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Despite some initial hope that stemmed from the influx of promising young players and the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, it would be fair to describe the 2023/24 season as a disaster for Chelsea, at least at the moment.

The Blues have won their last three Premier League games on the bounce, and with the proper transfers this month, there is a chance, albeit very slight, that they could make a late push for the Champions League places.

Luckily for Pochettino and fans alike, it would appear as if the club has already been making inroads regarding transfers, and the latest player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge could follow in the footsteps of a Blues great, Salomon Kalou.

Chelsea eye star from Salomon Kalou's old side

According to the Mirror (17/01/2024, 05:39), several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, are linked to Feyenoord's free-scoring frontman Santiago Gimenez.

Alongside the Pensioners, the report has named Arsenal, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur as the other interested parties, and Football Insider has reported that a transfer would likely cost between £30m and £40m.

While the competition might pose a problem for the Stamford Bridge side, it's unlikely that the fee will, considering Todd Boehly and Co's tendency to splash the cash once they have identified a target.

If the club can get this deal over the line, the Mexican might just be able to follow in the footsteps of Kalou, who joined from the Dutch side back in 2006, before becoming a cult hero in west London.

How Santiago Gimenez could replicate Kalou's Chelsea legacy

With Chelsea's desperation for a goalscorer being so acute, practically any striker with a half-decent strike rate would dramatically improve the side. Luckily for them, however, Gimenez looks to be anything but just 'any' striker.

The "Mexican Machine", as dubbed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been on fire for Feyenoord for the last two seasons, scoring 15 goals and providing two assists as they won the Eredivisie last year, and he has already reached 19 goals and four assists this campaign.

In the six years that Kalou spent at Chelsea, he made 254 appearances, 107 of which were as a substitute, and along with an impressive haul of 60 goals, he won practically everything there was to win, including Chelsea's first Champions League title, which just so happened to come on his final appearance for the club.

Now, with the Ivorian being a left-winger and Gimenez being an out-and-out striker, it should be relatively straightforward for him to break Kalou's goal record, but winning the number of titles he did is another story.

That said, the "simply amazing" number nine, as described by Kulig, does have the underlying numbers to back up his output and suggest that with the right teammates, he could help fire the Blues back to the heady heights of Kalou's time.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

1.07

Non-Penalty Goals

1.18

Assists

0.26

Shots on Target

2.03

Shot-Creating Actions

2.55

Goal-Creating Actions

0.52

Successful Take-Ons

0.92

Aerial Duels Won

1.18

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

For example, he comfortably outperforms his non-penalty expected goals and assists figure, which suggests that he is as clinical as his goal record would have you believe.

Moreover, he takes 2.03 shots on target per 90 whilst also producing 2.55 shot-creating actions per 90 for his team, showing that he is frequently involved in the action.

Chelsea can oust Gallagher for £87m target who Poch dubbed a "massive talent"

The 20-year-old could become the best player at Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 16, 2024

Ultimately, if the fee is in the £30m to £40m range, Chelsea should be going all out to sign Gimenez, especially if he can replicate the success of Kalou.

Sarina Wiegman's side fell short at St James' Park on Friday as Elisa De Almeida and Marie-Antoinette Katoto punished poor set piece defending

Perhaps England should've known it wouldn't be their day against France on Friday when Mary Earps suffered what appeared to be a hip injury with less than 45 seconds on the clock. A simple passing motion left the Lionesses' No.1 wincing in pain and though their fortunes briefly improved when Beth Mead put them ahead at St James' Park, an eventual 2-1 defeat to Les Bleues was the result of a disappointing display.

Things just didn't click for Sarina Wiegman's side in this match. There were nice moments, such as Mead's composed finish and a shot of hers later in the first half which forced Pauline Peyraud-Magnin into a sublime stop, but there were too few of these. There were no huge defensive errors that cost them, either, in what was just a flat performance. Instead, it was an inability to defend set pieces that hurt the Lionesses.

There was little they could do about Elisa De Almeida's stunning volley from a first half corner, except perhaps avoid conceding the dead ball situation, but failure to clear their lines from another in the second period was damaging and eventually led to Marie-Antoinette Katoto's skillful, sweeping finish. This was only England's first defeat in seven games, and first in the qualifying for Euro 2025, but after a draw against Sweden at Wembley in their first game in this competition, it leaves them third in a group of four ahead of a very difficult return game with the French on Tuesday.

GOAL rates the Lionesses' players from St James' Park…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (N/A):

Limped off with what looked to be a hip injury after only eight minutes.

Lucy Bronze (6/10):

Got forward plenty and linked up well with Mead down the right to cause France problems. Not troubled much defensively.

Millie Bright (5/10):

Looked rusty here despite ending the season with Chelsea having looked more match fit after so long on the sidelines.

Leah Williamson (6/10):

Superb pass to Toone to start the attack for the first goal.

Jess Carter (6/10):

Solid in her defensive work, especially given she was up against two sublime wingers. Like Bronze, wasn't troubled too much.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Keira Walsh (6/10):

Near faultless in possession.

Georgia Stanway (5/10):

Didn't get on the ball as much as usual and lacked incision when she did.

Ella Toone (5/10):

Did well to pick up a nice pocket of space in the build-up to Mead's opener, though was relatively quiet for large spells.

GettyAttack

Beth Mead (7/10):

Great composure with the finish that broke the deadlock and was so close to a second, too, but for an excellent Peyraud-Magnin save.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Looked lively despite her recent long-haul post-season trip with Arsenal but didn't have her shooting boots on.

Lauren Hemp (7/10):

Always an outlet down the left and was often England's most creative player.

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GettySubs & Manager

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Had to take Earps' place early on and didn't put a foot wrong despite the goals. Made an exceptional save to deny Lakrar in the first half.

Chloe Kelly (N/A):

Had a good chance moments after coming on with 10 minutes to go, but couldn't connect properly from close range.

Fran Kirby (N/A):

Looked lively off the bench, though didn't have a lot of time to make an impact.

Sarina Wiegman (4/10):

Made her substitutions far too late. The game was already crying out for a change when the hour mark came along and yet it wasn't until the 80th minute that Wiegman turned to her bench, after France had taken the lead.

It’s a squad that ‘balances experience and emerging talent’ with an eye on the future, explains chairman of selectors Andrew White

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2019Days after being dropped from Ireland’s ODI squad, for the three-match series against Zimbabwe, left-arm spinner George Dockrell has been left out of the long-format squad, too, for the one-off Test against England at Lord’s. James Cameron-Dow, also a left-arm spinner, seamer Barry McCarthy, and wicketkeeper-batsman Stuart Poynter, who were all part of the squad for the Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun earlier this year, have also been left out. Instead, fast bowlers Mark Adair and Craig Young, and wicketkeeper-batsman Gary Wilson have been picked.Ireland squad

William Porterfield (capt), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Lorcan Tucker, Gary Wilson (wk), Craig Young
In: Mark Adair, Gary Wilson, Craig Young
Out: James Cameron-Dow, George Dockrell, Barry McCarthy, Stuart Poynter

While both Adair and Young are uncapped in Test cricket, Wilson had featured in Ireland’s inaugural Test, against Pakistan, last year in Dubin. Seamers Adair and Young have been rewarded for their impressive performances for Ireland A while Poynter was left out in favour of the more experienced Wilson.The four-day Lord’s Test, starting ten days after the World Cup final on July 24, will be Ireland’s 12th international against England. In their first ODI at Lord’s, Ireland were emphatically beaten by Eoin Morgan’s men. But in their most recent ODI exchange in Malahide, Ireland gave England a scare in a low-scorer.ALSO READ: England optimistic of James Anderson’s fitness for Ireland TestAndrew White, the chairman of selectors, took heart from that performance and expected the players to be “just as competitive in the Test arena”.”We have stated all along that as selectors we are looking for players not only in-form but displaying consistent performances, and I believe we have selected a squad that reflects this,” White said. “It’s also a squad that balances experience and emerging talent, which is necessary in looking to the future in this format of the game.”This may only be our third Test, but we have 11 more to play over the next three years and our two Tests to date have shown glimpses of the potential we possess.”

When the news emerged that Jurgen Klopp would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, the narrative of the Reds' season changed in an instant. Their last dance under their most successful Premier League manager of all time, those at Anfield will be desperate to see Klopp crowned champion once more to confirm the perfect ending.

Away from the action, however, FSG's focus must be on finding the right replacement and contact has already been made in pursuit of that, according to the latest reports.

Liverpool's next manager

So far, a number of names have been mentioned as potential options to replace Klopp, with Roberto De Zerbi, Julian Nagelsmann, and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso all potentially on the shortlist. Whoever does come in will potentially have one of the toughest jobs in European football, as they attempt to complete the impossible task of following in the footsteps of a club legend.

There could also be concern that without Klopp, there's no guarantee that star players will stay put. As an era ends, certain players may feel as though it's the perfect time to end historic spells of their own. Club captain Virgil van Dijk has already had to clarify comments over his future.

The man who could be left dealing with situations of that type may well be Alonso. According to Foot Mercato, FSG and Liverpool have now made contact with Alonso over replacing Klopp at the end of the season. The Bayer Leverkusen manager reportedly sits top of Liverpool's list of candidates and whilst it remains to be seen whether the iconic midfielder will return to his former club, he's certainly proved his managerial ability in Germany.

"Extraordinary" Alonso continues to break records

When you look at Alonso's rise in the technical area, it's one that those around European football could have seen coming. After all, this is someone who played under and learned from Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti, just to name a few. Combine the best parts of those and it's no wonder Leverkusen are on course to shock Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, having already matched their record of 30 games unbeaten in all competitions.

It's no surprise that those around the Premier League have already been full of praise for Alonso, with Brighton manager De Zerbi telling Cronache Di Spogliatoio, via Football Italia: "He is doing an extraordinary job. His team plays so well. The style is well-defined. He was already good when coaching Real Sociedad's second team three years ago and he is proving the same in a great club like Bayer Leverkusen."

Gareth Southgate is considering picking Trent Alexander-Arnold to play in midfield for England when they take on Serbia in their first Euro 2024 game.

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Alexander-Arnold may start in midfieldSouthgate mulling over midfield pairingEngland start Euro campaign on June 16GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

It is being reported by and that the Liverpool right-back may have a spot in the centre of the field when England take on Serbia for the European Championship opener. Kyle Walker would then continue at right-back, with Kieran Trippier likely to deputise at left-back while Luke Shaw works his way back to full fitness.

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The Three Lions' 1-0 loss to Iceland in their final warm-up match also saw Alexander-Arnold start in the middle of the field before he took over at right-back later in the game. Southgate has already revealed that he has not yet decided on who will partner Declan Rice in midfield as he will decide the same depending on the opposition. If Alexander-Arnold is to start in a midfield role, his competitors for the spot will be Kobbie Mainoo, Connor Gallagher and Adam Wharton.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The rumours had already started sparking over Alexander-Arnold's role in midfield after he was handed the No. 8 jersey by the Three Lions for the tournament, a number that is generally afforded to a starting midfielder. The shirt number has been worn by the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

It now seems likely that the Liverpool man will start in midfield when England take on Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener on Sunday, June 16 at Arena AufSchalke.

Derby County were left frustrated by their showing on Saturday, only managing to pick up a point at home to Shrewsbury Town in a game the Rams largely underwhelmed in.

Only having eight shots on goal in the entire game was not the ruthless display Paul Warne would have wanted, bemoaning his side's lack of cutting edge in attack and luck with Tyreece John-Jules not available for selection owing to a serious injury concern.

Moreover, Warne would have been equally frustrated that he didn't have Eiran Cashin at his disposal for the forgettable draw at Pride Park – the 22-year-old defender absent also through injury.

With talk that Derby's homegrown star might have left in January – potentially joining fellow academy product Max Bird in getting a big move away from League One – the Rams boss could well look towards the future sooner rather than later to see who could fill in for Cashin permanently if he does depart.

A young replacement for Cashin

Previously on the books at Crystal Palace before making the move to Derbyshire, young centre-back starlet Ryan Bartley could well be the solution to Warne's anxieties when it comes to Cashin eventually exiting.

Making 17 appearances for the Palace U18s before moving on, Bartley has settled in well to his new surroundings this season.

Cutting his teeth on-loan at non-league Eastbourne Borough before making the leap to join the Rams set-up – even scoring a solitary goal whilst playing for the National League South side – Bartley is being tipped to have a bright future at Pride Park.

Described as being a "powerful" defender by one scout on social media, the 20-year-old has become a mainstay in the U21 side in the Premier League 2 this campaign – making six appearances in total.

Bartley has even worn the Rams armband this season, captaining his youthful Derby side against Southampton last year.

Moreover, the former Palace youngster helped himself to a brace against Reading despite lining up as a defender – showing the likes of highly-rated attacker Dajaune Brown where the back of the net is in the emphatic 5-1 victory.

Derby County's teenage sensation could be their answer to Michael Smith

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ByKelan Sarson Feb 5, 2024

It could well be an almighty jump for Bartley now to make, but those close to Pride Park will have to ensure the 20-year-old's progression isn't stunted in the hope he can be another off the conveyer belt of young Derby gems to go on and have established EFL careers.

The latest on Eiran Cashin's future

Although Cashin has put pen to paper on a new contract with Derby recently, seeing him stay put in theory until 2027, that might not deter higher-up suitors from coming back in down the line.

Derby will just hope they can strike gold again by developing another gem through the Academy structure, with Cashin going on to make 107 Rams first-team appearances since coming through.

Keeping Cashin around for now will also do wonders for the likes of Bartley, the 20-year-old learning the ropes and what it takes to make the step up by attempting to replicate the Irishman's ascent.

Everyone associated with Derby will just pray that this campaign they can finally be freed from the shackles of the third tier, with a real concern Cashin could be off if not.

If their worst fears do become a reality, Bartley could well be waiting in the wings and ready to finally seize his moment in the spotlight.

As he announces his retirement from Test cricket, we chart Moeen’s many ups and downs over the past four years

Matt Roller09-Aug-2019 • Updated on 26-Sep-2021Ashes 2017-18Moeen went into the 2017-18 Ashes on the back of a brilliant 2017 home summer, which included a haul of 10 for 112 at Lord’s and a hat-trick at The Oval in the South Africa series, and a swashbuckling hundred against the West Indies in Bristol.But after spending weeks in the nets and with Mark Ramprakash preparing for a barrage of bumpers from Australia’s quicks, he endured an awful run against Nathan Lyon: he was dismissed seven times in nine innings by him, and his struggles spilled over into his bowling, as he returned five wickets at 115.New Zealand 2017-18Moeen Ali is cleaned up•Getty ImagesWith Jack Leach in the squad as a possible replacement, Moeen needed to prove he was England’s best spinner, and that he could contribute with the bat, in the pink-ball Test at Auckland.Instead, he made 0 and 28, and took 0 for 59 in 17 overs, as England slumped to an innings defeat. By the time the Christchurch Test had come around, Leach was in for his debut.Pakistan 2018While England stumbled at Lord’s and then bounced back emphatically at Headingley, Moeen was playing for Worcestershire in the One-Day Cup, his Test career at a crossroads.With Leach injured, England plumped for Dom Bess as their first-choice spinner, who made one half-century and a 49, as well as taking three wickets in Leeds. The path back to the Test side for Moeen was far from clear.India 2018After controversially selecting Adil Rashid, who hadn’t played a first-class game in 11 months, England raced into a 2-0 lead before capitulating at Trent Bridge, and then found themselves facing a turning pitch at the Ageas Bowl.Step forward Moeen, to come into the side alongside Rashid, and take nine wickets at Southampton to propel England to victory. He was even promoted to No. 3 to allow Joe Root to return to his favoured number four, digging in for a 170-ball 50 at The Oval. Following six months in the wilderness, all seemed well with the world.Sri Lanka 2018-19Jack Leach, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid shared 19 of Sri Lanka’s 20 wickets•Getty ImagesPushed back down the order after two failures in the first Test, Moeen didn’t allow his loss of form with the bat to affect his bowling, as his 18 wickets at 24.50 underpinned England’s stellar efforts with the ball.With Leach (18 wickets) and Rashid (12) to keep him company, he formed part of a spin triumvirate that led England to an improbable 3-0 whitewash.West Indies 2018-19Despite 14 wickets in the series, including seven in the win in St Lucia, Moeen was outbowled by West Indies’ allrounder Roston Chase, and managed only 77 runs in his five innings.Following two brilliant series, this was a note of warning, and after an underwhelming World Cup and no red-ball cricket before the Ireland Test, Moeen was under pressure.Ireland and Ashes 2019Moeen Ali lost his off stump not playing a shot•Getty ImagesScores of 0 and 9 at Lord’s against Ireland, including a particularly soft dismissal to Boyd Rankin’s predictable short stuff, and only 4.2 overs in the match meant Moeen went into the Edgbaston Test sweating.And after an embarrassing duck in the first innings – bowled by, you guessed it, Lyon again, without playing a shot – Moeen found himself on a spinning pitch in Australia’s second innings, and needing to make a match-turning contribution.Instead, he returned 2 for 130 in his 29 overs, figures that were shown up horribly by Lyon’s 6 for 49, and not those of a man who leads the world for Test wickets since the beginning of August 2018. To make matters worse, he made only 4 when trying to save the game, prodding his opposite number to David Warner in the gully.By the time Lord’s rolled around, the selectors decided it was time up.Post-Ashes 2019Moeen declared he would take a break from Test cricket, citing a desire to “refresh my batteries” on the day it was announced he had been omitted from England’s list of centrally contracted Test players. It means missing England’s two Tests in New Zealand in November, and possibly the red-ball leg of the South Africa tour in December and January.While he retained his white-ball contract, and will be a central part of England’s plans for the World T20 in Australia next year, this was the first time since 2014-15, the year of his England debut, that Moeen had been overlooked for the top tier of ECB contracts.England’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles stressed that Moeen’s decision did not spell the end of his 60-Test career and revealed he had “encouraged him to leave that option open to come back” to the longer format in the future.Moeen Ali celebrates one of his four second-innings strikes•BCCIIndia 2020-21Moeen’s recall, for what would prove to be his final tour as an England Test cricketer, was doomed from the outset. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 on arrival in Sri Lanka in January, and so spent ten days in quarantine, wrecking any chance of playing in either Test at Galle, or the opening match of the subsequent India series – a famous England win, as it turned out.His comeback for the second Test was a success in isolation. Moeen claimed eight wickets for the match, four in either innings, although his economy-rate, pushing four an over, was too leaky to compete with the parsimony of his India rivals, Axar Patel and R Ashwin. His most arresting moment came with the bat, as he slammed 43 from 18 balls from No.9 in the dying moments of the match – a volley of strokeplay that may well have played a part in his subsequent £700,000 pay-day at the IPL auction.By that stage, however, Moeen had already departed from England’s Test tour, his pre-arranged downtime, as part of the ECB’s rest-and-rotation policy, courting controversy when Joe Root erroneously claimed he had “chosen” to fly home from the tour. Though he returned in the summer for three final Tests, the writing for his Test career was already on the wall.

USMNT stars Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie conducted a training for the next generation of footballers in Miami.

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USMNT stars host training for young kidsCurrently preparing for upcoming Copa AmericaWill face Bolivia in their tournament openerWHAT HAPPENED?

The AC Milan star hosted a bunch of aspiring young kids at his Pulisic Stomping Ground in Miami where he conducted a training session for the upcoming stars in collaboration with Puma. He was joined by Juventus' McKennie, who was later spotted playing a casual game of football at the ground.

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Soccer content creator Katlyn Stevens filmed the USMNT stars in action at the ground as she posted the video on her Instagram with the caption, "Out of context USMNT".

Katlyn Stevens Instagram

Puma USA shared photographs from the kids' training session with the caption, "These rising stars showed out today at Pulisic Stomping Grounds with @cmpulisic."

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The USMNT played their final warm-up game ahead of Copa America 2024 earlier this week against Brazil. Pulisic was on target for the hosts as they came back from behind to hold the five-time world champions to a 1-1 draw.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR USA?

Gregg Berhalter's side will begin their journey in Copa America on June 23 as they take on Bolivia in their opening match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

Antonee Robinson admits Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna and Weston McKennie are generating 'a lot of hype' for the USMNT ahead of Copa America duty.

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American heading down World Cup pathTournament experience will be pricelessExcitement building around talented squadWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States are preparing to place host to one major tournament in 2024, before attention then switches to another that will be heading to the Americas in 2026. The U.S. will be World Cup co-hosts alongside neighbours Mexico and Canada in two years' time.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ROBINSON SAID

The plan is to be fully competitive by then, with the continued development of key men in European football expected to aid that cause. Fulham defender Robinson has told of expectation levels rising around stars in England, Italy and Germany: “Nearly everyone in the squad is playing in a European league now, rather than MLS. And it’s a very, very talented squad. You look at the likes of Christian Pulisic and Gio Reyna, who are incredible talents. Then Weston, who is an unbelievable player. There’s a lot of hype around that from the American side. With that just comes the added pressure that we want to be competing against the best teams in the world and people see that there’s no reason we can’t.”

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The USMNT are making impressive progress, with Robinson laying out his goals for the upcoming Copa: “There’s definitely a little bit of needing to manage expectations. If you look at us, it would be foolish to say that we are the best team in the world, because we know we’re not, we’re not there yet. You look at how some teams have performed and it’s being able to find the ability to beat a team that’s better than you. I’ll take (facing) Argentina going into the final, them having 90 per cent possession and 30 shots on goal, if it means we win 1-0. I don’t care. We want to win the trophy.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Overcoming Lionel Messi and Argentina will be no easy task, with Brazil and Vinicius Junior also very much in the mix for a prestigious continental prize, but the United States are feeling confident heading into a competition opener against Bolivia on Sunday.

Australia’s joint vice-captain knows that he will need to be patient and show a more measured approach to have success in English conditions

Daniel Brettig at Edgbaston30-Jul-2019Wielding his bat like a cutlass and swinging it with enough gusto to twice be caught at third man against India last summer, Travis Head would not, at first glance, look like an Australian player ideally suited to the subtleties required to bat successfully in England.There have been numerous similarly swashbuckling Australian talents who never quite cracked it in England, not least Doug Walters and David Hookes, when confronted by slower surfaces and the moving ball. Adding to the difficulty for Head is another matter of more recent history – he is too young to remember Australia winning a series in England, having been seven years old when a team led by Steve Waugh rushed to a 3-0 lead and ultimately a 4-1 final margin in 2001.”2001, very early days, I probably didn’t watch much of it. I was probably asleep most of the time,” Head said with a laugh. “Yeah, probably ’05 [was first memory]. Obviously the last one, coming to Trent Bridge, I only watched the first couple of sessions.”I was over here when Ash [Agar] got 98 [in 2013]. I think I was watching it with a mate in the Greek islands. I went to The Oval and watched Smudge [Steven Smith] get a hundred. So I’ve watched a bit of cricket here. I loved watching India here last year as well. It’s a place where you get exciting cricket. So looking forward to get involved with it.”ALSO READ: James Anderson the key as Glenn McGrath ‘sits on fence’ in Ashes predictionBack in November, Head was discarded from Australia’s ODI team at an inopportune time for anyone wanting to go to England for the World Cup – something Head clearly wanted. However, it also provided useful clarity in terms of what his goals should be, something added to when he acquitted himself more than adequately against Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka in his first three Test series – those edges to third man aside.After the SCG Test, Head was left with some regrets about not finishing off the series well, something he atoned for while striding to a century against Sri Lanka in Canberra in Australia’s last Test before the Ashes. Given that two other centurions for that match, Kurtis Patterson and Joe Burns, did not make the final Ashes squad, Head had to have done more work in the interim.”I think for a long part of my career, I was a bit, not reckless but I took the game on,” he said. “But as I’ve matured a little bit and played a lot more cricket, I’ve got more of an understanding of how I want to play on different wickets, especially in the last 12 months. Being able to adapt to wickets throughout the country in Australia and over here, and how I adapt my game it has been probably a more mature approach.”I’ve taken more time and tried to give myself a chance a bit more than I did when I was younger. As I’ve played more cricket and got more experience, I’ve been able to do that, and I found that the other week batting with Wadey [Matthew Wade, for Australia A against England Lions]. It was nice to spend time in the middle, and I’ve played a bit of cricket over here so I know what to expect. It’s about making sure I let them bowl to me, but also making sure that I’m still positive and don’t change my natural instincts.Travis Head celebrates a century•Getty Images”So when there’s a chance to score, score, because we’re there to get runs and it can be quite difficult to get runs over here. So when they’re on offer we have to make sure we take it, but also making sure we do it for a long period of time.”The battles against India, Jasprit Bumrah in particular, have stuck in Head’s memory bank ahead of likely duels with the similarly precise James Anderson, among others. “Looking back at the way I batted in Adelaide and knowing the conditions and not trying to drive the ball, just let the ball come,” he said. “I think I did a really good job in Adelaide and Perth of doing that, then got a little bit greedy in Melbourne and Sydney when the wickets were better and I wasn’t able to do it for long enough.”So it was nice to get through to the back end of the summer against Sri Lanka and be able to go out there and do it for a long period of time, to get a big score on a wicket on day one where it still did a bit. I was able to let the ball come, and do all the things I was able to do throughout the summer. It’s going to be a real key focus. I understand the England bowlers will put me under pressure and test that patience, I guess. For me, it’s about making sure I continue being as positive as I can be and moving the game, but also giving myself the best chance to get big hundreds and to be putting us into great positions.”Alongside Pat Cummins, Head was anointed co-deputy to Tim Paine during the Sri Lanka series, after the roles were passed on from Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh. Anyone thinking this premature, needed only look at how Head had been made South Australia’s captain in 2015, aged 21, and followed by building his batting record and consistency while helping the state to a pair of Sheffield Shield finals. He will, in England, be looking for advice from Smith and David Warner, both still barred from formal leadership roles.”I think I just look back on the captains that I’ve had – Michael Klinger, Johan [Botha],” Head said. “Just taking little bits out of everyone. I obviously had Steve for a lot of my one-day career, Painey’s been fantastic and it was nice to field next to him at first slip in the A tour because I got a great understanding of the way he thought about the game. I think in my first few years, I was trying to find that and probably looked at the job higher than what it was.”But I think in the last few years I’ve really taken a good focus, just making sure that my role is no bigger than anyone else’s, and just ticking off all the boxes for the boys, and just being there and creating a really good environment. Being really calm and consistent in the way I go about things, and trying to make it as good an environment as I possibly can. That’s been my focus and I see that as my role here, making sure that I’m on hand for Painey, that I’m a connection between the group and Painey.”Making sure we keep a really good environment, and a consistent environment throughout whatever we get throughout the next little period of time. And if games are getting a little bit out of hand, we can make sure that we’re calm and in control. So hopefully, I can bring that really levelled environment and level head out in the middle, and try and be a helping hand.”Walters toured England four times without success, and was left out of the 1981 tour. Hookes had only one chance in 1977, and never returned for a Test series. Head, his method so grooved on hard Australian surfaces, will make for a fascinating study on this tour.