Manchester City have been dealt a major injury blow with Ederson sidelined for up to a month after picking up an injury against Liverpool on Sunday.

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Ederson injured in Liverpool clashGoalkeeper now ruled out for four weeksWill miss PL title showdown with ArsenalGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian injured his leg in a late challenge on Darwin Nunez that gave away a penalty to the hosts, with Alexis Mac Allister stepping up to equalise from 12 yards. Ederson stayed on the pitch momentarily but was eventually forced off as Stefan Ortega replaced him 11 minutes into the second half. Now, according to , the Brazilian faces a spell of between three to four weeks on the sidelines, meaning he will likely miss the Premier League title showdown with Arsenal on March 31.

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While Ederson will be sorely missed for that fixture against Arsenal, City will be without their star goalkeeper for several other significant matches. Ortega will have to deputise, as was expected, in the quarter-final clash against Newcastle on Saturday, while league fixtures against Aston Villa (April 3) and Crystal Palace (April 6) may also come too soon for Ederson. The injury is also a hammer blow in City's quest to regain their European crown, as the Brazilian will likely miss their Champions League quarter-final first leg on April 9/10, too.

Getty ImagesWHAT WAS SAID

Despite Ederson being undoubtedly one of the best in his position, Ortega did well against Liverpool and made a vital stop to deny Nunez from close range shortly after coming on. As a result, City don't appear too fazed by the German goalkeeper having to come in, as John Stones showered praise on him post-match: "Incredible keeper. Not easy at all to come in at this stage and how he played, the saves that he pulled off, such intelligent saves. A big shout out to Stefan for coming off the bench at such a difficult place and being ready, which everyone always is."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ederson is rarely injured and has been a stalwart in City's side since joining in 2017. The 30-year-old has only missed 12 games for the Cityzens – seven of which were due to illness – throughout his near-seven seasons with the club, per .

The Argentine was out due to injury, but the Herons' attack kept on rolling with another big win in MLS action.

Let Saturday's match serve as a reminder to the rest of the league. There will be times where Inter Miami won't have Messi, through injury, international duty or fatigue. On those days, Inter Miami won't be at their best, but they'll still be pretty damn good.

Saturday's win over D.C. United proved that even without Messi, this Inter Miami team still has the firepower to overwhelm just about any team in their path.

On Saturday, it was Luis Suarez's day. He didn't even start, instead coming off the bench midway through the second half. Still, he was given all the time he needed, scoring two goals to lead the way in a 3-1 win at Audi Field.

The Uruguayan was the star of the show, as he continues to silence any doubts regarding his fitness. He wasn't the only one, though. Leonardo Campana, who started the match up top, continued to prove how valuable he can be, particularly as a secondary option for this Miami team. He scored Miami's first goal, setting the tone and saying that, even without Messi, Miami would be just fine.

The Herons will eagerly await Messi's return, which will come after the international break. They'll need to survive a bit in these moments without him. With players like Suarez and Campana, though, they'll be more than okay as this team seems talented enough to go toe-to-toe with any opponent with or without the Argentinian icon.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Audi Field…

Watch Inter Miami with the MLS Season PassStream now

• USA Today Sports
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Drake Callender (6/10):

  Not much he could have done on the goal. Did well on a few good D.C. United chances, making a few big saves.

  Noah Allen (6/10):

  He's no Jordi Alba, of course. Did well defensively, but the drop-off was apparent in the attacking side, not that you could blame Allen for that! A very different player and a very different game so, overall, a solid job done by Allen.

  Tomas Aviles (6/10):

  A few shaky moments again, including a very close call on a potential handball just moments before Suarez's goal. Hasn't really had a steady performance yet.

  Nicolas Feire (6/10):

  Nightmare for Inter Miami as he went down with a hamstring injury. Defense is already struggling, and it appears Miami may have lost a pretty steady centerback.

  David Ruiz (7/10):

  Did really, really well in that right-back position. As things stand, that may be his best path toward mroe consistent minutes, so this was a good step in that regard.

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• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Federico Redondo (8/10):

  Simply keeps getting better. Didn't know much about the assist, but they all count. Even aside from that, though, the young midfielder is clearly growing each and every game.

  Sergio Busquets (7/10):

  A really good game, particularly on the defensive side. Won plenty of challenges and, ultimately, prevented D.C. from really getting going.

  Diego Gomez (7/10):

  Just does so many things well. Provided so much energy and initiative to help Miami really control the midfield.

• Getty Images
  

  Attack

  Robert Taylor (6/10):

  Unlucky not to get a goal when he hit the post just before halftime. Overall, a decent game before being removed for Suarez.

  Leonardo Campana (9/10):

  Scored the first goal and then put it on a silver platter for Suarez on the second. How lucky are Miami that they have a player like Campana for these moments?

  Julian Gressel (6/10):

  Started on the right wing, but just wasn't quite involved enough throughout.

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  Subs & Manager

  Serhiy Kyvtsov (6/10):

  Came on early due to Freire's injury and was largely okay.

  Luis Suarez (9/10):

  Yeah, he's in form. The Uruguayan star is scoring in bunches, and he now has another two goals to his name. Was interesting to see how he worked with Camapana in a 4-4-2, with it seeming to work at least on this day.

  Shanyder Borgelin (6/10):

  Took over for Campana late on. Barely got a touch of the ball, though.

  Jordi Alba (6/10):

  A late sub, the fullback added another dynamic attacking option from that left-back position.

  Gerardo 'Tata' Martino (7/10):

  Any time you can survive without Messi, you'll be happy about it. Managed this one perfectly, getting hsi stars some rest while still winning the game thanks to Suarez's late contribution.

While things are going swimmingly for all at West Ham United right now, it has not always been the case, especially when considering the numerous deals on the transfer front over the past decade or so.

Frankly, the Hammers have spent much of the past two decades languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League – and have indeed fallen into the second tier on multiple occasions.

David Moyes' appointment in the managerial position (for the second time) has proved to be a masterful move, with the squad and culture built at the club over the past several years paving the way for success unseen in east London for many, many years.

Last term, West Ham won the Europa Conference League after beating Italian side Fiorentina in the final, ending a 43-year wait for major silverware, having last triumphed with an FA Cup victory in 1980.

It shrouded the woes on the domestic front, with West Ham struggling for form all season and actually seeing Moyes edge into territory begging questions over the sustainability of his tenure.

One of the main strugglers was Gianluca Scamacca, who had arrived in the summer to serve as the starring new talisman, but ultimately proved to be one of the worst deals struck throughout Moyes' successful reign.

How much did West Ham pay for Gianluca Scamacca?

After completing the 2021/22 season as Europa League semi-finalists and finishing seventh in the Premier League, West Ham felt the time was right to target a new starring striker to bolster the chances of retaining their position of power.

Scamacca was the man for the job, and completed a move from Serie A side Sassuolo for £35.5m on a five-year contract, with the possibility of extension for a further year.

It was a move that created much fanfare after such a promising rise, having scored 16 goals from 36 appearances in the Serie A the past season and eight from just 13 starts the season before.

The 24-year-old was expected to prosper and was expected to be the heir to put right the past failed deal of Sebastien Haller, who scored just 14 times from 54 games for West Ham after joining from Eintracht Frankfurt for £45m, but it was not to be.

How much did Gianluca Scamacca earn at West Ham?

The 6 foot 4 colossus certainly earned a pretty penny with West Ham, taking home £90k-per-week for an annual salary of nearly £4.7m.

The Hammers did manage to demonstrate their shrewd business sense and shipped him off to Atalanta in a £27m deal, but that still represents money down the drain for little outcome and yet another failed centre-forward signing for the club, who have had their fair share over the years.

Indeed, it's around a £13m loss for the east Londoners, when factoring in what they paid in terms of a transfer fee and his wages.

The 11-cap Italy star – who has yet to score for his country – moved back home after his English sojourn, and given that he has already scored twice this season despite only making one starting showing, there is much disgruntlement among the Irons that he did not prove himself under Moyes' wing with the outfit on the up.

How well did Gianluca Scamacca play for West Ham?

Despite earning praise for his “complete' skill set by Luigi Di Baggio, before his move to the London Stadium, Scamacca was unable to showcase the full scope of his talents under Moyes' tutelage.

Scamacca was remarked at for his "miserable" presence by pundit Chris Sutton and really did fail to gel with the team, and while he scored eight times across all competitions, two of those strikes came against Viborg in the Conference League qualifiers and a further three arrived in the group phase, against Silkeborg IF, Anderlecht and AEK Larnaca.

It was in the Premier League, where he was expected to strut his stuff, that the Italy international endured the most substandard of his displays; as per Sofascore, he scored just three goals across 16 appearances, missing as many big chances and completing only 67% of his passes.

It was a far cry from his past feats in his homeland, and given the expensive price tag and lofty wage, he is undoubtedly one of the biggest misfires of recent memory.

There have been a few. Felipe Anderson, in particular, stings to this day after enjoying such a tremendous maiden year at United after signing from Lazio on a club-record £36m transfer in July 2018, plundering ten goals and five assists from 40 outings and was heralded for his "outstanding" efforts by the late Hammers chairman David Gold.

The club-record phenom was sold after three years – back to Lazio – having spent his final campaign on West Ham's books with Portuguese giants Porto, and given that he scored just once in his final season within the West Ham squad, this was probably worthwhile.

To Anderson's credit, he did capture the awe of Hammers fans for that impressive debut term, something Scamacca failed to do, proving to be a colossal failure and waste of money for an ambitious squad targetting sustained success at the forefront.

A player who, ultimately, decided that English football was not for him, Scamacca sought a return to his homeland after just one year, very much a 'miserable' presence in east London.

Subjective, of course, but his failure to serve in the talismanic role as anticipated impacted the club's seasonal endeavours, and had he performed as was expected, the Irons might not have been embroiled in a relegation battle at all.

Moyes opted not to sign a striker this summer, sticking with Antonio and signing the mercurial Mohammed Kudus from Ajax, who can serve across a wealth of offensive roles.

With such a measly contribution in the paramount Premier League fight, Scamacca's signature might have been laced in gilt, but he proved to be a colossal failure and one which Moyes will certainly rue, with his striking replacement still not yet found.

Veteran fast bowler Lasith Malinga found himself excluded from Sri Lanka’s T20I squad, while Binura Fernando got a first call-up in three years

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2018Lasith Malinga’s heroics for the Montreal Tigers in the Global T20 League in Toronto haven’t been enough to secure a first international call-up since September last year. The fast bowler was ignored as Sri Lanka announced a 15-man T20I squad for the one-off game against South Africa on August 14. Malinga, who still harbours hopes of playing for his country, was the third-highest wicket-taker in Canada, and had the best average (11.84) and economy rate (6.41) among all bowlers in the tournament with more than five wickets.Left-arm fast bowler Binura Fernando could be in line to play his first match in over three years after being called up. The 23-year old played two T20Is in 2015 against Pakistan, but hasn’t played any international cricket since.Dhananjaya de Silva has been called up to the T20I squad, having last played an international in that format in January 2017. A string of impressive performances against South Africa have been rewarded after the 26-year old has stood out as one of the best performers of the tour.Angelo Mathews returns to the T20I side having missed the home tri-series, that also included Bangladesh and India, because of injury. It ended in disappointment for Sri Lanka, after they were dramatically knocked out before the final at the hands of Bangladesh in the final over.Squad: Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Akila Dananjaya, Dhananjaya de Silva, Binura Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Shehan Madushanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera (wk), Thisara Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Dasun Shanaka, Upul Tharanga, Jeffrey VandersayStandbys: Dimuth Karunaratne, Isuru Udana, Niroshan Dickwella, Kasun Rajitha

Aston Villa have struck success under Unai Emery, as the Spaniard continues to impress since taking the reins from Steven Gerrard in October 2022.

The formidable form since the former Arsenal manager’s touchdown in the Midlands was complemented by his stellar work in the transfer window, as himself and president of football operations, Monchi, welcomed five new arrivals to Villa Park.

As well as incomings, Emery bid farewell to some talented members of the squad he inherited from Gerrard, with the £18m departure of academy graduate Cameron Archer leading the way in terms of most profitable sales.

The 21-year-old striker wasn’t the only academy product to end his association with the Villans, as Jaden Philogene headed to Hull City on a permanent basis, and Aaron Ramsey left his brother Jacob Ramsey behind at Villa Park to sign for Burnley.

How much did Aston Villa sell Aaron Ramsey for?

The Clarets snatched up the signing of Ramsey for a fee of £14m, as the midfielder opted to endeavour on a new challenge away from his boyhood club.

The 20-year-old, who featured primarily for the U21’s side at Villa, was in good stead to fly the nest this summer, after spending the last year and a half on various loan spells.

In January 2022, the playmaker joined Cheltenham in League One, before being handed a new challenge in the Championship, where he represented both Norwich City, and most recently Middlesbrough on successive loans.

The 2022/23 campaign was a pivotal one for Ramsey, who scored three goals and claimed three assists in the second tier for the Canaries, followed by netting five and assisting one in only 11 appearances for Boro.

The Birmingham-born gem had seen first-hand how far his career could go by succeeding at the challenges placed in front of him, as his brother became an integral part of Villa’s Premier League XI under both Gerrard and Emery.

For the 20-year-old however, his future was away from the comforts of Villa Park, as the Villans cashed in on his talents to allow him to make the move to Turf Moor.

Were Aston Villa right to sell Aaron Ramsey?

It’s never easy to see an academy player leave before being given the chance to prove himself, however selling Ramsey this summer was the ideal move for both club and player given his progression the season prior.

Due to the talents already in Emery’s midfield, including his brother, a way into the first team wasn’t going to be easy for the starlet, as he eyed further progression from his success at senior level while on loan.

Once lauded as “quality” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Ramsey’s move to Burnley was key for his next move in his career, as well as being highly profitable for Villa, who received a price far higher than perhaps anticipated for the youngster.

At the point of his sale, Football Transfers logged the Englishman’s expected transfer value (xTV) at just €4.3m (£3.7m), reinforcing the strength of the sale on Villa’s part.

Sold for a fee over £10m higher than his actual worth, Emery orchestrated the best outcome for the Midlands club and the prospect, who only managed to record one senior appearance for Villa back in 2021.

Maurio Icardi's wife Wanda Nara appeared to announce a collaboration with Italian sports car giants Ferrari in a revealing selection of photos.

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Nara posts racy photos on InstagramAppear to tease Ferrari collaborationModel is Icardi's wife and agentWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine model is the wife and agent of Galatasary forward Icardi, although a set of Instagram photos released on Tuesday suggest her business ventures go far beyond that. Nara, 37, posed alongside a pair of iconic red Ferrari models wearing a revealing pink dress and bright pink fur coat. The upload could be a part of a collaboration between herself and the legendary sports car brand.

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Nara posted a selection of pictures alongside the date "21/03", which could tease the official announcement of said collaboration.

GettyTHE GOSSIP

The pictures, which attracted over 78,000 likes from her 17.2 million followers, are the latest outrageous update in a tumultuous relationship between Nara and Icardi. The pair have been married for 11 years, with the Argentine model announcing two years ago they had split, only to U-turn on that decision. As Icardi's agent, Nara has landed the striker deals with Inter and Paris Saint-Germain.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ICARDI?

After spells in Italy and France, Icardi has been playing his football with Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray since the summer of 2022. He has been in fine form this season, racking up an impressive 23 goals and 11 assists in 38 appearances.

The complimentary-tickets issue remains a worry for the BCCI, however, with Sourav Ganguly, the CAB president, saying he would not compromise even if the first T20I were to be shifted away from Eden Gardens

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Oct-2018A dispute over the allocation of complimentary tickets has resulted in Indore losing out on hosting the the second ODI between India and West Indies. Visakhapatnam will now host the match, which is scheduled for October 24.The matter came to a boil after the simmering dispute over complimentary tickets, between the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) and the BCCI, came to light last week. Under the new constitution of the BCCI, which has been approved by the Supreme Court, only 10% of tickets for each category can be distributed as complimentary. The MPCA argued that the BCCI’s request for complimentary seats in the pavilion block for sponsors and official partners exceeding the 10% entitlement.Unable to get a convincing response in time from the BCCI, whose “decision making” it called “unilateral, arbitrary, mysterious and leisurely”, the MPCA refused to signed the mandatory venue agreement and also told the board it was in no position to host the match.ESPNcricinfo understands former BCCI and MPCA secretary Sanjay Jagdale attempted to play the mediator’s role this week, asking Milind Kanmadikar, the MPCA secretary, to meet BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to sort out the issue. But Kanmadikar remained unconvinced and opted to wait for the BCCI’s final decision.According to an MPCA official, the BCCI, in its last communication to the state association on September 29, stated that the venue needed to adhere to the 10% entitlement for each category while making the remaining 90% of the tickets available for the public.While the MPCA has blamed the BCCI for asking for more tickets than the 10% limit, the state body does not want any cap on the distribution of complimentary tickets, because it needs to cater to the demands of its own patrons, members and government officials.Although shifting the match out of Indore may have temporarily resolved the dispute, the BCCI’s troubles are far from over. The MPCA is not the only association to cry foul over the allocation of complimentary tickets. Even the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which is headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, has stated that the 10% limit on complimentary tickets is arbitrary. The CAB owns Eden Gardens, which is scheduled to host the first T20I of the West Indies series on November 4.Ganguly warned that the CAB would not “compromise” on the distribution of the complimentary tickets, even if the BCCI wanted to shift the match away from Eden Gardens. “We will have to give the complimentary tickets which we have been giving. We cannot compromise on that,” Ganguly told the .Ganguly said that the MPCA grouse was “legitimate” and pointed out that the CAB distributes almost 30,000 tickets, which is nearly half the capacity of Eden Gardens, as complimentary tickets to various government agencies that play a part in organising an international match. “I cannot go and ask the government agencies, bureaucrats – people who make the match happen – to collect tickets and pay,” he said.Asked if the CAB would be willing to forsake the game if a solution could not be found, Ganguly said he was keeping an open mind. “I don’t know what they (the BCCI) will do. If they want [to take the game away], they can. But we are not going to compromise.”It is understood that the CAB has not sent any communication to the BCCI, but one board official pointed out that state associations ought to understand it is not the board but the staging units that earn the gate receipts.The BCCI is not surprised by Ganguly’s comments, but has said the state associations should have raised the issue of complimentary-ticket allocation in front of the court, when the matter was being heard, if they were so concerned by it. The BCCI, which is currently being overseen by the two-member Committee of Administrators (CoA), has sent a communication to all the state associations recently, pointing out that staging venues would need to make public the distribution of tickets, including the complimentary quota, on their websites.

Everton boss Sean Dyche and potential new owners 777 Partners could be about to get some much needed relief on the Toffees' wage bill, according to a fresh report.

Everton updates: 777 Partners, Branthwaite & Garner latest

Toffees chairman Bill Kenwright has shared a positive update on his health in recent days following communication from Everton that the 78-year-old has returned home from hospital after having a cancerous tumour removed from his liver. Cited via BBC Sport, one club spokesperson said: "He has returned home to continue his recovery, which is expected to be lengthy but complete."

In conversation with the Price of Football podcast meanwhile, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has indicated that there is a lot of 'red flags' within 777 Partners' proposed Everton takeover, as he stated: "The work of some other Everton fans who have looked into the background of 777, there are lots of red flags."

In-form Everton central defender Jarrad Branthwaite has been in action for England's Under-21 side during the international break and featured in the young Three Lions' 9-1 obliteration of Serbia at the City Ground in midweek alongside James Garner. The duo are now scheduled to take part in Lee Carsley's side's upcoming tussle against Ukraine on Monday 16th October at 5.30 pm in UEFA Euro qualifying.

Everton face a powderkeg clash at Anfield against Liverpool on October 21st in the Premier League once they return from the international break. and Dyche's men will be desperate to build on their 3-0 triumph against Bournemouth at Goodison Park last weekend to move further away from the relegation zone.

Everton's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Liverpool (A)

Anfield

Premier League

West Ham United (A)

London Stadium

EFL Cup

Burnley (H)

Goodison Park

Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Goodison Park

Premier League

Crystal Palace (A)

Selhurst Park

Everton transfer update – Andre Gomes

According to an Everton transfer update from Calciomercato, Toffees outcast Andre Gomes is being lined up as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba at Juventus after the France international tested positive for a banned substance and now could be set for a ban of up to four years from football.

Gomes, whose £112k-a-week contract is set to expire next June, has been identified as a financially feasible option for the Italian giants to help fill the void that Pogba could leave, though much will depend on whether Everton are okay with losing the Portuguese midfielder's services six months early.

If they did agree to a deal with Juventus in the New Year, Everton could actually save around £2.9 million on Gomes' salary, as they wouldn't have to pay the remaining 26 weeks on his contract from January to June.

In light of potential new ownership at Goodison Park, shifting Gomes, who has netted two goals and seven assists in 100 appearances for Everton but not played a single minute this season and is clearly not in Dyche's plans, may be a cost-effective solution for all parties involved (Gomes statistics – Transfermarkt).

Everton have been underwhelming so far in the Premier League, winning just two of their opening eight matches in the new campaign.

Sean Dyche's Toffees have conceded 12 goals along the way too, leaking four of those goals to Sheffield United and Luton who have just been promoted to the top-flight.

Transfer reinforcements at the back for the Blues could well be on the agenda at Goodison Park soon, with the likes of former Burnley duo James Tarkowski and Michael Keane now 30 years of age in defence.

On top of that, reserve centre-back Ben Godfrey has been limited to just making up the numbers on the bench for Everton so far this season – playing for just a staggering one minute this season versus Sheffield United in the Premier League.

Everton could well look for some fresh blood therefore defensively in the form of 24-year-old Chelsea man Trevoh Chalobah, linked with a transfer switch to Merseyside previously

Trevoh Chalobah transfer update

Reduced to a bystander role at Stamford Bridge so far this Premier League campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, it's now being reported that Chalobah has been given permission to move on from Chelsea this January.

Fabrizio Romano has been vocal on social media to confirm Chalobah's expected departure from Chelsea when the transfer window reopens in January, the 24-year-old wanting to play on a more "regular basis" away from west London.

This could well reignite Everton's interest in the want-away centre-back, the Toffees linked with the one-time Ipswich loanee in the summer. However, they might not be the only interested party in Chalobah.

TEAMtalk reported in August that both West Ham and Crystal Palace were also interested in the young defender, whilst interest from Europe came in the form of German giants Borussia Dortmund and Italian titans Roma and Napoli.

Dyche will hope he can lure Chalobah to Goodison Park, slotting the versatile player into his Toffees line-up alongside 21-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite.

Could Chalobah play with Branthwaite?

Branthwaite is highly regarded in Goodison Park quarters, the 6 foot 5 colossus has played every 90 minutes of football for Everton in his last six appearances in a Toffees strip.

A loan spell out in the Netherlands last season with PSV Eindhoven was the making of the Carlisle-born centre-back, praised by Dutch football legend and then PSV boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy for possessing all the qualities to be a "complete defender" in the future.

If Chalobah was to join the Merseysiders therefore, he could well form an electric defensive partnership with Branthwaite – Everton playing two raw defenders that would still have the capacity to improve even further.

Both players in question are versatile – with Chalobah adept at being pushed further forward in the starting side as a midfielder – whilst Branthwaite has featured at full-back from time to time.

Dyche's typically preferred defender is also a no-nonsense battler on the ball, Chalobah possessing those qualities as a "soldier" under former Blues manager Graham Potter.

Branthwaite must have Dyche's approval in this department too, to have featured so frequently for the former Burnley boss in the infancy of this Premier League season to date.

Valued at a whopping £50m by Chelsea a few months ago, it'll be interesting to see if Everton do break the bank for Chalobah and whether this theoretical partnership is ever brought to life in the Premier League.

Alastair Cook addressed a variety of issues, from mental strength to Kevin Pietersen to his future with Essex, in the wake of his announcement that he will retire from Test cricket at the end of the Oval TestWhat do you make of the reaction to your retirement news over the last couple of days?
It’s been a bit surreal. One of my friends rang me to check I was still alive because everyone was talking as if I’d died. It is nice when you hear so many nice words said about you. The last couple of days I’ve been back at home so I hadn’t seen what has been said or written until last night. I allowed myself a look last night. It means a lot. For example, someone stopped me when I was driving in and made me wind down the window and said ‘thank you very much’. That was a nice moment. Hopefully this week will go well, I can score some runs and then go home.When did you decide that this would be your last series?
It’s hard to put into words but there have been signs in my mind over the last six months that this was going to happen. I told Rooty before the game and then Trevor during the game.Why do it before the last Test?
In this day and age it’s very hard to keep anything quiet. If it were 2-2 I’d have had to keep my mouth shut. When you do media you get asked questions so it’s hard to constantly lie, though I’ve been pretty good at it! But there’s certain questions you’re asked and you know you’re not being true to yourself. If it were 2-2 I’d have kept my mouth shut but, once you’ve made a decision like that, it’s always in the back of your mind. As soon as I told Rooty I felt more of a release.What have your personal highlights been?
You can’t really look past those two away series where I was man of the series and we won, in Australia and India. That was the best I could play and probably, in my career as a whole, I can look back and say I probably became the best player I could become. That actually means quite a lot to me. Yes, I’ve never been the most talented cricketer, and I don’t pretend I was, but I definitely think I got everything out of my ability.Anything you’d do differently?
Of course there are decisions in hindsight that you question. Clearly the KP affair was a tough year, there’s no doubt about that. The fall-out of that wasn’t great for English cricket and wasn’t great for me. I was involved in that decision without being the bloke who actually made the final decision.What would it mean to you to finish on a high here?
That would be fantastic but it would be great for England to win, most importantly – 4-1 sounds better than 3-2. But if I could play a really good innings that would be fantastic.Can you tell us about the moment you told your team-mates?
I was a couple of beers in, which I needed to be otherwise I would have cried more than I actually did. I managed to hold it together. At the end of the game I just said ‘this might be good news for some and sad for others but it’s time. I’ve done my bit and if picked the next game it will be my last one.’ That’s kind of all I said. There was a bit of silence, then Mo said something, we all laughed and everyone got on with it. We had a nice evening in the changing room.You mentioned there had been signs in the last six months; what were those signs?
I’ve always had that mental edge. I’ve always been mentally incredibly tough and had that edge to everything I’ve done. But that edge had kind of gone. The stuff I’d found easy before wasn’t quite there. That to me that was the biggest thing.Alastair Cook brought up his fifth Test double century•Getty Images

Did you consider asking for six months off and then taking another look at this decision?
It did cross my mind briefly as the decision became clearer in my mind but, if you’re looking at the last two or three years, I haven’t played huge amounts of games. I’ve never struggled with getting on another plane or ever thought ‘here’s another game of cricket’. I’ve never struggled with that. When I’ve been talking about that little mental edge I’ve lost, if you have six months off and then come back, I don’t think it would have been there. Once the decision is in your mind, you ask people about it along the way and they say ‘when you know, you know’ and I honestly think that’s so true. For me, anyway.What do you think of the theory that, as an old-school batsman, you’re the last of a dying breed?
Naturally kids are going to be attracted by the razzmatazz of Twenty20 cricket. I’ve seen it when youngsters have come into the Essex team. Their attacking game is better than their defensive game. That’s fact, I believe. I’m not sure I’m the last of a dying breed, but there will certainly be less cricketers of my ilk who are naturally suited to red-ball cricket rather than white-ball cricket. The kids will have a diet of T20. We had it when I was younger but we still built any innings for the first five. We didn’t think ‘I’ll whack it over the keeper’s head third ball.’ I don’t think we should be scared of that. We have to embrace it and we are embracing it. If we play less Test cricket, which might happen, we might place more importance on it.Was the fall-out from KP situation your lowest point?
It could have been handled differently. The moment Andrew Strauss came on board and said he was making the decision, personally for me that was the best thing that could have happened. I have a regret over it, it wasn’t great for English cricket. The end of the Sri Lanka series and the second Test against India at Lord’s – that period – that was the lowest point.You’re happy you had the stubbornness to carry on?
Absolutely. That was when it was real tough and I didn’t throw the towel in. I still thought I was the best man for the job and the right man to be captain at that time. It wasn’t easy. I could have taken the easy option but I didn’t. And I got the – that sounds selfish – the team got the reward winning the 2015 Ashes, which was just brilliant.Who was the toughest opponent you faced?
I think I must regret getting Ishant Sharma out as my wicket, because he’s kind of got his revenge since getting me out constantly over the last couple of series. The ball going away from me from around the wicket I found the hardest to conquer. But in general, a bowler who maybe is not the quickest but constantly hits line and lengths – it goes back to when I played as an 11-year-old and a 60-year-old dropped it on a length. I never had the power or the shots to knock bowlers off their lengths. So a bowler who hangs it there and doesn’t give me the pace to work with, that I found the hardest.Have you had a chance to think about what comes next? Essex would like you to stay in the game.
It’s nice of them to say that. I’m still going to play for Essex and I am really looking forward to that. It would be a big step going from all I have ever lived for is playing cricket and chasing my dreams to suddenly not having that, that would be a big thing, so it’s great Essex still want me. I am determined after a break to score some runs for them and help them win some trophies. There’s some great people. If mentally I don’t have that buzz I won’t hang around. I have never done media or coaching, just focussed on scoring runs for Essex and England. Whenever this day came I will cross that bridge. I imagine I will be changing nappies after what happened with Isobel – there will be some payback for that – but we’ll see what happens in the new year. It’s exciting.Did you have to sacrifice a lot to pursue this career in cricket?
It wasn’t hard sacrificing. I was stubborn enough and knew what I wanted to do. Missing a stag trip or a lad’s party, it was because it was the right thing to do. It wasn’t a sacrifice. But you rely on other people, with the family, farming … that wouldn’t be there to come back to if it wasn’t for people like Alice’s mum and dad, their family, the friends who help Alice. So they have probably put more of a sacrifice in than I have to make sure that, when I do go home, things are still running smoothly. It’s not just my effort, yes I have put stuff in on my game but to have that to come back to is very special. They have sacrificed more than I have.What made you fall in love with the game in the first place?
The battle between bat and ball. It’s a one-on-one thing. I love that stuff, but you play it in a team. I love the individual sport stuff but the experiences I’ve had with some great people over 12 or 15 years … if you’re on your own in an individual sport I don’t think you get that. That individual thing: me versus the bowler, but you get that team as well, and that’s why it suits me so well.How have you changed as a person since your debut and do you think people might appreciate more now how tough opening the batting is?
I’m sure I’ve changed as a person. I’ve become more confident in certain situations. The one thing about captaincy is that it gives you a chance to grow. It throws you into so many different situations that you can only grow as a person. I hope I’m still the same person as when I started. I think those who know me best would say that. They’ll still same I’m stubborn; they’ll still say I’m single-minded and hopefully still okay to be around. And I think everyone knows opening is the toughest job in the team. I’m still going to say that now I’ve finished.What’s your assessment of where the team is now and where it’s going? Is this a chance for Joe to put his stamp on the team?
I think he is putting his stamp on the team. He’s growing every day into the role. As I found, I was a very different captain in the first couple of years to the second couple. I see that with Rooty. I think the team is in a really good space in home series. I think we’re an incredibly good side at home. So the challenge is, can we be more successful abroad? And be a bit more consistent. This team now is more talented than any I’ve played in. They can do special things on their day. It’s just a question of whether they can be more consistent and more adept away from home.