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Chelsea are getting themselves ready to fight in what promises to be a thrilling 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

The Blues have recruited heavily in the lead-up to the new season and could be the ones to watch to chase down Liverpool for their crown.

Frank Lampard has welcomed five major signings to the club already, with Kai Havertz looking likely to be the sixth through the door any day now.

With their first match of 2020/21 in sight, the manager has highlighted who has impressed him during Chelsea’s pre-season. One man who will definitely have the spotlight on him once the new term starts is Timo Werner. Luckily for him, he has already hit the ground running for the Blues.

Lampard has given a glowing review of the German’s performance against Brighton, which saw him find the back of the net just four minutes into the game (via Sofascore).

“I thought Timo was really sharp and bright,” the 42-year-old told The Express. “He got his goal really early in the game, he showed some of the qualities that I know very well he has so I am very excited about having him in the squad.”

Werner joined Chelsea in a move that stunned the masses. After months of heavy speculation over joining Liverpool, and the player himself even admitting he was proud to be linked to the Reds, the forward put pen to paper for the West Londoners.

The move came shortly after Hakim Ziyech marked Lampard’s first signing of the summer. Werner made his move from RB Leipzig for a fee of £45million back in June (via Sky Sports).

“Also on the pitch he can help talk and be the player that he is which means affecting others,” Lampard said. “On those levels I hope he brings that.

“I am pretty sure he will with the qualities we know he has, so I am excited for when he joins up.”

Are you excited to see Timo Werner in action for Chelsea? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Check out the best players from the Saudi Pro League in EA Sports FC 24!

EA Sports FC 24 is gearing up for a grand launch in September 2023. Fans are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to take control of their beloved teams and play as the world's most prominent football superstars on their gaming screens.

Find the best EA Sports FC 24 deals on Amazon USPre-order nowFind the best EA Sports FC 24 deals on Amazon UKPre-order now

With plenty of top football talent and big stars making the switch to the Saudi Pro League this summer, it is worth checking out how the footballers currently playing in Saudi Arabia, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema, are rated in the game.

In this article, GOAL provides you with the details about the top football stars from the Saudi Pro League.

Read more EA Sports FC 24 news

• EA Sports FC 24: Release date, price & complete guide
• EA Sports FC 24 web app: How to get early start on Ultimate Team
• List of teams, competitions & licences on EA Sports FC 24
• EA Sports FC 24: How standard & Ultimate editions compare
• How to get Early Access to EA Sports FC 24

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  Karim Benzema | Al-Ittihad | 90

  Attribute	Rating
  PAC	79
  SHO	88
  PAS	83
  DRI	87
  DEF	39
  PHY	78

  Benzema's 19 goals for Real Madrid last season were only four goals short of that of league-top scorer Robert Lewandowski. Interestingly, despite a good season in front of goal, his overall rating has fallen slightly, from 91 to 90, in this year's EA Sports FC 24.

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  Neymar | Al-Hilal | 89

  Attribute	Rating
  PAC	86
  SHO	83
  PAS	85
  DRI	93
  DEF	37
  PHY	61

  Neymar's sensational move to Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain attracted headlines and fans will be glad to know that he has retained his rating of 89. His five-star skill moves will once again be a sight to behold during gameplay.

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  Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | 86

  Attribute	Rating
  PAC	77
  SHO	88
  PAS	75
  DRI	80
  DEF	34
  PHY	74

  Ronaldo has made a big impact with his move to Saudi Pro League. He has already scored 23 league goals since joining the new club, but his player rating has suffered a big dip. He was rated 91 in FIFA 22, 90 in FIFA 23 and it has now come down to 86.

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  N'Golo Kante | Al-Ittihad | 86

  Attribute	Rating
  PAC	69
  SHO	65
  PAS	73
  DRI	80
  DEF	85
  PHY	77

  N'Golo Kante struggled towards the end of his long stint with Chelsea and finally landed a move to Al-Ittihad in the summer. As a result, his overall rating has dropped from 89 to 86.

The Manchester City star is one of the best wingers in the game, but it's her impact in another role that means she's starting to thrive in Australia

England’s Lauren Hemp doesn’t like to admit it but she is, in her own words, a bit of a bad loser. Whether it’s training sessions, big matches or games not even related to football, she doesn’t like to lose. Fortunately, then, she doesn’t do it much. Since joining Manchester City as a 17-year-old and debuting for England not long after her 19th birthday, Hemp has done a lot of winning.

That’s not just in the domestic cups she’s lifted with her club or the major tournament triumph she enjoyed with her country last summer, either. Hemp also has four PFA Women's Young Player of the Year accolades to her name and has twice been included in the Women's Super League Team of the Year. It’s fair to say that a lot of the time, her team win because of her contributions.

England didn’t start the Women’s World Cup in flying form. There have been some stuttering performances and some scares on their way to the semi-finals, in which they will face co-hosts Australia on Wednesday.

But they’re finding their feet now, and it’s no surprise that the improvements have coincided with an upturn in fortunes for Hemp, whose match-winning qualities may well come in handy again as the Lionesses look to reach the final of this competition for the very first time.

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  Bright young talent

  It was Willie Kirk who brought Hemp into the WSL, signing her for Bristol City in 2016, and her impact on the first team was so quick that it was a challenge for him as a coach.

  “It was obvious she played with the boys her whole career because she just had that pace and power and strength and tenacity,” Kirk explained to Man City’s website last year. “Things that were quite unique in the women’s game I suppose and certainly unique at the level we were playing at and the level of players we had.

  “I always talk about when I spoke with her mum and dad about trying to find a way to drop her [from the senior team] because my big worry was that at 16 and 17 years old, she was playing every 90 minutes. I never wanted her to feel that she’d achieved everything that she could at Bristol so I was trying to find ways to leave her out the team, but it was so difficult!”

  Within two years, she was moving to Manchester to join one of the country’s biggest clubs and settling into an environment that she believes is the perfect place for her to thrive and win. Less than 12 months later, she would play a Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley, score in it and win the trophy. Hemp had shown incredible promise at Bristol, but she would hit new levels in the north west. Today, she’s one of the best wingers in the country.

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  Making her mark

  Those qualities are starting to be seen at international level now, too. Hemp made her first start for England against the United States women’s national team in Florida as a 19-year-old and, despite defeat, was the Lionesses’ best player. She’s backed it up with some big moments since, scoring at the Euros last year, netting against the U.S. at Wembley in October and, more recently, scoring twice at this World Cup.

  She’s not quite lit up the international stage like she has the WSL but, at 23 years old, it will come, and this might be the moment that we are seeing that potential come to fruition at this level.

  After netting to double England’s lead over China in the group stages, Hemp’s strike against Colombia on Saturday in the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals was her most important goal for her country to date. The Lionesses were trailing against their South American opponents, who were growing in confidence, but she pounced on a mistake in the box to level things up right on half-time.

  It was a game-changing moment that allowed her team to recover and eventually seal a place in the last four.

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  Changing role

  But while Hemp is known as an electric out-and-out winger, the role she has shone in for England at this tournament has not been that.

  Head coach Sarina Wiegman made a huge tactical change before the game against China, switching to a 3-5-2 set-up that she’d not previously used in her tenure. Partnering striker Alessia Russo up top was Hemp.

  It’s not something that she is massively unfamiliar with – indeed, against the U.S. last year, Hemp was playing as a No.9 when she scored against the world champions – though it’s certainly new for her to be in a front two and to be building that kind of relationship with Russo.

  But the two complement each other well. They are different players entirely, but they both have good instincts in the box and have qualities that pose a serious threat for any opponent.

  Against Colombia, their potential was recognised in the best way yet, with both constantly looking to get their head down, run at the defence and cause problems – which they certainly did, both getting on the scoresheet as England won 2-1.

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  Feeling free

  Speaking to after the win, Hemp simply described herself as feeling “free” on the pitch. It’s a great way to sum up how she looks on it in this role, too. “I love playing wing, don't get me wrong,” she explained. “But [now] I can go down the left or the right.”

  Against Colombia, Hemp attempted 13 dribbles, which was by far and away the most of any player on the pitch. She looked incredibly confident that she could beat anyone she ran at and if she didn’t, she stretched the defence in doing so. It put the opponent on the back foot often and opened space for others.

  "They worked so hard for the team, they were everywhere,” Wiegman said of Hemp and Russo afterwards. “To play forward, I thought in the beginning we had to keep it better but they were really challenging their defence all the time."

A number of Glasgow Rangers fans were shocked to see Brandon Barker named in the starting line-up by Steven Gerrard for this evening’s Europa League clash against Bayer Leverkusen.

The line-up was announced by the club’s official Twitter channel @RangersFC just over an hour before kick-off, with the ex-Manchester City winger among three changes from the team that started against Aberdeen last Saturday. Filip Helander and Steven Davis also come into the side, with Leon Balogun, Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara dropping out.

Barker has been the subject of fierce criticism from numerous ‘Gers fans in the past and has made just 12 appearances so far in the 2019/20 season, with just a solitary goal to his name against Livingston last September. The 23-year-old comes in for his first Europa League appearance since the win over Porto nine months ago. [via TransferMarkt]

Having lost the first leg 1-3 at Ibrox, Gerrard’s side need to score at least three times this evening to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Therefore, the inclusion of the far from prolific Barker has shocked these ‘Gers fans, one of whom wryly wondered if it was April Fools’ Day:

‘Gers fans, were you stunned to see Barker in the starting line-up? Can he make a difference to the team this evening? Comment below with your views!

The Reds confirmed the signing of the RB Leipzig playmaker on Sunday as they continue to overhaul their midfield over the summer

Liverpool's summer planning started off on a rather dour note. For some time, the Reds faithful had been holding onto the hope that Jude Bellingham would be parachuted in during the transfer window to reinvigorate their disintegrating midfield.

That dream was dashed in April, when GOAL revealed that Liverpool were going to pursue alternative transfer targets. In the weeks that have followed, the Reds have spent the Bellingham money elsewhere.

First, they splashed out £35 million ($44.3m) on Brighton star and World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister – a move that has been widely praised as a terrific piece of business. This strong start has been followed up by another interesting deal, with Dominik Szoboszlai's arrival from RB Leipzig being confirmed on Sunday evening.

The Hungary international cost Liverpool significantly more than that, with the deal totalling €70m (£60.1m/$76.1m), but a similar level of excitement has greeted his arrival, and so GOAL takes a closer look at what exactly he will be bringing to Anfield…

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  A midfielder or a forward?

  Szoboszlai is a shapeshifter. As such, nailing down his 'strongest' position is a difficult task. Right from the moment he joined Red Bull Salzburg – and even before that – Szoboszlai has been used in a string of different positions for club and country.

  For the most part, this trend has continued since his move to Leipzig in 2021. During his first season in Germany, he played just over 1,500 minutes in the Bundesliga, with 32 percent of those coming as a left forward and 28% coming as a centre midfielder. He was also used as a striker and right forward during the same campaign.

  For the first time in his club career, Szoboszlai seemed to find a permanent home on the pitch last season. In just under 2,500 league minutes – only defender Willi Orban registered more – he spent the vast majority of his time (77%) operating as a right-sided attacking midfielder in Marco Rose's 4-2-2-2, only sporadically appearing on the opposite flank.

  For Hungary, it was a different story, with Szoboszlai being used as a left-sided advanced midfielder in a 3-4-3. To possess such an extreme level of versatility at such a tender age speaks to his maturity and tactical intelligence.

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• An eye for the spectacular

  On occasion it has felt that the size of Szoboszlai's footballing brain has been underappreciated. This is partly self-inflicted, as the first thing that comes to mind with the 22 year old is his box-office, long-range shooting – a far more headline-grabbing trait than the ability to play in multiple positions.

  Szoboszlai's technique when striking the ball from range is quite extraordinary. Like an Olympic sprinter, there's no wasted movement. He simply cocks his leg back ever so slightly and fizzes it through the ball.

  This makes it frighteningly hard to predict when he's going to unleash his latest thunderbolt – as Borussia Dortmund discovered to their peril back in October. Having already assisted Orban for the opener, Szoboszlai was afforded a little too much space outside the box on the stroke of half-time and took full advantage.

  Without overtly signalling his intentions, the Leipzig No.17 unleashed a swerving effort into the top corner to make it 2-0. It was the latest installment in an ever-growing highlight reel of 30-yard screamers, with the angles that he can squeeze shots in from consistently defying logic.

  Don't be surprised to see Szoboszlai capture the Premier League Goal of the Season prize in 2023-24…

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  Fighting with Trent over set-pieces

  Szoboszlai's penchant for the audacious extends to his set-piece taking too. According to he has scored eight direct free-kicks during his club career so far, as well as a further three for his country and plenty more at youth level.

  His success in this field in born out of a childhood obsession. In a recent interview with Szoboszlai confessed to taking about 200 free-kicks every day in his younger years, eventually discovering the ideal technique for himself without any external interference.

  These methods may have been demanding, but he is reaping the rewards in the present day. What is so impressive about Szoboszlai''s dead-ball delivery is his variation. Like a top-class bowler keeping a tail-end batsman in a state of fear, the pace, curve and placement of his efforts can be wildly different, making it difficult for goalkeepers to prepare to face him.

  Szoboszlai is also an accomplished penalty taker, although interestingly, unlike his free-kicks, these are consistent. He almost always aims for the bottom left corner and he almost always finds it, missing just one spot kick during his career thus far.

  His set-pieces can be a potent creative weapon too, with that ability to vary his deliveries coming into play when he's taking corners. It will be interesting to see how free-kicks, corners and penalties are distributed this season at Anfield, with Szoboszlai adding to the Reds' already fearsome group of dead-ball specialists.

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  King of the Hollywood pass

  While Szoboszlai is among the world's best set-piece takers, his creativity does not solely stem from his dead-ball threat. In fact, last season no Bundesliga player averaged more shot-creating actions (the two offensive actions leading to a shot, such as passes and take-ons) per 90 minutes. You don't achieve that by solely taking corners and free-kicks.

  Extrapolate those statistics out to the rest of Europe and Szoboszlai stacks up very favourably indeed. Only nine players in the continent's top five leagues registered better SCA per 90 minutes numbers last season, with Lionel Messi, Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes among the group that beat him. And just like with his goal-scoring, Szoboszlai is a fan of assisting his team-mates in some style.

  He set the tone for this Hollywood passing early in his Bundesliga career. Indeed, his maiden assist in the league should have been an ingenious, driven free-kick. However, Mohamed Simakan just failed to make contact with a glancing header – so it went down as a Szoboszlai goal instead.

  He'd deliver an even better assist in a 4-1 win against Greuther Furth a few weeks later. There was something De Bruyne-esque about the way he weighted his outside-the-foot pass to the back post perfectly, allowing Hugo Novoa to slide home unopposed and put the result beyond all doubt.

Key Information about Boundary Park

Boundary Park is the home of Greater Manchester football club Oldham Athletic. It first opened back in 1904 and was renovated in 2014.

The historic stadium holds a capacity of just over 15,000 and comprises six stands; the George Hill Main Stand, the Zen Office Stand, the Joe Royle Stand, and the Jimmy Frizzell Stand.

A history of Boundary Park

Boundary Park originally opened in 1896 and it was first known as the Athletic Ground for the Latics first professional football club – Oldham County FC. However, the town’s first club did not last more than three years, and Oldham Athletic AFC (Pine Villa FC) took over as new tenants of the ground.

From 1904, the Latics have played all of their home games at the newly built ground. Oldham Athletic RLFC is a Rugby League club, and they moved from their previous home of Watersheddings and moved in with the Latics in 1997 where they ground shared for four years until 2001, and a second time from 2003-09. In 2009, the Latics decided that they did not want to ground share with the Rugby League club, subsequently, they moved out at the end of their season.

In April 2013, the Oldham Borough Council confirmed the clubs planning approval for the new North Stand. The proposal was for the new stand to seat 2,671 fans as well as a health and fitness suite, bar for supporters, and facilities for stadium events. The main stand in Boundary Park has not been developed to hold more spectators since the ground was built in 1904.

The record crowd at Boundary Park is 47,671 and this massive record was set in 1930 during an FA Cup tie between Oldham and Sheffield Wednesday. At the time, the stadium was not all-seater and could hold many more spectators than it does today. The grounds first artificial pitch was installed in 1986 to enhance greater income for the football club. Boundary Park is incredibly the third-highest standing stadium in the whole of England, at 509 feet above sea level.

Oldham Athletic have recently agreed a new deal to purchase Boundary Park after a court case which could have seen the club enter administration was adjourned. The club’s owner, Abdallah Lemsagam has a six-week time frame to pay off the clubs outstanding debt which is a six-figure sum.

Tickets to Watch Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park

Early bird season ticket prices for next season (20/21) stand at £270 for adults which works out to be just £11.70 per game.

Over-65s and under-21s can purchase a season ticket for a discounted £160 (students with valid ID), under-18s can buy one for £48, and under-12s can go free with a full paying adult.

Matchday tickets are available through Ticketmaster, and are priced between £10 (under-18s) to £20 (adults) – family tickets are also available for £22, and this includes one adult and one junior under-18.

Related Links

https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/ – Official website of Oldham Athletic

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/oafc/ – Oldham Athletic Ticket Office

Manchester City's do-it-all defender explains how he fought his way back into the team after being on the fringes of the squad three years ago.

It is no exaggeration to say that John Stones is an idol for Manchester City fans. Go to any game and the chant 'Jonny, Jonny Stones' is heard more than any other. He is serenaded even more than Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne – and even Pep Guardiola.

But he is more than just a cult hero. He is one of the most important players in the team, part-defender, part-midfielder, occasional scorer of jaw-dropping goals. He bossed the midfield against Liverpool and had the run of Luka Modric when City mauled Real Madrid. He was impeccable against Bayern Munich.

While he has been a bit-part player in some of City's triumphs across his seven years with the club, he has been an integral part of the Premier League title and FA Cup win.

And he is certain to start in Saturday's Champions League final against Inter Milan. Victory in Istanbul would be all the more sweeter for Stones, given that only three years ago he sunk to the lowest point of his career.

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  'I looked into every detail'

  In the 2019/20 season he was essentially a fringe player, even after Vincent Kompany had left the club. He started only 12 league games, barely featured in the domestic cups and made just a solitary appearance, as a substitute, in the Champions League.

  Speaking to reporters ahead of the Champions League final, Stones is asked to go back to that dark era. It might be an uncomfortable question to kick off a discussion, but he is happy to talk about it.

  "It was probably one of the hardest times in my career," he begins. "I literally went back to firstly looking at myself, being super critical of myself and what I could do better on the football pitch, and then looking into every fine detail, down to food, what food, training, what training, what extras."

  He would stay at City's training ground long after training had finished and then continue to focus on specific aspects of his game at home before going to bed.

  It was about "finding these small margins, put them all together to kind of break where I was at after coming back to playing" he adds. "Big learning curve for me and maybe who I am today."

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  Putting a 'positive spin' on being left out

  Stones played no part in the last-16 tie against Real Madrid and was an unused substitute in the quarter-final defeat to Lyon in Lisbon, losing his place to the teenage Eric Garcia.

  That might have seemed like the nadir but he says being left out for any game hurt. The longer you spend out of a team, the harder it feels to fight your way back in, especially in a squad as competitive as City's.

  "I think it’s not just that game. I think any game that you don't play, or feel maybe that you should be playing, every player feels like that when they don't play, especially here because we've got an incredible team, it's always difficult," Stones says.

  "I really do try and put a positive spin on that and use that to motivate me and make sure that I give the manager a headache to make his team selection."

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  'I never thought about leaving'

  Not for the first time, Stones was linked with a move away from City, his career under Guardiola written off. Speculation grew about a return to Everton.

  But according to Stones, he never seriously considered leaving. He truly believed City was his level, and it was just about returning to the best version of himself.

  "No, I never thought about that. I think as soon as you accept that or have that mindset then you have killed yourself," he says. "So no, I always wanted to stay, I have stayed and I absolutely love it.

  "I wanted to prove to myself, I didn’t say to anyone ‘It was because I want to prove to you’. I think, in anything, you have to prove to yourself first and foremost that you deserve to be here, you are good enough to be here, and what you bring to the team.

  "Everyone's so unique here and I feel that's why we've been so successful."

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  Being Guardiola's project

  Unique is an apt word to describe Stones. Few English players have shown the ability and confidence he has on the ball, and fewer still would continue to keep playing out from the back despite the many mistakes he made in his early days with City, when they ended their first season under Guardiola without a trophy.

  The coach made an impassioned defence of Stones in an unforgettable press conference in 2017, when he told a press conference: "John Stones has more personality than all of us together in this room. More balls than anyone here, guys! I like that kind of player, I love him."

  Guardiola made Stones his new project this season, first playing him as an inside right-back, dropping Kyle Walker in the process, and then giving him licence to roam into midfield, giving extra support to Rodri and also playing a big role in City's attacking play.

Where to watch Premier League clash between Bournemouth and West Ham – including team news, kick-off time, TV and live stream details.

Bournemouth take on West Hamin a much-anticipated Premier League clash on Sunday.

The hosts will be bubbling with confidence after beating Tottenham Hotspur in a five-goal thriller last week. They are currently 14th in the league with 33 points from 31 matches.

It's a must-win match for the Hammers who are just three points above the relegation zone at the moment. They will have confidence from their result against league leaders Arsenal last week, where they managed to hold the Gunners to a 2-2 draw after conceding two early goals in the match.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about the match including TV, streaming details, team news, squads and kick-off times.

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  Kick-off time

  Match:	Bournemouth vs West Ham
  Date:	April 23, 2023
  Kick-off time:	2:00 pm BST
  Venue:	Vitality Stadium

  The Premier League match will be played at Vitality Stadium on Sunday, April 23.

  The game is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 am EDT.

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  How to watch Bournemouth vs West Ham online – TV channels & live streams

  Country	TV Channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	Peacock Premium

  Viewers in the US can stream live on Peacock Premium.

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  Team news & squads

  West Ham team news & squad

  Other than Gianluca Scamacca and Angelo Ogbonna, everyone is available for West Ham. Lukasz Fabianzki is likely to get back into the starting lineup.

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Areola, Fabianski.
  Defenders:	Aguerd, Zouma, Kehrer, Ogbonna, Emerson, Cresswell, Johnson, Coufal.
  Midfielders:	Rice, Soucek, Downes, Paqueta, Fornals, Lanzini.
  Forwards:	Benrahma, Cornet, Bowen, Ings, Antonio.

  Bournemouth team news & squad

  Bournemouth will miss the services of Hamed Traore, Ryan Fredericks and Junior Stanislas due to injuries.

  Matias Vina has a lower back issue but he is likely to be included in the matchday squad.

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Neto, Travers, Randolph.
  Defenders	Kelly, Mepham, Stephens, Vina, Stacey, Smith, Lerma.
  Midfielders	Billing, Tavernier, Cook, Rothwell, Christie.
  Forwards	Anthony, Ouattara, Solanke, Semenyo, Moore.

  Head-to-head record

  Date	Result	Competition
  25/10/2022	West Ham 2-0 Bournemouth	Premier League
  5/9/2020	West Ham 3-5 Bournemouth	Friendly
  16/12/2021	West Ham 4-0 Bournemouth	Premier League
  28/9/2019	West Ham 2-2 Bournemouth	Premier League
  19/1/2019	Bournemouth 2-0 West Ham	Premier League

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  Useful links

  • Bournemouth team page

  • West Ham team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

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Conquer the pitch with the best cleats

Women's soccer is booming and becoming increasingly popular by the day around the world. More matches are being broadcasted, funding is slowly increasing, and the women's game is starting to be treated on par with the men's – although there is still some progress to be made.

If you've been inspired by the growth of women's football, watching some of your favorite stars on television, there's no time like the present to get yourself out onto the pitch to play. Picking out the perfect soccer cleats isn't something you can leave to chance. These are precision-made boots made by some of the most popular manufacturers in the world.

It's only fitting that you put plenty of thought into your new footwear, from where you're going to play to what you're going to do with it – and luckily, you don't have to break the bank to discover the perfect pair.

Click here to skip ahead to our round-up of the best women's soccer cleats.

Our top three:

Best overall women's soccer cleats: PUMA Future Ultimate Brilliance

Best budget women's soccer cleats: PUMA Future Match Brilliance 

Best Firm Ground soccer cleats: Ida Classica 22 

FAQs:

What are the best soccer cleats?

There's no singular "best" type of soccer cleats – with so many ways to play the game these days, the best footwear is all down to the player's individual needs.

That said, several brands have emerged over the past half-century as leaders in the industry – Nike, adidas, Umbro, and more. While there are many manufacturers to choose from, these headline names have built their brands into global success stories because they know how to deliver the goods.

What type of soccer cleats do I need?

The individual type of cleats will depend on what you hope to achieve with your game and where you will play. Soccer pitches can be split into roughly half-a-dozen different categories. Depending on which one you play on, you'll want to purchase a cleat that best enhances your performance on those particular surfaces.

What kind of surfaces are there?

You can buy soccer cleats for five different surfaces – firm ground, soft ground, artificial grass, astroturf, and indoor courts – while in addition, you can purchase a sixth type, multi-ground, which covers varied combinations of the above. On tougher grass that's frozen in the winter? You'll want firm ground. On grass that's soaked in the rain overnight? Soft ground is your best bet. Five-a-side at the local sports hall? Indoor courts are the way to go. Knowing what you'll be playing on is sometimes half the battle. For a more detailed guide of each surface type, scroll down to the bottom of this article.

• Best overall soccer cleats

  Puma Future Ultimate

  PUMA$219.99 at Soccer.com

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This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

When Newcastle United decided to fork out £22.5 million to sign Michael Owen from Real Madrid back in 2005, it perhaps raised a good few eyebrows for a number of reasons.

On the positive side, the former Liverpool ace was arguably still a quality player then, and received heaps of praises from people associated with the Tyneside club. Manager at the time Graeme Souness said that the capture would represent the biggest transfer of his managerial career, whilst chairman Freddy Shepherd said that bringing him to St. James’ Park ranked alongside the signing of Alan Shearer as his proudest moment at the Magpies, as per The Guardian.

Indeed, the Premier League’s all-time record goal scorer and undisputed Toon legend was entering his final season wearing the famous black and white stripes, so Owen had some huge boots to fill.

His debut campaign in the North East was perhaps an underwhelming one to say the least, as he only managed 11 appearances in the top flight, scoring seven goals, according to Transfermarkt.

Scuppered by injury problems, the 40-year old would miss a staggering 54 games in the following term with a ruptured cruciate ligament, as per the website.

He would go on to miss another 17 matches through injury over the next two seasons, before leaving on a free transfer to Manchester United, representing a huge financial loss.

The ex-striker was arguably a loss on the pitch as well, making just 79 appearances over four campaigns, with 2007/08 being the only term where he racked up double figures in the goal scoring department (via Transfermarkt).

Owen did not even want to play for Newcastle in the first place. His heart was set on a return to Liverpool, and perhaps this is a reason as to why he failed to impress at United.

Nevertheless, the Englishman was still a waste of money and time.

Newcastle fans, what are your thoughts on Michael Owen? Let us know below…