Harry Redknapp lavished praise on Gareth Bale after watching the Tottenham winger almost stage a sensational one-man rescue act in the Champions League thriller at Inter Milan.
Already one of the hottest young properties in Europe, Bale elevated himself to superstar status with a stunning hat-trick to spare Spurs' blushes at the San Siro.
Bale's exploits were not enough to prevent Tottenham suffering a 4-3 defeat but his goals - especially a stunning solo effort - meant he ended up stealing the show.
The Tottenham manager Redknapp said: "He's an amazing young player. He plays left-back, he plays wide left, he scores goals, he can run all day.
"Even first half, he gave the right-back a torrid time, I felt.
"The right-back's one of the best right-backs in the world, possibly."
Spurs rebuffed an approach for Bale before the transfer window closed but it would be no surprise to see an avalanche of big-money bids for the 21-year-old in January.
But Redknapp refused to discuss his prize asset's current value, saying: "Tottenham is a club that is looking to progress, not to sell its best players.
"If Tottenham sell Gareth Bale now, it would send out the wrong signals; it would be a club that would be a selling club.
"He's a player that we hope to build a team around. He signed a new contract at the club and, hopefully, he'll be here for a good few years to come.
"If Tottenham progress and become a Champions League team on a regular basis, he'll become a big part of the team."
With the other match in Group A finishing 1-1 between Twente Enschede and Werder Bremen, Inter, who have seven points, and Tottenham are favourites to reach the last 16.
Spanish striker Raul scored twice for Schalke as they beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1 giving the Germans six points in Group B.
Rangers maintained Scottish hopes of a last-16 representative with a 1-1 home draw against Valencia moving them to five points, two behind Manchester United.
Panathinaikos drew 0-0 with Rubin Kazan in Group D, a result that did little to help either side's chances.
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water