Ollie Watkins could scarcely have imagined scoring the winning goal to send England through to the final of Euro 2024 when he was struggling to carve out a career in the lower ranks of English football less than a decade ago.
It was just over four years ago that striker Watkins was playing his club football at Brentford, then in England's second tier. Rewind nine years, and he had just finished a loan spell at non-league Weston-super-Mare from Exeter City, then in the third division of England's football pyramid.
"You can dream but I am a realist. I was just focused on getting back into the first team at Exeter," Watkins replied when asked about his journey from a footballing outpost on England's west coast to the nation's hero in Dortmund.
"I didn't dream about that to be honest. I can't lie and say I did. Scoring for England is amazing but I didn't think I'd do it in a tournament like that."
If Watkins' journey is one of rags to riches, it has faint echoes of another of England's heroes from the past.
The year 1966 is permanently etched in England's footballing history. It was the year the Three Lions won their first, and to this day, only major men's trophy when they beat West Germany in the World Cup final on home soil.
The hero that day? Geoff Hurst, who started the tournament on the bench but would go on to score four goals in the knockout stages including a hat-trick in the 4-2 win over the Germans in the final.
Hurst's elevation from back-up to national treasure meant usurping England's best striker. Jimmy Greaves is widely acknowledged as the greatest finisher England has ever produced, but his underwhelming performances at the 1966 World Cup forced Alf Ramsey to turn to his understudy.
Fast forward 58 years and current England boss Gareth Southgate finds himself in a similar predicament.
There are fresh calls for Harry Kane, England's record scorer, to be jettisoned for Sunday's final against Spain after another lacklustre display against the Dutch.
The Bayern Munich striker won and then converted a highly contentious penalty to cancel out Xavi Simons' opener, but that really was the extent of his contribution.
It is a cruel twist that Kane's position in the team should be under scrutiny. No player has scored more goals in the knockout stages of the European Championship and Kane's three strikes during this tournament has him joint-first in the race for the Golden Boot.
Kane's 66 goals for England is a record, and there is no other player in his squad Southgate would have wanted to take such a high-pressure penalty in a major semi-final than his talisman, but a huge part of Kane's game is based around his hold-up play and ability to draw fouls from opposition defenders to alleviate pressure on his own teammates.
Those qualities have been sorely lacking in Germany, where Kane plays his club football and where he had enjoyed a record-breaking individual season that heralded 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern Munich. Those exploits appeared to have dulled Kane at these Euros, and with his impact limited, calls for his ouster grow louder.
Kane is by no means alone in underperforming. The opening 45 minutes against the Netherlands was by a considerable distance England's best at Euro 2024 so far. Southgate has been criticised throughout for delaying making tactical substitutes when the game is slipping away from England's grasp, as was the case against the Netherlands. But the introduction of Watkins for Kane and Cole Palmer for Phil Foden, England's best player up to that point, midway through the second half was inspired.
It was Palmer who supplied Watkins for the latter's goal, the substitute showing a turn of pace that forced Stefan de Vrij to track an England striker towards his own goal for the first time all evening, in the final minute of the regulation 90. The Aston Villa striker, still with his back to goal, took a touch and fired low into the far corner to leave the Netherlands bewildered.
"When I was on the bench I said to [sub keeper] Dean Henderson, 'I can make a difference today and need to get on'. I took my chance, scored it and now we are in the final. One last game," Watkins said after the match.
"I'm lost for words really. I don't think I've hit a ball that sweet before, and obviously in such a special moment."
Watkins' goal – timed at 89:59 – was the latest winning goal scored in a European Championship or World Cup semi-final, excluding extra time.
Kane was effusive in his praise of the player who many are now clamoring to replace him in the starting lineup to face Spain.
"We talk about being ready," said Kane. "We're a big team at being ready.
"When it matters, you might get five minutes, one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win us a tournament. He's been waiting, he's been patient.
"What he did was outstanding and he deserves it."
England will have to step up another level if they are to win only a second major trophy against a Spain side who will start Sunday's final in Berlin as favourites.
"We play the team who've been the best team in the tournament and we have a day less to prepare so it's a huge task. But we're still here and we're fighting," Southgate said.
Whether Southgate will show loyalty and stick with his talisman Kane or be bold and go with Watkins remains to be seen.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
Leaderboard
64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
'O'
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
