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MLS commissioner Don Garber admitted that without David Beckham joining the league in 2007, Messi wouldn't be at Miami in 2024.

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• MLS commissioner does Q&A
• Reveals Beckham influence on Messi transfer
• League learned a lot from 2007 superstar move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Speaking to ESPN in a Q&A session, Garber revealed how important the 2007 arrival of Beckham was to the league, and how integral it was to bringing in someone like Messi to Inter Miami. After joining the LA Galaxy, the Englishman brought worldwide status to the league, with both Manchester United and Real Madrid fans following his blockbuster move to the USA.

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  WHAT MLS COMMISSIONER DON GARBER SAID

  "There's no Messi in MLS if David didn't come into our league in 2007. It really was the first real statement that MLS can be a league of choice for the top, most well-known players in the world. And David's experience, albeit a little challenging in the beginning, was just fantastic for him, for the Galaxy, for the league, and really morphed into him becoming an owner in MLS. I can't imagine what MLS would be like if David didn't make that decision. If he didn't make that decision, I'm not sure what MLS would look like today."

  Garber followed it up by admitting the league did indeed learn some big lessons from Beckham's transfer, while adding what attributes a player of that caliber needs to be successful on and off the pitch in MLS.

  "I think some of the lessons are that you can't just take a big-name player and put them on the field and expect that everything is going to work perfectly. That player needs to really believe in the league, you need to manage around him and ensure that his family is well positioned and ensure, again, that it's the right fit for the club. And that's worked so well in so many cases, but it hasn't worked well in others. So I think it's not just about the experience with David, it really is the experience with all of the well-known, big-name players from overseas who've come into MLS. Some of them have worked really well, and some of them haven't. And by the way, that's OK."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After Messi signed for Inter Miami last summer, he instantly connected and linked-up with Beckham, who played a key role in orchestrating the move for the Herons. In his first season in MLS, Messi was a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year, won the Inaugural Leagues Cup – while being named tournament MVP and claiming the Golden Boot – and also won his eighth Ballon d'Or over Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

  Now, 2024 awaits, and it's an exciting time for both MLS and Inter Miami fans.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIONEL MESSI AND MLS?

  The Herons are back in action Wednesday evening, opening up their 2024 campaign against Real Salt Lake. Then, it's a Sunday clash against the LA Galaxy in a big match for Beckham, as the Inter Miami co-owner will visit his former club.

Many England fans were left to slam the display of West Ham United man Jesse Lingard despite their 5-0 home win over San Marino on Thursday night.

It was a very comfortable night as expected for the Three Lions with goals from James Ward-Prowse, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (two), Raheem Sterling and a debut strike for Ollie Watkins that sealed all three points and got Gareth Southgate’s men off to a perfect start in their group.

However, Lingard never managed to get himself on the scoresheet and was guilty of missing a lot of good chances in the game, with no fewer than ten shots taken in total, the most out of any player to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

The attacking midfield player currently on loan from Manchester United also lost possession of the ball on nine separate occasions in the match, the fifth-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore), although his general attacking play was easy to the eye at times.

Nonetheless, it did not stop several England supporters venting their frustrations with the 28-year-old.

England fan reaction to Lingard display

These Three Lions fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one claiming that he was ‘very poor’ while another even went as far as to say that it was a ‘disasterclass’:

“Yeah Lingard just looked out of his depth tbh, wasn’t on it at all”

Credit: @1874adam

“Eminem could play football better than Lingard”

Credit: @bilsnm

“I thought Lingard was rubbish last night, should have scored at least 3”

Credit: @Mike50873271

“Lingard wasn’t good tonight but you won’t hear about it because his name’s not Kalvin Phillips”

Credit: @VidukaEra

“Lingard disasterclass”

Credit: @cpfcames

“Lingard was very poor”

Credit: @AndrewHornet77

In other news, find out what official club post Hammers have flocked to here!

Swansea earned a hard-fought three points in their push for promotion on Saturday, as they defeated Luton Town 1-0 in the early kick-off in the Championship.

Connor Hourihane’s early goal was enough to see off the Hatters, who had a number of chances to equalise but couldn’t find a way past Freddie Woodman in the Swans goal.

The result briefly put Steve Cooper’s side in the top-two of the Championship, before Watford’s 2-1 win at Cardiff saw them jump back above the Swans into the automatic spots.

Although it was an important result, some of the performances from Swansea players were below par on Saturday, with Andre Ayew, in particular, disappointing.

As per SofaScore, the experienced striker would earn a 6.4 rating for his display, which was the joint-lowest rating, with Korey Smith, of any Swansea player who started the game.

During his 90 minutes on the pitch, the former Marseille man would have 41 touches of the ball and would complete just 18 passes, which suggests that he was rarely involved, as he has averaged 27.3 passes per game in the Championship so far this season.

Perhaps most disappointingly, the Ghana international struggled to hold the ball up for Swansea in his role as a lone striker, with the Luton defenders, particularly Kai Naismith, having the better of him during the game.

Ayew would win just 4/14 ground duels and just 3/11 of his aerial duels during the game, resulting in an overall tally of 7/25 – which saw him register a disappointing success rate of just 28%.

Naismith meanwhile, would win 15/17 of his duels during the game and earned an impressive 8.3 rating for his display, which definitely suggests that he won the battle between himself and Ayew.

Despite being rarely involved, the 31-year-old striker would also lose possession on 16 occasions, suggesting that his link-up play was nowhere near his usual standards at Kenilworth Road.

The £3.6 million-rated forward was also successful with just 2/7 of his dribbles against Nathan Jones’ side, whilst he failed to register a single shot on target, so he is perhaps fortunate that Swansea were able to come away with a win, as it is clear that he was nowhere near his best against the Hatters as he let Cooper down with an anonymous display.

The prodigiously gifted left-winger is already making history and megaclubs across the pond are taking notice

Looking back at the moment itself just a few months later, Julian Hall admits he wasn't nervous. Even he is surprised by that fact. How in the world did he not feel a tidal wave of anxiety the moment he stepped onto the field?

You see, the moment in question came on September 30, 2023. With the New York Red Bulls down a goal, the club turned to Hall in the 80th minute. Nothing unusual, clubs turn to attacking players late in games all the time. The difference is that Hall is 15 years old. 15. The number bears repeating.

Too young to go get a driver's license, but old enough to play meaningful minutes in an MLS game for a club in a playoff race. By making his appearance, Hall became the second-youngest player in MLS history. The only one younger? Freddy Adu.

"I wouldn't say there were nerves," Hall told GOAL, "which is pretty surprising. I definitely just couldn't believe that I was on the field. It was really surreal to me. It took me a while to even feel like I was playing in the game. It was definitely one of the best feelings I've ever experienced and hopefully, I can continue with that."

The world is watching now. Clubs all over Europe have been linked, and they're big ones. Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich.. all have been linked with the rising 15-year-old starlet.

It's still wild to Hall, whose life has totally changed over the last year in ways he still can't quite fathom.

"I think it's all changed a lot after last year," he said. "I never really got the high school experience. I never really attended high school before, but there was a pretty big chunk of teenage life that got away a bit, but it's all been taken out for a good reason now: my development and for me to have a career in this sport."

What's next for the rising 15-year-old star? GOAL spoke to Hall to discuss his career so far and, of course, his hopes for the future…

• Insta: julianhall_
  

  Where it all began

  He doesn't remember the exact moment it happened, nor the real reason why. There was no wake-up moment for Hall when he was younger. At some point early on, he just really fell in love with soccer.

  Hall played other sports, but, at one point, soccer became the one. And it didn't take him long to realize that he was actually pretty damn good at it.

  "I wouldn't say I was ever the best player, that came at a later time," Hall said. "I started training from age or three years up, and that made me realize that maybe I had a chance to pursue this as a career. When I look at where I am right now, it makes me feel like I have a chance to go somewhere with soccer."

  Growing up, Hall was inspired by those around him. He had the usual European influences, although those were only heightened by his Polish ancestry. He loved watching Manchester United, although he initially chose them as a kid mostly for the colors. The player he idolized most, though, was Robert Lewandowski, as anyone with a connection to Poland would.

  Born in Manhattan, Hall embraced the uniqueness of the New York soccer scene, one that has always been a big melting pot of cultures. He came from a Polish background through his mother's side, but a quick walk around any New York City game will introduce you to any number of players from any number of different backgrounds.

  "There were all sorts of cultures and people," Hall said. "Especially when I played on my local team, people were coming from all over the city. It's definitely thriving where I'm from."

  By the time he was 12, though, Hall was ready to make the leap from New York to New Jersey. He joined the Red Bulls in 2020, and it didn't take long for him to prove himself at one of the best academies in MLS.

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• The big break

  Hall's early years with the Red Bulls youth teams? In a word: dominant.

  In 39 matches, the forward scored 28 goals for the academy team, working his way up the ranks. His most notable achievement came with the Red Bulls U-15s at the 2023 MLS NEXT Cup, where he scored five goals to earn an MVP award and, more importantly, the tournament trophy for the Red Bulls team. He also won the Golden Boot award at the 2023 Generation adidas Cup, scoring five more goals, including two in a win over Chelsea.

  Ahead of the 2023 MLS Next Pro season, Hall signed his first professional deal. He went on to make 10 appearances, scoring twice despite being among the younger players in the league. By September, those in charge had seen enough to offer him a three-year contract with the first team. And then, just 23 days later, he was on the field for that debut just over halfway into his 15th year on this planet.

  "In terms of training with them and getting opportunities with the first team, because of that, [the debut] wasn't a surprise," he said. "I try to stay ready for anything. Anything can happen. But, with that, that was something that I couldn't believe happened in that moment"

  He added: "Of course I see certain things going on. Of course, the accolades for the players that came before me, they were all important in making the history of the league. For me now, I think it's incredibly important to just stay focused, especially on myself."

  In just a few years, Hall had basically speed-run the Red Bulls system. He made leap after leap after leap relatively quickly, going from academy to second team to first before his 16th birthday.

• How it's going

  The expectation is that Hall will be eased into the Red Bulls' first team. He's just 15, after all. There's so much maturing he needs to do, on and off the field, before he's ready to be a regular contributor at a top, top level.

  If this preseason is anything to go by, though, Hall might not be too far away from his second MLS appearance.

  "Julian is one of those players that, no matter what we put in front of him, he managed to have an impact and he managed to adapt," said Red Bulls academy director Sean McCafferty. "We'd be lying, though, if we said we'd expected him to adapt to first-team training as quickly as he has."

  He added:" The best compliment I can give him is that every time you put him into an environment where you think he's going to struggle, he finds a way to make it work."

  Hall got plenty of minutes during the Red Bulls' preseason run and, against St. Louis, he came off the bench to win a penalty for his team. He provided an assist against the Chicago Fire, too, teeing up Elias Manoel. It's the type of impact he can make, even at his age.

  Still, the Red Bulls won't rush him. Hall will be given all the time he needs.

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• Biggest strengths

  Able to play across the attacking line, Hall is primarily a left-winger, one with the ability to beat a defender and, when the time comes, make things happen in the final third.

  His goalscoring record on the youth level speaks for itself, as do his preseason contributions. Despite his age, Hall is confident and dynamic, a player who has an eye for goal at every level he's played at so far in his young career.

  "I think being an attacking threat is a huge part of being an attacker, but I have so much to learn. I have great role models at the club to help me to keep improving every day. Nothing is final yet, of course, but there are always things that I can improve on."

  At 5'10", Hall already has size, and he could still grow a bit considering his age. He has the pace and skill to beat defenders, helping him create the moments needed to contribute in the attacking third. In terms of physical gifts, they're all there, which is why he can play with players twice his age.

  Hall has already found one heck of a role model with the Red Bulls: club legend Bradley Wright-Phillips. One of the most prolific strikers MLS has ever seen, Wright-Phillips has helped Hall adjust to life at this new level.

  "I came into the team last year at a young age and it was a new environment for me," he said. "Bradley Wright-Phillips is someone with a great history in the league. The fact that he's still around the team and at the facility, he's available all the time to ask questions and get information from him."

  "I think the things that he showed when he was in the league, there's that potential for myself, but I have a long way to go, but having him there is definitely a key aspect of my development."

  Wright-Phillips said of hall: "I think he needs a lot more games at the MLS NEXT Pro level but I will say this – the way he’s matured, his body, everything… he’s ready to get minutes for the first-team — and if he does, don’t be surprised if he comes on and has an impact in some games.

  "But I think with the young players, we don’t wanna go too fast. There are steps you have to take to adjust your game and I think Julian should take those steps and if he continues to do well at the NEXT Pro level… then he will get his chance."

Leeds United managed to acquire exciting prospect Joe Gelhardt in the summer and Phil Hay has revealed the crucial role Marcelo Bielsa has had in his development.

What Hay had to say about Gelhardt

Phil Hay has reported via The Athletic: “Leicester City had the same idea and made enquiries of their own but according to sources close to Gelhardt, he was “blown away” by the way in which Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta presented the offer from Elland Road to him.

“As Leeds like to do with senior recruits, they put together video packages comparing and contrasting his performances for Wigan with the way Leeds set up under Marcelo Bielsa. By then, the 18-year-old had made 18 appearances in the Championship, 16 as a substitute. Bielsa is understood to have taken part in one of the Zoom calls to Gelhardt’s agency and Gelhardt has lost significant amounts of weight since moving to Yorkshire, working towards a place in Bielsa’s match-day squad for the first time against Crystal Palace last week.”

Bielsa’s impact at Leeds is huge

The fact that the player looked to completely change his fitness regime following the Zoom calls Bielsa had with him and his agency shows the great impact the manager has in football and the crucial role he had in getting this deal over the line.

A report back in December revealed that Leeds had the highest sprint output of any club in Europe this season, and that’s directly as a result of the kind of conditioning work Bielsa surely does and the intensity to which they train and play.

Getting Gelhardt to buy into that and seeing him lose ‘significant amounts of weight’ is testament to the teenager’s work ethic, and the Leeds boss’ crucial hand in his development.

The young forward looks an exciting prospect and the fact that the 18 year-old has seven goals in 13 appearances for the U23 side (Transfermarkt), and has recently worked himself into Bielsa’s match day squad emphasises that Leeds could have a star in their ranks. Phil Hay spoke about the forward in the past on his podcast, calling him ‘massively talented’.

With Leeds comfortably in a mid-table position, it could be possible that fans will see Gelhardt feature in the Premier League before the end of the season.

In other Leeds news, the club have managed to tie down an exciting prospect. Have a read here!

Paris Saint-Germain are considering a summer transfer bid for Barcelona midfielder Gavi, according to a report.

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• PSG want to sign Gavi in summer
• Move would reunite him with Luis Enrique
• Barca do not want to sell prized asset

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The French champions have long been admirers of the 19-year-old and claims they have named him on their shortlist of targets for the summer transfer window. A move would see him reunite with coach Luis Enrique, who gave him his senior debut at Barca at the age of 17.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona have no intention of selling their prized academy graduate, who is currently out with an anterior cruciate ligament tear, but the club's dire financial situation may force them to let him go should a good enough offer come their way. It is unclear if the 27-time Spain international would be open to a summer departure.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gavi is not the only big name that PSG have their eye on. They are in the market to bring more star power into the team now that Kylian Mbappe has reportedly informed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he will leave the club for free in the summer transfer window. They are also expected to table an offer for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen to take the France star's place up front.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

  The capital club will look to defend their Ligue 1 title and secure the Champions League crown for the first time before Mbappe departs at the end of the season. They will then look to replace their talisman and strengthen in other areas of the squad.

Leeds United are expected to be without three key players for their Premier League clash with reigning champions Liverpool.

The Whites are still basking in the glory of their 2-1 win away to Manchester City last weekend, in what was a famous top-flight victory.

Marcelo Bielsa and his players are now preparing for the visit of Liverpool next Monday, in what promises to be an entertaining contest, given the last meeting saw seven goals.

Leeds aren’t without their injury problems ahead of the game, however, and it looks as though several big players will be absent against the Reds.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Leeds trio absent for Liverpool meeting

According to The Athletic‘s Tom Worville on Twitter, Liam Cooper, Raphinha and Rodrigo could all miss out on Monday night, acting as a blow to Bielsa.

Cooper is suspended after picking up a red card at City, while the two attackers are expected to be out for at least seven days, per The Athletic’s injury chart, which would of course rule them out also.

Transfer Tavern take

Cooper and Raphinha’s absences are particularly key for Leeds, with the former so consistent at the back this season and the latter one of the stars of the campaign at Elland Road.

Raphinha’s quality will be missed because it would have made Andy Robertson less likely to attack, as the Scot is playing alongside two inexperienced centre-backs, not to mention the Brazilian’s six goals and six assists.

Instead, it may give the Reds full-back more encouragement to push on, allowing him to link-up with either Sadio Mane or Diogo Jota down the left flank, and perhaps causing further trouble for a Leeds defence without their captain.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to be a regular starter next season – find out who it is here.

Harry Kane made a sensational move from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich and has now revealed which teammate has helped him through the move.

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• Kane talks about move to Bayern
• Talks about how Muller helped him settle
• Has had an exceptional start to season

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane finally moved to Munich over one of the longest summer transfer sagas, with the Bavarians agreeing to pay Spurs €100 million (£86 million/$110 million) for his services. With 17 goals in 11 Bundesliga games and 21 goals overall across all competitions, Kane has made an immediate impact in Germany. He has also gotten accustomed to the country with the help of teammate Thomas Muller.

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• WHAT KANE SAID

  Speaking to FourFourTwo, Kane said [via @iMiaSanMia on X]: "Thomas [Muller] took me out for a round of golf with some of his pals after I arrived, which was really kind of him. It’s tough coming to live in a new country and trying to make some friends, so I appreciated it. We had loads of fun."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  As per BILD, Kane's €480,000-per-week deal includes a "scorer-points" provision that is expected to yield him an additional substantial payment. It's been reported that Kane will receive a €25,000 bonus if he scores 40 goals across all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

  Kane is expected to feature for the Three Lions in their Euro 2024 qualifying matches on November 17 and 20, respectively against Malta and North Macedonia. On November 24, after completing his international obligations, he will return to Germany to play for Bayern against Koln.

A number of Crystal Palace supporters have hit out at Cheikhou Kouyate on social media for his performance against Aston Villa on Sunday lunchtime.

Roy Hodgson, who looks set to leave the club at the end of the season, made five changes from the side which fell to a 3-1 defeat to Southampton on Tuesday, with Jack Butland, Gary Cahill, James McCarthy, Jeffrey Schlupp and Andros Townsend all coming into the line-up.

However, it was Kouyate‘s display in the opening stages at Selhurst Park which had a number of Eagles fans talking online, and not for the right reasons.

The 31-year-old was making his 33rd Premier League start and 35th appearance in all competitions. He was partnering Gary Cahill at the back, with the pair coming up against Villa forward Ollie Watkins, but some fans clearly think he struggled in the first half. The Senegal international completed just five passes in the opening 45 minutes and had little impact on proceedings.

Palace fans react to Kouyate’s display

Here is what these Palace supporters had to say about Kouyate, with one believing that he and Cahill are ‘done’ at Selhurst Park.

“Kouyate and Ward need to sharpen up quick”

Credit: @Not2Camp

“Kouyate been awful in this game”

Credit: @PalaceFanDan

“Kouyate and Cahill pushing Watkins in the back every time the ball goes forward. Braindead.”

Credit: @lukec_1987

“Cahill and Kouyate are done. It was fun but we need to replace them”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“I like Kouyate, but caught ball watching there.”

Credit: @PaulGDJ

“Can’t make my mind up on Kouyate at Centre back”

Credit: @Adam_Palace

In other news: Many Palace fans react to shock news on Hodgson, find out more here. 

Wolves’ shambolic showing at Turf Moor on Sunday lunchtime provided Nuno Santo with plenty to think about.

First of all, it showed that their defence still leaves plenty to be desired and secondly, it summed up why they need more potency in attack. Losing 4-0 on the road to a relegation-threatened team wasn’t very impressive at all.

What’s the word?

This will be a pivotal summer for Wolves after they ultimately splashed the cash unsuccessfully last year.

The Old Gold have an option to buy Willian Jose in a few months time but after scoring just once, it feels unlikely they’ll do so.

Instead, Wolves could find themselves turning their eyes to Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah.

Nuno’s men were linked with a move for the young forward in January but they ultimately settled on Jose.

However, it looks as though the Gunners are keen to shift Nketiah again this summer.

A fresh report from The Sun over the weekend states that Arsenal are looking for £20m in order to part company with the 21-year-old. With that, Wolves should revive their interest.

Goals galore

Back in January, Wolves needed a proven experienced striker in order to replace Raul Jimenez whilst he was injured. The arrival of Jose looked an astute one on paper as he signed on loan but after netting one goal in the space of a few months, it’s not gone according to plan.

It’s unlikely Jimenez will be back before the end of the campaign but hopefully, he’ll be fit and raring to go before the new season rolls around.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-wolves-news-and-views-lingard-leao-jimenez-mir” title= “Read the latest Wolves news and views!”]

With that in mind, signing another experienced forward might not make as much sense.

Fortunately, this is where Nketiah comes in. Not quite as young as Fabio Silva, the Englishman has had a habit of troubling opposition defences up and down the country for years.

He has only scored six times for Mikel Arteta’s side this term but he is the definition of a penalty box poacher. You only need to look at his late goal against Fulham last week where he stole in at the back post before poking the ball home.

Dubbed a “powerful” player by the Arsenal manager, he possesses the ability to get in behind and run the channels; something Wolves don’t really have with Jimenez.

The Mexican will work hard but despite being a fox in the box, he isn’t blessed with enormous pace.

Nketiah, on the other hand, has speed and acceleration in abundance. If you don’t get stuck into him early in the game, he can run you ragged.

The youngster scored 28 times in only 39 games for the club’s U23 side and at international level, he has thrived.

Described as a “goal machine” by Michael Owen, no one has scored more goals for England U21s than Nketiah; he has 16 in 17.

The attacker now has a few years of experience under his belt which is more than Silva can offer at the moment. He is proven in England and also has plenty of leadership skills; he was the U21s captain during the recent European Championships.

Like a lot of Jeff Shi’s signings down the years, this would be one where Wolves can develop and craft a player for the future.

AND in other news, Worse than Boly: Nuno surely fuming with Wolves gem who lost possession 24x…