks as though it could be a shrewd investment, especially judging by his start to life in London.

Lauded as “exceptional” by former boss Guardiola, Palmer looks destined to reach the very top of the game if he maintains his current form – now valued at €100m (£86m) by CIES Football Observatory.

So far this term, the Englishman has scored 12 goals for the Blues while chipping in with nine assists, and he is excelling, having been given regular opportunities by Mauricio Pochettino in the starting XI.

Indeed, among the Chelsea squad, Palmer is even ranked first for goals and assists (16), along with also leading the rest of the team with regard to shots on target per game (one), big chances created (eight) and key passes per game (1.5), clearly showcasing that he is now one of the finest players in the squad.

Not only that, but Palmer is also ranked in the top 10% when compared to his positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (6.3), along with ranking in the top 10% for assists per 90 (0.36) and the top 24% for shot-creating actions, indicating that not only is he shining for his team, but his performances also rank him highly when compared to players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues.

These statistics certainly build the narrative that he would have been a huge success if he had joined Rangers last season, even if it was only on a temporary basis, and he may well have been an upgrade to Cantwell.

Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers

Who knows what might have happened had Beale secured Palmer on a six-month loan deal, and he impressed during his spell in Glasgow. Could the Gers have signed him up for a further season-long deal?

It seems highly unrealistic, but if the club did, there is no doubt the 21-year-old would have been a far better option to call upon than Cantwell this term.

The former Norwich City starlet has improved in recent weeks and has now scored five league goals in his previous eight top-flight matches, taking his tally to six goals for the campaign.

This is still six behind the tally of Palmer, however, while Cantwell currently ranks fourth among the Ibrox squad for goals and assists (eight) in the Premiership, along with ranking sixth for shots on target per game (0.8), eighth for big chances created (three) and seventh for key passes per game (1.6), proving that while he springs to life during matches, at times, he can be inconsistent and this is something which needs to be worked out.

Against Ross County on Wednesday evening, however, the 25-year-old was sensational as he shone in his preferred number ten position.

Rangers gem who lost the ball 32x outperformed Cantwell vs Ross County

Rangers defeated Ross County 3-1 at Ibrox in what was a night of plenty missed chances

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 15, 2024

Cantwell not only made four key passes during the clash, but he also created two big chances, had a total of four shots and succeeded with two of his four dribble attempts.

The only thing which was missing was a goal or an assist, but his performance was pleasing on the eye and Clement would surely have been delighted to see him perform at such a high level.

Todd Cantwell in the Premiership since joining Rangers	2022/23	2023/24
Goals	6	5
Assists	4	3
Big chances created	5	3
Key passes per game	1.3	1.6
Shots on target per game	0.6	1.1
Stats via Sofascore

While missing out on Palmer was a blow for Beale last season, the Englishman has gone on to brighter things since joining Chelsea for £40m last summer, embracing the challenges of being a regular in the starting XI.

His recent success proved that Rangers had a mare on the youngster who is now thriving in the top flight, and he may have made all the difference as the Gers stumbled during the end of the 2022/23 season.

If he continues shining under Pochettino, he could soon see himself plucked from Chelsea as he has all the required attributes to shine for much bigger clubs. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

The win over Sri Lanka, and the upcoming WBBL, will prime the players for the T20 World Cup, says Alyssa Healy

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2019Australia women’s nine-wicket win in the final ODI over Sri Lanka women at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Wednesday was a world record – their 18th win in a row in the format, surpassing the run by the team led by Belinda Clark between 1997 and 1999. Meg Lanning, the captain of the record-setting team, was modest at the post-match press interaction, but conceded that it was a “very special” achievement.”It’s a special group to be a part of, especially over the last couple of years, probably since that 2017 World Cup [they lost in the semi-final to India] – it was a turning point for our group and we really did change a few things around, and we needed to, to be in the position we are now,” Lanning said. “Everyone’s put in a lot of hard work to get to this point, and to be able to get the record off the Belinda Clark team is certainly very special because there have been some amazing cricketers who have come before us.”We speak a lot about making sure we look back at the past and understand what has come before us, because they certainly laid the foundation for where we are today. It’s important that we recognise that.”

The WBBL prepares you extremely well for international cricket, it gets you in front of crowds, on TV, and the style of cricket is great as well. I’ve got no doubt that that’s lifted the ability within our teamAlyssa Healy

The latest win was as commanding as you’d expect from this team. First, Nicola Carey and Jess Jonassen kept things tight and Georgia Wareham and Megan Schutt picked up a couple of wickets each to keep Sri Lanka to 8 for 195 despite Chamari Atapattu’s 103. Then Alyssa Healy came out to bash an unbeaten 76-ball 112 and, with Rachael Haynes hitting 63 and Lanning 20 not out in 11 balls, the target was crossed in 26.5 overs. The series was wrapped up 3-0, and the lead at the top of the Women’s Championship table over England has now stretched to eight points (from one fewer game).”It’s something we have made a bit of a habit of, of finishing off series really well,” Lanning said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk in the media about the record, but I can honestly say that within our group, we haven’t really spoken about it. We go into every game to try to win it. So it was no different today. So to finish it off in style was a great effort. We spoke about making sure we do that because we do sort of split up now as a group [for the Women’s Big Bash League]. I thought everyone did a great job, the bowlers especially, and Midge [Healy] and Rach with the bat.”Adding a bit of flavour to the record-breaking win was Clark’s presence at the Field. Healy joked, “She just turns up at the opportune times! It’s the end of the series, and hey, there’s Belinda!” Lanning, meanwhile, pointed out that Clark had set yet another target for the team: “She sent me a message saying that her team only lost two games out of 33, so we need to keep going. So we’ve got one record, but we need to make sure we keep going. So we’re under strict instructions.”Not just that, there’s one more record up for the Australians to target: the most ODI wins in a row, irrespective of gender, which currently stands at 21 in the name of the Australia men’s team, achieved between January and May 2003 under Ricky Ponting. That has to wait, though, because of the WBBL, as Australia next play ODI cricket in March in South Africa. “We’ll give it a crack,” Lanning promised.Belinda Clark with the World Cup•AFPIt’s over to the WBBL then. And Healy, for one, is sure that the tournament will give the Australians the perfect way to prepare for the 2020 T20 World Cup, to be played at home in February-March next year.”World Cups are extremely difficult to win, and we’ve experienced the highs and lows of World Cups over the last four-five years, so we’ve obviously got a bit of a chance to go into a different environment and keep improving our games and adding things to our game and that sort of thing,” she said. “Our group is hungry as ever to keep improving, and keep being successful. Once we get back together as a group [after the WBBL], hopefully [we will] continue to be successful.”I think the WBBL prepares you extremely well for international cricket, it gets you on the big stage in front of crowds, on TV, and the style of cricket is great as well; the world’s best players from overseas and Australia playing, and it’s a great standard. I’ve got no doubt that that’s lifted the ability within our team and, as we have seen over the last two tours, we have brought players in who have been playing state cricket for a while and WBBL, and they have fitted in seamlessly and have looked at home on the international stage.”And Healy has built up nicely to the WBBL, doing one of the things in the last game she hasn’t always managed to despite her staggering form: finish an ODI chase.”I guess a little bit of a mental thing [getting out],” she said in response to a question. “I was saying to Meg today, often when I get to 60-odd I hit one in the air, so it’s all a bit weird. But to be able to be clinical and finish off the series really well, and be not out, is probably not something I have done a lot. So to do it today was obviously pleasing.”

After failing to reinforce the squad during the January transfer window, Newcastle United could be gearing up for a summer of big-money arrivals once again under PIF. The Magpies were fearful of breaching the Premier League's Financial Fair Play rules last month due to their reported losses of £155m, but when the summer window swings open, they may be in a position to spend again.

Newcastle transfer news

With the summer transfer window only a matter of months away, Newcastle's attention away from the action at St James' Park has turned towards reinforcements. Already, names such as Amadou Onana have been mentioned again, alongside Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly, who is set to be a free agent this summer upon the expiry of his current contract.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Magpies are keen to sign another top striker to compete with Alexander Isak and the injury-prone Callum Wilson, who has suffered another minor setback recently.

Given Wilson's increasing injury concerns, it's no surprise to see Newcastle linked with another forward. According to Calcio Mercato, Newcastle are in pole position to sign Albert Gudmundsson alongside fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, due to the lure of England's top flight and the duo's ability to meet higher salary demands.

"Hugely important” Newcastle hero could miss Bournemouth clash

Yet another fitness setback for Eddie Howe to contend with.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 13, 2024

Genoa manager Alberto Gilardino refused to sell Gudmundsson in the January window, but a €35m (£30m) offer could see the forward depart in the summer, amid interest from the aforementioned English clubs and Serie A giants Juventus. After an impressive season in Italy, Gudmundsson may well have done enough to earn a big move.

"Devastating" Gudmundsson can replace Wilson

With Wilson now 31-years-old and struggling to stay fit for prolonged periods, it won't be long before Newcastle will be forced to find a replacement. And that's where Gudmundsson could come in for Eddie Howe. The Genoa forward has enjoyed an unbelievably clinical campaign in front of goal and, at 26-years-old, still has plenty of time to step things up even more, especially if he completes a move to the Premier League.

Goals

9

7

Assists

2

1

Expected Goals

4.6

7.2

Key Passes

56

7

What stands out most from Gudmundsson's stats is his expected goals (xG). The Genoa man has overperformed his xG by nearly double, with nine goals from 4.6 expected, and he wasn't far off that sort of record last season either, nabbing 11 goals from 8.3 expected based on the quality of his chances. In fact, he ranks in the bottom one percent of players in Europe's big five leagues for non-penalty xG, but is in the 41st percentile for actually putting it in the net, suggesting his end product could explode in a superior team who create more chances.

The Newcastle target has also earned deserved praise from former AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman, who told Il Secolo XIX via Football Italia: “They used to say that if Salah was more clinical, he would be playing for Liverpool, and that is exactly what happened. All joking aside, Gudmundsson is a devastating player and also an exemplary professional."

Half-centuries to Sam Heazlett, Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw backed up a superb bowling display to humble South Australia by seven wickets

Alex Malcolm24-Sep-2019

Queensland celebrate one of Billy Stanlake’s successes•Getty Images

An unbeaten century stand between Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw guided Queensland to a bonus-point win over South Australia at Allan Border Field.The pair capitalised on the foundation laid by opener Sam Heazlett, who carved out another blistering half-century, to mow down South Australia’s sub-par total of 226 in 35.5 overs to secure a second straight win to start the season.The Redbacks were earlier humbled by the bowling combination of Billy Stanlake and Matthew Kuhnemann. Stanlanke produced another hostile spell to claim 3 for 38 from his 10 overs while Kuhnemann, with his left-arm orthodox, took the prize wicket of Alex Carey and ripped through the tail to finish with 3 for 39.Queensland won the toss and sent their opposition in knowing the tacky nature of the surface with the early morning start would make scoring difficult. South Australia started solidly but were never able to get away.Stanlake was again held back until after the powerplay and his impact was enormous as he found Jake Lehmann’s outside edge with extra pace and bounce. Renshaw then made the surprise breakthrough with his offspin removing Jake Weatherald for 44 before Kuhnemann clean bowled Carey as he tried to slog sweep to midwicket.Tom Cooper played superbly for 62 but he watched carnage unfold at the other end as Stanlake and Kuhnemann took 4 for 9 in 18 balls as South Australia were about to launch with 10 overs to go, and they folded meekly for 226.Max Bryant got the chase off to a flyer clubbing six boundaries in 21 balls before he flicked one straight to short fine leg and Queensland briefly threatened to be derailed when Marnus Labuschagne was trapped plumb lbw in the next over by Cam Valente.Renshaw nearly ran himself out with Valente just missing a direct hit from his followthrough. Thereafter it was a procession as the left-right combination of Burns and Renshaw found the boundaries with ease in a 114-run stand off 122 balls. Burns made his second straight unbeaten half-century while Renshaw brought up his first for the summer as the pair cruised to the bonus point with more than four overs to spare.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em situação delicada no Campeonato Paulista, o Palmeiras entra em campo novamente pela competição estadual na noite deste domingo (02), às 20h (de Brasília), diante do Santo André, no Canindé. A partida é válida pela décima rodada do torneio e vai manter o Verdão como um dos times que mais vezes jogou ao longo de 2021, contando todos os clubes do mundo.

Vivendo a maior maratona de partidas desde o retorno do futebol, o Verdão pode chegar a 18 partidas em 41 dias, média de um jogo a cada 52 horas. Utilizando reservas e atletas das categorias de base no estadual, o confronto será o 34º da equipe desde o início de 2021.

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Com isso, o Palmeiras se torna, ao lado do Bahia, as duas equipes que mais entraram em campo ao longo do ano, empatados com 34 ocasiões. Atualizando os números trazidos pelo comentarista PVC, em seu blog no Globo Esporte, as equipes são as que mais jogaram no ano. Atrás do Verdão e do Tricolor do Aço, o Manchester City fecha o pódio. A equipe treinada por Pep Guardiola soma 32 encontros desde o dia 01/01.

Já em comparação aos seus outros rivais, a diferença fica maior. O São Paulo, atual líder da competição, é quem menos jogou entre os grandes do estado: apenas 24 partidas. O Corinthians, também classificado para as quartas de finais, soma 25. O Verdão, depois, volta a campo na terça-feira, pela Libertadores, diante do Defensa y Justicia, da Argentina.

Bayern Munich fans are going to extreme lengths in their attempts to prevent Matthijs de Ligt from joining Man United.

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• De Ligt has agreed United move
• Bayern want £42m for defender
• Fans protesting 'horrible' deal

• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano left United fans grinning with excitement on Tuesday with his report that De Ligt has 'given the green light' to a move to Old Trafford. All that's left is for the two clubs to agree a fee for the 24-year-old.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Ligt battled numerous injuries in the first half of the 2023-24 season, and Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae became Thomas Tuchel's preferred centre-back partnership. But once healthy, the Netherlands international was able to regain his spot in the team and performed well alongside Eric Dier. Indeed, Bayern fans believe De Ligt is 'a world class defender', and thousands are signing a petition demanding he stay in Bavaria.

• Getty
  

  WHAT THE PETITION SAYS

  The petition, signed by more than 16,000 people at the time of writing, reads: “We all want Matthijs de Ligt to stay at FC Bayern Munich! He has proven that he‘s a world class defender, probably the best in our squad. There is a reason why he was elected as our best player in the 2022-23 season. Furthermore he is only 24 years old and has a bright future ahead, which he is going to use to fulfil his huge potential. 

  “Despite his young age, Mattha is already very mature and has a great mentality which will definitely make him a leading figure in defence and probably a competitor for captaincy in some years. His ability to speak English, German and Dutch fluently would help him a lot for that. With 19 years he already brought Ajax Amsterdam to the UCL semi finals as captain.

  “Selling Matthijs de Ligt would be an absolutely horrible decision and we would definitely regret it. That‘s why we use our voice to call attention that we will NOT make this mistake!”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR DE LIGT?

  De Ligt is currently in Germany with the Netherlands, who progressed to the quarter-finals of the European Championship by beating Romania on Tuesday. The centre-back hasn't played a minute of the tournament though due to Ronald Koeman's preference to start Stefan de Vrij alongside Virgil van Dijk, and it's unlikely we will see him with the Oranje suit up to face Turkey on Saturday.

Modern football is consumed in a completely different way than it used to be, with social media allowing supporters to find a voice and share their opinions around the globe.

YouTubers and podcasters now play a prominent role in football for many fans, becoming household names around the world, offering their views on the game and often proving divisive. Arsenal Fan TV is perhaps the prime example, with the famous Arsenal fan site often as popular with opposition supporters as Gunners fans, depending on the result.

Then there's Mark Goldbridge, covering all things Manchester United and the Premier League – but who is exactly is The United Stand presenter?

Mark Goldbridge and Man Utd

Goldbridge has arguably become one of the most recognisable and successful YouTubers around when it comes to football coverage, offering regular thoughts on his beloved United.

His watchalongs during Red Devils matches have provided so much entertainment down the years, with his Alan Partridge-esque mannerisms and hilarious reactions to United conceding goals often having the potential to go viral.

Intriguingly, there are persistent claims that Goldbridge is actually not a United fan at all, with Nottingham Forest rumoured to be his team of choice growing up. He actually began supporting United through his Grandad on his mother's side after his parents split up, explaining the confusion in an interview with FourFourTwo.

Mark Goldbridge real name Brent Di Cesare

Perhaps the one thing that many don't know about Mark Goldbridge is that it isn't his real name, with the United supporter actually called Brent Di Cesare. A quick search on Companies House proves this, with the 44-year-old's real name listed with The United Stand, his YouTube channel.

Interestingly, he actually had a career in law enforcement before his current job became a full-time occupation – he was a police detective investigating financial fraud, which meant he needed to create an alias when he wanted to start posting his videos.

Mark Goldbridge net worth

There is a reason why being a successful influencer is something that kids crave to be at school these days – something that was simply impossible when sitting down with your careers officer back in the day! It can be an extremely lucrative job, depending on the level of success achieved, and it appears as though Goldbridge is making a great living out of keeping the masses entertained.

Incredibly, Goldbridge has a reported net worth of €5m (£3.9m) and earns around $250,000 (£196,000) per year, which sums up how big his following is and the success he has achieved as the years have passed.

Mark Goldbridge Twitter

Goldbridge is a big presence on Twitter/X, with over 800,000 followers to his name as of March 2024, and he will often be found providing his latest thoughts on all things United, even providing a balanced view on rival clubs in an age when so many have wild opinions simply to generate clicks.

Twitter/X

807,700

Instagram

460,000

YouTube

342,000

TikTok

813,000

Mark Goldbridge wife

Away from the public eye, Goldbridge is a married man with a family. He met his wife when he was 20 while living in Ireland and working in insurance. They're married and have three children – two daughters and a son.

Mark Goldbridge age and height

One thing that can often come as a surprise to many is Goldbridge's age, with the Nottingham-born personality currently 44, turning 45 in April 2024. For whatever reason, it is easy to envisage him being younger than that when viewing his content. Goldbridge is 5 foot 8 inches tall.

Mark Goldbridge Liverpool

While Goldbridge is clearly a big United fan, he will often spend his time discussing their rivals, like any other level-headed football supporter.

The 44-year-old has had plenty to say about Liverpool down the years, but while some may mock his opinions on other matters, Reds supporters actually appear to think relatively highly of him.

Goldbridge has appeared on Liverpool fan site The Redmen TV in the past, for example, speaking fairly and concisely about United's adversaries, and it is a reminder that some of his antics during games can often be part of the character he has developed, often for comic purposes more than anything else.

In fairness to him, it looks as though he has realised that there is a space in the market for someone more measured than the classic Twitter tribalism nonsense most content creators opt for.

It takes a lot for any United supporter to praise Liverpool, especially given their success during the Jurgen Klopp era, not to mention online when millions of people can view your thoughts. For that reason, Goldbridge deserves praise for this.

Overall, he may not be to everyone's taste, but once you realise much of his schtick is tongue-in-cheek and appreciate that he can also talk plenty of sense, it becomes far easier to simply sit back and enjoy those Partridge-esque moments.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been fantastic this season, with the arrival of Gary O’Neil looking like one of the signings of the season.

With 11 Premier League games to go, Wolves are already only three points behind their final points tally from last season, further highlighting the progress made.

Furthermore, their activity in the transfer market has enabled them to maintain sustainable success on the field, recruiting well after sales.

With that in mind, there’s a current Wolves player who was signed way before O’Neil’s reign, with a transfer value rising in price all the time.

What Wolves paid for Rayan Ait Nouri

In 2020, Rayan Ait Nouri joined the Wanderers on a season-long loan from French side Angers, and he instantly slotted into Nuno Espírito Santo’s left-wing back role, showcasing his “enormous potential,” as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

Over the 2020/21 campaign, the 5-foot-11 engine featured rather heavily in the Premier League, playing 21 times and picking up a goal and an assist.

The Algerian defender impressed enough for Wolves to buy him permanently at the end of the season, splashing £9.5m to acquire Ait Nouri’s signature after Bruno Lage had just entered the building.

The number three continued to thrive in his third season at the club, starting 20 matches, but last season he barely played at all, with both Lage and Julen Lopetegui benching Ait Nouri.

Nonetheless, his turn around this season has been fantastic to see, and his value is now reflecting his quality.

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At the start of the campaign, O’Neil opted for a four-at-the-back formation up until Wolves’ 2-1 win against Manchester City in September, when he used a 3-4-3 variant.

From that point on, the three-back system has stuck, with Ait Nouri being deployed in the left-wing back position, which is where he can truly perform to his potential.

The 22-year-old has already started 20 matches this campaign, becoming a key player in Wolves’ intense, all-action approach that demands energy and technical class from the wide defenders.

In recent weeks, Ait Nouri has really stepped up, assisting Pablo Sarabia’s goal in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United, to the point where he’s now one of the most valuable players in the Wolves squad.

Wolves Squad Value

Player

Value

Matheus Cunha

£51m

Ait Nouri

£26m

Hwang Hee-chan

£26m

Toti Gomes

£26m

Pedro Neto

£17m

Via CIES' Football Observatory

As you can see, only Matheus Cunha is estimated to be worth more than the former Angers ace, which is incredible considering he cost less than £10m.

This means that Ait Nouri’s value has increased by 173% since moving to the club, and if he keeps performing at the level he has this season, then that upward trend is only set to continue.

In short, there isn’t a better profile for Wolves left-wing back role, and they truly hit the jackpot by signing the flying fullback, who the club can now collect a healthy profit from if they do decide to sell him in the near future.