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Dwight Gayle’s summer switch from Peterborough to Premier League new boys Crystal Palace yesterday marks a remarkable rise for the one time carpenter.

Even Gayle himself admitted his ascendance to the highest league in the English game is unprecedented. ‘To be playing in the Premier League from where I’ve come from is a big achievement’, the pintsize 22 year old remarked. You can say that again Mr Gayle. Released at the age of 12 by Arsenal for being ‘too small’, Gayle fell out of love with the game for several years. His football activity was only extending as far as a kick-about in the park with his friends. In 2009, one of his friends brought him for a trial at Stansted FC- affectionately known as the ‘airport men.’ Dwight never looked back from there. Scoring an incredible 57 goals in his inaugural season in the Essex Senior League, he quickly caught the attention of then Dagenham and Redbridge manager John Still. Still quickly snapped him up yet financial restraints meant he was loaned immediately to Bishop’s Stortford. Producing players like Craig Mackail-Smith and Steve Morison, the concoction of being a permanent Daggers player and gaining experience in Hertfordshire in hindsight did wonders for Gayle. He broke the latter’s club record goals tally with 42 to his name. It then took a mere 4 months for Daggers boss Still to cash in on his star striker-and Peterborough have done the same this time to the greatest league of them all.

Whilst the transfer fee is officially undisclosed, several sources report the deal could be worth up to £8.5 million. In typical charismatic style, Ian Holloway declared himself ‘annoyed that it took until this season to secure Gayle’. It seems Holloway was one of 13 interested parties in Gayle, who scored an impressive 20 goals in 49 appearances in his debut season in the Football League, including 13 for Posh. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as the Cambridgeshire club suffered relegation on the last day of the 2012-13 Championship season, ironically going down to a defeat from Crystal Palace.

If Palace themselves are to defy the odds and avoid the trap door at the first time of asking, it is clear that Gayle will be an imperative player. Critics will argue that the reported fee is too high for a man with as little experience as Gayle, many of which would never have seen him play let alone fairly assessed his ability. I can speak for many in saying that this 22 year old will go far in the game having seen him play several games at Victoria Road-home of the Daggers. The most impressive thing about Gayle was and still is his all-round contribution to the team-not just in the form of scoring goals but also creating chances for his teammates with his impeccable movement. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg. Gayle’s pace will cause problems for even the best defences in the country. His finishing in front of goal will put the ball past some of the best goalkeepers in the world plying their trade in the Premier League. The only thing stopping Gayle from putting the ball in the back of the net for the South Londoners is the quality of service delivered to him. It remains to be seen whether Crystal Palace will recruit the sufficient calibre of player in midfield to take some pressure off Gayle. Yet with him in the inventory of weapons, Palace will always have a chance of being in the Premier League come this time next year.

I predict that Gayle’s impact on the Premier League will spur an even greater, far reaching debate about what we do with our smaller footballers in this country. Arsenal’s youth development staff will be kicking themselves for using size as a reason for severing ties with Gayle when this clinical forward is unleashed on the Premier League. Don’t rule out an England cap in the future…

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The new season has kicked off with a bang all over Europe, with the domestic leagues in full swing already. We then had the delights of Real Madrid taking on Barcelona in an early season El Clasico in the Supercopa that saw Jose Mourinho’s men take the first bragging rights of the season.

The quality of football in Europe is simply unbelievable these days, with England, Spain and Italy fighting it out for the title of best league in the world, with Germany and France just behind them in that respect.

We cannot wait for the Champions League to start either, showcasing all the best European players on one big stage to the rest of the footballing world in a tournament that is simply the greatest to watch. However, given the quality of European players on display currently, a best European XI would be a hotly contested affair, with many world class players fighting it out for just 11 places.

To try and settle the argument once and for all, we’ve selected our European team for the season, so just try and imagine these players all in the same team (note – players have to be of European nationality to qualify, hence no Lionel Messi.)

Click on midfield maestro Andreas Iniesta to see the full lineup

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According to reports in The Times, Everton have identified FC Porto coach Sergio Conceicao as a potential candidate to replace Sam Allardyce should he leave the club this summer, and Toffees fans have been quick to react to the rumour.

The Times says that the 63-year-old manager could depart at the end of the season due to the discontent among the Goodison Park faithful, who have destroyed him on Twitter for showing a lack of respect, over the style of football, with Conceicao one of the options the Merseyside outfit are considering.

The former Portugal international has won 37 of the 51 matches he has been in charge of the Portuguese giants, although his team suffered a huge blow against Liverpool in the Champions League when they were beaten 5-0 at home in the first leg of their last 16 tie back in February.

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Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while one said he “would be a great and progressive signing”, another said “he’s the perfect fit”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Manchester United’s best player this season has been their goalkeeper, and it’s going to be a long summer for them if they want to keep hold of him. United fans will be waiting with baited breath to see if their club can hang on to their prized asset. He won’t leave cheap.

And if David de Gea doesn’t stay at Old Trafford this season then United will have an even bigger job on their hands – replacing him.

But sitting on the United bench over the last couple of games has been one of the world’s foremost goalkeepers of the last decade.

Victor Valdes wanted to leave Barcelona for a new challenge last summer, but his plans were cruelly wrecked by a knee injury just before the end of the season. Since then, however, he has worked his way into the Manchester United starting lineup, albeit for the final game of the season, replacing the injured De Gea.

He had a shaky couple of moments, dropping two crosses that led to chances, but he made a couple of outstanding saves as United kept a clean sheet despite Hull having the ball in the United twice only to see the flag go up both times.

It’s been a year since Valdes found himself in the starting lineup, so he did well all things considered and even pulled off one save in particular which rolled back the years. If we didn’t already know he was a fantastic goalkeeper, we were certainly reminded with that save.

In many ways, Valdes is the perfect replacement for De Gea, either as a replacement through injury or suspension or as a permanent replacement if De Gea does leave this summer.

Louis Van Gaal gave Valdes his debut at Barcelona because he was able to play in a way which fitted into the dutchman’s philosophy on how football should be played. The philosophy hasn’t changed, it’s still as thoughtful and cerebral as ever, and after years of playing at Barcelona in the tiki-taka style that Van Gaal laid the foundations for Valdes should do just fine at United. If not even better than De Gea.

If the United number one was his team’s best player this season, it’s because his defence gave him no protection. And the United defence was shaky at the start of the season because they had to adapt to a new style of playing. Van Gaal’s style makes it harder to defend sometimes because his teams have to pass the ball in front of the opposition and work an opening. As United build pressure on the opposition, one bad pass can lead to a counter attack and Premier League teams can punish you on the counter.

But now that United’s defence is more adept at playing in this system, the keeper should have less to do. The beauty of Valdes’s style of goalkeeping is how good he is with his feet and how high his starting position is. If United lose the ball, Valdes’s sweeper-keeper style should bail them out.

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So if they lose De Gea they have a ready made replacement on the bench. He may be a little old now, he may not have played much over the last year and he may not be as good as De Gea is or will become, but at least United know that they can replace their keeper if he leaves. They’re not in a Peter Schmeichel Mark Bosnich/Massimo Taibi situation. De Gea’s departure won’t mean that United will have to spend years searching for a replacement. They have one on the bench.

If De Gea leaves, Valdes will not be the keeper who guard United’s goal for the next decade, but he is someone who fits with the present philosophy and is a capable stopgap. in other words, Valdes would give United time to find a long-term De Gea replacement. If so, it would be insanely good business to sell De Gea to Real Madrid for a fortune and replace him with a world class goalkeeper who joined the club on a free.

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Brendan Rodgers is set to hand young defender Lloyd Jones a new long-term contract, as the teenager looks to break into the first team.

The 17-year-old was brought to Anfield from Plymouth Argyle in 2011 and has impressed the Reds boss since Rodgers arrived at the club from Swansea last summer.

Jones’ recent progress was highlighted by his appearance on the substitute’s bench in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage and he may get another chance to feature in the squad for the final game against QPR.

With Daniel Agger, Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel currently sidelined, the final couple of games has given Rodgers the ideal opportunity to give some younger players the chance to experience being involved in the first team.

Welshman Jones, who is set to pen a three-year deal, has joined the likes of Conor Coady, Andre Wisdom and Raheem Stirling in having some involvement with the senior squad this term.

With Jamie Carragher set to hang up his boots after Sunday’s final game, Rodgers will need more defensive cover for next season.

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Arsene Wenger will want a good performance during what may well be his last ever trip to Old Trafford this Sunday, but deep down the Arsenal manager knows that Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Atletico Madrid must take priority.

The Gunners need to score at Estadio Metropolitano after the first leg of the semi-final clash ended 1-1, so it’s vitally important Arsenal have their most important players fresh and fit for a season-defining clash.

We asked Arsenal fans earlier this week whether Mesut Ozil, Arsenal’s most talismanic talent, should be dropped for Sunday’s meeting with Manchester United to ensure he enters Thursday’s game with a clean bill of health.

And according to our poll, a whopping 67% of Arsenal fans would leave the 89-cap German international out of this weekend’s starting XI.

Who else would you rest this weekend, Gunners supporters? Let us know how you’d set up Wenger’s team by commenting below…

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Last night’s 1-1 draw with Italy wasn’t quite the thrilling 90 minutes we were all hoping for. After a lacklustre first half, Hodgson changed things round and his tactics seemed to work with a beautiful strike from super-sub Andros Townsend continuing their unbeaten run.

The Tottenham winger’s strike cancelled out Graziano Pelle’s opener meaning The Three Lions managed to earn a draw with the Azzurri in Turin. The only downside was when Chris Smalling appeared to pick up a knock on the  41st minute but it seems that the Manchester United defender had been simply feeling unwell.

One must be careful not to read too much into friendlies – but nevertheless – here are FIVE things we learned from England’s 1-1 draw with Italy:

Giorgio Chiellini hasn’t changed a bit

Giorgio Chiellini has always been known for having a presence in Italy’s defence and last night he showed Harry Kane what it is like to play against the “big men”.

It only took 20 seconds to leave Kane in a heap in the floor in midfield and the game progressed much like this with the defender never once getting penalised. Good to see getting bitten by a certain Uruguayan in Brazil hasn’t mellowed his physical style of play anyway.

Last year’s rising star is still just as good

While people have been ‘fan girling’ over Harry Kane, the rest of the England squad have been slowly getting on with business. Last year Andros Townsend was the player that was on everybody’s lips but since then fans have struggled to make their minds up as to whether he is a really good player that sometimes has an off day or visa versa.

One thing is for sure: carry on shooting like that and the fans will love you. Sometimes when clever passes don’t work and you can’t get the ball in the box the best solution is to just hit it as best you can.

Hodgson still coming to terms with ‘friendly’ aspect

My favourite moment of the match came after the referee had blown the final whistle. ITV went to interview the England manager who expressed his disappointment with the first half and when asked about Andros Townsend’s performance he came out with this fantastic line:

“Thank goodness he scored, without it we wouldn’t have got a point”.

Hate to break it to you Roy, but you don’t get any points in friendlies! After an awkward silence from the interviewer as he tried to think what to say normal service was resumed and answers went back to normal.

Buffon is still a superb goalie

Last night was Gianluigi Buffon’s 147th cap for Italy and the 37-year-old showed us all why he is just as good as ever. He is the 18th highest capped footballer ever and last night he was on form meaning England’s poor attempts on goal were easily saved.

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Andros Townsend, England’s scorer, swapped shirts with Italy’s goalie after the match and the joy on his face was there for all to see. Let’s face it: Buffon is a legend, so to score a goal against him probably made it a pretty special night for the Tottenham youngster.

England fans got a bit carried away … again!

England fans have a terrible habit of getting ahead of themselves; every major tournament we all secretly hope we can perform a miracle. After one of the best performances for a while in England shirts against Lithuania, England fans started to dream that the Euros 2016 could be one of the best tournaments England have had in years.

Sadly we were shown that England haven’t quite made the high levels we had all hoped. Playing against Italy is a bit more of a challenge than Lithuania and we were soon shown that England could still struggle against the bigger sides. There has been progress though and that’s a start.

Chris Baird could be on his way out of Fulham this summer as he has yet to be approached about a new contract.

The Northern Ireland international appeared to be a big part of Cottagers boss Martin Jol’s plans this season after making 22 appearances up to the victory against Stoke in February.

However Baird has been left out in the cold since then, and has even been overlooked for the match-day squad in some games when Jol has been struggling for numbers due to injuries.

Jol recently revealed that he has started talks with several first-team squad members who are approaching the end of their contracts at Craven Cottage.

But Baird’s representatives claim they have not been contacted for talks and it seems that the player’s six-year stint in London could be coming to an end.

That will alert West Brom who failed in a bid to bring the former Southampton defender to the Hawthorns during the January transfer window.

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It’s been a fantastic season for Heung-min Son, especially at Wembley where the South Korean international has netted 14 times and assisted four goals across all competitions – including nine strikes in the Premier League.

But with the end of the campaign now in sight, perhaps the versatile attacker – who Transfermarkt value at £31.5million – is starting to run out of steam. Son’s failed to find the net during his last two appearances and when coupled with his three international outings for South Korea, his goalless streak now stands at five games – his last goal coming in the 4-1 win over Bournemouth.

In contrast, Erik Lamela has really come into his own since returning from injury, adding real aggression and tricky ingenuity to this Tottenham side. The 23-cap Argentine has steadily improved with practically every performance and had a big influence in the 3-1 over Chelsea.

So, Spurs fans, with the Lilywhites facing a huge test at Wembley this weekend in the form of champions in waiting Manchester City, which attacking midfielder would you prefer to see in the starting XI? Let us know by voting below…

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As this year’s Championship promotion race heats up, unusually there is no standout team running away with the division. Even at this late point in the season, there are still a number of teams who could lift the trophy come May.

So does the fact that no teams have dominated the division mean that any teams who do gain promotion, will subsequently be relegated straight away?

A common suggestion heard around football grounds is ‘We are not ready to get promoted, we will just come straight back down.’ Particularly at my club Wolves, the idea of promotion is met with scepticism and optimism in the same amounts. If they are not good enough to win the league, they will of course be embarrassed in the Premier League. Or will they?

A look at last year’s Championship, would be the argument against any such assumption. Leicester City were by far and away the best team in the division, beating everyone in their wake to win the league with a superb 102 points. Far too good for the second tier, so it could be presumed they would be by far the best of the promoted sides.

Wrong.

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With only 19 points, they prop up this year’s Premier League and seem almost certain for the drop. Their dominance in the division below has clearly not transferred into the top flight. Burnley and QPR both finished well behind the Foxes last term but both boast, albeit slightly, better chances of survival.

If we look at the campaign before last, a similar pattern emerges. Cardiff City had won the Championship at a canter, a far superior team to the other two promoted sides, Hull City and Crystal Palace. While Hull and Palace survived their first Premier League season comfortably, Cardiff City were relegated. In bottom place.

One season previous, Reading’s Championship title meant little in their following season. It was only a distant memory when they were relegated after only one term in the top flight.

So although winning the title and dominating the division should logically give a side a better chance of adapting to the top flight, it is certainly not always the case.

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The chasing pack in the Championship should take note. Promotion can never come too soon. Palace are the perfect example, a team who were promoted on the back of a campaign built on momentum. Now of course, there subsequent managerial appointments have meant they can now look to establish themselves as a fixture in the top division.

Those opportunities would have almost certainly not materialised, had they not grasped the chance of promotion glory when it came around.

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