MY ACCOUNT
LiveScore Daily is here to deliver all the big talking points from the world of football throughout the day. Keep refreshing this page for the latest stories in bite-sized chunks.
Captain marvel
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes skipper Harry Kane remains the key to England’s World Cup hopes.
Much is expected of Gareth Southgate’s young, dynamic attacking options such as Phil Foden, James Maddison, Bukayo Saka and Jack Grealish in Qatar.
But Eriksson is adamant that Three Lions stalwart Kane is the one player Southgate needs to be on top of his game if they are to lift the trophy next month.
The Swede, 74, said: “It’s Kane, for sure. He is the one who will score the goals and if he is in good shape England can do it.
“They are all important players but he is the most important. If he is fit and at his best I think England can do it.
“The only problem Southgate has is to pick the XI. He has a lot of options. Good options.”
Eriksson, who guided England to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2002 and 2006, as well as at Euro 2004, believes Southgate’s side are among the favourites along with Brazil, Argentina, France and Germany.
He added: “I think this is one of those World Cups where you can’t say who is going to win it. If you asked 100 experts they will come up with different answers.
“I think there are five favourites and England are one of them. If they have a little bit of luck, no bad injuries to important players, then everything is possible.”
Haller reveals next step in cancer battle
Former West Ham striker Sebastien Haller needs surgery to remove a testicular tumour.
Borussia Dortmund ace Haller, 28, has been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in July.
And he took to Twitter last night to reveal the next step in his battle. He said: “As planned from the beginning, different possibilities were considered following the chemo.
“I tell you that the fight is not over for me. I will have to undergo an operation to permanently end this tumour which keeps me away from the pitch.”
Haller spent 18 months with the Hammers after joining in 2019 for a then club record £45million from Eintracht Frankfurt.
He moved to Ajax in January 2021 and signed for Dortmund in July. Haller has scored four goals in 15 appearances for Ivory Coast.
Madd for it
James Maddison cannot wait to get going at the World Cup after using repeated snubs to fuel his return to Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Despite his fine form for Leicester, one-cap Maddison was widely expected to be left out when Southgate announced his 26-man party for Qatar.
But the Three Lions boss answered repeated calls for the Foxes playmaker to be included, admitting his most recent purple patch was too good to ignore.
And Maddison, 25, is keen to prove he fully deserves the call-up. He said: “I’ve only had 30 minutes of international football. But I’m a player who has a lot of self-belief.
“If called upon, I believe I am a player who can make something happen. And I’ll continue with that confidence because I think all the top players have that sense of confidence that borders on arrogance.
“There’s a line and you hear a lot of ex-players talking about it but you’ve got to have that confidence. I wouldn’t be here without it.
“So if called upon, I will do my best to produce that moment of magic and have that self-belief that I do belong at this stage.”
