News about David Villa

TOM COLLOMOSSE AT VILLA PARK: It was while walking through Warsaw airport in September 2023 that Mail Sport was first alerted to what the football world thinks of Jhon Duran. The Colombia forward had been labelled one of the best young talents in the game when he signed for Villa in January 2023, yet such claims must always be taken with a pinch of salt. After all, clubs are hardly going to play it down when they spend £18million on a little-known footballer with limited senior experience. Yet a WhatsApp exchange with a prominent sporting director, who was working in Italy at the time but is now elsewhere, is worth recalling now.

Premier League legend Heskey, 46, played for the Newcastle Jets over two seasons, before returning to England to finish his career with Bolton Wanderers in 2016. Heskey, who is best remembered for his stints at Leicester City and Liverpool , scored 10 goals in 42 games for the Jets at a time where exciting names were heading Down Under, including Alessandro Del Piero and David Villa.

MATT BARLOW IN BERLIN: The German capital woke slowly. Blurry from the night before and the demolition of Scotland. More like Berlin with a sore head and by the time vision cleared and focus returned the place was teeming with Croatia supporters. More than 50,000 in their red-and-white everything bringing new meaning to the city of Chequered Point Charlie. They outnumbered Spain fans by about 10 to one, stirring up a raucous din as they descended on the Olympic Stadium to unfurl their banners and light their flares. Then they ran into Luis de la Fuente's irresistible team, who rattled in three goals inside the first 45 minutes, scored by Alvaro Morata , Fabian Ruiz and Dani Carvajal, and made the Croatians look as if this might be one tournament too far. Zlatko Dalic's team were easily sliced open by the Spanish, who are more purposeful under new boss De la Fuente than his predecessor Luis Enrique. They retain all the technical artistry but can be more direct.

MATT BARLOW IN BERLIN: Ten years on from the World Cup demolition at the hands of the Dutch that marked the end of their golden era and Spain are beginning to believe again. 'We feel as strong as the strongest,' declared Luis de la Fuente on the eve of this tournament, where his team will start against Croatia, the opening fixture to the fiendish Group B. De La Fuente is 18 months into the job of restoring lustre to a team which passed itself to a standstill under Luis Enrique at the World Cup in Qatar then failed to score a single penalty as they crashed out in a last-16 shootout against Morocco.

Despite a Wayne Rooney goal, Manchester United fell short of the strength of Pedro, Lionel Messi, and David Villa, losing 3-1 at Wembley Stadium. It was a humbling night for Barca, with 19 shots to United's four and 63 percent possession. United could not get near them after suffering 16 fouls.

Chelsea legend Dider Drogba demonstrated he still got it when he scored two top quality goals in Qatar on Friday night. Drogba was one of a number of footballing legends competing in the Match for Hope, which featured a lineup featuring David Villa, Kaka, and Eden Hazard. As he scored two superb finishes for Team Aboflah, he clearly knows where the goal is.

Roberto Carlos was far from impressed with IShowSpeed's first half appearance in Qatar's charity match on Friday, and jokingly told him. The match took place in Qatar's Match for Hope charity festival, which featured a line of football legends, including Drogba, David Villa, Kaka, and Eden Hazard. During a first half to forget, Speed, who has a tradition of horrible times in such games, added two more to the collection.

Fans adored Didier Drogba's quick wit in reaction to an uncomfortable question asked by IShowSpeed. The match took place in Qatar following the participation of a lineup of football stars, including Drogba, David Villa, Eden Hazard, and Roberto Carlos.

Exclusive BY JAKE NISSE: As many expansion teams do, St. Louis City SC boosted optimism eight months ahead of its maiden MLS season. The results have been much better than even the most cynical players or coaches could have hoped. I would lie if I say it's not surprising,' standout Eduard Lowen said.

IAN LADYMAN: When Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi first became the country's richest football club, they discovered themselves on the front and back of a tabloid newspaper on the same day. They were laughing on the front page for some financial problem, and on the back page they were mocked for predicting that every famous footballer on the planet would be bought,' a source heavily involved at the time.'

Pep Guardiola has scaled the Everest of club football once more. Manchester City's victory over Inter Milan in Saturday night's Champions League final capped off a memorable Treble triumph, with Europe's highest award added to the Premier League and FA Cup. However, this isn't the first time one of his teams has dominated a season in such a way. In his first season as Barcelona's first-team coach, 2008-09, the team won the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, where they defeated reigning champions Manchester United in the final. They came within a whisker of a repeat in 2010, winning LaLiga and then beating United in the Champions League final two seasons.

PETE JENSON: At the Nou Camp, Spain's scoring hero David Villa believes El Clasico today may be a tale of two Brazilian wingers with Raphinha and Vinicius going head to head. Villa scored twice on his Clasico debut in 2010, when Pep Guardiola's team defeated Jose Mourinho's side 5-0. Following a verb war between the two coaches, the game was played.

Punditry teams have become an integral part of the sporting viewing experience, and in some cases, they are more amusing than the sport itself. With viewers wanting the very best sub-plote to accompany the main event, pundits are scrutinized more than ever before. Thomas Schlachter of Sportsmail has been ranked among the best punditry teams from a variety of sports based on four key areas: entertainment, analysis, chemistry, and star power.

JANAGE FJORTOFT: Well before Erling Haaland moved to England, there were some very lazy pundits around. After Liverpool defeated Manchester City in the Community Shield, skeptics emerged again. Haaland wasn't at his best that day but, as I said at the time, if he plays badly and still has three good chances to score, imagine what he could be like? A few weeks ago, I shot a documentary with Erling detailing the process he and his consultants went through to select a team, compiling pros and cons, and assessing their relative strengths. Alfie's father, Alfie, was important, but they were also able to discuss options with his agent Mino Raiola before he died, and he accepted their decisions.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Jack Harrison's first encounter with Jesse Marsch was not ideal. Harrison made his debut against the Marsch's New York Red Bulls in 2016, when a youth playing for New York City FC in the American MLS. They beat us 7-0,' says Harrison.' The two guys' lives were different this time but not much better. Last February, Marsch had just taken over Leeds United, and Harrison was late on the American's first day.

Who would have thought Old Trafford would be the scene of the most ridiculous piece of Bargain Hunt scavenging football has seen for many a season?