It is a sad thing when one of football’s most promising talents slips into obscurity because of injury – and that is exactly what happened to Matt Jansen.

It is a dangerous world for the talented to enter – the dazzling lights of the Premier League, the stardom, the expectations, the highs and lows, rejection and jubilation.

And former forward Matt Jansen’s career encompasses them all, and some.

It really is a tragic tale to analyse. The story of the man who had it all cruelly ripped away by one of sports most unwanted events.

Jansen had just made his £4 million move from Crystal Palace when the reality hit him – the very conscious moment that he was about to take his inaugural leap into stardom, the pivotal moment of his life, under the watchful guidance of Premier League winning side Blackburn Rovers.

Ok – it did not quite turn out as planned, with Blackburn suffering relegation soon after, but 24 goals in 48 matches on the road back to the topflight really showed that he meant business, as did the 16 he netted when he finally made it to the sacred land of Premier League football.

Ironically, it was being on the cusp of something so special that brought down a special career.

The World Cup squad selection was looming, and Jansen was touted as one of the obvious selections, given his form and ability.

He recounted his experience.

“Sven Goran Eriksson was at our game at Liverpool the day before the squad was announced and he told Graeme Souness that I should try not to get injured because I was going to the World Cup,” Jansen recalled (as per the Independent).

“It was quite a shock,” he said.

“But apparently, Sven and Tord Grip decided they should have an extra defender and so, at the 11th hour, they took Martin Keown instead of me.”

Like the proverbial flap of the butterflies wings, the decision to leave Jansen out of the squad would kickstart a chain of events that would irreversibly change the course of his life.

During an extended break from the game, spent with his girlfriend, and now wife, Jansen was involved in a serious crash that left him with a brain haemorrhage and in a coma for six days.

“I recovered physically, but not mentally. Before the accident I was on fire, I was on the verge of an England call-up. I was high on confidence – but I could never regain that,” Jansen recounted years later after returning to the game (Independent).

“The psychologists and psychiatrists and brain surgeons said I shouldn’t have played for 18 months – if at all,” says Jansen. “But I felt ready. However, though I might have been physically ready, I wasn’t mentally ready. I had psychological problems. I was playing, but I was my own worst critic after the accident.”

He then went on to discuss the mental effects of not feeling good enough – the depressing slumps in professional football after falling from the limelight, the challenges of recovery and the constant pressures he could never overcome.

Despite returning to Premier League football, Jansen freely admits he was never the same, and after some brief stints in the top divisions, he eventually succumbed to his fate, dropping down to play in the lowest tiers for Wrexham, Leigh Genesis FC and Chorley before giving the game up together – immortalised as one of the most profound cases of ‘what if?’

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Supporters of West Brom have been left absolutely fuming with the FA’s decision not to charge Brentford man Julian Jeanvier for spitting in their direction.

The incident occurred during the club’s 1-0 win over the Bees earlier this month but upon reviewing footage, the FA have decided no punishment was needed for Jeanvier.

Baggies supporters are incensed and feel that he should have been charged, claiming that he didn’t just spit in their general direction but it was actually at them.

Many fans have slammed the FA’s decision arguing that had it been the other way around then they’d have been given banning orders.

There have been a number of fan and player incidents lately with Jack Grealish being punched during the Second City derby in March. Similarly, a fan ran on the pitch during Arsenal’s win over Manchester United recently.

They were more extreme cases but it seems strange not to charge the Brentford defender for a situation that has clearly made the Hawthorns faithful incredibly angry.

What makes the FA’s decision not to charge him even more bizarre is the fact that the Frenchman has actually admitted to spitting towards them.

Brentford conducted their own investigation and reminded the player that his behaviour was unacceptable.

Here’s the reaction from Twitter.

Reports from the Daily Mirror suggest that Arsenal are set to appoint Roma’s Monchi as their new sporting director.

The Gunners have reportedly lined up the Spaniard to replace the recently departed Sven Mislintat at the Emirates. Monchi has a world-class reputation following his work at Sevilla and would be considered a real coup if he was appointed. The 50-year-old enjoyed plenty of success in Spain working alongside current Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

One of his priorities in the summer transfer window will be to sort out the Arsenal back four. Despite adding the likes of Sokratis and Bernd Leno to their squad, their defence has let them down constantly throughout the campaign. Monchi could raid the Italian club in order to find a solution.

The ideal addition could be Roma superstar – Konstantinos Manolas. Valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, the Greece international has established himself as one of the top defenders in the Serie A since leaving Olympiacos back in 2014. Now approaching the prime of his career, there is no better time to lure him to the Premier League.

The 27-year-old is a fantastic defender who would add some much-needed stability to the Gunners backline. Manolas is extremely quick for a centre-back and loves to get stuck into a challenge. The Greek reads the game superbly and is dominant in the air meaning the physicality of the Premier League shouldn’t faze him. He also excels with the ball at his feet thanks to his excellent range of passing – he would be a perfect fit for Emery’s system in north London.

Having been linked with a move to the Emirates in previous years – with the Gunners said to have had a bid snubbed a couple of years ago (from Sport FM via Goal) – Emery should lean on Monchi to lure the enforcer over from the Italian capital at long last.

With international experience as well as a host of Champions League appearances, Manolas knows how to succeed at the highest level.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?

Time is running out for manager Marco Silva and his team to give the Everton fans something to be excited about as the season begins to draw to a close.

But, following a very disappointing defeat at St James’ Park on Saturday, Silva will have to show quick and rapid improvement for that to be achieved.

The one thing he should, however, have noted from Saturday’s loss against Newcastle United is that defender Yerry Mina should start matches, rather than being used a substitute.

The defender replaced Richarlison on Saturday with 12 minutes left to go and although Newcastle managed to score twice in that period, Everton might have had a better chance of seeing out the game should he had been on the pitch earlier.

The decision to replace the £50m man with the former Barcelona ace was, ultimately, to sit back and defend the two-goal lead they had at the time but it didn’t work and Ayoze Perez struck twice in the final ten minutes to seal a famous win for the Magpies.

The short appearance Mina made on Saturday, however, was only the second match he has featured in this year and he hasn’t been given the proper opportunity to settle as a player or regular starter in the team.

His experience and expertise are exactly what Everton are in dire need for now and they are desperate to have some defensive stability.

Despite his potential, Michael Keane has been far from his best this season, while Kurt Zouma has also been a bit too inconsistent in defence.

Mina, though, should’ve been a key defender for the club this season, but due to injury and Silva not completely backing him, Everton have been punished at the back on multiple occasions.

If the manager starts to back him and use him more regularly then the Toffees might be able to finish the season with some sort of momentum.

Everton fans, how highly do you rate Yerry Mina? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Loads of Celtic fans have been reacting to a tweet from the club, as the Bhoys wished a happy birthday to popular attacker Scott Sinclair.

It’s been a funny old season for Celtic, as in some ways it’s actually been the best of any of the campaigns since Brendan Rodgers’ arrival.

Sure, the Bhoys crashing out of both the Champions League and Europa League was a setback, but isn’t it more fun winning the league when Rangers are actually up near the top to witness it?

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The Hoops will face off against their old foes once more before the year ends, and a second Old Firm win of the campaign would be a memorable way to secure their eighth consecutive league title.

And no one would be more deserving of an iconic winner in the derby than Sinclair, who turned 30 on Monday.

The versatile attacker has racked up 60 goals and 34 assists in 152 showings for Celtic, and fans were full of praise for him on his special day.

There were even a few calls for a new contract in response to the club’s tweet – his current deal expires in the summer of 2020.

Have a look at the Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]According to The Evening Standard, Charlton have received an offer worth £30m from an unnamed former banker, who is keen to take the reigns of the club from controversial owner Roland Dutchatelet.Belgian Dutchatelet has been in ownership of the South East London outfit since 2014, when he shelled out £17m to purchase the club. Since, it has pretty much all been downhill, with the Addicks slipping back down to League One having won promotion to the Championship in 2012.The 72-year-old seems to be in no denial about the hole he has dragged the club into and had even suggested to the EFL that take it off of his hands, although, of course, that proposal was quickly rejected.Veganism, solar energy, chasing promotion. Forest Green Rovers are one of the most unique clubs in the Football League. In the video above, Thogden catches up with their progressive owner, Dale Vince…While Charlton might be in turmoil off the pitch, Lee Bowyer and his team are doing an excellent job on it – the former Addicks player has guided them to fifth place, where, should they remain in that spot come the end of the season, they will have the opportunity to win promotion back to the second tier.Bowyer and his boys would undoubtedly be helped massively by a new influx of cash into the club, though, and most Charlton fans on Twitter think that Dutchatelet would be mad not to accept the eight-figure offer…

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s League One action, and they’re absolutely gutted about Barnsley’s late winner.

Sunderland did not play on Saturday due to multiple players being drafted away on international duty, but even without taking part in the action the Black Cats still suffered.

Portsmouth moved above Jack Ross’ side with a win at Shrewsbury and Luton Town extended their lead at the top with a comfortable home victory against Doncaster.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Most gutting of all though, Barnsley nicked a very late winner against Walsall to move five points clear of Sunderland.

It looked like the Black Cats’ main rival for that second automatic promotion spot had blown their chance to put some space between the two sides, but Jacob Brown poked home in the 92nd minute.

Of course, the Wearsiders have two games in hand on the Tykes so their fate is still under their control, but Saturday’s results heap way more pressure on Ross’ side to win their games in hand.

That late winner from Brown could ultimately be a hugely damaging setback for the Black Cats, or at least that’s what the Twitter reactions down below think…

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith’s worst fears have been confirmed after it was revealed via the club’s official website that key centre-back Tommy Elphick will be out for “four or five weeks” with a heel injury.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Midlands outfit don’t have a plethora of centre-back options anyway, and it didn’t look good when the 31-year-old was substituted off during the second half of the 4-0 win against Derby County at Villa Park on Saturday.

Now the former Bournemouth man will definitely miss the second city derby against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Sunday after suffering a small tear, and may not be back in action until mid-April if the prognosis is correct.

The fact that the experienced defender has gone from being out in the cold and being sent out on loan to Hull City to becoming a key first-team player tells you all you need to know about Villa’s situation at the back.

Who could fill in?

With James Chester still recovering from a knee injury, Smith has some big decisions to make before the clash against the Blues this weekend.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

Tyrone Mings looks to be a guaranteed starter following some impressive displays in recent weeks, but he could be partnered by any of Kortney Hause, Mile Jedinak or even Neil Taylor, who should be back after illness.

Six points adrift of the play-offs and two behind Birmingham this is a crucial period for the Villans, but they will have to get through the majority of it without a leader in Elphick.

وجه مرتضى منصور رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك عددًا من الرسائل بعد جلسة رموز القلعة البيضاء التي انعقدت اليوم لتأييده إثر صدور بعض العقوبات عليه من اللجنة الأولمبية.

وكانت اللجنة الأولمبية قد قررت إيقاف مرتضى منصور عن مزاولة أي نشاط رياضي وألزمت نائبه بالدعوة لانعقاد جمعية عمومية وإجراء انتخابات جديدة على مقعد الرئيس.

وأكد مرتضى منصور أنه كان حريصًا على عدم حضور الاجتماع الذي عقده رموز كرة القدم اليوم بصاله محمد حسن حلمي، وذلك من أجل أن يتحدثوا ويناقشوا الأمور دون أي ضغوط، موضحًا أنه لم يجرؤ أي شخص على معاقبة أي ناد في العالم، ولكن في سابقة دون العادة عوقب الزمالك، موضحا أن المقصود من قرار اللجنة الأوليمبية هو محاربة النادي وليس شخصه.

وأشار إلى أنه لا يتأخر أبدًا عن أبناء النادي وحريص تماماً على تلبية مطالبهم خصوصا اللاعبين والرموز القدامى، مشددا على أنه لا يوجد ناد في العالم يفعل ذلك، مبينا أن من صنع شعبية هذا النادي هم أبناؤه لذلك يجب تكريمهم.

وشكر مرتضى رموز النادي وقدامى اللاعبين، وقال: “أشكركم على دعمكم ومساندتكم لي خلال هذه الفترة الحالية لا تخافوا”.

وأضاف أنه علم بأن قدامي النادي وأبنائه ذاهبون لمقابلة الوزير، متسائلا: “هل القرار الصادر من اللجنة الأولمبية صحيح وقانوني؟.. وتابع: “بالطبع لا”.

وأوضح: “عمرو الجنايني وهشام نصر قاما بتقديم شكاوى ضدي في اللجنة الأولمبية”، مشيرا إلى أن أبناء الزمالك يتعاملون مع الكيان بشكل خاطئ، وتساءل مجددًا: “هل الانتماء للزمالك أصبح لعنة؟ وهل كل زملكاوي يسند له منصب يقوم بفرم الزمالك؟”.

وواصل: “ليست لدينا أي مشاكل مع النادي الأهلي وجماهيره، نحن خلافنا مع شخص معين فشل في كل الاختبارات الإدارية التي خاضها”.

وأردف: “أشكركم على دعمكم الكبير لي”.

وشدد على أن قرارات الأولمبية تعد بلطجة واضحة ضده وضد نادي الزمالك، وأنه تم تجاهل خطاب مجلس النواب الذي حذرهم من اتخاذ اي قرار نظراً للحصانة التي يتمتع بها أي نائب، مشيرا إلى أن القرار صدر في وقت حساس قبل مواجهة الزمالك مع سموحة في بطولة كأس مصر، وكل هذا يحدث ضد نادي الزمالك قبل بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا من أجل إسقاط النادي.

وأكمل أن هذه القرارات من الممكن أن تؤثر على الفريق قبل مباراتنا الهامة أمام الرجاء المغربي في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، ومن الاكيد أن يتأثر اللاعبون والجهاز الفني بهذه الأمور، مشددا على أن الأمر ليس مقصودا منه مرتضى وإنما يقصدون الزمالك، بداية من تسريب العقود والقرارات التي صدرت من اللجنة الأولمبية وفبركة فيديوهات وغيرها من الأمور.

وأوضح: “أؤمن بمبدأ من يخاف يمشي، وأعلم جيداً أن وزير الشباب والرياضة شخص نظيف اليد ومحترم وهو يرى الأمور جيداً، وتعلمت أثناء عملي في القضاء أن السلبي مثل المرتشي، ولكني أعلم أن الوزير سيقوم بدوره على أكمل وجه”.

ووجه رئيس الزمالك رسالة للجماهير، قائلا: “لا تقلقوا على نادي الزمالك، هناك مسئولون محترمون في البلد يعلمون جيداً قيمة النادي، والهدف من هذه الأمور عمل فتنة بأن يقوم جماهير الزمالك بالنزول من أجل النادي ويندس معهم الإخوان، لكنه لن يسمح لهم بالفوضى، نحن ندعم الدولة ومؤسساتها وسوف نأخذ حقنا بالقانون لأننا في دولة قانون”.

وتابع: “البعض في اللجنة الأولمبية يقول إن مصطفى مدبولي رئيس الوزراء هو من قرر عزلي، كيف ذلك وجميع أجهزة الدولة تتعامل معي، بالطبع أنا لا أصدق هذا الكلام لأن الدكتور مصطفى مدبولي أشرف من كل الموجودين في اللجنة الأولمبية، فهو شخص وطني محترم، وكنت وما زلت خلف بلدي ومؤسسات بلدي دون أي مصلحة، لا أخاف من اي شيء، الإخوان قاموا بكتابة اسمي في قائمة المطلوب اغتيالهم، وأنا مستمر في دعمي ومساندتي لبلدي، أقولها مرة أخرى لجماهير نادي الزمالك، إياكم والنزول لأي تجمع، لأن البعض يحاول استخدامكم لأمور تضر البلد”.

وحرص على توجيه الشكر للاعبي الفريق الأول على دعمهم أمس على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي.

وواصل بأنه تلقى خطابا جديدا من اللجنة الأولمبية والجميع يعلم مكان هذا الخطاب وماذا سوف أفعل به، وعلق: “نفسي طويل جدا”.

وعن الفريق الأول بالنادي أكد مرتضى منصور أنه يسير بشكل طيب في بطولتي الدوري والكأس، وأمامه مباراة قوية أمام الرجاء المغربي موضحا أن إسماعيل يوسف عضو مجلس إدارة النادي سيكون رئيساً للبعثة في المغرب ومعه أمير مرتضى منصور المشرف العام على الكرة والذي نجح بقوة مع الفريق وهذا ما أثار الضيق عند الجميع.

Clearly, Declan Rice is quickly turning out to be West Ham United’s most valuable prospect, emerging as one of the most promising English players in years. Now, it’s time for the Hammers to prove they aren’t just a stepping stone for him. 

With an England national team call-up surely looming large and big sharks surrounding him, Rice is slowly elevating to the big leagues of superstardom. With that in mind, the Irons need to protect him at all costs.

The 20-year-old’s bright performances for Manuel Pellegrini’s men this season has turned quite a few eyes upon him. The Premier League giants would reportedly love to have him, but David Sullivan needs to resist the temptation of his big selling fee. Manuel Pellegrini is slowly turning the Hammers into a quality side once again and has the pedigree to make them compete with the best next season.

Rice will be key to West Ham’s success, as his diligent work in midfield’s been key to winning them many games this season. Most recently against Newcastle United, where he scored a brilliant header and nonchalantly controlled the game, proved how vital he is to Pellegrini’s system.

In fact, it’s already got to the point that letting him go would be disastrous.

Sullivan and David Gold should shell out more finances for Pellegrini to fix the holes in West Ham’s system right now. If Rice sees ambition from his side, why would he leave? Those behind the scenes have to give him a reason to stay, he’s that good.

With the exciting attacking talents and a sensation like Rice running the show, the Hammers could even fight for a European spot. However, if West Ham gives in to the temptation of incurring big finances upon selling Rice, they’d undo all the good work Pellegrini’s done so far.

Hammers fans, do you think West Ham would benefit building around Rice? Join the discussion by commenting below.