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Sunderland's fanbase have had more to cheer about over the last two seasons after getting promoted back to the Championship after four years in League One.

Following the departure of previous manager Alex Neil only a few games into the 2022/23 season, it looked like the Black Cats could make a quick return to League One, however, the arrival of vastly experienced manager Tony Mowbray changed that.

The former Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers manager guided Sunderland to an incredible sixth place last season, meaning they qualified for the playoffs, although they were knocked out in the playoffs by Luton Town.

This turn in form has helped the former Premier League side bring in some of the Championship’s top talent, such as Jobe Bellingham, who is the younger brother of England star and Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham.

However, it’s not always been plain sailing for the side who play at the Stadium of Light, while in the top division, they harboured some of the most disappointing signings in the Premier League, such as Jack Rodwell from Manchester City, although one of the worst of these signings came in 2013 when they brought in Danny Graham.

How much did Danny Graham cost?

Sunderland had a reasonable 2011/12 campaign, finishing 13th in the league with 45 points, and to try and thwart the possible threat of relegation in 2013 Sunderland spent £33m on transfers during the season.

Graham was one of the players recruited during the January window, costing the Black Cats £5m from Swansea.

After signing for the north east outfit, the then-27-year-old announced that he wouldn’t have wanted to move anywhere else.

He said:"As soon as I heard about the interest from Sunderland I didn't even have to consider any of the other options that were on the table.

"I was born and brought up in the north-east so I know first-hand the intense passion that people have for their football in this part of the world – it's special and there's nowhere else like it."

Name

Age

Fee

Steven Fletcher

25

£13m

Adam Johnson

25

£11m

Danny Graham

27

£5m

Alfred N'Diaye

22

£4m

Carlos Cuellar

30

Free

Louis Saha

34

Free

Kander Mangane

29

Loan

Danny Rose

22

Loan

What happened to Danny Graham?

The Englishman suffered a horrific time while at Sunderland, during his first spell with the club, he would make only 42 appearances and play 2.1k minutes over three seasons, scoring only one goal and providing four assists.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo in 2015 before his first goal, Graham was adamant that when he scored his first the goals would come flooding in.

He said: "It would be massive (to get that first goal). Obviously, as a striker you want to be scoring goals and doing well for your football club, but that's not been the case so far for me.

"I know that, I'm not going to hide. It's up to me to work hard and make sure I get in the positions and not shy away from an opportunity when it comes my way.

"Once one goes in, I'm sure a lot more will follow, but the most important thing is the team. We need to pick up points and make sure we're not going to struggle come the end of the season."

It would take until 2015 (more than two years after he signed) and over 20 games for Graham to score his first goal for Sunderland, in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Furthermore, in 2015 Graham was on £30k-per-week, which works out to £1.5m per year and if you combine that with the £5m fee, it means the Black Cats hierarchy paid a shocking £6.5m per goal he scored and paid £155k per appearance.

During his time with Sunderland Graham publicly came under fire from his managers – speaking in May 2013 to the Independent then manager Paolo Di Canio questioned if the striker could actually play football.

He commented: "When I arrived Danny, simply, was not fit

He was not fit enough to play in the Premier League, in my opinion. I do not want to point just the finger at him because that was a general thing.

"He had a long face as he walked around the field during the first few training sessions and I thought, 'Can he play football?’.”

Furthermore, in 2014 Gus Poyet revealed he had no choice but to loan out Graham.

He revealed: "It was a difficult situation for Danny to go into the team. You need something to happen – a cup game where you play and show something different, an injury, a sending-off, to have a chance.

"We didn't have enough time for Danny to have that opportunity”

Frustratingly for Sunderland fans, the 38-year-old went on to perform well for his next club Blackburn, where he played 191 times, scoring 57 goals and providing 24 assists.

Is Danny Graham Sunderland’s worst signing of all time?

Another failed signing in some of the darkest days of Sunderland’s history, was the £4m transfer of Will Grigg from Wigan in 2019.

The 32-year-old had played 150 times for the Tics, scoring 65 goals and providing 14 assists, making him an obvious target to try and pull the Black Cats out of League One.

However, this was not the case, the striker only played 62 times for Sunderland, scoring just eight goals and providing three assists, on top of this the Wearside club were unable to gain promotion and finished fifth.

Grigg signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Sunderland but went on long loan twice, first to MK Dons and then to Rotherham.

After moving to Rotherham in 2021 Grigg revealed to the Sunderland Echo that he never thought it was going to work at Sunderland.

He said: "It is just football and life in general. It just didn't work and it seems like it was never going to.

"Sunderland did not work out how everyone expected. It is one of those things. If I could put my finger on it, I would have changed it and made it work a long time ago.

"It is just one of things. I signed last minute and we lost in the play-off final and it did not quite happen"

Although Grigg’s time with Sunderland was poor – costing £500k per goal – it was nowhere near as bad as Graham’s £6.5m per goal price tag, which could make him the worst value for money transfer in Sunderland’s history.

Despite playing arguably his finest Test innings, Dean Elgar suggested too great a risk had been taken with player safety when play was allowed to continue

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers27-Jan-2018If Dean Elgar had his way, the Wanderers Test would have been abandoned before he was hit in the face in the ninth over of South Africa’s innings late on the third day. Play was called off 19 minutes before the scheduled close but resumed on the fourth morning. Elgar batted on to top-score with an unbeaten 86 but did not want any of those runs if it compromised his, or anyone else’s safety, and referred to Philip Hughes’ death in November 2014 as a warning of what could have happened on a pitch several former players have labelled unsuitable.”I do think [it should have been called off earlier]. On day three, the wicket didn’t play great. Batters got hit a hell of a lot of times. If there was a period to call it off, it was sooner,” Elgar said. “We had an incident of being hit in the head, where we could have had an incident of what happened in Australia. People want to watch Test cricket but we are also human beings. We are not just going to take blows and accept putting our bodies on the line. The situation could have been addressed sooner.”A Jasprit Bumrah delivery, that replays showed had pitched back of a length, hit Elgar under the grille and prompted the umpires to take the players off the field. In consultation with the match referee they decided the match would continue and reasons have yet to be given for their decision. Elgar, though, appeared a little dazed as the incident took place and then had a concussion test on the third evening and again on the fourth morning to determine whether he could bat on. He admitted he was happy to leave the field when he was hit and would have wanted to come off even earlier to avoid the blow.”I had already been peppered three or four times before that. I know what was spoken throughout the day and I know they had a feeling of this wicket not being the greatest. It was extremely freak,” Elgar said. “I’ve faced many fast bowlers before and I know the Wanderers wicket has that steep bounce, but I have never experienced it like that. Which obviously put a bit of doubt in the umpires’ minds. I can’t think I would have played it any better because if it was that short on a wicket with bounce, it would have gone way over my head and at least given me some time to get out of the way. It’s a freak moment and thankfully the umpires had sanity about the incident.”Dean Elgar lets one go•BCCIFaf du Plessis also saw that moment as the one that fuelled his worries about the pitch, which he repeatedly called excessive, but only once suggested was dangerous. “The only time I got a little bit concerned was when Dean got hit in the face. That’s when I got a little bit concerned for player safety,” du Plessis said. “Even in the Indian innings, there was quite a few guys that got hit on the finger quite regularly. I think if you count the number of times guys got hit, it was much more than usual. Excessive sideways movement is tough but not dangerous. As soon as guys started getting hit from a length, that’s when we thought it might be dangerous. But surprisingly the pitch played fine again today, today was fine.”Despite no work being carried out on the pitch overnight, it seemed a different surface on the fourth morning. The first session was incident-free, with 52 runs scored and no wickets. That was the session in which Elgar’s fight was at its finest. After an evening spent watching TV and “trying not to think about it too much” and seeing “Twitter enjoying my name”, Elgar played an innings in which he showed “incredible mental toughness” something his captain du Plessis admired greatly.”I think that is his biggest strength as a Test cricketer. He prides on being gritty, being tough, even being ugly and nasty at times. He likes that because it gets the best out of him. So he is a fighter, our little bulldog in the team,” du Plessis said. “To bat on a wicket like that, any guy that scored runs in this Test, from our side or theirs, had to play a really good innings. Mentally, it’s the biggest challenge after being hit a few times last night to come back this morning and put on a display of batting like he did was incredible.”Elgar admitted he was inspired by the level of difficulty because it required a different kind of batsman to succeed in the circumstances, someone less talented than the likes of AB de Villiers. “A lot of times in Test cricket you fight with yourself, especially on a wicket that is allowing seamers to be on top of you,” he said. “You’ve got to find another way to put your mind out of your current situation. I wish there was another way, but being knocked is not the worst thing I’ve ever been through in cricket. It is something that gets me a little feisty out there and it does create a tenacious aspect which I try and use to my fullest.”And at the end, Elgar was left to fend for himself not once, but twice, at the Wanderers, though the second time was less serious. After being brought to the post-match press conference alongside du Plessis and sitting through his captain’s question and answer session, Elgar watched du Plessis walk away when it was his turn to face the press.”Leaving me in the trenches again,” Elgar joked, as du Plessis walked away. “I’m used to it.”Despite being in favour of calling the match off, Elgar took a lot of pride from his efforts, even in a losing cause. “It’s nice bruises. At least I have something to show for this Test match. It’s a little personal reward I guess,” he said.

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares before the end of the summer transfer window, and a new update could give them more hope of signing him.

Do Aston Villa want to sign Nuno Tavares?

The Villans have already made some great signings this summer, with Pau Torres someone who will hopefully become a leader at the back, and Moussa Diaby an individual who should make them more potent in attack, following a bright start.

Another player who has been seen as a possible addition is Tavares, with reports in recent days suggesting a move to Villa Park could come to fruition before next Friday's transfer cutoff.

The 23-year-old seemingly has no future at Arsenal, having spent last season on loan at Marseille, with Mikel Arteta not considering him an important part of his plans moving forward. The left-back is now in a race against time to secure a move elsewhere in the coming days, and a fresh update further hints at Villa being his next destination.

What's the latest on Nuno Tavares to Aston Villa?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Ben Jacobs admitted that Tavares likes the idea of moving to Villa this summer and a move appears to be progressing, although there are personal terms still to be ironed out:

"The player has made it clear to Arsenal that he would like to stay in the Premier League, which is why the Aston Villa move is of appeal. For Forest, I think that one is now as good as dead.

"The other thing to say in all of this is just there would still be some work to do on personal terms as well. It's one to watch between now and the end of the window, but things are obviously progressing. On the Tavares side, regardless of where he goes, it's clear that he doesn't have a future at Arsenal."

Admittedly, Tavares' time at Arsenal hasn't panned out the way he hoped it would, but there is no shame in not making it at such a huge club, especially with someone like Oleksandr Zinchenko ahead of him in the left-back pecking order, among others.

The Portuguese could be an astute signing by Villa, though, coming as someone who can push Lucas Digne for minutes, particularly with the current first-choice left-back not exactly thriving in the role since arriving from Everton.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

At 23, Tavares, you'd think, still has much more improving to do as a player, and he could flourish so much more by being handed more minutes. With Unai Emery having to juggle his squad across four different competitions in 2023/24, there would surely be plenty of scope for enjoying a healthy amount of action.

The Gunners man enjoyed a good spell at Marseille, with a "dream" debut being hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, not to mention six goals coming his way in 23 starts in Ligue 1. That attacking threat could be a great addition to Villa's squad, and the fact that BBC pundit Garth Crooks has called him "brilliant" in the past is another sign that he could be a strong signing.

Looking to strengthen before the summer transfer window slams shut, Leeds United could reportedly turn their attention to the Premier League as they attempt to build a squad capable of promotion at the first time of asking.

So far this summer, Daniel Farke has welcomed a total of four new arrivals, with the pick of the bunch being Joe Rodon on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, however, the Yorkshire club could reportedly turn to Jonjo Shelvey.

What's the latest on Jonjo Shelvey to Leeds United?

According to reports, Leeds are considering making a move for out-of-favour Nottingham Forest midfielder Shelvey this summer. The former Newcastle United man is yet to make an appearance for Steve Cooper's side this season, and missed the final part of the last campaign after a reported bust-up with the manager.

Now, Leeds could swoop in to end a saga to forget for the Englishman, after they recently lost Tyler Adams to Bournemouth, leaving them in need of a midfielder, as per Teamtalk.

With plenty of experience to his name, it would certainly be interesting to see Shelvey make the move to Elland Road this summer. If he does stay at Forest, game-time looks unlikely to come his way anytime soon.

Should Leeds United sign Jonjo Shelvey?

Replacing a 24-year-old midfielder with a 31-year-old player who was frozen out at the back end of last season is far from a good look on paper for Leeds. However, Shelvey's experience could be crucial in a young squad at Elland Road.

The likes of Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray could undoubtedly do with a bit of guidance in the middle of the park to combine with their youthful fearlessness. So, whilst Shelvey is far from a star player, he could yet play a pivotal part if he made the move to the Yorkshire club.

It's worth noting, too, that the midfielder has experience of earning promotion from the Championship after securing the league title with Newcastle back in the 2016/17 season.

When at his best, Shelvey has earned plenty of praise, too, including from former Hull City man Michael Dawson, who said on Sky Sports, via Nottingham Forest News: "He certainly creates chances, he gets on the ball and makes things happen. That’s something that Forest in the first 60 minutes, or even in previous games, have been missing.

“He will get on the ball in the middle of the field, he’s got a wide range of passes, he’s a very confident player. Not just confident, he can execute that pass when he sees it, if it’s a long-range one he can hit that.”

So far this season, Leeds have struggled for control in some areas and have, therefore, failed to get off to an emphatic start.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

In their opening three games, Farke's side have struggled, failing to win a single game, with draws against Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion, as well as a surprise defeat at the hands of Birmingham City.

Shelvey could bring some much-needed calm to what is a rocky ship at Elland Road, if he does end up making the move this summer.

Ben Stokes’ trip to New Zealand sparked speculation that he could be involved in England’s Ashes campaign but that prospect is all but over

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2017Ben Stokes has concluded his spell with Canterbury and returned to the UK for Christmas. When Stokes flew to New Zealand last month, it sparked speculation that he could be involved in England’s Ashes campaign but, with the series lost and the CPS still determining whether to press charges against the allrounder for his part in a fight in September, that prospect is all but over.Canterbury said that Stokes was leaving for “family reasons” and that he would always be welcome to return. Stokes played in three Ford Trophy matches, with scores of 2, 34 and 0 to go with one wicket, as well as three Super Smash games, one of which saw him hammer 93 off 47 balls.”Ben has been great around the club, the team and the staff,” Canterbury CEO, Jez Curwin, said. “We can’t fault his attitude or his all-round contribution in his time with us and we are sorry that he couldn’t stay with us for longer but Ben knows that he will always find a welcome here should the opportunity arise for him to return.”Stokes travelled to New Zealand to spend time with family – he was born in Christchurch and his parents live there – as well as gain some playing time while the police investigation into his night out in Bristol continued. Stokes was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and has not been considered for England selection since, although he was named in England’s one-day squad to face Australia next month.”I have thoroughly enjoyed training and playing with Canterbury,” Stokes said. “Everyone here has gone out of their way to make me feel at home. It’s a wonderful club and I couldn’t have asked for any more from my time here.”

West Ham United are interested in strengthening their squad with yet another midfielder.

Who have West Ham already signed?

The Hammers have already signed Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, but Lucas Paqueta wants to join Manchester City, and Flynn Downes is set to join Southampton on loan.

As a result, there could still be room for one or two more new faces in the Irons side.

Indeed, according to Express Sport, the east Londoners are exploring the possibility of signing a third midfielder in the summer window, with one Burnley man touted as a possible option.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The outlet revealed that West Ham have held ‘initial discussions’ over a permanent deal for 27-year-old Josh Brownhill, who captained the Clarets to Premier League promotion last term.

Several unnamed clubs are also keenly tracking Brownhill, but West Ham’s added incentive of Europa League football is thought to ‘give them the edge’ in the race for the Englishman.

What are Josh Brownhill's best qualities?

Brownhill has been at Burnley since 2020, but last season was undoubtedly his brightest, serving as a simple explanation for West Ham’s interest.

In August 2022, manager Vincent Kompany predicted the former Bristol City man to have a hugely influential campaign, saying: “Keeping Brownhill this season was crucial and he was ready for the responsibility to become a key player.

“I still see some growth in his game. I don’t want to talk him up too far but he can be one of the players of the Championship if he stays on this road this season.”

Brownhill emphatically supported the Belgian’s praise with a glittering season of consistency. He started 41 Championship games and ranked highest in the squad for a number of metrics including the most assists (8), most tackles per game (2.2), and the most key passes per game (1.8).

The wonderfully accomplished nature of his play has blessed the 5 foot 11 engine with a formidable reputation.

Wolverhampton Wanderers legend has showered the all-rounder in praise, describing him as a “top-class” player.

Brownhill clearly demonstrated that he is comfortably above the required level in the Championship and would be a useful option in a Premier League side. This has been recognised by West Ham, who are undergoing a notable midfield overhaul as they attempt to compensate for the loss of Declan Rice and the impending departure of Paqueta.

One West Ham midfielder who is definitely staying is Tomas Soucek. On Tuesday, it was confirmed that Czech has signed a new four-year deal at the London Stadium, keeping him at West Ham until the summer of 2027.

However, his form and usefulness will create question marks over his value to the team.

Ultimately, for the 60-cap international this boils down to his contributions to offensive sequences of play. Since joining West Ham, he has become renowned for his physicality, height, and heading ability and in the 2020/21 season he managed to net ten Premier League goals.

However, particularly last term, his attacking influence has deteriorated, as the 6 foot 4 mountain notched just two goals.

Unfortunately for the player, he is unable to cover for this with any kind of technical ability, as he dismally ranks within the lowest 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90, progressive passes per 90, and progressive carries per 90.

Although he sits within the best 26% for tackles and is a major contributor to the defensive effort, Brownhill’s tackling from last season, coupled with his 15 goal involvements, show that he is able to match and outperform Soucek in these areas, whilst also offering infinitely more agility and athleticism.

The addition of Brownhill could create a selection headache for David Moyes by offering an attractive new avenue of play.

Matt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland and then saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy his first-slip position

Daniel Brettig13-Nov-2017Getty ImagesMatt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland. He also saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy for New South Wales the first slip position which the 21-year-old had occupied solidly over his first 10 Tests.In making a start before edging a typically precise Trent Copeland delivery behind to Peter Nevill, Renshaw added 16 to a recent red-ball sequence of scores that reads 45, 5, 4, 22, 17, 16, 1 and 19 since the first Test in Bangladesh. Such has been the debate around his place, with the Western Australia coach Justin Langer piling on the pressure among others, that Renshaw’s opening partner David Warner advised him to “steer clear of the newspapers”.”I want him to score runs this week. He has been under a bit of pressure this week, there has been a bit of talk in the media,” Warner said about Renshaw before the game. “You have to keep putting the numbers on the board. As a youngster, I would be steering clear of newspapers this week.”However, there was an even more tangible sign of shifting opinions when Renshaw walked out to bat. Smith, who typically fields at second slip whenever Copeland is in the NSW Shield XI and did so most recently in the opening round against South Australia, had swapped from second to first for this match, his last before the Gabba Test. The move indicated Smith felt a need to prepare for a different role from the one he generally fills as captain of Australia, and an indicator the selectors may be about to jettison Renshaw.More certainty was provided by the No. 3 Usman Khawaja, dropped in Bangladesh but in sturdy touch, while providing the spinal contribution of a Queensland innings that otherwise struggled for traction on a well-grassed Allan Border Field pitch that offered seam movement and the odd bit of variable bounce.Khawaja’s duel with Nathan Lyon was particularly arresting, while Copeland and Doug Bollinger also made the ball move around. NSW also found it difficult when they batted in the evening session, losing Nic Maddinson, Warner and then Smith in the final over of the day to a ball that leapt at him from Jack Wildermuth and was taken at short leg. Smith indicated the ball may have hit the arm rather than bat.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has provided an update on the future of Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.

The Englishman has failed to hit the heights expected since his big-money switch from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.

What is the latest Jadon Sancho news?

Sancho could be the subject of late interest this window.

That is according to Caught Offside and Andrew Walker, who revealed that Aston Villa are one of the clubs considering a move for the England international just two years removed from his £73m move to Old Trafford. Following the long-term injury to Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, the Villains may need to delve back into the market to replace him, and Sancho might be seen by Unai Emery as the solution. The Midlands club aren't the only side interested in the former Dortmund star, with a number of sides in the Premier League and across Europe also interested in securing his signature.

Manager Erik ten Hag is open to letting the 23-year-old depart this summer should a reasonable offer be received, however, the Dutch manager would want reassurances that the funds would be reinvested in the squad, suggesting that any interested clubs should move quickly to avoid a change of heart from the former Ajax manager.

Sancho has featured prevalently this pre-season for the Red Devils as a false 9, and could be handed an opportunity in the role in United's opening game against Wolves, with Ten Hag stating about his striking options ahead of the game "Anthony Martial is available as well. Jadon Sancho can play there as well, he did it in pre-season very well. The squad can deal with it, as I already said this. There is a strategy behind it."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Galletti revealed that United are expecting to be busy in the coming days regarding the departure of both Sancho and Anthony Martial, with the club confident of receiving offers for the players before the window closes.

He said: "Manchester United are expecting to be busy when it comes to the exits of Martial and Sancho in the next days. In fact, in the event of a suitable offer for these two players, it will be seriously considered and evaluated. A farewell for Martial and Sancho is possible. Man Utd are confident of receiving some offers for both of them, especially in the second part of August and close to deadline day."

Should Manchester United sell Jadon Sancho?

It doesn't seem like a smart move for United to let go of Sancho now. Especially as he was one of the shining stars vs Wolves after his introduction, with him receiving one of the highest ratings in the team.

The player now seems to have found a role in the United squad in the false nine position, receiving the ball deep and creating in a midfield position. It was a timely discovery for the player, with reports stating that his manager had "ran out of patience" with the player operating in wide areas. Sancho's best performances last campaign often came when deployed more centrally, with Ten Hag stating after his performance against Leicester City, stating in the post-match interview "Today when you see he is coming on in the midfield position now, great runs, great passes, good in possession and also, especially the one that gives me a lot of joy, defensive transition."

The issue for the player would be game time. Clearly no longer favoured in the wide areas, his opportunities for playing time could be limited in the middle due to the presence of club captain Bruno Fernandes and new summer signing Rasmus Hojlund. However, he brings something to this United side that no one else offers and that could be the key that keeps him at Old Trafford this summer.

Essex have promoted Anthony McGrath to the position of head coach as successor to Chris Silverwood

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2017Essex have promoted Anthony McGrath to the position of head coach after Chris Silverwood, who led the club to their first Championship title in 25 years, stepped down to take up the role of bowling coach with England.McGrath was part of the set-up under Silverwood and is widely respected at Essex, who became the first team in 12 years to win Division One immediately after being promoted. McGrath joined as assistant in 2016, after the departure of Paul Grayson, and focused on working with Essex’s batsmen.He was favourite to succeed Silverwood, who caught the attention of England after two impressive seasons in charge at Chelmsford. A new assistant for McGrath, who will have responsibility for overseeing the bowlers, will be appointed in due course.”I am absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity, and really excited to get started,” McGrath said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years at the club so far and I am honoured to take over the head coach role at such a great county.”The club have put faith in me to take over the excellent job Chris did and really continue the success we have had over the last couple of years. I am thrilled, obviously we will miss Chris, but it is now time to move forward and I can’t wait to get back with the squad.””I don’t think much needs to change from the formula Chris and myself introduced a couple of years ago. Obviously I will put my own stamp on things, but we have a competitive squad of homegrown players who are all passionate about the club.”We know we need to keep improving, as people will target us now we are champions, but that is normal. Every single one of us needs to keep raising the bar as we can’t stand still and I will be working hard to make sure we all do that. If we improve ourselves every day over the winter and bring it into the season, we won’t be far away from success in all competitions.”A former Yorkshire allrounder, McGrath was capped in four Tests and 14 ODIs by England. He retired in 2013 and was took on the role of coaching consultant with Yorkshire before moving south to link up with Silverwood at Essex. Their first season in charge saw Essex promoted as Division Two champions.Derek Bowden, Essex’s chief executive, said: “Having had discussions with Anthony following Chris’ departure, it was clear he had the knowledge and passion to lead this club forward. He was an integral part of the success over the past two years and brings a continuity that we were keen to implement.”The players know how he works, we know how he works and ultimately he was the outstanding candidate to take the club forward. Now it is important he brings in the right assistant head bowling coach alongside him, and we will be working hard to fill this position in the coming weeks.”

Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow hasn't made the move from Champions League playing Newcastle United to just "sit on the bench" this season, according to The Athletic's Phil Hay.

Will Karl Darlow replace Illan Meslier at Leeds United this summer?

After a few months of bad news and general misery for Leeds and their supporters, the team managed to inject a bit of life and hope back into the club after fighting back from 2-0 down to earn a hard-fought draw against Cardiff City on the opening weekend of the Championship season.

That said, the fact that the side went 2-0 down to a club that just managed to avoid relegation to the third tier by the skin of their teeth last season is still a significant concern, and one of the players that did little to help their case was goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

While he wasn't directly at fault for any of the goals, he was still unimpressive and could have done better with the first goal, with Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross giving him just a five out of ten for his performance.

Read the latest Leeds United transfer news HERE…

The Frenchman will need to do better than that over the next few games, as with the £400,000 signing of Darlow from Newcastle last month, his spot is likely to be under serious threat from the former Nottingham Forest man, per Phil Hay.

He gave his opinion on The Square Ball YouTube channel, saying:

"Darlow I think will come into the frame before long I don't really don't think Farke has signed him to sit on the bench."

How old is Karl Darlow?

Born October 8 1990, the former Newcastle keeper is 32-years-old, which while just beyond the peak years for a goalkeeper – according to The Athletic – is a good age for a team's number one and should he perform well for the Whites, he could be there for several years to come.

Worryingly for Meslier, the Englishman has already demonstrated his ability to perform to a high level in the second tier on multiple occasions in his career, most recently with Hull City.

In his 12 appearances for the Tigers last season, he maintained a passing accuracy of 76.3%, won one Man-of-the-Match award and averaged a respectable match rating of 6.87, per WhoScored.

In fact, in his four spells in the Championship, he has never dipped below an average rating of 6.72, proving that he is more than equipped to step between the sticks should even the faintest opportunity present itself.

While he might've not quite had the quality to firmly establish himself as the Magpies' number one following their takeover and rise up the league, he certainly had his moments in the famous black and white, with club legend Alan Shearer lauding him for a particular performance against defending champions Liverpool in 2020, when he said:

"He should be very, very proud of his performance. When required, he came up with the goods. He was big and strong. He just kept them out. There was no way they were going to get past him this evening.

"The defenders in front of him had to work extremely hard, but when they got past the defenders he was just exceptional, superb."

Watching the battle for Leeds' number-one shirt this season will undoubtedly be enjoyable, but if Hay is correct, the writing may be on the wall for Meslier.