All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed an invaluable pause in the relentless action last weekend in what has been described as an 'open week' for Ange Postecoglou's players, who have taken their foot off the gas to recalibrate amid the push for top four.

The break has also provided the perfect opportunity for new signings Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner to integrate with the squad ahead of a crucial few months.

Spurs could instantly unlock Werner with move for £30m goal "machine"

This player would surely complete Ange Postecoglou’s ever-improving squad.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 15, 2024

While Postecoglou acted fast to maximise the January transfer window and combat the lack of depth in his talented team, there remains room for a new centre-midfielder, and this is the club's target heading into the last stretch of the market.

Spurs eyeing Conor Gallagher alternative

Conor Gallagher remains the No. 1 target for transfer in midfield this month but it's unlikely that Chelsea will allow the £50m-rated machine to depart at the term's midpoint and Postecoglou is wise to search for alternatives.

As such, transfer insider Dean Jones believes that Blackburn Rovers teenager Adam Wharton could be the player to join the ranks down N17, with the Championship side likely to be swayed by a bid of £10m; Spurs are now considering making such an offer.

However, with Crystal Palace, Everton and Newcastle United also interested, Tottenham will need to move swiftly.

How Mousa Dembele compares to Adam Wharton

Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are both on international duty at the African Cup of Nations this month and with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg linked with a move away, there does appear to be room for a talent of Wharton's ability.

The 19-year-old has been a mainstay for Rovers this season after earning dotted opportunities last season, starting 22 league matches this term, clinching two goals and three assists, completing 85% of his passes and succeeding with 68% of his dribbles and averaging 2.3 tackles and 5.5 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

Developing nicely, Wharton already ranks among the top 20% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship for progressive passes and the top 16% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, highlighting a blooming roundedness that will only work in his favour as Tottenham assess his suitability.

Wharton has even been predicted to be a "Champions League level" calibre prospect by his manager, Jon Dahl Tomasson, and a place in Spurs' system could help him realise this goal.

Given his dynamic, multi-purpose style in the centre of the park, Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy could get his mitts on the next version of Mousa Dembele by sealing a transfer this month.

Once described as the "best in the world" by fellow Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, Dembele was immense for Tottenham across his 249 appearances, only scoring ten times but producing some masterful performances in the engine room, adept in his industrious defensive duties, slick and seamless in his progressive, penetrative surges into the danger area.

The 2015/16 Premier League season perhaps typified his quality at Tottenham, with the (now) 36-year-old posting three goals and an assist across 29 fixtures, completing 90% of his passes, averaging 1.0 key passes, 1.9 interceptions and 3.6 tackles per game.

Remarkably, he also completed 2.9 dribbles at a success rate of 92% and won 8.6 ground duels per game at 63%.

Honestly, these metrics, evenly spread like butter on an artisan sandwich, are not easily replicated and there are probably only a select few players of the same build to produce similar results in the English top-flight over recent years.

Wharton, while young, has the trappings of such a style and he could be the perfect addition to Postecoglou's project, with the Australian manager boasting the sage acumen to bring the very best out of him.

Hailed for his "complete" skill set by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Wharton is a really exciting player with so much still to come, and there is a growing sense that he will be thriving in the Premier League sooner rather than later.

Tottenham just need to ensure that his 'complete' style, not too dissimilar to Dembele's all-round package, is honed and guided under Postecoglou's wing.

The South Africa batsman has been sidelined from the rest of the MSL with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2019Nelson Mandela Bay Giants’ Farhaan Behardien has been sidelined from the rest of the Mzansi Super League with injury. Thirty-nine-year-old Port Elizabeth-born Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate has been signed as Behardien’s replacement.Behardien brings a wealth of short-format experience, having played more then 350 T20s, including stints in the IPL, Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League and more recently the T10 league in the UAE.Giants have set the early pace this season, claiming four wins in five games to top the points table.”I spent so much time watching cricket in the 1980s in Port Elizabeth,” Ten doeschate said of his South African homecoming. “It’s now an utter privilege that I get to play with a team that is doing so well in this tournament. I think it’s going to be absolutely fantastic and I am really looking forward to it.”Giants’ coach and former South Africa pacer Eric Simons welcomed the value ten Doeschate would add to the side.”When we lost Farhaan we obviously lost a specific talent and we thus needed to find someone who could bring that to the game,” Simons said. “We needed someone who can access the boundaries and perform much like the way we’ve seen with Heino Kuhn. “Ryan brings with him significant experience, calmness and he’s a leader.”Giants will next face Paarl Rocks in a top-of-the-table clash at St George’s Park on November 27.

Sri Lanka put up a better show than the first two matches but were again comfortably beaten

The Report by Alex Malcolm01-Nov-2019Sri Lanka were better, the crowd was bigger, but the result was the same. Australia’s experienced campaigners led by David Warner, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, were once again clinical in their home comforts to whitewash Sri Lanka 3-0.They held Sri Lanka to a sub-par total of 6 for 142 before mowing it down with seven wickets and 14 balls to spare. The difference was Australia’s power-hitting, placement and brilliant running in the post powerplay phase on the big expanses of the MCG.David Warner capped a prolific series•Getty Images

Sri Lanka failed to score a boundary for 39 balls after the powerplay in their innings. Finch and Warner scored fewer runs in the powerplay than their counterparts but scored 42 runs in the first four overs with five men out to put the chase to bed.Warner was nowhere near as fluent as his previous two outings but made his third consecutive 50-plus score to secure the player of the match and series awards. In total he made 217 runs in the three games without being dismissed. Finch looked set to cut loose after reaching 37 off 25 before holing out in the deep.Both men had some luck. Finch survived an lbw review in the second over off Lahiru Kumara where he was saved by a not out call from umpire Shawn Craig. Ball tracking had it clipping the bails and the umpire’s call remained. He was also dropped by Oshada Fernando at cover on 16.Warner was dropped by Lasith Malinga on 12 at mid-off and was fortunate to survive on 42 when he tried to pull a length ball off Kumara that skidded into his stomach and dropped down onto the stumps but the bails somehow stayed on.That luck was off-set a little when Ben McDermott was given lbw to Malinga. After a long discussion with Warner he opted not to review Paul Wilson’s decision only for ball tracking showed it was missing leg.But Ashton Turner iced the game with calculated hitting and phenomenal running to finish 22 not out off 15 balls.Sri Lanka provided a far better showing with the bat than they had in the first two games of the series on the back of a fine half-century from Kusal Perera followed by some strong late hitting from Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Malinga to put Australia’s bowlers under more late pressure than the previous match.However, once again Sri Lanka’s powerplay batting was exposed. They tried their fourth different top four combination for the tour but the outcome looked staggeringly similar to the previous three with just four boundaries in the powerplay, two via top edges. They scored 2 for 41 from their six overs, to go with 2 for 36 in Brisbane, 3 for 29 in Adelaide and 2 for 40 against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.Perera and Avishka Fernando were forced to rebuild after the losses of Niroshan Dickwella, for a first-ball duck, and Kusal Mendis but they went 39 balls without a boundary, allowing Cummins, Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar to bowl without any pressure. Agar completed his four overs for just 24 runs without conceding a boundary.Perera broke the boundary drought against Mitchell Starc and then got a huge slice of luck, spooning a catch to Kane Richardson at backward point only to see the sitter spilt. He then attacked Zampa to break the shackles with a skilful lofted reverse sweep. He reached his 11th T20I fifty and Sri Lanka’s first of the tour off just 38 balls before falling to Cummins for 57 but the momentum was carried forward by Rajapaksa.After surprisingly being left out in Brisbane he tested Starc’s experience as a death bowler. Starc twice missed his length and line, straying into Rajapaksa’s pads to be flipped behind square for 10 runs in two balls.Malinga promoted himself and smashed a short delivery over long-on first ball to help push the total past 140 but it was well short of what was needed.

Liverpool overcame a massive hurdle in dispatching Arsenal in the FA Cup last weekend, absorbing relentless waves of pressure before snatching victory with a late flurry to advance to the fourth round.

Jurgen Klopp must be delighted with his side, having put the disappointment of an abject 2022/23 campaign behind them with title-chasing success across all four fronts so far, emboldened by the influential summer changes to the midfield.

It hasn't been perfect, but then football rarely is and perched in first place in the Premier League after 20 matches is a tremendous accomplishment, now requiring focus to keep hold of such a position into the campaign's business end.

It's unlikely that Liverpool will do anything drastic on the transfer front this month, but that's not to say that preparations cannot be put in place for the summer.

Liverpool transfer news – Crysencio Summerville

According to a report from Anfield Watch last week, Liverpool are weighing up a transfer for creative Leeds United forward Crysencio Summerville at the end of the campaign.

The Dutch ace has been at the centre of Daniel Farke's side's promotion push in the Championship this season and his dynamic performances have not been missed by the Liverpool transfer team – who love a shrewd signing.

Summerville had a £20.5m buyout clause in his contract but this is no longer viable, with insider Dean Jones telling GIVEMESPORT earlier in the season that it may well take a bid of £25m or more to sell.

The 22-year-old's revived displays this season have indeed led to a glut of interest from numerous outfits, with Newcastle United also listed as suitors in a separate report.

Crysencio Summerville's style of play

Described as "unstoppable" by Statman Dave after one effective display this season, Summerville has posted 12 goals and six assists across 23 matches in the second tier throughout 2023/24, fluctuating between wide flanks but principally found on the left.

Utterly mesmerising at times, Summerville, aged 22, has been the all-encompassing forward thus far and really looks like he has what it takes to succeed at a team such as Liverpool, fighting for honours at the forefront of European football.

Signed from Dutch Eredivisie side Feyenoord for a paltry £1.5m as an 18-year-old in 2020, Summerville spent his first two years at Elland Road honing his craft with the youth ranks, and he started to earn his stripes within the senior set-up last term, scoring four goals and supplying two assists from 12 Premier League starts.

But with Leeds collapsing and headed for relegation, the burden perhaps came with too much weight and he failed to produce performances to match his skill set, leaving some, including JustJoe Football Show's Joe Wainman – questioning whether he should be shipped on before the anticipated summer rebuild.

The presenter said: "I may be wrong and this may come back to bite me, but whenever I’ve seen Summerville, he has not pulled up any trees. Okay, we might not have seen enough of him, you could argue."

Wrong he was, with Summerville now growing into his skin and tantalising a rich career at the top of the game; of course, he will need to prove himself in the top flight but is using Leeds' relegation as the perfect opportunity to sharpen his tools.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Championship over the past year for goals scored, the top 16% for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90.

Emphasising his quality as a protean attacking threat, Summerville indeed has so many angles from which to inflict damage on opposition defences and he could be the perfect addition to Liverpool, augmenting a formidable frontline while not upsetting the equilibrium, developing rising to the fore and perhaps even bringing the best out of Cody Gakpo.

How Summerville & Gakpo fit into the same team

Liverpool signed Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for an initial £35m one year ago after the Netherlands international caught the eye at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring in all three of his nation's group games and helping them to the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Argentina on penalties.

And while he's been good, contributing effectively and proving invaluable with his versatility, this has hindered him somewhat and there is a sense that the natural centre-forward needs a run of games in his favoured role up front to truly grow into his skin.

With his countryman brought in to bolster the ranks, the £120k-per-week star could finally start producing the kind of rounded displays that are well within his grasp.

Ranking within the top 20% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, pass completion, progressive passes, progressive carries, successful take-ons, tackles, interceptions and blocks per 90, it's clear that Liverpool wields a multi-edged weapon, and perhaps a partnership with a player such as Summerville would elevate his deadliness in decisive phases.

Indeed, with Summerville's immense creativity and penetrative presence down the left channel, he could provide Gakpo with the supplementation he needs to flourish, having demonstrated his clinical ability with eight goals across all competitions for the Reds this season.

Liverpool's star left winger Luis Diaz is an incredibly talented player but only boasts a single assist all campaign so far and averages 1.2 key passes per game in the English top-flight – which is certainly not a poor figure but emphasises that his best talents lie in his directness and fleet-footed ability to stretch defences.

With Summerville signed, Liverpool could complete their attack and flaunt a myriad of tools to wreak devastation from every angle.

The New York Red Bulls confirm 16-year-old Colombian prospect Eder Smic Valencia has died in a car accident just days before a trial with the club.

• Teenage starlet killed in car crash
• Was due for trial with New York Red Bulls
• Also part of Colombia's youth ranks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Smic Valencia tragically died in a car crash in Colombia while on holiday, as reports. The accident occurred just days before he was due for a trial with the New York Red Bulls II. The teenager had previously played as a guest for the club's Under-16 side and had been tipped to join Colombia’s Under-17 national team for the 2026 South American Championship.

Advertisement

• ACADEMY CLUB ANNOUNCES TRAGIC NEWS

  Smic Valencia's club Academia Alemana Popayán announced the news and paid tribute to the 16-year-old in a statement: "It is with deep sorrow that we report the passing of our player Éder Smic Valencia Ambuila (2009) in a car accident while on vacation in Guachené. We, along with his family, will honor his memory at the AAFP. He will forever be in our hearts."

• NEW YORK RED BULLS ISSUE STATEMENT

  The New York Red Bulls posted on X: "Our thoughts are with all of Éder’s family, friends and teammates. Rest in peace."

• FATHER PAYS TRIBUTE

  Smi Valencia's father, Eder, has spoken of the family's sadness at his son's passing. He told : "He had achieved nearly 80% of his goals. He was a top scorer for every team he played for, was on the Colombian national team, and was about to travel to North America. It’s very sad that my son lost his life in a car accident at 16."

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri heaped praise on midfield maestro Luka Modric after his decisive goal secured the win over Bologna. Allegri believes Modric’s exceptional game intelligence keeps him a step ahead of both opponents and teammates, making him an "extraordinary" player.

• Modric's game winning goal

  In a match where Milan kept a perfect defensive record by not allowing Bologna a single shot on target, Modric’s solitary goal made all the difference. Starting a counterattack from deep inside Milan’s half in the 60th minute, Modric surged into Bologna’s penalty area to meet Alexis Saelemaekers's perfectly-timed pass with a calm finish to the goalkeeper’s right.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What Allegri said about Modric and Milan's performance yesterday

  Allegri was pleased with Modric's performance and heaped praise on him afterwards, telling reporters: "Luka is an extraordinary player, it's a pleasure to watch him play, and above all, he's a truly humble guy, just like the champion he is. He's wonderful, he knows where the ball is going one minute before, and then he's extraordinary."

  Allegri was also pleased with the team effort from the players, saying: "It was important to win at home without conceding a goal. In difficult moments, the team remained united: in those moments, it's important not to disintegrate and let them pass."

• The controversial penatly decision and Allegri's red card

  In a controversial moment late in the game, on-field referee Matteo Marcenaro initially awarded a penalty after Bologna midfielder Remo Freuler was judged to have fouled Christian Nkunku in the box. However, the decision was overturned due to insufficient contact following a VAR review. The decision sparked the ire of Allegri, who was sent off for dissent.

  Allegri downplayed the incident later, adding: "Nothing special, there was the penalty incident and at that moment I had something to say to the fourth official and luckily the jacket saved me."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Milan and Allegri's challenges up ahead

  Despite starting the campaign with a loss to Cremonese at home, Allegri will be happy to have two wins in two games. He will hope that Modric will be able to reproduce his form from Bologna when Milan will travel next to Stadio Friuli to take on Udinese.

A significant development has emerged regarding Liverpool's pursuit of a "complete footballer", with the Reds reportedly ready to table a "huge offer" for his services.

Liverpool transfer news

Jurgen Klopp must be delighted with how last summer's transfer business at Anfield has panned out, with his decision to completely change the midfield paying off handsomely. His side lead the Premier League table by five points and are still in every cup competition, as this season threatens to be a memorable one.

New signings this month are something that the Liverpool manager may still be considering, however, especially as injury problems are beginning to mount, and the Merseysiders have been linked with plenty of players of late.

Teenage "golden boy" Bilal El Khannouss is an interesting name who has emerged as a target for the Reds, with the 19-year-old currently plying his trade at Genk, while Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri is an option at left-back, with a long-term replacement needed for Andy Robertson eventually.

Liverpool ready "huge offer" for Teun Koopmeiners

According to a fresh update from Tutto Atalanta [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are readying a "huge offer" for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners. Another report from Calciomercato has claimed that Newcastle United, Napoli and Juventus are all interested, too.

He is described as a "prime target" for the Reds, and while a specific figure isn't mentioned in the report, a fee of around €45m (£38.5m) is relayed from previous updates. A January move for the Dutchman may be tricky, however, due to him being happy at his current club,

Koopmeiners could be an intriguing option for Liverpool, having grown into a formidable midfielder over the years, becoming a key man for Atalanta and making a total of 104 appearances. In that time, he has also scored 21 goals and registered 12 assists, highlighting his end product, and former Ajax ace Ruud Krol has lauded him in the past, saying:

“Koop is a great player. He has an international caliber and is the starter in the Dutch national team. I certainly see him doing well at a big club. Juve or Milan? He would certainly be invaluable to both of them. Koopmeiners can play in all positions in the middle of the pitch: both as a playmaker and as a midfielder. He is a complete footballer who would be useful for all coaches, including Allegri."

At 25, Koopmeiners is in the sweet spot of his career where he is experienced but still young enough to improve further – he is the same age as current Liverpool hero Alexis Mac Allister – and a tally of 20 caps for the Netherlands alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch outlines his international pedigree, too.

Liverpool looking at move for "delicious" £50m star who'd unlock Diaz

Jurgen Klopp is laying the groundwork for a massive summer transfer at Anfield.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 22, 2024

It looks as though a summer move may be more likely, and while the Reds do now look well-stocked in midfield, Thiago could leave at the end of the season when his contract expires, and Koopmeiners could be an ideal replacement, capable of playing in various positions.

Another challenging question about retention for RCB is around fast bowler Yash Dayal, who has not played any cricket since IPL 2025 final

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Nov-20258:48

Chatter: Will ownership change result in new name for RCB?

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to release England allrounder Liam Livingstone ahead of the auction for IPL 2026.Livingstone, who was picked for INR 8.75 crore (US$ 1.04 million approx.) at the 2025 auction, scored 112 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.33 with just one half-century. He also picked up two wickets in the nine overs he bowled at an economy rate of 8.44. Since then, Livingstone captained Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred, and was their leading run-scorer (241 at a strike rate of 155.48) and took the second-most wickets for them (seven at an economy rate of 7.36). He also scored 260 runs at a strike rate of 176.87 and returned six wickets in Lancashire’s run to the semi-finals of the T20 Blast.The presence of Australian power-hitter Tim David along with West Indies allrounder Romario Shepherd means RCB already have enough options for the finisher’s role. David had a strike rate of 185.14 for his 187 runs last IPL, while Shepherd scored 70 runs off the 24 balls he faced (strike rate 291.66) in IPL 2025. Releasing Livingstone, as a result, could help RCB head into the auction for the next season with a stronger purse.Related

• IPL 2026 live – Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Pathirana, among big releases

• LSG set to retain Mayank, release Bishnoi

• Maxwell among players PBKS are set to release

The other potentially challenging question for RCB about retention concerns fast bowler Yash Dayal. The left-arm fast bowler from Uttar Pradesh, who picked up 13 wickets in 15 matches at an economy rate of 9.59 last IPL, played a major hand in RCB pulling through high-pressure moments across the season. In the final, Dayal finished with impressive figures of 3-0-18-1. However, he has not played any cricket since then and skipped the UPT20 League recently.The deadline to finalise releases is November 15.

Celtic are flying this season. Not only are the Hoops undefeated at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but they are also, aside from a thumping at the hands of Borussia Dortmund, doing well in the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have won two of their four games so far, most notably beating German outfit RB Leipzig, and currently sit 15th in the new-look league phase table, ahead of the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.

As a result of their good form, Premier League teams are now understood to be tracking a number of Celtic’s biggest stars, most notably forward Nicolas Kuhn.

The German wing has been the Hoops’ standout player this season, providing 10 goals and 11 assists from the right-wing. According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, he’s now been the subject of inquiries from multiple teams from England’s top flight.

Celtic want young duo

According to a report from reliable reporter Alan Nixon of The Sun, Celtic are keen on Airdrie midfielders Cole and Dylan Williams.

The 16-year-old twins, described as sensations, who were on the books at Celtic Park as youngsters, have played for Airdrie’s U18s and have appeared on the bench for the first-team on three occasions this season, but are yet to make senior debuts for the Scottish Championship side.

Nixon claims that Premier League clubs West Ham United and Southampton are also interested in the duo, and currently have the edge in the race to sign them. The two clubs have had people watching the Williams twins in recent weeks, though it’s unlikely that either player would be a major part of the squad were they to join.

Amid the interest in them, Cole and Dylan are free to quit the Diamonds as they are on short-term agreements and it looks as if Celtic are ones to watch in a potential transfer race.

Everton and Crystal Palace are also interested

A separate report from Football Insider earlier this month claimed that both Crystal Palace and Everton are also eyeing moves for the Williams twins.

The publication reported that both clubs want the young midfielders to join their academy setups, which have been responsible for producing a number of Premier League stars in recent years.

Anthony Gordon, Lewis Dobbin, and Ellis Simms are among the most high-profile graduates at Goodison Park. Meanwhile, Tyrick Mitchell, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi all came through the ranks at Selhurst Park.

Football Insider reported that Airdrie are desperate to keep hold of both the Williams brothers, and want to tie them down to professional contracts to avoid losing them for free.

North Lanarkshire outfit Airdrie finished fourth last term in the Scottish Championship, but are currently bottom this term having lost 11 of their 14 games so far. Despite their poor start, however, manager Rhys McCabe believes it won’t be long until his side return to form.

“We’re not a million miles away,” McCabe said following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Bairns at the weekend. “Anybody can see that we have got 10 injuries at the moment.”

“It has been frustrating because you are not having the full squad to pick from every week, but there’s no excuses,” he added.

England allrounder cites mental wellbeing after difficult run with injuries

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Feb-2023Surrey and England allrounder Tom Curran has taken the decision to step away from red-ball cricket, citing his physical and mental health along with a desire to focus on limited-overs cricket.Curran, 27, has played 61 first-class matches, including two Test caps picked up during the 2017-18 Ashes series. However his appearances in the longer format since have been infrequent of late, in part because of injuries. He was ruled out of the first four months of 2022 with a stress fracture of his lower back.Curran has played just two first-class matches since the end of the 2019 season, both of which came in Surrey’s successful 2022 County Championship campaign. The first of those, against Northamptonshire, saw him register his maiden first-class century. The move to focus solely on limited-overs cricket is in keeping with Curran’s general direction of travel. Though he made the last of his 58 ODI and T20I appearances in July 2021, he is regarded globally as an accomplished franchise cricketer. As well as representing Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, he has played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and is currently with Desert Vipers in the ILT20. He is also due to experience the Pakistan Super League for the first time with Islamabad United.With opportunities opening up around the world in the winter, cutting out red-ball cricket altogether is a move he hopes will have a positive effect on mind and body.”The last couple of years have not been easy for me,” Curran said. “I have had a lot of time and this isn’t a decision that I’ve taken lightly.”Some choices in life I don’t think you will ever be 100% sure and this is definitely one of those. But where I find myself at this exact moment, I feel like it is the right decision for my body and for my mental health.”I’m definitely not ruling out playing red-ball cricket again in the future, and I feel like I have unfinished business in this format for both Surrey and England. But until I can feel 100% committed and confident in my body to be performing day in and day out for Surrey in the County Championship, I feel that putting all my time and focus into on our Vitality Blast campaign this year is the right thing to do.”I know it is not ideal news for everyone at Surrey and our fans. But I wanted to say a truly heartfelt thank you to Alec Stewart for the support and understanding of my decision. Surrey has given me everything and is my home. I love it very much and my hope is everyone else will see and understand my decision as he has done.”Surrey’s director of cricket, Alec Stewart, said: “Obviously when you lose a player of Tom’s quality from your County Championship squad it is a blow, but I have spoken to him at length about his decision and understand why he has made it.”He has suffered with injuries in recent years and if this can help strengthen his body and keep him on a cricket field more regularly over the coming years, I fully support the decision.”I look forward to seeing him back in May for our own T20 season.”