For country that invented the game, England has become notoriously weak at exporting its best footballing flesh and blood.
The Premier League may sell itself enthusiastically and lucratively to more television screens across the globe than any other domestic competition, but when it comes to English players stepping out of that environment, a timidness afflicts both the footballers and the potential foreign buyers.
The list of English players to have won the Champions League with a non-English club in the last 20 years?
Two. Steve McManaman, with Real Madrid twice; and Owen Hargreaves, with Bayern Munich.
The number of England players to have won a major overseas league title in the last decade? Surprising low.
There's Hargreaves, who was born in Canada and moved from there directly to Germany, and his Bundesliga Shields, and McManaman, who won two Spanish Primera Liga titles with Real, for whom David Beckham later won one.
These are the sorts of footsteps Joe Cole hopes to follow over the next nine months.
He has joined, on loan from Liverpool, a Lille squad wearing freshly minted Ligue 1 gold medals but without one or two pillars - like the transferred Gervinho and Adil Rami - of that title-winning unit.
Hence the bid for Cole, 29. So far, so promising. Cole made his Ligue 1 debut last Saturday away at St Etienne and, as a substitute, featured prominently in a 3-1 victory that pushed the title-holders up to second in the table, just a point behind Lyon.
Wednesday, Cole should make his first appearance in front of his new home fans, against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.
His arrival, in a deal struck on transfer deadline day, has been celebrated as a milestone for French football. L'Equipe, the sports newspaper, devoted an editorial to the move, writing: "A genuine star of English football disembarking in Ligue 1. It's scarcely believable!"
Historians scrolled through the archives. The last full England international in France's upper echelons? Trevor Steven, 20 years ago. Before him, flair players like Chris Waddle at Marseille and Glenn Hoddle at Monaco.
Cole certainly needed a move. Signed by Liverpool in the summer of 2010 when his contract with Chelsea had come to an end, he had a wretched time on Merseyside, sent off - for the first time in his career - on his debut, then marginalised with the change of manager last autumn from Roy Hodgson to Kenny Dalglish.
"It's just nice to be playing again," Cole told me. "At Lille, there's a great team spirit and it was nice to start off with a win and help get the three points."
Cole's memorable debut against St Etienne had seen him collect possession, about 35 metres from goal, beat three players with his changes of direction and close control. With a twist one way, a dart the other, he reached the goal-line and, pulling the ball back sharply, picked out Ludovic Obraniak, who netted.
"When you play at your best, you don't think too much about what you're going to do … or at least I don't," Cole said.
The skill on the ball, the relish of the one-to-one duel and the confidence are hallmarks of Cole at his best, the assets that have earned him 56 England caps.
"I'd always seen him as the most Latin of British players," Rudi Garcia, the Lille head coach, said "and he suits our style."
The epitome of that style would be Eden Hazard, the gifted young Belgian, who was Ligue 1's Player of the Year in 2010-11.
"I look forward to playing alongside Eden," Cole said. "He's got a lot of talent. I made the decision to come here because I wanted to be in a team playing the way Lille do.
"But it will take me time to adjust because the French league is not like English football, which is unique."
Which is not to say French football is kinder, gentler. "Not at all," Cole said. "What I noticed straight away, even on the training ground, is that a lot of the guys around are very physically strong, and there's a lot of strong tackles."
Cole is not here to take it easy. "It's a big challenge and I'm determined to make the most of it."
He felt annoyed when it was wrongly reported he would live in England, and commute, via the hour-and-a-quarter Channel tunnel train service, between his native London and Lille.
"I've already found an apartment here. I want to be in France, to learn about a new league and new culture, hopefully win some trophies and help the team do well in the Champions League."
sports@thenational.ae
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
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Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt
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Mobile phone packages comparison
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Fly to Rome with Etihad (www.etihad.ae) or Emirates (www.emirates.com) from Dh2,480 return including taxes. The flight takes six hours. Fly from Rome to Trapani with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from Dh420 return including taxes. The flight takes one hour 10 minutes.
The hotels
The author recommends the following hotels for this itinerary. In Trapani, Ai Lumi (www.ailumi.it); in Marsala, Viacolvento (www.viacolventomarsala.it); and in Marsala Del Vallo, the Meliaresort Dimore Storiche (www.meliaresort.it).
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
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