Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk isn't ready to say the club are in the Premier League title race until the end of the year.
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David Willey and Josh Poysden share six wickets at Graham Clark’s half-century goes in vain
ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2020Yorkshire Vikings earned a vital 29-run win in the Vitality Blast North Group against Durham as Tom Kohler-Cadmore took centre stage with an unbeaten knock of 85 at Emirates Riverside. Kohler-Cadmore exploded after a steady start, scoring five sixes in his brilliant innings. Will Fraine added a blistering knock of 36 in the latter overs to propel the Vikings to a formidable total of 198 for 3 from their 20 overs.Graham Clark offered resistance for the home side with a half-century of his own. However, no other Durham batsman could match his intensity as Josh Poysden tore through the line-up with three wickets, while David Willey also took three scalps to bowl out the hosts for 169. Yorkshire secured their second victory of the competition, boosting their hopes of qualification from the North Group, while Durham remain winless after five matches.Adam Lyth took the initiative in the early overs of the innings, dispatching two boundaries from Brydon Carse’s first over. Matt Potts made the breakthrough when Lyth went for a swing towards the leg side, but was caught a deep midwicket by Liam Trevaskis. Kohler-Cadmore made a slow start to the innings, but was able to up the ante by striking his first six in the sixth over. Yorkshire built a solid platform reaching 51 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay, which allowed Kohler-Cadmore license to attack.He clubbed Trevaskis straight back over his head for a maximum and then sent the next over the rope. The opener and Joe Root put on fifty for the second wicket in the ninth over from only 30 balls. Root deployed the sweep to great success against the spinners, but his attempt to clear the rope against Paul Coughlin resulted in his dismissal for 25. Kohler-Cadmore continued his assault and reached a 33-ball fifty in style, hammering the ball into the car park for his fourth maximum. Harry Brook kept the pressure on the Durham bowlers, quickly finding his range with 23 from 12 before he was caught at third man off Coughlin.The Vikings’ maintained their impetus as Kohler-Cadmore continued to clear the rope down the ground. Fraine played a gem of a knock in the closing overs, easing the burden on his skipper. He blasted 36 from only 15 deliveries, including three sixes, to set the home side a daunting total of 199 to chase to register their first win of the season.Clark responded for Durham with three boundaries from Willey’s opening overs before dispatching Matthew Fisher into the pavilion with a huge six. Through the striking of Clark, the home side raced to their fifty at the end of the fifth over. The openers continued to get on top of the Yorkshire bowlers, refusing to let them settle.Clark reached his second fifty of the season from 26 balls, but the opening stand was broken by Root on 77 when Lees was caught at deep backward square leg for 24. Poysden stunted Durham’s progress with the wicket of Ben Raine, which pushed the required rate up above 10 per over. Clark guided the home side past the 100-run mark, but his attempt to hammer Root down the ground resulted in his dismissal stumped for 68.The chase was left in the hands of David Bedingham and Farhaan Behardien, but the boundaries were beginning to dry up for hosts. Bedingham’s attempt to cut loose against Matthew Pillans saw him pick out Fisher on the fence. Poysden handed Yorkshire control of the contest by removing Berhardien and Carse, and Willey returned to claim two wickets in two balls before adding a third in the final over to allow the Vikings to ease over the line, putting them back in contention in the North Group.
Tottenham Hotspur are convinced that a forward valued at £21 million is a "huge talent", and they now want to sign him for manager Ange Postecoglou this summer.
Spurs targeting new goalscorer and playmaker
According to some reliable media sources, Spurs are in search of more creativity both out wide and further forward.
Ange outlines Tottenham star as weak link as he eyes "perfect" £55.6m heir
The Australian has decided to sell him.
ByEmilio Galantini May 21, 2024
To finally replace club legend Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in a multi-million pound deal last summer, Tottenham are believed to be in the market for a new striker this summer. Brentford star Ivan Toney is among the names linked, with former Spurs scout Bryan King even urging the club to do a deal.
“Toney, that is who Tottenham need to go and sign,” King said to Tottenham News.
Son Heung-min
17
Richarlison
11
Dejan Kulusevski
8
Brennan Johnson
5
Cristian Romero
5
“He is worth the extra money, and if Spurs want to move to the next level that is the player they need to convince to join them. Spurs need to make that step and guarantee they will finish in the top four next season, and Toney is the player who will help them do that.
“They can go through Europe and pick out centre-forwards if they like, but Toney is an England international, Premier League proven and he is the player that the club need to replace Harry Kane.”
Meanwhile, as well as going forward, trusted media members like Fabrizio Romano have recently claimed that Spurs could bring in a new star winger to help with goals and assists – name-dropping both Raphinha and Pedro Neto as potential options.
“Look, a player they appreciate for a long time is Raphinha from Barcelona. We know the financial situation at Barcelona is not easy, so he could be one of the names. They will look at that kind of player," said Romano to JD Football.
"Another player they appreciate is Pedro Neto, but he has this issue with his injuries, so I’m not sure Liverpool, Tottenham or the other clubs following the player will be prepared to play big money for Pedro Neto this summer. That kind of player is the priority for Tottenham, I see them going for that kind of winger, a quality player to help with goals and assists."
Of course, Spurs only have so much to play with in terms of transfer kitty, meaning they'll need to weigh up their next moves carefully. A more astute alternative to the names mentioned could now be Lyon forward Rayan Cherki, and reports suggest he only cost around £21 million.
Tottenham want to sign Cherki and think he's a "huge talent"
According to HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are among the clubs eyeing a move for Cherki this summer, with all interested sides believing he's a "huge talent" – including Spurs.
PSG are also chasing the Ligue 1 sensation, who's bagged six assists in 33 Ligue 1 appearances, so Postecoglou's side will face stiff competition if they decide to formalise their interest with an approach.
Championship play-off football is often played on a knife's edge with neither team wanting to mess up or make an error, which doesn't always lend itself to the most free-flowing spectacle for the neutral.
Norwich City versus Leeds United certainly fell into that cagey bracket, with Daniel Farke's Whites the happier of the two sides with the final 0-0 scoreline when the teams trudged off at the end in the Carrow Road sunshine.
The German boss in the Leeds dug-out will hope the sun keeps shining in a second-leg win when the action picks back up at Elland Road this coming Thursday night, knowing that he has one particular member of his squad to thank after giving the Whites a solid platform to strut their stuff on home soil.
Ethan Ampadu's performance vs Norwich in numbers
Leeds will be grateful for the valiant efforts of both Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu in the centre-back spots, helping a previously leaky Whites – who shipped four not too long ago away at Queens Park Rangers – pick up a clean sheet on their travels down to Norfolk.
Ampadu, in particular, shone against David Wagner's hosts with an imperious performance from the ex-Chelsea man nullifying dangerous striker Josh Sargent up top for the Canaries all afternoon.
Amazingly, the imposing centre-back would misplace just one of his 79 passes on the day to finish the stalemate with a 99% pass accuracy alongside winning 100% of his ground duels in the tense affair.
This would result in the aforementioned Sargent only completing 21 touches of the ball trying to give Norwich some impetus going forward up against the brick wall of Rodon and Ampadu, with the 23-year-old Whites captain successfully winning two tackles as well.
Ampadu's performance in numbers
Minutes played
90
Touches
76
Accurate passes
70/71 (99%)
Tackles won
2
Duels won
2/3
Possession lost
2x
Stats by Sofascore
Only squandering possession two times against Wagner's men also, it wasn't a shock to see Ampadu praised after the 0-0 draw was done with Leeds Live's Beren Cross handing out an 8/10 rating to the Welshman who stated that he 'didn't put a foot wrong.'
It was definitely a game for those who love to watch the bravery of defenders come out on top over attacking players causing all sorts of bother, with Crysencio Summerville trying to unlock an equally stern Norwich defence all game but to no avail.
Crysencio Summerville's performance in numbers
Summerville, who was given a generous 6/10 rating post-match by Cross, will know he has more in his locker than what he showed against the Canaries.
With Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter also unable to grab the game by the scruff of its neck as Summerville's attacking partners, the Dutchman at least troubled the hosts on occasion with one shot on target managed alongside two key passes.
The former Feyenoord winger couldn't produce the goods as he did in the regular campaign in Norfolk, where two late goals from the dynamic 22-year-old won a dramatic contest 3-2, but the second leg being open and more on the front foot should suit the enigmatic attacker's game.
Leeds will just be glad they didn't give themselves a mountain to climb returning back to Elland Road for the second leg, in a clash that Summerville and Co could turn on the style in to seal a nail-biting trip to Wembley.
The Leeds back four will have to be on their A-Game too, however, with the Whites desperate to please their home supporters on the way to promotion being reached.
Kohli has indicated that India will be looking to tinker with their XI with the series already decided in their favour
The Preview by Ankur Dhawan30-Jan-20206:10
Bangar: Jadeja has worked well on varying his pace
Big PictureAre New Zealand the new South Africa? Luck has deserted them in close finishes and Super Overs and, much like big-ticket semi-finals for South Africa, such games are becoming a portent of national heartbreak for New Zealand. They have lost tie-breakers with alarming consistency: three across formats in the last seven months, and six out of seven overall.Although, as Kane Williamson admitted later, the match probably shouldn’t have gone into the Super Over at all.On the upside for New Zealand, they played their best game of the series, even outplayed India for most part. On the downside, they still lost. It goes to show the narrow margin for botch-ups in T20s compared to the longer formats. It also goes to show the gulf between the two sides.India always had the better hand, even if they didn’t always play their cards right in Hamilton. Eventually, their depth came to the fore as they broke out of jail not just once, but twice, through the efforts of Mohammed Shami and Rohit Sharma. With the series in the bag, experimentation is on the cards starting in Wellington. While India would want to give the likes of Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav some game time, they may equally want to rest someone like Shami who has by far bowled the most number of overs by an Indian quick since the start of the home season in 2019: 192.3 overs, followed by Umesh Yadav who is more than hundred overs behind.For New Zealand, barring the possibility of an odd change, the onus is likely to be on continuing the good work they put in in Hamilton, and trying to get across the line if they get close again.Virat Kohli is pumped after India forced the match to a Super Over•Getty ImagesForm guideNew Zealand LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWW
In the spotlightMitchell Santner, who played a key role in New Zealand’s World Cup win over India last year, hasn’t had the best series with the ball so far. With just two wickets and an economy rate touching nine, he needs to step up. The one thing in his favour going into the fourth T20I in Wellington is his excellent record at the venue: nine wickets in five matches at an economy rate of under six. He will hope to feed off past success and rediscover his best with New Zealand’s bowling unit struggling to tie down the Indian batsmen.Jasprit Bumrah was miserly as ever•Getty ImagesOnly four times in 47 innings has Jasprit Bumrah been taken for more than 40 in a T20I, and Hamilton was one of those rare occasions. In addition to the 45 he conceded in four overs of the tied match, he also went for 17 in the Super Over. Most of these runs came from Kane Williamson’s bat, as he cracked the Bumrah code. How Bumrah responds in Wellington will make for compelling viewing, as this match-up gathers momentum ahead of the ODIs and Tests.Team newsVirat Kohli has already indicated that India will be looking to change things up with the series decided in their favour. The possible changes could include Navdeep Sani coming in for Mohammed Shami and at least one of Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav replacing either Yuzvendra Chahal or Ravindra Jadeja. While there may not be too many changes on the batting front, there’s always a chance that India might tinker with the batting-order to give the likes of Manish Pandey a proper go.India: (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul (wk), 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami/Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit BumrahFor New Zealand, the one possible change could be the inclusion of seam-bowling allrounder Daryl Mitchell. He could be a near like-for-like replacement for Colin de Grandhomme, who was only available for the first three matches, and had an ordinary series.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Daryl Mitchell 6 Tim Seifert (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Scott Kuggeleijn. 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Hamish BennettPitch and conditionsThe team batting first has won four of the last five at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The average score of the team batting first in the last five matches is 178. Pacers have taken more wickets at the venue since January 2018 but spinners have been marginally more economical.A typically blustery but clear day is in the offing, although that’s usually more of a factor at the open Basin Reserve.Stats and trivia Rohit Sharma has played in 99 T20I innings in 107 matches. Only Shoaib Malik, with 105, has played more T20I innings. New Zealand have won their last six T20Is at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, a run dating back to 2014 New Zealand’s eight wins at this venue is their most at any ground in the world
A number of big-name sponsors are leaving their CA deals but the board sees it as a time to try a new approach
Daniel Brettig26-Feb-2020Domain, the naming-rights partner for Test cricket, is not the only brand to be exiting Cricket Australia’s suite of sponsors. Mastercard and Specsavers are also on their way out, with Bupa to scale down its commitment and so lose its naming rights sponsorship of the national cricket centre in Brisbane and place on the shirts of Australian team support staff.If this sounds like a worrying exodus for the game, it is nothing next to the climate in which CA’s last broadcast rights deal was signed, a matter of weeks after the Newlands scandal. Having been front and centre of that negotiation, CA executive Stephanie Beltrame is now concocting a plan to recast the governing body’s portfolio of partners in order to grow it.Cricket is hardly doing badly: in terms of revenue raised from corporate backers it sits third in Australia behind tennis and the AFL. However, the dwarfing of all other sports revenue by the cash derived from broadcast rights means that the wider commercial realm is due a rethink, and cricket is getting its own from the very person who played a large part in growing that broadcast revenue.As CA’s head of broadcast rights, Beltrame worked assiduously towards the creation of competition in the market for a 2013 deal that included the Big Bash League for the first time and was worth some A$500 million. The next step was bigger, bolder and more lucrative still, the 2018 agreement with Fox and Seven reaping A$1.18 billion for CA. Having returned from maternity leave, Beltrame is now the executive in charge of all commercial concerns, and wants the wider picture to follow the broadcast trend.”I prefer the term partnership than sponsorship because there’s so much more to it than a one way investment,” Beltrame told ESPNcricinfo. “I also want us to be able to form partnerships in other commercial areas, diversify our revenue and seek new opportunities so that we will be able to grow in the same way that we’ve seen growth across our media rights revenue. I have high expectations.”From time to time we’ll have a partner advise us that they’re exiting despite having what they regard as quite a successful result, but we just have to respect that decision. Every partner you want to be treated in the same way when you arrive as when you leave, and exactly the same way an employee should have that – so we don’t have any issues when partners go. We’d prefer they stay obviously, but you’ve got to respect the decision.”Among CA’s other current sponsors, KFC, Toyota and Sanitarium have deals that run until 2021, and its commercial betting partner Bet365’s much-debated contract expires the following year. Of Bet365, Beltrame said: “Ultimately because we still have a number of years left in the agreement, no decision has been taken about our association, whether that’s to status quo, to change, so I think they’re all considerations, but at this point in time we’re still in a current agreement.”Chief among Beltrame’s questions is to investigate, alongside the state associations, whether there is more to be wrung from the BBL, a far bigger proposition than it was at its inception in 2011. The league’s current list of four partners may yet grow.”If we believe a different model is required for BBL then we might look at changing the number of partners that can be associated with it,” Beltrame said. “And then some consideration of how do you grow the pie but still provide meaningful protection and exclusivity to brands. How the BBL fits in with international cricket, how brands can opt to be involved across Australian cricket or be involved in international only or BBL only.”Where the AFL has been able to successfully build sponsorships over a long period of time through its breadth of clubs, matches, length of season and connection to the passions stirred in club members and followers, tennis’ fulcrum is the Australian Open, a truly international event that sets the eyes of the world on Melbourne Park for two highly lucrative weeks. With its strong hold on the summer months, and the extra overseas eyeballs presented by its standing as a far more global game than AFL but somewhat less so than tennis, cricket should sit somewhere in between.”The mix of how [our revenue] made up is very different, we don’t have many partners, we’ve been quite exclusive for a long period of time,” Beltrame said. “I think there’s opportunities where we can create different partnerships at different levels. We can really take advantage of our national and international footprint. India’s touring here, what else can we do, how can we sell directly to India? There’s things we can do because of our remit as a national and international sport.”Some things, of course, are beyond anyone’s control, like the extreme weather that blighted this summer’s BBL almost as much as all previous events combined, or a slackening Australian economy after more than 25 years of growth. Whatever lies ahead, Beltrame wants CA to be able to adapt: “It just really starts from my perspective from reviewing what we’re currently doing – looking under the hood.”
Under current manager Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have made enormous strides over the past 18 months, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
After the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired the Magpies in 2021, the team was able to progress from relegation hopefuls to a regular contender in Europe thanks to their substantial investment.
However, business has not always been smooth sailing, as despite the successful additions such as the likes of Kieran Trippier, there have also been some questionable buys – including the £25m spent on Chris Wood, who departed just a year later after only scoring five goals.
The club also made numerous mistakes under the previous ownership of the much-maligned Mike Ashley, with the club allowing one player to depart St James' too soon – the former Magpie going on to have a successful career all over Europe.
Florian Thauvin's stats for Newcastle
After joining the Magpies for a fee in the region of £13m from Marseille in the summer of 2015, French forward Florian Thauvin arrived on Tyneside with a lot of potential.
The attacker failed to make a positive impact for the Magpies, however, only making 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists.
However, in the Premier League, Thauvin failed to register any goals or provide any assists. His only goal for the club came in the League Cup against Northampton Town – with the winger proving to be a disappointment despite his relatively hefty fee.
Thauvin rejoined Marseille on loan in January, just six months after permanently joining Newcastle. He would eventually move back to France, signing for his former side permanently just two years after he departed the club.
The £9.8m deal that saw the attacker return to Ligue 1 meant Newcastle lost just over £3m on the Frenchman in just two years – with the deal a complete disaster for both parties.
Florian Thauvin's stats in 2023/24
After departing the Magpies permanently in 2017, the winger has gone on to have a very successful career in France, scoring 46 times in three seasons for the former European Cup winners, with the now 31-year-old cementing himself in Marseille's history.
However, he departed the French side in 2021, joining Mexican side Tigres on a free transfer, but after just eight goals in two seasons, he left the club for a move back to European football.
He joined Italian side Udinese in 2022, with Thauvin having an average first campaign, but has excelled once more in Serie A during 2023/24.
The "unbelievable" talent, as dubbed by former teammate Moussa Sissoko, has managed to score five times in the league this season – a tally that is two more than current Magpies winger Miguel Almiron.
Given his brilliant goalscoring record away from St James' Park, Newcastle might have jumped the gun in selling Thauvin – who typically operates as a left-footed right-winger like Almiron – with his impressive figures potentially bolstering the club's already impressive attack.
He may have endured a torrid first six months at the club, but it was no way near enough time for a player to move and settle into a foreign country, with the likes of Marseille and Udinese the eventual beneficiaries.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
For all their athletic ability and untold riches, football players tend to be pretty average when it comes to height, for sports stars at least. You don't tend to see many players exceeding 1.92m – or 6 foot 3 – and it usually becomes a talking point when they do.
For example, Peter Crouch was a great player in his own right, but he is remembered for being one of the tallest players we have ever seen. Put him up against a basketball player, however, and he is distinctly average – height-wise, that is.
So how tall can professional players get, and who are the tallest professional players in world football today?
With that in mind, we have created a list of the 10 tallest football players still playing the game today in 2024 using data from Transfermarkt.
Disclaimer – for the purpose of this list, we have only included players playing at professional level.
Carlos Miguel
2.04m/6 foot 7
Corinthians
Goalkeeper
Armin Spahic
2.05m/6 foot 8
TOSK Tesanj
Centre-back
Milan Ziric
2.05m/6 foot 8
Vorwarts Steyr
Centre-back
Lucas Berstrom
2.05m/6 foot 8
Chelsea
Goalkeeper
Kevin Gadella
2.06m/6 foot 9
FC Utrecht II
Goalkeeper
Kjell Scherpen
2.06m/6 foot 9
SK Sturm Graz
Goalkeeper
Denys Tvardovskyi
2.06m/6 foot 9
Shakhtar Donetsk
Goalkeeper
Issak Toure
2.06m/6 foot 9
FC Lorient
Centre-back
Tomas Holy
2.06m/6 foot 9
Carlisle United
Goalkeeper
Kyle Hudlin
2.06m/6 foot 9
Huddersfield Town
Striker
10 Carlos Miguel (Corinthians) 2.04m (6 foot 7) – Goalkeeper
We're kicking off our list with a goalkeeper – there is going to be plenty of those – from South America, Brazil to be exact.
Carlos Miguel comes in at a massive 2.04m, or just about 6 foot 7, and we say massive regarding the rest of us. Compared to the rest of the players on this list, he's a good one to two inches shorter.
Miguel began his career in Internacional's reserve side before spending a couple of seasons on loan with Santa Cruz and Boa Esporte before making a permanent move to Brazilian giants Corinthians in August 2021.
He isn't the side's number-one keeper, but he has made eight first-team appearances this year and kept six clean sheets in the process, which is pretty good going for a backup.
9 Armin Spahic (TOSK Tesanj) 2.05m (6 foot 8) – Centre-back
The second man to make it onto our list is Austrian centre-back Armin Spahic, who is the first of three players to come in at 2.05m, or about 6 foot 8.
The 23-year-old is currently plying his trade in Bosnia-Herzegovina for second-tier side TOSK Tesanj, who he only joined in September of last year from fellow Bosnian second-tier side OFK Gradina Srebrenik.
The Austrian looks to be enjoying a relatively successful first season with his new club as he has featured in the starting XI 11 times so far this season and has even found himself on the scoresheet on one occasion – not bad for a new defender.
8 Milan Ziric (Vorwarts Steyr) 2.05m (6 foot 8) – Centre-back
We've got another Austrian centre-back measuring 6 foot 8 inches coming in next, although instead of playing in the Bosnian second division, he has stayed closer to home.
Milan Ziric plays for Austrian third-tier side Vorwarts Steyr, joining them in July last year from fourth-tier side SPG Wels II.
Like his compatriot in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ziric is having a great season with his new side, starting 12 games so far this season and helping them climb to fourth in the table – as things stand.
7 Lucas Bergstrom (Chelsea) 2.05m (6 foot 8) – Goalkeeper
The last 6 foot 8 player on the list is our second goalkeeper and the first player to ply his trade on these shores, in the Premier League, no less.
Lucas Berstrom is currently a Chelsea player and has been ever since his move from Finnish side Turun Palloseura during the 2018/19 season.
He spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Peterborough United and made 28 first-team appearances for the posh, in which he kept nine clean sheets.
He hasn't made a first-team appearance for the Blues yet, but he was on the team's preseason tour of America and has one international cap to his name.
6 Kevin Gadella (FC Utrecht II) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Goalkeeper
We have reached the players on this list who tower above pretty much everyone else on a football pitch and probably wouldn't look amiss on a basketball court.
Kevin Gadella plys his trade in his home country of the Netherlands with FC Utrecht II – their under 21 team – and he has been having a mixed season so far this year.
He has featured in 13 games for the club, and he has let in 24 goals and kept five clean sheets so far, and with the team down in 19th place, he'll surely be looking to improve as the campaign continues.
5 Kjell Scherpen (SK Sturm Graz) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Goalkeeper
We're back in the Premier League for the next one, well, sort of.
Kjell Scherpen is currently on loan to Austrian first-tier side Sturm Graz, but his parent club are Brighton & Hove Albion, back in the English top-flight.
The young Dutchman joined the Seagulls from Eredivisie giants Ajax in the summer of 2021 for an undisclosed fee before spending time in Belgium and the Netherlands on loan before ending up in Austria this season.
He's been having a cracking season this year, having conceded just 32 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, as well as keeping nine clean sheets in the process.
It would be great to see him make it in the Premier League one day, just to see how some of the shorter strikers cope with him.
Ranking the 10 tallest Premier League players for 2023/2024 season
FFC takes a detailed look at the tallest players to ever ply their trade in the Premier League.
BySean Markus Clifford Oct 4, 2023 4 Denys Tvardovskyi (Shakhtar Donetsk) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Goalkeeper
The fourth spot gives us our fourth goalkeeper on the bounce – we did say there were a lot of them on this list – and it's Shakhtar Donetsk's backup, Denys Tvardovskyi.
The 20-year-old has been with the Ukrainian giants for his entire professional career but has yet to be given the opportunity to start a game for the first team, let alone an appearance off the bench.
However, he has started eight games in the UEFA Youth League for the U19s, conceding 12 goals but keeping three clean sheets. He has also earned three caps for the Ukrainian U19 side and one for the U21s.
We reckon it won't be long until we see him in the starting XI for Shakhtar.
3 Isaak Toure (FC Lorient) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Centre-back
The third spot on the list gives us a much-needed break from the wall-to-wall goalkeepers of the last four entries – my apologies to the union – with 20-year-old centre-back Isaak Toure claiming the bronze.
The Gonesse-born titan stands at 2.06m – 6 foot 9 – and currently plys his trade for Ligue 1 side FC Lorient after completing a move from French giants Marseille earlier this summer.
He's having a reasonably successful season with the men in orange this year, appearing in 18 games and helping his team stay out of the relegation zone, for now at least.
2 Tomas Holy (Carlisle United) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Goalkeeper
The penultimate player on our list is another goalkeeper who makes his living in the English leagues, Carlisle United's Tomas Holy.
Like the four players before him, the six-cap Czech international comes in at a whopping 6 foot 9 and has been a regular in the EFL ever since his 2017 move to Gillingham from Prague outfit Sparta Prague.
He would make over 100 appearances for the Gills before moving to Ipswich Town in 2019. A couple of loan moves to Cambridge United and Port Vale followed before he joined Carlisle on a permanent contract in the summer of 2022.
Since moving north, Holy has become one of the most important members of the first team and has made 73 appearances to date.
1 Kyle Hudlin (Huddersfield Town) 2.06m (6 foot 9) – Striker
Right, here we are, number one, and we have saved the best until last, a 6 foot 9 striker, yes, a striker.
Just think back to how big Peter Crouch used to look against regular defenders, and then add another two inches. That is how tall Huddersfield Town striker Kyle Hudlin is.
The 23-year-old forward started his career with Solihull before moving to Solihull Moors and finally to Huddersfield Town in July 2022. Since then, he has spent six months on loan with AFC Wimbledon before returning to the Terriers, where he still is this season.
However, he hasn't exactly proved his worth since joining as he's currently on loan at League One side Burton Albion.
However, the talent is undoubtedly there, as he was a real handful at Solihull Moors. Just have a look for yourselves.
It might seem that Liverpool are riding the crest of a wave right now, and indeed Jurgen Klopp's side have produced some emphatic recent results including triumph in the Carabao Cup final, but there's no doubt that the squad is held together by a thread after a torrent of injury problems.
Still, the Reds will feel that they have the means to continue the recent winning feeling and will have the opportunity to do just that away to Nottingham Forest this afternoon in the Premier League.
Klopp did provide a positive update in his pre-match press conference, revealing that Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez have returned to first-team training and are in contention for the City Ground clash, though talisman Mohamed Salah remains sidelined.
Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson both missed the midweek FA Cup win over Southampton but trained on Friday and could also be involved.
Of course, Liverpool's issues do not stop there, with a long-term list of absentees consisting of Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic and Joel Matip.
With all this in mind, Klopp could make four changes to the side that defeated Saints on Wednesday as he looks to maintain his side's position at the summit of the Premier League.
1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher
Caoimhin Kelleher has left supporters and pundits alike gushing over his excellent performances since Alisson's injury, with Klopp even remarking that he is "the best no.2 in the world" after his recent efforts.
He's not infallible between the sticks but he will be up to the task against a spirited Forest side.
2 RB – Conor Bradley
Alexander-Arnold's injury, this time last year, would have felt a detrimental blow to any sense of cohesion and influence from right-back, but times have changed and the emerging Conor Bradley is here to stay.
The 20-year-old was crowned the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for January after an incredible breakthrough, with one goal and five assists only one element of a many-faceted skill set.
3 CB – Ibrahima Konate
Ibrahima Konate was described as an “absolute beast" by one marvelling analyst for his performances over the past few months, with these words duly delivered, it must be said.
Jarell Quansah was typically impressive in midweek but he will return to the bench.
Konate's imperious partner in the defensive axis might take most of the plaudits but the France international is truly excellent, with a blend of strength, athleticism and defensive acumen making for a formidable force.
4 CB – Virgil van Dijk
Withdrawn for Konate at half-time against Southampton earlier in the week, Virgil van Dijk has played a lot of football recently and this was just a precaution ahead of a tough test in Nottingham.
The Anfield skipper has been in phenomenal fettle this term. A real force of nature, he'll fancy his odds against the Forest frontline.
5 LB – Joe Gomez
Robertson returned to training yesterday but Joe Gomez is fit and hasn't exactly done a bad job when called to serve in an unnatural left-back role this season.
Right-back
17
1
Left-back
14
1
Centre-back
4
1
Defensive midfield
1
0
The dynamic defender is enjoying quite the revival after being harangued for his displays before the summer. Long may it continue.
6 DM – Alexis Mac Allister
With Endo picking up a knock against Chelsea, Alexis Mac Allister will hold down the foot as the midfield anchor, with his supreme technical ability and intelligence maybe the way to go against Forest anyway.
As per Sofascore, the Argentinian World Cup winner has scored two goals and supplied three assists in the Premier League for Liverpool across 21 matches, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 2.8 tackles and 5.7 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 63% of his dribbles.
7 CM – Harvey Elliott
It's great news that Szoboszlai is back in the mix but the Hungarian ace last featured at the backend of January and Klopp might refrain from plunging him straight back in, with Harvey Elliott continuing his fine run of form in the engine room.
The diminutive dynamo also ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
8 CM – Bobby Clark
More Liverpool talents are shooting into first-team action than Erling Haaland is scoring goals right now, with midfielder Bobby Clark one of the most exciting prospects around.
He's elegant and assured and energetic and he will be confident of completing another good performance against the Tricky Trees.
9 RW – Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo doesn't play his finest football on the right wing but there's little choice for Klopp with Salah still out, unless Elliott moves forward and Szoboszlai is risked from the opening whistle.
The Dutchman has posted 11 goals and five assists this term, however, and having bagged in both of his recent Premier League appearances he might continue his purple patch against a leaky backline.
10 LW – Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz was rested against Southampton after playing 120 intense minutes against Chelsea on Sunday but his fleet-footed swagger will be a welcome tool, with burgeoning potency in front of goal over recent fixtures too.
Albeit still wasteful, Diaz is a fantastic player and Forest fans will be worried out his blistering pace and dynamic quality.
Manchester United are expected to make a move for an "important player" in the summer transfer window, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to make his presence felt.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe making waves at Man Utd
Ratcliffe has come in and brought immediate positivity to Old Trafford, acquiring a 25% stake in his boyhood club, looking to gradually enjoy a greater influence than the Glazers.
While there is clearly a huge amount of work to be done both on and off the pitch, the Englishman appears to have a vision to place, wanting to bring in a new sporting director this summer and potentially even dispose of manager Erik ten Hag, should he not see the Dutchman as the answer in the dugout.
Potential replacements for him are already reportedly being lined up, with the likes Roberto De Zerbi, Julian Nagelsmann and Graham Potter among those who have been linked with replacing Ten Hag.
Bringing in a top-quality sporting director is arguably as important for United, however, and Dan Ashworth has emerged as a clear front-runner for the job, being placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United after informing them he wants to leave the club.
One transfer claim has suggested that Ashworth would like to mastermind the £120m double signing of Juventus centre-back and Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, as he looks to transfer the spine of the Red Devils' team.
It certainly feels as though Ratcliffe is looking to make huge changes from the off, and another transfer rumour has now emerged.
Man Utd plan to sign "important player"
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Manchester United are planning to sign a new left-back this summer, seeing it as a priority position to strengthen in:
A new left-back has to be seen as one of the key positions for United to improve in during the summer window, so this Romano latest is hugely encouraging.
1. Denis Irwin
515
1990-2002
2. Patrice Evra
379
2006-2014
3. Arthur Albiston
429
1974-1988
4. Tony Dunne
484
1960-1973
5. Roger Byrne
171
1951-1958
If Luke Shaw wasn't such an injury-prone figure, there may not be as big a need for reinforcements in that area, but the England international is once again sidelined currently and has only started 12 games in the Premier League so far this season. He also turns 29 years of age later in the year, so arguably no longer represents the long-term future at Old Trafford.
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Meanwhile, Tyrell Malaica hasn't featured once in the league this season, as he struggles with injuries of his own, so freshening up the left-back situation is paramount this summer.