There is more at stake for West Indies, who will want to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup

Abhimanyu Bose15-Nov-2025New Zealand’s hot run of formNew Zealand have been enjoying a good run of form in ODIs: since the start of 2025, they have played three series at home and won all of them, losing just one of the nine matches. Their last two series at home – against Pakistan and England – were 3-0 whitewashes.In February, they had won a tri-series in Pakistan that also involved South Africa, winning all their games. That was a precursor to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and UAE, where New Zealand finished runners-up, losing only their two games against India, including the final.New Zealand’s pace threatWest Indies’ faced trial by spin in their recent ODI series in Bangladesh, but it will be a complete turnaround as they will now face a different challenge altogether.During New Zealand’s most recent ODI outing, also at home, England were bowled out under 225 on all three occasions, with fast bowlers taking 27 of the 30 wickets to fall.Blair Tickner, who came into that series as an injury replacement for Kyle Jamieson, led the charts with eight wickets while Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy took seven apiece.New Zealand will also be boosted by the return of their most experienced pacer, Matt Henry, who missed out the last two ODIs against England with a calf strain.While West Indies may feel more comfortable taking on quicker bowling than spinners, they will still need to be ready for a high-quality attack that will be raring to carry on the momentum gathered against England.Blair Tickner finished the series against England with eight wickets•Getty ImagesSeales key for West IndiesWith injuries to Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jediah Blades, the responsibility will fall on Jayden Seales to lead a relatively inexperienced West Indies pace attack.Matthew Forde has played just 13 ODIs, while Johann Layne and fast-bowling allrounder Shamar Springer have received their maiden call-ups.Allrounder Justin Greaves has bowled in just nine of his 18 ODIs and picked just six wickets, so he will likely be expected to play just a holding role with the ball.With a batting line-up that is still unsettled, West Indies know the onus will be on the bowlers to a lot of the heavy lifting in the series.John Campbell is set to return to the ODI side after six years•Getty ImagesWill the West Indies batters stand up?It has long been the case for West Indies that they pick promising batters who show sparks at the international level, but fail to maintain consistency.Keacy Carty in ODIs has been among the ones to deliver on their promise, with four centuries and five fifties, but two of those centuries came against Ireland. He has not crossed fifty in his last seven innings.Alick Athanaze returned to the ODI setup in the Bangladesh tour after being dropped at the end of last year, and showed good application to get starts in testing conditions, but needs to begin converting those starts.Amir Jangoo began his ODI career with a century on debut, but failed in the three ODIs against Ireland and the one game he got in England.Captain Shai Hope is their Mr Dependable in the department, but he will need support from his team-mates. In an attempt to bolster their batting, West Indies have opted to give John Campbell another shot, after six years out in the cold in the format, in place of Brandon King.Can he make an impact on his ODI comeback, like he did in Tests with a fine century against India?

Aston Villa have now submitted a concrete bid for a “great dribbler” who’s “keen” on a move to Villa Park.

Villa stepping up pursuit of new forward

Despite a disastrous start to the Premier League season, failing to score in their opening four games, Villa have now emerged as potential title contenders, moving just three points behind leaders Arsenal after the 2-1 victory against Mikel Arteta’s side last time out.

Unai Emery has played down suggestions his side could mount a title push, however, saying: “I know 38 matches is very difficult. We are not a contender. If we were in game 35, perhaps we can speak differently.”

Danny Murphy has also pointed out another reason the Villans may not be able to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, saying: “I don’t see them as title contenders, only because of a lack of strength in depth. But their best XI can beat anybody.”

With the January transfer window now on the horizon, however, Emery will be presented with the opportunity to increase his squad depth, and a new forward is of interest, with Strasbourg’s Joaquin Panichelli, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Bologna’s Santiago Castro emerging as targets.

According to a report from Bolavip (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have also submitted an offer worth for Gremio forward Alysson Edward, having scouted him on a number of occasions this year.

Gremio are set to decide whether to accept the bid in the coming days, and the offer is now with Gremio’s new president, Odorico Roman.

Fabrizio Romano has also taken to X to confirm that a €12m (£10m) fee has been proposed, with the Brazilian eager to make the move to Villa Park.

"Great dribbler" Alysson showing promising signs in Brazil

Journalist Bence Bocsak has made it clear he is an admirer of the 19-year-old, saying: “Big fan of him. Still raw but he’s a very progressive player and a great dribbler. Has the tools to go far.”

Not only is the teenager a strong dribbler, but he is also a well-rounded winger, averaging 2.46 tackles per 90 over the past year, and 0.84 interceptions, placing him in the 96th and 93rd percentile, compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

The only thing the Gremio star may need to improve is his end product, having only chipped in with one goal and two assists in 41 matches for Gremio.

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Alysson could be one for the future, and a £10m deal wouldn’t break the bank, but with Aston Villa potentially in a title race, it may be better to bring in a more experienced forward next month, considering Ollie Watkins is on just three goals in all competitions.

England have received a major injury scare ahead of the Ashes after quick Mark Wood experienced stiffness in his left hamstring during their only warm-up match in Perth.Wood had bowled two four-over spells against the Lions at Lilac Hill in his first competitive match in nine months since surgery on his left knee. He left the field after his second four-over spell midway through the second session.Related

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“The plan for Mark Wood was for him to bowl eight overs today,” an ECB statement said. “He has some stiffness in his hamstring, which has kept him off the field for some time during the second session of the first day and will undergo a precautionary scan tomorrow.”He is expected to bowl again in two days’ time. It is unlikely he will return to the field today.”England have taken a cautious approach with Wood’s rehabilitation from the knee injury that he sustained at the Champions Trophy in February. He had initially hoped to feature in the final Test of their summer series against India, but a setback in training ended up ruling him out of the entire home season.Wood had bowled several lively deliveries on a relatively sedate surface, conditions far different to what is expected in the first Test at Optus Stadium. He is part of an all-out England pace attack against the Lions, with offspinner Shoaib Bashir not selected in the main XI.”That’s not ideal, but that’s part of being an extremely fast bowler,” Harry Brook said after the day’s play. “I haven’t seen him yet and spoken to him, so I don’t know his current situation. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”There was further frustration for England’s pace attack with Brydon Carse unavailable on the first day of the warm-up match due to illness, prompting him to stay at the team’s hotel.Captain Ben Stokes had been the standout bowler, with four of the five wickets to fall before tea in an encouraging return in his first match since late July.The development comes just a day after Australia quick Josh Hazlewood was cleared of a hamstring injury. But fellow Ashes Test squad member Sean Abbott was withdrawn from the squad after scans on his left hamstring confirmed a moderate grade strain.

Root’s first ton in Australia anchored an England first innings that at times showed restraint, but was also marked by reckless dismissals

Tristan Lavalette04-Dec-20257:27

‘Root’s century was the defining performance of the day’

After an interminable break between matches, following 48 hours of mayhem in Perth, the Ashes resumed with England producing a rollercoaster batting performance as Joe Root ended his century jinx on Australian soil in the day-night second Test in Brisbane.In the final hour of an absorbing opening day, Root raised his arms aloft under the lights before taking off his helmet to celebrate his 40th Test century and first in Australia.Root finished unbeaten on 135 from 202 balls and anchored an England first innings that at times showed restraint, but was also marked by reckless dismissals. Four batters fell for ducks with England again tormented by pink ball maestro Mitchell Starc, who finished with 6 for 71 to power past Wasim Akram’s record for most Test wickets by a left-arm quick.Related

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But after the humiliation of batting just 67.3 across two innings in Perth, England batted the whole day – albeit only 74 overs were bowled – as they posted their first score over 300 in a Test in Australia since January 2018.After skipper Ben Stokes elected to bat on a trademark green Gabba surface, another truncated Test match loomed when England slumped to 5 for 2 after the first 15 balls with Starc dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks.But Root combined in a third-wicket century stand with Zak Crawley, who bounced back from a pair with 76 off 93 balls, to lead England’s fightback. The tourists tried to curb their aggressive instincts at times, but appeared to fall short of a par total after losing 5 for 54 under the lights.Just when it appeared Australia’s batters would be forced to face a tough stint before stumps, Root found unlikely support through No.11 Jofra Archer as they clubbed an unbroken 61-run partnership.Australia’s attack tired in the backend as the game took a surprising late twist.Australia fielded an all-out pace attack, but one that did not feature skipper Pat Cummins despite intense speculation he would be a surprise late inclusion.Queensland fast bowler Michael Neser, instead, was a bombshell selection at the expense of frontline spinner Nathan Lyon, who missed just his second home Test since his debut.Stokes had no hesitation to bat under sunny skies after the coin again fell in his favour. Openers Crawley and Duckett walked to the crease under pressure after failing to notch a run as a pair in the first Test.Ollie Pope chopped on in the third over•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

The embattled Crawley had not gotten through the first over in either innings in Perth, where he foolishly drove on the up against Starc.Against his nemesis menacingly armed with the pink ball, Crawley played and missed twice in the first three balls in a nervous start. To his relief, Crawley finally scored his first runs of the series when he pounced on a Starc delivery that missed the length and then pinched a single to ensure he survived the first over.But Starc wasn’t quite done and claimed another first over wicket with a superb delivery that angled into off stump and moved away to remove Duckett for a golden duck.No.3 Pope had somewhat quietened the critics after being arguably England’s best batter in Perth. The pressure might once again intensify after he fell tamely, chopping onto his stumps having shuffled back and across in unconvincing fashion.It meant Root had to face the music incredibly early against Starc who bagged him for single-digit scores in Perth. Root got off the mark first ball before his heart was in his mouth moments later when he edged Starc, but Steven Smith could not complete a blinder of a catch diving low to his left.Starc continued to ramp up his speeds into the mid-140kph, but Crawley showcased exquisite timing to underline the good batting conditions. Crawley was particularly aggressive against Neser, the perennial fringe bowler playing just his third Test match and first since December 2022.Crawley unfurled several extraordinary shots in the first hour, but also had luck on his side. On 15 he survived a big appeal for caught behind from Neser as Australia decided not to review although replays later suggested there was a faint line on snicko.Root looked in command and brought up the 50-run partnership in style with a lovely straight drive to the boundary. While unconvincing at times, Crawley was more respectful against good length bowling and aimed to attack fuller deliveries. His 68-ball half-century was marked by superb straight drives to ensure England’s run rate hovered around 4.5 an over.After the frenetic play in Perth, the first lull in the series ensued just before the 40-minute tea break as England showed the type of restraint many critics have called for. But a restless Crawley had enough and broke the shackles by pummelling a drive back that went through Boland in his return and whistled to the boundary.Mitchell Starc celebrates nicking off Will Jacks•Getty Images

With the pink ball showing little signs of swing, the well-set Crawley and Root looked to kick on in a middle session that appeared ideal for batting.Australia resorted to a short-ball tactic and it almost paid immediate dividends when Brendan Doggett, who took all five wickets on Test debut in Perth with shorter deliveries, had Root gloving just past diving wicketkeeper Alex Carey.Crawley had a century for the taking until under-edging a back-of-a-length delivery from Neser to fall in the 70s for the ninth time in his Test career.What then ensued was another chaotic innings from Harry Brook, who started with his foot down on the pedal as he danced down to Doggett and Neser, with Carey keeping up to the stumps, without fear.Having blasted 16 off 10 balls, Brook then attempted an incredibly risky tumbling-over scoop shot which he missed and was almost stumped as Carey whipped off the bails.The game was in somewhat of a resting pattern before Starc returned to the attack having bowled just eight overs for the day. With the natural light dimming, Starc claimed a wicket on his second ball of his new spell when he had Brook flashing to second slip in a rash stroke to end a maddening knock.Stokes survived against Starc, his long-time tormentor, as he dug in with Root before and after the dinner break as the match took on a different complexion under lights.Runs were hard to come by as England’s run rate fell below four an over in a rarity but they moved into a position of strength at 210 for 4. They let slip of the advantage when Stokes needlessly set off for a single only to be sent back by Root as Josh Inglis swooped in from cover to throw down the stump from side on.It was outstanding fielding from the recalled Inglis, who is Australia’s first-choice wicketkeeper in white-ball cricket. The Leeds-born Inglis has replaced Usman Khawaja who was ruled out with a back injury that flared up during the first Test.The momentum swung Australia’s way with Scott Boland clean bowling Jamie Smith with a delivery that snaked back sharply through the gate. Allrounder Will Jacks, England’s only change after replacing injured quick Mark Wood, looked composed amid the tough conditions and ensured Root inched closer to his elusive century.Starc ended Jacks’ resistance and tore through the lower-order to continue his purple patch. Just when it appeared England would be bowled out or that Stokes might declare, Root and Archer scored invaluable runs to complete a topsy-turvy opening day.Players from both teams wore black armbands in honour of former England batter Robin Smith, who passed away this week in Perth.

Hasaranga, who picked up a hamstring niggle during the second ODI against Pakistan, is not yet ruled out of the tri-series

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2025Legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth has been added to Sri Lanka’s T20I squad for the T20I tri-series in Pakistan as cover for allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who has a hamstring injury.Hasaranga has not been ruled out of the series yet. He picked up the hamstring niggle during the second game of the ODI series against Pakistan and subsequently missed the third ODI as Sri Lanka suffered a 3-0 defeat.Related

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Viyaskanth will join the team directly from Qatar, where he was playing for Sri Lanka A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament. He has represented Sri Lanka just once in senior cricket, making his debut in the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023.Viyaskanth first rose to prominence in December 2020, when he became the youngest player at 18 years and 364 days to feature in the Lanka Premier League for Jaffna Stallions. In that tournament, he also became the first born-and-bred player from Jaffna to appear in an internationally televised game. Viyaskanth was also the second highest wicket-taker in the SLC T20 League in August 2025. Overall, in 59 T20 games, he has taken 67 wickets at 20.98 with an economy of 7.18.Sri Lanka are also missing their regular T20I captain Charith Asalanka for the tri-series. He flew home with an illness and Dasun Shanaka will fill in as captain. Sri Lanka play their first game of the tri-series on November 20 against Zimbabwe. The series starts on November 18 with each team playing the other twice before the final on November 29.

Liverpool have now moved into pole position in the race for a Real Madrid attacker, amid Mohamed Salah offering himself to three Champions League clubs.

Salah may never play for Liverpool again after Slot comments

Arne Slot has now admitted that he doesn’t know if Salah will play for the Reds again, in the wake of the Egyptian’s bombshell interview after the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

The manager said: “After tomorrow we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility to return for a player. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] – I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”

It remains to be seen whether Salah can return to the fold after AFCON, but one thing that is for certain is that he won’t be featuring against Inter Milan in the Champions League this evening.

In the wake of his comments about Slot, the forward has now offered himself to three Champions League clubs, namely Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to a report from Spain.

Of course, no Liverpool fan wants to see a club legend leave in this fashion, but if he does depart, Slot will need to bring in another attacker, and the Merseyside club are now leading the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states the Reds are now the frontrunners to sign Guler, despite Manchester United and Arsenal also stepping up their interest.

The Turk is viewed as the perfect addition to Slot’s attack, with the manager keen to bring in a creative forward, amid the uncertainty surrounding Salah’s long-term future, and the 20-year-old is capable of playing at both right-wing and through the middle. It’s previously been reported that Madrid values Guler as high as £130m.

Signing "magic" Guler could soften blow of losing Salah

The Liverpool talisman hasn’t reached his usual lofty heights this season, failing to make it off the bench in two of the last three Premier League matches, but it would still be a real blow to lose the 33-year-old, who has scored 250 goals since arriving at Anfield.

As such, fans will no doubt be hoping the Egypt international hasn’t played his last game for the Reds, and returns to action after he gets back from AFCON.

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That said, Salah may find it difficult to force his way back into Slot’s plans, with Jamie Carragher recently branding his comments a “disgrace.”

New attacking options may be needed in 2026 regardless, with Federico Chiesa’s future also up in the air, and Guler could be a top signing, with scout Ben Mattinson praising the impact he’s made for Turkey.

Having registered three goals and seven assists for Real Madrid this season, the 26-time Turkey international clearly has the quality to succeed at Anfield, so it is promising news that Liverpool are leading the race for his signature.

It was recently reported that Tonda Eckert is in pole position to be named the permanent Southampton manager after an impressive performance as the interim head coach.

The German tactician has won four of his five Championship games in the dugout, notably beating Charlton 5-1 away from home, but did lose 3-2 to Millwall last weekend.

It would be understandable if Sport Republic feel that Eckert has done enough in his interim spell in charge to earn the job on a permanent basis, but there is cause for concern with the former U21s boss.

Why Southampton should not appoint Tonda Eckert

The Saints are in a position, having just come down from the Premier League, where this may be their best chance to return to the top-flight before they have to cash in on more of their top talents with parachute payments dwindling.

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This means that it would be a big risk to appoint a permanent manager based on five games as a first-team manager in England, as he had never managed a game at any level in any country before this run of matches, per Transfermarkt.

It is hard, therefore, to judge whether the first four wins were a byproduct of a ‘manager bounce’ or if they were down to his coaching, as he does not have a managerial history to back up his credentials.

Southampton need to find their next Nigel Adkins, who joined from Scunthorpe United to lead Saints to promotion from League One and the Championship and left the club in 15th place in the Premier League in his only season in the top-flight.

Instead of appointing Eckert, Sport Republic could hire their own version of Adkins by making a move for reported target and free agent manager Michael Carrick.

Why Carrick could be Southampton's next Adkins

Like Adkins, Carrick would arrive at St. Mary’s with a wealth of experience in English football already under his belt, thanks to his time with Middlesbrough.

The former Saints boss had managed Scunthorpe for four seasons, including two in the Championship, and won promotion from League One on two occasions, before taking Southampton from League One to the Premier League.

Carrick, of course, will not have to get the club out of the third tier, thankfully, but he is an English manager who has the potential to be a brilliant appointment.

One of the reasons why he could be a great hire for the Saints is that he has achieved success in the position that they currently find themselves in, as he took Boro from 18th to 4th in his first season with the club.

The former Manchester United midfielder then led Middlesbrough to 8th and 10th place finishes in the second tier, but they ranked 5th and 6th for Expected Points in those two seasons, per FotMob, which suggests that his coaching deserved higher league finishes than it got.

Carrick, who Tom Cleverley once claimed “oozes class” as a manager, is a proven Championship head coach who has shown, over three seasons, that he can coach a team to deliver play-off quality performances, which Eckert, through no fault of his own, does not have in his corner.

The ex-Boro boss also picked up seven points in two games as interim manager at Manchester United in the Premier League before his spell in the Championship, and played 481 games in the division as a player, per Transfermarkt.

This suggests that he could also be an appointment with the Premier League in mind, because of his experience at that level, whilst Eckert has never played, managed, or coached in that league.

Therefore, Carrick appears more likely to be Southampton’s next Adkins than Eckert is, because of both his proven quality in the Championship as a manager and his potential to be a successful Premier League boss.

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Dan Emery

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This is why Sport Republic should consider pushing to appoint the English tactician as their next permanent manager, rather than giving the interim German boss the job on a permanent basis.

Bangladesh beat Ireland 2-1 to win their fifth T20I series this year

Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2025Bangladesh captain Litton Das has said the current crop of players were “almost ready” for the 2026 T20 World Cup after an improved fielding performance in the 2-1 series win against Ireland.Bangladesh have played 30 T20Is in 2025, the most for them in a year. The victory against Ireland was their fifth in T20I series this year after consecutive wins against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Netherlands and Afghanistan. They had lost to Pakistan and UAE before that streak, and West Indies after.Against Ireland, Bangladesh bounced back from 0-1 down to win the second and third T20Is. On Tuesday, they won by eight wickets and 38 balls to spare after an emphatic all-round display.Related

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“I wanted the team to win from pressure situations,” Litton said after the third T20I. “We couldn’t overcome the pressure in the first game but we fought back to win the series. There are many positive sides. We are not a good fielding unit, but we took some brilliant catches in this series. At least in the fielding department, we have shown improvement. After playing the most number of T20Is in a year, I think our players have become more mature.”The credit goes to all the players and coaching staff. Our team was ready since the Asia Cup. We have only used a certain number of players since then. I think we want these players to play their best cricket in the BPL, which we then expect them to replicate for the national team. I am not concerned about anyone’s performance, but about injuries. We will all pray that we remain safe in the next two months.”Litton said Bangladesh had experimented this year, to find their best combination for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February. For instance, Bangladesh used all their opener options in the top four in the third T20I against Ireland, while also mixing up their spinners and fast bowlers.”We have conducted a lot of experiments. We made certain changes that were risky – like Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] didn’t bowl the last over today,” Litton said. “[Mohammad] Saifuddin bowled the last over. I wanted to see what a player will do after not playing two matches. I think we tried almost everything in every aspect of the team. This bunch of players are almost ready for the next World Cup.”Bangladesh, however, do not have a settled middle order, with at least one position still up for grabs. They tried Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan and Shamim Hossain in each of the three matches, though Shamim didn’t get to bat in the third game.”I am not too concerned about it [the No. 6 position],” Litton said. “Not everyone will get runs in every series. You saw [Towhid] Hridoy doing well in this series. I want them to score runs in the BPL, and then bring that to the World Cup.”Litton also said he had to rotate between three spinners in the XI, which means one of his “match-winners” ends up on the bench.”Mahedi [Hasan], Rishad [Hossain] and Nasum [Ahmed] are my match-winners, so I have to take a tough call when I have to pick [only] two spinners in the XI,” he said. “Sometimes, my performer has to sit out. They have accepted my decisions. They are good team-mates. It will keep happening in the future, but of course we explain to them [why we didn’t pick any of them].”

Brentford have a remarkable record when it comes to replacing their star players. Over the last six years, the Bees have continued to progress despite seeing the likes of Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, Neal Maupay, David Raya and Ivan Toney all move on, thanks to the meticulous work of the club's recruitment department. Their latest success story is Brazilian powerhouse Igor Thiago, who has emerged as a genuine rival to Erling Haaland for the Premier League's Golden Boot during the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.

Many tipped Brentford to be fighting a relegation battle after the summer departures of talismanic attacking duo Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, club captain Christian Norgaard and beloved manager Thomas Frank. Keith Andrews made the step up from set-piece coach to succeed Frank, and was deemed to be lacking the necessary experience and squad depth to keep the team competitive at the highest level.

But Andrews has defied his doubters by embracing the same direct style of play as Frank and placing his trust in Thiago to lead the line. The 24-year-old has netted 11 goals in 13 Premier League games – just three shy of Haaland's tally in Manchester City colours – to propel Brentford back into the top half of the table as he almost single-handedly plugs the gap left by Mbeumo and Wissa.

Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all now reportedly interested in signing Thiago, and talk of a maiden Brazil call-up is growing with each passing game. He could even jump to the front of his country's No.9 queue ahead of the 2026 World Cup if he can deal a major blow to Arsenal's title hopes when Brentford make the short trip to the Emirates on Wednesday.

AFPFrom bricklaying to Bulgaria and Brugge

Thiago grew up in Gama, Brazil, but didn't immediately pick up the football bug. “I was eight or nine when I started playing,” he recently told Brentford's official website. “I gradually started to gain the love of football. It mostly was my brother taking me at the weekend to games. I then saw Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Manchester United and that was the biggest thing. I saw Ronaldo playing and I said, ‘I want to be like him’."

He started honing his skills at local club Vere FC, but Thiago's journey towards the professional game was put on hold after he tragically lost his father aged just 13. He would go on to work as a grocery carrier and bricklayer to support his mother, which shaped his strong character: "It helped me as a man, and it helped me as person. It helped me to appreciate the little and big things in life, because today I look at my life and see that I'm privileged with everything I have."

Cruzeiro eventually handed Thiago his big break as an 18-year-old, and he scored 10 goals in 64 appearances for the club, attracting attention from Europe in the process. Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets snapped him up in March 2022, and he quickly adapted to life on a new continent.

Thiago notched a combined 32 goals and assists as Ludogorets claimed successive league titles, along with the Bulgarian Cup and Supercup. By the summer of 2023, Thiago had outgrown Ludogorets, and they sold him to Club Brugge for €8 million – a Parva Liga record fee.

AdvertisementAFP'Big potential'

Thiago repaid Brugge's investment tenfold in his first and only campaign in Belgium. He scored 29 goals in 55 appearances across all competitions in 2023-24, with 18 of those coming in a prolific run through December and January, as Brugge clinched the Pro League crown and reached the semi-finals of the Conference League.

The Brazilian picked up the Young Player of the Season award in the latter competition, with former Brugge boss Ronny Deila left delighted by his impact: "Thiago brings something to the team we didn’t have before. Defenders hate playing against him. He presses non-stop, runs all the time and kicks them. Apart from that, he’s also a top bloke, both on the pitch and in the dressing room. He should be capable of playing for a top outfit."

Brentford gave Thiago the chance to make good on that billing when breaking their transfer record to bring him to the Gtech Community Stadium that summer in a £30m ($40m) deal. Frank described it as a "proactive" move from the club after resigning himself to the exit of Toney, adding: "Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard-working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play. There is big potential."

Unfortunately, a cruel injury blow would prevent Thiago from unlocking that potential in what turned out to be a testing start to his life in England.

Getty Images Sport'Learning season'

In his very first game for Brentford, a 5-2 pre-season win over AFC Wimbledon, Thiago suffered a meniscus injury, and immediately went under the knife. He was forced to sit out Brentford's first 11 Premier League games of 2024-25 as a result, eventually making his competitive debut in a 0-0 draw with Everton on November 23.

The Cruziero academy graduate featured from the bench again in subsequent outings against Leicester City and Aston Villa before impressing on his first start as Brentford beat Newcastle 4-2 at the Gtech. He was then sidelined again, however, after picking up an infection in his knee, much to the frustration of Frank.

"The risk of getting a joint infection is very, very small, but apparently it's the opposite when you are a Brentford player; instead of a two per cent chance it's a 98 per cent chance," said the Bees boss.

Thiago did not return until early May, and was only fit enough to make cameo appearances in Brentford's final four league fixtures. From the outside, it looked like a case of a dream transfer turning into a nightmare, but remarkably, Thiago was able to find enough positives that made him confident about his future.

"It was a big learning season for me, learning my body and how everything reacts. It was a hard season in terms of not being able to play, but a good season for learning how my body works," he said. "I thought moving to England would be harder than it was, to be honest, but everything went well."

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Getty Images SportUnstoppable force

Thiago scored the first goal of the Andrews era in a pre-season clash with Gil Vicente, and finally opened his competitive account in Brentford's opening game of the new Premier League campaign, converting a penalty in a 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest. He doubled his tally in a 2-1 reversal at newly-promoted Sunderland, powering a header in off the bar after stealing in between two defenders to meet a Frank Onyeka cross, but Brentford were languishing down in 17th towards the end of September with only four points amassed from a possible 15.

The tide turned, though, when Andrews' side welcomed Manchester United to the Gtech. Brentford pulled off a thrilling 3-1 upset, and Thiago was the star of the show. He rifled a thunderbolt of a half-volley into the top corner to open the scoring before making it 2-0 with a reactive close-range finish inside the first 20 minutes, while excelling throughout the contest with his skills as a target man, bullying the United defence into submission.

Since then, Thiago has been an unstoppable force of nature. He also scored the winning goal against Liverpool in October, and bagged two more braces in victories over Newcastle and Burnley. Even when on the periphery of games, the towering striker always poses a huge threat, as the Clarets learned to their peril on Saturday. Thiago came to life in the final 10 minutes of the match, first dispatching another penalty before smashing in the all-important second goal from a Jordan Henderson delivery, albeit with the aid of a deflection.

Thiago has built up a good relationship with Henderson, as well as fellow attackers Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade, which is reaping great rewards for the Bees. He is clinical when he gets a sight of goal, both on the ground and in the air, but is also a selfless centre-forward who looks to bring others into play at every opportunity.

"Everything we stand for can be seen in abundance in Thiago," Andrews said after the Burnley win. "I just love the way he plays the game."

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