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Everything you need to know about Newcastle United maverick Allan Saint-Maximin!

Allan Saint-Maximin is a French professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for Newcastle United in the Premier League. He was born on March 12, 1997, in Châtenay-Malabry, France.

Saint-Maximin began his football career at the age of six with local club Les Ulis. He then joined the youth ranks at Saint-Etienne in 2013, where he developed his skills and caught the attention of scouts from across Europe. After making just one first-team appearance for the French outfit, he was snapped up by Monaco in 2015.

However, they loaned him out immediately to gain regular first-team football, first to Hannover 96 for whom he featured in 18 games, scoring once, in a relegation campaign. Then on to then-Ligue 1 outfit SC Bastia, where he made 36 appearances and scored three times but they were relegated anyway.

He returned to Monaco, who had just won the league title, so regular minutes were difficult to come by, and he only played two games before being sold to OGC Nice.

Here he played under Lucien Favre for a season, and then Patrick Vieira, finishing seventh and eighth.

His speed and direct play attracted Newcastle, and they bought him for a reported fee of £16.5m in August 2019.

The 26-year-old has made a strong impression at St. James' Park, quickly becoming a fan favourite thanks to his fearless dribbling and natural flair. He went on to make 26 appearances in his debut season, scoring three goals and providing four assists.

Since then, he continued to be a key player for the club, helping the Magpies stave off relegation in the last two seasons before playing a vital role in their climb up the table in recent times as Eddie Howe's men recently reached their first cup final in 22 years and remain in contention for a place in the Champions League this season.

What are the 15 things you absolutely need to know about the Newcastle trickster?

Street football running in his veins!

Neither of Saint-Maximin's parents were involved in the game. He was raised in a reasonably affluent family, and didn't have financial troubles in his formative years. His mother was the director of education at a renowned school in the Paris outskirts. Meanwhile, his father worked as an office administrator at Paris Diderot University.

Athletics arrived first among all sporting alternatives for the youngster, thanks to his innate passion for running and explosive activities. Later, he transferred his athletic abilities to football and started playing alongside his elder brother, Kurtys, who at the time aspired to be a footballer.

He used to play with boys his brother's age, and developed a reputation in street football.

The largely uncoached freestyler was luckily offered trials with Verrieres-le-Buisson, from where his professional journey began.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFriends with Hatem Ben Arfa 🤝

It’s easy to see the similarities between Saint-Maximin and Hatem Ben Arfa. They’re both French, terrific dribblers, a nightmare for defenders and fan favourites at St James’ Park.

When Ben Arfa was at his best, he was unstoppable. His time in the North-East ended on a sour note, but Newcastle streets will never forget him, or his spectacular solo goals.

Indeed, the French duo happen to be friends. What's more, before joining Newcastle, Saint-Maximin rang his compatriot for advice.

“I remember Hatem Ben Arfa played here,” he told the Telegraph. “He told me to sign. He is a good friend, we grew up in the same area. He had some of his best days at Newcastle and wished he had stayed longer."

Saint-Maximin has acknowledged Ben Arfa is a player he looks up to for the latter's dribbling ability.

“For dribbling, I love Hatem so much,” said Saint-Maximin. “I love a lot of players, but, for me, it’s Ben Arfa. He scored a lot of good goals.

"He had an injury one time, and maybe this was a bit difficult for him, but everybody knows he’s a great player.”

Could've signed for Arsenal 🖋️

What if we told you that Saint-Maximin could easily have been plying his trade for Arsenal had things turned out differently for him in the past?

The Gunners have been one of the most consistent suitors of the Frenchman, who grew up idolising Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. However, for his development, regular gametime was of paramount importance, as he turned down interest from the north London club not once, but twice.

First was when he left Monaco to join Nice. There were also reports in the media that Saint-Maximin had been a transfer target for Arsenal during the summer of 2019. However, the French winger ultimately opted to sign for Newcastle, who were ready to give him a prominent role in their project moving forwards.

He's absolutely loving life in the North-East, and is well-adored by a passionate set of supporters, with the club back on the rise since the Saudi-led takeover.

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Gives back to Newcastle community

From his appearance and fashion focus, one may assume he's a flashy and egoist personality, but you'd be wrong. Saint-Maximin is a smart and humble guy who knows what he's doing, which is putting others before himself.

He arrived at Tyneside with reports stating he's a spectacular talent, but with a bad attitude. However, the Magpies faithful have discovered it to be otherwise.

His parents and teachers instilled in him all of the principles of generosity he needed to stay grounded despite his riches. From being a regular contributor of the NUFC Foodbank to making significant donations during COVID-19 to taking 100s of young Newcastle fans to a toy shop and buying them a toy of their wish, he gives a lot back to the Newcastle community.

Needless to say, he shares a special relationship with Toon faithful, and is hero-worshipped by many of them.

Victoria bowled out Queensland for 190 on the first day at the Gabba, before putting on 1 for 27 by the close of play

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2016
ScorecardScott Boland led Victoria’s fine bowling effort with figures of 4 for 44•Getty ImagesVictoria steadied in their quest to secure top spot on the Sheffield Shield table and a “home” final by rolling out Queensland cheaply on day one of the match at the Gabba. Having bowled out the Bulls for 190, the Bushrangers lost one wicket in the short passage of play before stumps.The Bushrangers had subsided to an innings defeat at the hands of bottom-placed Tasmania in Hobart last week, but excelled on a Brisbane surface that offered some assistance to the pacers to keep the Bulls from creeping any closer to their perch at the head of the competition table.Scott Boland took a well-deserved four-for for the visitors, and had strong support from Jake Reed, Chris Tremain, Marcus Stoinis, Dan Christian and the wrist spinner Fawad Ahmed.No Bulls batsman did better than Sam Heazlett’s 45, but Matt Renshaw, Charlie Hemphrey and Chris Lynn will all be irritated about squandering starts. Allrounder James Hopes provided some late resistance with a hard-hitting 36 to push the Bulls close to the 200 mark.Left with an awkward session to negotiate before the close, Victoria lost Travis Dean when he shouldered arms to Peter George and was bowled. Nevertheless, they would surely have been the far happier team at stumps.

Strong concerns have resurfaced about Delhi hosting the first semi-final of the World Twenty20, scheduled for March 30

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-2016Strong concerns have resurfaced about Delhi hosting the first semi-final of the World Twenty20, scheduled for March 30.It is understood that both the ICC and BCCI are worried that the DDCA is being forced to not allow ticket sales to the RP Mehra Block, which was the old club house at the Feroz Shah Kotla, meaning nearly 1800 seats will be empty. There is also the concern that no hoardings are allowed to be displayed in front of the stands. Those restrictions were put in place by the DelhI High Court recently while issuing clearances for the DDCA to host World T20 matches.A final decision is likely to be reached in the next day or two, with the ICC and BCCI also discussing alternate venues to host the game.An official involved in the organisation of the World T20 admitted that there had been “ongoing discussions” over shifting the Delhi semi-final to another venue. The biggest worry, as far as the ICC is concerned, is the prospect of playing the Delhi matches in front of an empty stand.”Because of the order of the court no ticket can be sold. It is embarrassing to have an empty stadium particularly when you are hosting a global tournament and all the world is watching you,” the official said.Another stumbling block for the BCCI and ICC is the fate of the other games in Delhi, should the semi-final be shifted.”Should the matches on 26th (England v Sri Lanka) and 28th (South Africa v Sri Lanka) be moved also? What happens if one of the teams playing in Delhi on March 28 qualifies for the semis?” the official asked.Even if the semi-final is moved after numerous logistical obstacles, it is likely that if a team is already playing in Delhi, they would be against travelling to another venue just a day before such a big game.The ICC is also not helped by the fact that it has not yet gotten the clearance to erect hoardings in front of the Mehra Block. Justice Mukul Mudgal, who was appointed as the DDCA’s man in charge for the World T20, has reportedly refused to allow the ICC to erect any hoardings inside the stadium after the Archaeological Survey of India called one of the buildings housed in the block as illegal.However, a senior DDCA official indicated that Mudgal had not given any directive. According to the official, what made matters worse was the court did not make it clear whether any permission was needed from the south Delhi municipal corporation in order to make the Mehra Block freed for the public.On Friday, as a last resort, the DDCA approached the Supreme Court to intervene. Chief Justice TS Thakur, who is also hearing the Lodha Committee hearing, deferred the Delhi hearing to March 28. “Their question of shifting the matches is being debated at this stage,” the DDCA official said.Even before the tournament began, there had been doubts for months over Delhi’s ability to host matches in the World T20. Eventually, after extending multiple deadlines to get the requisite clearances from both the Delhi government as well as the civic agencies, the BCCI gave DDCA the nod. In the past few years, these agencies had pulled the DDCA into the courts, which granted ad-hoc clearances.Such a scenario has hurt the ICC and BCCI dearly, as they were unable to announce the final tournament schedule well in advance as is the norm. It also did not help global fans as the BCCI delayed the ticketing process till the eve of the tournament.

Bavalan Pathmanathan, 24, died after being hit in the chest while batting in division three of the British Tamil League at Long Ditton recreation grounds in Surrey

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2015A club cricketer in England has died after being struck on the chest while batting. Bavalan Pathmanathan, 24, was hit while playing in division three of the British Tamil League at Long Ditton recreation grounds in Surrey on Sunday. He had received CPR at the scene and ambulances were called to the ground, including an air ambulance, but he died in hospital.”We were called to Windmill Lane, Long Ditton, to reports that a man in his 20s had been injured by a cricket ball striking his chest,” said a spokesman from South East Coast Ambulance Service. “We sent an ambulance and two cars to the scene along with an ambulance from the London Ambulance Service and the air ambulance also. The man was treated at the scene and then taken to Kingston hospital in a life-threatening condition.”Pathmanathan played for Manipay Parish Sports Club, who expressed “total shock by his death at this young age.”Surrey chief executive Richard Gould said: “Everyone at the club has been deeply saddened to learn of Bavalan’s death and would like to extend their sympathies to his family, friends and everyone who knew him from within the community of cricket.”According to British Tamil Cricket League’s website, Pathmanabhan was an old student of Hartley College in Jaffna in Sri Lanka.The issue of player safety was brought to the forefront last year with the death of Phillip Hughes when he was struck by a bouncer. A few days later, an Israeli umpire was killed when he was struck by the ball during a league game.

Pep Guardiola has claimed that Manchester City will win a fourth consecutive Premier League title, despite their poor defensive showing against Spurs.

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Guardiola believes Man City will win title againConceded eight goals in last three league gamesPhillips could play a part against Aston VillaWHAT HAPPENED?

The Catalan manager feels his side are still capable of winning the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive season despite a host of defensive errors in their last few league matches. The reigning champions dropped points in their last three outings in the Premier League against Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, conceding a total of eight goals. They were held to 3-3 draw by Ange Postecoglou's swashbuckling Spurs side on Sunday as the Cityzens squandered the lead twice in the match.

AdvertisementWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Guardiola said: "If you ask me today, my feeling is that we're going to win the Premier League. If we play at the levels that we showed against Liverpool and Tottenham, we're going to do it again – knowing that it is not easy of course."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The manager also hinted that out-of-favour midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who is being linked with a move away from the club in January, could play a part in their upcoming league clash against Aston Villa on Wednesday.

On the midfielder's chance of playing the match, the former Barcelona coach said: "There's a chance [for Kalvin Phillips to play against Villa]. Today, I have to see training in the afternoon and see how the players are and feel. The decision will be made tomorrow."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

The Blues are currently third in the league, three points behind leaders Arsenal and one behind Liverpool. After facing Unai Emery's side in midweek, they will look ahead to a trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town on Sunday.

Like Sri Lanka A had done in their first innings, Pakistan A lost their last five wickets in a heap, but the match wound to a draw to leave the series square at 0-0 after the conclusion of two of the three unofficial Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff16-May-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Udara Jayasundera made 92 from 151 balls•WICB MediaLike Sri Lanka A had done in their first innings, Pakistan A lost their last five wickets in a heap, but the match wound to a draw to leave the series square at 0-0 after the conclusion of two of the three unofficial Tests.Pakistan A lost innings top scorer Usman Salahuddin before he could improve on his overnight score of 86, but although Adnan Akmal offered some resistance with a 100-ball 47, the tail folded meekly around him. Though they had been 41 shy of Sri Lanka A’s first innings total with five wickets in hand at stumps on day three, Pakistan A manage to eclipse the hosts by only 6 runs, registering 333 all out in their first innings.Seamer Lahiru Gamage took three wickets on the final day, having begun the opposition’s slide by having Salahuddin lbw. He finished with 3 for 71 from his 24 overs. Offspinner Tharindu Kaushal claimed two lower-order scalps to finish with 3 for 88.With a draw all-but assured, Sri Lanka A’s top order put on 206 for 3 before the match was called off. Udara Jayasundera hit 92 from 151 balls, and Madawa Warnapura scored an 80. All three wickets were lost to left arm spin, with Imad Wasim picking up seven scalps in the match.

The U.S. men's national team have scheduled a June friendly against Colombia in a stern test as part of their pre-Copa America warmup.

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USMNT schedule pre-Copa America friendlySet to take on CONMEBOL heavyweights ColombiaBig test for Berhalter and CoGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The USSF announced that the match will take place on June 8 at FedEx Field in preparation for this summer's blockbuster tournament. It will be the 21st all-time meeting between the two nations, but Los Cafeteros are in brilliant form, with Colombia on a 19-match unbeaten streak heading into the March international window.

AdvertisementWHAT BERHALTER SAID

"As we continue to build toward this summer's Copa America and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we relish the challenge of competing against the best possible opponents and Colombia checks that box. They have been a standout team in World Cup Qualifying and showcase some of the world’s top talent,” USMNT head coach Berhalter said. “We are thrilled to have the U.S. Men's National Team back to FedExField and the DMV, a place with an incredible history of support for our team and for soccer overall."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Colombia currently sit third on CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying and are looking to earn top honor's at Copa America this summer. They last topped the podium in 2001, and have yet to find themselves there since. As for the USMNT, they last appeared in the 2016 edition of the tournament, where they crashed out in the semifinals.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The USMNT is 3-15-5 all-time against Colombia, a foe they have struggled with for years on end.

Goal takes a look at the most memorable Premier League deals that were finalised on January transfer deadline day over the years

GettyFernando Torres | Chelsea | £50m

Fernando Torres’ £35 million deadline day transfer to Chelsea from Liverpool was a then-British transfer record. ‘El Nino’, a former Kop darling, infamously left the Reds to join Chelsea in 2011 in search for silverware and success amid a period of deep turbulence for the Anfield side.

While he had endeared himself to the Merseyside faithful with 81 goals, forming a prolific partnership with Steven Gerrard and earning a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most feared strikers, he was considered a flop at Stamford Bridge.

He scored his first Chelsea goal against West Ham on April 23, 2011 after a 903-minute goal-less run, though he did lift the Champions League trophy with the Blues in 2012.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLuis Suarez | Liverpool | £23m

The Uruguayan international’s time at Anfield was marred with controversy, but he will be best remember for his scoring prowess and lethal attacking skill with the Reds. Luis Suarez was initially brought to Liverpool to Ajax in a view to partner Torres in attack, and scored on his debut against Stoke in February 2011.

He scored just four Premier League goals in his first half-season for Liverpool but became his side’s most valuable asset over the next few years, steadily increasing his league tally to 11 goals in 2011-12, 23 goals in 2012-13 and 31 goals in 2013-14.

He played a key role in Liverpool’s 2014 title push under Brendan Rodgers, and left for Barcelona later that summer.

GettyAndy Carroll | Liverpool | £35m

If there’s anybody who embodies the idea of a ‘panic buy’, it’s Andy Carroll. Liverpool acted swiftly to purchase the forward from Newcastle as a replacement for the outgoing Torres in January 2011, with Carroll’s club-record £35m signing confirmed on deadline day.

Carroll endured a challenging time at Liverpool, struggling to fill in for Torres. He managed to score just 11 goals in his two seasons for the Reds before leaving for West Ham in 2012.

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Getty ImagesPierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | £56m

The Gunners had their eye on Gabon star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a while, but his move was only confirmed on deadline day 2018 – as Arsenal, along with Chelsea and Dortmund, were involved in a player merry-go-round. Arsenal wanted Aubameyang, but Dortmund couldn’t sell the player without having a replacement, who they identified in Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi. The Blues, in turn, wanted to bring in Olivier Giroud from the Emirates, which rounded out the transfer triangle stand-off.

All three clubs finally confirmed all three deals on January 31 – Aubameyang to Arsenal, Batshuyai replacing him at Dortmund, and Giroud signing for Chelsea from Arsenal.

South Africa Under-19 pulled one back in the seven match youth ODI series, beating Bangladesh Under-19 by two runs at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox’s Bazar

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2015South Africa Under-19 pulled one back in the seven match youth ODI series, beating Bangladesh Under-19 by two runs at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in Cox’s Bazar.Choosing to bat , South Africa’s openers Kyle Verreynne and Rivaldo Moonsamy put on 63 runs before Moonsamy was stumped off Saleh Ahmed’s bowling in the 13th over.Dayyaan Galiem was part of two 30-plus partnerships, while making 51 off 81 balls. Saleh picked 3 for 41 as South Africa lost eight wickets while making 229 runs.Bangladesh lost their first wicket in the eight over of the run-chase when Ziyyad Abrahams had Pinak Ghosh caught behind for 9. Saif Hassan stitched two fifty-plus partnerships with Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir Hasan, putting the hosts back on course. Bangladesh, however, lost the wickets of Shanto and Zakir Hasan within seven balls to leave them on 144 for 4. Mossabek Hossain and Mohammad Saifuddin put on 71 for the fifth wicket, but fell within a space of seven balls, leaving the home team with four runs to get from two balls.Abrahams bowled a tight final over as Bangladesh could manage only two runs from the last four balls, losing Nihaduzzaman off the last ball of the innings, meaning South Africa hung on for the win.

Suresh Raina said he had to make sure he stayed till the last over because if one wicket fell, the pressure would have been on the new batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2014It has been a four-year long wait for Chennai Super Kings since they won their first Champions League title in 2010. Contrary to their reputation of being regular finalists, it was a rather bleak period for them as they failed to make it to the final even once. So it was a relief for MS Dhoni and his team-mates that they were able to break a worrying trend. Pawan Negi, playing only his second game of the tournament, starred with a five-wicket haul before Suresh Raina controlled the chase with a clinical century,”I am so happy we delivered in a crucial situation, especially Pawan Negi bowled well and they were 20 runs short, but I and Baz [Brendon McCullum] had a good partnership and finished off,” Raina said. “I was looking to be positive in the first six overs. I know they had Piyush and Kuldeep and Yusuf – I have played a lot against them before. I knew if I get to a fifty I have to make sure to stay till the last over because if one wicket fell, the pressure would have come to the next batsman. “Raina had played a similar innings – a 25-ball 87 – in a tough chase against Kings XI Punjab during the knockout stage of the IPL this year, but his run-out robbed the team of momentum and Super Kings lost the match by 24 runs. Dhoni said that even though Super Kings were floundering in the knockouts, their were learnings from all those losses.”What’s important is to get to the knockouts. After that you may win games, you may lose games,” Dhoni said. “We have made eight finals, won four, I won’t say it is bad. We made quite a few errors in the last two finals, so what we took out of those finals was really important.”Raina did that in this game. In the last semi-final we played, he started well but was run-out and we were not able to chase the runs. Today he was aggressive throughout and calculative. Raina’s batting was fantastic because we needed someone to be there till the end and he is someone who plays spin really well.”Dhoni added that the toss was crucial as dew was expected to be a factor later in the day. “We thought there would be dew later and because the start was an hour early, we thought our spinners could still get a bit of help,” he said. “It was slightly difficult for the opposition bowlers. But I think we didn’t start well. Our fielding was not up to the mark. In finals, you have to take the game to the next level. It’s not about the bowling, we made too many misfields.”Those misfields meant that Kolkata Knight Riders were off to a good start with Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir adding 91 for the first wicket. Gambhir maintained an aggressive stance throughout his innings and did not let the more established Super Kings spinners settle. The counter-punch, however, came from an unexpected quarter. Negi, the left-arm spinner, reaped the rewards of tossing the ball on a helpful pitch and returned a five-wicket haul that was crucial in limiting the Knight Riders score to 180.”Negi is not afraid to toss the ball,” Dhoni said. “That was quite crucial because if there is dew and you keep bowling flat, you do not get much purchase out of the wicket. I was happy that he was still looking to flight the ball. Gambhir batted well for them. Because of him, our left-arm spinners were not able to contain them but once he got out, we were able to put pressure on other right-hand batsmen.”In the absence of Sunil Narine, all eyes had been on the young chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who had also been named in the India squad for the one-dayers against West Indies. Although, he was dismantled by Raina in his spell, Dhoni had encouraging words to say about him.”Kuldeep was fantastic,” Dhoni said. “He is a bowler who is not afraid to toss the ball, he has got variations. He bowled really well throughout the tournament. Also, this time of the year, more often than not you get a bit of dew, which makes it difficult for the spinners. It gives them the kind of experience they need once they graduate to the next level. At the same time, they share dressing room with legends of the game. It’s crucial they learn a lot out of them. You don’t get opportunities like this.”