It is part of Pep Guardiola’s ethos. Manchester City’s goalkeepers have to double up as the 11th outfield player, coming out of their box to pass the ball with a proficiency Joe Hart could not muster and which previous generations of shot-stoppers may not recognise.
It is not just confined to Ederson, either. The Brazilian spent some of his formative years playing as a left-back. His female counterpart, Ellie Roebuck, revealed she shares a similar background.
“I've grown up playing outfield and it comes a bit more naturally to me to play with my feet,” she said. “I think it's the philosophy throughout the club and I've been here since I was 15 so for the past four years, it's really been embedded in me so it obviously helps and I've got great players around me to help that.”
Ederson is an influence on Roebuck. “We train outside in the same area,” said the 19-year-old England international. “Their goalkeeper coach Xabi [Mancisidor] is always coming across and contributing, giving us ideas. So it's a really good working relationship and that reflects well on the club in general.” There was no pun intended when she said Ederson’s advice came “more in passing.” Roebuck added: “It's just the environment itself, it's more just natural. But I think that's what's really special about the club.”
For all her excellence on the ball, she excelled at the goalkeeper’s more traditional duties as City began their season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday. Roebuck made a stunning save from United’s debutant forward Jane Ross. “Sometimes those moments happen,” she said modestly. Her teammate Caroline Weir was more effusive. “Ellie's save was a huge moment in the game,” said City’s goalscorer.
It was a save with significance in the first Women's Super League Manchester derby. It may also matter in an internal battle in the City ranks. Roebuck is in competition with veteran Karen Bardsley, a player she wants to displace for club and country. City manager Nick Cushing has never been afraid to promote youngsters but selection is now simple with Bardsley currently sidelined.
“I'm not too sure [how long she is out],” said Roebuck. “I think it's just a progressive thing. It gives me a good opportunity and I can only focus on myself. I've done that even when I'm in competition with KB, obviously.”
Roebuck was watched on Saturday by Phil Neville, the manager who omitted her from England’s World Cup squad. The teenager is looking to leapfrog not merely Bardsley but also United’s Mary Earps and Chelsea’s Carly Telford, the trio who helped the Lionesses reach the semi-finals in France.
“Obviously the aim for me is to be England's No 1,” Roebuck said. “That's obviously a really difficult task because there's other top-quality goalkeepers in England.”
It ranked as a hard-fought win for City on Saturday, sealed in spectacular style by Weir, and it persuaded the Scotland international the battle for the title will be hotly contested. “I think it's going to be a really competitive league,” she said. “Obviously Chelsea and Arsenal are always up there and have really strong squads. United have a strong squad and Liverpool and Reading.”
City are fighting on various fronts. They begin their Champions League campaign in the last 32 by facing Lugano on Thursday, and Weir added: “We go to Switzerland and have a really big game there. We have so many games so it's just about focusing on one at a time. We want to get far in the Champions League but we're not looking too far ahead at this point.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Squad: Majed Naser, Abdulaziz Sanqour, Walid Abbas, Khamis Esmail, Habib Fardan, Mohammed Marzouq (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalid Essa, Muhanad Salem, Mohammed Ahmed, Ismail Ahmed, Ahmed Barman, Amer Abdulrahman, Omar Abdulrahman (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif, Fares Juma, Mohammed Fawzi, Khalfan Mubarak, Mohammed Jamal, Ahmed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Ahmed Rashid, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Wahda), Tariq Ahmed, Mahmoud Khamis, Khalifa Mubarak, Jassim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Yousef Saeed (Sharjah), Suhail Al Nubi (Baniyas)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
