Williams

He made one of the biggest splashes in the Lakers’ first preseason game. Ziaire Williams set the tone of the Lakers’ new defensive style, pressuring the ball the full length of the court and injecting energy into his teammates. The Sierra Canyon High alumnus sank three three-pointers in a stellar debut for his hometown team.

Then came the swelling in his left foot.

After a minor injury slowed Williams’ preseason ascent, the 6-foot-9 forward could be in position to return to the lineup for the Lakers’ preseason finale at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the visiting Denver Nuggets. Williams practiced fully Thursday after missing the last three games. He’ll leave the final call up to the Lakers’ medical staff as the team tries to maximize its preseason preparation.

“It’s important, man, just to get game reps with each other, but health is key,” said Williams, who had 13 points and a steal as a starter in the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5. “If you can’t go, you just can’t. It’s not the end of the world. Going back to championship identity, we’re looking ahead at the bigger picture. So it’s not worth [it] to risk your body for a game that doesn’t count and then be out for the real games.”

With nine new players, the Lakers needed training camp and preseason games to build chemistry as a group. Small injuries to several players interrupted the process, but with one fewer preseason game than last year and almost double the total practice days, coach JJ Redick said integrating new players still has “been pretty seamless.”

“We would love to have gotten looks with everybody healthy and everybody good to go,” Redick said, “but we also have to be smart with an 82-game season.”

The Lakers debuted new center Walker Kessler only this week, and the star acquisition who jammed a pinky finger early in training camp still has not played in a game with guard Luka Doncic, who was held out of Tuesday’s game for a planned rest day. Doncic participated fully in practice Thursday, as did forward Adou Thiero, who sat out Tuesday because of “maintenance,” Redick said. Rookie Cameron Carr (undisclosed) remained out of practice Thursday after missing the last two games.

Guard Quentin Grimes has been a preseason iron man. The free-agent signing who is angling for a starting position has played a team-high 97 minutes in four preseason games. With Doncic and Austin Reaves playing together only once in the first four games, Grimes has filled a larger ballhandling role than he might have if the Lakers were at full strength. The 26-year-old guard who is on his fifth team in six seasons credited his journeyman history for helping him get comfortable with a do-it-all role.

“I’ve done a good job of just creating offense, creating opportunities whether that be for myself or for teammates, getting everybody involved,” said Grimes, who is averaging 12.3 points and 2.5 assists on 53.3% shooting in the preseason. “I feel like this team allows me to play on the ball, off the ball in any situation. I feel like I’ve played that kind of [role at] every stop.”

Collin Sexton is the only offseason acquisition who has not made his Lakers debut. Battling a lower leg injury, Sexton participated in all of practice except for periods of live play Thursday. After practice, the guard was seen with kinesiology tape snaking up his right calf while working on the court with assistant coaches.

Sexton’s presence could help stabilize the Lakers’ offense, which is averaging 25.3 turnovers during the preseason.

When Sexton was sidelined at the beginning of the preseason, Redick said he was not worried about the guard’s status for the Oct. 21 season opener against Golden State. When asked Thursday about Sexton’s availability, Redick said simply he was “trending in the right direction.”

VOGUE Williams has clapped back at people mum-shaming her after she was accused of ‘breaking maternity laws’.

The Irish presenter welcomed her son Remy Valentine last month and has since returned to some of her work commitments, including co-hosting both of her podcasts.

Chatting with comedian and Celebrity Traitors star Joanne McNally on this week’s episode of My Therapist Ghosted Me, Vogue‘s little one made an appearance.

Joanne said: “There’s the baby. Look at the baby. Forgot about him.”

Vogue then revealed that a fan accused her of breaking a maternity law by being out with her baby so soon, and clapped back at them with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

The star said: “Someone left a comment on my and Amber’s pod and they were like “a mother should not be out with their baby at all from a month old” blah blah blah. Like going on this rant about there’s a maternity law.

past love

Vogue Williams reveals her ’embarrassment’ over divorce from ex Brian McFadden

Bouncing back

Vogue Williams flashes her rock-hard abs THREE weeks after giving birth

“I was like, there’s no maternity law! And then I was like, hang on a second, I’m quite clearly in my bedroom with the baby as well.

“Anyway, I told her I agreed with her and that women should stay at home for at least one to two years with the baby after giving birth.

“She deleted the comment.”

The clap back comes shortly after Vogue flaunted her unbelievable body three weeks after birth.

Vogue has somehow already gained back the definition in her abs, which she flashed on Instagram while showing off a new clothing collection.

Remy came into the world on September 6, which Vogue announced in a post online.

Taking to Instagram, Vogue captured her baby son dressed in a blue cardigan as he slept soundly in his cot.

She also included pictures of her three older children with Spencer, Theodore, seven, Gigi, five, and Otto, three, as they surrounded their baby brother.

She captioned the post: “Remy Valentine Matthews.”

Confirming Remy’s arrival earlier that week, she wrote: “Our beautiful baby boy has arrived safely… The house is bursting with excitement, love and happiness and we couldn’t be more delighted.”

Shanelle Williams has already fulfilled one childhood ambition after making her Wales debut and now she is preparing for another milestone in Japan.

The 19-year-old former Gwernyfed RFC junior came off the bench in Wales’ 50-19 win over South Africa in the WXV Global Series in September.

As a child, Williams had written on her Christmas list that she wanted to play for Wales.

“I didn’t actually know that there was a women’s team,” the hooker said.

“I used to tell my dad that I was going to play for Wales with the boys.

“Then I obviously realised that I actually can play for Wales. Since then, everything I’ve done, rugby’s always been a priority.”

Williams had forgotten about the Christmas list until her older sister reminded her after she won her first Wales Under-18 cap.

“It’s quite a nice reminder that I have been working for this for so long, so it has all been worth it,” she said.

Williams started playing rugby at Gwernyfed aged eight, spending four years there before joining the Red Kites and later moving into the Wales pathway.

She went on to play for Cardiff Quins and Cardiff Rugby before attending Hartpury College.

Her father played a key role, regularly making the journey from home to Cardiff for training.

“Obviously I’m from Gwernyfed, so it was about an hour and a half down to Cardiff,” she said.

“He used to take me for training on Friday nights straight after school.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it if my dad hadn’t given me that opportunity, so I’m very lucky.”

PHILADELPHIA — It’s rarely sunny in Philadelphia for Sean McVay and the Rams.

Before Sunday’s game against the Eagles, McVay was 1-6 against them, 1-4 at Lincoln Financial Field and 0-4 against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni.

The last time the Rams visited here, the Eagles blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown on the final play.

And for much of the game Sunday, gloom once again engulfed McVay and a team that opened the season as a heavy Super Bowl favorite.

• Share via Close extra sharing options

Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 24-20 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

But it finally lifted midway through the fourth quarter, with quarterback Matthew Stafford leading two touchdown drives that gave the Rams a come-from-behind, 24-20 victory.

“A lot of gutsy efforts,” McVay said, “and I have a headache from hell right now.”

No doubt stress-induced.

While McVay enjoyed watching Kyren Williams rush for two touchdowns and receiver Puka Nacua rush for another, the Rams had to overcome turnovers, penalties and special teams miscues to improve to 2-2.

After sitting out two games because of a hip injury, Nacua caught nine passes for 125 yards, several during the final two scoring drives.

“I’m excited to get on this plane and get up out of here,” Nacua said. “Hopefully, they have some Philly cheesesteaks for us.”

The Rams had mostly had their fill of Philadelphia after losing an NFC divisional game here in 2024 and last year’s debacle that ended with the blocked field goal and touchdown.

“We obviously haven’t found a way to get it done here,” McVay said, “and our guys found a way today.”

Rams players celebrate with Kyren Williams following one of his two fourth-quarter touchdowns against the Eagles on Sunday.

(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)

The Rams can thank their defense.

The Eagles were without receiver DeVonta Smith and left tackle Lane Johnson, and star running back Saquon Barkley left the game in the first quarter after suffering a hamstring injury.

The Eagles were 0 for 12 on third downs. They converted only one of four fourth downs and managed just 172 yards.

“When it was the time for us to make a play, the defense stepped up,” said edge rusher Byron Young, who had 2½ of the Rams’ four sacks, “and we had to do what we do.”

Despite their elation over Sunday’s victory, the Rams have plenty to fix.

Stafford was great down the stretch but otherwise did not look like the reigning NFL most valuable player. He completed 32 of 51 passes for 317 yards with two interceptions.

The Rams, historically one of the league’s least-penalized teams under McVay, had 13 penalties for 91 yards in last Sunday’s 30-26 defeat by the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, they were flagged eight times for 100 yards.

“Any way you could shoot yourself in the foot — we were doing it on the offensive side of the ball,” Stafford said.

Special teams also continued to be an issue. The Rams gave up a long punt return that set up a touchdown, and usually reliable kicker Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt.

But the defense kept the Rams within striking distance.

“You’d like to see [us] play as a team where you go and score, and then hold ‘em, score and hold ‘em and score,” receiver Davante Adams said. “But sometimes that’s not how it plays out.

“[The defense] did their thing to put us in a position to win it, and we went down there and finished the job.”

The Rams trailed, 20-10, at halftime, as the Eagles turned two interceptions into 10 points, and Jalen Hurts tossed two touchdown passes to receiver Darius Cooper.

After Mevis missed, it got uglier.

Near the end of the third quarter, it finally looked like the Rams’ defense would be rewarded for a good play: It stopped Hurts on a fourth-down tush push, giving the offense a first down at the Eagles’ 38-yard line.

But Nacua’s penalty for an illegal block stymied the possession, and Stafford’s fourth-down pass for tight end Tyler Higbee fell incomplete.

McVay rallied the offense on the sideline.

“He said, ‘Make things go. Wipe it. Get to the next play,’” Higbee said.

Stafford said McVay was “trying to put some belief” in the team.

“I think we had it,” Stafford said, “but it was great to hear from him.”

The defense came up big again, stopping the Eagles on downs at the Rams’ two-yard line.

On came Stafford, who ranks fourth all time in fourth-quarter comebacks.

“We call it the Mamba period,” said Williams, who rushed for 80 yards in 15 carries and had 10 receptions for 67 yards. “We knew we had to get things done. … Matthew, man, he got us all together. He said ‘Let’s freakin’ do it’ and we did the dang thing.”

Stafford engineered a nine-play, 98-yard drive that Williams finished with a one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 20-17 with less than four minutes left.

Stafford got the ball back with 2:55 left at the Rams’ 21-yard line. He connected with Nacua three times and Higbee once before Williams scored on a seven-yard run with 1:10 remaining.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford slides after running the ball against the Eagles on Sunday.

(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

The play included Williams’ trademark second and third efforts.

“I wasn’t looking at any defender,” Williams said. “I wasn’t looking at any blocks. I was just having that smell, that nose for the end zone.”

Next up: Josh Allen and the 3-1 Buffalo Bills, a 29-26 loser Sunday against the New England Patriots.

The Rams will go into the game a .500 team riding the high of a comeback victory rather than trying to get out of a 1-3 hole.

At some point, the Rams will welcome back edge rusher Myles Garrett, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who sat out because of a sore back, and tight end Terrance Ferguson, who like Garrett is on injured reserve. They are still more than capable of becoming the team that was hyped throughout the offseason.

So Sunday’s victory — rather than another loss in Philadelphia — could pay dividends.

“Hopefully,” Stafford said, “it was really important come later in the year.”

The knives were already out. The boos were already ringing.

At the end of an already brutal week at USC, during which the nation was ready to dance on the graves of the Trojans and their coach, it seemed for much of Saturday that any last shreds of faith in coach Lincoln Riley might melt away in the beating Southern California sun. Not only had the aftermath of their Oregon loss gone as poorly as possible, but now the Trojans were tripping over themselves again, trailing Washington, a middling Big Ten team down to its fourth-string running back, and a chant began to rise above the fray, from the USC student section.

“FIRE LINCOLN!” they roared.

That refrain had only been heard in hushed tones until this past week. But Saturday, before the No. 18 Trojans pulled away with a 25-21 victory, it felt as if their embattled coach stood at the edge of a certain Rubicon, one he may not return from with one wrong step.

That tension still hung thick over the Coliseum until late in the third quarter, when linebacker Elijah Newby came roaring around the edge toward Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. He swatted the ball out of his right hand, and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up. He sprinted 48 yards on a sore foot for a go-ahead score — and joked afterward that he hit 22 mph on his scoring scamper.

Just two minutes earlier, the Trojans had been down 21-10, and it wasn’t hard to envision how their season could continue spiraling from there. One mistake, one missed opportunity, one penalty after another brought them to this point, despite the fact that the Huskies actually struggled to move the ball on USC’s defense throughout.

It looked, for most of Saturday, like that unit took a step forward after the past two weeks, when both Rutgers and Oregon marched on them. Through one half, USC held Washington to just 44 passing yards. Through three quarters, Washington was averaging fewer than six yards per play.

“The bounce back was huge for us,” freshman defensive end Luke Wafle said.

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., left, tries to fend off USC linebacker Elijah Newby during the second quarter Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

USC’s defense nearly came apart in the fourth quarter, though, at the worst possible time. Washington hadn’t converted a single third down until its final drive, when Williams converted a third-and-11 pass, then hit a fourth-and-two bomb for 43 yards. The Huskies got as close as the USC 12-yard line, before the Trojans finally shut the door.

“We had to dig deep for this one,” Riley said. “Especially as sloppy as we played.”

USC (5-1, 2-1) did try something a little different on defense, with defensive coordinator Gary Patterson calling the game from the press box instead of the sideline. Riley said the decision was akin to “trying to just move the chess pieces to get everyone in the right position.” He also added that Patterson’s former staff at Texas Christian had a lot more familiarity with Patterson’s scheme, and thus he handled things differently with that staff.

But the communication issues of past weeks appeared less of a problem on defense. The real concerns Saturday actually came on offense, where the Trojans uncharacteristically sputtered. Jayden Maiava was 21 of 34 for 245 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.

Still, judging by the box score alone, you’d be hard-pressed to understand how USC could have nearly squandered a game in which they piled up far more yards (360 to 319) and had the ball for far longer (34:58 to 25:02) and dominated on third down.

“We’re gonna fix it,” Stewart said. “No team comes out perfect. It takes time.”

After a disappointing few weeks on the defensive end, USC actually opened the game by forcing Washington (3-2, 0-2) into back-to-back three and outs.

But the Trojans managed a measly three points from those stops. Their first drive, stalled in the red zone. The next one backed up USC to the one-yard line after wideout Terrell Anderson muffed a punt.

Washington took advantage of the field position on its next drive. Faced with a fourth and seven in USC territory, Williams slipped past pressure and scampered to a first down. It was the first sign of life from the Huskies’ offense, which found its way into the end zone four plays later.

Then, USC gave the ball right back. On the run, Maiava launched a pass off his back foot under heavy pressure. It fell well short of its target and was picked off.

USC’s defense held strong, forcing a third three and out in the Huskies’ first four drives. And its offense finally held up its end of the bargain, with Waymond Jordan punching in an eight-yard touchdown.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava scrambles during the first half against Washington at the Coliseum on Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Washington continued to struggle moving the ball, but mistakes from USC helped its cause. An illegal formation penalty wiped away a deep Trojan touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Then on the ensuing possession, Wafle grabbed Williams’ face mask as he pulled him down for a sack.

USC had more penalty yards (50) than Washington had passing yards (44) in the first half. And those penalties gave the Huskies life at the end of the half, as they drove the length of the field and scored again.

“We felt like we were outplaying them,” Riley said. “We just couldn’t get out of our own way a little bit. That’s probably going to be a defining thing for this team going forward, how much we can do that.”

With a chance to regroup, the Trojans tripped over themselves out of the half too. An unsportsmanlike penalty killed their opening drive. Then, Washington tight end Decker DeGraaf caught a pass and took off down the sideline, running through two feeble-arm tackles on the way to an inexplicable 42-yard touchdown.

After that, the Riley chants rang out from the student section. But the Trojans’ offense mounted a 13-play scoring drive in response. Tanook Hines tore the ball away from a Washington defender in the end zone.

USC coach Lincoln Riley walks back to the sideline after speaking with his players during a timeout in the first half Saturday.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Less than two minutes later, Stewart scooped up the fumble and took off. His 48-yard return completed a 12-point swing for the Trojans.

“To overcome all that and still win shows me some of the guts and toughness and culture in this room right here,” Riley said. “We could’ve folded.”

Still, USC couldn’t put Washington away. Down to their last drive, the Huskies converted a third and 11 and two fourth downs to drive deep into Trojan territory late.

But Kameryn Crawford pulled Williams down for a sack — the Trojans’ fifth of the game — and the defense held. And USC, at the end of a long, brutal week, breathed a sigh of relief.

VOGUE Williams has opened up about the “embarrassment” over her divorce from ex-husband Brian McFadden.

The presenter and model, 40, was married to singer Brian, 46, from 2012 to 2017.

She met now-husband Spencer Matthews on Channel 4 reality show The Jump in 2017 – with the pair later marrying and welcoming four children.

Speaking on her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, Vogue spoke about her feelings around her marriage to Brian ending.

She told co-host Joanne McNally: “I was so embarrassed when the whole thing had happened. I just was like, ‘This is the worst’. 

“I had made myself come to terms with the fact that I was never going to have kids and that I was never going to be married again. 

Read more on Vogue Williams

Bouncing back

Vogue Williams flashes her rock-hard abs THREE weeks after giving birth

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Vogue Williams welcomes fourth child with Spencer Matthews

“I was just going to have to live a life of being single. And I was like, ‘I’m going to enjoy being single for once in my life’.”

Vogue added: “I did enjoy being single and it took about three months because I was so used to being in relationships and then I enjoyed being single.

“Then I met somebody and now I’m sitting on this podcast breastfeeding my fourth child. So this could be you at 40.”

Vogue and Spencer wed in 2018 and the couple’s children include Theodore, eight, Gigi, six, and Otto, four.

Meanwhile, the couple welcomed their fourth child, Remy earlier this month.

Prior to Vogue, Brian had been married to Atomic Kitten‘s Kerry Katona from 2002 to 2006.

In 2025, the former Westlife member married third wife Danielle Parkinson, a PE teacher.

Hayley Williams is speaking out days after her ex-husband, Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist of pop-punk band New Found Glory, died at 45 following a battle with cancer.

Williams posted the statement on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, writing that she hasn’t known what to say or “if it’s appropriate” but that she wants to address her former husband’s death because “life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite.”

“Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot,” she wrote. “He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.

“There isn’t much that hasn’t already been said about what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in. His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.

“I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore.”

Musician Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory and singer Hayley Williams of Paramore arrive at the 2010 People’s Choice Awards.

(Christopher Polk / Getty Images for PCA)

Williams concluded her statement by sending her love and sympathies to Gilbert’s family, friends and his New Found Glory bandmates Jordan Pundik, Cyrus Bolooki and Ian Grushka.

Gilbert died Sunday morning “peacefully in his sleep,” the band and his wife, musician Lisa Cimorelli, announced on social media. No cause of death was given, but the musician had been candid about his battle with cancer in recent years.

“He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished,” the joint statement posted Sunday to Instagram read.

Williams and Gilbert were married in February 2016 after nearly a decade of dating but split the following year in July 2017, saying at the time that marriage wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Gilbert later married Cimorelli in October 2020, and the two welcomed a daughter, Lily, in 2021.

Fox Sports announcer Tom Brady might have spoken for all of us when viewing the play in which Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

Brady said an expletive on the air, expressing a genuine reaction to the gruesome sight of Daniels’ joint bending in the wrong direction after he planted his left hand to break a fall.

The same expression was no doubt used by countless Commanders fans who had seen their quarterback miss much of the 2025 season with the same injury to the same elbow.

Chicago Bears fans also probably reacted with similar words when star quarterback Caleb Williams was carted off the field with a hamstring injury.

The coaches of both teams had injury updates Monday about the quarterbacks who were selected first (Williams) and second (Daniels) in the 2024 draft. Bears coach Ben Johnson told WMVP in Chicago that Williams appears to have avoided a major injury but would “likely miss some time.”

Hours later, however, Johnson told reporters he wasn’t yet ruling out Williams for the Bears’ “Monday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He said Williams underwent an MRI scan on Monday and that the team received news that was “somewhat encouraging.”

“He’s right now working through every avenue that he’s got available to get back on track here,” said Johnson, who added that Williams probably would not practice this week. “We’ll see what that looks like. Here’s what I know: This guy’s a little bit different than the average human being. … He gets back, he has in the past, a lot faster than what people can anticipate. I’m not putting a timeline on this. We’re going to say week to week.”

Commanders coach Dan Quinn told reporters that Daniels underwent imaging that morning and would see specialists the following two days.

“We’ll go through the process from there,” Quinn said. “I know you’ll have some questions regarding timelines, but until we go through that process, I’d be guessing to give you any.”

Quinn did say that veteran backup Marcus Mariota would start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and that he might have an update on Daniels on Thursday or Friday.

Williams, after going 5-12 as a rookie, threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards while leading the Bears to an 11-6 record and the NFC North title. He got hurt during Chicago’s 9-3 loss Sunday while scrambling deep in Minnesota Vikings territory midway through the fourth quarter.

Williams was replaced by Tyson Bagent, a fourth-year player who has appeared in 13 games and is 2-2 as a starter. Johnson told reporters Monday that he was confident in Bagent should he have to start any games in Williams’ place.

“If it goes that route, I feel strongly about what he’s capable of, and our team does, too,” Johnson said. “They know he’s a darn good football player.”

Daniels was an immediate star in Washington, leading the Commanders to a surprise appearance in the NFC championship game his rookie season, but he missed all but one game in the second half of last season after dislocating the same elbow Nov. 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.

He injured it Sunday on a play from the Dallas one-yard line with three seconds remaining before halftime. Left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels’ foot as he backed away from center and the quarterback threw a wild incomplete pass as he braced himself on the ground with his other hand.

Mariota replaced Williams in the second half and completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Wales might need it at the back.

The appointments come against the backdrop of Wales’ failure to reach the World Cup and the beginnings of criticism around the side’s openness.

“He’ll bring some unique skills, particularly when you play Nations League A games when you have to defend a lot,” said FAW chief football officer Dave Adams of Williams’ appointment on the Feast of Football podcast.

“Some of the dark arts of defending, he’ll bring some interesting things for the players to think about.”

There is the thought that Williams would also be prepared to challenge Bellamy’s thinking – seen as healthy part of a management team.

But while Bellamy says he is keen to lean on Williams’ defensive know-how, it will still be the former Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle forward’s managerial message.

“With his position, sometimes it’s easier coming from a player who’s been in there,” said Bellamy – a former Wales captain himself.

“Now, I’ll lead a lot on the information, but it’s nice for me to be able to ask ‘What would you see with this? If you played there, how did you feel when I asked you to do that? Is that possible? Is that not possible?’ I believe he’ll be a huge asset to me.”

Sheehan’s appointment also suggested a more defensive focus.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international was seen to have a pragmatic style at Swansea.

But it appears Wales will look to benefit from the 40-year-old’s eye for set-piece work, something he has also been responsible for during previous coaching roles at Luton and Southampton.

“We really want someone who is in tune with restarts and set-pieces,” added Adams.

“In these sorts of games they could be the factor that give us a chance to win the game, because they are going to be very hard games to play in.

“We realise the importance of attacking and defending set-pieces in these next six games, and feel Alan and [goalkeeping coach] Martyn Margetson will bring that level of detail to help the team be best prepared for these games.”

Arsenal are eyeing Bournemouth youngster Eli Junior Kroupi, Real Madrid are considering a move for Everton‘s Jarrad Branthwaite, and Chelsea are interested in Nico Williams.

Arsenal are extremely keen on a move for Bournemouth and France Under-21s forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 20, but the Cherries would expect a huge fee. (Football London), external

Real Madrid are weighing up a move for Everton‘s 24-year-old English defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who is also on the radar of several Premier League clubs. (Goal), external

Chelsea are keen to explore a £69m deal for Spain and Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, 24. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Arsenal have no intention of selling 27-year-old Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi in January. (Football Insider), external

Real Madrid and Barcelona have made fresh enquiries about American teenager Cavan Sullivan, 16, who is set to move to Manchester City from Philadelphia Union when he turns 18. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool will have to pay the full £130m release clause to buy 20-year-old Brazilian Rayan from Bournemouth despite manager Andoni Iraola’s relationship with the midfielder from his time as Cherries boss. (ESPN Brazil via Caught Offside), external

Atletico Madrid and Argentina midfielder Julian Alvarez, 26, who counts Arsenal and Barcelona among his suitors, is considering leaving his long-term agent after a summer of transfer speculation. (Mundo Deportivo), external

Everton are unlikely to pursue Tottenham and Brazil forward Richarlison despite the 29-year-old being linked with a return to the Toffees over the summer. (Football Insider), external