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Shea Charles: Fulham sign Northern Ireland midfielder from Southampton for £30m

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Fulham have confirmed the signing of Southampton midfielder Shea Charles in a deal worth up to £30m.

The 22-year-old becomes the most expensive Northern Ireland footballer of all-time after signing a five year contract at Craven Cottage.

The fee consists of a £26m fee up front with a potential further £6m in performance-related add-ons.

Charles, who started his career at Manchester City, also attracted interest from Leeds United but has opted to move to west London to replace Sasa Lukic following the Serbia international’s £9m move to Ipswich Town last week.

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“I’m buzzing to finally get it over the line. The club has got a really good foundation, from the bottom to the top really,” Charles told the club’s official website.

“It’s a great club, with a really good vision – the manager explained that to me. To be here is a massive privilege.

“I hope to really kickstart my Premier League career. At such a good club as well, it’s perfect for me, and hopefully perfect for the fans as well.”

Charles becomes Fulham‘s third signing since the appointment of new manager Alvaro Arbeloa following his spell as interim Real Madrid boss during the second half of 2024-25.

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Charles also becomes Fulham‘s third most expensive signing behind striker Gonzalo Garcia, who joined from Real Madrid earlier this month, and winger Kevin from Shakhtar last summer. Both deals were worth about £34m.

Since Arbeloa’s arrival – following the departure of Marco Silva to take charge of Benfica – Fulham have signed two players from Madrid, Garcia and midfielder Cesar Palacios, before the capture of Charles.

The Cottagers travel to Malaga on Wednesday and host face German club Stuttgart on Saturday, 15 August before Chelsea are their visitors on Monday, 24 August in their Premier League opener.

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ILT20: Finn Allen, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen among big names for Season 5 | Cricket News

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ILT20: Finn Allen, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen among big names for Season 5
Finn Allen has been roped in by the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders as a pre-auction signing for ILT20 Season 5. (Reuters)

Dubai: Finn Allen, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen will headline the new arrivals for the ILT20 Season 5, with the three T20 batters set to make their tournament debuts when the sixth-team competition returns in November-December.New Zealand opener Allen has joined Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while South Africa’s Miller and Klaasen will turn out for Gulf Giants. Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will return to the league with Dubai Capitals after a three-year absence.The six franchises completed their foreign-player pre-auction signings on Monday (August 3), with each team allowed to sign up to four players before the main auction.Several familiar faces will also remain with their Season 4 franchises. Jason Holder and Sunil Narine will continue with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while defending champions Desert Vipers have retained Shimron Hetmyer.Dubai Capitals have stuck with Rovman Powell and Mustafizur Rahman, with Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan and Romario Shepherd returning to MI Emirates and Sikandar Raza staying with Sharjah Warriorz.Defending champions Desert Vipers have also brought back Andries Gous and Dan Lawrence, while Gulf Giants have retained Azmatullah Omarzai and Blessing Muzarabani.Among the other pre-auction signings, Afghanistan’s Mujeeb-ur-Rahman will move to Desert Vipers after playing for Dubai Capitals in Season 4. Sherfane Rutherford joins MI Emirates, while James Vince, Adam Milne and Waqar Salamkheil have been signed by Sharjah Warriorz.Dubai Capitals have added Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, who played for Desert Vipers last season.Allen arrives in the UAE after a prolific run in international T20 cricket. The 27-year-old smashed a 33-ball century against South Africa in the semi-final of the 2026 T20 World Cup and has scored 1,663 runs in 62 T20Is at a strike rate of 170.73, including three centuries.Miller, meanwhile, brings considerable experience to the Gulf Giants. The South African left-hander has played 140 T20Is and scored 2,804 runs at an average of 33.78 and a strike rate of 141.40.Klaasen has established himself as one of the most destructive batters in the format, particularly against spin. The South Africa wicketkeeper-batter has scored 1,000 T20I runs in 58 appearances and has close to 7,000 runs from almost 300 T20 matches across his career.

Marcus Stoinis ILT20 1280

Marcus Stoinis returns to ILT20 after a three-year gap. (Image: Creimas)

Stoinis, a member of Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup-winning side, has been a regular in the country’s white-ball teams for more than a decade. He has scored 1,416 runs in 87 T20Is at a strike rate of 146.28 and has also taken 53 wickets with his medium pace.The six teams will complete their squads at the ILT20 Season 5 Player Auction in Dubai on October 1. Squads must contain between 18 and 23 players, with UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and additional overseas players available through the auction.Players can register for the auction until September 12. Each franchise will also be permitted one additional wildcard signing after the auction.Season 5 of the six-team, 34-match tournament will be played across November and December.ILT20 Season 5 – List of Pre-Auction Signings:Abu Dhabi Knight RidersFinn Allen – Pre-Auction SigningJason Holder – Pre-Auction Signing (Played for ADKR as Wildcard in Season 4)Matthew Tromp – Pre-Auction SigningSunil Narine – Returns to the squadDesert VipersAndries Gous – Returns to the squadDan Lawrence – Returns to the squadMujeeb-ur-Rahman – Pre-Auction Signing (Played for Dubai Capitals in Season 4)Shimron Hetmyer – Pre-Auction Signing (Played for DV as Wildcard in Season 4)Dubai CapitalsMarcus Stoinis – Pre-Auction SigningMustafizur Rahman – Returns to the squadNoor Ahmad – Pre-Auction Signing (played for the Vipers in Season 4)Rovman Powell – Returns to the squadGulf GiantsAzmatullah Omarzai – Returns to the squadBlessing Muzarabani – Returns to the squadDavid Miller – Pre-Auction SigningHeinrich Klaasen – Pre-Auction SigningMI EmiratesNicholas Pooran – Returns to the squadRashid Khan – Returns to the squadRomario Shepherd – Returns to the squadSherfane Rutherford – Pre-Auction SigningSharjah WarriorzAdam Milne – Pre-Auction Signing (played for the Warriorz in Season 3)James Vince – Pre-Auction SigningWaqar Salamkheil – Pre-Auction SigningSikandar Raza – Returns to the squad

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Updated Timetable for Irish athletes in action tonight

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On the opening night of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, a number of Irish athletes will be in action in the Alexandra Stadium.

The updated timetable for Irish competitors tonight is as follows:

Sarah Lavin – 100m Hurdles – Round One Heat 2 – 7.42pm

Ciara Neville – Women’s 100m – Semi-Final 2 – 8.18pm

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Eric Favors – Men’s Shot Put – Final – 8.33pm

Nicola Tuthill – Women’s Hammer Throw – Qualification Group B – 8.38pm

Darragh McElhinney – Men’s 5000m – Final – 8.40pm
Nick Griggs – Men’s 5000m – Final – 8.40pm
Brian Fay – Men’s 5000m – Final – 8.40pm

Abbie Sheridan – Women’s 3000m Steeplechase – Round One Heat 2– 9.13pm

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LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

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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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