Jurgen Klopp's decision to step down as Liverpool boss rocked the world of football. The resurgent Reds were top of the Premier League and still in three cup competitions when the Kop idol announced on January 26, 2004 that he would leave Anfield at the end of the season.
"I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people at this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it," Klopp told the club's official website.
"I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything.
"But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take. It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy."
The supporters were stunned. There had been some signs of fatigue and frustration the year before but nobody had seen Klopp's imminent exit coming – not even Klopp's assistant Peter Krawietz…
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'I understood Jurgen's explanations'
"Jurgen called me at the time and said I should come to see him. He said that we needed to discuss something," Krawietz explains in an exclusive interview with GOAL.
"When he told me what, I was initially surprised, but five minutes into our conversation, which ended up lasting perhaps two hours, I was no longer surprised.
"I completely understood all of Jurgen's explanations and arguments. They were logical, consistent, and also congruent with my own thinking.
"We had both taken a long look in the mirror, independently of each other, and in doing so, we came to the difficult conclusion: a four-week break would not be enough to face the challenges of the following season, in light of everything that this profession requires."
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Klopp's surprise move
In truth, it wasn't that difficult to understand why Klopp might be exhausted. After all, he was renowned for his intensity.
Klopp was never less than 100 percent committed to the cause – whether that was at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund or Liverpool – so it was perhaps inevitable that such a relentless work ethic would eventually catch up with him.
Nobody was in any doubt that he deserved an extended break from football either. For that very reason, though, eyebrows were raised when Klopp announced his return to the game less than six months after his final game at Anfield – and as Red Bull's head of global soccer.
Klopp had always claimed to be a traditionalist, an old romantic disillusioned by the commercialisation of football, so his decision to accept a role within the sporting department of the energy drink manufacturer provoked accusations of hypocrisy and selling his soul.
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'At Red Bull, Jurgen can think outside the box'
Krawietz, though, insists that he wasn't at all surprised by the timing of Klopp's return to work or the identity of the employer.
"I would have only been surprised if he had asked me if we wanted to join a certain club in our usual roles," he says. "But I was almost certain that wouldn't happen.
"I always thought that he would do something completely different than before. Jurgen simply wanted a change from his coaching job.
"He's always been a very curious person, enthusiastic about other things, and, at Red Bull, he can think outside the box, experience new things, really get involved, isn't tied to one location, and is free of the daily public relations work. It's less intensive, but just as extensive.
"I've taken note of the criticism – but I don't understand it. I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding on the part of the fans [in Germany].
"In England, it's perfectly normal for a club to be managed by an investor who acts as a financier and makes strategic decisions.
"If you ask yourself why this hasn't yet taken hold in Germany, it also raises the question of how professional and commercially marketed football can be. A highly interesting discussion, but one as old as football itself.
"But, at the end of the day, where would Jurgen have been allowed to work, what would the public have approved of? There would have been numerous critical voices even if he had – purely hypothetically – become coach at Bayern Munich or Manchester United.
"Of course, that's not how free choice of profession works. You have to pay respect to an individual. You can't hold a public vote on what the fans would like."
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'True champion' James Milner
Of course, Klopp's status as a Liverpool legend has long been secure. He enjoyed a wonderful rapport with the fans – and still does.
Winning trophies obviously helped. As well as leading the Reds to a sixth European Cup, Klopp also ended Liverpool's 30-year English title drought.
Krawietz openly admits, though, that the management team owed so much of their success to a wonderful group of players, men of real character that created and maintained a standard of excellence at the club.
"I don't want to put anyone above others and could probably talk about each one for an hour," Krawietz says, "but, in terms of the focus on daily life, the job, and the complete conviction with which you approach it, the shining example and the most professional of all the players I've met is James Milner.
"He managed to align an entire team around this focus and demonstrate how to become a true champion."
Arsenal’s performance against Liverpool was a strange one.
As Arne Slot mused at full time, if you played the same match another ten times, eight results would see a draw, the Reds would win once and the Gunners would win the other.
It was a tight game. Arguably neither side really deserved to take all three points home.
Yet, in title races, you need moments of magic. Dominik Szoboszlai was the man who provided it for Slot and Co in the Premier League on Sunday, striking home a sweet free kick.
Arsenal were craving a moment of similar spice but despite spending nearly £300m, they lacked that moment. It’s safe to say it’ll take time for everything to come together with so many new faces vying for a place in the team.
So, fresh off that 1-0 defeat at Anfield, is there anything for Arsenal to wrap up on deadline day?
Arsenal's transfer deadline day plans
As far as incomings are concerned, it’s unlikely Arsenal will be too busy during Monday’s deadline day.
That said, we are still awaiting official communication that Piero Hincapie will sign from Bayer Leverkusen.
The Gunners have been in talks to sign the defender over the last few week and it was widely reported that he was undergoing a medical on Sunday.
That move will pave the way for Jakub Kiwior to depart the Emirates Stadium and he could be followed out the door by Oleksandr Zinchenko – linked with Marseille – and Reiss Nelson who, is wanted by Fulham.
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Eberechi Eze may well have signed but there is still a craving for a left winger and that was rubber-stamped on Sunday.
Gabriel Martinelli began the game on the left flank but was hauled off on the 70th-minute mark having had one of his poorest games for the club.
The Brazilian was dominated by makeshift right back Szoboszlai, notably failing to register a shot, a key pass or complete a dribble.
So, how can Arsenal solve that issue?
How Arsenal can solve their Martinelli problem
Cast your minds back to the 2022/23 campaign. The Gunners are at their free-flowing best. Grant Xhaka is patrolling things from the middle of the park, Gabriel Jesus is dazzling up top and Oleksandr Zinchenko is inverting from left-back.
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Martinelli were also combining to create one of the best attacks in the division. All three of them scored 15 goals throughout the campaign.
Since then, it’s been a tale of woe for him with the Gunners. He’s really struggled to replicate that form and the start to 2025/26 has been no better.
FFC handed the Brazilian a 3/10 rating for his efforts in Merseyside and it was justified for a complete lack of involvement. The forward is full of energy and pace but lacks end product, largely due to his indecisiveness when he gets the ball in and around the penalty area.
Minutes played
70
Touches
15
Accurate passes
6/7 (86%)
Key passes
0
Shots
0
Dribble attempts
0
Crosses
0
Duels won
2
What Arsenal need is something different on that side of the pitch. Eze came on for the last 20 minutes and immediately looked a better asset, very nearly scoring.
But, if Arteta wanted to axe Martinelli for good, then signing a new winger would certainly go down a treat on deadline day.
Much of the summer’s chatter has been about Real Madrid’s Rodrygo but another player who could be on the market late on is Rafael Leao, valued at £86m.
Reports on Sunday suggested that Tottenham Hotspur were actually looking at doing a deal for the Portuguese, albeit it would be a very challenging deal to do this late in the window. Arsenal have previously been linked but it’s not known whether they still retain an interest.
So, why would he be a good signing? Well, the 26-year-old has notably been described as “one of the best left wingers in the world” by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The Milan winger has cultivated a reputation as one of the most exciting forwards in the game, scoring 12 times and also providing 13 assists in all competitions throughout last season. One year prior, the electric speedster scored 15 and managed 14 assists, showcasing why he’s so highly rated.
His style of play would also captivate the masses at the Emirates. Back in 2022, Milan coach Stefano Pioli said that “Leao reminds me a lot of the early Thierry Henry.”
Like the Arsenal legend, Leao boasts a quick and long stride pattern. He favours the left channel and he’s a monster if you allow him to cut inside.
Over the last year, the Milan attacker ranks among the best 4% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, via FBref. To put that into context, Martinelli ranks among the best 25%, lagging behind Leao by some distance.
To put it simply, the Portugal international is better than Martinelli.
He has a level of incisiveness, a level of directness that simply isn’t there with the Brazilian. Signing him late in the window, particularly if they beat Spurs to his signature, would be one quick way to move on from their troubled number 11.
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Jose Mourinho has warned Chelsea he will not be feeling sentimental when he attempts to lead Benfica to victory on his highly-anticipated return to Stamford Bridge. The Special One heads back to his old stomping ground on Tuesday evening when the Portuguese giants lock horns with Enzo Maresca’s Blues in the latest round of Champions League fixtures.
Mourinho enjoyed two trophy-laden spells as Chelsea manager
Mourinho established himself as one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever managers across two successful periods with Chelsea. In his first spell at the club, the 62-year-old led the west Londoners to six major honours between 2004 and 2007, including two league titles and one FA Cup. And after spells with Inter and Real Madrid, Mourinho made an emotional return to Chelsea in 2013, guiding them to another league title before departing in 2015.
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Special One plans to keep his emotions in check on Tuesday
However while he acknowledges that Chelsea will always be “home”, Mourinho is planning to keep his emotions in check when he returns to the Stamford Bridge touchline with Benfica.
Speaking to the media ahead of the match on Tuesday, Mourinho said: "I am feeling home. I already played here with Spurs, Manchester United and Inter. But I am not a Blue now. I am Red. And I want to win. I am expecting two teams wanting to win. Chelsea will only play for a victory, especially after losing the first game [against Bayern Munich]. We will have to defend well to win the game. Our tactical approach is to try and win the game.
"We have Chelsea, Real Madrid and Newcastle in this competition [the Champions League]. All these games are hard. So tomorrow we have to chase the points. Our Champions League fixtures are harder than Chelsea's games.”
Mourinho is confident he will not be jeered by Chelsea fans
And despite his presence in the opposing dugout, Mourinho is confident his trophy-laden spells at Chelsea will ensure he will not be jeered by supporters, adding: "I don't think Chelsea fans will boo me. At least when I am on the street they ask me for selfies and pictures.”
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Special One gives cheeky response when asked about Palmer's absence
One man who will miss Mourinho’s return to Chelsea will be Cole Palmer as the Blues forward spends a short period on the sidelines in an attempt to overcome the groin injury which has plagued his 2025-26 season so far. And when asked what he thought about Palmer’s planned absence ahead of his return with Benfica, Mourinho issued a cheeky response.
In quotes carried by Portuguese outlet Mourinho said following Benfica’s 2-1 Primeira Liga victory over Gil Vicente on Friday: “I'm happy [Palmer will be missing]. My Chelsea team was a winning machine, with a big investment, but a lot of ambition. Then they seemed to lose some direction, and it was tough for those who love the club. Enzo Maresca [Chelsea manager] arrived, and the puzzle is being completed piece by piece, and they won the Conference League. Now I think they have a good, good team, and if Cole Palmer isn't a problem for Chelsea [through injury], that's a big problem for me. If [Heorhiy] Sudakov or [Vangelis] Pavlidis don't play, that's a big problem for me.”
Arsenal are now set to bid for a £52m player, who is being targeted as a direct replacement for a wantaway star, according to a reporter.
Gunners keen on another defender before deadline
The Gunners have already made major improvements to their squad this summer, with Mikel Arteta mainly setting out to bolster his attacking options, although Cristhian Mosquera was also brought in as a back-up to William Saliba and Gabriel at centre-back.
However, having now gotten the deal for Eberechi Eze over the line, with Andrea Berta orchestrating a stunning hijack of Tottenham Hotspur’s deal, the north Londoners now appear to have turned their attentions towards strengthening their defence.
A late move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has been discussed, although Liverpool looks like a more likely destination, given that the Englishman has reservations about playing second fiddle to Gabriel and Saliba.
As such, Arteta’s side have now moved on to alternative targets, and another sensational hijack could be on the cards, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing Arsenal are now “set to bid” for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.
On Monday morning, Fabrizio Romano revealed that Tottenham have made a “new proposal” for Hincapie, with discussions over personal terms underway, but the Gunners have also entered the race, and Jacobs believes the Ecuadorian “favours” a move to the Emirates Stadium.
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Berta is targeting the 23-year-old as a replacement for Jakub Kiwior, who wants to leave this summer, with a move to FC Porto on the cards, but the Gunners may have to spend big once again, as there is a €60m (£52m) release clause in the Leverkusen star’s contract.
Hincapie could be "perfect" signing for Arsenal
Scout Ben Mattinson has previously suggested the Leverkusen defender could be the “perfect” addition to Arteta’s squad, given that he is capable of playing at both left-back and left centre-back, which makes him a similar type of player to Kiwior.
The Poland international has also featured at left-back regularly throughout his career, and he clearly impressed Arteta last season, with the Arsenal boss dubbing the 25-year-old as “exceptional.”
However, with the defender eager to leave, there is no point standing in his way, particularly considering Hincapie could be an ideal replacement, having already racked up a considerable amount of experience at Leverkusen, making 166 appearances for the German club.
While obviously not their primary objective, it would also be fantastic for Arsenal to get another one over on their north London rivals, having already hijacked the move for Eze, who enjoyed a very impressive campaign with Palace last season.
There are plenty of reasons for Tottenham Hotspur supporters to be excited right now.
On Saturday, Spurs swatted aside London rivals West Ham 3-0 away from home.
Cristian Romero controversially had a first-half header ruled out, but it ultimately mattered not, because Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergall and then Micky van de Ven were all on target during a 17-minute scoring spree after the interval, while Tomáš Souček was sent off for the hosts during this time frame.
That makes it three wins out of four in the Premier League for Thomas Frank, ahead of Spurs’ Champions League opener against Villarreal on Tuesday, proudly returning to Europe’s premier club competition as Europa League winners of course.
Tottenham’s latest big-money signing made his debut at the London Stadium, but it remains to be seen just how good he will be in a lilywhite shirt, given that an ex-Spurs player, who is actually his compatriot, has scored more goals since the start of last season.
Xavi Simons' Tottenham debut in numbers
Having been presented on the pitch prior to the 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth before the international break, Spurs supporters were eager to witness Xavi Simons’ debut at West Ham, having joined from RB Leipzig for around £51m.
The Netherlands international was deployed off the left, with the table below documenting his match statistics.
Simons vs West Ham
Stats
Simons
Match rank
Shots off target
1
2nd
Successful dribbles
1
7th
Accurate passes
27
11th
Key passes
1
6th
Touches
51
9th
Average SofaScore rating
7.2
8th
Statistics courtesy of SofaScore
As the table documents, Simons made a decent if unspectacular start to life at Tottenham, showing glimpses of what he can produce, but will be hoping for more end product come Tuesday in the Champions League.
So, is there actually a former Tottenham attacker, of the same nationality, who has been outscoring Simons in recent times?
Forgotten Tottenham attacker on fire
Steven Bergwijn joined Tottenham Hotspur from PSV Eindhoven in January 2020 for a reported fee of £26.7m.
Well, they say first impressions are the most important, and he certainly made a good one, opening the scoring during a 2-0 home victory over Manchester City just a few days later, named man of the match that afternoon too.
Given the Covid-19 lockdown, this would be Spurs’ last home league win, in front of supporters, for 560 days, which is surely part of the reason why it remains ingrained in the memory.
Overall, however, the Dutch winger actually scored just eight times in 83 appearances for Spurs, but he certainly timed them well, synonymous with the famous comeback at Leicester, scoring in the 95th and then 97th minutes to turn a 2-1 defeat into a 3-2 victory at the King Power in January 2022.
Upon his arrival at the club, short-lived manager Nuno Espírito Santo stated that Bergwijn possessed a “unique” skillset among his squad, adding that he is a “very talented player…. he’s fantastic in one v ones, offensive, he’s fast, he gives us speed”.
Nevertheless, deemed surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte in the summer of 2022, he was sold to Ajax for £26.4m.
During two seasons back in Amsterdam, the city of his birth, Bergwijn bagged a respectable 29 goals in 80 appearances, including netting against both Rangers and Napoli in the Champions League.
Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn
However, in September 2024, he made a left-field career choice, leaving his homeland to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who paid around £20m for his signature.
A month earlier, the forward had started two matches at Euro 2024, included in the XI for knockout ties against Romania and Türkiye.
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However, following his move to the Middle East, Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman publicly declared during a press conference that Bergwijn would no longer be called up so long as he is in charge, citing a “lack of sporting ambition”.
Well, despite this continued snub from his national team, the 27-year-old was excellent last season, scoring 13 Saudi Pro League goals, a key figure as his team won the title.
To start the new campaign, Bergwijn has been on fire, bagging four goals in three games, on target as Laurent Blanc’s side were beaten 2-1 by Al-Nassr in the Super Cup semi-final in Hong Kong, before netting twice during Friday’s 4-2 win over Al-Fateh.
This means, since the start of last season, he has scored 17 club goals, five more than compatriot Simons has managed.
The obvious caveat, that Koeman himself would be sure to point out, is that Bergwijn is playing at a significantly lower level, with the Saudi Pro League ranked as the 32nd strongest in the world, according to Global Football Rankings, thereby placed below the Cypriot First Division, the Ecuadorian top-flight and Italy’s second-tier Serie B.
Nevertheless, Bergwijn still knows where the back of the net is, and could’ve been a useful player at Spurs had he stayed, even if Simons’ ceiling is exponentially higher.
Forget about Simons: 8/10 Spurs star looked like prime Dele vs West Ham
Tottenham have come on leaps and bounds under Thomas Frank’s management this season.
Kemar Roach, the West Indies fast bowler, will return to Surrey for his fifth consecutive season of County Championship cricket after signing a deal to play in the first four rounds.Roach has taken 93 wickets at 25.60 in 28 first-class appearances for Surrey, the defending champions, playing a key role in the club’s three consecutive title wins. He will be available for the season-opener against Essex, starting next Friday, as well as games against Hampshire, Sussex and Somerset.”I’ve enjoyed every moment of my time with Surrey over the last four years and I’m excited to join up with the team again,” Roach said.Related
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“The Kia Oval is my second home and the environment led by Alec Stewart, Gareth Batty and Rory Burns is one of the best I’ve been a part of. I’m looking forward to contributing to more success for Surrey in whatever way that I can.”Roach’s arrival adds further depth to a bowling attack that has been strengthened by the signing of Matt Fisher from Yorkshire over the offseason, with New Zealand allrounder Nathan Smith also due to join the club from May.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s high performance cricket advisor, said: “Kemar has been a big part of our dressing room in the last four years and it is great to have him back. His quality, work ethic, and commitment to the club speak for itself.”I am confident he will once again play an important role at the start of this season, and the group is looking forward to working with him again.”
Arsenal and sporting director Andrea Berta are somehow not done in the summer transfer market, despite spending over £250 million already this window.
The Gunners’ ambition to end their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title is crystal clear from their excellent deals for Kepa, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, with Mikel Arteta backed to the hilt.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetacelebrates after the match
Their transfer spending since Arteta took charge has now surpassed the £900 million mark after their sensational hijack of Tottenham’s deal for Eze, so failure to win the league gives Arteta no place to hide.
Arsenal have made a perfect start to the new campaign – scoring six goals in two games whilst conceding none – with current English champions Liverpool awaiting them at Anfield on Sunday in what will be their arguable toughest test of 2025/2026.
With deadline day just four days away, following a phenomenal debut summer for Berta as their main transfer chief, all that’s left to do now is to ensure Arsenal finish it as strongly as possible.
Arteta cannot afford to be weakened by outgoings, and they have a plan to replace Jakub Kiwior, who’s on the verge of joining FC Porto on loan with an obligation to buy in 2026.
With Kiwior preparing to depart for Portugal, Arsenal have entered talks for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.
Bayer Leverkusen working to replace Piero Hincapie after Arsenal pact
According to reliable media sources, the Ecaudor international has already agreed personal terms on a move to Arsenal and wants to join Arteta’s side, with Fabrizio Romano now confirming that they’re in club-to-club negotiations too.
Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.
Romano, speaking on Kraken earlier this week, has also said that Arsenal want to sign Hincapie on an initial loan deal with the obligation to buy, and before Leverkusen potentially agree to these terms, Erik ten Hag’s side are looking to source a replacement.
They’ve already made an approach for Newcastle United star Sven Botman as a candidate, but a deal for the Dutchman is seen as very difficult considering Eddie Howe and co are not keen on selling the player this late on.
The obligation to buy, according to BILD, could even be as low as £39 million, and there are many reasons why this could be deemed a bargain.
Hincapie was a mainstay of Leverkusen’s backline last year, and the versatile 23-year-old, who can play in multiple defensive areas, has long been linked with a move to the Premier League.
Newcastle United are becoming quite the force in the transfer market and could now be able to tempt a high-profile star to St James’ Park in the near future.
Wissa injury puts dampener on Newcastle's new arrivals
Excitement has engulfed the North East air as supporters await Yoane Wissa’s debut following his £55 million move from Brentford on Deadline Day. Nevertheless, the DR Congo international may need to wait a little while before being able to pull on the famous black and white for the first time after Eddie Howe confirmed he picked up a knee injury before his side took on Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He explained: “Unfortunately not, no, so he won’t make this game (vs Wolves). I saw him for the first time yesterday. He’s feeling the effects of the injury he sustained just before he came off, so we’re going to have to see how he is.”
Later, he added on a potential timescale for his return: “I don’t know currently as I sit here. I think he’ll go away for tests and maybe see a specialist to see.”
Jacob Ramsey also missed out due to an ankle issue, leaving Howe short on options as his side look to climb the Premier League table. Nevertheless, Newcastle retain a strong squad with proven top-flight quality, and Nick Woltemade got off to the perfect start with a fine headed goal to open the scoring against Wolves.
Tino Livramento could be in line for a new contract to ward off Manchester City’s advances, albeit the Magpies have needed to deal with change this summer, signifying that incomings in January may be likely.
Adhering to their preference of bringing in Premier League talent, Newcastle are now looking to tempt a renowned star to the North East who has previously been on their radar.
Newcastle United target Jan Paul van Hecke open to Magpies switch
According to Football Insider, Newcastle target Jan Paul van Hecke is open to joining the Magpies due to the prospect of being able to play Champions League football in the North East.
Valued at £60 million, PIF held internal talks about signing the Netherlands international during the summer window and Dan Burn was even drafted in to try and convince him that a move to St James’ Park would be best for his career.
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Deemed as an alternative signing to Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi, the 25-year-old has made just shy of 100 appearances for the Seagulls, registering one goal and three assists.
Establishing himself as a reliable presence within Fabian Hurzeler’s backline, Van Hecke has already been a consistent figure for the Seagulls on Premier League duty in 2025/26.
Ultimately, plenty can change between now and the January window, though Newcastle already seem to be building a shortlist of exciting targets.
The thought of retirement crossed her mind during her mental-health break, but the NZ allrounder is back and excited to push for more glory
Valkerie Baynes19-Mar-2025
Devine: ‘I still felt like I’ve got a little bit more to give in the black shirt’•Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
Sophie Devine has revealed that she contemplated international retirement during her recent break from cricket but says the lure of this year’s ODI World Cup played a big part in prolonging her New Zealand career.Devine took a step back from the sport at the start of 2025 to prioritise her well-being, pulling out of WPL 2025 after being retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru and missing two home white-ball series against Sri Lanka.Related
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Asked on Wednesday whether the thought of not returning to international cricket had run through her mind during her time off, Devine told reporters: “Completely honest? Yep. Certainly.”To be able to have to process through a few of those things, obviously I’m unfortunately not getting any younger, so they naturally sort of came into mind. But for me, yeah, look, just really excited to be here, just going to be focusing on each day as it comes and just really enjoying every day with the White Ferns.”Speaking ahead of her return for the T20I series against Australia starting in Auckland on Friday, Devine – who last week was picked up by Southern Brave for GBP 36,000 (NZD 80,000) with their first pick in the Women’s Hundred draft – said franchise opportunities and, chiefly, T20 World Cup champions New Zealand’s attempt to secure the double at the 50-over version in India later this year left her feeling that she had more to give.Devine captained New Zealand to the T20 World Cup in October 2024•ICC/Getty Images
“I’ve been playing cricket for a very long time and probably looking ahead in terms of what am I going to do when my time does come to hang up the boots,” she said. “Those opportunities are still something that really excites me, being able to go overseas and play in franchise cricket, but most importantly, it’s to play for the White Ferns. We’ve got a pretty big World Cup coming up later this year, which – all going well – hopefully I’ll be at.”Certainly the World Cup was probably the biggest one. I still felt like I’ve got a little bit more to give in the black shirt. So for me, I guess that opportunity was there, but also being okay with the fact that if I was done, I’ve had a pretty good run of it. But certainly watching the girls over the last couple of weeks, there’s certainly a big itch there that’s still to scratch.”Devine hasn’t played a competitive match since January 24, when she took 5 for 13 for Wellington against Canterbury in the Women’s Super Smash in Christchurch. Her last international appearance was during the home ODI series against Australia on December 23, capping a gruelling schedule which included tours of England and India either side of New Zealand’s T20 World Cup triumph in Dubai. She also played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL through November.Devine has encouraged other players to to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being•ICC via Getty Images
“The last 12, 18 months have been massive for me personally, but also the White Ferns group, the amount of cricket that we’ve played, obviously winning the World Cup and things like that,” Devine said. “It probably hit me a little bit harder than I realised and for me, with the support of New Zealand Cricket, family, friends, I’ve been really fortunate to be able to have that time away.”Something that I’m really big on is that mental health and making sure that you do take the time, so I’m really thankful for the support that I’ve received.”Now aged 35, Devine has taken mental-health breaks fairly regularly during the latter stages of her career. She missed a large chunk of the 2023-24 Super Smash and she took an extended break during the New Zealand winter of 2021.She referred to her latest stretch of time out as “hibernation”, saying that she “went into hiding a little bit”, but in recent weeks had started watching her team-mates again as they drew their T20I series with Sri Lanka 1-1 and won the ODIs 2-0.Now feeling refreshed, Devine continued to encourage other players to be open about needing time off to look after their well-being.”Speak up, talk to people,” she said. “That’s probably been one of the biggest things, the support I’ve had around me and the professionals that I’ve had to help me. Everyone goes through their struggles and it might look different, it might feel different to each individual, but certainly to reach out, it doesn’t matter whether you are an athlete, whether you’re a student, it doesn’t matter who you are, to make sure that you get that support around you.”
The tour will take place from mid-February following the WPL which is being moved a new January window
Andrew McGlashan30-Mar-2025India Women will play a day-night Test against Australia at the WACA in Perth next March in what is expected to be the first international at the fully redeveloped venue.The Test, from March 6 to 9, forms part of a tour that also includes three T20Is and three ODIs which begins in mid-February following the WPL. India previously played a day-night Test on the Gold Coast in 2021. The MCG, which hosted the Ashes Test this season, was not an option due to work that is due to be taking place at the ground.Related
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The WACA hosted a Test against South Africa in February 2024, which was a day game, where Australia won by innings and 284 runs with Annabel Sutherland making a double century. The ground has been undergoing extensive building work in recent seasons which is hoped to be completed by next year’s Test.With the WPL moving to a new window in January, Cricket Australia has been forced to adjust when they play their major women’s series which means it now falls outside of the school holiday period although the schedule has been worked to have as many games as possible around weekends.T20Is will again be hosted at major venues with the SCG staging the first game (February 15), Canberra the second (February 19) and Adelaide Oval the third (February 21). The third ODI at Junction Oval in Melbourne on March 1 is planned to be the first day-night international at the venue which is due to have lights installed over the winter although there is currently opposition from local residents to plans.When the India tour starts it will have been more than a year since Australia played at home following this season’s Ashes.The ODI World Cup, which will be staged in India from late September, means there are no early-season internationals. Australia and India are set to meet in a one-day series in India ahead of that tournament.The World Cup, which could finish on November 2, will also have a knock-on effect to the WBBL, the dates for which will be announced later in the year, with that competition starting later than usual and running into early December, very close to the start of the BBL.India A are also due to tour Australia for a second consecutive season, before the senior side, with those fixtures to be confirmed at a later date.Australia Women 2025-26 home schedule vs IndiaFebruary 15: 1st T20I, SCG (N) February 19: 2nd T20I, Canberra (N) February 21: 3rd T20I, Adelaide (N) February 24: 1st ODI, Allan Border Field (D/N) February 27: 2nd ODI, Hobart, (D/N) March 1: 3rd ODI, Junction Oval, (D/N) March 6-9: Test match, WACA, (D/N)