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A career-best unbeaten 79 from Harvey Hosein rescued Derbyshire on the opening day of the Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2016
ScorecardCharlie Shreck claimed three wickets on the opening day•Getty Images

A career-best unbeaten 79 from Harvey Hosein rescued Derbyshire on the opening day of the Division Two match against Leicestershire at Derby.The home side had slipped to 151 for 5, despite a half century from Alex Hughes, with Charlie Shreck taking three wickets but Hosein took advantage of a bad miss by Rob Sayer to steer his side to a respectable 282 for 8 when bad light ended play early.Derbyshire were trying to avoid becoming the first team in the county’s history since 1924 to go through a season without winning a Championship game but they started badly after Leicestershire decided to bowl first.There was certainly some early movement for Clint McKay who nipped one back to trap Billy Godleman in front in the seventh over of the morning and he should have had Ben Slater in his next over but Richard Jones spilled a simple catch at point.It was not an expensive miss because Slater completely mistimed a drive at Shreck’s first ball and chipped a gently catch to mid-off but that was Leicestershire’s last success before lunch as Hughes and Wayne Madsen played carefully to put the innings back on track.Madsen had bagged a pair in the previous game but he was looking set when Jones moved one away just enough to draw him into playing and give Ned Eckersley his first of four catches.Hughes was less convinced he got a touch against Shreck three overs later and he had Neil Broom taken at first slip in his next over to leave Derbyshire facing another first innings failure.Tom Wood was stuck on 8 for 40 balls on his first-class debut before Neil Dexter bowled the 22-year-old but Hosein played positively from the start although he should have been dismissed on 32 but Sayer fumbled a straight-forward return catch.With help from Tom Milnes and Tony Palladino, Hosein guided Derbyshire to a second batting point as Leicestershire began to unravel in the closing stages of the day.Hosein was given another life on 78 when he drove at McKay and Harry Dearden on his senior debut dropped the catch at second slip before the umpires decided that even with the floodlights on, the light was not good enough for play to continue shortly before 5pm.

Dale Steyn picked up his first five-wicket haul in international cricket since December 2014 as South Africa bowled New Zealand out for 195 to wrap up a 204-run win on the fourth day in Centurion

The Report by Nikhil Kalro30-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA masterful display of swing bowling from Dale Steyn, who picked up his first five-wicket haul in international cricket since December 2014, helped South Africa bowl New Zealand out for 195 in their chase of 400 on the fourth day in Centurion. Steyn and Vernon Philander, abetted by exaggerated variable bounce on a deteriorating SuperSport Park surface, set up South Africa’s first Test series win since early 2015 by ripping through New Zealand’s top order in a devastating seven-over period before lunch.Despite an impressive half-century from Henry Nicholls, New Zealand never really recovered from being 18 for 4 at lunch, and they were eventually bowled out half an hour from stumps.Steyn landed the first ball of the fourth innings in the channel outside off stump – it was wide enough for Tom Latham not to play but the extra bounce caught him unawares, and the ball clattered into the stumps off Latham’s withdrawing bat. It was the third time in three innings on this tour that Steyn had dismissed Latham.Five balls later, Martin Guptill got an unplayable outswinger: it pitched on off and swerved away to take the outside edge to Hashim Amla at first slip.The variable bounce kept troubling New Zealand. In the second over, Kane Williamson was rapped on the glove by an inswinger from Philander that reared at him from a good length. In the next over, Steyn got one to land on a similar length and scoot along the surface to Ross Taylor, trapping him in front. Could New Zealand’s situation get worse?It did. Williamson, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of the blow to his left hand, wafted at a wide delivery from Philander. He had avoided playing that line throughout the first innings. The ball swung further away and took his outside edge, and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock completed a stunning one-handed catch low to his right.Nicholls offered New Zealand’s only real resistance with 76, his highest Test score. He was particularly effective square on either side of the wicket, picking off straight deliveries and punishing width outside off. When the bowlers overpitched, he collected runs through vacant areas down the ground.After weathering a tough period before lunch, he added 68 with Watling for the fifth wicket. With the ball moving both ways, Nicholls and Watling left well outside off, forcing the seamers towards the stumps. The quicks were continually rotated and batting became gradually easier as the middle session wore on.Just when it looked like New Zealand would get through the session unscathed, the offspinner Dane Piedt got one to spin back viciously. Watling shuffled across, missed his flick, and was struck in front of off stump. Watling reviewed, but umpire’s call on impact meant South Africa had their only wicket of the session.Kagiso Rabada, hitting the high 130-kph range as opposed to the 150 mark he regularly clocked in the first innings, struggled for fluency, rhythm and accuracy before tea. A number of wayward deliveries on either side of the wicket were easily avoided or dispatched to the boundary. However, he returned late in the day to pick up two-lower order wickets: he had Tim Southee bowled with a spearing yorker on off stump and beat Neil Wagner for pace to pin him in front of middle and leg.Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Southee all got off to starts, but could not stay long enough at the crease to help Nicholls to a maiden Test ton. At 195 for 9, Nicholls was quickly running out of partners and du Plessis recalled Steyn. A top-edged pull off a short delivery, aimed at Nicholls’ ribs, was taken at fine leg to end New Zealand’s resistance.In the morning, resuming from a score of 105 for 6, overnight batsmen Temba Bavuma and Vernon Philander were patient early, leaving and blocking Trent Boult and Tim Southee, both of whom generated appreciable lateral movement like they had on the third evening. Philander looked untroubled until he left a good-length delivery from Southee that jagged back prodigiously to uproot the off stump. South Africa declared at 132 for 7, having added 27 in the first hour.

Eden Gardens has hosted a World Cup final, iconic Tests, and IPL games for nine seasons. This April, the ground was host to a thrilling World T20 final. On June 18, the venue will be dressed up to host India’s first ever pink-ball match, a Super League final between two prominent teams in Kolkata – Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore.Until two weeks ago, this four-day fixture was meant to be played with the red ball. An out-of-the-box idea from Sourav Ganguly, currently serving as president of Cricket Association of Bengal, forced the last-minute change. The former India captain is also head of the BCCI technical committee that recommended the Duleep Trophy be played with the pink ball this season.It’s an ambitious venture, given the monsoons arrived just a week ago, and the forecast is for thundershowers during the game. But Ganguly doesn’t deal with ifs; he didn’t tread that path during his time as India captain, and sees this new experiment as an opportunity to market day-night Test cricket.”Let’s start something,” Ganguly said at a panel discussion on pink-ball cricket that was attended by his former India team-mate VVS Laxman and former Australia batsman Dean Jones. “Our problem is that we jump to too many conclusions before starting something. Let us go through it. Let us see the problems. Let us try and address them. And hopefully in six months’ time, we’ll fix it.”Six other Full Members have already experimented with the pink ball – India aside, only New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are yet to play any pink-ball cricket locally. And given India are scheduled to play 13 Tests at home between October and March, it’s no surprise that Ganguly is keen on looking into the new format.”Pink ball, to me, is the way forward,” he said. “Firstly, with common sense, it gets people to the ground after work. You finish work at 5pm and then you come in the evening, spend a few hours, watch cricket and go back. Test match cricket is also played at a faster pace than what it used to be. You have got to market it.”You have got to find a way to bring people into the ground. Everything in life needs innovation. This [day-night Test cricket] is here to stay. It has got to be told to the people, like we sell IPL, like we sell T20 cricket, like we sell one-day cricket – that come have fun and go. Test cricket has to go that way.”Ganguly does not need to do the hard sell with the players from Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore. Players and coaches from both sides are excited to be part of the historic experiment.At their first training session, on June 15, all the Mohun Bagan players had a unique request for their coach Palash Nandy: they didn’t want to bat or bowl, they just wanted to hold the pink ball. Around five pink balls were procured from ball manufacturer Stanford – though the game will be played with pink Kookaburras – to let the players get acquainted with the colour. “No one wanted to bat or bowl, everyone wanted to see how it looked, how it felt in their hands,” Subhomoy Das, the Mohun Bagan captain, said.Bhowanipore will go into the match on the back of just one training session with the pink ball. That didn’t seem to concern their coach Abdul Monayem, who expects the prevailing overcast conditions to benefit his bowling attack. “It is definitely a challenge. But we will try to stand strong through the four days,” Monayem said. “It will swing mostly and in the first 15-20 overs, it will possibly be very difficult for the batsmen. But I expect the gloss on the ball to wear off later and bring the spinners into the picture.”The thrill of doing something new has clearly kept the doubts at bay. There are questions Das and other players have, but it is not something they are losing sleep over. “It will be challenging. How will it feel in the hands, how will it behave under lights, how easy or difficult will it be to sight the ball. These are a few things we are worried about,” Das said. In his first training session with the pink ball, Das, a one-time Bengal batsman, observed that it “swung a little more”.Sourav Mondal, who will share the new ball for Mohun Bagan with India fast bowler Mohammed Shami, was keen to figure out how the ball would behave once it became a little old. Unfortunately, both teams could not train for long enough to find out; a drizzle forced them to retreat to the dressing room after the CAB had provided them with three pink Kookaburra balls each on the match eve. “I could only bowl six or seven balls. I felt it was similar to the white Kookaburra,” Mondal said. “The ball was seaming and swinging. With the moisture in the wicket, this will continue to happen until the wicket gets drier.”Mondal reckoned that unlike the red SG Test ball, which tends to get softer soon, the pink ball would stay hard and the lacquer would hold for longer. But, he felt, the pink ball would not get enough movement once it got old – around the 30-over mark. “The seam is not prominent on the pink Kookaburra compared to the white ball,” he said. “But it is very bright and the coating is much more than a white Kookaburra.”Sujan Mukherjee, the curator at Eden Gardens, remains unperturbed by the excitement around him. “It will be the same white dress. It will be the same white sight screen. Only the ball is pink,” Mukherjee, who has left a “see-through” grass covering on the pitch, said. “I am preparing the wicket the same way as I would for a day-night ODI.”Ganguly, who was part of a similar experiment when he led an MCC side in Dubai five years ago, seems to have done his homework ahead of the game – even if the time frame was tight. In addition to writing to Kookaburra in Australia to gets the pink balls delivered, Ganguly also wrote to John Stephenson at the MCC to ascertain key things that needed to be in place to host the match. “The first thing John said is, ‘Please get the conditions right: you have got to leave a bit of grass on the surface and make sure pitches on either side have a bit more grass on them as well,'” Ganguly said.A general concern surrounding day-night games in the subcontinent has been the dew factor. Ganguly said he expected this to be an obstacle only in the winter months. “I don’t think there is going to be dew now. It is fairly hot. We will go through it easily. I don’t see any problem – if the white ball can be played under the lights, then pink ball, too, can be played.”The biggest challenge for Ganguly and the CAB will be to see whether the fans will turn up for the Super League final. The game received a massive fillip when it was announced that it will be broadcast live. Will that affect ground attendances, though? Ganguly does not think so: “I am sure when we get that pink ball on the park there will be a bit of problems. But I see it as a success because it will get fans into the ground.”

Erik ten Hag has enjoyed a solid debut campaign in charge of Manchester United, although there is much more work needing to be done if they wish to challenge for European honours and the Premier League titles over the coming years.

Last summer saw several players arrive and while the overwhelming majority have been a success, the upcoming transfer window could prove to be more important, especially if they qualify for the Champions League as they will be able to potentially attract a higher calibre of player.

The Dutchman already appears to be looking to get ahead of his rivals as he is currently interested in signing Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati, although the LaLiga side are reportedly demanding a fee of €70m (£60m) in order to United to secure his services and this could perhaps be a tad more than they are willing to pay.

Fati is statistically similar to current United star Marcus Rashford according to FBref, and with Ten Hag revitalising the Englishman this term, it could potentially be £60m well spent.

Could Ansu Fati be Manchester United’s next Marcus Rashford?

Rashford has scored 29 goals this season and being compared to the man who has arguably benefited most from Ten Hag’s appointment last year is not a bad one to have.

This season, the duo have registered similar league statistics with regard to assists (five to three), shots on target per 90 (3.96 to 2.18), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.16 to 2.96) and touches in the attacking penalty area (174 to 108), suggesting they are both extremely effective in the final third.

Both Fati and Rashford share similar styles of play, according to WhoScored, as they like to cut inside often and provide layoff passes while also not diving into tackles and that is what makes them rather efficient in wide positions.

Fati has already scored 23 goals for Barcelona during his embryonic career so far and like Rashford, has emerged at a young age for his club to great acclaim. He has also gone on to win seven caps for Spain and represented his country at the 2022 World Cup back in December.

It’s no wonder Barcelona manager Xavi once lauded the player as a “generational” talent only last year and if he makes the move to Manchester, Ten Hag could undoubtedly let him flourish in a team which could potentially take some beating over the next few years if he has his own way in terms of transfers.

In Fati, United could well have another dangerous threat in the final third, alongside Rashford.

To find a player with an uncoachable and innate ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis is an exhaustive process, with some even calling it impossible.

Just ask West Ham – they are a team that are craving potency and, throughout the years, has wasted copious amounts on many underwhelming forward options.

One of which was Sebastian Haller. The Frenchman arrived in the English capital in 2019 for a club-record fee of £45m but ultimately flopped, scoring just 14 times in 53 outings.

His form since departing, however, has been astonishing, bagging 47 in 66 appearances for Ajax before earning a move to Borussia Dortmund where he has four strikes throughout 17 games.

How the Hammers could do with a record like that now having only managed to score 34 goals in 32 Premier League fixtures. Indeed, their attack has often looked disjointed, and they have desperately lacked a dominating focal point.

With top-flight survival looking increasingly likely, David Moyes and the board are placed in the unenviable position of trying to locate a free-scoring frontman, who can endear himself to the London Stadium.

One player who used to captivate the Irons’ faithful was Marko Arnautovic, with his eventual exit in 2019 – the year Haller joined – perhaps representing a bigger loss to David Moyes' men than when the French forward would ultimately depart himself.

How did Marko Arnautovic perform in English football?

The Austrian first arrived in England back in 2013 when he signed for Stoke City from Werder Bremen.

Upon his arrival, Mark Hughes showered the 106-cap international with praise and lauded his potential.

He said: “People will very quickly see what an outstanding talent he is. In terms of his power and pace, which is something I think we need in the squad, he ticks all the boxes. Technically, he's excellent, and I'm really looking forward to working with him. I think it's quite a coup to get him here.”

The forward became an indispensable member of the Stoke side that finished ninth in three consecutive top-flight seasons, which included being named the club’s top scorer during the 2015/16 campaign.

The attacker then moved to East London for £20m and netted 11 Premier League goals during his debut season to become the first West Ham player since Bobby Zamora in 2007 to reach double figures for a campaign.

Unsurprisingly, he was also named Hammer of the Year to cap off an unforgettable first term.

Arnautovic replicated his fantastic introduction to West Ham and once again was the club’s leading scorer with ten goals.

The Daily Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt hailed the 34-year-old when he was at the Irons and said: “Few players can match Arnautovic for skill and power when he is fired up.”

He eventually finished his Hammers career with 34 goal contributions in 65 appearances in all competitions – a sublime record for a man, who was an intoxicating blend of brazen confidence physicality, and mastery.

The former Shanghai Port ace now resides in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy with Bologna and is the club’s joint top-scorer with eight Serie A goals.

He is still up to his old tricks and remains one of the most captivating and entertaining forces to wear the claret and blue of West Ham. Perhaps they should have done more to keep him in the East End, with his record eclipsing that of their transfer flop, Haller.

Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise is being monitored by Premier League rivals Arsenal ahead of a potential move to the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest on Olise's future?

The Eagles have secured back-to-back victories in two relegation six-pointers and have bridged a six-point gap between themselves and the drop zone, but should they end up going down to the second tier this season, they may need to cash in on some of their most prized assets.

French youth international Olise arrived at Selhurst Park from Reading back in 2021 and has since gone on to make 63 appearances across all competitions. His contract is not set to expire for another three years, but being his side’s second-best-performing player with a match rating of 6.92 (as per WhoScored), it appears he has caught the eye of Mikel Arteta.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are “interested” in signing Olise, with the Gunners boss a “big fan” of Palace’s talisman. The Spaniard believes that the 21-year-old “ticks all the boxes” when it comes to his age, cost and resale potential, and views him as the perfect backup to Bukayo Saka.

The Eagles would be looking to receive “at least” £40m to sanction his sale due to his contract situation, and whilst they are under no pressure to let him go, it’s stated that if the “right offer” was put on the table, it would be “hard to turn down”. The SE25 outfit could reduce their asking price to £35m if they get relegated – while they might not be helped by the fact that the winger is a self-proclaimed fan of his reported admirers.

Should Palace keep or sell Olise?

Olise has been dubbed a “baller” at Crystal Palace by journalist Muhammad Butt, and given the significant impact he has on the team, we think the hierarchy need to do everything they can to fend off interest and retain his services beyond the summer.

The Hammersmith-born talent has posted ten goal contributions (eight assists and two goals) in 29 Premier League games this season, which has seen him earn the highest WhoScored match rating on four separate occasions, making him a standout performer at Selhurst Park.

The Nike-sponsored star has also whipped 165 crosses into the box so far this term and recorded 103 shot-creating actions – 4.56 per game – which is higher than any other member of Hodgson’s squad, via FBref, so even the thought of losing him is likely to be a huge blow to the supporters and whoever would be tasked with replacing him over the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a potential boost in their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Glasner…

Recent reports have suggested that the Austrian tactician is on Fabio Paratici’s shortlist as a long-term replacement for Antonio Conte.

Claims from Germany suggest that Glasner has already been contacted by Spurs ahead of a possible move for the Austrian, coming as his Frankfurt contract is slowly winding down.

Spurs are reportedly on the lookout for Conte’s replacement after the Italian’s scathing post-match rant against Southampton last weekend, with Glasner mentioned alongside the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique.

The Premier League top-four hopefuls squandered a 3-1 lead late-on to share the spoils 3-3 at St. Mary’s, a result which culminated in Conte’s wrath.

Indeed, Conte attacked the very culture of Tottenham, his squad and even the board – stating:

“We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart (in).

“Why? Because they are used to it here, they are used to it. They don’t play for something important yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.”

The Latest: Spurs handed Glasner boost?

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, sharing news from across the continent, has an update on Glasner’s situation at Frankfurt.

Amid Tottenham’s interest, it is believed the tactician is stalling on a new deal and wants to take his time.

Glasner apparently now wishes to assess his options, with Plettenberg explaining:

“He wants to take his time in order to take a decision about a contract extension beyond 2024. Good relation with Krösche but still a strong interest from [England]. No concrete negotiations with Frankfurt at this stage. Should follow next weeks. Top coach!”

The Verdict: Make the move?

If Spurs could tempt Glasner into swapping the Bundesliga for English football, he could come as a fairly solid candidate and potential alternative to the likes of Mauricio Pochettino.

The latter man, given his credentials and status as a free agent, should be viewed as Daniel Levy’s top managerial priority in our opinion.

However, if Spurs are unable to agree the Argentine’s return, Glasner has been praised for his ‘intense’ and ‘aggressive’ football.

The former Wolfsburg boss also has experience winning silverware, clinching the Europa League title last year at the expense of Scottish giants Rangers.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed Jurgen Klopp will be handed a £200m transfer budget to improve his Liverpool squad this summer.

The Lowdown: Summer rebuild is on the cards

It’s pretty clear that Liverpool are going to look a very different team next season, with the likes of Roberto Firmino leaving and a much-spoken-about midfield overhaul set to be on the cards.

The Reds have been linked with a number of new midfield options heading into the summer transfer window such as the much-coveted Jude Bellingham and reported Chelsea contract rebel Mason Mount.

Bellingham is said to have a price tag of around £130m on his head, so FSG would have to hand Klopp a sizeable transfer budget if he is to bring that level of superstar into the team.

The Latest: Klopp set for a transfer warchest

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Talbot claimed Klopp is to be handed £200m by Liverpool’s current owners to spend this summer – which does not take any player sales into account.

He said: “I did ask about [their] budget. It seems to be around £200m they will spend, net – and then on top of that, you can put into account player sales as well.”

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The Verdict: Liverpool could make huge moves this summer

If Liverpool are to get back to the glory days of the last few seasons and challenge for the Premier League and Champions League on a regular basis, Klopp must be allowed to spend this summer.

Liverpool are still relying on ageing players such as Fabinho, James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip quite often, which just goes to show why they are in need of a shake-up this upcoming transfer window, particularly in midfield.

Bringing in Premier League and Champions League-proven players such as Mount and Bellingham would go a long way to redeveloping the Reds by adding energy and youthfulness, while also giving Klopp the ability to build the spine of his team around two impressive English midfielders.

Sky Sports News journalist Kaveh Solhekol has claimed that Erik ten Hag will be very interested in who becomes the new Manchester United owner despite his recent comments in the press.

What’s the latest on the Man Utd takeover?

Ahead of the Red Devils recent Premier League game, the manager was asked for his thoughts on the current takeover saga amid bids from Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

In response, he told Sky Sports (via TalkSport): “It has nothing to do with us. We have to focus on football. That is all that we have to do, we have to perform, we have to get the right results in and don’t get distracted from things going around or around the club.”

However, when speaking on Sky Sports News, Solhekol claimed that “behind the scenes” Ten Hag and co will also be talking about it as the takeover will play a huge role in defining their success at Man United.

He explained (5:09): “Ten Hag needs to be backed in the transfer market. You can’t have another window like January when they were only making loan signings.

“Old Trafford needs to be redeveloped. You know, Erik Ten Hag is doing a fantastic job at the moment. The fans, 100 per cent behind him. He needs this situation sorted out as well.

“I know when he spoke to you on Friday, he said that it had nothing to do with him. But come on… Behind the scenes, behind the scenes, they’re all talking about it and they know that the future for them could be uncertain depending on who comes in.”

What does the latest takeover news mean for Man Utd’s transfer plans?

Ten Hag certainly is doing a pretty good job with the Red Devils right now. Indeed, in his debut season, he has led them to the Carabao Cup final and has them potentially in a title race.

Of course, though, all this takeover talk could have a destabilising effect if a saga develops and a new owner can’t be decided upon soon.

What’s more, seeing as the majority of the fanbase want the Glazers to leave the club entirely and have done for some time, it could be extremely damaging if they ended up remaining in charge.

Indeed, the form found under Ten Hag has helped vastly improve the mood at Old Trafford and the Dutchman will be desperate for that to remain the case during his tenure.

With that in mind, as Solhekol says, the manager and his staff will likely all be discussing the situation behind the scenes, keeping close tabs on the latest developments, and hoping that things work out for the best.

Malik Tillman has been hailed as perfect for Scottish football following yet another top performance for Rangers by journalist Jonny McFarlane.

What’s the word?

The American winger produced a stunning performance as Rangers cruised to an impressive win away at Hearts and doubled the visitors’ lead in the first half.

Tillman is on loan from Bayern Munich with an option to buy, and given his current form, the expectation is that Rangers will keep the 21-year-old beyond the end of the season.

Speaking on The Rangers Review YouTube channel, McFarlane praised Tillman’s progress since the appointment of Michael Beale and hailed his skillset.

He said: “He’s been absolutely superb under Michael Beale – another one who’s just completely taken his game to another level.

“It’s obvious. You don’t even really have to discuss it – Rangers are going to sign Malik Tlllman unless Tillman himself decides that he doesn’t want to make the move.

“One thing about Malik Tillman that’s marked his recent performances is a real quality in terms of turning over the ball; the guy can tackle.

“He’s got those telescopic limbs; he’s a big, tall, strong lad. And he’s just got the ability to nick the ball away and act as a kind of brick wall. No one’s running past him, no one’s running around him because he’s as strong as an ox.

“In many ways, if you can get him really, really firing to his level, he’s actually built for Scottish football. It’s very rare that you find a player who’s got the physical stature to cope with the rigours of our game and the skills to deal with it.”

Rangers must keep him

With six goals and four assists in his debut season so far, Tillman is finally coming into his own under Beale, and at just 20 years of age, he has plenty of time to develop.

We think keeping him is a must, as he can be one of the team’s main starters for the next few seasons and help Beale build a young, exciting team full of attacking talent.

Rangers were magnificent in their victory over Hearts in what was arguably their best performance under Beale, and Tillman’s dynamism going forward played a huge part in the win.

Not only did he get on the scoresheet, but Michael Beale was left discussing his future following what was a ‘starring role’ at Tynecastle.

If he continues this form, he will prove to be a very dangerous asset for the club.