The two-match series is due to take place next August with venues in northern Queensland also in the running to host

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Darwin is in the box seat to host its first Test in 22 years with Cricket Australia keen to split next year’s Bangladesh tour between the Territory and North Queensland.Players are understood to have been impressed with international cricket’s return to Darwin this month, as part of the white-ball series against South Africa.More winter internationals are scheduled for next year with Australia set to host a two-Test series against Bangladesh which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) in the Top End. Mackay, Cairns, Townsville and Darwin all loom as options to host, which would double as the first winter Tests in Australia since 2004.But Darwin is the most likely to secure one of those Tests with Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg keen to spread the series across more than one state.”Ideally [we will],” Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said. “We want to make sure we continue to play cricket in lots of different locations, so the next generation of kids can see their stars.”I spent some time with the Chief Minister there and they’ve got a strong appetite for more cricket, as have we, to play more cricket there. The conditions up there are amazing when you take out the biggest variable we have in cricket, which is weather, and you have nothing to worry about.”The Bangladesh Tests had originally been scheduled for March 2027 but the 150th anniversary contest between Australia and England at the MCG has meant the series needed to be moved. Afghanistan had been due to tour Australia next July and August for a one-off Test and three T20Is, but CA has suspended bilateral cricket with them.Darwin last hosted Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2003 and 2004 respectively, before largely falling off the cricket calendar for the past two decades.Australia A played out two draws in unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A in the city in July, before this month’s T20Is against South Africa at TIO Stadium.Mackay looms as the more modern regional venue in Queensland with the Great Barrier Reef Arena upgraded in 2023 and having hosted regular WBBL matches.Players were also buoyed by the wickets in the T20I and ODI against South Africa there this month, which doubled as Australia’s first men’s internationals there.A Test would be the first in Mackay’s history with Cairns having previously hosted two in the early 2000s before last week’s ODIs in the northernmost city. Townsville is the other option after hosting ODIs in 2022, but issues such as lighting have seen it drop behind Cairns and Mackay as an option in recent years.A match at any Queensland venue would also count as the state’s Test for the 2026-27 summer, given the Gabba has missed out on a red-ball match with the touring New Zealand.CA is open to the idea of more winter internationals in the Top End, as a way of extending the season and easing the load on the main part of the summer.”We had such good support [in the white-ball games], we were sold out in almost every stadium we played in,” Greenberg said. “Playing on each of the shoulder parts of the season [works].  Our Australian women’s team will play a Test match in mid-March in Perth this year. International cricket is played 12 months of the year.”

Mitchell Starc has been included for the ODIs against India but Glenn Maxwell remains sidelined from the T20Is with his wrist injury

Andrew McGlashan07-Oct-20254:12

Was replacing Rohit as captain the right call?

Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from Australia’s ODI squad to face India with his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw in line for a debut in the format.Labuschagne’s omission is not a huge surprise as he has a top score of 47 in his last ten ODI innings. He may not have featured against South Africa in August had Matt Short, who is included in this squad, not been ruled out with a side strain. A benefit of his omission is that he can continue to push for a Test recall in the Sheffield Shield, having started the season with 160 against Tasmania.Renshaw’s call-up comes off the back of an impressive run in List A cricket, which included a century for Australia A against Sri Lanka in Darwin during the winter. While he is currently opening in red-ball cricket – and could be an outside contender for the Ashes – he has flourished largely as a No. 3 and No. 4 in the 50-over game. Since November 2021, he has averaged 48.68 with six of his seven career centuries, and has also developed into a very effective middle-order T20 batter.He was previously included in an ODI squad to face Pakistan in 2022 but didn’t get a game.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mitchell Starc, who hasn’t played ODIs since last November, has also been included in what is a full-strength squad from the players available. Alex Carey will miss the opening game of the series in Perth so he can play the second round of Sheffield Shield for South Australia, having missed the first match after his call-up to the T20I squad in New Zealand.Fellow wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has recovered from the calf strain that kept him out of that series and is part of both the ODIs and T20Is. The initial squad for the T20Is is only for the first two games of the series with some management of multi-format players likely to happen for the final three games for those involved in the Ashes.Glenn Maxwell remains unavailable for the T20Is due to the broken wrist he suffered ahead of the New Zealand series.Cameron Green has been included for the ODIs but won’t feature in the T20Is as he prepares to face England, and will likely play more Shield games for Western Australia.Matt Renshaw has impressed in white-ball cricket over the last few seasons•Getty Images

“We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead.”Allrounder Cooper Connolly, who took 5 for 22 against South Africa in Mackay, retained his place in the ODI squad. He has enjoyed a productive tour of India with Australia A, making two half-centuries in the three-match one-day series.Mitchell Owen also has a chance to make an ODI debut having been ruled out of the South Africa series after a concussion.Mitchell Starc will play his first ODIs in nearly a year•Getty Images

Nathan Ellis returned to the T20I squad after missing the New Zealand tour for the birth of his first child. There is no room for Sean Abbott in the ODI group but he has kept his T20 spot.The ODIs against India will take place in Perth (October 19), Adelaide (October 23) and Sydney (October 25). The first two T20Is are in Canberra (October 29) and Melbourne (October 31) before the final three matches in early November.

Australia ODI squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Owen, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Australia T20I squad vs India (first two matches)

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

The last 18 months have provided a challenging time for the men’s team

Alex Malcolm20-Aug-2021In May 2020 Australia were ranked No.1 in Tests and T20Is. The Test team had retained the Ashes away and won seven consecutive Tests at home. They had also won four consecutive T20I series including away victories in India and South Africa. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit they have lost five consecutive T20I series and a home Test series to India with reports of tensions between coach Justin Langer and the players running rampant in the media. Here’s how it unfolded.September 2020Australia toured England for three T20Is and three ODIs with a full-strength squad, their first assignment since Covid-19 halted world cricket. In the first T20I they needed 39 runs from 39 balls with nine wickets in hand and lost. Australia also dropped the second game to lose the series but won the dead rubber. They then won the opening ODI before succumbing to another batting collapse from a winning position in game two. Langer gave the group a verbal lashing post-match for not learning from their mistakes in the opening T20I. It secured the desired response in the decider with Australia pulling off a stunning chase off the back of twin centuries from Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to win the series, which the coach described as one of the best series wins he’s been involved in.November 2020 Australia thumped India in the first two ODIs of the home summer thanks to two masterclasses from Steve Smith to win the ODI series with a game to spare.Steven Smith made back-to-back centuries against India•Getty Images

December 2020-January 2021 Injuries and the need to rest players from the biosecure bubbles saw Australia lose the T20I series with Aaron Finch, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, and Marcus Stoinis missing matches. Australia were back to full strength for the Test series and won the first match in Adelaide when they bowled India out for 36. But they lost the series from there against a second-string India side with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin all missing the decider at the Gabba. Australia’s batters failed twice in Melbourne, they dropped critical catches on the final day in Sydney to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, before the bowlers ran out of gas at the Gabba with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant engineering a famous chase to claim the series.Related

• After week of stress, Australia might only have papered over the cracks

• Cricket Australia give backing to under pressure coach Justin Langer

• Finch: Dressing room leaks about Langer 'disappointing' and 'not ideal'

• Langer addressed 'confronting' team review with squad ahead of tour

• Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

February 2021 Reports emerged in the papers in Australia of tensions boiling over between the players and the coach during the Gabba Test match suggesting players were concerned about the team environment. Langer was shocked by the media reports but said it was “a wake-up call”.Australia then had to select two squads for simultaneous Test and T20I tours in South Africa and New Zealand respectively. Langer was to take charge of the Test squad while senior assistant Andrew McDonald was tasked with leading the T20I squad. A first-choice Test squad was chosen but the tour of South Africa was abandoned due to Cricket Australia’s concerns over South Africa’s biosecurity protocols. Australia lost the opening two games in New Zealand before Finch and Maxwell stood tall to level the series at 2-2. But the batting failed to fire in the decider and they lost the series 3-2.There wasn’t always much to cheer for Australia’s T20 side•Getty Images

June 2021 Langer joined the contracted players at a pre-tour camp on the Gold Coast ahead of back-to-back limited-overs tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. The findings of an internal review into Australia’s performance against India, conducted by leadership consultant Tim Ford, were presented to the group. Langer addressed the findings with the players, something Finch described as “confronting” for the coach but Finch the meeting was successful and the group was “behind him 100 percent”.July 2021 Australia toured the West Indies for five T20Is and three ODIs minus, Warner, Cummins, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Daniel Sams who all withdraw due to bio-bubble fatigue or injury following the postponement of the IPL. Australia’s selectors opted to leave Marnus Labuschagne in England and Cameron Green at home and a host of others with international experience weren’t selected. The T20I team again disintegrated from a winning position in the first game of the tour and loses the series 4-1. Finch suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the ODI series. Carey was promoted to captain one of the most inexperienced ODI teams Australia has ever fielded and they claim a series win 2-1 despite the series being interrupted due to a Covid-19 scare.Australia’s last five T20I series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

August 2021 Australia traveled to Bangladesh without Finch who headed home to have knee surgery. Matthew Wade took over as captain but the side capitulated on difficult batting surfaces to lose the series 4-1. They would have lost 5-0 save for an onslaught from Dan Christian in the third game and were bowled out for 62 in the last match.Two days after Australia arrived home, with the players and staff in hotel quarantine, the published a report of an incident that took place in Australia’s team hotel during the Bangladesh tour. Australia team manager Gavin Dovey was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia’s digital journalist who was inside the Australian team’s bio-bubble as part of the touring party. Dovey was upset that a video had been posted on Cricket Australia’s website of Bangladesh celebrating their first-ever series win over Australia. Langer, a close confidant of Dovey’s, spoke briefly but firmly to the journalist in the immediate aftermath before the pair cleared the air the following day.The report sparked a flurry of media speculation about Langer’s coaching style and of tensions between the coach and the players resurfaced. Finch said the leaks from the dressing room were “disappointing” and “not a good look.” It led Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley to issue a statement supporting Langer and confirming he would continue on through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Hockley and CA chairman Earl Eddings held an emergency zoom call with Australia’s three playing leaders Tim Paine, Finch, and Cummins to discuss the tensions with the coach.Paine spoke on his SEN podcast two days later vowing that the players would work with Langer for the summer ahead.

Despite being just hours away from the January transfer window opening, we know very little about who Leeds United will be going after next month.

Of course, there have been whispers about players such as Sam Cosgrove, Che Adams and Glen Kamara, but the only man who has been labelled as a ‘definite target’ is Rhian Brewster.

However, recent reports suggest Leeds aren’t looking likely to land the Liverpool youngster at this point after The Athletic suggested that he’s in talks with Swansea City over a loan move to Wales.

It’s a bit disheartening to hear that the only ‘definite target’ you know about might be headed elsewhere, but this could actually be a blessing in disguise.

Brewster is a talented player, there’s no denying that. The very fact he’s contributed to 23 goals in 28 appearances for Liverpool’s U23s sums that up.

That being said, he’s only ever played two senior matches, and with Leeds battling it out at the top of the Championship, he’s not exactly the type of player you’d want to come in for that scenario.

Brewster is simply untested at senior level, and he would be coming into such a high-pressure situation where pretty much everyone at the club won’t accept anything other than promotion.

Swansea are a side that’s in a position where they’re able to gamble as they’re knocking on the door of the playoffs, knowing that one good roll of the dice could see them seal a top-six spot.

With one target out the way, Leeds can focus their efforts in securing someone more experienced and with better know-how of the division.

In other news, Leeds fans have been slamming one of their players.

Petr Cech’s Arsenal career has not all been sunshine and lollipops so far. Despite the reception he received upon his arrival from Chelsea and the claims that he could be worth as much as 15 points per season for the Gunners, his performances in the Premier League have not been great…

The opening weekend saw him concede twice as the club lost to West Ham – both goals he, perhaps, should have done better with – before the win at Crystal Palace saw a long-range effort from Damien Delaney squirm past him.

However, it’s been third time lucky, with the Czech Republic ace having been heroic in the opening 45 minutes against Liverpool. From denying Christian Benteke at point blank range to tipping a fantastic Philippe Coutinho effort onto the post, Cech’s heroics kept the scoreline at 0-0.

Naturally he’s been getting some serious love on Twitter… and here are some of the best reactions

The summer transfer window may have drawn to a close but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Premier League’s top clubs have suddenly stopped all transfer activity.Indeed, sourcing new talent is an endless enterprise in the modern game, with scouts, agents and club representatives working all year round to try and find the best transfers possible for their respective employers.With that in mind, Football Fancast are taking a look atÂsummer targets some of the Premier League’s biggest teams haven’t given up on just yet, despite the window slamming shut at 6pm on Monday evening.This article focuses on Arsenal, who will be under huge pressure to splash the cash when the transfer window reopens in the new year. They finished the summer as the only club across Europe’s leading top flights not to sign an outfield player, much to the disappointment of the fan base.So with that in mind, here’s FIVE Gunners transfer sagas that will continue into the January transfer window. Enjoy!

KARIM BENZEMA

Arsenal spent much of the summer chasing Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema only to eventually receive an emphatic ‘no’ from the striker via Twitter:

But the situation could swing in Arsenal’s favour by the time the transfer window reopens in January, especially if Rafa Benitez comes good on his apparent plans to utilise Cristiano Ronaldo as a lone centre-forward this season – leaving the France international to linger on his subs bench.

Even so, Arsene Wenger is hardly known for splashing the cash in January, so he may decide to wait until next summer before launching a bid for the £46million-rated 27 year-old.

SIMONE ZAZA

A cheaper and shorter-term solution to Arsenal’s lack of firepower, the Gunners have already been linked with a follow up bid for Juventus forward Simone Zaza after reportedly coming close to signing him on summer deadline day.

He’s amassed an impressive 49 goals in 117 league appearances throughout spells with Viareggio, Ascoli and Sassuolo, prompting Juve to repurchase the 24 year-old from Sassuolo for €18million in July – a clause inserted into Mapei Stadium transfer last summer.

But he’s yet to make a competitive appearance for the Old Lady, stuck behind Alvaro Morata and summer signings Paolo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic in the pecking order, leading Arsenal to inquire into the Italy international’s availability as the transfer window drew to a close.

In typical Wenger style, the north London outfit apparently baulked at his £22million price-tag. But The Guardian believe a loan move in January is still a possibility – providing Arsenal are willing to pay Zaza’s wages and a £1.4million loan fee.

GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK

How much interest had in Sevilla enforcer Grzegorz Krychowiak this summer remains open to interpretation. As explained by HITC, the English media describe it as a ‘passing interest’, whilst their Spanish counter-parts allege firm enquiries until the final days of the transfer window.

But there’s no doubt Arsenal still need a holding player, with Francis Coquelin now the only dependable ball-winner in the Gunners’ engine room, and the Poland international has emerged as one of Europe’s best since moving to Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last summer.

Indeed, he averaged 3.3 tackles, 3 interceptions and 3.4 successful aerial duels per match to earn a place in La Liga’s Team of the Year for 2015, whilst helping Sevilla claim a second consecutive Europa League title.

The bad news is that the 25 year-old is set to sign a new contract with the Spanish outfit likely before the end of the international break. The good news, on the other hand, is that his £21.4million release clause won’t be increased – suggesting the Gunners could turn to him in January if Coquelin fails to sustain last season’s impressive form.

ADRIEN RABIOT

According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal made a last-minute enquiry into the availability of PSG prodigy Adrien Rabiot, by no means an audacious claim considering the Gunners’ need for a holding midfielder and Arsene Wenger’s eternal lust for young talent – particularly young French talent.

The 20 year-old is widely regarded as one of world football’s more exciting midfield prospects, having already played a significant role in PSG’s last two Ligue 1 titles and amassed 91 career appearances in total – in addition to representing France at youth level on 41 occasions.

It seems PSG weren’t interested in selling Rabiot, who has been valued as highly as £21million by the tabloids in recent months.

But the midfielder’s mother and agent, Veronique Rabiot, kicked up quite the fuss about the France U21’s limited playing time over the summer, at one point allegedly making a transfer request on behalf of her son.

So if the 6 foot 2 defensive-mid continues to be overlooked by Laurent Blanc – which seems likely considering PSG snapped up Benjamin Stambouli and kept hold of Thiago Motta this summer – we could see him push for a move away in the new year.

WILLIAM CARVALHO

Sporting Lisbon star William Carvalho is destined to join a top Champions League club at some point in his career and the chances of doing so seemingly increased after he claimed the Player of the Tournament award at the summer’s U21 European Championship.

The midfield enforcer, who measures in at 6 foot 2, weighs in excess of 14 stone and is famed for his simple-yet-effective play-breaking style, has been mooted as an Arsenal target for some time and scouts allegedly watched him in action during the tournament’s final.

Despite the Gunners’ need for a holding player, their much speculated follow up bid – having reportedlyÂmade a substantial offer on deadline day 2014 – never materialised.

But that could be due to the 23 year-old picking up a stress fracture on his tibia in July, which has ruled him out of action until October at the earliest.

When fully fit we could see the north London outfit launch a bid – but linked to Manchester United and Real Madrid, to name a few, there will be plenty of competition for Carvalho’s signature.

Now that Tim Sherwood has finally, and somewhat inevitably, met his doom at Aston Villa, talk will of course now turn to his successor.

All sorts of names have been mentioned, from the likely (David Moyes), to the possible (Remy Garde), to the outrageously, hilariously left-field (Dwight Yorke).

Patrick Vieira and Nigel Pearson have also been mentioned, and will presumably be in with a good chance. I would like to throw a name into the ring that possibly has not been mentioned before, however. Uwe Rosler is now out of work since being sacked by the notoriously trigger-happy Massimo Cellino at Leeds United, and I think he could be the man to revitalise what has been a sorry season so far at Villa Park.

Rosler has already proved his ability at lower levels, first in Norway before becoming Brentford manager in 2011. There he oversaw their highest league finish in six years in his first season, before coming within a few inches of promotion in his second (THAT missed penalty by Marcelo Trotta against Doncaster which led to the latter side scoring and wrapping up automatic promotion themselves).

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He then departed for Wigan in December 2013, with the Bees flying high and looking candidates for promotion again. When they eventually achieved that, the players were quick to thank Rosler for the part he had played.

At Wigan he again came agonisingly close to getting promoted there, with only a playoff defeat to Charlie Austin-inspired QPR getting in their way.

After being harshly sacked by the Latics after a poor start to the next season, he took a break from the game before becoming Leeds manager in May this year. Frankly it’s hard to judge his time at Leeds because he was there for such a short time; 12 games with only two wins, but then only four defeats.

In short, it is an impressive CV. While admittedly it would be a gamble, as Rosler has never manager in the Premier League before and Aston Villa are a big, traditional club to take over, with plenty of expectation and pressure, I believe Rosler would definitely be up for the challenge. During his time at various clubs he has shown his desire to play quick, pressing football, and has shown himself to be tactically flexible, sometimes operating with a 4-3-3 and sometimes going for three at the back.

He has also shown he can get the best out of his players on a regular basis, like during his time at Brentford and his first half season at Wigan. Previous players suggest that standards are high and that everything is done to a Premier League standard – sounds like Rosler’s been thinking of managing a club at this level for some time.

There are plenty of others who might be considered the ‘safe’ appointment, but I would suggest the time has come for Villa to stop thinking safe and start thinking about who would excite the fans with their football and get Villa Park rocking again.

Villa would no doubt be a baptism of fire for a man who has never worked at this level before, but he might just be what this squad needs – a new face who can sweep the cobwebs out of Villa Park and inject some life and self-belief into a squad that has seemed badly lacking on that front so far this year.

His ability to give sides confidence and get them to believe in themselves and in him has been seen in abundance in the football league over the last few years – now it’s time for Rosler to take those abilities into the Premier League.

It’s a long shot, but it could just pay off.

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Tottenham’s summer transfer business was dominated by the eventually unsuccessful attempt to prise Saido Berahino away from West Brom, with the North Londoners thought to be ready to rekindle their interest in January.

Over the last couple of months, the versatile attacker has fallen down the pecking order at The Hawthorns and suffered disciplinary issues that suggest that the Baggies could well be best off by selling the troubled star.

However, six months is a long time in football and Mauricio Pochettino and the powers that be at White Hart Lane should give careful consideration over whether a return for Berahino serves the greater good.

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The major concern when Spurs failed to land the Burundi-born attacker was a lack of options in the centre forward role, with an over-reliance on Harry Kane painstakingly apparent.

While this issue remains and is one that the North London club will surely look to address over the next month, it is not as pertinent as initially thought.

A host of other players in Pochettino’s ranks have shown that they can do a job as the furthest man forward, with Nacer Chadli, Son Heung-min and the now injured Clinton N’jie all less than ideal but competent options.

Berahino may well be more suited to playing through the middle than the afore-mentioned trio, but in most games Kane is always going to get the nod ahead of him if he was to move to White Hart Lane.

The West Brom attacker is versatile enough to play in any of the three attacking midfield roles in Spurs’ 4-2-3-1 system, but again it remains to be seen just how much football he would receive if moving to Tottenham.

The trio previously touted are back-up options to Pochettino’s favourites of Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli and Erik Lamela, with Alex Pritchard also returning from injury and Andros Townsend and Josh Onomah in consideration too.

As such, there is a growing case to suggest that Tottenham really do not need Berahino and as such should abandon a potentially costly and time-consuming mission this January to land him.

WANT MORE? >> Tottenham transfer news | Latest transfer news

A swap deal with Townsend is being touted, but is having a new signing with a seemingly questionable character an ideal addition to a Spurs unit that is looking to be pulling in the same direction for the first time in the recent memory a wise move?

Although Pochettino will look to address the over-reliance on Kane, find an out-and-out number nine to join the squad seems like a more sensible option than bringing Berahino into the group.

Tottenham are flying high currently and in the top four at the turn of the year; the last thing they need is something or someone who is going to upset the applecart and play a negative impact on the collective positive vibe.

Given the expense of a potential transfer fee and issues dealing with West Brom from the summer, Spurs would be advised to turn their attention elsewhere and forget about Berahino.

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Nick Humby was the CFO of Manchester United between 2002 and 2007. He has recently held another influential leadership role at the FA. These two positions have given him a unique viewpoint on football in this country from a business point of view. In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, we quizzed him on what the Glazers were really like, Man United’s transfer policy, and just what being a finance director at a one of the world’s leading football clubs involved.

Man United – biggest club in the world?

“To be honest I didn’t quite appreciate how big a club it was till I got there.

“It was a fantastic five years. What soon dawns on you is the responsibility you have for protecting the history and heritage of the club. That overwhelms you not long after arriving. One really feels the need to be a custodian, even if it’s only temporary, of a great sporting and cultural asset. When you go around the globe with the club, the intake of breath from the people you meet, the recognition of the club logo even – you had people saying, ‘can I keep this business card’ and it’s just the logo!”

What does a finance director actually do?

“My role at Manchester United was much wider than just overseeing the financial accounts and the budget spending. It also involved being an integral part of the executive board, helping to make key decisions, getting out into the City of London and telling shareholders what we were planning. I was also responsible for the stadium, how it ran and was maintained. And then I was asked by the board to oversee the construction of the two new quadrants that took the stadium capacity to 76,000 and added new restaurants. That involved the design process, construction programme, naming the suites and selling the first season capacity.”

The Glazers

“Obviously part of my job was to meet shareholders in the City and explain why United was worth investing in (unlike many other businesses and clubs). These names (the Glazers) soon started to appear on the register – people who we weren’t quite sure who they were or their intentions and then obviously we gradually found out as they built their stake.

“We had to work out several things of course – what were their intentions? Were they long term investors? Were they going to be good for the club’s development or not? There was rival stake building by Magnier and McManus at the time. As a Board we were in the middle of that, trying to understand and work it through in the best interests of the club.

“There was of course the third option, which was the option a lot of fans would have wanted – try and keep the club independent. There was of course a clear, visible anti-Glazer campaign, but as a director of a company your duty is to make the right decision for the club and its shareholders, taking into account the legal advice. As we know the Glazers eventually purchased the club with a great deal of debt, and that was a big worry. It’s a duty of the board to be satisfied that any organisation that takes on debt can service it successfully and feels comfortable managing it. However, it was always very clear that if we stayed in the Champions League we could manage the debt, and as well as that the Glazers did a wonderful job of building the commercial side of the club, which has obviously helped enormously when it comes to steadily paying down that debt.

“Joel and Avi were the two main directors, I didn’t speak to them much, and they were based out in Florida. That was the way they wanted to work. We went out there a couple of times.

“In my view the Glazers were very fair, straight people. I obviously left after five years there, and in the five years after I left the club won a lot more than when I was there! Commercially and internationally what they’ve done for the club is extraordinary. The club is in good shape financially now, it’s still got debt of course but it’s in much better shape now than anyone might have thought.”

Transfers

“I obviously helped in planning budgets and doing the paperwork for transfers, fortunately David Gill had a fantastic relationship with Sir Alex and they managed the transfer deals.

“We were rigid on controlling player wages and very clear on transfer budgets. In terms of wages we were very clear that we would operate to 50% turnover spent on wages – it’s interesting actually that there’s traditionally been such a strong correlation between a club’s wage bill and their league position, but obviously if you can’t afford to spend big and you do, you can end up in trouble. Discipline when it comes to spending has to be strong in that respect.

“One of the biggest challenges when buying players for Man United is that great players don’t necessarily fit in that pressure cooker of an environment. On the whole though I think we bought some good players in those years – Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Edwin Van der Sar, they were pretty good buys. Michael Carrick was another big buy – you know, the heart of a team that won some pretty impressive stuff during Sir Alex’s last years as manager.

“That relationship between Sir Alex and David Gill was a great one and there’s no doubt it was right at the heart of Man United’s success – and I think it unfortunate but probably inevitable that they would both leave at the same time. That was a big moment for the club, as they had such a great relationship which is hard to immediately replace.”

Expanding Old Trafford

“It was a very interesting build, as well as being very complex and expensive at around £45million, or over £5,000 per seat. We had to combine the north, east and west stands, and at the same time make sure no matchday capacity and revenue was lost. It worked because we opened some hospitality restaurants in those sections which helped with the revenue as from corporate hospitality. I believe they still sell those out, and looking at it from the outside the new developments definitely made the stadium look more exciting, and help generate a better atmosphere inside.

“Interestingly, one legacy of the Glazers is that originally we weren’t going to put glass on the outside of the quadrants, but then they came along and said just do it. I think when you look at the stadium exterior, it’s now much more attractive because of that.”

The FA

“Greg Dyke rang up in January, when the current general secretary Alex Horne was leaving and asked me to tide it over for a few months until a permanent replacement could be found. The new Chief Executive (Martin Glenn), arrived in May.

“The biggest challenge Greg set was finding £30million worth of savings from the current budget to spend on frontline activities – which has been very tough for the organisation, but I think we’ve managed it successfully. The good news for football is that money will be reinvested in the England teams, youth structures, coaching; which is absolutely critical. It’ll also go towards better football pitches, particularly artificial grass pitches in cities. Hopefully I’ll look back in a few years and see that money properly invested and that being reflected in the way the England teams are playing.”

Club or country?

“United was a business. It was a football club; the fans don’t like it being a business, but you have to run football clubs as businesses because financial stability is crucial. Success on the pitch and financial success was the fairly clear criteria, which in turn gives you a clear sense of what you need to do. The FA has a whole other spectrum of interested parties, more activities and stakeholders – the government, Premier League, county FA’s, the Football League, UEFA and FIFA… Managing that complex stakeholder group creates a very challenging environment.

“Obviously it feels very different to United in terms of trophies; of course it’s been 50 years since England won the World Cup and that’s a burden that hangs over football in this country, the reason why the FA has this new energy to invest in football and England teams is to break that burden and win it.

“The real goal Greg has set is to win the men’s World Cup in 2022, and the women’s World Cup in 2023, so I look forward to that and hopefully the money we saved while I was there will contribute to that goal!”

Wayne Rooney will probably feel that he has several more years in him yet and probably one more World Cup, but my feeling is that it’s time to move on and leave the comfort zone that is Manchester United.

And I think the phrase ‘comfort zone’ is apt. As captain of club and country, you could argue that he is happy at Old Trafford. He’s respected, the fans love him, he is at least passionate about his football and as we all know, he holds the all-time goal-scoring record for his country. There is absolutely nothing wrong in staying with one club for most of your career. Many have done exactly that, many more have been one-club servants, but for me, I think he needs to move on and ignite a spark that seems to merely flicker at United this season.

It’s fair to say that under Louis van Gaal, Manchester United look a different team. Often they lack flair and are less entertaining than in past seasons. Their back four looks nothing more than adequate, but lack the Gary Pallister/Steve Bruce days of solidity in central defence. Their best option up front is now in Germany, their bright scoring hope for the future is on loan and United have found themselves in the Europa League after a poor Champions League run of games.

Van Gaal, up until recently, looked like a manager with a tenuous grip on his job and after unheard of results (0-0 at home to West Ham and a 2-1 reverse at home to Norwich), LVG looked a little hot under the collar. He certainly wasn’t enjoying his press conferences!

So, that leaves Rooney, a striker of repute, of an international pedigree playing in a different position. He is almost a number ten now and recent comments from former Red Devil, Ray Wilkins, says that Rooney is more suited to a deeper role and should carry on in that zone for the remainder of his career (Sky Sports).

But, is it? Rooney is a striker. He doesn’t really play off the forward players. His form has been erratic at best this season, but four goals in the last three games, shows that he still has that eye for the net – an eye for goal that will impress other teams around Europe. This summer could see at least one Spanish, German, Italian or even Turkish team asking about Rooney’s services. He is still playing at the top (Premier League and England) and has been scouted before.

Rooney is just eight goals shy of Sir Bobby Charlton’s club records of 249 after the game against Newcastle. He will surely walk away from Old Trafford with club and international goal-scoring records that will take years to be beaten, if they ever are. To test oneself is what life is all about. Footballers are competitive, so it doesn’t make sense to see a fine player just become a number ten and see out his days with players, to a degree, a lot less talented than him.

Manchester United are a changed club. Vulnerable at the back, not so ruthless up front and they even have trouble now, encouraging the world’s best to come to Old Trafford. In days gone by, a player would relish the chance to pull on the red and white shirt, but now their heads are turned elsewhere. Van Gaal takes the fun out of the game and I think Rooney is seeing those frustrations, sees the changes and maybe, just maybe, he will be more open to a move in the summer.

There’s a whole world out there and one that’s begging for a Wayne Rooney type player to go back to what he does best. Up front, scoring goals and being the intelligent player that he has become.

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