Housing officers responded by illustrating the complexities that lie behind homes becoming empty or void. They stressed that there are no quick fix answers.

Forced access is not an option the council can rely to manage poor tenancies, councillors in West Lothian have been told.

A report was drafted for the Housing Services PDSP after a motion at full council earlier this year calling on ways to improve the management of council housing in a bid to stop homes being trashed by selfish tenants.

Housing officers responded by illustrating the complexities that lie behind homes becoming empty or void. They stressed that there are no quick fix answers.

The bulk of void homes returned to the council are Category C the ones in the worst condition requiring upwards of £12,000 spent to bring them back to a lettable standard.

Key to success remains early engagement with tenants an maintenance of that engagement.

The committee heard that during the last financial year 2025/26, 609 properties from the Council’s lettable housing stock became void.

In approximately half of tenancies that end, the housing officer is unlikely to have a planned or effective pre-termination visit because there is no formal termination notification The tenant has died, abandoned the tenancy or moved into care/supported accommodation, hospital or prison.

In the last year 158 homes became void because the tenant died and 177 were vacated without the tenant contacting housing staff.

There are also circumstances where, even when notice has been given, the tenant did not give access to the housing officer to complete the task.

Only 120 of the homes vacated- 20%- were left after a pre-termination visit carried out by housing officer.

Other reasons for void homes last year included: Tenant Abandonment 53 (9%); Eviction 45 (7%); Tenant moved in to Care / Supported Accommodation 49 (8%) and In Prison 7 (1%).

A report to councillors said: “A property does not usually become a difficult void because of one single issue. In many cases, poor void conditions are the result of cumulative and complex factors which have developed over time.

“While tenant behaviour, neglect, damage or lack of engagement may be relevant in some cases, poor condition should not automatically be assumed to be malicious tenant damage.”

It added: “The condition of a tenancy at void stage can also be affected by the length of the tenancy, historic repair issues, limited access during occupation, or the fact that the property has not benefited from recent capital investment or improvement works.”

Key to success remains early engagement with tenants and maintenance of that engagement.

The report outlined: “Depending on the individual tenant circumstances the housing officer can put in a follow up supervision visit with more regular visits and/or telephone contact on a planned basis.

“There could be signifiers that would ‘trigger’ further discussion. For example, the tenant has never held a tenancy before or had a failed tenancy, or has vulnerabilities due to health challenges, known addictions/substance use.”

The report added: “Forced access is not available as a general response to poor engagement, routine tenancy management concerns or suspected poor property conditions.

“It should only be considered where there is a clear legal, statutory, safety or urgent operational requirement, and where all reasonable steps have been taken to secure voluntary access.”

Councillors heard that here concerns relate to general tenancy condition, garden condition, support needs or low-level property issues, officers should continue to use tenancy supervision, engagement, support referrals, warnings and other proportionate tenancy management processes before any formal escalation is considered.

The end-to-end timescale is 6-8 weeks, which affords the tenant sufficient time to voluntarily arrange the required access. In emergency situations such as threat to life, officers would engage with Police Scotland to effect entry.

The committee heard that the housing department is working to improve void management, exploring e the potential to introduce an incentive scheme for tenants to engage in pre-termination appointments.

Other options include modernising the tenant handbook and creating bite-size videos including ‘how to’ guides to assist tenants in their home. Housing staff are also improving ‘tenant ready’ information for prospective tenants to assist them prepare for the future when offered council housing.

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Ricky Gervais has admitted ‘offending people makes it funnier for him’ as he hit back at critics who blast his controversial jokes.

The comedian, 65, is no stranger to making controversial, profanity-laden jokes and often faces backlash for his ‘offensive’ comedy. 

Yet Ricky is barely fazed by cancel culture as he believes free speech is the ‘most important human right there is’.

Speaking to Romesh Ranganathan on BBC Radio 2, Ricky said: ‘I don’t tell people not to be offended, I tell them I don’t care if they are. Be offended if you want, it makes it funnier for me. 

‘You can’t help by what you’re offended by but don’t don’t expect me to care. It’s a myth that I go out to offend, I never go out to offend. I just know that it’s probably going to happen because everyone’s different. 

‘There’s nothing you can say, particularly anything that’s mildly interesting or contentious or your viewpoint, that someone somewhere won’t find offensive. 

‘And times have changed. 20 years ago, if someone said I was offended by that, I probably would go, “Why? Now I go, “I know you are. Everyone is”. 

‘I’ve dealt with it too much, actually. I think the last couple of tours, I have dealt with cancel culture and free speech because I felt I had to. Now I don’t have to. 

‘I’m ignoring it all, I shouldn’t even bring it into the room. Those people there who’ve paid hundreds of pounds-they’re not offended. I can play to a million people, not one complaint. 

‘As soon as it goes on Netflix, 50 million people. Of course, there’s going to be someone who doesn’t like it. What am I going to do? It’s too late. I’ve been paid.’

His new show, Legend, is set to go around the world before being streamed on Netflix as part of a big-money deal.

The comedian is set to make gags about a raft of shocking taboo topics, including Jimmy Savile, suicide, and Hitler.

Ricky tested the new material at a special gig in London last month.

Joking about Savile’s depraved acts, Ricky told the crowd at Leicester Square Theatre: ‘He raped disabled children in comas. Then he died, and then we found out. People are angry, saying, “He didn’t see justice. He had a great life, and he got away with it”. Did he, though? Is that a great life?

‘If someone said to me, “Just f*** these disabled kids,” I’d go “Eugh”. So, in a way, I’m worse than him because at least he gave them a chance.’

Ricky is planning his most controversial stand-up tour ever as comedian is set to make gags about taboo topics including Jimmy Savile, suicide and Hitler

He added, ‘That is the worst thing I have ever said. That is the worst thing I’ve ever said.’

Moving on to joke that Hitler did some good things before the Holocaust, Ricky said: ‘I’m not defending him, but he did do some good stuff. Adolf’s early work… he sorted out the transport system, he invented the people car.’

As the crowd went quiet, he added: ‘All I’m saying is, whatever you think of this joke, remember I wrote The Office.’

He later said his nieces and nephews use the N-word, and he tells them, ‘Go to bed, you f***ing N-word.’

Moving on to say how he could convince internet trolls to kill themselves, Ricky continued: ‘I look at their profiles, and I think, “I could probably get them to commit suicide because they’re going to do it soon anyway, let me be a part of it, you little f***ing freak. Kill yourself, you little c***. I never would do that, but I’m thinking it.”’

He added that he would ask friends to help him die if he were paralysed, and joked he wishes he had a gun in his home for when he’s old.

Twice-deported Albanian criminal Dorian Puka is flaunting his wealth on social media, having snuck back into the UK once more. 

Videos of dogs being fed wads of £20 notes were posted by the 29-year-old on Instagram in a snub to the Home Office, who are currently trying to deport him for a third time. 

Puka was jailed twice and deported for burglaries, but re-entered the UK and has spent the past 18 months boasting of his lavish lifestyle on social media. 

In one video, the Albanian hands a wad of £20 notes to his pitbull, Cobra, and a stack of £50 notes to his pug, Mouse. 

In other clips, Puka films himself driving around in luxury cars including Ferraris and a £180,000 Lamborghini URUS V8, often filming what appears to be a big cat cub in a harness climbing about the leather seats. 

He also flaunts designer clothes, Rolexes and expensive restaurant dinners with pals online.  

Puka was first jailed ten years ago for an attempted break-in of a home in Twickenham. 

He served nine months in prison before being deported in 2017 – but within 12 months he returned to the UK and carried out a spree of break-ins. 

Puka filmed himself while sat on an armchair handing £20 and £50 notes wrapped together to his pets

The Albanian regularly shares videos on social media boasting his lavish lifestyle – while the UK Government is trying to deport him for a third time 

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It is unclear how he re-entered the country. He was eventually caught, wearing an expensive stolen watch, by a plain clothes officer in Surbiton, south-west London.  

This time, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years. But his offending did not stop once behind bars. 

He gained notoriety by posting photos on a smuggled phone with prisoners associated with organised crime groups. In one selfie, he posed with a fellow convict and wrote: ‘From H.M.P. we jump in V.I.P.!!!!’.  

Puka was then deported in March 2020, but was back by the following January. Social media posts showed he had travelled via Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. 

At the time the information was passed to the Home Office, but despite warning that he ‘should be prepared to face prosecution and removal’ he continued to live in the UK unimpeded. 

Currently, Puka faces deportation for the third time after the Government won a lower-tier immigration tribunal hearing to remove him from the UK following the rejection of his asylum claim. He has appealed against the ruling, the Telegraph reported.  

The criminal’s record and prison sentences make him eligible for automatic deportation from the UK. 

But a loophole has meant he has remained in the country for more than three years because the Home Office has been unable to deport him while his asylum claim and legal challenges are ongoing. 

Puka posts his lavish meals out on social media, despite being deported twice and jailed twice in the UK for burglaries  

His offending didn’t stop when he was behind bars either, as he gained a reputation by posting photos on a smuggled phone with prisoners associated with organised crime groups (pictured left: Dorian Puka)

A spokesman for the Home Office said: ‘This individual is a known foreign national offender, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure they are removed as soon as possible. While there are ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot comment further. 

‘Nearly 10,000 foreign national offenders have been returned under this Government. We will continue to do everything we can to remove these criminals from our streets.’ 

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is currently changing the law so that it is more difficult for foreign criminals and illegal migrants to use human rights law to avoid deportation. 

The appeals system is also being streamlined, and fast-track routes are being created to remove foreign offenders more quickly.  

Two years ago, the Daily Mail tracked Puka down to the Carbis Bay Hotel near St Ives in Cornwall – a luxury seaside hotel which previously hosted world leaders including Boris Johnson and Joe Biden at the 2021 G7 summit.

The Mail questioned him while he sipped coffee with a female companion in The Orangery restaurant.

He told our reporter he had come for a birthday trip and the Home Office knew he was there. He then changed his story, saying he was only there to use the swimming pool.

He said: ‘So what? They [The Home Office] know everything so why do you need to know? I have a tag on my leg, what is the problem?

‘I have problems in my home country. I have a tag on my leg, they know everything so why are you disturbing me. I don’t know what you want from me, you are disturbing me.’

Asked how he felt his victims might react to him staying at the hotel, he replied: ‘It doesn’t matter what people think.’ Puka then tried to claim that questioning him was racist and demanded the police be called.

The stay is likely to have cost Puka at least £5,000 – a princely sum for a man whose two deportations prevent him from working legally in the UK.

Despite this, he appears able to pay for a flurry of high-end creature comforts, including fast cars, golfing holidays, and shisha bars – all documented on his Instagram for other would-be thieves to see. 

Since returning to Britain, he has shown off a fleet of luxury cars that includes a £75,000 Porsche Cayenne, a £130,000 Mercedes G-Wagon, £155,000 Bentley Bentayga, a £55,000 BMW X5, a £46,000 Mercedes AMG, and a £35,000 Jaguar XF.

Other social media posts showed him enjoying evenings at local shisha bars, treating relatives to high-end meals, and unboxing a brand-new Patek Philippe watch. 

“I think even if we don’t want to admit it, because it always feels like an excuse, and we would never talk about it, but I feel that the game in Mexico, the altitude, the travelling, we lost a complete amount of sleep, and the game in the heat in Norway in extra time and was smaller than.

“So I felt that, and I think it is part of the development of the game. The players; these players are very important. They will literally gain everything physically in every single match.

“If you see these data drop, there must be a reason behind it because the motivation was through the roof, like for every other team who made it into.

“We could not reach these kind of intensities. I think Argentina found another year, found another moment, found another belief.

“They built something over several years and have of course the experience of overcoming these kind of moments and these kind of matches and winning titles together. So this came into play. Messi was on the other side.”

JK Rowling has said she is ‘burning with fury’ after Amnesty International blacklisted her women’s charity in a row over trans rights. 

The author, who founded Beira’s Place in 2022 to support victims of sexual violence, was named among a list of nearly 200 organisations that the NGO has accused of moving the dial back on the rights of women and the LGBT community. 

Ms Rowling, who is best known for writing the Harry Potter book series, is an outspoken women’s rights campaigner, focusing on single-sex spaces.

The author’s charity describes itself as a ‘safe and supportive sexual assault service for women in Edinburgh‘ which ‘offers support, advocacy and information in a safe, women-only space’. 

Ms Rowling has now said she is ‘burning with fury’ after Amnesty blacklisted Beira’s Place alongside 176 other organisations that the NGO accuses of rolling back LGBT and women’s rights. 

Also featured in Amnesty’s report are Sex Matters, a charity which supports legal action to protect single-sex spaces and For Women Scotland, the campaign group whose legal action led to the Supreme Court to rule that ‘women’ in equality law refers to biological females, and therefore does not include trans women. 

In scathing social media posts criticising her charity’s inclusion in Amnesty’s list, Ms Rowling said: ‘Amnesty is no longer the organisation that defended all who were persecuted for their freedom of speech. 

‘It has become a self-appointed, vainglorious policeman of wrongthink. It tweets out ideological slogans. It demonises those who disagree with those slogans. It intervened in FWS v Scottish Ministers, on the side of those determined to keep men in women’s prisons and rape crisis centres… 

Amnesty International produced a report of organisations that it believes are holding back women’s and LGBT rights – including Ms Rowling’s Ediburgh rape centre Beira’s Place

‘You cannot be simultaneously an impartial defender of freedom and speech and a wealthy international witch hunter that publicly vilifies and intimidates small campaigning groups with whom you disagree. 

‘As for “silencing” Amnesty, I have neither the power nor the desire to do so. I want them to explain as loudly and extensively as possible why they are using their might and formerly lustrous reputation to attack small non-violent campaigning organisations with legally protected beliefs.’

Ms Rowling added: ‘Amnesty’s attack on Beira’s Place has left me burning with the kind of fury that mounts with every passing hour.’

She also said: ‘I am still f*****g furious, thanks for asking.’

On Friday, the head of Amnesty International UK was urged to resign after a report by the charity suggested ‘gender-critical’ feminists were anti-trans rights. 

The report by the global charity’s British arm claimed gender-critical people – who believe someone’s true gender is based on biology rather than how they identify – represent ‘a movement against the rights of women and LGBTI people’.

Published in May and available on its website, it claims ‘the growth and influence of the GC [gender–critical] movement’ is ‘worrying’ and has been normalised by the media. 

It also calls on journalists to ‘qualify GC and explain that it is an ideological stance that seeks to restrict the rights of trans people’ in their reporting. 

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Ms Rowling took to X to share her ‘fury’ over Amnesty’s report, which listed more than 170 organisations it considers anti-trans

The emergence of the document, called ‘Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender critical movement in the UK’, sparked calls for Kerry Moscogiuri to consider resigning after a separate report also sparked a backlash last week.

It had to be removed after it dubbed Beira’s Place ‘anti-rights’. 

The Harry Potter author later threatened to bankroll legal action over the report, including other organisations who were listed – prompting Amnesty to remove it from their website.

Beira’s Place claimed the briefing has caused ‘extremely serious’ damage to the service, its staff and the women who rely on it and that it was bombarded with threats and abuse.

It emerged on Thursday that Amnesty UK had referred itself to the charity regulator after backlash from the report. 

The NGO apologised and removed the report, saying it had not gone through the ‘established internal review processes’. 

Campaigners have said the latest document proves Amnesty is aiming to target gender-critical feminists.

The Times has uncovered a video posted on Amnesty UK’s Bluesky account on June 1 in which the NGO’s gender justice spokeswoman, Chiara Capraro, said its new research had found that the number of ‘anti-trans organisations’ had risen from three in 2017 to 51. 

Ms Rowling has threatened Amnesty International with legal action, prompting the organisation to remove the report from its website. The NGO has now referred itself to the charity regulator

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She claimed such groups formed part of a global network, adding: ‘That’s why we’re exposing them.’

The Charity Commission watchdog said it was aware of complaints against Amnesty, saying: ‘We are assessing the matters raised to determine what, if any, role there might be for us as charity law regulator.’

An Amnesty International UK spokesman previously said: ‘”Like a snowball: the growth and reach of the gender critical movement in the UK” examines the role of mainstream media coverage in shaping public debate about trans issues in the UK.

‘Among its findings, it reported that four major UK newspapers published nearly 17,000 articles on trans-related topics over a five-year period, equivalent to around nine articles per day.

‘The report argues that trans people have become a highly contested subject in public discourse, while trans voices have often been underrepresented in that coverage.’

A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with Amnesty International UK’s position. 

‘Its use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK which is why it was promptly removed. We are conducting a thorough review into how this serious issue occurred.

‘We remain committed to defending human rights, including the rights of women and girls, and the rights of trans people.

‘The rights of one community do not diminish the rights of another. Human rights protections are strongest when they apply equally to everyone. 

‘No community should be singled out for unfair treatment or denied their dignity and rights.’

Like many locations in the region, Lanchester is one that heavily relied on mining previously – with a small mining development closing in the 1970s.

However, following the industrial period for the village, it has been replaced by a great visitor village with several cultural attractions around it, several walking routes through it and nearby, and a culture of pubs, cafés and independent shops. 

Boasting picturesque locations, such as Dora’s Wood and Waters’ Meet, there are plenty of options when it comes to food and drinks – which sees The King’s Head pub, The Lanchester Fish Bar, and Serendipity Café. 

This is in addition to independent shops in the village, including Get Ahead Hats, Hanley and Sons Family Butcher, and Lanchester Hardware.

Cultural attractions near Lanchester include Potter’s World, Lanchester Garden Centre, and Lanchester Country Homes & Gifts.

According to TripAdvisor, those visiting Lanchester have been impressed by what they have seen – with many dishing out high praise to the village and all it offers. 

Recommended reading: 

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One person who visited Potter’s World said: “Amazing Value family day out. What’s not to like – the animals where all were well cared for and the venue is spotless.

“Spent a good couple of hours with our 7-year-old grandson who was captivated with the parrots snakes lizards and the whole experience. Finished our visit with amazing ice cream”

Meanwhile, another person who visited Lanchester Garden Centre added: “We just popped in by chance very well presented to be fair didn’t need any plants just a hot drink but when we saw the special and menu decided to take part well worth a visit meals great value service very good.”

A remarkable photo of Lionel Messi cradling a baby Lamine Yamal has resurfaced ahead of the 2026 World Cup final — taken 19 years ago at Camp Nou when Yamal’s family won a raffle to meet a Barcelona player.

Lionel Messi is poised to go head-to-head with Spain’s teenage prodigy in the World Cup final – 19 years after their first extraordinary meeting.

In 2007, the parents of Spain’s Lamine Yamal secured a competition prize to meet a Barcelona player when their son was merely five months old. That player turned out to be Messi, who was 20 at the time and already establishing himself as a rising talent for both Barcelona and Argentina – the same country that eliminated England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

Photographer Joan Monfort documented the encounter in a collection of memorable photographs. They resurfaced two years ago when Yamal played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, after his father posted one of the images online with the words “The beginning of two legends”.

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In the photographs, a smiling Messi can be seen holding and bathing a tiny infant who would later trace such a strikingly similar path in his football career.

“It is a true miracle of destiny,” Monfort said. “It is serendipity – when you find something extra special, so much bigger than you ever thought. If you wrote this in a film it would not seem possible.”, reports the Mirror, reports the Irish Mirror.

The photoshoot took place in the away changing room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium, with Yamal’s family having won a competition to be there. His parents – Moroccan-born Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana, originally from Equatorial Guinea – met after both moved to Barcelona as youngsters.

Yamal is their firstborn child, and shortly after his arrival, the couple entered a raffle organised by Catalan newspaper Sport in conjunction with Barcelona shirt sponsor and global children’s charity Unicef.

Those picked at random would have professional photographs taken of their newborn alongside a Barcelona first-team player. Yamal was among those chosen, and on the day the family turned up, they were paired with Messi entirely by chance.

“I had no idea it was Yamal in the photo until one my friends called me in 2024 and told me his father had posted it to Instagram,” Monfort recalled. “Messi is a really introverted guy, very timid and shy.

“He came into the dressing room and suddenly had to take these photos with a little baby – not even a kid, a proper baby and his face changed like he had no idea what to do! It is difficult for a young man, but Lamine was a very happy, smiley little baby.

“His mum Sheila helped us, she was a young girl and they were a very poor family, but they were very nice to work with.

“Messi was always a professional in these kinds of things and he adapted to the situation very quickly.”

At the time in 2007, Messi still sported the number 19 shirt for Barcelona, only taking on the iconic number 10 jersey a year later following Ronaldinho’s exit from the club. By the time he reached his 19th birthday, Messi had scored 11 career goals and secured La Liga and the Uefa Champions League once each.

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Now having celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, Yamal has already amassed a remarkable 56 goals, alongside three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and Euro 2024.

Yamal isn’t actually the player’s surname, but the second of his two given names. His full name is Lamine Yamal Naraoui Ebana, and he wears the first two on his shirt for both Barcelona and Spain as a mark of respect to two people who helped his family around the time of his birth.

Spanish media have widely reported that Yamal’s father vowed to name him after two friends who offered financial support to the family, allowing them to pay their bills during a spell of financial difficulty.

Lamine is a common male name in Arabic. It means honest or trustworthy in English.

Yamal is a variant of Jamal, meaning elegance or beauty.

He grew up in Rocafonda, a working-class neighbourhood in Mataro, 20 miles north of Barcelona. Yamal has celebrated some of his goals by forming a 3-0-4 sign with his fingers, a nod to Rocafonda’s postcode.

Speaking to El Pais earlier in the tournament, Yamal said: “What my mother has done, what my father has done, I couldn’t have done that for anyone who is not my child. If you don’t have money, it’s very hard to help your child play football.

“And my parents managed to make all that happen. It’s something I’ll never be able to repay them for.”

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On the ground floor are a welcoming entrance hall; a generous light-filled sitting room, centred around a wood-burning stove and with double doors opening into the adjoining garden room, which takes full advantage of the property’s elevated position to frame the panoramic views; a utility room; cloakroom and the dining kitchen.

A well-proportioned open-plan space, this encompasses a stylish kitchen with modern fitted units, integrated appliances and a central island with breakfast bar seating at its heart and has ample room for a family-sized dining table and seating adjoining the kitchen, making it perfect for both everyday family living and entertaining.

This family home in Stillington offers buyers spacious and attractive accommodation and plenty of outdoor space. (Image: YoungsRPS)

French doors provide access from the dining area onto a garden terrace.

Upstairs off the spacious landing is the family bathroom and four double bedrooms.

The principal bedroom – which benefits from a dedicated dressing alcove – is particularly well proportioned and enjoys south-facing views.

Above the main garage is an ancillary space, which has the potential for a variety of uses, subject to obtaining any necessary consents.

This family home in Stillington offers buyers spacious and attractive accommodation and plenty of outdoor space. (Image: YoungsRPS)

The property sits in generous grounds with approximately 0.25 acres of formal gardens, predominantly laid to lawn.

It also has three garages, a workshop/home office, potting shed and private gated driveway.

While enjoying a rural position close to the village of Bishopton, this family home is also within easy reach of Sedgefield, Darlington and Yarm.

This family home in Stillington offers buyers spacious and attractive accommodation and plenty of outdoor space. (Image: YoungsRPS)

PROPERTY FACTS

2 Bishopton Crossing, Stillington

Price: £495,000

YoungsRPS 01740 622100

www.youngsrps.com

This family home in Stillington offers buyers spacious and attractive accommodation and plenty of outdoor space. (Image: YoungsRPS)

This family home in Stillington offers buyers spacious and attractive accommodation and plenty of outdoor space. (Image: YoungsRPS)

Man Utd announced the signing of midfielder Andrey Santos from Chelsea at the beginning of the week.

Michael Carrick described Andrey Santos as a “fantastic player and character” ahead of his pre-season debut for Manchester United. Santos completed a £50million move from Chelsea on Monday.

The deal was structured as an initial £48million for the 22-year-old, with a further £2million in add-ons, and he signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford.

Santos was behind Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the midfield pecking order at Chelsea, but a move to Manchester will give him the opportunity to kick on in his career following Casemiro’s departure.

The Brazilian will make his pre-season debut against Wrexham in Helsinki on Saturday afternoon. Michael Carrick spoke to MUTV ahead of that game, and he was asked how Santos had settled in this week.

“Yeah, he’s settled in really well,” Carrick said. “Fantastic character. Settled in so quickly and he’s buzzing to be here. You can see that. He’s a fantastic player, so again, you know, not expecting anything crazy special today.

“It’s just a step, you know, get your eye in, get back on the pitch again, and he’ll do really well for us. So I’m really looking forward to the progression that will show the longer he is here, to be honest. But today, the first one, it’s nice to get that first one out of the way.”

Carrick also explained his team selection, adding: “I’m just trying to get the understanding between the relationships a little bit and the boys knowing each other and trying to develop that as we go through pre-season.

“I think the senior kind of senior boys that we’ve had that haven’t been away kind of make up a good team, so yeah. It fits quite nicely, you know? Sometimes you overload in certain areas and it fits quite nicely, so I think it makes sense to go with that and then look forward to the younger players’ second half.”