Category Uncategorized

Tottenham have now waved goodbye to the legendary Son Heung-min, who played his last game for the club against Newcastle in front of an adoring crowd of his native supporters in Seoul on Sunday.

Tottenham now in pole position to hijack Juventus in race for £70m+ star

The Lilywhites are still seeking attacking reinforcements.

3 ByTom Cunningham Aug 4, 2025

After coming to Spurs as a relatively unknown 23-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen, 10 years, 454 appearances, 173 goals and 101 assists later, Son departs for Los Angeles FC as both an heroic Lilywhites figure and their most influential player of the last decade alongside Harry Kane.

Almost immediately after Son donned the Tottenham jersey for a final time against Newcastle, Fabrizio Romano gave his trademark ‘here we go’ to the winger’s MLS switch.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Son didn’t even bother travelling back to the UK with Thomas Frank’s squad and instead parted ways in Korea, with the 33-year-old due to travel stateside for his LAFC medical ahead of an MLS record-breaking near-£20 million move (ESPN).

“I didn’t think I was going to cry at first,” Son said in an emotional final interview.

“But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I’ve spent so much time with felt really tough. I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my teammates and also my opponents, I’ve had an unforgettable day.

“My career is not over yet, and I want to continue to bring (the fans) joy. I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player.”

Son rejected lucrative proposals from Saudi Arabia in favour of a move to America, and it is no coincidence that LA has the largest Korean population of any city outside of South Korea itself.

LA will act as a ‘home away from home’ for Son, with the attacker ultimately choosing that over the riches on offer in Saudi – which in itself speaks volumes of the man.

Back at Tottenham, attention turns to who could possibly do their best to replicate both Son’s leadership behind-the-scenes and his quality on the pitch.

Tottenham identify Ademola Lookman as alternative to Rodrygo

In the last fortnight, Spurs have been linked with an audacious swoop for Real Madrid star Rodrygo to fill Son’s shoes on the left, but they do have a ‘plan B’ option.

According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have identified wantaway Atalanta star Ademola Lookman as another target to replace Son.

The Nigerian famously dazzled with one of the most exceptional cup final performances ever witnessed last year, scoring a hat-trick against the previously unbeatable Bayer Leverkusen to both end their undefeated streak and win Atalanta the 2024 Europa League title.

Despite his star player status, things haven’t exactly been smooth between the 27-year-old and Atalanta, with Lookman now submitting a transfer request for this summer as he looks to push through an exit from the Serie A side.

TT reiterate news of the transfer request and write that Tottenham are plotting a potential move for Lookman to take advantage of the situation, coming after another impressive campaign where he bagged 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Atalanta are demanding around £44 million to sell the player, which comes as a far cheaper deal than Rodrygo would be, but Spurs are now in desperate need of a new number 10 after James Maddison’s serious injury against Newcastle.

They’re also in the market for a new defender before deadline day on September 1, so it remains to be seen whether Tottenham can allocate funds towards a deal for Lookman or wait until January.

Only six of Australia’s Test stars have been named to play in the opening Shield round as the states try to navigate injuries and player management

Alex Malcolm04-Oct-2024

Marnus Labuschagne is set to play the first round•Getty Images

Australia Test batters Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have been named for the opening Sheffield Shield round of the summer but Steven Smith won’t play for New South Wales with his batting position in the Test side yet to be determined.Despite not having any international commitments until November, only six of Australia’s incumbent Test XI will play for their states when the opening round of the Shield season begins on Tuesday while the injury toll from Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK has continued with Cameron Green (back), Matthew Short (adductor), Sean Abbott (hamstring), and Aaron Hardie (quad) also missing the opening round.Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have not been named in New South Wales’ (NSW) squad for their opening clash with South Australia but Nathan Lyon will play while Head and Alex Carey have been named for South Australia, although it may be Head’s only appearance in Shield cricket before the Test summer due to the impending birth of his second child.Related

Mature McSweeney making his mark in South Australia

Indore to Hobart: Kuhnemann's journey to revive his red-ball career

Maxwell set for Shield return with Test hopes on the horizon

'Feels like we're in rarified air' – WA face their toughest test

Sheffield Shield preview: WA chase history

Smith, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are being set for the second Shield round against Victoria at the MCG, which is expected to be Scott Boland’s first match of the season for Victoria as he is being rested from the opening round while he builds up his bowling loads following off-season foot and knee problems. There is a chance, though, that Australia’s big three quicks might not play at all for NSW and will instead use the ODI series against Pakistan to build up for the India Test series.As expected, Green has not been named for Western Australia against Queensland due to his back injury and it is still to be determined how long he will be out for. Marsh has been named but is likely to play as batter only as he carefully builds up his red-ball bowling loads given Green’s injury. Hardie was also set to play as a batter only but has been withdrawn from the squad due to a quad issue.Western Australia have named Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly for just his second first-class match. But Cricket Australia contracted quicks Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are unavailable, while experienced seamer Joel Paris is also missing with a calf issue. Morris is a chance to play in round two for WA. Richardson is not expected to be available for Shield cricket until after the BBL as he is being carefully managed due to his recent injury history, although he has been named to play in WA’s Second XI against South Australia in Adelaide this week and will be under bowling restrictions. Mahli Beardman, who was a shock call-up to Australia’s ODI tour of the UK as a reserve player, is also playing in the Second XI match alongside uncontracted spinner Ashton Agar.Steven Smith could play the second Shield round•Getty Images

Glenn Maxwell is unavailable for the opening Shield round for Victoria but may play in the second against NSW with the Test tour of Sri Lanka on the horizon. Victoria captain Will Sutherland will miss the opening round as he is still managing a back issue despite playing and bowling in the opening two One-Day Cup games last week. Peter Handscomb will take over as Victoria captain. Riley Meredith returned to club cricket in Tasmania earlier than expected after suffering a side injury during Australia’s tour of the UK. He bowled seven overs on Saturday for Clarence but he was not named in Tasmania’s squad for the clash with Victoria. He should be fully fit to return in round two.The state teams are being severely challenged at present as they plan for the opening four rounds due to the huge injury toll among Australia’s contracted and fringe players and the scheduling of two Australia A-India A matches in late October and early November on top of the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.The careful management of Australia’s Test stars and players on the fringes like Boland, Morris and now Hardie, combined with the injury toll that includes Green, Short, Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis (pectoral), Xavier Bartlett (side), Nathan Ellis (hamstring), and Spencer Johnson (side) means that most state teams will have major turnover in their XIs across the first month of the season.Western Australia squadSam Whiteman (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie StoboQueensland squadMarnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Jack WildermuthNSW squadOllie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques (capt), Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Jack Nisbet, Josh Philippe, Tanveer SanghaSouth Australia squadJordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (capt), Lloyd Pope, Liam ScottVictoria squadPeter Handscomb (capt), Ash Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Cam McClure, Jon Merlo, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Tom RogersTasmania squadGabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Jordan Silk (capt), Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Ryan Mason currently has his West Bromwich Albion troops out at a pre-season camp in Austria ahead of the new Championship campaign getting underway next month.

A behind-closed-doors friendly match will take place between the Baggies and Dynamo Kyiv this coming Friday to officially get the second-tier side’s pre-season up and running, with Mason perhaps selecting brand-new £4.7m buy Aune Heggebo from the get-go to see what he’s made of in attack.

Mikey Johnston will also be linking up with the pre-season camp shortly, although this isn’t the planned-out route the ex-Celtic winger would have envisaged for himself this summer, as a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo, unfortunately, collapsed at the final hour.

The lowdown on Johnston's failed move to Flamengo

It was a deal that suddenly arrived from left field, but it had been reported that Johnston was going to move out to South America for a fee around the £5m region.

It’s stated that a move fell through – according to reports from Brazil – over concerns emerging over the Republic of Ireland international’s long-term availability fitness-wise, with Johnston prone to significant time out of the Baggies side through injury.

This will have come as a devastating blow to Johnston, considering it was rumoured that the 26-year-old was in line to earn a whopping £1.2m a year at his new Rio De Janeiro home, as opposed to banking £650k a year at the Hawthorns.

It remains to be seen whether the 5-foot-9 winger will be content with staying put at the Championship side after such an ordeal, with the potential loss of Johnston obviously hurting Mason and Co. after he fired home a promising three strikes in league action last season, even as West Brom’s promotion push fell to the wayside.

However, not all hope will be lost if Johnston does move on to another suitor down the line, especially if Mason can flex his past Tottenham Hotspur connections to land this rising North London talent to replace the outgoing Irishman.

Mason's dream Johnston replacement

West Brom has been a hotbed for some exciting, young talent from the Premier League in the not-so-distant past, with Romelu Lukaku once calling the Hawthorns his temporary sanctuary on loan away from parent side Chelsea.

Mikey Moore could be the next future star that gets his senior career up and running in style in the West Midlands, with reports last month speculating that the 17-year-old Spurs prodigy is being looked at by the new Baggies boss, having worked with the teenage sensation when coaching at the Premier League side.

He has already made a splash in the senior side at Thomas Frank’s men, with this sublime solo strike in Europa League action kickstarting his men’s career at Spurs, but he will be desperate for more long-standing first-team opportunities if a move to the Hawthorns is finalised.

Moore might well be ready to take over from Johnston down the left wing if given the chance to do so, with the 17-year-old’s main skills resting on his ability to play across a wide array of attacking positions – away from his blistering powers of picking up goals and assists for fun – including down the ex-Celtic man’s trusty left-hand side.

LW

18

4

6

AM

8

6

4

CF

7

11

4

RW

6

1

0

Indeed, when looking at the above table, it’s clear that Moore can shine all across the attacking positions. But, his preferred position does look to be on the left wing, with a stunning four goals and six assists coming his way here from 18 outings in the English capital.

Therefore, any gaping hole left behind by Johnston down the line could be effectively filled in by the “future superstar”, as he’s been referred to by football analyst Ben Mattinson previously.

After all, he has also been donned as “fearless” by Spurs teammate James Maddison recently, meaning he could take to the pressures of being one of West Brom’s main options here in his stride, with the troubling issue of Johnston wanting to move on resolved by this promising loan capture.

The new Brunt: West Brom eyeing EFL star with 119 Championship appearances

West Bromwich Albion could sign their next Chris Brunt by picking up this phenomenal EFL performer.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 7, 2025

Celtic are on track to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch this week with a deal for FC Nordsjaelland winger Benjamin Nygren moving closer.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims that the Hoops are close to agreeing a fee with the Danish side for the Sweden international, in a move that is expected to cost around £2m.

The journalist states that there is a desire from all parties to get a deal over the line and that talks are progressing well, as Brendan Rodgers looks to add another forward to his attacking arsenal.

Nygren scored 15 goals in 30 matches in the Danish Superliga during the 2024/25 campaign, as a left-footed right winger, and could compete with Nicolas Kuhn for a place in the team next season at Parkhead.

The Swedish star may not be the only winger to arrive in Glasgow before the end of the summer transfer window, though, as they are also eyeing up a left-winger.

Celtic have interest in Norwegian forward

According to the Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers wants further attacking signings on top of the pending arrival of Nygren, with a couple of left-sided forwards on the club’s radar.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that Norway U21 international Sondre Orjasaeter is one of the wingers being eyed up by the Scottish giants, as they look to add more quality to their frontline options.

It states that the Sarpsborg star, who is valued at £7m by his club, is a long-term target for the Scottish Premiership champions, alongside Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

This should be good news for the Hoops faithful because Orjasaeter would be a signing that is just as exciting as Nygren if they can get a deal over the line before the end of the window.

Why Sondre Orjasaeter is as exciting as Benjamin Nygren

Nygren is an exciting addition because of his impressive goal tally of 15 goals in 30 league games, but the 23-year-old has only provided three assists in his last 50 outings in the Superliga.

Orjasaeter may not be a winger who is going to score 15 goals in a season, which is why Nygren is particularly exciting, as he has only scored six league goals since the start of the 2024 Eliteserien campaign.

However, the Norwegian starlet offers creativity as well as a goal threat from the left flank, and is two years younger than the Swedish forward at the age of 21.

Orjasaeter has created seven ‘big chances’ and delivered two assists in seven Eliteserien outings in the 2025 campaign to date, after he caught the eye in last year’s season.

xG

4.01

Top 26%

Goals

5

Top 18%

Shots on target

30

Top 1%

Assists

5

Top 16%

xA

6.31

Top 11%

Chances created

52

Top 11%

As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old starlet ranked very highly in the Norwegian top-flight as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his side, and was let down by wasteful finishing from his teammates.

Orjasaeter, who was dubbed a “highly valued player” by Sarpsborg sporting director Hampus Andersson, is a winger who provides a decent goal threat, but also brings the ability to consistently unlock opposition defences with his creativity.

This is why he is as exciting as Nygren, despite the disparity between their respective goal outputs, because they could both offer a lot of quality at the top end of the pitch for the Hoops, albeit in different ways.

Celtic can land bigger signing than Schlupp in move for "incredible" star

Celtic have progressed in their attempts to sign a left-back who would be even better than Jeffrey Schlupp.

ByDan Emery Jun 14, 2025

It is now down to the club to ensure that they get transfers over the line for both of these wingers in the coming days and weeks, to give Rodgers plenty to work with next season.

Manchester United restored some sense of pride on the final day of the Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen, who scored from the spot, both got on the scoresheet to secure three points for the Red Devils after their disappointment in Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim delivered his speech to the supporters inside the ground after the full-time whistle and stated that Manchester United can overcome any situation and that they will strive to bring success back to the club next term.

United ended the 2024/25 campaign with no trophies added to the cabinet, and they will be without European football next season, which could also be seen as a potential positive to ease their schedule and allow them to focus on domestic success.

In order to get the club competing at the top of the table again, though, Amorim will need to be backed by the board to improve his squad, as the current players have simply not delivered enough on the pitch.

One player who should be replaced, as a regular starter at the very least, is centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund, who has not done enough to suggest that he can be relied on.

Why Manchester United need to replace Rasmus Hojlund

The Danish marksman arrived from Atalanta in the summer of 2023 in a deal that was reported to be worth up to £72m, which immediately put high expectations on the striker.

However, Hojlund had only scored nine goals in the Serie A during the 2022/23 campaign and arrived at Old Trafford as a young striker with the potential to improve, rather than a ready-made star who was likely to hit the ground running.

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old attacker has not kicked on in the way that the club would have hoped for when they decided to splash a significant amount of money on his services two years ago.

Appearances

30

32

xG

7.64

5.24

Goals

10

4

Minutes per goal

217

506

Big chances created

0

4

Assists

2

0

As you can see in the table above, Hojlund had a fairly decent first year in the Premier League with a return of ten goals in 30 games, but he has regressed throughout his United career to date, scoring just four times in the league this season.

A return of four league goals and zero assists in 32 appearances is simply not good enough. Not good enough for the Red Devils, and not good enough for a striker who was signed for £72m two years ago.

This is why Amorim must look to replace Hojlund as a starter, either with a player in the squad or by dipping into the summer transfer window. However, one player who may not come in to replace him is reported target Viktor Gyokeres.

Why Man Utd may not sign Viktor Gyokeres

Despite working with the United boss at Sporting, the Sweden international may not be a realistic target for the Premier League giants this summer after they failed to secure European football.

Prior to the Europa League final, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano suggested that moves for Victor Osimhen and Gyokeres could be taken off the table by a failure to land a Champions League place due to financial limitations.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The reporter said: “He loves Gyokeres and Gyokeres loves Amorim, for sure. But for Man Utd we say it for [Victor] Osimhen and for Gyokeres too – it depends on the budget, how much they can invest, how much they can spend and what happens with European football.”

Sporting’s star number nine has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal, who will both be in the Champions League next season, which could make it incredibly difficult for United to outbid them or convince the striker to pick a move to Old Trafford over playing European football.

Failing to sign Gyokeres would be a shame, given that the 26-year-old star has scored 96 goals and provided 28 assists in 101 matches for Sporting, but Amorim could forget about Hojlund and the former Coventry City ace by unleashing Kobbie Mainoo in a new role.

The new role Kobbie Mainoo should play for Man Utd

Whilst this may sound like a crazy idea at face value, playing a central midfielder up front as an alternative to signing a striker with 96 goals in 101 games, it is a tactical move that could make sense for United in the short-term.

Teams have been successful in the past without having a natural number nine who scored 20-plus goals. Roberto Firmino, for example, only scored more than 12 Premier League goals in one of his seasons at Liverpool, and they won the title and the Champions League during his time there.

The Brazil international was so effective for Jurgen Klopp because he brought technical quality and ingenuity in a false nine role, which was perfectly complemented by having two inside forwards, in Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, who could deliver goals on a regular basis.

Mainoo, who was described as a “generational talent” by Hojlund, is a technically excellent footballer who can offer similar qualities to Firmino in that role, and United are reportedly closing in on Matheus Cunha, who would be perfect to play alongside the England international as part of a Klopp’s Liverpool-esque front three.

Appearances

33

25

Starts

29

19

xG

8.63

0.77

Goals

15

0

Big chances created

13

4

Assists

6

0

As you can see in the table above, the Wolves star has the goalscoring and creative quality to be a terrific addition as one of the number ten options behind the striker, which could make him the Salah or Mane to Mainoo’s Firmino.

Whilst the United star’s haul of zero goals and four ‘big chances’ created may not immediately catch the eye, he did create those chances in just 19 starts whilst mainly playing as a central midfielder, and the star showcased his composure and quality in the box against Lyon int the Europa League.

Mainoo scored three goals from just 0.89 xG in the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, which suggests that he does have the potential to finish chances efficiently, and he would have more opportunities to find the back of the net whilst playing as a false nine.

Therefore, United could forget about Hojlund and Gyokeres by unleashing the academy graduate in a new role next season, utilising his technical quality and intelligence to combine with the goalscoring quality that Cunha and Bruno Fernandes can provide behind him.

Man Utd agree personal terms to sign "amazing" Garnacho replacement

With Man Utd’s season at an end, all eyes turn toward the summer window and the future of Alejandro Garnacho

2 ByRobbie Walls May 26, 2025

This could be a cost-effective, short-term, solution to Amorim’s Hojlund problem, due to the financial blow of missing out on Europe, and save the club from having to spend money on a less-than-ideal striker alternative to their big targets, which could set them up to go big on a new number nine next year if they work their way back into European football.

2024/25 Championship table

Mon 21st Apr

Cardiff

Oxford

Mon 21st Apr

Hull

Preston

Mon 21st Apr

Leeds

Stoke

Mon 21st Apr

Luton

Bristol City

Mon 21st Apr

Millwall

Norwich

Mon 21st Apr

Plymouth

Coventry

Mon 21st Apr

Portsmouth

Watford

Mon 21st Apr

QPR

Swansea

Mon 21st Apr

Sheff Wed

Middlesbrough

Mon 21st Apr

Sunderland

Blackburn

Mon 21st Apr

West Brom

Derby

Mon 21st Apr

Burnley

Sheff Utd

The highest EFL Championship points totals

These are the best clubs to grace the second tier.

ByCharlie Smith May 17, 2025 Championship fixtures 25th-28th April

Fri 25th Apr

Stoke

Sheff Utd

8pm

Sat 26th Apr

Luton

Coventry

12.30pm

Sat 26th Apr

QPR

Burnley

12.30pm

Sat 26th Apr

Blackburn

Watford

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Cardiff

West Brom

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Hull

Derby

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Middlesbrough

Norwich

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Millwall

Swansea

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Oxford

Sunderland

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Preston

Plymouth

3pm

Sat 26th Apr

Sheff Wed

Portsmouth

3pm

Mon 28th Apr

Leeds

Bristol City

8pm

2025 winter transfer window: Every done deal from the Championship

Every winter transfer from the second tier can be found here.

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 3, 2025

A decorated practitioner yet part of the furniture, Southee could shine solo and also be the glue in the bowling attack

Andrew Miller13-Dec-2024Last week, the world of heavy metal was rocked by the retirement of Iron Maiden’s legendary drummer, Nicko McBrain, whose borderline-deranged repertoire of rolls, fills and syncopations earned him the occasional nickname of “The Octopus”, as he left barely a beat unstressed in 42 years of timekeeping for his behemoth of a band.This week, another titan of the global touring lifestyle will say his own farewell to the big stage -though it’s hard to imagine the grass banks at Hamilton’s bucolic Seddon Park will throb with quite the same acclaim as a Sao Paulo stadium packed with 50,000 metalheads. There will at least be a life-size “Sexy Camel” in attendance, for Tim Southee – much to his own bemusement – was also known to answer to an unlikely animalistic alias.Either way, Southee’s mighty New Zealand career has had plenty in common with that of a drummer, albeit one of a less frenetic variety. A good ball on a good length. From a good height, at a good pace. With a good amount of movement – predominantly away but, occasionally, back in as well. Maintain that beat for 774 wickets across 35,000 deliveries, three formats and 16 years. Thank you and goodnight.Related

Tim Southee joins England set-up as 'special skills consultant'

Tim Southee in line to replace Anderson as England bowling coach

Potts grinds away with the right attitude and skill, and a smile

'Almost the perfect performance' – Southee

Team-man Tim and the art of letting go

He’s had some glorious moments when he’s truly stolen the show, and some of the records he’s racked up along the way have long since gone platinum. Moreover, he’s been integral to the most sustained era of excellence in New Zealand’s cricketing history. And yet, Southee’s lack of a defining feature has been perhaps his most remarkable feature. When all is said and done, he is just as likely to be remembered for the space he left between his notes, for the room that his matchless rhythms granted for his team-mates to revel in the limelight.”I’ve had the privilege of playing pretty much all my Test matches with Timmy,” Tom Latham, New Zealand’s captain, said on the eve of his farewell match. “To see how he goes about things, day in day out, the longevity that he’s had as a seam bowler in New Zealand, to play the amount of Test matches that he has … we’ll certainly miss him, the dressing-room will miss him, but he is going to leave a legacy that I’m sure will go on for a long time.”Foremost among those who were elevated by his endurance, of course, was Trent Boult, the Broad to Southee’s Anderson, and New Zealand’s richest source of “look at me” displays throughout their combined haul of 541 wickets from 65 Tests. Never was this more telling than in March 2018, when Boult claimed four of the first five wickets, and six out of ten all told, as he and Southee combined to rout England for 58 at Eden Park.Try naming a better duo… if you have time for futile exercises•Hannah Peters/Getty ImagesAnd if that left-arm-inswing, right-arm-outswing alliance wasn’t enough of a challenge for opposition batters, there was Neil Wagner too (now there’s a heavy metal cricketer if ever there was one …) pounding the areas of the pitch that Southee’s full and probing methods had little reason to visit. Between that trio, and the freakish trajectories of Kyle Jamieson, now sadly hors de combat with a stress fracture, New Zealand’s seam attack was briefly the most complete in world cricket, and at precisely the right moment to land the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021.Perhaps it’s doing Southee a disservice to consider him, first and foremost, as a cog in New Zealand’s over-achieving machine. But in so many ways, his absences from the narrative are the killer details of his career. They speak volumes for his drive to stay competitive in the first instance, but also of his acceptance – particularly in white-ball cricket – that there were moments in his career when other players were simply better placed to take on that starring role.Take his two-year absence from New Zealand’s T20I plans between 2015-17, for instance – precisely the same timeframe in which both Broad and Anderson were binned off from England’s white-ball plans, never to return. Not only did Southee regain his place for 88 subsequent T20Is, up to and including the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean just gone, he bows out with a record 164 wickets in the format, a tally that only Mustafizur Rahman among seamers looks likely to challenge in a hurry.Test regulars on the motorway, T20 stars on the fast lane•Getty ImagesAnd similarly, when he was limited to a squad role for both the 2019 and 2023 50-over World Cups, despite having been one of the stand-out performers in New Zealand’s glorious run to the 2015 final, it was a testament to the standards that he’d inspired in his peers – most particularly Matt Henry, for so long the team’s understudy, but a man who is now set to inherit his Test mantle too, having racked up 61 Test wickets at 21.93 since taking over as Southee’s regular new-ball partner at the start of 2023.”If you sit still, the game will pass you by,” Southee told ESPNcricinfo in October last year. “You’re always looking at ways to continue to improve, so you can continue fulfilling the dream of playing this game. For me, I obviously don’t have out-and-out pace, so you need to stay with the game and figure out ways you can still be effective in all parts of the world.”He fulfilled that ambition magnificently, with his accolades including a ten-wicket haul against England at Lord’s in 2013, and career-best figures of 7 for 64 in Bengaluru some ten months earlier. His white-ball honours include two T20I hat-tricks, as well as New Zealand’s best figures in each of the shorter formats – including, at Wellington in the 2015 World Cup, a stunning haul of 7 for 33 to rout England, surely the most storied solo of his career.And yet, it’s arguably only now, as Southee’s career winds down and his lacking of cutting edge is exposed by the indefinable lack of “snap” in his action that has limited him to 15 wickets at 61.66 since the start of 2024, that the true extent of his influence can be appreciated. After all, there cannot be many players who arrived at international level quite so fully formed as Southee did, at Napier in March 2008. Hence it’s been nigh on impossible to judge him against the standard narrative arc that govern such long-term performers (including, it should be said, Anderson and Broad, whose own Test careers had begun in earnest just one Test earlier in Wellington).

“You couldn’t find one a bit more sexy?” The Sexy Camel Tim Southee meets the other “Sexy” Camel… #cricket #timsouthee #blackcaps #sexycamel pic.twitter.com/EZ4yR5VfAN

— The ACC (@TheACCnz) December 12, 2024