#PLStories- Norwich complete #BenGibson deal to end Burnley nightmare #BURNLEYFC #NCFC
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Norwich complete #BenGibson deal to end Burnley nightmare #BURNLEYFC #NCFC

July 2, 2021
BURNLEY defender Ben Gibson has officially completed his permanent move to Norwich City. The centre-half ended a nightmare spell with the Clarets when he joined the Canaries on loan last September. And after their promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship, an obligation to buy clause has been activated, the fee believed to be £8million. There were big hopes for Gibson on his arrival at Turf Moor for a joint club record £15million back in August 2018 but he made just six appearances for the club. His last Clarets appearance came in the Carabao Cup in August 2019, the 28-year-old being allowed to train with his hometown club Middlesbrough at one stage after airing frustrations about not sealing a move away. Gibson then joined Norwich where he made 27 appearances last season, his season ended in March by an ankle injury. “I am absolutely delighted,” he said. “What we achieved last season was remarkable. “It couldn’t have gone any better, bar the injury for me, for the team and the squad. We had clear goals, we set out to achieve them and we fulfilled them in every way. “We didn’t just get promoted, we were champions and we had record points total. So, it has literally been a dream move. “It (the Premier League) is where everyone wants to be. It is where I have been for different chapters in my career. “We can’t wait to have another crack at it.”
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley striker #JoelMumbongo joins Accrington Stanley on season-long loan #BURNLEYFC

July 2, 2021
Burnley prospect Joel Mumbongo has signed for Accrington Stanley on a season-long loan deal. Mumbongo has already clocked up seven appearances for the Clarets first-team but will now step-up his development with a year at the Wham Stadium. The 22-year-old netted eight times in 13 Premier League 2 Division Two fixtures last season and John Coleman is delighted to land the striker who has been a long-term target. He said: "He has really impressed me every time I have watched him. He will add strength to the attacking areas. "He is quick, physically strong, and he is a no-nonsense centre forward, the type I like." Gothenburg-born Mumbongo began his career with Swedish sides BK Hacken and Utsiktens BK, before moving to Italy to join Hellas Verona in the summer of 2018. He signed for Burnley a year later, with the 22-year-old then making his first team debut for the Clarets in January 2021 against Milton Keynes Dons. He said of the move: “I am happy to be here, I feel like this is the right place at the right time for me. “It’s a good move for me, to be able to play games and show people what I can do. “I am a powerful striker, quick in behind and a threat. Scoring goals is my job and I want to make an impact."
Danny ings Southampton
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories #DannyIngs reveals the most underrated player he has played with #SAINTSFC

July 2, 2021
SAINTS striker Danny Ings revealed James Milner as the most underrated players he has played with throughout his career. The pair were team-mates at Liverpool before Ings joined up with Saints, initially on loan, in the summer of 2018. Milner has made 564 appearances in the Premier League throughout his illustrious career, as well as playing 61 times for England. He has also won three top-flight titles, an FA Cup and the Champions League. Asked at the Saints Foundation's All In This Together online event, who the most underrated player he had played with was, Ings replied: “I'd probably have to say James Milner. “There's always that banter, the boring Milner and stuff, but he's a great guy. “He's got unbelievable ability and he just works so hard. “I think until you're actually on the training pitch with him and spending every day with him, I think it's hard to actually realise how good a football player he actually is. “Still doing it at his age now, running further than everybody else in his team. I think he's probably the most underrated player because he's got so much ability.”
Mohamed Elyounoussi
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Saints winger #MohamedElyounoussi pens emotional goodbye to loan club Celtic #SAINTSFC

July 2, 2021
SAINTS winger Mohamed Elyounoussi sent his thanks to loan club Celtic and added: “I wish everyone all the best in the future.” The Norwegian international took to Instagram on Wednesday to thank the Glasgow giants following the expiration of his loan stay at Celtic Park. Across two seasons, Elyounoussi played 67 games and scored 24 goals. He also won the Scottish title in 2020. A post from the 26-year-old’s official Instagram page read: “I would like to thank everyone at @celticfc for the two seasons I was there. “Thanks to all the coaching & background staff, the players and everyone who is working at this historic club. I have shared dressing room with a fantastic group of players and made friends for life. “It has been a pleasure and honour to wear the iconic green and white shirt. I’ll take all the good memories with me both domestically and in Europe. “Lastly, I want to thank the amazing fans that has been supporting and cheering me since the day I arrived. “You have made every game both at the incredible Celtic Park and away games joyful. We missed you last season and I hope for the boys that you are back next season. “I wish everyone all the best in the future.” Elyounoussi joined Saints from Basel in June 2018 for a reported £16million, signing a five-year deal at St Mary’s. He has played 19 games in total for Saints, eight of those appearances coming under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Jan Mlakar
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton striker #JanMlakar signs for Hajduk Split #BHAFC

July 2, 2021
The Slovenian striker has joined Hajduk Split on a permanent deal on undisclosed terms. Mlakar signed for the Seagulls from Maribor in January 2019, and he also spent time out on loan in the Championship with QPR and Wigan Athletic. He spent last term back on loan back at Maribor and was joint top scorer in the Slovenian top tier with 15 goals in 35 games. But his impact while in or Championship was minimal. BRIGHTON'S ROBERT SANCHEZ SIGNS IN TRAINING WITH SPAIN Albion technical director Dan Ashworth said: “After a good season with Maribor, and having made his national team debut, Jan now has the option of a permanent move to Hajduk Split. “It's a move which suits all parties, and we wish Jan all the best of luck for the future at both club and international level.” Mlakar never made a senior appearance for Albion.
Jordan Pickford
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #TheoWalcott heaps praises for England star #JordanPickford #EvertonFC #SaintsFC

July 1, 2021
SAINTS star Theo Walcott heaped praise on England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with the Three Lions yet to concede a goal at Euro 2020. Pickford again pulled off some remarkable saves during his side’s 2-0 Euro 2020 last 16 victory over Germany. And Walcott, who played 47 times for England at senior level, was full of praise for the Everton stopper. He told talkSPORT: “It’s all about clean sheets in tournament football. “I’ve been really pleased with Jordan and he had a lot of people on his back about being too involved in the game. “I think he’s taken a step back and started to handle the defence and not play the occasion. He’s leading on the field. “When you’ve got a goalkeeper behind you like that, it helps. We are very difficult to break down. “Jordan has always been a resilient young man and dealt with pressures and I’m sure now he’s grown his hair a little bit more he’s probably not hearing as much. “He’s brilliant. Always done very well for England and Everton. Having (Robin) Olsen, he’s a very experienced goalkeeper, it has probably done him some good.” While the win over Germany will live long in the memory, Pickford himself knows it must be put to the back of the minds of the players as they prepare to take on Ukraine in Rome for a place in the semi-finals. “We’ve got to enjoy the moment,” he said post-match. “But we’ve got to get prepared right, recover well and train well. Every team in this competition is a good side, so we’ve got to be on our A game and prepare well for Saturday. “We’ve had the opportunity to play four games at Wembley and the atmosphere of 45,000 fans today was amazing. “I think that just gives us the desire on Saturday, it is another opportunity to come back to Wembley. Come Saturday we will be prepared for what they put up against us.”
Caleb Watts
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- He’s going for gold! Saints youngster #CalebWatts to become an Olympian #SAINTSFC

June 30, 2021
SAINTS youngster Caleb Watts is set to become an Olympian this summer, after being confirmed in Australia’s squad for Tokyo 2020. The 19-year-old, who has represented his country at under-17 and under-23 level, is set to be part of the Olyroos group making their return to the Games for the first time since 2008. It caps what has been a breakthrough season for Watts, who made his Saints senior debut against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup back in January. Watts had the choice of either representing England or Australia when he was younger, having been born in England to an Australian father. Asked why he chose to represent the Aussies, the teenager told the Saints website: “There’s a lot of national pride associated with playing for Australia. Making my grandparents proud, making my dad proud, I feel a real affinity towards the country, probably more so than I do England. “I think that England team at the time looked quite difficult to get into, there was a lot of competition. “I also really liked what the (Australian) coach, when he came to visit, had to say.” Now selected as part of the Olympic line-up, Watts will be part of the 16-nation tournament held between July 21 and August 7. Australia have been drawn in Group E alongside Egypt, Spain and Argentina. Watts came off the bench three times for Saints in the Premier League last season, during games against Arsenal, Everton and Manchester City. And he believes being in and around Saints’ first-team every day helped him develop as a player. “It’s been a huge learning curve,” said the youngster when asked to reflect on his breakthrough campaign. “Seeing first-team players all the time. Seeing their habits. “Players like Prowsey, you can pick up so much knowledge and information from how they operate on a day-to-day basis. “My target was to just get around the first team as much as possible. I thought last season I had a pretty weak season just because of the injuries etc and I knew I was capable of more. “But if I’m honest I probably didn’t see me getting this much time in the first team, but because of injuries and how I’ve performed it’s allowed me to have quite a good year I feel.”
Ben White Leeds
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #BenWhite says When I was at Saints I didn’t have any confidence’ #BHAFC SAINTSFC

June 29, 2021
ENGLAND defender Ben White admitted he “didn’t have any confidence” coming through the youth ranks at Saints before reviving his career at Brighton. The 23-year-old grew up in the south, attending Queen Elizabeth's School in Wimborne, while also playing football for county side Poole and East Dorset. His path to the top was far from straightforward, released by Saints as a teenager and coming through lower league loan spells, before helping Leeds United clinch promotion from the Championship and now establishing himself as a key centre-back for Brighton. Now part of England’s Euro 2020 group, White could feature in Gareth Southgate’s squad when they take on Germany in the last 16 on Tuesday. But the centre-back admits he is a totally different person now than when he found himself struggling in the academy at Saints. “When I was at Southampton I didn’t have any confidence,” he told talkSPORT. “The way I play now is with a lot of confidence. It’s the complete opposite of what I used to be. “I think coming through Brighton the coaches and the people really believed in me. “I think you get that with playing and at Southampton I was on the sidelines a lot. But I went Brighton and went straight into the team and played. “It’s tough when you get released and you’re not wanted. Especially when you’re young, it’s hard to deal with. “You either sink or swim, but for me I obviously wanted it a lot and it was the only thing I wanted at the time, so I went for it.” The defender has this summer been linked with a big money move to Arsenal, but insists his only focus at present is on progressing with England. Speaking about that speculation, White added: “It’s nice, it’s happened quite a lot over the last two years, there’s been a lot of noise. “You don’t know what’s true and what’s not. So there’s no real point talking about it.”