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Ifeanyi Ndukwe: The Liverpool teenager who can’t play in Premier League because of Brexit

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Since Brexit, and with the UK no longer part of the European Union, clubs now have to navigate a more complex work permit system to ensure players – especially those who are yet to establish themselves at the top level – are able to move to England.

Austria youth international Ndukwe doesn’t currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to obtain a work visa.

There is another route into the squad, through taking up an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which is awarded to foreign players who do not qualify for the standard GBE.

Premier League and Championship clubs have up to four ESC places available, based on the percentage of minutes clubs gave to their England Qualified Players (EQP) in the previous campaign.

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But clubs are not entitled to all four spots automatically.

The magic number is 35% of minutes, which means clubs can use four ESC players. Dropping below that begins to reduce the number of ESC slots available.

Liverpool‘s percentage last season means they only get one ESC place, which has already been taken by Senegalese 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye.

Last season, Freddie Woodman, Gomez, Rhys Williams, Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha were the only English players in Liverpool‘s squad, playing a collective 83 times in the Premier League.

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This comes after Liverpool lost the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Tyler Morton and loaned out Harvey Elliott.

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Alex Eala getting Serena Williams ‘star status’ comparison from ex-Brit No. 1 leaves fans shocked: “Absolutely not”

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Former British pro Greg Rusedski’s comparison of Alex Eala’s newfound stardom rivaling that of Serena Williams left fans aghast. Eala was already pegged as a future superstar once she won the girls’ singles title at the US Open 2022.

The young Filipina made headlines with her wins over Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys en route to the semifinals of the Miami Open 2025. However, consistency evaded her for the rest of the season. She has remedied that this year with some incredible results.

Eala ousted defending champion Swiatek to reach the fourth round of a Major for the first time at Wimbledon. She then captured her maiden WTA title in Washington a fortnight ago, beating the likes of Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula along the way.

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The 21-year-old’s rapid rise has led to a massive congregation of fans from her home country coming out to cheer for her at every tournament. Her recent string of impressive results has increased her stature in general. Rusedski observed the same and commented about it on a recent episode of his podcast, Off Court with Greg. He compared Eala’s stardom to that of 23-time Major champion, Serena Williams.

“There’s only one other person that I can compare to her sort of star status. It’s Serena Williams,” Rusedski said.

Rusedski’s comments were shared on social media. Fans felt that he was jumping the gun by comparing Eala to Williams. They were quick to point out the same in the comments on Instagram.

“Let’s calm down,” wrote one fan.

“Only in the Phillipines lol,” commented another fan.

“I absolutely disagree. This is way too much hype,” stated a fan.

“Absolutely not comparable not even close,” opined another user.

“This is a stretch! A BIG one!” stated one fan.

“I’m a Filipino fan but I think not yet in there lets keep her going and winning some,” wrote one fan.

“I respectfully disagree. Serena, Sharapova, Kournikova, Gauff and Osaka got more hype than Eala but Alex is on her way,” stated another fan.

“Eala has a long way to go before she gets any real clout. There are plenty of other WTA stars in front of her,” commented one user.

Fans react to Greg Rusedski's comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)Fans react to Greg Rusedski's comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)
Fans react to Greg Rusedski’s comments on Alex Eala. (Source: Instagram)

Eala recently competed at the Canadian Open, where her second-round match had to be moved to a bigger stadium due to an increase in demand. Her campaign came to an end with a fourth-round loss to Belinda Bencic.


Alex Eala set to make her Cincinnati Open debut

Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)
Alex Eala at the Canadian Open 2026. (Source: Getty)

Alex Eala carried the momentum from her title-winning run at the Mubadala DC Open to a fourth-round finish at the Canadian Open. She will aim to fine-tune her preparation for the US Open with another good showing at her upcoming tournament, the Cincinnati Open 2026.

This will be Eala’s main draw debut at the Cincinnati Open. She will be seeded 17th, and will receive a first-round bye. The tournament will take place from August 13-23.

Eala has performed quite well on hardcourts at the WTA 1000 level this year. She made the quarterfinals in Dubai, and reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open, the Miami Open, and the Canadian Open. She will aim to sustain this form in Cincinnati as well.

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