Former England striker Jermain Defoe has described his first managerial job as an “eye-opening experience” following his exit from National League side Woking after just four months and six league games in charge.

The 43-year-old was named the replacement for Neal Ardley in March and won two of those six matches to guide the club to a 10th-placed finish last season.

But on Thursday, Woking confirmed Defoe’s stint had come to an abrupt end after they “mutually agreed to part ways with immediate effect” – two weeks before the opening match of the new campaign against Sutton United.

“Unfortunately, circumstances have ultimately made it impossible for me to continue in the position,” Defoe said in an Instagram post.

“I am extremely proud of the work undertaken during my time at the club and genuinely felt that we were building something special.

“My time at Woking FC has been an eye-opening managerial experience and one that will undoubtedly make me stronger for the next challenge in my career.”

Defoe’s ninth and final game in charge of Woking was a 1-0 defeat by Braintree Town in one of three pre-season friendlies on Tuesday.

He scored 305 goals in 763 senior appearances for clubs including West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and Sunderland before retiring in 2022.

Defoe, who struck 20 times in 57 international appearances, was part of an interim coaching staff at Rangers in 2021 and then worked in the Spurs academy, before leaving in 2024 to pursue a full-time managerial role.

Shubman Gill; and protestors in Delhi. (ANI/PTI Photos)

NEW DELHI: India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has spoken out amid the ongoing student protests over repeated exam paper leaks, urging compassion, mutual respect and a renewed focus on safeguarding the interests of students.In a message shared on his Instagram story on Thursday, Gill stressed that India’s youth deserve every opportunity to pursue their dreams and help build the country’s future. Without referring to any specific protest or political issue, the 26-year-old underlined the importance of education and expressed support for those raising their voices peacefully. “As a young Indian, I believe our generation deserves every opportunity to learn, dream and shape the future we all aspire to,” Gill wrote.His statement comes against the backdrop of widespread protests in several parts of the country, where students have taken to the streets demanding accountability over repeated examination paper leaks.

‘I have immense respect’ for peaceful voices

Gill acknowledged the concerns of young people and praised those choosing peaceful means to express their views.“I have immense respect for every young person who believes in making their voice heard peacefully.”The India skipper said education remains one of the strongest pillars of nation-building and urged everyone to approach the situation with empathy.“Education has the power to shape our nation’s future. I hope we move forward with compassion, mutual respect and keeping the best interests of every student at heart.”He concluded his message with a simple but powerful appeal: “For India’s future.”Gill’s comments add the voice of one of the country’s biggest sporting stars to the growing conversation around ensuring fairness and trust in India’s education system.

Sporting fraternity rallies behind students

Gill is among several leading Indian sportspersons who have publicly reacted to the ongoing protests.Earlier, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar urged society to build a culture where honesty and merit triumph over shortcuts.“Failure is okay, cheating is not. Never take shortcuts,” Tendulkar wrote, adding that students’ disappointment was understandable when hard work was not rewarded.India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra also highlighted the importance of a strong education system, saying a nation’s true strength lies in the opportunities it creates for its youth.“An education system that inspires confidence, rewards merit and nurtures curiosity is one of a nation’s greatest strengths,” Bindra said, expressing hope that India would continue strengthening its education system for future generations.Grandmaster Nihal Sarin called for accountability, saying the pressure students face while preparing for crucial examinations should never be dismissed.Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said it was painful to see students being lathi-charged during protests and hoped a solution would emerge soon.Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan said no paper leak should ever destroy years of hard work and family sacrifice, while Shikhar Dhawan appealed for patience, dialogue and faith in the country’s institutions as the way forward.

Manchester United and Rosenborg are due to meet again just two years on from their last friendly clash

Two years have passed since Manchester United last took on Rosenborg and another meeting between the teams this week shows how much has changed at Old Trafford. The clubs are due to face off in Trondheim as United chase a first pre-season win of the summer after losing to Wrexham in Helsinki.

The last meeting between the two sides took place on July 15, 2024. On that occasion, United were in action for the first time since their FA Cup final win but fell to a 1-0 defeat thanks to Noah Holm’s stoppage-time effort.

Holm is no longer at Rosenborg while there have been a great deal of changes as far as the English club are concerned. Not least in the dugout, where then-manager Erik ten Hag was replaced by Ruben Amorim before Michael Carrick took over after just 14 months of the Portuguese boss.

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Player-wise, six members of United’s starting XI in Trondheim have moved on while two more could yet depart this summer. We’ve taken a look at who has stayed and who has gone.

Goalkeeper and defence

Radek Vitek started that match in goal and is the only one of the back five to still be on the playing staff at Old Trafford. However, he too could leave this summer.

“At the moment, I am still here, but we will see. I hope so,” the Czech, who wants first team football, said after the Wrexham match. “I hope there will be some interest. I think you will know when things are more concrete.”

Two of the defenders in front of him that day would end up leaving the following month. Aaron Wan-Bissaka joined West Ham, with whom he was relegated in May this year, while Will Fish could end up playing against the Hammers this coming season after his Cardiff City team earned promotion back to the Championship.

Jonny Evans partnered Fish in the middle in Norway and retired at the end of the 2024/25 but stayed with United as a coach. Left-back Sam Murray also left in 2025, signing a one-year deal with Carlisle United, though he’s now in search of a new club once more.

Midfield

Of the three midfielders to start that day, Mason Mount is the only survivor. The England international’s injury woes contributed to his failure to make his country’s World Cup squad but he was in action for United against Wrexham over the weekend.

Until a few weeks ago, Casemiro was also still around. However, the Brazilian left upon the expiry of his contract and has now begun a new chapter in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

Hannibal was back in the fold in the summer of 2024 after a spell on loan at Sevilla but didn’t last long. The Tunisian international joined Burnley on a permanent deal in August of that year and remains at Turf Moor to this day, though he may find himself attracting interest after the Clarets were relegated last term.

Attack

Pre-season often allows teams to blood youth, especially when waiting for international players to return after major tournaments. On this occasion, that meant Ethan Williams on the wing and Ethan Wheatley up front, with both academy graduates still at the club.

The other member of the front three was Marcus Rashford, who had surprisingly been left out of Gareth Southgate’s England plans for Euro 2024. He is back at Old Trafford this summer but it’s not clear for how long.

Barcelona let a buy option for the forward expire after a season-long loan but there is still reported interest in the 28-year-old. Carrick will have a big call to make on whether he sees a place for him in the squad for this upcoming season.

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WBC welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia has predicted how Terence Crawford would fare if tasked with boxing legend Thomas Hearns in his prime.

Crawford became boxing’s sixth five-division world champion when he defeated Canelo Alvarez back in September, 37 years after Hearns became boxing’s first five-weight conqueror.

Hearns is hailed as one of boxing’s greatest knockout artists, boasting 48 KOs in his 61 wins; which span across a total of six weight divisions. In 1988, ‘The Hitman’ clinched world honours in a fifth division when he decisioned James Kinchen to become the inaugural WBO super-middleweight champion.

Meanwhile, Crawford became the first fighter in 17 years to join the five-division club when he dethroned Canelo, simultaneously becoming the first post-war boxer to reign as an undisputed champion in three different divisions.

As a result, ‘Bud’ has earned his place amongst boxing’s all-time greats and now that he has retired, he is beginning to receive the recognition that his phenomenal career merits, unanimously considered as a pound-for-pound legend. 

However, in an interview with Daily Mail Sport, Garcia admitted that he would still favour Hearns in a fantasy fight with the Omaha-born switch-hitter, with the size of the Detroit icon presumably being one key factor. 

Garcia then went on to pick Hearns to come out on top against Floyd Mayweather, but admitted that Sugar Ray Leonard would always have Hearns’ number if they fought in their primes, despite their controversial rematch in 1989; where Leonard was fortunate to escape with a draw and later admitted that he lost that fight.

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges just went live in-game. A new set of 24 challenges has arrived, and if you can complete these tasks, a huge amount of XP will be rewarded. As always, Warzone and Black Ops7’s multiplayer, Endgame, and Zombies modes have 6 tasks each, and if you can complete any six among these 24, you will get the main reward for Week 1 Challenges.

The main reward of Week 1 Challenges is a unique attachment for the Jäger 45 pistol, which turns it into a menace for every electronic item in the field.

If you wish to know more about Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges and their rewards, then give the upcoming sections a read.

All Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges: All challenges according to game mode

The Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges are as follows:

Endgame/Co-op

Multiplayer

Zombies

Warzone

Main rewards for finishing the Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges

The main reward for Season 5 Week 1 Challenges is the Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit. You can get this attachment by just completing any six of the 24 tasks.

The Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit turns the pistol from a ballistic weapon to an EMP firearm. Alongside giving better movement speed, this kit changes the gun into a recharging EMP device. Although the resultant damage of the device is very low against enemy operators, it can absolutely fry any electronic device, be it throwables or Scorestreaks.

When you unlock the main reward, you will also get a bonus 10000 XP. The six tasks that you need to complete can be a mixture of challenges from any of four game modes, and don’t have to be exclusive to one. Additionally, if you can complete all 24 of the weekly challenges, then you will get a total of 96000 XP.

This covers everything we have of Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 5 Week 1 Challenges and their rewards. Follow Sportskeeda for the latest news and guides on Call of Duty.

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