Rory Thornton has signed a permanent Cardiff Blues deal after being on loan there from Ospreys last season.

The 24-year-old lock made 20 Blues appearances in 2018-19.

Thornton won his only Wales cap as they beat Samoa in Apia in June, 2017 while the British and Irish Lions were on tour in New Zealand.

"Cardiff Blues have shown big faith in me by offering me this permanent deal, and that has been a huge thing for me," said the ex-Wales Under-20s captain.

ROSSBURG, Ohio — The 25th running of the Dirt Late Model Dream started with everything the Dirt Late Model world was hoping for on a Thursday night — clear skies, warm weather and a record car-count not seen in 7 years.

The only thing left on the list was some incredible racing from the industry’s best competitors. And boy, did they ever deliver on that.

Ninety-two of the best DIRTcar Late Model drivers in the world packed the pit area and put on a show the Eldora Speedway crowd would not soon forget, starting with Darrell Lanigan’s incredible last-lap pass for the win over Jonathan Davenport in Group A’s Feature.

Fellow World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series regular Ricky Weiss also put the moves on his competition, driving around World of Outlaws veteran Chris Madden and Thursday’s fast qualifier Jacob Hawkins to pick up his very first win at Eldora in the Group B Feature.

Lanigan was fast qualifier for Group A and started fifth while Davenport took the lead from outside the front row. He hit thick lapped traffic on lap 10, but expertly maneuvered through it to hold his lead over Brian Shirley.

But this advantage would fade quickly, as Lanigan put a strong move on Shirley going down the backstretch on lap 15. With 10 laps remaining, Davenport was a sitting duck.

Without a doubt, Lanigan’s Club 29 car was the fastest machine on the track in the final laps, as he closed the gap rapidly. With three laps left, there was almost no gap between he and Davenport, and that’s when Lanigan knew it was time to crack the whip and set up to make the move.

Two lapped cars sat in Davenport’s way — Brandon Overton on the low side, John Blankenship on the top. With no choice but to get off the bottom, Davenport moved to the middle-top in turns three and four to take away Lanigan’s line, coming to the white flag. Naturally, Lanigan turned it back underneath Davenport and drag raced him down the frontstretch.

“Once we took the white, I saw a black car beside me and I didn’t know who it was,” Davenport said. “It sounded like he was in the gas pretty hard, so I figured it was somebody.”

Into turn one they raced, and with minimal contact, Lanigan drew a nose in front of Davenport. They drag-raced again down the backstretch, around Overton, and when Davenport slipped way up to the top in turn three, Lanigan saw just enough room to get by underneath and made the most of it. Davenport made a last-ditch effort to swipe the spot away on the bottom, but to no avail.

“I got a good run off the bottom [of turn three] and got up beside him,” he said. “We rubbed a little bit getting into turn one, and then we went three-wide with the lapped car. I think Davenport was rubbing the wall [back into turn three], but we came out ahead, and it was fun.”

Davenport knew he had let one slip away, but was in light spirits, as a second-place finish in a preliminary feature gave him a great start to his weekend in event points.

“I think [my night] went really well, up until the last 200 yards,” Davenport said.

In hindsight, Davenport said sticking to the low line may not have been the absolute best idea, but knows of how also refusing to move from the high side has cost him wins at the very same track in previous starts.

“I just didn’t move off of the bottom fast enough,” he said. “I was just concentrating on running around the bottom and should have moved up.”

Please turn to the next page.

PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – Tanner Thorson’s stated goal when he agreed to make his racing comeback driving for Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports during Indiana Midget Week was simple: win races.

Thursday night at Lincoln Park Speedway, three races removed from a three-month hiatus brought on by injuries sustained in a highway crash in early March, Thorson accomplished that mission with vigor.

The Minden, Nev., native charged through the field from 15th starting position to win his first NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series race of the season, coming out on top of a slider-fest for the ages against Logan Seavey and Kevin Thomas Jr. during the third round of Indiana Midget Week.

Thorson used a daring move to the bottom of turns three and four to edge Thomas out for the top spot on lap 27, taking command despite several attempts by Thomas and Kyle Larson to wrest the lead away.

From there, Thorson led the final five laps despite a green-white-checkered, overtime finish after Larson flipped in turn two on the white-flag lap, pushing the 30-lap main one lap beyond its scheduled distance.

That final restart was of no consequence to Thorson, however, as he beat Seavey to the finish line by nine tenths of a second for his 13th USAC national midget win – perhaps his most meaningful win ever.

“I’m back,” said Thorson in victory lane. “This is really emotional. Keith, Pete (Willoughby) and the guys gave me another opportunity and I can’t thank them enough. I didn’t know if I’d be able to race again after hurting my arm (in his March 4 crash). This was pretty awesome.

“Hats off to this whole team, Toyota and TRD.”

Though Thorson started outside the top 10 and took the first third of the race to cross that threshold, he knew in a hurry that he was going to have a shot at making some noise, even as Tyler Courtney jumped out to the lead early after passing polesitter Jerry Coons Jr. on the opening lap.

“I knew at about lap five that I had a car to win,” Thorson admitted. “When you know that in your mind, nothing can stop you at that point.”

Contact between Courtney and second-running Meseraull with four laps complete took both of them out of contention, as Courtney spun in turn one and Meseraull slowed to a stop along with him.

The leading pair was relegated to the rear of the field at that point, with Tuesday night winner Logan Seavey assuming the mantle as the new pace-setter while Thorson slowly started to inch forward.

Seavey nailed the next restart and pulled away to a lead of more than a second, but a lap-11 flip by rookie Andrew Layser closed the field back up to him and eventually led to a lead change, as Thomas threw a haymaker for the race lead in turn two that stuck when Seavey banged the cushion on lap 13.

At that point, Thorson had worked his way into the top five and was scrapping furiously with teammate and NASCAR star Kyle Larson for fourth. He got clear by halfway and took third place with 10 to go, slowly but surely bearing down on Thomas and Seavey as his car continued to gain speed.

A spin by Dillon Welch with seven laps left gave Thorson his opportunity and led to a thrilling climax.

With the lead changing 13 times in six laps, the front trio of Thomas, Seavey and Thorson engaged in a war of slide jobs that eventually saw them come across the line three-wide for the race lead with five to go, Thorson charging up the inside in the midst of the frenzy and looking like a man possessed.

Working the middle on lap 26 before shooting to the bottom the next time around, a punch-counterpunch sequence between Thomas and Thorson finally saw Thorson edge ahead at the start/finish line to take the official lead on lap 27, clearing himself moments later off the second turn.

It wasn’t quite over, however, as Larson finally injected himself into the fray coming to two to go, ripping the high side and appearing to have the best car among the frontrunners.

Larson’s epic charge was stifled, though, when he caught the cushion in turn two after the white flap and flipped wildly in a pirouetting tumble before coming to rest at the exit of the corner. The Chip Ganassi Racing NASCAR driver was uninjured, climbed from his car quickly and walked away.

That left Thorson in command for a green-white-checkered finish, and he cruised home after that, beating Seavey to the stripe by .901 seconds for the victory in a tame ending to the furious scramble.

“It’s respect, and I think a lot of it was knowing how they (Thomas and Larson) race,” Thorson explained. “I’m good buddies with KT and Larson and I’ve raced with both of them for years. We’re going to be aggressive toward each other, but there’s also a lot of respect. I respect Kevin Thomas Jr. and Kyle Larson more than just about anybody in this pit.

“Those two people out of anybody are the ones that I would prefer to race with day in and day out.”

Thomas hung on to complete the podium behind Thorson and Seavey, with Coons finishing fourth in another Petry Motorsports Toyota and Chris Windom crossing the line in fifth.

Shane Golobic, Tyler Courtney, Jesse Colwell, Zach Daum and Jason McDougal closed out the top 10.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

MONTEREY, Calif. – The legacy of motorcycle road racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was built from historic achievements from legendary riders such as Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Kenny Roberts, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi.

It was also built with the support and trackside presence of long-time sponsors like Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, who will return for this year’s MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round with MotoAmerica July 12-14.

The branding of Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys is visibly present throughout the facility. In addition to having an activation space during the event, the nationwide firm provides promotional support and offers a discount to BAM card holders.

“WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is special to Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. We aren’t just a proud annual sponsor — we’re diehard racing fans, too, and we love every minute of our time in Monterey,” said Wendy Koro, Operations Manager at Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. “Considering our friendships with many of the individual contestants, and our respect for the challenges of its course, it’s no wonder that the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is a classy, fun favorite.”

“Where else can you find a grit-your-teeth adrenaline rush smack dab in a giant park with hillside viewing, terrific grandstand options, and camping so close you can walk to the track? See you all there July 12-14.”

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round with MotoAmerica is the only chance to see the top international WorldSBK riders compete in the United States on their production-based racing machines. 2018 double-winner Jonathan Rea will be defending his event title against record-breaking WorldSBK points leader Álvaro Bautista and a grid that features teams with factory support from five different manufacturers.

The WorldSBK riders are joined by all five classes in MotoAmerica, the premier motorcycle road racing series in the United States. An abundance of fan activities will take place off the track with legends interviews, live entertainment centered around the Paddock Showcase, autograph sessions, and a bustling Hagerty Marketplace.

For tickets and information about the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round with MotoAmerica July 12-14, go to www.WeatherTechRaceway.com or call 831-242-8200.

Editor’s Note: Holley Hollan, 17, is a rookie in the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series. From June 5 through June 10, Hollan will be sharing her experiences with SPEED SPORT subscribers while competing during Indiana Midget Week. 

Hollan drives the No. 67k Toyota-powered midget for Keith Kunz Motorsports. Below is her third diary entry, recapping Thursday night’s events at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind.

PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – Our Indiana Midget Week kept going on Thursday at Lincoln Park Speedway, and from Montpelier on Tuesday to now, it feels like we’ve gone from one extreme to the next.

The thing that stood out to me right away is that a huge curb built up on the top and bit some of the best drivers in USAC, unlike Gas City and Montpelier. When you look at the tracks we’ve been to so far, they don’t look that different, but they all race so uniquely that it’s a challenge to master each one.

We had some contact in the heat race that really set our night back, which sucked because I felt like we qualified pretty decently. That just got the night off on the wrong foot, and when that happens in a field that’s as tough as this one is during Indiana Midget Week, it can be hard to overcome.

After that, the B-main didn’t go how we needed it to and we finished 13th, forcing us to take a provisional and lining us up 23rd for the feature. Once we got going in the main, though, it wasn’t bad. We got up as high as 12th and ended up 13th, making some good laps around the bottom of the track.

I feel like we showed speed in the feature, which is good for us, really. After a rough B-feature like the one that we had, it’s nice to be able to take a provisional and move forward like we did and rebound.

We ended on a better note and we’ll keep building from here. I think we have a lot of speed; I just need to get better at running the top like some of the veterans do. We’ve shown that we have throttle control to be able to run the bottom, so that’s comforting at least for now.

It’s tough, running at the back as a rookie and still running with Tyler Courtney, Thomas Meseraull and guys who have won USAC races before. It’s unreal the amount of talent that’s in this field right now and it really puts you to the test as far as trying to come out with good finishes.

Challenges like this will only make us better, though. We’ll see everyone at Bloomington!

Hollan’s prior entries can be accessed via the link below:

Entry No. 1: Rough Start For Hollan

Entry No. 2: Heat Win Gives Hollan A Boost

BOSTON -- The roar was the loudest that TD Garden had experienced during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Zdeno Chara, the towering captain for the Boston Bruins, was introduced to the crowd as a Game 5 starter, after reportedly breaking his jaw in Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues.

He wore a protective mask around his face. Earlier in the day, he answered questions in writing to reporters because talking would have been too uncomfortable. He didn't speak much on the ice during the game, either. But his presence was inspiring to his teammates.

"Much is made of his professionalism, his toughness, his approach. But [when] you see that in the flesh, you have a whole other level of appreciation for it. The guy's 42. When I'm 42, I'm certainly not going to be the first guy in the gym, weighing all my food, squatting the most on the team. Those are all the things you respect," defenseman John Moore said. "You throw in the fact that what he's going through -- that's something I'll tell my kids about. Life lessons I'll carry long beyond hockey."

Here's the lesson we've all learned about playoff hockey through the years: NHL players are willing to put their bodies through pain, anguish and risks to their long-term well-being for a chance at a championship. In this postseason alone, we've seen it with Chara, Vince Dunn of the Blues (who took a puck to the mouth in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final) and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks (who suffered a bloody head injury in Game 7 of the club's first-round series).

"It's the Stanley Cup, that's it. I don't have a better answer for you. I think I know where you're going, we've done this long enough. I suspect for every player [the motivation] is to get their name on the Stanley Cup. It's that simple," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Here's a look back at some of the most infamous (and intensely painful) injuries players have suffered through yet returned to the playoffs and made their marks on history:

Bob Baun, 1964 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken ankle

Canadian hockey legends can be born from a single moment in a single game. Ask Paul Henderson. Or ask Bob Baun. In Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final against Detroit, the defenseman took a Gordie Howe slap shot off his foot and was carried away on a stretcher with a broken ankle. His ankle wrapped tightly -- and some painkillers later -- Baun returned to the ice to eventually score the game-winning goal in overtime. Toronto would win Game 7 and the Cup. Baun later called it "the best break I ever had."

Mario Lemieux, 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken hand

New York Rangers forward Adam Graves was suspended four games for his "reckless" slash that broke Lemieux's left hand in their second-round playoff series. There was fear Mario was done for the playoffs, but the Penguins star returned in the conference final against Boston and scored 15 points in seven games to lead Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe. In total, he missed 15 games. "There's no way a broken hand can heal that quickly," teammate Kevin Stevens said. "He's a superstar, the best player in hockey. We don't know how he does it. He never practices, then he goes out and never misses a beat. He's amazing."

Patrick Roy, 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs: Appendicitis

Not all playoff injuries are the result of the opposition's actions. In 1994, during a series against the Boston Bruins, the Canadiens goaltending legend developed early signs of appendicitis the day before Game 3, and he was in the hospital when backup Ron Tugnutt lost to Boston. Roy couldn't stomach this, so he returned to play the next four games, and had a 60-save performance in Game 5. After the Canadiens were eliminated in the first round, Roy had his appendix removed.

Steve Yzerman, 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs: Knee injury

This was less about an injury suffered in the playoffs than one exacerbated by them. The 36-year-old Red Wings captain played in the 2002 Olympics through pain, and an MRI showed he had almost no cartilage left in his right knee. But he played on, taking painkiller injections before each game of Detroit's run to the Stanley Cup and scoring 23 points in 23 games. He had reconstructive knee surgery in the offseason, his surgeon urging retirement. Instead, he missed all but 16 games in the next season -- but would go on to play two more seasons thereafter.

Paul Kariya, 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs: Concussion

It was one of the scariest moments of the season: Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks star, flat on his back in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Devils after a Scott Stevens head shot. He had a history of concussions. Concerns were high. But in a moment that ... well, frankly, probably wouldn't happen today with what we know, Kariya returned to the game a few minutes later and scored a goal. As ESPN's Gary Thorne bellowed: "Off the floor and on the board!" (The frightening postscript: Kariya doesn't remember that goal or the entirety of Game 7 today.)

Ian Laperriere, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Multiple facial injuries

It was not a good season for the Philadelphia Flyers forward's face. In November 2009, he took a slap shot to the mug that knocked out seven teeth and required 100 stitches to repair. In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he blocked a Paul Martin slap shot with his face, fracturing his right orbital bone and suffering a concussion. He thought he might have lost his eye. Nevertheless, he returned to the Flyers' lineup a month later for their final eight playoff games.

Sami Salo, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Midsection injury

On May 9, the Vancouver Canucks defenseman continued an injury-riddled career with one of his most squeamishness-inspiring ailments: a ruptured testicle in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, courtesy of a Duncan Keith slap shot. On May 11, he was back on the ice for the Canucks, as they were eliminated by Chicago in Vancouver, where fans -- because hockey fans are the greatest -- were heard chanting "Balls of Steel" when Salo was on the ice.

Duncan Keith, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Seven lost teeth

The Blackhawks defenseman is not the first nor the last hockey player to return to action in a game in which he lost some teeth. But Keith lost seven of them -- three on the top, four on the bottom -- when Patrick Marleau's stick hit him in the mouth during the Blackhawks' series-clinching win over the Sharks. Two of them fell out of this mouth. One got stuck in his throat and then he coughed it up. The others "disintegrated," according to Keith. He returned to the game after team doctors "froze" his gums to numb the pain.

Derek Stepan, 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken jaw

Before there was Chara, there was Rangers center Stepan. Former teammate Brandon Prust broke Stepan's jaw with a hit in Game 3 of the New York's Eastern Conference final series against the Montreal Canadiens. He missed Game 4, as his jaw was surgically repaired. He returned in Game 5, wearing a full face shield and with additional padding, and scored two goals in a loss. He'd play the rest of the way as the Rangers would eventually lose in the Stanley Cup Final.

Sean Couturier, 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs: Torn MCL

In NHL speak, it was a "lower-body injury." But in reality, the Flyers forward played the last two games of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a torn MCL in his right knee. After missing Game 4, he scored the game winner in Game 5 and then had a hat trick and five points in their Game 6 elimination loss. "That was incredible," Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald said after the game. "If you guys only knew what kind of shape those guys were in. I respect the hell out of those guys."

With a 2-1 win in Game 5 -- the lowest-scoring game of this series -- the St. Louis Blues are on the cusp of their first-ever Stanley Cup and have a chance to win it at home. The Boston Bruins? They'll have to summon some composure (a la what the Blues did after the hand-pass debacle against San Jose) to stay alive.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 5 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 5: St. Louis Blues 2, Boston Bruins 1 (Blues lead the series 3-2)

Where do we begin? With Bruins captain Zdeno Chara making the decision to suit up less than 72 hours after reportedly breaking his jaw? (And Boston suiting up seven defensemen because they knew Chara wasn't 100 percent and didn't know how he'd do with, say, breathing?)

With rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington putting together his finest performance of this series -- and maybe his entire playoffs?

With the Blues on the precipice of their first Stanley Cup?

Or maybe that missed tripping call on Noel Acciari, which gave the Blues their eventual game-winning goal and sent Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy into a tizzy (suggesting a conspiracy that Craig Berube's comments after Game 3 altered the officiating in this series)?

As you can see, it was a wild one on Thursday night in Boston, and it injected some more juice into the series. With their victory, the Blues became the first team in this Final to win two games in a row, while Boston needs a bit more from its star-studded top line to even things up in Game 6.

Three Stars

1. Ryan O'Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues. O'Reilly has been on a tear the past two games and is making a late push for the Conn Smythe Trophy, as MVP of the playoffs. He scored a goal early in the second period -- the Blues' fifth goal in the first minute of a period this postseason -- and then assisted on David Perron's goal, which proved to be the game winner.

2. Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues. Binnington's 38 saves are the most by a rookie goalie in a Stanley Cup Final win. He is the fifth goalie overall in league history to record nine road wins in a single playoff run and breaks a tie with Ron Hextall (eight in 1987) for the most ever in a single postseason by a rookie goaltender.

3. Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins. The fact that Chara even suited up is remarkable. His presence inspired the team, and when his name was introduced during starting lineups, TD Garden was louder than it had been all playoffs. The 42-year-old finished playing 16:42, made four hits and three blocks, and took two shots on goal.

Play of the night

Gary Bettman said after the hand-pass game that he thought it would be good if his head wouldn't explode. Wonder what the commish thought of this.

Dud of the night

Boston's celebrated power play couldn't connect, going 0-for-3. If we take out their 4-for-4 performance in Game 3, the Bruins are 2-for-15 on the man advantage in this series. Not great.

Social post of the day

This will be one of the lasting images of the game.

Cam Neely seems upset pic.twitter.com/gFXmteE51w

- Mike Darnay (@MikeDarnay) June 7, 2019

Quotable

"The narrative changed after Game 3. There was a complaint put forth by the opposition, and that seemed to change everything. I mean, the non-call on Acciari ... the player was on his way to the box. It's right in front of the official. Our guy's gone, the spotter took him out of the game for a possible concussion. It's blatant, [had a] big effect on the game. This has happened -- I'm a fan of the game -- this is the National Hockey League getting a black eye with their officiating this playoffs. And this is another one that's going to be talked about. I thought it was a great hockey game. That call probably -- there's time [left], but it really made it difficult for us to get the win tonight. So I'm disappointed. So I guess, to answer your original question, it was egregious." -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, a bit irked after the game

Barcelona are monitoring Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata's contract situations but neither of the two Manchester United players are priorities for the Catalan club, sources have told ESPN FC.

Rashford, 21, has just one year to run on his deal at Old Trafford, although United have an option to extend his deal by an additional year.

A source at Barcelona has confirmed that the La Liga champions are following the striker as talks continue with the English side over a new contract.

- When does the transfer window close?

However, the same source adds that Rashford is not one of the club's top targets this summer, given they remain hopeful of strengthening their attack with the arrival of Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann. The France forward has already confirmed his desire to change clubs and his release clause drops to €120 million on July 1.

In addition, Barca are aware that it would be difficult to thrash out a deal with United. A few months ago, when ESPN FC first reported the Catalans were tracking Rashford, a high-ranking executive at the club joked that signing him "would be as difficult as getting a date with Cindy Crawford."

Meanwhile, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC that Barcelona have also sounded out the possibility of signing Rashford's teammate Mata, who is out of contract this summer.

Barca looked into the deal because he was offered on a free but sources at the club say it's not something they are actively pursuing. They are well covered in attack and midfield, so there would not be room for him in the squad unless a number of players left.

"Signing [Mata] is not a priority but we have to keep an eye on these kinds of opportunities which come up on the transfer market," a Barcelona source said. "He's a player available for free, with a lot of quality and who is very versatile."

Mata would be open to returning to Spain but knows a move to Barca is unlikely. He could choose to stay at United, with negotiations for a new deal still ongoing and improved terms being offered just three weeks ago, sources say.

"He's loved in Manchester and he feels very happy there," a source close to the player told ESPN FC at the same time he confirmed the contact with Barcelona.

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign winger Daniel James from Swansea.

The 21-year-old will move to Old Trafford for a fee of around £15 million, potentially rising to around £22m, to become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signing of the summer.

"Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has agreed, in principle, terms with both Swansea City and Daniel James for his transfer to the club," a United statement read.

"Daniel has successfully completed a medical at the Aon Training Complex. Further details will be communicated once the international transfer window opens next week."

- When does the transfer window close?

James was on the verge of moving to Leeds United in January before Swansea pulled the plug at the last minute.

Leeds were hopeful of reviving the deal this summer only for United to pip them, as well as Everton and Newcastle, to the Wales international.

- When are the Premier League fixtures published?
- When does the new Premier League season start?
- Who qualifies for Europe from the Premier League?

James, who had just 12 months left on his contract, scored five goals in 37 games for Swansea last season as the Welsh side finished 10th in the Championship.

He made his full debut for Wales under former United winger Ryan Giggs against Albania last year and scored his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Slovakia in March.