'My parents are in Ibiza - they'll be celebrating'
Josh Doig could hardly stop himself from beaming after making his Scotland debut in the 4-0 win against Liechtenstein.The 23-year-old Sassuolo left-back came off the bench and added energy and intent in Vaduz."[I was a] bit hundred miles per hour when I came on because I was just so delighted to actually get on the pitch," the former Hibernian player told BBC Scotland."Obviously I've been in a lot of squads, but at the same time it's not a bad thing. It's an absolute honour just to be picked, to be playing alongside some of the guys on the pitch, world-class players. "In my position, you've probably got some of the best two left-backs in the world at the moment, so it can't not help me being around them and being in that environment."Doig says his parents were on holiday and watching as he earned his first cap."My mum and dad are actually in Ibiza watching it, so they're enjoying themselves," Doig laughed."I'm sure they'll have a wee drink for it tonight. All my family are really big football fans, so they'll just absolutely enjoy it. It's a happy moment."
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BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Furness 'didn't want to hang on and hate the game'
Rachel Furness stood in the changing room and said a few words in front of her Northern Ireland team-mates as she fought back the decision to retire had not come overnight, but that did not make the moment any less oversized shirts and paying to play, to breaking records and making history on the biggest stage, she had seen it all in a career that had spanned 20 in the season, Furness had been in line for a Northern Ireland recall before she picked up an injury which ruled her out until the new was throughout that period when retirement crossed her mind."I thought it might have been my body telling me it had enough," Furness told BBC Sport NI."I'm happy with what I have achieved in the game and I didn't want to hang on and hate the game, so it's the perfect time to step away." After announcing her retirement, Furness jumped on a plane and went on holiday for a week. It not only gave her a chance to reflect, but celebrate a career in which she had achieved so much. From a teenager in a re-formed national team, Furness would become her country's record goalscorer and win 95 caps. She played a key role as Northern Ireland qualified for a major tournament for the first time at the Euros in 2022, and even assisted Julie Nelson's famous goal against admits she almost "downplays" her achievements but, after working with a leadership coach, she has realised "it is something to shout about"."I'm so proud that I've got that record. There was blood, sweat and tears to score that many goals for Northern Ireland, in a team that traditionally doesn't score that many goals. "Every one one of those 95 caps was special in a different way and every one of them has a story attached to it." 'I never thought I'd get that moment' A standout message from her speech was leaving the Northern Ireland shirt in a better place than she found it, and that was certainly the case. Her passion, as was so often evident on the pitch, was clear for all to Furness made her debut as a teenager in 2005, Northern Ireland's senior team had just been re-formed, the players had to pay to play and their shirts were oversized hand-me-downs from the men. "We were always the underdogs. We were budget girls who fought for each other, and what a 20 years it has been with the transition that has happened with coaching and the tournaments. "Alfie (Wylie) paved the way, then with Kenny (Shiels) it was doing what we thought was the impossible, and now Tanya (Oxtoby, the current manager) is leading the new generation. "I can step aside happy knowing we are going in the right direction. "We've still so much to fight for and just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'll stop fighting for what I think we need to compete." Despite her achievements, those final moments with her team-mates in a changing room in Bosnia-Herzegovina may never have happened at all. After Euro 2022, Furness had stepped away from playing for her country to focus on her mental health - something she later opened up about in an interview with BBC Sport. She returned to the fold the following year, but injuries limited her involvement. A final call-up came for May's Nations League matches, and while she did not get any minutes in those fixtures, her experience off the pitch helped guide a young squad to a League A promotion play-off."As a competitor, you are always disappointed when you don't get on, but for me it was the bigger picture of being in camp, being around the girls and having an input off the pitch."It was me able to say goodbye and I never thought I'd be able to do that on my terms. I'm fit and I'm healthy, and I never thought I'd be able to retire and it was in my own hands." 'A little girl's dream came true' Furness didn't only get a fitting end with her country, but also with Newcastle United - the club she had supported since she was a little girl. Her playing career had taken her across the WSL, at clubs such as Sunderland, Reading, Tottenham, Liverpool and Bristol it was the north east of England where her heart was calling, and she signed a one-year contract with Newcastle, who had been promoted to the Championship. As Furness says, it was a "full-circle moment"."My dream was always to walk out at St James' Park and to do that in front of 38,000 people this season was a little girl's dream come true."Early in the season, when she picked up the injury that swayed her towards retirement, it did not look like it would be a fairytale ending. But after recovering, she played a key role at the end of the season and she scored in her final home match and captained the side the following week in her final game."I've not retired sitting on the bench, I've retired on a high playing for the team I support, to the point where people have questioned why I've done it when I've still so much to give. "I would have bought the shirt and paid someone to play, so I feel very lucky and fortunate that I got to wear that shirt and got paid to do it." 'I'm big on being happy' Furness is someone who lives and breathes football. Her passion for the game remains, and now she has hung up her boots she intends to give something back."I'm hoping to go into coaching and stay in the game in some capacity. "I've got a few opportunities. I'm starting again with such knowledge and experience behind me, and such confidence in what I can give."Furness is excited for the future, and no matter what the next chapter brings, her priority is to remain happy and healthy."Life's short so if I'm not enjoying it then I'll find something I do enjoy."I'm big on being happy and mentally being in a good place, which I am at the moment. "We'll see what opportunities come across, and whatever it'll be, there will be a smile on my face and I'll be happy with the decisions that I make."
Telegraph
33 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Key Tottenham detail revealed as Fabio Paratici's worldwide ban nears end
Fabio Paratici has a consultancy contract with Tottenham Hotspur that runs to the end of August, meaning the club are under no pressure to hand him a new staff role despite the fact his worldwide ban is nearing an end. New head coach Thomas Frank did not mention Paratici, who can apply for British citizenship next summer, when discussing the people he anticipated working closely alongside at Tottenham in his first interview as head coach last week. Frank picked out chairman Daniel Levy, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and technical director Johan Lange, but Telegraph Sport understands that Paratici will continue to play an active role under the terms of his consultancy contract. Paratici resigned from his job as managing director of football in April 2023 after being banned from working within football for his role in alleged false accounting at his former club Juventus, although that has not stopped him acting as a contracted consultant for Tottenham. Paratici's worldwide football ban is due to expire on July 20, but Spurs do not immediately need to decide on a staff position for him given his contract as a consultant is understood to run to the end of August, with the summer transfer window shutting on Sep 1. There remains a possibility that Paratici will eventually return to a full-time role. He could alternatively extend his consultancy contract and there is confidence that a civil trial he is part of will not affect a decision either way. Lange survived the Tottenham cull that saw former head coach Ange Postecoglou and three members of his staff sacked, along with chief football officer Scott Munn, and the Dane was vital in the appointment of Frank who he is an old friend and colleague of. Despite the appointment of Lange in October 2023, Paratici has remained an active and visible figure around Tottenham with the Italian attending games. Paratici is understood to be keen to make a swift return to a full-time job in football once his ban ends and is thought to have prioritised staying in England over moving back to Italy or heading to Saudi Arabia. The 52-year-old can apply for British citizenship from June next year. It remains to be seen whether the long-term destination of Paratici has a bearing on the future of his 16-year-old son Lorenzo, who is a highly-rated youth footballer currently at Sampdoria. Referencing his working relationship with Levy, Venkatesham and Lange, Frank said: 'Of course, it's not just me. I think it's very important to say 'yes, the head coach is an important person', but if I don't have good people around me, it's impossible. You can't do anything alone, in my opinion. 'If you want to do something quick, you can go alone. If you want to do something big or achieve something big, you go together. So, it's definitely about doing things together – me, the staff, the players. 'I think alignment is key – from top to bottom. Of course it starts from Daniel, Vinai, Johan, and me – and the more the four of us can be aligned, just like a unit, an unbreakable unit, the stronger we'll be. 'There'll be ups and downs – right now, it's a fairytale. Everyone's happy, the sun is shining, it's fantastic. 'We haven't played one game yet. Hopefully we'll win a lot. We'll work very hard every single day to make sure we create as many magic moments for the fans and put them together and at the end of the season we'll have had a very good season.'
Daily Mail
34 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liam Delap opens up on Chelsea's No 9 curse, thriving on 'old school' battles and playing through the pain barrier at Ipswich as £30m man targets England World Cup spot
It says something that in our 25 minutes with Liam Delap on the 60th floor of Chelsea 's team hotel overlooking Philadelphia, not once do we bring up his old man, Rory. Sure, we could have asked if he reckons his dad could reach the Rocky Steps from here, but there is no point. Delap is more than the long thrower's son nowadays. The 22-year-old Englishman is his own person; Chelsea's brand new No 9 signed from Ipswich Town for £30million less than three weeks ago. Instead, we are talking how he is a throwback, an old-school striker who echoes Diego Costa in how he plays with an edge, a brute ready to battle as he reveals how he even played through the pain of broken ribs for the final stage of last season with Ipswich. 'I did it the game before we played Chelsea,' explains Delap, with that trip to Stamford Bridge falling on April 13, ending in a 2-2 draw. 'It was painful for a few weeks but I got over it. There is probably that narrative that nowadays there aren't as many old-school strikers as there used to be. Maybe I am a little old school but it is the way I play and I don't want to change it. 'I love those battles. I always have since I was a kid. I really love the aggressive side of it and the competitive nature of the sport. It's got to be controlled at times but it's my game ultimately and I enjoy it. I've always had that same edge as a kid and I'm not going to change the way my mindset is. You've just got to make sure you're on the right side of the edge.' Mind you, Delap received 12 yellow cards last term for Ipswich, more than any other player in the Premier League. 'It was obviously my first season playing in the Prem and playing with VAR,' he counters. 'It's not something I'm worried about now. I can control my emotions when I need to.' Nicolas Jackson did not control his when red carded within four minutes of replacing Delap versus Flamengo in Friday's Club World Cup loss in Philadelphia. Though that means Delap will now get the chance to lead the line against ES Tunis in tonight's clash, he feels for his team-mate. 'You have to be aggressive, on the front foot all the time,' he says. 'I was right in front of it when it happened. It was so unlucky. He has obviously not meant to do it; these things happen in football.' Here to compete with Jackson, Delap chose the No 9 shirt upon arriving and when asked on its curse associated with Chelsea, he says: 'I'm not that type of person. 'It doesn't mean anything to me. At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number. Wayne Rooney (wore it). My idol growing up was Cristiano Ronaldo. The number nine has always been related to strikers so it's something I like, but there's no pressure.' Chelsea were not alone in the chasing of Delap with his bargain of a £30m release clause. They had Manchester United, Newcastle, Everton, Nottingham Forest and others for company. 'It was a nice position to be in,' Delap says. 'You never know if it is going to be the right decision but you've just got to go with your gut. You've got to take your time. I still took a few days to decide and speak to people and decide my future. 'It (Chelsea qualifying for the Champions League) wasn't the be-all and end-all because I was also looking towards future seasons. I've got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I've played in this system before. I know a lot of the players here and the project of the club, how they see the future. That's what excited me.' Delap played under Enzo Maresca at Manchester City, scoring 24 goals in a single season for their development side. Cole Palmer was among his team-mates at City, and he would not mind emulating his stratospheric rise to stardom. 'Of course, that's the goal,' he says. 'He's gone and smashed it so hopefully I can also.' Had Chelsea not nabbed Delap before the Club World Cup, he would have been at the Under-21 European Championship with England, and he watched their 3-1 win over Spain in the quarter-finals on Saturday. 'Obviously I had my sights set on the Euros all season and I was really looking forward to that,' Delap admits. 'But I signed here and they wanted me to be here. I want to be here as well. I need to get to know everyone.' Next year's World Cup in the United States under Thomas Tuchel could be a possibility, however, with Maresca saying he believes Delap can be England's No 9 for the future. 'Obviously it's going to help being at a club like this,' Delap says. 'If I'm playing badly then I know I'm not going to be in (the World Cup squad) but if I'm playing well then it gives me a good chance. It's been a goal of mine since I was six or seven years old to play for my country.' When Delap signed for Ipswich from City for £20m, they got Ed Sheeran on FaceTime to seal the deal. Chelsea did not need to get Suggs, the lead singer of Madness, to land him this summer. They lured him in primarily on the basis that they believe he has the potential to be their old-school striker for the foreseeable.
