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Tottenham Hotspur are edging ever-closer to the signing of Udinese defender Destiny Udogie as Sky Sports now share another exciting update.

The Lowdown: Spurs back Conte…

The Lilywhites got off to a flying start on Saturday afternoon, thumping Southampton 4-1 in their opening match of the Premier League campaign.

Goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Mohammed Salisu (own goal) and Dejan Kulusevski gifted Antonio Conte’s side an easy win and all three points following the shock of an early opener from Saints captain James Ward-Prowse.

This comes after Conte’ was well and truly backed in the transfer market, with six first-team signings coming in after ENIC granted a £150m equity increase.

The sky is seemingly the limit for Spurs as Sky Sports share an exciting update on the chase to sign Udogie.

The Latest: Sky share exciting Udogie update…

Indeed, the broadcast giant shared the news that negotiations are advanced for the 19-year-old following Fabrizio Romano’s claim that personal terms have been agreed.

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Sky Italy add that Udogie is ‘getting closer and closer to becoming a new Tottenham player’, with the Lilywhites ‘expected’ to close the deal at the beginning of next week.

The Verdict: Great news…

Backing Romano’s claim that Udogie is nearing a move to north London, Sky’s report is great news and further reinforces the likelihood that Tottenham could be about to make their seventh summer signing.

While he is seen as one for the future, Udogie appears to be a truly stellar prospective addition given his huge potential, with former Udinese boss Gabriele Cioffi even branding him ‘extraordinary’ despite the left-back still being just a teenager.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Leicester City midfielder James Maddison but his price tag is huge, reports Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Spurs links

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, transfer insider Dean Jones reported that Spurs have ‘touched base’ with the Foxes over a potential deal for the 25-year-old.

The Englishman continued to impress in the Premier League last season, producing 12 goals and eight assists in 35 appearances across the campaign.

Having already made six signings this summer, an attacking midfielder could be the final piece of the puzzle for Antonio Conte’s squad, who are looking to make a big push domestically and continentally this season.

The Latest: Taylor provides latest

Taylor believes Tottenham are interested in Maddison, but he is not sure whether the club are going to act on that interest given his rumoured price-tag.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed:

“Maddison, I think there’s interest, but I don’t know how strong that interest is and whether they will actually make a move considering he would probably cost upwards of £50m.”

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The Verdict: Maddison would be a great addition

As per FBRef, when compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Maddison ranks in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals, in the 88th percentile for assists and in the 84th percentile for shots total.

Based on these ‘phenomenal’ (CBS reporter Adi Joseph) figures, the 25-year-old statistically compares with the likes of Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes and Heung-min Son (via FBRef), illustrating his quality in the final third.

With Spurs lacking a creative attacking midfielder, Maddison, who played a direct hand in as many goals as Lionel Messi (20) did in the league last season, could fill this void in Conte’s squad.

Whilst this may not be a cheap deal to complete, this would be a great signing for the Lilywhites.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Anthony Gordon…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who claims that Spurs are still keen on the England U21 international despite Everton rebuffing their offer in recent weeks.

Only last week, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas suggested that the Toffees had “indicated they did not want to sell him” this transfer window.

Now the north London outfit face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United, who have now launched their own offensive over a potential £35m deal, as per the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath.

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Bye-bye Moura

If Everton now change their stance on the English talent, then it could open the door for Spurs to reignite their interest and ultimately, it’s something they should do.

And in doing so, it could force another winger to lose his place in Antonio Conte’s pecking order.

Steven Bergwijn is on the verge of completing a move to Ajax, so that leaves Lucas Moura on the periphery behind the likes of Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and now potentially Gordon.

Described as a “nightmare” to train against by teammate Eric Dier, the Brazilian wide man has struggled to make his mark at the club, witnessing his form dip ever since that euphoric night in Amsterdam.

The £18m-rated star, who earns a reported £80k-per-week at Hotspur Way, could be someone who garners back some money considering what the club have already spent this off-season.

He has managed only 19 goals from 137 appearances in the English top-flight and has averaged a goal contribution once every three matches in a Spurs shirt, as per Transfermarkt.

Last season, though, this regressed to one in every four games as he was limited to just two goals and six assists across 34 matches.

Gordon, meanwhile, is a far younger prospect and is still very much in the early days of his playing career at just 21 years of age.

“He would be the perfect fit for Spurs,” recently claimed former shot-stopper Paul Robinson to Football Insider.  “He is the type of player that Daniel loves signing for Tottenham. A young, talented English player.”

Whilst BBC Sport pundit Alan Shearer claimed the £18m-rated dynamo had a “fearless attitude” as he’s “not afraid to get stuck in” and can get forward to deliver crosses.

So, with Spurs said to be “very keen” on signing Gordon, as per Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, it would make sense for sporting director Fabio Paratici and co to launch another attempt to seal his signature before the September 1st deadline.

In doing so, Conte could finally replace one of Spurs’ average long-standing with a long-term upgrade.

AND in other news, Spurs could land the “new Erling Haaland” as Paratici plots swoop for 19 y/o speedster…

According to reports in Italy, Southampton have officially tabled a bid for Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg ahead of a potential summer move to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Svanberg heading for the exit

The 23-year-old first joined the Serie A side in a permanent deal from Malmo FF back in 2018, and has since gone on to become an integral part of Sinisa Mihajlovic’s starting XI, having made 123 appearances during his four-year spell to date.

The Swedish starlet has just over 12 months remaining on his contract at the Renato Dall’Ara, but could be heading for the exit door in the coming weeks as the Italian outfit look to raise some transfer funds.

The Latest: Saints make opening bid

In a new article published by La Gazzetta dello Sport (via TEAMtalk), it’s claimed that Southampton have ‘made an opening offer of €10m’ (£8.7m) for Svanberg.

The likes of Spurs, Everton and West Ham also named as potential suitors.

It’s reported that Bologna are ‘not set’ to offer their man a new deal, after he has openly spoken about his desire to make the move elsewhere and start a new challenge.

The Verdict: Partner for Ward-Prowse

Svanberg is currently valued at a career-high £13.5m, and so if the Saints could agree a fee for their target below that amount you would have to call it shrewd operating, taking advantage of his contract situation.

The 21-cap gem has been a regular feature for the Serie A team this season, scoring three goals and providing the same number of assists alongside averaging 1.1 shots and one key pass per game, via WhoScored.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is clearly on the lookout to find the perfect partner for James Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park, and if this bid gets accepted, we could be seeing Svanberg in the red and white stripes at St. Mary’s at the start of the new season.

In other news… Southampton are reportedly considering re-signing a former fan favourite.

As per German newspaper Stuttgart Nachrichten, via Inside Futbol, some big Tottenham Hotspur transfer news has come to light as they step up the chase for Sasa Kalajdzic.

The Lowdown: Conte in striker chase…

Spurs manager Antonio Conte has his eyes on a new striker to partner or back up striker Harry Kane with consistent links surrounding the likes of Man City star Gabriel Jesus.

This comes after the Lilywhites confirmed both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster’s arrivals on Bosman deals, but now the transfer window is officially open, club chief Fabio Paratici can start making more big-time moves.

Jesus isn’t the only forward on Spurs’ radar as some news from the continent emerges concerning VFB Stuttgart striker Kalajdzic.

The Latest: Spurs step up Kalajdzic bid…

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According to Stuttgart Nachrichten (via IF), the north Londoners, and by extension Conte, are ‘stepping up’ their attempts to sign the Austria international as they push for a move.

It is believed that the Premier League giants are ‘intensifying efforts’ for Kalajdzic as Spurs seemingly up the ante in their chase for a striker transfer.

The Verdict: Get it done?

This report claims the 24-year-old would only cost around €25 million (£21m) to sign this window, an arguably affordable fee for Spurs and Paratici.

Described as an ‘Ibrahimovic-machine‘, you could argue Kalajdzic’s physicality is almost tailor-made for English football given his quite staggering 6 foot 6 frame.

He’s also scored a solid 22 goals in 48 Bundesliga appearances, a record which arguably could be better if Stuttgart’s star didn’t spend half of 2021/2022 sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Kalajdzic may well be one to keep an eye on over the summer.

In other news: Tottenham make contact as they ‘world-class signing’ for Conte! Find out more here! 

Helder Costa is set to return to Leeds United this summer following a poor loan spell in Spain…

What’s the word?

That’s according to LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, who delivered a fresh update to supporters in a recent Q&A. When asked about the club’s out-on-loan players, he said this of the Portuguese winger:

“Costa’s contract also expires in 2024, but similarly failed to impress in the PL.

“Coverage in Spain suggests Valencia are unlikely to exercise their option on his loan move, but Gestifute will not have too many issues finding their client another club, you would think. Another loan may suit all parties there.”

The 28-year-old cost Leeds around £15m from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020.

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Stolen a living

It’s hard to envisage Costa having any way back at Elland Road, even in the Championship, but as Cross explains, there is some hope in being able to offload him thanks to Jorge Mendes’ agency.

His maiden top-flight campaign in a Whites shirt saw him return only three goals and three assists across 22 appearances, taking his total for the club to 17 goal contributions in 71 matches, as per Transfermarkt.

Such form for the club drew plenty of criticism, with former striker Noel Whelan describing him as a “massive flop” and a “real disappointment” to Football Insider.

On a reported £70k-per-week at Leeds, it’s fair to suggest that Costa has absolutely stolen a living from chairman Andrea Radrizzani during his time in west Yorkshire.

It’s evident that he’s just not cut out for the big time as his poor form has continued over in Spain, where he has failed to score in 27 appearances for LaLiga outfit Valencia, also providing only two assists.

Raphinha may be on his way out this summer but Costa is certainly not the answer, Marsch and co must absolutely look to flog the Portuguese flop this off-season, regardless of the division in which they find themselves ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Marsch handed huge boost ahead of Brentford clash…

talkSPORT pundit Danny Mills has backed Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for his decision to field Kyle Walker in the club’s recent Champions League semi-final.

The Lowdown: Surprise return for Walker

The 31-year-old sustained a serious ankle injury in the Sky Blues’ Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid last month, and it was unknown whether he would be able to feature again before the end of the season.

However, the right-back was deemed fit enough to be involved in the matchday squad against Real Madrid last Wednesday and was even named in the starting XI, where he managed to play through his injury for 72 minutes before being replaced by Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Walker’s withdrawal soon lead to a collapse in the final stages of the game, though, as City crashed out of the competition following a 6-5 aggregate defeat, just going to show how influential he can be.

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The Latest: Mills defends Guardiola

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills defended Guardiola’s choice to opt for the 65-cap England international despite his recent injury layoff.

The former City right-back said: “Pep had to take that risk with Walker to try and get City into the final.

“And it worked out. They were goals up at that point and cruising. Zinchenko comes on and Real Madrid score two – whether that’s a coincidence, who knows.

“There was nothing wrong with the game plan whatsoever. When you’re two goals up with just injury time left to play – you can’t fault Guardiola and the way Man City played.

“The penalty took all the wind out of the sails in extra time – and that’s when it comes down to fighting spirit and hunger, and Real Madrid just had their tails up and they were able to run down the clock.”

The Verdict: A valuable player to Man City

The £150k-per-week Walker is an absolute rock at the heart of the City defence, currently averaging a pass success rate of 90.3% in the Premier League (via WhoScored), showing his ability and calmness to play out from the back. He has also completed 3.8 long balls per 90 minutes, proving that he can be just as effective in providing service for the strikers at the top end of the pitch.

Walker was once dubbed an “utterly brilliant” player by Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, and it was evident to see the difference in performance levels from before and after he was forced off the field at the Bernabeu last week.

Guardiola will no doubt be hoping that this injury setback isn’t too much of a concern so that he can have the 31-year-old available for selection again sooner rather than later to try and help his team get their hands on the Premier League trophy once more in a couple of weeks’ time.

In other news… pundit suggests that there is ‘no way’ that one Man City ace will sign a new contract at the club

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been officially charged with ball tampering in the ongoing Test. Here is the sequence that led to the state of events

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Osman Samiuddin17-Jun-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been suspended for one Test for ball tampering. In addition, Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha and team manager Asanka Gurusinha, have also been charged with a Level 3 spirit of cricket offence, for their part in having kept the Sri Lanka team off the field for almost two hours on day three of the St. Lucia Test. If found guilty of the spirit of cricket offence, the three men could receive suspensions of between two to four Tests. Here is the sequence of events that led to this situation.

• Following play on the second evening, in which Sri Lanka were straining for wickets, umpires Aleem Dar, Ian Gould and television umpire Richard Kettleborough, had had some concerns over the methods Sri Lanka had used to maintain the ball. As a result, they asked the television crew if they had any suspicious footage.
• The next morning, the umpires viewed footage (which may be viewed here) of Chandimal retrieving something from his pocket, putting it into his mouth, and only a few seconds later, applying that saliva to the ball before handing it to bowler Lahiru Kumara.
• Upon viewing this footage, the umpires laid the charge of ball tampering, about 10 minutes before the teams were due to take the field on day three. Incensed partly by the timing of this charge, and the fact that the ball had been changed by the umpires, the Sri Lanka team refused to take the field.
• Over the course of two hours, in which Sri Lanka team management was seen in animated discussions with match referee Javagal Srinath, and had also been in contact with cricket administrators in Colombo, the matter was discussed at length.
• Among Sri Lanka’s concerns was the timing of the charge. They believed it should have been laid on the second evening itself, rather than having been sprung on the team just before play.
• Eventually Srinath issued an ultimatum: either Sri Lanka take the field before 11:30 am (the scheduled start had been 9:30), or forfeit the game. Sri Lanka resumed play just before this period elapsed.
• That Srinath allowed Sri Lanka such a lengthy grace period is because the team was in constant contact with him and the other match officials. In fact, there was one false start – Sri Lanka had taken the field to resume play before being hauled off it again by team management. In the time they were on the field, Chandimal was in discussion with at least one umpire.
• Later on day three, Sri Lanka cricket issued a release stating that the team strongly denied all charges, with the support of its administrators. Chandimal pleaded not guilty to the charge, and play went on as usual.
• The match was eventually drawn – Sri Lanka essentially running out of time as they attempted to dismiss West Indies in the final innings. The rain had also washed out most of the final session. West Indies had five wickets remaining.
• A hearing was held following the end of the second Test, during which Chandimal was shown the footage. According to ICC release, Chandimal had said at this hearing that he did not remember what he had put in his mouth.
• Finding this explanation unconvincing, Srinath imposed the harshest possible sentence for a ball-tampering offence: a one-Test suspension. In the wake of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, match officials had in fact been instructed by the ICC to impose the harshest possible penalties on ball tamperers – a fact that Srinath had conveyed to both teams before the start of the series.
• In addition to this suspension, the match officials charged captain, coach and manager with a Level 3 spirit of cricket offence. If coach and manager are found guilty, they will not be allowed to be in the dressing room while they serve out their suspensions. Chandimal is allowed to be inside the dressing room, but cannot step out into the field of play, even to carry drinks.

Moeen Ali survived five reviews for lbw in an extraordinary innings which held England together in Chittagong

George Dobell20-Oct-2016Similarities between Moeen Ali and Croatian music teacher Frane Selak may not, at first glance, appear obvious.But Selak has been dubbed both the world’s luckiest and unluckiest man. His first brush with death came when he was involved in a train crash that resulted in the carriage he was travelling in ploughing into an icy lake. His next came when he was sucked out of a plummeting plane but landed relatively safety in a haystack.If that wasn’t enough, three years later, the bus he was in skidded off the road and into a river, while he has also been hit by a bus, seen his car catch fire twice and been thrown free from another car crash – he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt – and found himself in a tree as his vehicle fell down a mountain side.In later years, however, he won more than $1m in a lottery. Which presumably has helped compensate for the difficulty he has trying to find travel companions.While Moeen’s close calls on day one of this series were, by comparison with Selak, relatively mundane they were, by cricketing standards, extraordinary.Three times in six Shakib Al Hasan deliveries, Moeen was given out leg before – each time by umpire Kumar Dharmasena – only to win a reprieve on each occasion thanks to DRS. No player has been reprieved so often in a Test innings. Moeen also survived two further reviews – both called for by Bangladesh after the umpires had declined leg before appeals – and an appeal when he had scored one which, had Bangladesh reviewed, would have been out.Whether that makes Moeen lucky or unlucky is debatable. It was noticeable that conversation between him and Dharmasena – the man whose advice revolutionised his bowling – evaporated in the afternoon session and Moeen could have been forgiven a smile when he saw Dharmasena call for a fresh pair of glasses (presumably sunglasses) midway through the afternoon session.”We are normally pretty tight,” Moeen said afterwards. “But we didn’t speak for a session. It was a tough pitch to umpire, but what can I say? The guy gave me out three times!”Either way, Moeen responded with a vital innings. Coming to the crease with England reeling at 21 for 3 – their lowest score at the loss of their third wicket in the first innings of a Test in Asia – he recorded his highest score in the top six in Test cricket (he has batted in the top six 18 times and at No. 7, 8 and 9 32 times combined) to give England a foothold in this match.Moeen Ali was given out – but reprieved – three times in quick succession•Associated PressThey may even have their noses in front. At one stage, they were talking of 250 as a good score. While the pitch will not necessarily deteriorate markedly, it is most unlikely to become easier to bat upon. The prospect of batting last is daunting for Bangladesh.It was, at times, a desperate struggle for England. On an unusually dry pitch – some in the England dressing room rate it the driest surface they have ever seen for the start of a Test – the ball spun sharply from the start and, in stifling heat and humidity, retaining concentration was tough and ball beat bat often.Ben Duckett looked talented but loose, Alastair Cook looked rusty and Gary Ballance was somewhat unfortunate to be adjudged leg before to a ball that just brushed the pad before meeting the middle of the bat. It is a dismissal that would have been unthinkable before the days of DRS.But Moeen, adopting the logic that served him well in the English summer, imagined he was batting at No. 3 for Worcestershire and approached the innings not as a bowling all-rounder but a specialist batsman whose side required him to fight through the tricky periods and provide what may turn out to be a match-defining platform. He did not allow the reviews to disturb his concentration, he did not lose patience when runs dried up and he did not miss out when the rare poor ball was delivered.We knew Moeen could score pretty runs. We knew he could come in down the order, time the ball sweetly and provide important contributions. But here he was asked to do more than that. He was promoted to No. 5 – one of five left-handers in the top six – and required to battle like a top-order player; not waft like a bonus batsman.The result may have been, as Moeen described them, “dirty runs” but from England’s perspective they were wonderfully dirty. It was not his most memorable or pleasing innings for England, but it was one of his most mature. It took a beautiful delivery, which drifted in to draw the stroke and spun to take the edge, to end it.”It was very tough,” he said. “The hardest 60 I’ve ever made. They bowled well; very accurately. I kept missing the ball and it kept hitting my pad. I couldn’t figure out why. It was a massive mental challenge – especially with the reviews – but it was a good mental challenge.”That positive mindset is obvious in every aspect of Moeen’s approach to this tour. While some players have declined to tour on security grounds, Moeen has brought his wife (who is from Bangladesh and who, he met here on tour a few years ago) and son and is relishing every aspect of the trip.He was not alone here. Not only did Joe Root score a polished 40 – easily the most fluent batting of the day – but he insisted Moeen utilise DRS on the second and third occasions he was adjudged to have been out leg before. While Moeen was confident he had some bat on the first such appeal – a view that was eventually vindicated by replays – he admitted he may not have called for a review on either of the other two occasions. “Root saved me,” he said.Later Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes also provided valuable runs. Bairstow, who might consider himself unfortunate to be moved down the order, contributed his fourth half-century in successive Test innings and his fifth in six. He fell one short of equalling Andy Flower’s record for the most runs in a calendar year by a Test keeper but, with a maximum of 13 more innings to come this year, he will surely break that record by a huge margin. He has, at present, played only one innings more than Flower.It was another example of England’s strength in depth rescuing them. Here, for the first time since 1992, they have fielded a Test XI in which every man has scored a first-class century.It will be interesting to see how England respond tactically to what they witnessed on day one. Moeen reasoned that the spin was most dangerous with the new ball as some deliveries skidded on off the shiny surface and some gripped and turned. The ball continued to spin with the older ball, but just a little more predictably.So, will England take the same approach? Or will they conclude that would negate their strength in three seamers? Bangladesh bowled only 17 overs of seam on day one, conceding 4.35 runs per over from them and failing to take a wicket. The 75 overs of spin – yes, we had 92 overs in the day – brought seven wickets at a cost of just 2.21 runs per over despite the utilisation of two or three part-time bowlers.Bangladesh were not without fault, though. For a start, they dropped Bairstow at slip on 13 but, just as damaging was the introduction of Kamrul Islam Rabbi who conceded 5.12 runs per over and released the pressure almost every time he came into the attack. After one early over, he was reintroduced into the attack when England were 35 for 3 and Moeen was on 1. He conceded 10 in his first over back and 22 from the four-over spell.So England – and Moeen in particular – had some fortune. But they retained their composure and took advantage. It was a far from perfect day, but it could have been much, much worse. Frane Selak would understand.

He wanted to play against the best and show that he was among the best, as his admirers testify

Firdose Moonda28-Jul-2015Clive Rice started as a bowler but wanted to be a batsman. So he did both. In the process, he established himself as one of best allrounders the game has ever seen.Clive Rice started playing in South Africa but wanted to play around the world. So he did both: from the mean machine in Transvaal to the English county circuit and a World Series in-between.Clive Rice started with dreams of Test caps and a World Cup but had to settle for three ODIs, which he treasured more than any of us can understand.”They don’t come more positive than Clive Rice,”Ali Bacher told ESPNcricinfo. “He was the eternal optimist and he was determined, so he was able to make the most of everything.”Bacher would know. He captained Rice at the start of his career, and saw the impact he could make in just his third game. Transvaal were closing in on the defence of their Currie Cup title in 1970-71 but draws with Natal and Western Province stalled them. They needed a first-innings win over an intimidating Eastern Province team, which included the Pollock brothers and Tony Greig, to seal the deal. That looked unlikely when Eastern Province posted 359 in their first innings and Transvaal were 275 for 6 in reply.”Clive came in at No. 8, in a pressure situation. We were a long way behind, they had the second new ball and it was overcast. We were worried,” Bacher said. “But then he scored 52 and he shared a big partnership (147 runs) with Lee Irvine. We won on first innings, got the points and went on to win the Currie Cup. And it was in that innings that you could see the determination that Clive was all about.”

I just saw a plethora of tubes. He had them everywhere. But then I looked again, and I also saw he had a cellphone in each hand. That was Clive. He kept goingAli Bacher after visiting Clive Rice at hospital last August

That summer, Bacher watched Rice’s dedication turn him from an obviously skilled cricketer into an actual athlete. Rice ran rings around his team-mates and the rugby field they practiced on, adjacent to Wanderers Stadium, to introduce a new culture to cricketers. “We all had day jobs so we would get to practice at about 4.30 in the afternoon, hit a few balls, have a bowl, pack our bags and go home but he would still be there, doing 15 or 20 laps around the field,” Bacher said. “He was the first person I knew who saw fitness as a prerequisite for doing well at the highest level.”Bacher retired in 1974 but became involved in administration and kept a close eye on how Rice developed, especially after he took over as captain of Transvaal. By then, Rice had experience in the World Series and had learned what he needed to do to compete against the world’s best.”He wanted to improve his batting and he wanted to improve his bowling speed and he worked really hard on both,” Jimmy Cook, Rice’s former Transvaal team-mate said. “At one stage he told us he wanted to bat No. 3 and I remember thinking that was a bit high. He started off No.10 when I first met him, but he could have done it. Because of the bowling load, he moved down to No. 5 and he was just phenomenal there.”At that stage, had Rice been able to play Test cricket, Bacher believed he would “be spoken about in the same league as Ian Botham or Richard Hadlee.”But Rice had to find opportunity on the county circuit instead. He played for Nottinghamshire and led them to two county championships in the 1980s. An hour’s drive away, Peter Kirsten was playing for Derbyshire and maintained contact with his countryman. “He [Rice] would invite me to go and watch Notts Forest football games with Richard Hadlee. In those days, Notts Forest were European Champions and Ricey was good friends with Brian Clough, their manager.”Rubbing shoulders with international stars only increased Rice’s yearning for international cricket. “He would tell me, ‘Kirsy, imagine if we were playing. We would show them a thing or two,” Kirsten remembered. All Rice could do was transfer that self-confidence onto the domestic game.He turned the Transvaal team into what Bacher called an “invincible force,” that other teams “could not even come close to beating.” He led them by example, with community values at the core – Cook remembered how they “travelled together, toured together, did everything together, like a big family,” and with a ruthlessness that was unrelenting.Peter Kirsten on Clive Rice: He would tell me, ‘Kirsy, imagine if we were playing. We would show them a thing or two’•Getty ImagesBefore the 1987-88 Currie Cup final against Orange Free State, Rice gathered his men for a team talk that summed up his faith in their strength. “He looked out over the Wanderers and said to us, ‘I’ve looked at their team sheet and I’ve looked at our team sheet and they have no chance of beating us.”: And that was that. Transvaal promptly won their eighth title in ten seasons.While all that was going on, a young batsman named Andrew Hudson was starting out in Durban and had Rice as “one of my role models.” Hudson never dreamed he’d one day have the opportunity to play with his idol. But as Rice’s career wound down, he moved to the coast and played for Natal, where he was a mentor to Hudson, Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener.”He was direct, he was no-nonsense, he was straightforward and he always spoke his mind,” Hudson said. “You knew where you stood with him.”And Hudson stood on very solid ground. Rice “backed” him, so much so that Hudson believed he has Rice to thank for the opportunity to tour with the South African team when it finally came.In 1991, South Africa were welcomed back to international cricket and Rice, though “past his best,” as Bacher put it, led them to India. There, Rice’s big character was apparent to all when he felt small standing next to a woman barely an inch above five foot. “I remember when we met Mother Teresa – he kept saying he couldn’t believe how little she was,” Hudson said.Those three ODIs were the pinnacle for Rice even though he wanted so much more from the game he gave everything to. “It was a special moment but I don’t think it made up for the sadness that he did not get to play to Test cricket,” Hudson said.A year later, Rice missed out on the World Cup and so did Cook: “We were very disappointed. We were both fit and very determined.”Although Hudson believed Rice would have played on “for as long as he could,” his contribution to South African cricket ended there.He managed a South African academy side in 1992 but his coaching took him back to Nottinghamshire, where he enticed Kevin Pietersen years later. “I don’t think he [Rice] was able to give South African cricket too much after he retired and that’s a pity,” Kirsten said.Rice remained on the fringes of South African cricket’s conscience until he took ill last July. A month later, Bacher went to visit him in intensive care. “When I walked into his room, I just saw a plethora of tubes. He had them everywhere. But then I looked again, and I also saw he had a cellphone in each hand. That was Clive. He kept going.”And Rice intended to keep going. Earlier this year, he had surgery in India and his former team-mates believed he was recovering well. Kevin McKenzie had lunch with him on Sunday, two days before he died and told Cook he thought Rice was “doing well.”Rice would likely not have had it any other way. Remember, he started off believing anything was possible. By all accounts, he finished that way too.