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James McClean has revealed how a “very disrespectful” phone call relating to Wrexham led to his international retirement with the Republic of Ireland.

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• Veteran winger dropped into League Two
• Wanted a new challenge at club level
• Quit Irish camp after earning 103 caps

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 34-year-old winger opted to join the project being pieced together at SToK Racecourse by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in the summer of 2023. He had been playing in the Championship at Wigan, but stepped down into League Two as a free agent in order to link up with Hollywood superstars in North Wales.

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  WHAT MCCLEAN SAID

  McClean has said in the of passing news of that big career call on to Ireland head coach Stephen Kenny: “He couldn’t get off the phone quick enough. That spoke of what he thought about the move. I don’t think he was on board. Ultimately, I would say that was a major factor in my decision to step away from Ireland. Sometimes when you make a decision, you are made to walk the plank. I felt that if I don’t walk away now, I may never get the opportunity to say goodbye on my terms. I thought it was very disrespectful. I had offers to stay in the Championship but at my age I wanted to do something that would excite and be a challenge. Wrexham had a project and it’s a successful one. Nobody forced me to make the move but I’m glad I did and there’s a sense of justification.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McClean decided that his final appearance for Ireland, at least for now, would be against New Zealand in November 2023. He added on Kenny opting not to hand him the captain’s armband for that fixture, which is customary in farewell appearances, while also taking him off just past the hour mark: “To be not given the opportunity of leading the team out and then to be taken off after 66 minutes – not even as a single substitution but as a double substitution – I just thought was poor. It’s a moment you never get back but I wasn’t going to let it ruin the occasion. I’ll be honest, how my Ireland career ended leaves a sour taste in my mouth.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MCCLEAN?

  While frustration remains for McClean at international level, his decision to link up with Wrexham has been justified. The Red Dragons have been promoted into League One, with there an option in McClean’s contract for a 12-month extension to be triggered.

Manchester United could land an experienced player on a free transfer once his contract at his current employers runs out, according to a recent report.

Manchester United transfer updates…

Undoubtedly, the Red Devils will feel the need to strengthen in January amid their topsy-turvy start to the Premier League campaign and Erik ten Hag will have designs on recruiting some high-profile stars to help combat their recent run of injury issues.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman has thrown caution to the wind in that respect, detailing that Financial Fair Play issues may limit the power his side, alongise others, have to be able to recruit on a large scale in January, as he stated via BBC Sport: "It gives you limitations. You tell me 'bring this player in', but you have to match the FFP rules, in those rules you have to construct the best squad possible. When you set such rules everyone has to match the rules because otherwise it's not fair."

Spending a figure in the region of £170 million across the summer, it is unclear how much financial muscle Manchester United will have to throw about in the mid-season window. Recently, The Sun have reported that Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo and Sporting Clube de Portugal man Goncalo Inacio are both targets for the Premier League giants as they aim to shore up their backline.

The report states that incoming investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe has cleared the sale of France international Raphael Varane at Old Trafford, which could pave the way for a younger alternative to take his place.

According to TEAMtalk, Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite is believed to be the Red Devils' main defensive target from the English top-flight alongside detailing that the club monitored his progress during his spell at PSV Eindhoven last term.

Despite links to big-money arrivals, Manchester United could also land themselves an economically advantageous deal in the market, according to a report.

Thomas Muller eyed on free transfer

As per BILD via Sport Witness, Manchester United are keen on Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Muller and could look to sign the Germany international in 2024, when his contract at the Allianz Arena is due to expire.

The outlet claim that there is not yet clarity over whether Muller will sign an extension at the Bundesliga champions, which has also put clubs from the United States and Saudi Arabia on alert. 34-year-old Muller has been forced into a diminished role for his current employers due to the emergence of Jamal Musiala in the engine room.

Labelled "intelligent" by Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Muller has still been able to have a positive influence in offence for the German champions, recording 1.4 key passes per match in the Bundesliga (Muller statistics – WhoScored).

Restricted in his duties at present, Muller ending his career by having a swansong at Old Trafford would definitely be an enticing thought for all concerned; however, we will need to wait and see on that front.

10 most famous players in Manchester United history 

Manchester United are undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in world football, and with that comes a certain fame for the players wearing the shirt.

Dirk Kuyt has thrown his weight behind Feyenoord boss, Arne Slot, and backed him to be the perfect man to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

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• Slot could be the next LFC manager
• Kuyt believes that Slot could lead LFC to glory
• Insisted that the Kop would "love" his style

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After being snubbed by Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso and Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, the Liverpool board has zeroed in on Slot to fill in the boots of Klopp, who has decided to go on a sabbatical after the season's business is done and dusted. Although Jamie Carragher has voiced his reservations about Slot in unequivocal terms, his former teammate, Kuyt has lavished praise on the Feyenoord manager and insisted that there would be no "language barrier".

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  WHAT KUYT SAID

  In his column for Kuyt wrote: "Following in the footsteps of Jurgen isn’t easy but Arne will do it his own way and give everything to make the club successful. He’s determined and driven with a lot of self-belief. His style of play is exactly what Liverpool supporters love to see at Anfield. He’s also good with the media because he explains himself very clearly. As Feyenoord have so many foreign players, he conducts his meetings in English so there will be no issues over language."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kyut, who spent a week with Slot at Feyenoord to hone his skills under the more experienced manager, claimed that he is a fantastic man manager and has a distinct style of football which is different from Klopp, Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola.

  "Nowadays managers always get compared," Kuyt wrote. "Is it the Jurgen Klopp style? Is it the Jose Mourinho style? Is it the Pep Guardiola style? The answer is that Slot has his own style. He doesn’t copy anyone. He knows exactly what he wants and he believes in it. It’s attractive, attacking football. He likes to play an aggressive defence, high intensity, with the game played in the opponent’s half, but it’s his way. It’s different from Klopp but a lot of the principles are the same."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Slot has established himself as a dependable name in the Eredivisie as he guided Feyenoord to being the Dutch champions in the 2022-23 season and also bagged the KNVB Cup. Moreover, in his very first season, he led the Rotterdam-based club to a third-place finish in the league and a runners-up spot in the Europa Conference League. It remains to be seen if the 45-year-old can weave the same magic in English football in his first season with the Reds.

After a rocky start to Championship life this season, Southampton are starting to stamp their authority onto the second tier – Russell Martin's Saints unbeaten in their last eight league encounters, with impressive victories over Leeds United and West Brom standout results from this run.

Adam Armstrong has unsurprisingly reverted back to being a prolific striker in the division below the Premier League, Southampton's leading man has already netted nine goals from 16 games to put him very much in the running for the golden boot accolade come the end of the 46-game season.

The Saints could benefit from having another prolific attacker in the ranks to not just overly rely on the ex Newcastle United man, with this former hero who plated on the South Coast excelling ever since leaving Southampton behind as an impactful option up top.

That man was Manolo Gabbiadini, the Italian forward delivering fleeting moments of sublime magic for the Saints to the adoration of the St Mary's masses.

Gabbiadini's statistics for Southampton

Joining from Napoli in 2018 after a frosty relationship with ex-head coach Mauricio Sarri ended his stay in Naples – feeling "immediately at ease" in his new surroundings in contrast as quoted by the Mirror – Gabbiadini started his Southampton career in blistering goalscoring form to firmly put his tumultuous spell with the Blues to one side.

The former Southampton number 20 would score an incredible six goals in his first five games, managing to make the tricky transition to the Premier League look easy especially as the Italian was drafted into the first-team set-up mid-way through a season in the January transfer window.

Two of those six goals came at Wembley Stadium, Gabbiadini giving a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-led Manchester United an almighty scare in the 2017 EFL Cup final – the Red Devils reigning supreme on the day despite Gabbiadini's double, winning 3-2 to lift the trophy.

He could've even had a hat-trick on the day, but his third strike was controversially ruled offside.

A Premier League player of the month accolade would come his way as a result of his electric start to life in England, but the much-loved Saints figure couldn't keep this up throughout his time on the South Coast.

The eccentric and unpredictable attacker would leave Southampton with 12 goals to his name from 60 games, leaving a lasting impression on the Saints fanbase before being offloaded by Ralph Hassenhuttl in 2019.

Southampton's former number 20 has remained a feared forward for opposing defenders to contain since departing, especially when featuring for this new club Al-Nasr in the Middle East.

Gabbiadini's statistics since leaving Southampton

Gabbiadini would return back to his native Italy after his stint with the Saints, rejoining previous employers Sampdoria for £10.9m.

He would pick up from where he left off in Serie A , adding 31 more goals to his tally at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris Stadium before moving on to Al-Nasr in the wake of the club's demise to Serie B.

Playing in the UAE Pro League this season, Gabbiadini has scored six goals in all competitions with a further two assists attributed to the 31-year-old from ten outings.

His individual performance versus Hatta in late September showcased the Italian's explosive game still, scoring a brace on the day to steer his new employers towards a 3-0 victory.

Gabbiadini could have easily had more than just his two strikes, terrorising the Hatta defenders and goalkeeper with shot after shot – peppering the opposing goalkeeper non-stop with six efforts on goal as per Sofascore.

Although Armstrong is now the striker at St Mary's receiving all the affection, Southampton fans will vividly remember Gabbiadini as a forward presence who shone in patches when the Saints were still in the top flight.

Nottingham Forest will be handed the VAR audio from their controversial clash with Everton but it will not be made public.

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• Forest left furious by defeat to Everton
• Believe they should have won three penalties
• Have asked for VAR audio

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Forest were left furious after their 2-0 Premier League defeat to the Toffees due to three separate incidents which they believe should have led to a penalty being awarded. The club issued an extraordinary statement on social media after the game criticising the "extremely poor decisions" and claiming they had "warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan" ahead of kick-off. Forest also asked for the VAR audio to be released and expect the PGMOL to accept the request but it will not be made public, according to .

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  THE EXPLANATION

  VAR audio was previously made public after Luis Diaz's goal for Liverpool was wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham in September. However, in that incident the decision was made due to a "factual communication error" but this has not been the case with Forest and the three penalty calls in question. There is a possibility that the audio could still be made public if it is used in the programme which features Howard Webb reviewing contentious decisions.

• WHAT NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO SAID

  Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo backed the club's decision to issue a statement after the match. He told reporters: "Yes I share the view because I saw the images. When we go back to the dressing room, we have access to the images and you can see it so clearly and you don’t understand why the decisions were against us.

  “I think the situation with Gio Reyna in the first half is a clear one, the handball we can ask if it’s not but the ball goes to Chris Wood and there is another incident with Ashley Young. I share the feeling of the club because it’s not only this game, it’s been a while that we’ve had poor decisions against us. It’s not an excuse but we are not comfortable with the work of the referees.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Premier League is set to investigate Nottingham Forest's post-match statement and could potentially punish the club. Meanwhile, the Tricky Trees are considering suing Sky Sports and pundit Gary Neville after the former Manchester United star likened the club's response to the controversy to a 'mafia gang'.

Glasgow Rangers will be looking to make it three Scottish Premiership wins in a row as they return to Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

Dundee are the visitors, and they will have the recent 5-0 drubbing from last month fresh in their minds and Philippe Clement will be hoping for another five-star showing.

The 1-0 win against Hearts in midweek could easily have been by a more comfortable margin, yet the Gers were extremely wasteful in front of goal.

Rangers' 6/10 star who lost possession 11x was as good as Sima vs Hearts

Rangers secured a vital three points against Hearts

By
Ross Kilvington

Dec 7, 2023

Danilo missed two big chances, while several others missed opportunities to extend the narrow one-goal advantage and Clement could count himself lucky the Jambos did not score a late equaliser and steal a share of the spoils.

With games coming thick and fast as the festive season steadily approaches, the Belgian may be keen on making a few changes to his starting XI for the visit of Dundee to Glasgow.

We at Football FanCast predict that the manager will make three changes to the team that took to the field at Tynecastle in midweek, as there could be a surprise option unleashed up front.

1

GK – Jack Butland

The goalkeeper is the only player to have played every single minute of the current campaign, and he has arguably been the signing of the summer.

Michael Beale secured his services on a free transfer and the Englishman has been impressive throughout.

Across 27 matches during 2023/24, Butland has kept 13 clean sheets while conceding 22 goals, with just seven of those coming in the Premiership.

2

RB – James Tavernier

Against Hearts, Tavernier grabbed yet another assist, taking his tally to four for the season as he played in a lovely ball for Abdallah Sima to score the only goal of the game.

The captain will need to inspire those around him to raise their games over the next few weeks, especially with a League Cup final and Old Firm clash coming up before the end of December.

If Tavernier can lead the Gers to victory against Aberdeen at Hampden next week while winning at Celtic Park for the first time since 2020, the Light Blues will head into 2024 full of confidence.

3

CB – Connor Goldson

The centre-back has missed just two matches this season and his most recent absence was due to suspension, meaning he got a well-deserved rest as the Gers took on Aris Limassol in the Europa League.

Across his 15 league matches so far this season, Goldson has helped his side concede just seven goals and kept ten clean sheets in the process.

4

CB – John Souttar

Leon Balogun has been impressive since rejoining the club during the summer, yet with important matches to come before Christmas, Clement will rest him against Dundee and preserve his legs.

This means Souttar could come back into the starting XI, and he would make his first league start since a 4-0 win over Hibs in what was Clement’s first match in charge.

It makes sense to rotate in defence and Souttar should be ready to go against Dundee.

5

LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

Borna Barisic missed the trip to Edinburgh in midweek and Yilmaz was the one to replace him at left back.

The Turkish defender was solid, winning seven of his nine total duels along with making three key passes and even missing a big chance, as he had the chance to score the second goal on the evening.

The tie against the Dens Park outfit is a chance for the former Bestikas star to cement his place in the starting XI.

6

CM – John Lundstram

Lundstram has been ever-present in the heart of the midfield since Clement arrived at Ibrox in October and expect him to start once again.

With so many midfielders getting injured this term, the former Sheffield United man has remained fit and this could be what secures him an extended contract.

7

CM – Jose Cifuentes

The £1.2m signing from Los Angeles FC came off the bench and replaced Tom Lawrence in midweek and while it took him a while to get going, the 24-year-old impressed.

Hailed as “very dynamic” by LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos, Cifuentes had more pressures, counter pressures and tackles and interceptions than anyone else on the field against the Jambos and this means Clement will likely unleash him from the start on Saturday.

8

RW – Ross McCausland

The 20-year-old was given yet another start for the club in midweek, and he continues to look like a real menace on the right wing.

Not only did he take one shot on target, but the youngster also made two key passes and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts against the Gorgie outfit.

He will be unleashed against Dundee and the Northern Irishman will be looking to score his second goal for the club.

9

AM – Todd Cantwell

It looked as though Cantwell was going to find himself out of the team after being hooked after just 36 minutes against Aris, yet he knuckled down and has impressed while playing in a number ten role during the last two matches.

The Englishman made five key passes combined against St Mirren and Hearts, along with grabbing two assists, and he will be keen to go again this weekend.

10

RW – Abdallah Sima

The 22-year-old has been in splendid form since joining from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal in the summer.

The winger has scored 12 goals in 26 matches for the Ibrox side, and he netted the only goal against Hearts on Wednesday evening, showcasing his talents.

Erik ten Hag admits that Manchester United did want to sign Harry Kane in 2023, but is backing Rasmus Hojlund to become a 30-goal striker.

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• England captain left Spurs in 2023
• Headed for Munich over Old Trafford
• Danish striker remains work in progress

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils made the acquisition of another frontman their top priority in the last summer transfer window, with questions being asked of whether Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford could lead the line. Danish star Hojlund was eventually snapped up from Atalanta for £72 million ($90m), with United opting to spend big on potential rather than pedigree.

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• WHAT TEN HAG SAID

  Ten Hag has told of that decision, with the club’s No.1 target slipping the net: “This club can only have outstanding players because the expectations are so high. Manchester United is the biggest, or maybe second or third, biggest club in the world, the highest fanbase so expectations will always be there. Everyone has an opinion about Manchester United and it can only be outstanding players. That's players who have all the skillset, that is the physical and especially the mental skillset they need to perform and contribute because we have to win every game. There's an expectation around every game from us so you can only fulfil that expectation when you have those outstanding players. But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn't always get the players we wanted. But then you have to build and you have to accept that you get talent in instead of players who already proved it in the past. We have had some choices made with talents like Rasmus Hojlund. I can see a striker who already proved it, who we want to sign and we couldn't get him. And then we went to Rasmus because he's a talent.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Quizzed on whether former Tottenham star Kane – who is now at Bayern Munich – was the one that got away, Ten Hag added: “Yes, and you know Harry Kane will get you 30 goals. I think Rasmus will get there, but he needs time. It's not fair to assess him the same as Harry Kane. I would never compare two players because they are very different. But with Hojlund, I think we had the biggest potential in the striker position last summer and we are very happy with him. But he also needs time to adapt and we are very pleased he showed his assets in scoring goals. He had a very good period where he scored many games after he showed it, but before and after, he had some physical issues, which is normal for a young player coming up. But it has a negative impact on the team result and that's what you have to accept. Then you go back to the fans and the opinion makers, and they don't understand or they don't want to understand this. It is how Man United gets judged, they only see the result, but we need time. You have to accept the process is going slower and you can't then expect to straight [away] compete for titles in the Champions League and Premier League.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Kane has broken the 40-goal barrier during his debut campaign at Bayern, as he puts them in contention for Champions League glory, while Hojlund – who only opened his Premier League account on December 26 before enjoying a remarkable run of form – has found the target on 14 occasions through 38 appearances.

Manchester United could be given a chance to offload one of their first-team men in January after it emerged that a club has already been making tracks to try and secure his signature, according to a report.

Manchester United crash out of Champions League

On Wednesday, Manchester United suffered the fate of being knocked out of the Champions League after coming unstuck against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, with a solitary goal from Kingsley Coman enough to ensure Erik Ten Hag's men departed the competition.

The surprise package of the group Copenhagen were able to see off Galatasaray in Group A's other fixture on the night, meaning that the Danes qualified for the Round of 16. At the same time, their Turkish opponents progressed to the Europa League's next phase at the expense of the Red Devils, capping an extremely disappointing European campaign for the Premier League giants.

As per TNT Sports via The Guardian, Ten Hag urged his squad to use the experience as a platform to learn from heading into future continental campaigns, as he said post-match: "Not regret, no. We didn’t make it, but we have to accept it. We have to learn from it. We played some good football in the Champions League. We have to take belief into the Premier League because we want to qualify again for the Champions League."

Now, focus at Old Trafford will turn to fixing their erratic form in the Premier League alongside planning potential incomings and outgoings to take place in the January transfer window. According to a fresh report, one Red Devils man could be offered a route out of the North West, which could potentially clear the way for arrivals to come in and revitalise Ten Hag's squad.

Eintracht Frankfurt make move for Donny van de Beek

According to 90min, Eintracht Frankfurt have moved early to try and sign Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, who is free to leave Old Trafford after being deemed surplus to requirements by Ten Hag. The outlet claim that the Bundesliga outfit would be willing to take the Netherlands international on a loan basis; meanwhile, further interest in his services is also present from Real Sociedad, Girona, Ajax, Crystal Palace and Fulham.

In any temporary loan deal, the Red Devils would be keen to include an obligatory purchase option as they look to get the 26-year-old off the books; nevertheless, he is likely to complete a move away in January after a frustrating spell in England.

Since arriving in Manchester, Van de Beek, who has previously been hailed a "top-level player" while at Everton under Frank Lampard, has been a fringe player under Ole Gunner Solskjaer and now Ten Hag, making 62 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, registering just two goals and two assists (Van de Beek statistics – Transfermarkt).

Frequent injury issues have been a major thorn in Van de Beek's quest to become an important player at Manchester United and it comes as no surprise that both parties are now seemingly in the process of cutting ties.

Marc Skinner's side ran riot to secure their maiden piece of silverware, led by their Lionesses midfielder's wonder-strike

Manchester United won the first major honour in the short history of their women's team by claiming the Women's FA Cup on Sunday, with goals from Ella Toone, Rachel Williams and a brace from Lucia Garcia securing a comfortable 4-0 win over Tottenham at Wembley. It made the Red Devils the first new winners of the competition since 2005, and allowed them to avenge last year's defeat in the final to Chelsea.

The game itself might not be too memorable for anyone not associated with the two teams, with it scrappy and lacking real quality, that was until Toone stepped up in first-half stoppage-time and sent the red half of Wembley into raptures with her wonderful strike that flew into the top corner.

It was a tough time for Spurs to concede, with the first 45 minutes having been close and competitive, and even tougher was the fact they conceded two goals in quick succession just before the hour to really take the game away from them. Williams' header from Katie Zelem's free-kick had been coming, as the United captain's set-pieces had been excellent all game, and then Garcia was in the right place at the right time to pounce on an error from Becky Spencer.

Garcia wrapped things up in the final stages to really put the cherry on the cake and deliver a highly-anticipated first major trophy for United, just six years after they returned to the women's game. It was a positive way to end an otherwise disappointing season for the Red Devils, who have struggled to keep up in the Women's Super League title race and cannot secure European football for next season, either.

For Spurs, it was quite the opposite. It was a deflating afternoon for them at Wembley, but it shouldn't overshadow an excellent campaign, with head coach Robert Vilahamn admitting that his team were perhaps ahead of schedule to have reached this occasion in her first year in charge.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley Stadium…

• WINNER: Ella Toone

  This wasn't a great game ,and it needed a moment of magic to get it going when Toone picked the ball up in the Spurs half, skipped past the sliding challenge of Eveliina Summanen and unleashed a beautiful strike from 20 yards that absolutely flew into the top corner.

  It always felt like United's No.7 could make the decisive contribution in a final that was difficult to call in the build-up, and while the Red Devils did run away with it in the end, it was Toone's effort that got it all started.

  That's now four goals in seven appearances for her at Wembley, and three trophies lifted out of an available four. It's not a bad record to have at one of football's most iconic grounds.

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  LOSER: Bethany England

  Bethany England came into this game with four goals in her last four games, having missed of the first half of the season due to hip surgery she had in the summer. It's understandably taken the Tottenham striker time to get back to her best levels after so long out, but it looked like she was nearing them just in time for this occasion.

  However, England didn't get any real service in the game until Spurs were already 3-0 down. She had a shot from range that flew over the bar, when she should've passed to Celin Bizet in truth, and was unlucky to see a brilliant header crash off the bar. Those two moments came when the game was already done, though.

  Tottenham couldn't afford not to get a player of her calibre and with her momentum involved if they wanted to win this final, but they struggled massively to create.

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  WINNER: Katie Zelem

  Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman was in attendance at Wembley on Sunday, and she will have surely been impressed by what she saw from Toone, but her eye will have also been caught by the efforts of Katie Zelem.

  The United skipper hasn't been part of either of the Lionesses' squads in 2024, her last call-up coming in December last year. She reminded Wiegman what she can bring to the table in this final, though, as her consistently brilliant set-pieces caused Spurs so many problems. Whether it leads to a recall or not, only time will tell, but Zelem will not have harmed her chances with this display.

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• LOSER: Leah Galton

  Leah Galton is a fantastic footballer, an electric winger who can light up any game. Sadly, though, she didn't get the opportunity to do so on Sunday owing to an injury picked up in the first few minutes. The 29-year-old was slipped in by Toone in the opening moments and had the opportunity to break the deadlock early on, but saw her shot blocked by goalkeeper Becky Spencer before she then collided with her opponent and spent a few minutes receiving treatment.

  Galton struggled to get into the game after that and was visibly devastated when she had to leave the pitch just after half-time, having tried to continue. It was a shame to see such a talented player in that moment, after she was unable to show what she was about on big stage.

Rangers have got things back on track with the Scottish Premiership title very much in their sights, with two games in hand on the leaders and just five points between them and the summit.

With that being said, the January transfer window is almost upon us. The likes of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes have all settled in pretty nicely at Ibrox, with their impact already evident this season, so the Gers board surely might not have any issues with getting their wallet out next month if they feel the need to.

Football FanCast has taken a look at their previous ten January signings and how they have fared since signing on in Glasgow…

Nicolas Raskin – 31st January 2023

From Standard Liege – Undisclosed

Nicolas Raskin has already made 30 appearances since joining Rangers back in January 2023. During that time, he's scored one goal and laid on three assists, and he's still only 22 years of age.

However, one issue that is already plaguing his time at Rangers this season is injuries, with 20 games already being missed this term.

But the early signs are certainly promising – and there's plenty of development still to be had.

Todd Cantwell – 23rd January 2023

From Norwich City – Undisclosed

Todd Cantwell joined Rangers back in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee after making a name for himself at Norwich City.

Making the transition to Scottish football has been pretty seamless for Cantwell. He perhaps hasn't contributed as much as he would have hoped, but seven goals and nine assists in 41 games is still a very respectable return.

This season, Cantwell has featured in five different positions, which has made it hard for him to find proper form, but he still has one goal and four assists to his name as a regular in the Gers side.

Aaron Ramsey – 31st January 2022

From Juventus – Loan

Aaron Ramsey joined Rangers on loan after failing to adjust to the demands of Italian football with Juventus.

But the move didn't really end up working out for him. He ended up winning the Scottish Cup with the Gers, but also faced the heartbreak of missing the crucial penalty in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Since leaving Ibrox, he left Juventus on a free, joined OGC Nice for the 2022/23 season and then joined boyhood club Cardiff City, where he seems to have rediscovered his form with three goals in six games.

Mateusz Zukowski – 31st January 2022

From Lechia Gdansk – Undisclosed

Some Rangers fans may not even remember Mateusz Zukowski. That's how invisible he was during his time at Ibrox.

After joining back in January 2022, he only made one appearance for the Gers and spent the following season on loan at Lech Poznan.

Now, he finds himself not even at Rangers, after sealing an exit back in July after leaving on a free transfer.

Amad Diallo – 28th January 2022

From Manchester United – Loan

Amad Diallo joined Rangers on loan with plenty of hype behind him and the hope of really kicking on in what was one of his first true challenges in professional football.

However, he struggled to make an impact under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He netted three goals for Rangers and rounded off his spell with a Scottish Cup winners' medal, but never hit the heights expected.

Since leaving Rangers, he is yet to have been given a further chance at Manchester United, despite setting things alight in the English Championship last season at Sunderland during his loan spell. Although, he is currently suffering from a knee injury which has hampered his chances.

James Sands – 5th January 2022

From New York City FC – Loan

Rangers allowed the midfielder to return to his parent club early ahead of the start of the new MLS season, despite Sands penning an 18-month loan.

The United States international made 41 appearances for the Gers, including matches in the Europa League and Champions League. He featured in the heartbreaking defeat in Seville to Frankfurt while he also helped the Ibrox men lift the Scottish Cup.

He still finds himself in the Big Apple playing for New York City to this day.

Scott Wright – 1st February 2021

From Aberdeen – £200k

Scott Wright made the move from Aberdeen back in January 2021 after an impressive 79 appearances at Aberdeen.

Since arriving at Ibrox, he's been one of those players that has been a bit hit-and-miss. In 95 appearances to date, he has scored seven goals and laid on 11 assists, which isn't an amazing return for a winger.

To this day, he's still at Rangers, but has only 435 minutes to his name so far this season.

Jack Simpson – 1st February 2021

From Bournemouth – Undisclosed

Jack Simpson had joined the Ibrox club from Bournemouth in February 2021 but failed to nail down a spot in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's squad.

Simpson played just 14 times for Rangers in his short stint in Glasgow before returning to England.

And things haven't got much better for him since leaving Glasgow as he ended up joining Cardiff City on a free transfer, but didn't do enough to impress in Wales and now finds himself as a free agent.

Florian Kamberi – 1st February 2020

From Hibernian – Loan

Kamberi attracted criticism from fans of Hibernian over comments he made referring to his temporary switch to Rangers as a "dream move".

And in reality, it was anything but a dream move, as the striker made just nine appearances at Ibrox. He only scored once and produced two assists before returning to Hibernian after Cedric Itten's arrival at the club.

Since then, he has played for four different sides, with Croatian outfit Slaven Belupo his current club.

Ianis Hagi – 31st January 2020

From KRC Genk – Loan

Romanian Ianis Hagi joined Rangers on a loan deal back in January 2020, with a lot of hype behind him as an up-and-coming youngster. And it didn't take long for him to establish himself in Glasgow as he ended up joining permanently just a few months later.

Hagi is now sitting on 99 appearances for the Ibrox club and has a goals & assists return that even father Gheorghe would be proud of, with 16 and 21 respectively. And the most exciting thing for Rangers fans is that he may not have even reached his peak at just 25.

But the attacking midfielder had found game time difficult to come by since returning from a year on the sidelines through injury, and now finds himself out on loan at Spanish side Alaves in La Liga.

Although, there is still the potential for him to gain a permanent place at Ibrox, should he get back up to speed and catch the eye of Philippe Clement, who will no doubt be tracking his progress.