Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is looking to do something tonight that Russell Martin did not achieve in his time at the club: back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Gers boss only won five of his 17 games in charge of the Ibrox giants, and he only won one match in the league before his dismissal earlier this month.

Rohl arrived to replace him in the dugout at Ibrox and won his first Premiership game in charge of the club at the weekend, beating Kilmarnock 3-1 in front of the home support.

The Gers face Hibernian away from home in the Premiership this evening, and the German boss must ruthlessly ditch Thelo Aasgaard from the starting line-up.

Why Thelo Aasgaard should be dropped

The Norway international should be dropped from the XI against Hibs tonight because his performance against Kilmarnock last time out left a lot to be desired.

Aasgaard, per Sofascore, came off the pitch in the 81st minute after failing to register a single shot on goal or create any chances for the team at the top end of the pitch, which shows that he was ineffective as an attacking force.

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

0 + 0

Dundee United

Stevie Smith

1 + 4

Falkirk

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Livingston

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0 + 1

Celtic

Russell Martin

0 + 0

St Mirren

Russell Martin

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, the former Luton man’s only impressive attacking outing in the Premiership came during Stevie Smith’s match as interim manager.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The English-born playmaker has not proven that he can be relied upon, as evidenced by his dismal league form, which is why he should be dropped for a tricky away game against Hibernian, who are third in the league.

The Rangers star Rohl should replace Aasgaard with

Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Aasgaard from the team in order to bring hard-working central midfielder Connor Barron into the middle of the park alongside Mohamed Diomande and Nicolas Raskin.

The box-to-box star could help to make Rangers solid and difficult to beat, rather than having a natural attacking player like Aasgaard in there, which could help them to record back-to-back wins in the league.

Prior to Martin’s arrival in the summer, pundit Andy Haliday claimed that Barron “was Rangers’ best player for the first few months of the season” in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of outstanding performances for the Light Blues.

Appearances

28

7

Pass accuracy

90%

86%

Passes made per game

40.8

23.4

Key passes per game

0.8

0.1

Tackles per game

2.2

1.7

Interceptions per game

0.6

0.3

Ball recoveries per game

3.8

3.0

As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international’s performance levels in and out of possession were much higher before Martin arrived at Ibrox earlier this year.

Barron was a defensive force, averaging 6.8 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game, for Rangers in the Premiership last season after his move from Aberdeen, buzzing around the pitch to disrupt the opposition and win possession back for his side.

Rohl should be looking to unlock his talent, which was seemingly hidden by Martin’s tactics, by unleashing him in midfield against Hibernian ahead of Aasgaard this evening, as he could provide the bite and drive that they may need to come away with all three points in a difficult away match.

Rohl could now turn "exciting" Rangers star into his own Shankland at Ibrox

Following Rangers’ 3-1 home win over Kilmarnock on Sunday, has Danny Röhl unearthed an “exciting” attacker who could be their own Lawrence Shankland?

ByBen Gray Oct 28, 2025

Rohl has made it clear that he is not wedded to one style of play or system, which is why taking a creative midfielder like Aasgaard out for a pitbull like Barron could make sense for a tougher match away from home, as it is a pragmatic move.

Back in the summer of 2024, very few Tottenham Hotspur supporters would have predicted the rise Djed Spence would endure in North London over the last 12 months.

He was signed by Antonio Conte in the summer of 2022, but it was a deal the Italian didn’t want – subsequently excluding him from his plans, restricting the right-back to just six first-team outings.

He was sent on three separate loans between 2022 and 2024, joining the likes of Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa respectively – but he failed to deliver, leading to a permanent move away from the Lilywhites being mooted.

However, last season’s injury crisis handed him valuable minutes in the Premier League – subsequently ending up making a total of 35 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25.

At present, he’s a regular starter under Thomas Frank and is now a full England international – potentially taking the RB role from one other member in the squad.

Pedro Porro's lack of form for Spurs in 2025/26

After registering nine assists across all competitions last season, many Spurs fans will have been expecting Pedro Porro to kick on and reach the next level under Frank’s guidance.

However, the opening months of the season have been tricky for the Spaniard, with the full-back unable to match the expectations of the Lilywhites faithful in North London.

The 26-year-old may have started all but one league outing to date, but his underlying stats show how disappointing he’s been since the Dane took the reins in the off-season.

Porro currently ranks in just the 12th percentile for passes completed in the Premier League for 2025/26, highlighting his wasteful nature, which has seen him register just one assist.

The main asset of his game in recent times has been his ability to travel with the ball into dangerous areas and provide those in the box with the ammunition to find the back of the net.

However, the full-back has only completed 18% of his crosses in the Premier League to date, which ranks him in just the 40th percentile for full-backs at present.

Defensively, Porro has been just as lacklustre, winning just 4.2 duels per 90 and 1.2 tackles, with both figures putting him in the lower end of the table compared to other defenders.

His form will likely be a concern to Frank, with the Dane desperately needing to find an immediate solution to the problems facing him in the right-back area.

How Spurs can solve their Porro problem

Given the huge spending from the Spurs hierarchy in recent years, they will no doubt have huge expectations in Frank to guide the club up the league table in 2025/26.

After the first eight outings, the Lilywhites currently occupy eighth place, losing on just two occasions, but there’s no disputing the side could be in a much healthier position.

His men threw away a one-goal lead against Aston Villa in North London on Sunday, with such a result taking them just a couple of points off the summit had they held on.

The sheer volume of games that face the club this campaign will result in a serious rotation of players – with Archie Gray taking full advantage of his own opportunity on Tuesday.

Eyebrows were raised last summer when the board paid £40m for the 19-year-old’s signature – especially after he had just ended his only previous year as a professional with Leeds United the season prior.

Despite his tender age, he mirrored Spence in taking advantage of the injury crisis, subsequently making 46 appearances across all competitions – many of which were in an unfamiliar centre-back role.

However, despite his lack of action in his regular midfield role, he’s been hugely praised for his immediate impact in North London, with analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him a “future £100m” talent.

Gray was handed his first Champions League start against Monaco earlier this week, operating in a left-back role, but once again showcasing his unbelievable quality.

The teenager won 100% of the tackles he entered, whilst also making four clearances and two interceptions – highlighting his incredible ability out of possession.

He was just as impressive with the ball at his feet, completing 90% of the passes he attempted, with three of which going into the final third, leading to him creating two chances in the process.

At just 19, there’s no denying Gray is a world-class talent with the world at his feet – but his versatility is one asset that could allow him to go one step further than most youngsters in the modern game.

He often featured at right-back during his time at boyhood club Leeds, with Frank desperately needing to utilise him in such a role going forward and drop Porro out of his immediate plans.

The Spaniard has been an excellent addition for the club, but it may be time for fresh blood to stake their claim for a regular starting role to help take the Lilywhites to the next level.

Related Spurs star was as big a problem as Richarlison, now he looks undroppable

Tottenham Hotspur have found a new top-level talent despite drawing 0-0 with Monaco in the Champions League.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Oct 23, 2025

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be incredibly frustrated by his side’s lack of quality in the final third after what happened at the end of the summer transfer window.

Speaking to Football Insider last month, journalist Pete O’Rourke revealed that the German boss wanted two additions to the squad that never came to pass.

The reporter said: “There will be a hint of frustration for Daniel Farke – they missed out on some targets. They are still lacking a bit up front, Leeds and he fears for them on that front – not getting the deal done for Manor Solomon will be a blow to Farke and the Leeds fans, because he had such a great impact there on loan last season.

“They tried to sign Harry Wilson on deadline day from Fulham and weren’t able to get that deal over the line as well, so they were looking to add some creativity in the final third.”

Instead of landing Manor Solomon, who scored ten goals on loan at Elland Road last season, or Harry Wilson, the club were unable to land any additional attacking signings in the final days of the window.

That recruitment failure from those above Farke has left the manager in a position where Jack Harrison is starting in the Premier League, which is a tough position to be in.

Why Leeds need to move on from Jack Harrison

The English winger returned to Elland Road in the summer after spending the previous two seasons on loan with Everton, which meant that he did not take part in the club’s two Championship campaigns.

Harrison’s form with the Toffees did not suggest that he was likely to return to Thorp Arch to improve their options at the top end of the pitch, as he struggled badly last term.

In the 2024/25 campaign, the left-footed dud scored one from 3.52 xG and failed to provide any assists in 34 appearances and 24 starts in the Premier League, per Sofascore, which shows that he was incredibly ineffective in the final third.

Appearances

7

Starts

1

Goals

0

Big chances missed

1

Key passes per game

0.1

Assists

0

Successful dribbles per game

0.4

Cross accuracy

13%

As you can see in the table above, Harrison has offered very little in possession on the pitch this season, with no goals and just one chance created in seven appearances in the Premier League.

The £90k-per-week flop’s form for Everton last season suggests that he is unlikely to improve much from this point, which is why the club should be looking to move on from him in the summer.

Farke wanted Wilson and Solomon at the end of the window, which suggests that he was not happy with his wide options, and it has been reported that the club will go back in for Wilson in January.

A move for the Fulham forward, who has scored seven Premier League goals since the start of last season (Sofascore), could leave Harrison surplus to requirements.

The English winger is not the only player in the squad who may be on borrowed time ahead of the January transfer window, though, as there are others who have struggled to adapt to the top-flight.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Brenden Aaronson is one and as as much as this may not be a popular thing to point out, there is a case to be made that central midfielder Ao Tanaka may not be suited to playing in the Premier League.

Why Ao Tanaka may be on borrowed time at Leeds

The Japan international was a star for the Whites when they won the Championship title last season, using his ability on the ball to dominate matches for Farke. After all, his manager described him as “unbelievable” for his performances.

He ranked within the top 7% of midfielders in the division for passes attempted per 90 (72.43) and for progressive passes per 90 (7.03), per FBref, which shows that he excelled in possession in the second tier.

The 27-year-old star also scored five goals from a central midfield position to help Leeds on their way to winning the tite with a staggering 100-point haul.

However, the step up to the Premier League has meant that Leeds have had to alter their style of play as they are unable to dominate matches with the ball as much as they were able to do in the Championship, which has been bad news for Tanaka.

Journalist Graham Smyth raised concerns over the midfielder’s physicality last month, saying: “My concern with Tanaka was physicality in the Premier League. He got run over a few times towards the end of the last season. I worried a little bit, against the most elite athletes in the Premier League.”

The central midfielder’s form in the top-flight so far this season backs up the reporter’s concerns, as he has struggled in his duels across his six appearances so far.

Burnley

0% (0/0)

Spurs

67% (2/3)

Bournemouth

20% (1/5)

Wolves

0% (0/0)

Arsenal

0% (0/6)

Everton

29% (2/7)

As you can see in the table above, Tanaka has only won more than 29% of his duels in one of his six outings in the Premier League this season for the Whites.

Per Sofascore, he has lost 76% of his duels in total, including 80% of his ground duels, and this shows that opposition players have found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.

This may be why Farke has preferred a midfield trio of Ethan Ampadu, Sean Longstaff, and Anton Stach, as all three of them have won over 50% of their duels in the top-flight, per Sofascore.

Tanaka is a brilliant technician, as evidenced by his aforementioned form in the Championship, but the physical nature of a relegation battle in the Premier League seems to have rendered him ineffective in the middle of the park.

DCL upgrade: Farke must regret binning Leeds dud who was "like Archie Gray"

Leeds United must regret binning this striker who would be an upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

ByDan Emery Oct 19, 2025

If these issues persist until January, there may be a decision to make on his short-term future at Elland Road in the next January transfer window.

كشف أحمد عبد الرؤوف، المدير الفني لفريق الزمالك، عن قائمة البدلاء خلال المواجهة المرتقبة أمام الأهلي، في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري، مساء اليوم على أرضية ملعب محمد بن زايد في العاصمة الإماراتية أبوظبي.

وتأتي هذه المواجهة المنتظرة ضمن النسخة الثالثة والعشرين من البطولة، حيث يسعى الفريقان لتحقيق لقب جديد يضاف إلى سجلهما الحافل بالبطولات، في مباراة تحمل كل معاني التحدي والإثارة بين الغريمين التقليديين.

وكانت مواجهات نصف نهائي البطولة قد أُقيمت يوم الخميس الماضي، حيث نجح الأهلي في التغلب على سيراميكا كليوباترا بنتيجة 2-1، ليحجز أولى بطاقات التأهل إلى النهائي، بينما تأهل الزمالك بعد الفوز على بيراميدز بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة 5-4، عقب انتهاء الوقت الأصلي بالتعادل السلبي.

ويدخل الأهلي اللقاء وعينه على تعزيز رصيده التاريخي في البطولة، إذ يتصدر قائمة الأندية الأكثر تتويجًا بـ15 لقبًا، فيما يسعى الزمالك إلى تحقيق لقبه الخامس في تاريخه ومواصلة المنافسة على الألقاب المحلية والقارية.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل الزمالك أمام الأهلي في نهائي السوبر المصري.. عمرو ناصر يقود الهجوم بدلاء الزمالك اليوم أمام الأهلي في السوبر المصري

المهدي سليمان، حسام عبد المجيد، صلاح مصدق، أحمد ربيع، أحمد حمدي، أحمد شريف، خوان بيزيرا، عدي الدباغ، سيف الجزيري.

Liverpool have reportedly identified a new centre-back target following the injury of summer signing Giovanni Leoni. The Reds are short of defensive options after the 18-year-old suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury, leading to links with Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck. However, another player is said to have come on their radar ahead of the January transfer window.

• Liverpool suffer Leoni blow

  While there was a huge sense of relief that captain Virgil van Dijk signed a new two-year deal with Liverpool earlier this year, Arne Slot's team are not blessed with centre-back options. Ibrahima Konate has yet to sign a new deal, with his current terms set to expire in 2026 amid links with Real Madrid. In mid-August, the Merseyside outfit forked out around £30 million ($41m) on teenage Parma talent Leoni as a potential star of the future. This season would have been about bedding in the youngster and giving him game time here and there, while still being behind Van Dijk and Konate in the pecking order. But just over a month after his Anfield switch, the Italy Under-19 international suffered a serious injury against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, meaning Liverpool were somewhat short defensively. 

  Soon after the injury in late September, Slot told reporters: "He is not in a good place, of course, because he tore his ACL and it means he will be out for a year. Being so young and coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game… it's very hard to take the positive side. There's never a positive side – but you always try to look at a positive side and that is that he is still so young, so he has so many years still to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that."

  Their inability to sign Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi seemed to be coming back to bite them here. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Liverpool cool Schlotterbeck interest?

  In October, Liverpool were linked with 25-year-old Dortmund talisman Schlotterbeck, with an eye as a possible replacement for Konate, should he leave for pastures new. The 22-time capped German international has impressed in the Bundesliga and his performances is said to have attracted admiring glances from the Premier League and La Liga. But it seems the Reds will not be pursuing the 6ft 3in defender, who is so far reluctant to sign a new deal at the German giants.

  On that topic, he said in October: "BVB will be my first point of contact, and then we'll have to see how the next few months go. It makes a difference whether you're in 11th place in March or playing in the Champions League again. All I can say is: I feel good."

• Liverpool look to Sporting CP star

  According to DaveOCKOP, Liverpool are keeping tabs on Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande. The report adds that Crystal Palace pursued the 21-year-old for much of the summer as a potential Guehi replacement but with the England international staying put, that chase was put on hold. The Eagles entered 'advanced' negotiations with Sporting over a deal between £40-50m ($53-66m) for the Ivory Coast international but the Reds' interest is not as 'aggressive'. In fact, DaveOCKOP claims Schlotterbeck is more of an 'ideal' option for Slot. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  What comes next for Liverpool?

  In the meantime, Liverpool are hoping that Van Dijk and Konate stay fit, although Joe Gomez is a backup option should they be sidelined. Slot's team spent hundreds of millions this summer on big-money signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak but it seems it was a mistake not to strengthen their defence as that part of the field has looked shaky – not helped by an injury to goalkeeper Allison. The defending Premier League champions are already seven points behind table-toppers Arsenal after just 10 games and next up they travel to a rejuvenated Manchester City side at the Etihad on Sunday. If they lose that, and Arsenal win this weekend, they could be kissing their title defence goodbye already.

MatériaMais Notícias

O torcedor do Santos quer no momento se apegar em algo que lhe dê esperança de escapar do turbulento momento que vive na temporada, e o jogo contra o Internacional remete à memória uma salvação do Peixe da zona de rebaixamento.

+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

Em 2008, Michael Jackson Quiñonez foi protagonista de um gol bizarro e salvador na luta contra a degola do Campeonato Brasileiro.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

COMO FOI O HISTÓRICO GOL?

Pela 35ª rodada da competição, o Alvinegro Praiano precisava de uma vitória para respirar um pouco mais aliviado nas últimas rodadas. O herói em questão do episódio nem começou entre os titulares e só foi entrar na segunda etapa.

Longe de ser queridinho da torcida santista, Quiñonez entrou no jogo com a missão de fazer algo para mudar a história da partida e, aos 24 minutos do segundo tempo, conseguiu.

Após levar a bola até a entrada da área adversária, o jogador arrematou de forma totalmente torta. O ‘chute vesgo’ do equatoriano nem sequer sairia pela linha de fundo. Contudo, de forma totalmente bizarra, a bola acerta Gustavo Nery, jogador do Internacional que havia sido revelado na base do Peixe, engana o goleiro e alcança o fundo da rede.

O 1 a 0 ficou preso no placar até o apito final e rendeu os três pontos para o clube. Depois dessa partida, o Santos ainda conquistou dois empates importantes e se salvou da queda para a Série B do Brasileirão por apenas um ponto. Contudo, os adeptos do alvinegro possuem um lugar especial para a última vitória na competição, além, é claro, do gol bizarro.

O equatoriano Michael Jackson Quiñonez fez apenas dois gols durante toda passagem pelo Santos, mas foi o suficiente para se tornar inesquecível para o torcedor do Peixe.

Shafali scored 75 off 41 balls in the fifth T20I to finish the series as the second-highest run-scorer behind Mandhana

Valkerie Baynes13-Jul-2025

Shafali Verma struck 75 off just 41 balls•Getty Images

Shafali Verma has batted her way into the conversation surrounding India’s squad selection for the home ODI World Cup later this year.Dropped after India’s group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup last October, Shafali was recalled for the T20I series against England, which India won 3-2, and re-established herself by finishing as the second-highest run-scorer behind opening partner Smriti Mandhana.Shafali’s 176 runs at 35.20 and a strike rate of 158.55 included scores of 20, 3, 47 and 31 and a 41-ball 75. Her two highest scores came in losing causes as England clinched last-ball victories at The Oval and Edgbaston, respectively.On Saturday night, she brought up her fifty off just 23 balls, the joint-second-fastest for India Women alongside Mandhana, and behind only Richa Ghosh’s 18 balls against West Indies last year.Related

Harmanpreet embraces 'happy headache' with India's depth on the rise

Mandhana: 'Shafali deserves this comeback and I'm really excited to open with her again'

'One more ball, please' – The quiet rise of N Shree Charani

Dean, Wyatt-Hodge shine in England's nervy last-ball win

Having helped her side go from 19 for 2 to 167 for 7, it took the highest successful chase in women’s T20Is in England for the hosts to win it – and they only did so on the final delivery, despite a 101-run opening partnership between Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley.Shafali is not part of the ODI series that will start in Southampton on Wednesday, but India’s head coach Amol Muzumdar said she was “without a doubt” in contention for the ODI World Cup at home starting from September 30, although Pratika Rawal remains the incumbent.Rawal averages 63.80 from 11 ODIs since making her debut at home against West Indies in December. She has a highest score of 154, at home against Ireland and five half-centuries.”It just shows that we’ve got a lot of depth now in this India squad,” Muzumdar said. “Pratika Rawal, she was drafted in the month of December, so it’s almost six months, but she has left a mark, a big mark in her initial stage in her international career.”So I think there’s a lot of depth in this Indian line-up, a good headache to have as a coaching staff. And Shafali has been a terrific player. There’s no doubt about it that she will be in the mix. She will be amongst the core group of India. There’s no doubt in my mind about it. But at the moment, Pratika, she has joined the squad probably four or five days prior to the ODI. The depth is stronger, it’s getting stronger.”Pratika Rawal has had a dream start to her ODI career•BCCI

While the ODI series will provide a better World Cup gauge for both teams, India were further encouraged by the development of left-arm spinner Shree Charani, who was named Player of the Series for the T20I leg of India’s tour.Charani was the leading wicket-taker with ten at 14.80 and an economy rate of 7.46, having only made her T20I debut in the opening match of the series, where she took 4 for 12. And while she conceded 35 runs while going wicketless in the final game, Muzumdar was pleased with her progress.”She’s been a find of the WPL,” he said. “From the WPL, we identified her and then I think her progress has been fantastic, she’s been phenomenal in this series. We were searching for a left-arm spinner and she’s fitted the bill perfectly.”Kranti Goud, the 21-year-old right-arm seamer who made her T20I debut in Birmingham, having played just once for India before, in the final against hosts Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-series also involving South Africa in May, is part of the 50-over squad in England.She made a nervy start to her T20I career when she took the new ball against England. Goud sent down three wides before bookending four dot balls with two singles off the bat. Harmanpreet Kaur, her captain, kept faith for a second over on the trot, which went for six runs in all, including four to Wyatt-Hodge, powered over midwicket, and Goud finished wicketless from three overs, which went for 26.N Shree Charani was named the Player of the Series•Andy Kearns/Getty Images

Muzumdar said he had “mixed feelings” about the fact that his side had outplayed England in three games but failed to clinch the two close ones.Had Mandhana’s shy at the stumps at the non-striker’s end after Sophie Ecclestone had pushed towards mid-on and sprinted for the single England needed for victory off the last ball, the match could have gone to a Super Over.But not only has the series result given India a maiden T20I series victory in England, it has given the visitors crucial data on what playing here for the T20 World Cup might be like 12 months from now.”We had that in our mind when we came back from Sri Lanka and we started our preparation for this tour,” Muzumdar said. “We were on the same page, all of us, including the selectors, thinking that there’s a World Cup in 2026, same place, in England, so we’ve picked the squad accordingly. We’ve started on a good note, I guess, winning the T20 series here against England 3-2, that too the first time ever. So it’s a pleasing result. The preparation has already started.”The biggest takeaways, without a doubt, have been our bowling and our fielding. The batting has been a strength for a long time. A year and a half that I’ve been in charge, we’ve played some fearless cricket as far as batting is concerned. The two departments which we wanted to take care of were bowling and fielding, and in this series, it has shown the results.”

He surpassed Dravid, Kallis, Ponting all in one innings at Old Trafford

Matt Roller25-Jul-2025

Joe Root had a banner day in Manchester•Associated Press

Joe Root has become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, climbing three places in the all-time list during his century against India in Manchester. Root became England’s highest-ever run-scorer in October when he overtook Alastair Cook and went past three more batters on Thursday, leaving him second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 runs.Root resumed his innings on 11 on the third morning and overtook Rahul Dravid when he reached 30 with a dab to deep third. He went past Jacques Kallis off his very next ball with a single through cover, and surpassed Ricky Ponting when he steered Anshul Kamboj to deep point for a single to reach 120.Root smiled sheepishly as the crowd gave him a standing ovation for his achievement, while India’s captain Shubman Gill also applauded him. Ponting was at Emirates Old Trafford commentating for Sky Sports to witness Root overtake him, and paid tribute to Root’s hunger for runs.Related

Joe Root relishes chance to make history as latest Ashes shot looms

Root marches on towards Test summit

Record-breaker Root puts England in pole position

Root and Pope cement England's command on Manchester Test

“Congratulations, Joe Root. Magnificent,” Ponting said. “Second on the table, 120 not out. This crowd at the ground, this very knowledgeable crowd here at Old Trafford, stands as one… Just the one more to go now. About 2,500 runs behind [Tendulkar], but the way that his career has gone over the last four or five years, there’s absolutely no reason why not.”Ponting added: “He’s been a wonderful player through those 157 Test matches. He’s been such a consistent player, hasn’t he? You don’t really remember a long period of time where he’s had a lean run.

The moment.

And he's not done yet… pic.twitter.com/retSKGgBsV

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 25, 2025