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Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says the upcoming friendlies against Guinea and France provide an opportunity to "improve our possession-based football".O'Neill's side will aim to put the disappointment of March's World Cup play-off defeat by Italy behind them when they travel to face Guinea and France.NI are attempting to build momentum ahead of the Nations League campaign, where they have been drawn alongside Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine."Just to enjoy the game and try and get as many players as we can involved in the game," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI, when asked what the goals of the friendlies were."To see the further development of the team. I think as we develop as a team now, our possession-based football, maybe to see an improvement in that a little bit as our out-of-possession football has been excellent."Every time we get together, you're hoping that we can further develop. The group is extremely young, it gives us an opportunity to bring younger players and get them around and just integrate as many young players as possible."Despite the inclusion of uncapped teenagers Braiden Graham and Ceadach O'Neill making headlines, O'Neill added that he is "not putting any expectation" on either player.Graham has been included after scoring 22 goals in 31 appearances for Everton's under-21 side, while O'Neill impressed in Arsenal's academy.However, neither have made a senior appearance at their clubs despite featuring on the bench."We're not putting any expectation on these lads that are here," O'Neill continued."They've been in our underage system. They're still yet to play first team football with their respective clubs, but they're obviously both at big clubs."The next phase for them, the next two or three years is very important. That 18 to 21 period in their career will determine a lot of whether they come through at their respective clubs or whether they go through the loan period."A lot of variables in there, but we're here to let them know that they're very much in our plans."NI face Guinea in Spain on 4 June before travelling to take on France four days later in their final match before the World Cup.Guinea are ranked 10 places below Northern Ireland in the Fifa rankings with the sides set to meet for the first time in their history.O'Neill added that they have "done the same level of work that we would try to do in a competitive game" despite footage being hard to access."The footage is not as readily accessible, but we know that they're a team that most of their players are obviously connected to European clubs and they play at different levels throughout Europe," he added."We know that a lot of their players will have come through the French system as well."So, we know it will be a tough game against an athletic team [with] a relatively new coach as well, a Portuguese coach, so we know that it will be a tough test."

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1 CommentsWales and Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams says he has enjoyed the demands of a marathon season but is looking forward to a well-earned break.The 25-year-old played the full game as Wales drew 1-1 in a friendly against World Cup-bound Ghana in Cardiff.Williams is now set for his 63rd game of the season for club and country if he lines up against Romania in a friendly in Bucharest on Saturday."It is tiring, but this is what we get paid to do and we enjoy it as well, so I'm happy with that," Williams said."As a footballer you want to play as many games as possible."If I played only a couple of games then I wouldn't be happy, but to play that amount of games means you're doing something well."Williams was a key player for Forest last term, playing in 53 games as they maintained their Premier League status and reached the Europa League semi-finals.He was named Forest's player of the season and the City Ground club have opened talks with the Wrexham-born player over a contract extension."It's physically and mentally tough, but we're professional enough to deal with what gets put in front of us," Williams added."If that's games every other few days or the travelling, we're prepared for that and I've enjoyed it."I'll be going straight on holiday, having a few cocktails and putting my feet up on the beach."We'll get a couple of weeks off and then straight back into it."Bellamy sees Koumas future at centre-forwardFormer Liverpool defender Williams was pleased that current Anfield player Koumas – who spent the season on loan at Hull City – scored his first goal for Wales."He's been waiting for that moment for a while now," Williams said."I'm glad he's got it. I'm glad I assisted it."We had a few chances and on another night we score more goals. But we have to take the positives, build on that, and then just focus now on the next one."We know our summer record hasn't been the best, so we want to finish the season off with a win."

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John McGinn packed an European plug adaptor. Lyndon Dykes follows Ryan Christie around like a dog. Liam Kelly shaves Grant Hanley's back. Often.Turns out you can learn a lot about the squad who have ended Scotland's 28-year wait for a World Cup appearance while in a Florida hotel ballroom on their media day. Perhaps too much.Steve Clarke has brought his players to hot and humid Fort Lauderdale for a pre-tournament camp to acclimatise themselves to the conditions they'll face in their Boston matches against Haiti and Morocco, and especially against Brazil in Miami.On Tuesday, they had a few hours of their busy schedule blocked out for Fifa's content day, when the players pose for photos and perform their celebrations in front of big green screens.Maybe the heat was playing havoc with them, or they'd just had enough at that stage, but they were in the mood to expose their pals' biggest secrets, worst traits and what they truly think of them.So meet the Scotland squad in their own words...Gordon to be oldest player at World Cup but Gunn handed No 1What's the weirdest thing in your suitcase, boys?Findlay Curtis' massage gun didn't sound that odd, while the ever-reliable Kenny McLean's certainty that there "wasn't anything too weird" wavered the more that he thought about it.Christie is trying to improve and track his sleep so has brought his oura ring and some nose tape - thankfully he's not sharing a room with anyone, not even Dykes - while Kelly has his red-light sunglasses with him.The likely third-choice goalkeeper also conceded he "needs to bring something to the party" after being named the squad's hype-man by a few team-mates.Then there's Europa League-winning captain McGinn. He perhaps brought the same bag he took to Istanbul a week or two ago as he brought European adaptors to the United States."It was just a mistake!" he protested.The BBC can confirm Scotland's vice-captain has since invested in the appropriate appliances.There can be no mistakes made when picking your plane partner, though. It's a long flight from Glasgow to Miami, after all.Defender Hanley - who McGinn described as "a bear" - "takes up too much room" for Christie's liking, while 19-year-old Curtis is "me times 100" according to the Villa captain."His energy's been infectious; he's a brilliant addition to the squad," McGinn said. "A character, but I wouldn't like to sit next to him."Instead he sat with Kelly for the trip and got stuck into a few games of Traitors, Uno and Wolf. Something which late addition Tyler Fletcher impressed in.Curtis perhaps knows the son of Darren best from their time in the youth set-up, and he confidently proclaimed him "a loser".It didn't take long to get the sense that the younger cohort - who all respected their elders by calling them "experienced, cause I can't say old" when asked to describe the likes of Craig Gordon and Hanley - are comedy gold.Ben Gannon-Doak was the worst person to sit with, reckoned Curtis. "He doesn't stop talking," the Rangers youngster said.So who did he sit beside? Gannon-Doak. And plans to do the same on the way to New York for Saturday's final friendly against Bolivia.Christie and Dykes - who McGinn said can’t be separated “but it’s not Christie’s choice" - are likely to watch the two final episodes of Netflix series, Legends. "No spoilers, please" asks the former.Curtis will be having a laugh "with my best mate".Hanley - or "Grizz" to back-shaver Kelly - might not be calling McLean his pal after exposing that story - "the big man needs it, grows quickly".Christie, meanwhile, has never been able to get his head around "leader, legend" Andy Robertson's pre-match meal. "Some weird chicken sandwich thing".It's pancakes for Christie, while John Souttar is the barista to McGinn.We all know Scott McTominay has made the switch to the Italian life seamless, so a coffee was in hand at all times during the content day. Except when it was his turn in the body scanner for VAR use.McTominay knows how to work the camera, thought. He's the “biggest poser” according to both Christie and Kelly.“There's a lot of product in Anthony Ralston's hair,” countered McLean. "He's enjoying himself."”The diva“ George Hirst was the choice of biggest poser from McGinn, who also used the words “moany, thick, halfway line and bald” to describe four other team-mates. The love in the air was palpable.Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Plenty of women watch the men’s tournament but are yet to translate fandom to the women’s game – will that change this summer?The NWSL’s 14th regular season wrapped up match week 10 of 27 over the weekend, officially commencing a month-long break to honor the terms of their collective bargaining agreement (which stipulates a week-long intermission during the season) and a pause from play for the opening phase of the men’s World Cup.So, how will the World Cup break affect the NWSL? And could it provide a boost to the league?With the first 48-team, three-country men’s tournament just eight days away, the USWNT center-back Tierna Davidson joked on a recent podcast episode: “Well listen, it’s going to affect this summer in terms of traffic. I do know that.”Beyond traffic, the NWSL announced the prolonged pause last summer due in part to expected logistical challenges in host cities. Per a league announcement: “With seven of the league’s 16 markets hosting World Cup programming, the NWSL is proactively adjusting its scheduling framework to accommodate expected stadium demands.”Before the 2026 season NWSL commissioner, Jessica Berman, acknowledged the logistical headache to Sports Business Journal, saying: “We’re making lemonade out of lemons. Obviously, it wouldn’t be our choice to not have access to our venues. It’s challenging operationally and logistically … That said, there’s an opportunity.”During the World Cup break and throughout the summer, the NWSL (which remains home to the majority of the four-time world champions’ roster, including 22 of 26 players in Emma Hayes’s most recent squad, accounting for injuries and the momentous return of the former Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps) hopes to capture a new audience while the eyes of the football world rest their gaze upon the US.Berman said: “Our specific focus for the 2026 season is to make sure that our games are in front of and our product are in front of people who love elite soccer, agnostic to whether it is men or women, knowing that the NWSL is the best league in the world.”Berman’s belief in the allure of women’s football for the agnostic football watcher is wise; despite historical marketing strategies that focused only on women, or at times perhaps over-emphasized the “inspire young girls” angle, research over the past decade indicates that viewership for the Women’s World Cup, and women’s sports in general, either reflects an even split by gender or can skew male.For example, a YouGov survey from the 2023 Women’s World Cup reported that men were two to three times more likely to be following the tournament than their female counterparts, depending on the country. More recently, as ESPN moved to replace its Sunday night baseball series with this year’s Women’s Sports Sundays highlighting the WNBA and NWSL, ESPN vice-president of women’s sports programming Susie Piotrkowski said in a podcast: “I think that there was a perception historically that only women were watching women’s sports. Actually, it couldn’t be more wrong.”While noting an even split in their social media engagement and historical trend of a mature male audience, Piotrkowski said: “We’re seeing growth in almost every category. Growth among women, growth among men 18 to 34.” Similarly, while male football fans can be captured by the allure of the NWSL’s entertainment this summer, plenty of women watch the men’s World Cup but have yet to translate their fandom to the NWSL.To capture the potential amid this summer’s pandemonium, the NWSL plans to resume the regular season on 3 July rather than await the grand finale 19 July. Their return to play coincides with the final gasps of the round of 32, just as the tournament starts to take a breath with less crowded match days and gaps between games. With time and interest piqued, the NWSL hopes that newly converted football enthusiasts and longtime fanatics alike will add the NWSL to their daily diet.To help pique their interest, last week the NWSL announced its official Summer of Soccer program. The initiative is highlighted by a country-wide branded bus tour that will bring enticing NWSL matches (including the 2026 Challenge Cup taking place on 26 June between the reigning champions Gotham and the reigning Shield winners Kansas City) and fan engagement activities to cities that have, or soon will have, an NWSL team. Knowing fans of the game will be caught in the summer’s groundswell beyond the 2026 hosts, the traveling NWSL exhibition plans to stop in Fifa host locations of New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Kansas City, as well as NWSL cities such as Portland, Denver and Columbus, who’ll be the league’s 18th team in the 2028 season.With the tour scheduled to start in Columbus, the traveling NWSL show plans to stop at a fanfest, aim to be onsite for Lindsey Heaps’s debut in Denver, then traverse the west coast before finishing in the New York/New Jersey area. In New York, the NWSL is hoping to set an attendance record for women’s sports in NYC as it hosts the Queen’s Classic at Citi Field, marking the first women’s sporting event at the stadium featuring a rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship between Gotham and the Washington Spirit. They’ll also have a presence at the World Cup final on 19 July.If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email moving.goalposts@theguardian.com.This is an extract from our free email about women’s football, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts will be sent out once a week, on Wednesdays, in the close season but will be back on Tuesdays and Thursdays from September.

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Senior football correspondent in West Palm Beach, FloridaPublished16 minutes agoBournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is poised to make his England debut in the forthcoming World Cup warm-up games in the United States.Scott, Rio Ngumoha, Josh King, Jason Steele and Ethan Nwaneri have travelled as supplementary members of the England squad for their preparation camp in Florida.This comes as they await the arrivals of Arsenal quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke and Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson following their involvement in European finals.Henderson is due to arrive in the next 24 hours, with the remaining four expected to report for duty over the weekend.It is understood that all five additional squad selections, despite not being picked in Thomas Tuchel's full squad for the World Cup, are eligible to play in the friendlies versus New Zealand and Costa Rica.The quintet will also stay in Florida for the duration of the camp and not head back when the remaining five players report for duty.Scott was named in Tuchel's provisional 55-man squad for the tournament, which means that from the five supplementary players, only he stands a chance of breaking into the full World Cup squad at this stage should any injuries occur.With that in mind, the 22-year-old has a strong chance to make his international debut in one of the upcoming friendlies before heading off for his summer break.Scott earned his senior first call-up for the November matches against Serbia and Albania but didn't make an appearance.Tuchel then left Scott out of the squad to face Japan and Uruguay in March before omitting him from his final 26-man World Cup party.But in explaining why he decided to bring five extra players to the US for their pre-tournament camp, the England head coach said: "I'm really happy these guys are with us, especially Alex, who was with us in the list of 55 and had a kind of disappointing phone call as well, that he didn't make the first cut. But the reaction of him was outstanding, the commitment, the wish to be in pre-camp and to just be a step closer to the team was not even a question for him."He showed me his character and his spirit so I'm delighted that he's with us because it was a close call."Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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First came Australia's A-League grand final, then the AFC Women's Champions League semi-final and now two key Women's World Cup qualifiers with Wales.For Laura Hughes, the one-time Australia international who has pledged her allegiance to Wales, the big games keep coming.The midfielder came on as a second-half substitute as Melbourne City beat Wellington Phoenix a little over a fortnight ago to secure Australia's domestic double.Four days later she was in the starting side as City's fine season ended with defeat to Japanese side Tokyo Verdy Beleza in South Korea in the last four of Asia's Champions League.With all eyes now on Wales' fixtures in Montenegro on Friday and against the Czech Republic in Cardiff next Tuesday, Hughes says she is primed for action."I think especially with the [Melbourne City] games being high-pressure knockout games, it's prepared me really well for what's coming with Wales," Hughes said."To play at a World Cup, I've dreamed about since I was a kid so it would be really cool."A tournament place is still some way off, of course, with Wales hoping to do enough in their next two fixtures to finish first in Group B1. That would mean a more favourable path in the play-offs later this year.As it stands, they trail the Czechs – who host Albania on Friday – on goal difference.Whatever happens, the group winners will be decided in Cardiff, but Wales' aim for Montenegro will be a comprehensive win, given that goal difference may be a factor in deciding who comes out on top."I think the game against Montenegro will be challenging and will set us up really well for the next game," Hughes said."We've obviously been preparing for Montenegro in training and different meetings. We're looking at a really tough, aggressive side that we don't know what, sometimes, they're going to throw at us, so we've got to be prepared for everything."We're just chasing the results and hopefully they come."Wales boss Wilkinson has unfinished businessThe 24-year-old, who was capped by Australia in a friendly in 2024, made her one Wales appearance to date in December's triumph over Switzerland.She missed the first two camps of this qualifying campaign because of a knee injury but is now eyeing a competitive bow for Wales.Hughes has prepared for the trip to Podgorica with a stint in Porthcawl, where her grandfather, aunt and two cousins live."I played my last game of the season with Melbourne City in South Korea and so I thought instead of going all the way back, I'd just come straight here," she explained."As soon as I came there was a heatwave, so I think I brought it with me."I was just hanging out with my family down Coney Beach. It was nice."Born and raised in Canberra, Hughes says in her Australian accent that it was a "no-brainer" to commit to Wales having been given the chance by head coach Rhian Wilkinson."I think my mum shed a tear when I made my debut," she added."I spent a lot of summers here growing up. My family would come over and then my Welsh family would visit us in Australia."I feel very connected to Porthcawl and Wales. I feel very Welsh."

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Suitcases are packed, ESTAs are approved and a petition to legalise haggis in the United States is gathering momentum.There's only one thing left for the Tartan Army to organise before making the hop across the pond - their preferred starting XI for the opening match against Haiti on June 14.Five-and-a-half-million backseat drivers are preparing to offer Scotland boss Steve Clarke unsolicited advice on how to set his team up and will be willing to passionately defend their own foolproof winning formulas should any colleague, family member, friend or national team head coach dare to suggest an offensive alternative.Following Billy Gilmour's tournament-ending knee injury sustained in Scotland's final send-off match against Curacao, there are probably only five individuals in which the country would unanimously agree are nailed-on starters for the group opener: Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Scott McTominay (Napoli) and Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth).McTominay, Robertson and McGinn started all six games in qualifying; Gannon-Doak started the final five after coming on as a substitute in the opening match away to Denmark; and Hickey was only left out of the starting XI for the two matches against bottom seeds Belarus to manage his minutes as he battled injury.As Clarke prepares to pick Scotland's first World Cup team in 28 years, here are the five selection questions facing the Scotland boss.Clarke ditched his beloved back five immediately after Scotland's anticlimactic Euro 2024 exit and hasn't looked back since.4-2-3-1 became the go-to shape as his side avoided automatic relegation from Nations League A before topping their World Cup qualifying group for the first time in 44 years.So surely he'll stick with the back four? Probably, but maybe not.Perhaps Clarke's chosen formation could be dictated by personnel and not preference. That's because, once again, we find ourselves facing the decade-long Robertson-Tierney dilemma at left back.For years Scotland searched for a solution to allow two of their best players to coexist before Clarke found a way for them to complement one another at left centre-back and left wing-back as part of a 5-3-2, and latterly, 5-4-1.However, when Kieran Tierney faced an extended period on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury sustained at Euro 2024, Scotland lacked the bandwidth to continue with the back five without its key component.Now that Tierney is back fit and firing following a title-winning season at Celtic - in which he scored six goals and contributed 12 assists - the Scotland boss may be tempted to find a starting berth for the man who scored the decisive third goal against Denmark in November.He racked up 53 club appearances this campaign, 17 more than captain Robertson in his farewell season at Liverpool.Scotland's goalkeeping trio of Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Craig Gordon (Hearts) and Liam Kelly (Rangers) have made a puny tally of seven senior club appearances between them this season.It's fair to assume Kelly is Clarke's third choice. He's earned just two caps for his country, both in friendlies where the minutes were shared with other back-up options, so it's essentially a toss-up between Gordon and Gunn.Gordon is 43 years of age and made his national team debut before team-mates Gannon-Doak, Findlay Curtis and Tyler Fletcher were even born.He's been out with a shoulder injury since February and has only played three times for Hearts this season, but if there was ever a man for the big occasion, it's him.Despite not having played a minute of competitive football in six months, Gordon was a calming presence between the sticks for Scotland's final two decisive group games in qualifying and even pulled off a match-winning wonder-save for Hearts against Dundee in January when deputising for Alexander Schwolow.Two years on from missing out on Euro 2024 and playing what was supposed to be his farewell game against Finland at Hampden, Gordon could become the second-oldest player to play at a World Cup finals.However, Gunn was Clarke's No 1 at the last major tournament two years ago in Germany, and in qualifying before injury.He's racked up 21 caps in three years since switching allegiance from England but has only managed one substitute appearance for Nottingham Forest this campaign.Whoever ends up playing is going to be rusty…Lawrence Shankland (Rangers), Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton), George Hirst (Ipswich) and Ross Stewart (Southampton) - those are the five men vying to lead the line for Scotland at the World Cup.If we assume Clarke sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation used in qualifying, that leaves just one starting berth available.Shankland, who has signed for Rangers, has been showing the best form of the lot. He notched a brace against Curacao and netted 20 club goals in all competitions this term as Hearts fell agonisingly short of a historic first Scottish top-flight title in 66 years.However, Shankland has never been a favourite of Clarke's - his sole competitive start in a Scotland jersey came against San Marino seven years ago. Even after being named Player of the Year by PFA Scotland and the Scottish Football Writers' Association in 2024, Shankland managed just 21 minutes of gametime at the Euros.His manager rewards loyalty and rightly so; it's worked well for him in his seven years in charge.Adams and Dykes have amassed almost a century of caps between them, scoring 21 goals in the process.It's hardly a remarkable return, but both have been so important to Scotland's success for their work out of possession, and in the build-up, whether that be through Adams' hold-up play or Dykes' aerial qualities.However, they have the poorest goal return of the five options. Adams scored seven times for Torino this season while Dykes managed five for Birmingham and Charlton in the English Championship.In the same division, Ipswich's Hirst and Southampton's Stewart each got 11 goals but are far less experienced at international level, with eight and two caps respectively.Scotland are blessed with a plethora of talent in the middle of the park but Clarke has struggled to find a consistent pair of pivots, holding midfielders, sixes, sitters, or whatever you want to call them.I can hear you shouting Scott McTominay and John McGinn, arguably Scotland's two best players, but they both primarily play more advanced roles for club and country.Napoli's McTominay is normally used as a No 10 and has only started in a deeper midfield role once in the last 20 international matches.Aston Villa captain McGinn is usually deployed off the left for Scotland - his last start in central midfield was almost two years ago in a friendly against Gibraltar.That leaves a fight between Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Kenny McLean (Norwich) and Tyler Fletcher (Manchester United) for those two deep midfield spots.Balance here is the key for Clarke; he's selected two right-footed players (Fletcher and Ferguson) and two left-footed players (Christie and McLean).I won't get too technical but this is no coincidence.Ferguson and Fletcher are likely fighting for one jersey while Christie and McLean are fighting for the other.The evidence certainly points to that anyway. In the last 22 international matches, Clarke has only gone with two midfielders that use the same foot four times, and two of those games were friendlies.There are some decipherable trends which may be able to help us hypothesise as to which players he uses and when.With Gilmour ruled out through injury, that could open the door for Ferguson to start against Haiti, a fixture which stylistically would be more suited to the Bologna midfielder.That's assuming Clarke hands 19-year-old Fletcher his first international start in the opening game of a World Cup.On the other side, Christie appeared to be the preferred candidate to McLean for the big games in qualifying against Greece and Denmark.Since any variation of a back-five formation would likely include Tierney at left centre-back, there are two spots up for grabs in the heart of defence, irrespective of shape.Clarke has picked five experienced natural centre-backs to take to the USA: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Jack Hendry (Al Ettifaq), John Souttar (Rangers) and Dominic Hyam (Wrexham).But none of them are guaranteed starters; Scotland have changed their centre-back pairing in each of their past 10 games.McKenna, at 29, is the youngest of that quintet and has just eclipsed the 50-cap milestone that has seen him inducted into the International Roll of Honour.Only 13 people have played more times for Scotland than the ever-present Hanley, who has battled through fitness issues to nail down a starting spot at Hibernian in his first season in Scotland.Hendry almost played every minute for Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League this year and Souttar was a regular for Rangers - even wearing the armband in captain James Tavernier's absence - before losing his place in the side to Nasser Djiga for the final two months.Hyam was perhaps a surprise inclusion in the squad given his lack of caps (one at the time of his call-up), but he made 44 appearances in the English Championship this season for both Blackburn and Wrexham as he skippered the Welsh outfit to the brink of the play-offs.Similarly to the midfield conundrum, it appears Clarke does not yet know who his best back two are.

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Forward has generally thrived at the Camp Nou but Gordon’s arrival plus his salary and United’s transfer demands mean next move is not obviousThe next chapter of Marcus Rashford’s dysfunctional relationship with Manchester United may involve a long summer waiting to discover where he plays next season.A state of limbo for a forward expected to start England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June in Dallas is an unusual predicament. Yet this is the latest juncture in a period of career uncertainty that began when the former head coach Ruben Amorim excluded Rashford from his first-team plans. That was in December 2024, loans at Aston Villa and Barcelona followed, and Rashford is still looking to put down roots, perhaps in Catalonia, something he may well have expected to transpire after scoring a free-kick against Real Madrid that proved pivotal in Barcelona’s La Liga-clinching clásico victory earlier this month.Having enjoyed a generally successful spell under Hansi Flick last season, Rashford’s stated preference would be to sign permanently for Barcelona. “I am not a magician but if I was, I would stay,” he said after scoring against Real on 10 May. “We will see.” The problem is Barça’s interest in the 28-year-old is opaque. Anthony Gordon’s £69m arrival from Newcastle last week confuses the picture further given he, too, is a left-sided attacker. And if Barcelona want Rashford at all it seems it would again only be on a temporary basis. United, meanwhile, would insist on a £26m permanent fee as they attempt to make money on a player reared in their academy before his contract expires in May 2028.The answer to why the price is low for a footballer in his peak years offers a clue to the whole saga: behind the sum is Rashford’s £17.5m a-year salary, or the total £35m left to pay on his current terms. United want to offload the cost of the high wage. If Rashford is loaned again, the recruiting club will have to cover all or most of the cost. A permanent transfer will, too, surely feature a raise. As things stand, Barcelona do not appear minded to make any move for Rashford permanent.What are Rashford’s other options? With the caveat of never saying never, there seems no way back for him at United, despite Amorim’s departure and the appointment of Michael Carrick as his permanent successor. The lad from Wythenshawe remains firmly persona non grata for Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s minority owner and controller of football policy, as well as for his senior management team: Jason Wilcox, the director of football, and Omar Berrada, the chief executive.When Rashford’s loan move to Villa ended last summer, his aim was to join a Champions League-qualified club but not one in London. If this position has changed, Arsenal may be a potential destination. Mikel Arteta would surely categorise Rashford as an upgrade on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli as a left-sided attacking option for the Premier League champions. Rashford’s ability to operate at No 9 would also offer a further permutation there, alongside Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres.The same holds at Liverpool, where Cody Gakpo is Liverpool’s only senior left-sided option and whose output last season was, at best, middling. If they came calling, would Rashford’s disaffection with United prove searing enough for him to ignoretribal loyalties and move to Anfield?Villa, too, may be a desirable destination – Rashford lit up Unai Emery’s side when there, especially in the Champions League – while another move abroad also remains a possibility. Paris Saint-Germain have been admirers, albeit it feels unlikely the two-time Champions League winners would move for Rashford given they have the world-class Khvicha Kvaratskhelia operating on the left-hand side of their attack. At Bayern Munich, meanwhile, Luis Díaz is established in the position and at Real Madrid there is Vinícius Júnior.Rashford’s next destination is likely to become clearer when the transfer window opens on 15 June but maybe only slowly due to the complexities of his situation, the different agendas of different parties and the World Cup, which should be Rashford’s prime focus. United could stymie any deal not deemed desirable to them. But Rashford could also refuse any move he does not want. Assessing this fraught dynamic is a cast of admirers who may well want to add a player who helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title but wonder if they can actually afford him.Rashford remains an enigma. A return of eight goals and nine assists in La Liga last season was a relatively modest return and may explain Barcelona’s caution regarding a permanent deal for him. This may change. Imagine, for instance, an England World Cup campaign lit up by Rashford. In this scenario, a £26m fee plus a high-end salary may seem cut-price.

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They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Scotland midfielder Ben Gannon-Doak is hoping it is a sentiment that rings true this summer.The Bournemouth winger is part of Steve Clarke's 26-man World Cup squad, two years after being forced to miss the European Championships.He was a surprise inclusion in Clarke's initial selection for Euro 2024, but failure to recover fully from injury meant he missed the cut.The 20-year-old was heartbroken to miss the tournament in Germany, but he now believes it could have been a blessing in disguise."The Euros probably came a bit too early, but I don't think I would have played if I was there," he told Sky Sports News."I think if I did go and play, I wouldn't have given the best account of myself that I know that I could have done."I'm much more prepared and ready to go and play in a tournament now than I was back then."The Scotland squad are already in the USA preparing for the nation's first World Cup since 1998.Gannon-Doak is one of eight members of the Scotland squad who were not born then, while 43-year-old goalkeeper Craig Gordon is likely the only player with real memories of the tournament in France."The younger lads like myself and Findlay [Curtis] coming into the team, there's an element of fearlessness," he added."The experienced lads that have played 70 or 80 games for Scotland, they know how to manage these games. I think it's a good mix."Asked if Scotland can progress beyond the group stage in a major tournament, the former Liverpool player added: "It's not been done before in terms of Scotland teams, but we've got everything we need to go and do it."I think when you see the form some of the lads are in, we're in a good place as a squad."If you asked one of the more experienced lads, they'd say the same."Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers).Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (TBC), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Findlay Curtis (Rangers), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Tyler Fletcher (Manchester United), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli).Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Rangers), Ross Stewart (Southampton).