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Celtic have been meticulously assessing options to succeed Martin O’Neill in the dugout and may now have identified a new figure that could become a serious contender to take the Scottish Premiership champions forward.

At 73 years of age, O’Neill deserves plenty of plaudits for taking a step out of his comfortable stable of punditry work for another spell in charge of his old side, even if he may only be around for a brief period of time.

The victories over Falkirk and Rangers brought back some much-needed morale to the Celtic dressing room. However, the Bhoys’ defeat to FC Midtjylland in midweek prompted the former Republic of Ireland boss to make his stance clear on a longer stay in Glasgow.

He told TNT Sports: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that. That could be at the end of the week, it could be after the Kilmarnock game. I just don’t know.”

Later, he added after being asked if he was in constant discussions with the hierarchy, fuelling speculation that he may not be in charge beyond the international break: “No I’m not and I don’t really want to be. I just want to be told when my time is up.”

Kjetil Knutsen continues to be in the Celtic running as his Bodo/Glimt contract comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is a Parkhead candidate due to his sterling work at Portman Road.

With speculation bound to continue over the coming days, a new name has entered the picture as a potential successor to interim coach O’Neill.

Celtic place Brian Barry-Murphy on manager shortlist

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Celtic have shortlisted Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy as a managerial candidate to take over permanently at Parkhead.

Middlesbrough are also on the hunt for a new head coach as Rob Edwards completes a controversial move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though the Scottish champions appear ready to throw a spanner in the works amid their links to the City Football Group.

Brian Barry-Murphy at Cardiff City – 2025/26

Wins

13

Draws

2

Losses

6

62% win ratio from 21 matches this season.

Previously, he was head coach at Rochdale before a spell in charge of Manchester City’s elite development squad, and he has also further coaching experience in a technical role at Leicester City.

Celtic could land an alternative manager with a secret release clause

Cardiff City find themselves fourth on 26 points and could go top of the table should they win their game in hand. Predominantly adopting a 4-2-3-1, the Bluebirds have been an attacking force this campaign, scoring the joint-third most goals in League One.

Nevertheless, managing Celtic is a whole different kettle of fish due to the pressures associated with the role. It remains to be seen who will be trusted to lead their bid to retain the Scottish Premiership title.

تحدث داني أولمو لاعب خط وسط برشلونة بعد مساهمته في فوز فريقه أمام سيلتا فيجو برباعية لهدفين، على ملعب بالايدوس في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وقال أولمو في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية عن الأداء المتكامل الذي قدمه برشلونة: “حققنا هدفنا اليوم، لعبنا بشكل جيد واستحوذنا على الكرة أكثر”.

وأضاف: “في الشوط الثاني استحوذوا على الكرة أكثر وتراجعنا للخلف أكثر”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. ليفاندوفسكي بعد فوز برشلونة على سيلتا فيجو: قلصنا الفارق مع ريال مدريد.. وحان وقت تغيير الأمور

وأشاد أولمو بزميله روبرت ليفاندوفسكي الذي سجل هاتريك في شباك سيلتا فيجو: “إنه لاعب مهم للفريق وإذا استمر على هذا المنوال طوال الموسم، فإنه سيقدم لنا الكثير”.

وأكمل عن اللعب بشكل أساسي بدلاً من مارك كاسادو في تشكيل برشلونة قبل انطلاق اللقاء: “شعر كاسادو ببعض المشاكل العضلية، وأخبروني بذلك أثناء ركضي لذلك كان لدي وقت للإحماء”.

وختم حول ريال مدريد :”نعم تعادلوا، أليس كذلك؟ هدفنا النهائي هو الفوز والأمر متروك لنا”.

Manchester United are now willing to outbid Real Madrid to win the race for Tijuana wonderkid Gilberto Mora, who starred at the recent U20 World Cup.

It was recently revealed that Ruben Amorim is putting a heavy emphasis on bringing young players through the ranks, having introduced a number of academy stars to first-team training, with 18-year-old winger Shea Lacey particularly catching the eye.

Amorim plans to rebuild the link between the academy and the senior squad, and Lacey is one of the main youngsters who could push for a place in the match-day squad before the season comes to a close.

Bringing players through the academy has always been a part of United’s DNA, and their current manager has made it clear he wants to continue that tradition, saying: “We want to maintain it. The past of Manchester United is built on kids.

“I don’t want to be the guy that breaks that.”

The Red Devils have also set out to sign impressive up-and-coming talents from elsewhere, with it recently emerging they are in concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and they are now looking to sign another young attacker.

Man Utd willing to outbid Real Madrid for Mora

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are willing to put a lot of money on the table to win the race for Tijuana attacking midfielder Mora, following his impressive performances at the recent U20 World Cup.

Such is United’s level of interest, they are willing to raise the price to a point where Madrid would be forced to back out of the race, but there could be competition for his signature, with Paris Saint-Germain also prepared to spend big.

In order to win the race, the Red Devils are aware they will need to move swiftly, with a deal expected to amount to €4.5m (£4m).

The 17-year-old certainly caught the eye at the U20 World Cup, receiving plaudits from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the group stage.

Not only that, but the teenager has already gained a plethora of experience for Tijuna at first-team level, having made 44 appearances for the Mexican side, during which time he’s amassed seven goals and two assists.

Mora is yet to prove himself in a major league, but his performances for both club and country have been extremely impressive, and it would be a real statement if Man United were able to beat Real Madrid to his signature.

Man Utd now enter race for Jeremy Monga Man Utd now enter race to sign new forward dubbed "England's Ousmane Dembele"

The Red Devils are looking to sign a “deadly finisher”.

ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

شكل 2023 عامًا مهمًا لفريق ليفربول على مستوى تدعيم مركز خط الوسط، حيث أجرى النادي موسم انتقالات مذهلًا، وضم العديد من اللاعبين الرائعين.

تعاقد ليفربول في هذا الموسم مع أليكسيس ماك أليستر ودومينيك سوبوسلاي وريان جرافنبيرخ وواتارو إندو، وشكل هذا الرباعي إلى جانب جونز، العمود الفقري لخط وسط الريدز في موسم 2024-2025.

ومع ذلك يبدو أن وقت التجديد قد حان، حيث أهمل آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول والمدير الرياضي ريتشارد هيوز، التعاقد مع أي لاعب خط وسط في سوق الانتقالات الصيفية، على الرغم من التعاقد مع صفقات جديدة بقيمة 450 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

اقرأ أيضاً.. نجم ريال مدريد مشيدًا بألونسو: قدوة لي ويعشق المشاركة في التدريبات

أحد هؤلاء اللاعبين هو ألكسيس ماك أليستر لاعب خط وسط ليفربول الذي تعرض للإصابات، ولم يرض مستواه الجميع ويثير الشكوك حول مستقبله مع الريدز.

ووفقًا لـ”ANFIELD WATCH” فإن ماك أليستر والذي يمتلك عقدًا حتى 2028 سيسعى للتمديد وزيادة راتبه خلال الموسمين القادمين.

وفي حال قرر ليفربول عدم تجديد عقد لاعب خط الوسط الأرجنتيني، فإن ماك أليستر قد يتلقى عروضًا، حيث يستهدف ريال مدريد التعاقد مع اللاعب ومن المقرر أن يقدم عرضًا في يناير لضمه.

ويرغب ريال مدريد في إنهاء الصفقة في أقرب وقت ممكن، حيث إن المنافسة ستكون شرسة على خدمات اللاعب ويعتمد الأمر على رغبة ليفربول والشروط المالية أيضًا.

The LSG captain was dismissed for another low score in the defeat to Mumbai Indians

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-20258:27

‘Pant should look to play straight instead of going for outrageous shots’

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has said that singling out his poor batting form in IPL 2025 is “not the right thing to do,” after his team suffered their third loss in four games against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.Pant was dismissed playing a reverse sweep for 4 off 2 balls in a chase of 215, as LSG slumped to a 54-run defeat. He now has 110 runs in nine innings this season, with an average of 12.22 and strike rate of 98.21. He’s opened the batting, he’s batted at No. 4 and at No. 7 without success.”See [I am] keeping it very simple,” Pant said after the game. “Not thinking about that [his form] too much because in a season like this, where things are not going your way, you’re going to start questioning yourself as a player and that is something you don’t want to do.”When the team isn’t doing well, you’ve got to think about that because eventually it’s a team game. Yes, one player definitely makes a difference, but every time if you take out the individual, it’s not the right thing to do, I guess.”Related

Jaffer: Pant 'needs to get better at rotating strike'

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Suryakumar and Bumrah dazzle in MI's fifth straight win

LSG’s mentor Zaheer Khan said Pant had “ticked all the boxes as a leader” and is confident that he will find his batting form soon. “He’s a leader and he’s been fantastic as a leader,” Zaheer said. “That’s something which I can vouch for. The kind of efforts he’s been taking to make sure that each individual in that group is comfortable, is heard, and the planning to do everything which goes around in IPL, he’s being spot on.”As a batter… the middle order is dependent on Rishabh. And I’m very confident that the impact, which we want from him, will come. It’s just about something clicking. So I wouldn’t relate it to pressure.”When you’re talking about a team, you’re talking about winning the tournament, you’re talking about winning the trophy. We’ve identified Rishabh as that leader who is going to take this team forward. There is no doubt about that.”In each of his previous three innings, Pant has fallen trying to play the reverse sweep or lap, twice to a spinner and once to a fast bowler (Delhi Capitals’ Mukesh Kumar). Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut, Sanjay Bangar and Wasim Jaffer said he could be trying to do too much.”When he’s batting well, he’s looking to hit a lot straighter. That way you also give yourself a chance to succeed,” Bangar said. “But some of the dismissals that have been seen so far in the season have been all him trying to play behind the wicket, maybe the reverse lap or the sweep in some instances.”I think for a batsman to succeed, and if somebody’s in that sort of a rut, you play percentages as well. So, try and hit straighter down the ground rather than target those areas behind the wicket.”Rishabh Pant has a sub-100 strike rate in the IPL this season•BCCI

Jaffer said Pant needed to trust his game in front of the wicket a lot more. “He plays some outrageous shots, and when it doesn’t come off, it looks bad,” he said. “I think he needs to trust his game just more in front of the wicket. I think he doesn’t do that, and the teams have found a way to bowl to him. They bowl outside off stump, which is not his strongest suit, and then that’s why that reverse lap comes in, and then anything that pitches on the stump, he looks to go here [behind the wicket] rather than going towards cow corner or midwicket.”Pant was bought for a record INR 27 crore at the IPL 2025 auction by LSG, making him the most expensive player in the league’s history. Former India captain, Anil Kumble feels the price tag and expectations as a batter and captain are weighing Pant down.”Rishabh Pant needs to just realise that if he bats normally, he will score at a faster pace. Then once he gets into that groove, he can dictate the term[s],” Kumble said. “Maybe he’s trying too hard to prove to everyone that, look, I can do this in this format. Sometimes that’s counterproductive. You just need to relax, back yourself, believe that [you can do it], just go out there and then watch the ball. Maybe that’s something that he’s not doing.”When you have all these thoughts in your head, especially now that he’s captain in a franchise where it’s not been easy for KL Rahul, who was former captain, they haven’t won a championship. It’s a new franchise.”There’s a lot of expectations on him as a captain, as a leader and he was bought at the maximum price at the auction. All of these are probably going through his mind, and the last thing that you want is all of this. You want to shut all of that out, focus on the white ball that’s coming out at him, and that’s all he needs to do.”

He is an ICC Level III qualified coach, and brings plenty of coaching experience in Sri Lankan domestic cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2025

Former Sri Lanka batter Chamara Silva has been appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka Under-19 men’s team. His appointment runs from March 2025 to December 2026. This period includes the Under-19 Men’s World Cup to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia next year.Silva brings plenty of coaching experience from Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit. He is an ICC Level III qualified coach, and has served as head coach of the Police Sports Club. Before that, he has also coached the Bloomfield Cricket Club and Panadura Sports Club.Silva played 11 Tests, 75 ODIs and 16 T20Is for Sri Lanka in a 12-year period from 1999-2011. His last game for Sri Lanka was a T20I against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. Two days before that, Silva played what turned out to be his final ODI.He was part of the side that finished runners-up in back-to-back ODI World Cups in 2007 and 2011. While he managed only 77 runs in four innings in 2011, he had got four half-centuries in 2007, including three in a row to start the tournament. Silva last played a Test in 2008, having got scores of 61 and 152* in his debut series, which was on the tour of New Zealand in 2006-07.He was also part of the World T20 in 2007 and 2009, with Sri Lanka losing the final of the latter tournament to Pakistan.In 2017, he was banned from cricket for two years by SLC for his supposed role in a Tier B first-class match that featured unusual scoring rates. Silva’s last domestic game came as recently as last month, when he represented Police Sports Club against Ace Capital Cricket Club in a Major League Tournament fixture in Colombo.

What a start it has been for Everton in the 2025/26 Premier League season. David Moyes’ side has made several new additions and, so far, they’re proving to be successful. The Toffees are flying already this season, and sit fifth in the table.

The Merseysiders have already picked up six points and have scored five goals, having no issues in front of goal. Jack Grealish has started his career at the Hill Dickinson Stadium superbly, with four assists already, and Iliman Ndiaye has scored twice in the first three games.

Having a real focal point leading he line has been important, too. New signing Thierno Barry has started once, with Beto given the nod in the other two games. His early-season form has been strong.

Beto’s start to the season

It has been a fast start to the new campaign for Beto, who has now found the back of the net 17 times for Everton. As per Transfermarkt, most of those have come under Moyes, with the striker scoring nine times in 23 games under the legendary Scotsman.

So, it’s surely no surprise that the former Udinese star has already found the back of the net twice this season, in just four games. He’s only featured for 221 minutes, leaving him with an average of 2.4 full 90-minute games played and a goals-per-game average of almost 1.

One of the 27-year-old’s goals came in the Carabao Cup against Mansfield Town, and the other in the Premier League against Wolverhampton Wanderers. That game saw Beto play 76 minutes and open the scoring inside the first ten minutes, as Everton won 3-2.

It has certainly been a fast start to the season for Beto, who has previously struggled in a Toffees shirt. His value his shot up recently, coinciding with this good form, and he’s now worth as much as £19.1m, according to Transfermarkt.

Incidentally, there is a former Everton striker who is worth far more than Betom and has shown even better form than the 27-year-old.

The former Everton striker worth more than Beto

If Beto is doing this well under Moyes, you can only imagine the kind of form that Italian centre-forward Moise Kean would have shown. The 25-year-old was snapped up by the Toffees back in 2019 from Juventus for upwards of £27.1m.

However, after a few loan spells, he returned to the Old Lady four years on, with Farhad Moshiri and co ultimately deciding it was best to cut ties with the striker. In total, Kean played just 39 games for the club, scoring four goals, before ultimately returning to Serie A.

After a tough season in Turin following his permanent return, the striker moved to Fiorentina, where his career has taken a huge upward trajectory. His goal record in Florence has been exceptional, with former Juve teammate Weston McKennie describing him as a “beast”.

In 47 games for the Tuscany-based club, he’s found the back of the net 25 times, chipping in with five assists. Last season, Kean was second in the race for the Serie A Golden Boot, with 19 goals to his name.

He averaged 0.7 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 21.35% in the Italian top flight.

Shots on target

1.7

51

Goals

0.7

19

Conversion rate

21.35%

21.25%

Chances created

0.6

17

Take-ons completed

1.5

44

One of his best goals included this acrobatic effort against Genoa, showing just how deadly he can be in the penalty box. The form he has shown for Fiorentina means his value has shot up, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £43.4m, well over double what Beto is worth.

That is also the highest Kean has been worth in his career.

Kean’s form makes you wonder how good the 25-year-old could have been if he were still at Everton now. With the attacking talent the Toffees have, like Grealish and Ndiaye, plus the output Moyes has gotten from his team this season, he could have been flying in a blue shirt.

It is something that the Everton faithful can only imagine, amid the mess made of the situation by the likes of Moshiri. But if Moyes had been able to coach Kean, he could have been a key player at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and contributed to this excellent start to the season.

Silva sold "world-class" Everton star, now he's worth more than Grealish

Everton must rue letting this top star go, who is now worth more than new Toffees ace Jack Grealish.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 2, 2025

Mitchell Marsh is a good chance of keeping his place for the final Test against India in Sydney despite a lean series with the bat while his lack of overs continues to be attributed to the nature of the matches rather than any fitness issues.Uncapped Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster is in the squad along with spare fast bowlers Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott if Mitchell Starc is unable to recover after suffering a back problem at the MCG or the selectors decide on other changes.Related

• Mitchell Marsh dropped, Beau Webster to debut in Sydney

• 'He'll push through' – Carey confident Starc won't let back issue keep him out of SCG Test

• Golden-arm Head was helping with Australia's over rate

• No Gabba 2021 at MCG 2024 as India lose a Test they needn't have

• Rohit on Bumrah's bowling workloads: 'We've been very careful'

Coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins both admitted Starc was carrying an issue and bowling through pain, but believed he should be right to play in Sydney.However, Starc’s issue, and his workload across the series alongside Cummins, has highlighted the lack of contribution from Australia’s fifth bowler in Marsh. He has bowled just 33 overs across seven innings in the series (discounting the brief second innings in Brisbane), and since claiming 2 for 12 in the first innings of the series he has figures of 1 for 127 from his last 28 overs.Travis Head provided a vital match-winning breakthrough for Australia in the fourth innings at the MCG as Marsh did not bowl at all in the final two sessions despite periods where Australia’s quicks needed a rest. But McDonald insisted he has no worries about Marsh’s contributions with the ball.”No, there’s no concern,” McDonald said after the memorable victory at the MCG. “And I think people have probably been reading too much into that. We haven’t required him with the ball as often as what we would have thought. He bowled again today. His speeds are up in the high 120s [kph]. There are no injury concerns there.”I think to sort of head that down that angle is a little bit unfair. We just haven’t required him at certain times for whatever reason, so that’s more a tactical implementation, as opposed to a body. I think the amount of overs that we’ve bowling across the series is probably going to be to a benefit to us.Mitchell Marsh has had a lean series but appears likely to keep his place•Getty Images

“Across the entirety of the series, it’s been relatively light, so I’d expect both attacks to be in decent shape to be able to press [in the final Test]. So does that mean you need a fifth bowler? I think you still need a fifth bowler. But are you going to put a huge demand on the fifth bowler, potentially not.”However, Marsh’s limited contributions have further exacerbated his lean returns with the bat. The reigning Allan Border Medalist was Australia’s best Test batter last season with match-winning half-centuries in four of Australia’s six wins across series against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand. But in this series he has scored just 73 runs at 10.42, with 47 of those coming in the second innings in Perth when the game was long gone. Nathan McSweeney scored 72 at 14.40 before he was dropped for the fourth Test.Despite the poor series and a history of self-doubt, McDonald believed Marsh was in a good frame of mind.”Would he like better performances? There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “Over four Test matches, he hasn’t been able to deliver at the level that he would like and we would like, but yeah he’s up and about. We just won a Test match. He’s in a pretty good headspace.”McDonald was confident his trio of quicks could handle the short turnaround to Sydney despite Starc’s soreness.”Anytime you get through the game, it’s always a good indicator that you’re a chance at the next game,” McDonald said. “It didn’t stop him. Clearly, there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm, it seemed as though he was pretty free. [His] ball speeds were good.”We’ll see how everyone recovers. Bowling last, it was a pretty attritional game, something that we’re not used to in the last few years. Clearly Starcy’s carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. But other than that, it looks as though we got through pretty unscathed, but [with a] short turnaround recovery is important, and we’ll assess what the team looks like in Sydney based upon the surface, as we always do.”Australia released Richardson to play a BBL game for Perth Scorchers in Adelaide on New Year’s Eve but he will return to the squad on Wednesday and McDonald was confident, despite his injury history, that he could be called upon to play if needed.”Very confident,” he said. “He’s here for a reason. So if we weren’t confident, he wouldn’t be here. He’s had a heavy week with us in the nets. All indications are he’d be capable of bowling 40-plus overs if he was called upon.”Sean Abbott’s there as well. We feel like, [the] SCG is his home ground, so he will be serviceable if called upon as well. It’ll be about assessing our frontline quicks and then making decisions from there.”Josh Inglis, who has been a reserve batter throughout the series, was withdrawn from the squad after picking up a calf strain while substitute fielding on the second day at the MCG. It has yet to be confirmed if a replacement will be named.

MatériaMais Notícias

O pensamento do Santos está na partida da Copa do Brasil que acontecerá nesta quarta-feira (26), contra o Botafogo-SP. Contudo, ao olhar para a competição do ano que vem, o clube ainda não tem vaga garantida para o torneio nacional da próxima temporada.

Após cair precocemente no Paulistão e não garantir presença na Copa do Brasil 2024, o Santos poderia conquistar a classificação por meio da disputa da Copa Paulista.Todavia, a Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) divulgou os clubes participantes do torneio e o Peixe não está presente.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSantosDiante do Botafogo-SP, Santos terá público de mulheres e crianças pela Copa do BrasilSantos24/04/2023SantosSantos não aproveita Vila Belmiro, Atlético-MG desperdiça chances, e o empate prevaleceSantos23/04/2023SantosSantos venceu apenas um dos últimos cinco jogos contra o Atlético-MG; veja o retrospectoSantos23/04/2023

+ATUAÇÕES: Santos tem atuação irregular, e Ângelo sai vaiado em empate com o Atlético-MG

Existem outras duas maneiras de classificação para a próxima edição da copa nacional. Uma delas é se classificar para a Copa Libertadores do ano que vem e a outra é vencer a atual edição da Copa do Brasil.

Deixar de disputar a competição não é bom negócio, principalmente se olharmos para a parte financeira. Nessa temporada, o campeão da competição, com as premiações recebidas em cada fase, pode faturar até R$ 92 milhões.

TIMES PARTICIPANTES DA COPA PAULISTA 2023:

Comercial
EC São Bernardo
Grêmio Prudente
Juventus
Marília
Mirassol
Noroeste
Oeste
Ponte Preta
Portuguesa
Portuguesa Santista
Primavera
Red Bull Bragantino
Santo André
São Bento
São Caetano
São José
XV de Piracicaba

His lifetime leadership ban was overturned last month and he will now captain again in Australia before the end of his career

Andrew McGlashan05-Nov-2024

David Warner has been named Sydney Thunder captain for this season’s BBL after his leadership ban was overturned last month.Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct Commission ruled that Warner’s ban, which was handed down after the Newlands ball-tampering scandal in 2018 and prevented him holding any leadership position in Australian cricket, should no longer be in place. It opened up the route for Warner to captain Thunder with him available for the entire season.Related

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Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

Warner's leadership ban overturned by Cricket Australia

“Quite clearly that was the last piece of that puzzle for me, and now it’s about coming out and sharing my knowledge of the game,” Warner said on being able to move on from the leadership ban. “Forever, that was probably going to be on my CV as well. You don’t want to look back when you go for a job interview and have ‘banned for life from a leadership perspective’ on your CV. That’s something that I’ll be able to now share with my girls moving forward that I’m able to actually be a leader.”After a failed attempt to overturn the ban in 2022, amid calls for the hearing to be public, Warner admitted he thought his chance had gone”I think two years ago that was probably me done,” he said. “I thought I probably wouldn’t revisit that. I didn’t even know if I was going to come back and play Big Bash”I was at that stage I was playing a Test match series [in 2022]..it could have easily been done prior to the series started but that’s why I withdrew it and I wanted to revisit that now,” he said. “It’s all done and dusted. I’m not playing for the Australian cricket team anymore and we don’t have to put the team in the spotlight.”Trent Copeland, the Thunder general manager who had been heavily involved in the appeal process, said it would help Warner cement a legacy at the club.”This is a huge moment for David and for our club,” he said. “It’s not only about his career; it’s about the legacy he’s creating, especially for his family and the next generation of players.”For the fans in Western Sydney who’ve long recognised David as a Thunder legend, it’s a special moment to now see him as their captain. This captaincy is about more than cricket; it’s about community, legacy, and helping our younger players gain the skills they need to succeed.”Warner has previously led Thunder once back in 2011 when he made an unbeaten 102 against Melbourne Stars. He has been appointed ahead of Chris Green who was captain last season when the team finished bottom.”I want to compliment the way Greeny led from the front,” Warner said. “He’s an exceptional talent with fantastic leadership qualities. Jason Sangha, too, before his injury. I gained great insight from both, and I know they’re guys I can lean on this season.”Speaking when the ban was lifted, Copeland said it was about more than Warner being able to lead a cricket team again.”This is far bigger than a cricket captaincy role. It’s leadership in a lifelong context,” he said. “This was about him, his daughters in particular, the legacy he wants to leave for his family. This is about Davey, his family and ultimately in our belief what is right at this point in time.”If that’s a lifelong ban, it’s still over him when he’s 50, 60. It just would never go away. It [what happened in 2018] may not ever go away, but I think at least this gives it a shot.”In their judgement, the review panel noted “the respectful and contrite tone of his [Warner’s] responses, as well as the content impressed the Review Panel and led it to the unanimous view that he was sincere and genuine in acknowledging responsibility for the conduct and in his statement that he had extreme remorse for his conduct.”Since his CA ban, Warner has captained teams in the BPL, IPL, and ILT20. The last time he led an Australian team was when he captained the T20I side against New Zealand in 2018.Thunder begin their BBL campaign against Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on December 17 before facing Sydney Sixers in the first derby clash at the Showground on December 21.