Sports
Phil Foden and Cole Palmer Take Top Honors at PFA Awards
Manchester City’s Phil Foden has been crowned the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Men’s Player of the Year, while Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has earned the Young Player of the Year accolade. This marks the first time since the 2009-10 season that both awards have gone to English players, with Wayne Rooney and James Milner previously achieving this feat.
Foden, who scored 19 goals in 35 Premier League appearances during the 2023-24 season, played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s historic fourth successive Premier League title win. At just 23 years old, he became the youngest player to secure six league titles. This recognition as PFA Player of the Year is the first of its kind for Foden, who had previously been honored as the PFA Young Player of the Year twice. In addition to this latest accolade, Foden also won the Premier League Player of the Season and was named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year for the 2023-24 campaign.
Expressing his gratitude, Foden said, “To win this award is something very special, and it is one that I am very proud of and grateful for. To be recognized this way by your fellow professionals means everything, and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. Last season was another very special one for everyone at the club, but now all our focus is concentrated on trying to achieve more success this term.”
Foden edged out tough competition, including his Manchester City teammates Erling Haaland (last year’s winner) and Rodri, as well as Chelsea’s Palmer, Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Meanwhile, Cole Palmer, who recently moved from Manchester City to Chelsea, was named the PFA Young Player of the Year, further highlighting his rising star status in English football.
Warren Gatland is set to leave his role as Wales head coach after a record-breaking 14 consecutive Test match defeats, bringing an early end to his second tenure in charge.
Although the 61-year-old was contracted until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, he was already expected to step down after the Six Nations. Now, his departure will come midway through the tournament, with Wales still set to face Ireland on 22 February in Cardiff, Scotland on 8 March, and England on 15 March.
Possible successors include former Australia coach Michael Cheika, Glasgow’s Franco Smith, and Ireland interim boss Simon Easterby.
Gatland, who enjoyed a highly successful 12-year first stint with Wales—winning three Grand Slams and leading the team to two World Cup semi-finals—returned in December 2022 to replace Wayne Pivac. However, his second tenure has been marred by poor performances, with Wales suffering their worst losing streak in 144 years of international rugby. The 22-15 loss to Italy last weekend cemented their decline, dropping them to 12th in the world rankings.
In total, Gatland has overseen 151 Tests across both spells, with 76 wins, 73 losses, and two draws. His recent record stands at just six victories in 26 matches, a win ratio of only 23%.
Tiger Woods has pulled out of this week’s Genesis Invitational, stating he is “still processing” the recent death of his mother, Kultida Woods.
The 15-time major champion, who had initially planned to participate, announced his withdrawal on social media, saying, “I planned to tee it up this week, but I’m just not ready. I did my best to prepare, knowing it’s what my mom would have wanted, but I’m still processing her loss.”
Woods’ mother, Kultida, passed away on February 4. Just days later, tournament organizers had confirmed Woods’ participation in the event, which is now being held at Torrey Pines instead of its usual Riviera Country Club venue due to wildfires in Los Angeles.
Woods has not played a PGA Tour event since The Open at Royal Troon last July. His competitive appearances have been sporadic since a 2021 car accident left him with severe leg injuries, and he underwent additional back surgery in September. Most recently, he played alongside his son, Charlie, in a 36-hole event in December and participated in an exhibition for the Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), which he co-founded.
As the tournament host, Woods hopes to attend the Genesis Invitational later in the week but has not committed to a specific timeline. The event benefits his TGR Foundation, which supports youth education initiatives.
Fans and fellow players have expressed their condolences and support for Woods as he navigates this difficult time.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Radu Dragusin has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee. The 23-year-old sustained the injury during Spurs’ Europa League clash against Elfsborg last week and will undergo surgery.
Dragusin is expected to be sidelined for at least six months, though recovery from ACL injuries can sometimes extend to a year. Tottenham confirmed that their medical team will monitor his rehabilitation to determine his return timeline.
The Romanian international had become a key figure for Spurs, starting 21 of their last 23 games. His absence adds to an already extensive injury list, which includes Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert, Cristian Romero, and Dominic Solanke. However, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies have recently returned to action.
Dragusin joined Tottenham from Genoa in January 2024 in a £25 million deal. To bolster their defensive options, Spurs signed Austria international Kevin Danso on loan for the remainder of the season, with an option to buy for £21 million. They also made an ambitious £70 million bid for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, which was rejected, but secured the signing of 19-year-old attacker Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.
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