For more than 15 years, Lionel Messi has been Barcelona's main man, scoring and assisting hundreds of goals and winning countless trophies. But how has his game changed over time as he has aged and his supporting cast has changed? Gab Marcotti digs into the data.

Note: Statistics and data measured per 90 minutes via Opta and StatsBomb and based upon games played by Messi prior to the coronavirus-enforced shutdown of European football in March.

Jump to: Barcelona breakthrough | Replacing Ronaldinho | Hub of the wheel | Birth of the 'MSN' | Post-Neymar

Breaking through at Barcelona (2003-08)

Lionel Messi stood out among his peers from a young age. While youth coaches love to talk about developing and nurturing talent, the reality is Messi had such an evident and well-defined skill set -- far above teammates and opponents -- that ensuring he had the ball as much as possible was his quickest path to success.

He could dribble, he was fast, he had great timing when running from deep and he could score goals. And because he could do all of that in tight spaces, the easiest thing was to put him in the middle of the action. He played at the top of the diamond in the 3-4-3 formation that most of Barcelona's youth teams used, with freedom and licence to turn into a second striker.

At 17, he began playing regularly for Barcelona B -- sometimes in attacking midfield, sometimes wide on the left -- while accumulating a few minutes for the first team. The following season, 2005-06, he had turned 18 and became a regular in coach Frank Rijkaard's senior setup.

The Dutchman used a 4-3-3 system, so Messi's "in the hole" role did not exist. Too slight and inexperienced to play up front on his own, the only possible destination for him was out wide. And because there was, understandably, a hierarchy -- Barcelona had won the Spanish title the previous season -- he split time on the right wing with Ludovic Giuly.

It is pretty standard, even for the most talented ones, that young players are eased into a first team playing a role that builds confidence. Many No. 10s and center-forwards start out wide as traditional wingers, with the idea to give them space, minimise responsibility and make it as straightforward as possible. If they are right-footed, for example, they play on the right flank and are tasked with running at full-backs, beating them and putting in crosses.

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For the left-footed Messi, the natural thing was to play on the left, except occupying that position for Barcelona was a guy named Ronaldinho, who happened to be the Ballon d'Or holder and arguably the best player in the world. He had licence to roam and often ended up inside, where he would join up with Deco, a gifted passer, who was part of Rijkaard's midfield three and tended to break forward in attack.

Messi's early numbers reflect this. He dribbled a lot (9.77 attempts in 2005-06, followed by 9.79 and 11.77 in 2006-07 and 2007-08, respectively) and did so successfully (7.40, 7.08 and a whopping 8.64), which is not surprising, as he often received the ball wide on the right in one-on-one situations, with opponents keying in on the Ronaldinho threat on the opposite flank.

We did not see much of Messi in the penalty area as compared to later years (he averaged 6.26, 5.39 and 5.54 touches in the box), and he did not shoot much either (3.60, 2.72, 2.79). When he did have an effort from distance, he was not particularly effective, scoring just once in 62 attempts from more than 21 yards over the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

He was diligent in doing defensive work off the ball over the same period; indeed, his possession-adjusted tackles+interceptions were above 3.0 for the only time in his career.

In addition, his development was likely hampered by two things. A string of muscular injuries limited him to 23 league starts in both 2006-07 and 2007-08, just as the club was giving him more responsibility. Moreover, he had yet to turn 21, and as Guillem Balague points out in his biography of the Argentine, Messi continued to largely subsist on the diet of a teenager: soft drinks, pizza and plenty of red meat. But that would change ...

Taking over from Ronaldinho (2008-10)

The summer of 2008 saw a symbolic passing of the torch at Barcelona. Pep Guardiola replaced Rijkaard as first-team coach, while Deco and Ronaldinho were sold, as it became clear to the new manager that not only was Messi the club's future, but the future was now.

Messi was given the No. 10 shirt and made the team's highest-paid player, but it was critical that he stayed fit after eight muscular injuries over the previous two seasons. His diet had to change, so he was assigned a nutritionist and, probably not by coincidence, grew in strength and durability.

Guardiola shaped the team in a way that undeniably suited Messi, who began to enjoy some of the creative freedoms moving inside that would become his hallmark. Thierry Henry, who had arrived a year earlier, flourished in a wide position with similar licence, but he was different in that he looked to run behind defences.

More generally, Guardiola's early style -- heavy on possession and short passing -- suited Messi. He was comfortable in congested areas and surrounded by pure footballers, from Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield to the newly arrived Dani Alves at right-back.

Messi had a phenomenal season in 2008-09, as Barcelona won the La Liga-Copa del Rey-Champions League Treble. He created plenty (his expected goals -- xG -- assists from open play were up to 0.35), while he also dribbled effectively (9.27 attempted, 6.27 completed) and took more shots (3.65).

Tellingly -- and this would be a staple for him during the Guardiola era -- Messi was taking mostly good shots with an xG/shot mark of 0.15. His fitness was improved and decision-making was better, while Guardiola's style, which favoured taking an extra pass if it meant getting a better shot, also helped.

The 2009-10 campaign proved to be a bit of an outlier due to the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Guardiola was the talk of football, with a team of seven homegrown La Masia academy alumni and an approach predicated on movement and possession, but center-forward Samuel Eto'o, who had worked tirelessly for the more glamorous players behind him (first Ronaldinho and now Messi), was involved in a contractual dispute.

There also was a sense that, despite their success, this Barcelona team was small, lightweight and one-dimensional. If you could add a player blessed not only with strength and size and power, but also a delicate touch on the ball, then surely the team would be even greater than the sum of its parts. And so Ibrahimovic moved to the Camp Nou from Inter in a cash-plus-player deal that saw Eto'o shipped to Italy.

Ibrahimovic did not fit Barcelona's style, though, and clashed with Guardiola. And while there was no personal issue between the two players, the impact on Messi's game was evident: His touches in the box fell from 8.79 to 7.92, and his shots from distance went way up, from 36 to 63. That total was the highest of his career until 2016-17, when he was almost 30 and again playing with a genuine center-forward (Luis Suarez).

Simply put, while Eto'o worked to make space for others, Ibrahimovic was less mobile and, perhaps, more determined to be the offensive terminus. Ibrahimovic clogged the middle, and that meant Messi had to operate farther away from goal.

Barcelona won La Liga with a record points total of 99 but fell short in the Champions League. Messi's season was productive, with 33 league goals from open play, but it was the sort of performance that quickly convinced Guardiola he could be even more productive without Ibrahimovic, who was sent to Milan. Henry, whose minutes and production had declined, as well, was dispatched to Major League Soccer.

In came David Villa, also a center-forward but more mobile and versatile. Meanwhile, Pedro, who had come up from the B team and begun to replace Henry the season before, was anointed a starter. Finally, Messi had a front three that was made-to-measure for his skills.

The hub of the wheel (2010-14)

With Pedro and Villa as natural foils and Guardiola's short-passing game in full swing, Messi enjoyed some of his best individual seasons. At once a creator and finisher, he was still nominally starting on the right wing, but in such a fluid front three, Messi appeared all over the front line, which meant he spent plenty of time in the middle.

Barcelona won La Liga and the Champions League in 2010-11. And while his non-penalty league goals were down to 27, Messi was still untouchable when it came to dribbling (10.75 attempted, 7.47 successful) and delivered a stellar 0.34 xG assisted from open play.

The following year would be Guardiola's last at Barcelona and saw him experiment with more exotic formations, including playing three at the back and tinkering with midfield. Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona born and bred, returned to the club after a long spell at Arsenal to freshen up the Xavi-Iniesta partnership but made little impact. Alexis Sanchez, who also arrived in the summer, failed to live up to the hype, as well, and Villa missed six months of 2011-12 through injury.

The turbulence meant Barcelona would end the season empty-handed in terms of trophies, but that did not stop Messi from taking on more responsibility. He finished with 73 goals in all competitions -- an absurd number by any measure -- but it was his 40 non-penalty goals in the league that really stood out, plus the fact that they came with an xG/shot of 0.17, ludicrously high for someone taking a whopping 187 shots.

Guardiola's longtime assistant Tito Vilanova took over but was diagnosed with cancer in December 2012 and spent much of the rest of the campaign undergoing treatment. Villa returned, but he was still beset by injury and not the same, while Sanchez continued to struggle.

By this stage, Messi was pretty much Barca's entire offense, and he was red-hot. He won his third straight Ballon d'Or and notched 42 non-penalty league goals, seven of which came off 58 shots from beyond 21 yards. His touches in the box did dip slightly, to 8.8, which was perhaps a sign he had become primarily a finisher. His average position left little doubt: Messi was effectively playing center-forward.

It was evident that Barcelona revolved around Messi at this stage and he was carrying the attacking burden on his own. In the summer of 2013, the club got him help in the form of Neymar, while Gerardo "Tata" Martino replaced Vilanova, who sadly died in April 2014. Martino came from Messi's hometown of Rosario and was seen as the right man to connect with Messi on a personal level, as well as a sporting level.

Despite all that, the heavy dependence on Messi continued. Neymar, just 21, took time to adapt and was limited to 19 league starts. Off the pitch, team president Sandro Rosell was forced to resign following allegations of impropriety relating to Neymar's transfer, and Barcelona were found guilty of breaching rules relating to the signing of foreign youngsters, which led to a transfer ban.

Messi carried them as far as he could in 2013-14 and took more shots than ever (5.34), but he was simply less effective, ending up with 22 non-penalty league goals. Muscular injuries, which he had banished for several seasons, reared their head as Barcelona ended the season trophyless and Martino was let go.

Birth of the 'MSN' (2014-17)

In the summer of 2014, with Atletico Madrid champions of Spain and Real Madrid holders of the European Cup, it was obvious that the notion of the false nine or interchangeable front three was no longer working for Barcelona and just gave Messi a greater burden.

To address this, Luis Enrique replaced Martino as coach, and the Blaugrana acquired Luis Suarez from Liverpool for around $90 million. With Sanchez moving on, the road was paved for the so-called "MSN" -- Messi-Suarez-Neymar -- and Barcelona would go on to win another Treble.

Not that the change was immediate. Suarez arrived with a four-month ban after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. And Neymar was much improved but not yet on the level he would later reach. In fact, we did not get to see the MSN together on the pitch until January 2015. But perhaps most importantly, Messi stayed fully fit and appeared in every game in the Champions League, Copa del Rey and Liga, starting all but one.

His shots were down (from 5.34 to 4.62), as were his dribbles (both attempted, 9.67 to 8.52, and successful, 6.78 to 5.75), but his attacking output improved tremendously. He scored 38 non-penalty league goals -- the third-highest total of his career -- but also managed to serve up 0.33 expected goals against -- xGA -- from open play, which was a function of the talent around him.

Suarez's presence was critical in allowing Messi to return to the right wing on a more permanent basis, though always with licence to come inside and create. Suarez was perhaps the perfect synthesis of Ibrahimovic and Eto'o; he had Ibrahimovic's technical ability, but Eto'o's work rate and intelligent movement.

In addition, Suarez quickly developed an understanding with Messi, clearing the path with well-timed runs that took defenders out of position and always making himself available for a pass. And Neymar's presence on the left wing helped tremendously, as it meant opposing teams could not simply overload Messi's flank.

The 2015-16 season saw things continue in much the same vein, though having Suarez around for the full campaign, rather than just five months, meant Messi could leave some of the attacking burden. Operating farther away from goal, we saw different aspects to his game. His shots from distance, for example, went up to a career-high 62, and he improved his scoring rate from distance, netting a career-best six goals.

He continued to dribble less (his attempts fell to 7.66) and, partly because he was farther away, both his xG (0.62, lowest since 2008-09) and xG/shot (0.13, lowest since 2007-08) declined from the highs of previous campaigns. At 28, his defensive output also continued to fall: His possession-adjust tackles plus interceptions were 1.02.

This was a Messi who was far more team-oriented and willing to make players around him better, though that is easier to do with the likes of Neymar and Suarez. Alves, the full-back with winger skills who allowed Messi to spend much of the previous seasons as a wide man in name only, moved on in the summer of 2016, and Messi spent increasing periods of time away from the penalty area.

In doing so, Messi became even more lethal from distance, converting eight of 66 shots from beyond 21 yards; his xGA from open play was a whopping 0.45. He ended the campaign with 31 non-penalty league goals and 51 across all competitions.

Post-Neymar (2017-present)

The summer of 2017 featured a pair of key departures from the Camp Nou. Enrique was replaced by Ernesto Valverde, while Neymar activated his release clause to join Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of $250 million.

The move caught Barcelona unprepared, and the proceeds of the sale were spent on players with different skills. Ousmane Dembele, 20, was more of a direct, up-and-down runner and was beset by injuries, failing to make much impact. Meanwhile Philippe Coutinho, who arrived in January 2018, was more of a creator, and he too struggled in Valverde's system. Suarez also began showing signs of wear and tear as he turned 31, developing into more of a traditional center-forward.

Messi necessarily adjusted. His touches in the box increased (10.99 in 2017-18 and 10.26 in 2018-19) as he found himself farther forward, closer to Suarez, but he also shot more from distance when the path into the box was blocked. Again, Messi did it very well, scoring 16 goals in 171 attempts from beyond 21 yards over the two seasons. Part of the success was due to free kicks, a quality of his game that seemed to improve with age: He netted 12 over two years, having previously had 21 in his entire career.

He still was, nominally, a right winger, still was a hugely effective dribbler and regularly ranked among the league leaders. But it was often more a case of using the dribble to set up a shot or a pass, rather than taking off on the sort of exhilarating runs we saw when he was younger. Meanwhile, his defensive output continued to decline, and he rarely tracked back, likely a function of age. In fact, it was not uncommon to see him and Suarez jogging back and leaving the midfielders tasked with regaining the ball.

Messi's numbers for 2019-20 are what you would expect from a 32-year-old GOAT candidate who sometimes tried to carry the team like he once did. Prior to La Liga's shutdown, his xG/shot was a career-low 0.11, but he still managed a healthy 16 non-penalty league goals. Typically, his long-range shooting was making the difference: Seven of his 16 non-penalty goals came from distance, by far the highest proportion of his career. Four of those were free kicks, further evidence that the ability to strike a ball is the last thing to go with age.

The old term "Messi dependency" came back in vogue as Valverde's teams, despite winning two Liga titles, largely failed to impress and leaned heavily on their talisman. In some ways, outside the Guardiola years and MSN era, it has been the story of Messi's career. The difference, perhaps, is that these days Messi will pop up occasionally -- often with ballistic exploits from afar -- rather than continuously picking apart opponents with the entire team at his service.

Still, as career twilights go, it is the sort about which most mortal players only dream.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has seemingly put paid to the hopes of recreational cricketers across the country that a return to action is imminent.

Responding to a question from Greg Clark MP in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said that it was too soon to lift current restrictions preventing the return of recreational cricket, describing the ball as "a natural vector of disease".

His comments will have no bearing on England's Test series against West Indies, which is due to start on July 8, or on the possible return of county cricket, both of which are governed by guidance for elite sport.

ALSO READ: Recreational cricket suspended by ECB

Under current regulations, socially-distanced training sessions are the only permissible form of cricket. Some leagues have begun to cancel their formal calendars for this season already, though others had anticipated that a start date could come quickly, with the Prime Minister announcing that businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors could begin to re-open from July 4.

Mr Clark, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, asked the PM to clarify whether "the ban on cricket has come to an end".

"Cricket is perhaps our most socially-distanced team sport," he said. "We've lost half the summer but there is another half left to be enjoyed by players and spectators alike." On Saturday, he tweeted that it was "absurd that no cricket can be played this midsummer weekend".

Mr Johnson said: "The problem with cricket as everybody understands [is] that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially at any rate. We've been round it many times with our scientific friends.

"At the moment, we're still working on ways to make cricket more Covid-secure but we can't change the guidance yet."

The ECB is expected to respond to Mr Johnson's comments later today, and has been working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) throughout the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to its most recent roadmap for the return of recreational cricket, England was in 'Step 3' of a five-stage process. The next step would involve adapted matches which allowed cricket "to remain socially-distanced", before the final step of unrestricted play which would be adopted once social-distancing measures were removed.

Two-time All-Star Andre Drummond says he plans to pick up his player option that will keep him in Cleveland for another year.

Drummond, who was traded to the Cavaliers by the Detroit Pistons in February, has a $28.75 million option for the 2020-21 season.

He said on Tuesday's episode of ESPN's Le Batard & Friends -- STUpodity podcast that he "definitely" will be in Cleveland next season.

"Yeah, it's going to be hard to give up, so you can count on me being in Cleveland still," Drummond said when pressed on whether he plans to exercise his option.

"I definitely will be in Cleveland."

The Cavaliers traded guard Brandon Knight, forward John Henson and the lesser of Cleveland's and Golden State's 2023 second-round picks to acquire Drummond.

Cavs general manager Koby Altman said in February that picking up Drummond was worth the gamble even though he could become a free agent this summer.

"For us, I think in terms of his age and what he brings to our team, absolutely we consider him a potential long-term play," Altman said. "Obviously he has a player option that, if he picks up, we think we're in good shape in terms of our cap space. There's no better money spent than Andre Drummond if he does pick up his player option."

The University of Cincinnati will remove Marge Schott's name from its baseball stadium, citing the late Cincinnati Reds owner's "record of racism and bigotry."

The university's board of trustees on Monday unanimously voted to remove Schott's name from the stadium and another area of the university's archives library. The decision is effective immediately.

Former Bearcats outfielder Jordan Ramey started a petition earlier this month to remove Schott's name, which is approaching 10,000 signatures Tuesday. University president Neville Pinto also had recommended the removal to the board.

The university's baseball facility was named Marge Schott Stadium in 2006 after the school received a $2 million donation from the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation.

Marge Schott died in 2004. In 1996, Major League Baseball banned Schott from Riverfront Stadium and day-to-day operations of the Reds following her comments about Adolf Hitler. The decision led to Schott selling her controlling interest in the Reds in 1999.

MLB also banned Schott for the 1993 season for racist comments toward black players and team employees.

"Marge Schott's record of racism and bigotry stands at stark odds with our University's core commitment to dignity, equity and inclusion," Pinto said Tuesday in a prepared statement. "My recommendation to the board to remove her name is grounded in the firm belief that speaking out against exclusion is as essential as speaking up for inclusion. I hope this action serves as an enduring reminder that we cannot remain silent or indifferent when it comes to prejudice, hate or inequity. More than ever, our world needs us to convert our values into real and lasting action."

There had been several other campaigns to remove Schott's name from Cincinnati's stadium in recent years. Current players like Nathan Moore had advocated for the removal, as well as program alumni like Kevin Youkilis and Josh Harrison.

Youkilis said the university had approached him about a donation and renaming the baseball field after him, but he didn't want his name associated with Schott's.

"We stand with President Pinto and our campus community in our collective fight to end racism, inequality and indifference," the board of trustees said in a statement. "The change we want to see starts with us."

A competition comeback will require care to protect athletes from potential strains, writes physiotherapist and England Athletics medical lead Stuart Butler

The Covid-19 pandemic has decreased opportunities in track and field and has denied athletes the chance to showcase their hard work and commitment. However, when the return to competition does come, great care will be needed to protect athletes from potential strains.

Athletes have lost opportunities on the local, regional, national and international stage and many athletes and coaches may feel disheartened by the enforced, albeit slightly easing, lockdown at the time of writing.

Okay, lockdown may have allowed athletes to do some remedial work and specific strength and conditioning, or simply provided an opportunity for tired bodies to rest. Now, with the potential return to training and competition (Government guidance permitting) athletes are faced with the question of how they “get into shape” or “get sharp” when they have had little access to tracks and specific training.

Coaches will have been doing their jobs “virtually” but there’s no counting for face-to-face coaching and “seeing” what the athlete is doing and how they are performing.

Many will have prescribed slightly less specific training than would normally be the case at this time of the year. Normally for sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers, for example, quality would be in the ascendancy, as would the execution of technique at maximum velocity. However, the lockdown has led to many coaches having to give their athletes slightly less specific workouts.

Some have even returned to more general “build-up” style training phases – where volume and more general preparatory exercises are higher on the training agenda than they normally would be. So, now with a still athlete-restricted-lockdown in place and a potential date for a British Championships in early August, there’s not really a lot of time to prepare.

The objective

Let’s be clear, this is going to be a very limited track season, if any. I would therefore suggest this should be seen as a development opportunity and not as a race to compete. It’s a reverse engineering problem. So, athletes and coaches should consider, “What have you got to do to achieve the decided goals?” And, “What are the steps needed to get there?”

Then, I think there is a need to be critical and to ask, is there enough time? The risk of injury is higher (as we’ll discuss later) upon a return to sprinting, for example, due to the increased demands and volume of training which athletes will be able to do.

However, the rewards are relatively low for the majority with few true championship opportunities, so this could be the year to be cautious and think of long-term athletic development.

Review the reality

What has the athlete been able to do? What have they told you they’ve done versus what have they actually done? This should help to frame the situation and give all parties involved an understanding of where the athlete is presently at.

You should also consider how psychologically ready the athlete is. We may all have been affected differently by the enforced isolation of the pandemic. Some athletes may be more ready to interact than others, some may just enjoy the pure social aspect of training with others (while appropriately socially distancing) to enhance their own well-being.

Now, therefore, could well be the time to look very holistically at the athlete and to let them do things they want to – to enhance their transition from isolation and therefore not worry about performance.

Where have they been training?

For middle and longer distance athletes, their training may have been less disrupted, though lack of competition and a return to the track should still be carefully considered.

For speed, throws and jumps athletes, however, a lack of exposure to track and field facilities will have had more of an impact.

Having to train on a variety of surfaces may present different pros and cons. Grass, for example, is rarely as smooth as a track but can be softer which sounds good, however, it also means that the athlete needs to generate more force through the surface and with an increased ground contact time. Some data has suggested that speeds reached on grass are at least 10% slower in international sprinters. It may also be inclined or declined or bumpy and this again is very different from what the athlete will be used to.

Treadmills are great if you have access as they’re incredibly consistent but again these tend to be softer than Tarmac or track surfaces, and alas not all treadmills are made equal. Research indicates that treadmills have different characteristics, plus, the dynamics of running on a treadmill are different to running on a surface that doesn’t move.

As noted, road surfaces are very hard with next to no give, so sprinters will get plenty back from the surface in terms of force generation and very little energy loss. However, this is without considering that the athlete will inevitably be wearing trainers which offer more cushioning than spikes.

Specificity of training

However, perhaps the most important question we should consider is: how has an athlete’s training during lockdown mirrored what would have been expected of them under normal training circumstances? If your sprinters have only been doing some 20min “jogs”, then how much does that replicate what they will need for the challenges ahead?

The skill and the art of coaching has to be to help the athlete regain specific event fitness, however, the truncated season may not allow enough time.

Fig 1 (below) looks at muscle tendon length, muscle force and muscle tendon work (eccentric load). Note that muscle length remains constant whilst running at greater than 80% of max velocity and force increases linearly. While that force increases 30% from 80% to 100% speed, the muscle tendon work (eccentric load) increases 50%.

We know that eccentric hamstring weakness is associated with hamstring injury and a rapid increase in high speed running is also associated with injury. If we estimate that an athlete hasn’t run faster than 90% of top speed, we know that the hamstrings have only been exposed to approximately 80% of eccentric force so if they are reintroduced to max velocity they need progressive exposure to these velocities.

Jumper guidance

As well as contending with the demands of high speed running in the jumps, we also need to be aware of increased tendon loading. We know that resistance and plyometric training programmes increase muscle strength, but only plyometric training increases the rate of force development and the speed of stretch shortening cycles significantly for athletic performance.

It should be noted that developing these qualities can be dependent on the athlete’s training age from a more general perspective but also in terms of lockdown and what they have been able to do. Limited or no access to weights equipment can have a major impact on objectives. We know tendons are slower to adapt than muscles and they generally respond to heavy weights to aid their adaptation. My concern would be a too sudden increase in load and with it the likelihood of increased Achilles or knee tendon pain.

The post lockdown loading needs to be progressive and based on the athlete’s present fitness state. Tendons always need 48-72 hours to recover and often don’t show signs of discomfort until this time after exercise. This doesn’t mean that athletes shouldn’t train everyday (if this is normal for the athlete) but it does mean there needs to be a balance in the training programme between high load and lower load days. As always there’s the massive technical component of the individual event to consider and it will be the coach’s judgement ultimately as to how this can be progressed.

Summary

A return to high speed running, jumping and hurdling should include an honest appraisal of where you or your athlete is at present and account for what they have been able to do with the resources available during lockdown.

Coach and athlete must agree the objectives and place these against the context of this season – whatever form it takes. Coaches should provide athletes with outcomes/data to assess where the athlete is presently at and use this to guide them to where they need to get to.

Use the data rather than time to decide when an athlete is ready. So, run progressively faster, aiming to build toward top speed in small increments allowing for suitable recovery. Practice the skill of running fast over and over and build a long-term athletic development plan which looks at each athlete holistically so as to prepare him or her for what lies ahead whilst preserving their well-being.

SEBRING, Fla. – Cadillac will serve as the title sponsor for the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring on Saturday, July 18 at Sebring Int’l Raceway in Florida.

The event will be the second race back for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship following the WeatherTech 240 At Daytona on Saturday, July 4.

“High performance driving is part of Cadillac’s DNA. We have all missed racing and we’ve been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see our DPi-V.R prototypes compete on the track again,” said Steve Carlisle, Cadillac president. “That’s why Cadillac is proud to support IMSA’s return to racing as the title sponsor of the July 18 race at Sebring, one of the world’s most iconic tracks.”

Prior to the race, the 2020 Cadillac CT5-V will serve as the official pace car. This marks the first pace car duties for the new compact luxury sedan, which went on sale earlier this year.

Cadillac Racing has had plenty of recent success on Florida tracks, winning two of the last three Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring races (2017, ’19) as well as four consecutive Rolex 24 At Daytona titles (2017-2020).

“Cadillac has been a Sebring and IMSA partner for years, and we’re grateful for their support of the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring,” said Wayne Estes, president and general manager of the Sebring International Raceway. “Adding this event to the season schedule is a tremendous benefit to Sebring and IMSA fans, and having never hosted an international touring series event in the summer at Sebring, this will be a new experience for all of us and one we are anxious to give to our fans and competitors.”

Arsenal are expected to agree an extension to Cedric Soares' loan from Southampton and want to sign him permanently on a free transfer this summer, sources have told ESPN.

The 28-year-old joined the Gunners on loan in January but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the club due to injury and the enforced break resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

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Clubs have until midnight on Tuesday to finalise contracts for the 2019-20 season with those players which run out on June 30.

The situation with Soares is complicated by the imminent expiration of his deal at parent club Southampton.

Due to player registration regulations, Southampton must technically extend his contract first before Arsenal can prolong his loan.

Talks are ongoing on Tuesday with all parties confident an agreement will be reached.

Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta is believed to be impressed by Soares' professionalism and positive impact on the dressing room.

Sources have told ESPN that a three-year deal is under discussion.

The defender is keen on a permanent switch and desperate to make up for lost time having suffered a facial injury in the build up to the resumption of Premier League matches.

Soares' experience is viewed as a useful asset to a squad relying increasingly on young players. He won Euro 2016 with Portugal, featured at the 2018 World Cup and spent last season impressing on loan at Inter Milan, helping the Italian side qualify for the Champions League.

Financial pressures will limit the amount of business Arsenal can conduct in the transfer market this summer but Arteta is hopeful of adding Soares as well as Pablo Mari, the centre-back on loan from Flamengo who suffered a serious ankle injury against Manchester City last week.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that seven more cricketers have returned positive tests for Covid-19, taking the total count to ten ahead of their England tour. On Monday, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, and Haris Rauf had tested positive.

The new names on the list are Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, and Imran Khan. In addition, the PCB announced one member from the player support personnel had also tested positive for the virus.

More to follow...

You love baseball. Tim Kurkjian loves baseball. So while we await its return, every day we'll provide you with a story or two tied to this date in baseball history.

ON THIS DATE IN 2012, Jim Thome hit a record 13th walk-off home run.

Six players have 12 career walk-off home runs, the only active one being Albert Pujols. So, in honor of No. 13 for Thome, we will celebrate the always exciting, walk-off home run.

I had never heard that term until 1988 when the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson ended Game 1 of the World Series with his famous blast off Dennis Eckersley. After the game, Eck used that phrase. I asked about it

"Guy hits a homer ... and everyone walks off the field," Eck said.

The full "On this date ..." archive

Bill Mazeroski hit the greatest walk-off home run in baseball history -- Game 7 against the Yankees in the 1960 World Series; Mazeroski hit one walk-off homer in the regular season in his career. Bobby Thomson, Joe Carter, Carlton Fisk, Kirby Puckett, David Freese, Derek Jeter, Ozzie Smith, Eddie Mathews, David Ortiz, Aaron Boone and many, many others hit walk-off home runs that will live forever. The All-Star Game has featured three walk-off homers: Ted Williams (1941), Stan Musial (1955) and Johnny Callison (1964).

Williams hit three walk-off homers in his career in the regular season. So did Jeff Bagwell, Manny Ramirez and Lou Gehrig. And yet, infielder Charlie Culberson, who has 23 homers in his career, has four walk-offs, including one that clinched an NL West title for the Dodgers in 2016 in Vin Scully's final regular-season home game as a broadcaster. In 1935, Red Sox pitcher Wes Ferrell hit two walk-off home runs, they came in consecutive games, the first as a pinch-hitter, the second gave him a complete-game victory.

Last year, the Dodgers became the first team ever to get a walk-off home run in three consecutive games, all by rookies: Matt Beaty, Alex Verdugo and Will Smith. In 2008, Ryan Zimmerman hit a home run in the first game at Nationals Park to become the third player to christen a ballpark with a walk-off, joining Bill Bruton at County Stadium in 1953, and Dante Bichette at Coors Field in 1995.

The Indians' Tyler Naquin, in 2016, is the last player to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park homer. Before that, it was the Giants' Angel Pagan in 2013. Players over the years have gotten very creative in their celebration of a walk-off, although Gatorade showers are now standard. The best (although not for the opponent) was when the Brewers' Prince Fielder hit a walk-off, his teammates lined up around home plate like bowling pins, then Fielder, pretending to be a bowling ball, knocked them all down for a strike.

Norm Cash never had such a moment: His 377 career homers are the most ever without a walk-off. The Red Sox's J.D. Martinez has 231 homers, including four in one game, but no walk-off homers. That is most homers among active players without one. Mark Teixeira hit a walk-off in the 2009 postseason, but he got to 408 homers during his regular-season campaigns without a walk-off. In the final week of his career, he hit No. 409, a walk-off grand slam to beat the Red Sox. But since the Red Sox had clinched the AL East title earlier in the evening, they celebrated with champagne even though they'd just lost on a walk-off slam.

Teixeira played three more games to finish his career. His last homer was his first regular-season walk-off.

"I should have retired right then,'' he said.

Other baseball notes for June 23

• In 1971, Rick Wise pitched a no-hitter and hit two home runs against the Reds. The final out was made by Pete Rose.

• In 1984, Ryne Sandberg went 5-for-6, and hit home runs off Cardinals star closer Bruce Sutter in the ninth and 10th innings. It was the first time Sutter had ever allowed two homers to the same hitter in one game.

• In 2003, Barry Bonds became the first member of the 500-500 club: 500 homers, 500 steals. There is still no one else in the 400-400 club.

• In 1960, pitcher Jim Deshaies was born. He is from Massena, New York, hometown of Hal Smith, the actor who played Otis Campbell, the town drunk on "The Andy Griffith Show." In 1991 at the Astrodome, Deshaies was made an honorary citizen of Mayberry, Texas, by the local chapter of the Andy Griffith Show Fan Club. A Barney Fife look-alike was on hand, among other dignitaries. "I even got one of Aunt Bee's cookbooks,'' Deshaies said. "It was a special night.''

Andy Murray busts internet rumours in BBC Sport's Setting it Straight, including his "embarrassing" first email address and his short-lived rap career.

Murray returns to action for the first time in seven months on Tuesday when he faces Liam Broady at the Battle of the Brits.

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