Alex Connor

Football Journalist

Explore a featured selection of my favourite topics within football

The Assist: FotMob's World Cup Newsletter •

Co-hosts Canada march on as knockout stages start in earnest

However, after recovering from a hamstring injury, Canada’s most famous player strolled onto the pitch in the 75th minute, donned the captain’s armband, and instantly lifted the team’s attacking quality in what was his first appearance for his country since March 2025.Bombito hadn’t started a game for Canada for over a year and had to come off injured against Uzbekistan in a friendly just before the tournament, but commendably brushed off any worries regarding his sharpness, playing the full mat...
The Assist: FotMob's World Cup Newsletter •

England battle on, Messi scores again, and Algeria and Austria entertain

Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled for attacking invention in the first half until Bellingham’s instinctive close-range volley from Bukayo Saka’s corner opened the scoring just after the hour. It means that the Real Madrid midfielder is now the youngest England player on record to score and assist in a World Cup match (22 years 363 days).In a game with plenty of chances, it was a captivating fight for first place, and Colombia thought they had won it in second-half stoppage time, when Davinson Sánch...
The Assist: FotMob's World Cup Newsletter •

Scenes for Ecuador as the Round of 32 begins to take shape

Germany, who had already locked off top spot, swiftly went in front thanks to Leroy Sane’s composed finish, before Ecuador’s Nilson Angulo equalised with a powerful effort from outside the box. Needing three points, Sebastian Beccacece’s men pushed forward and eventually found a winner in the 77th minute through Gonzalo Plata’s close-range prod into the roof of the net. Despite only registering 39% possession, Ecuador accumulated a far higher xG (1.51 to Germany’s 0.65%) and played like a side i...
FotMob •

FC Supra du Quebec ready for historic Canadian Premier League debut

In September 2025, it was announced that Québec would welcome its first-ever CPL club ahead of the 2026 season. Supra was born, and they’ll make their much-awaited debut on Saturday 11th April, when they play Pacific FC in British Columbia. Supra have ripped up the script in North America and adopted LaLiga side Athletic Club’s ‘Cantera’ policy, a non-negotiable practice where only players born or trained in the Basque Country can be selected. Supra will apply this...
FotMob •

Hajduk Split’s journey against the odds

Disappointment and agonisingly fine margins have become a familiar tale for Hajduk. A previously successful force has become Croatia’s perennial bridesmaid. Since their previous league title win, Hajduk have finished either HNL runners-up or in third place a combined 14 times. In the last three campaigns, they’ve placed second once and third twice. In the 2023/24 season, Hajduk were top at the winter break, but lost four consecutive games in the spring, inclu...
Goalkeeper.com •

Nicolas Nerinckx: The importance of goalkeeper-team integration

“Act reliably for your teammates but act unpredictably for the opponent.”

Those are the words of Belgian goalkeeper coach Nicolas Nerinckx, currently plying his trade at Belgian second division side RWDM Brussels.

Following a youth playing career at Anderlecht as part of Belgium’s 93’ generation, alongside the likes of Romelu Lukaku, knee injuries and a strong passion for coaching promoted Nerinckx to end his playing career early and embark on a new journey as a coach.  In 2017, he returned to...
FotMob •

Ademola Lookman: Atletico Madrid’s new talisman, ready for a fresh challenge

Lookman’s career had temporarily stalled at Atalanta, as his relationship with the club deteriorated beyond the point of no return. The €35 million February move to the Spanish capital is the stepping stone for Lookman to elevate his career to the next level. Atleti’s shortcomings, weighed against the attacker’s quality and ambitions, make this an ideal marriage, from which both parties can massively benefit. Last Thursday, Lookman enjoyed a dreamy debut in the 5-0...
FotMob •

Kenan Yildiz: Juventus’ creative heartbeat, who is taking Italian football by storm

The silky playmaker was denied two first-half assists. Firstly, he teed up Khéphren Thuram, who crashed an effort against the post, before dribbling at the Napoli backline, attracting the attention of multiple defenders, and slipping in Francisco Conceição. Still, his teammate’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Alessandro Buongiorno. 


Nevertheless, Yıldız would eventually receive his crowning moment. Deep into the second half, he doubled Juventus’ lead,...
Stratford Observer •

Stratford Town heritage book to be released after cub’s wartime origins unearthed

Notably, Connor discovered the fascinating wartime origins of the Bards and found the club acted as a means of escapism for soldiers returning home on leave and foreign prisoners of war.

Some of the people interviewed for the book include the children of club founder Paul Bartlett and 96-year-old Don Payne who played in matches for Stratford against Italian prisoners of war in Ettington.

And Connor revealed the idea to write the book initially came from a request for work experience.

Connor s...
Goalkeeper.com •

Laurie Walker on life lessons from a goalkeeping career across the English pyramid

For Laurie Walker, being a successful goalkeeper goes way beyond physical and technical attributes.

“If I can give anyone advice, it is to crack your mental side,” he says, speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com. “The struggles will be there, but the burning passion inside needs to be stronger. You need to be thick-skinned and understand that you will make mistakes and won’t be perfect. You may need to take a step back to move forward and set aside your ego.”

The 36-year-old plays for National...
Goalkeeper.com •

Mary Earps' legacy shouldn't be overshadowed by book controversy

In May 2025, Mary Earps dramatically announced her retirement from England duty, just five weeks before the Euros in Switzerland, sending deafening reverberations around the world of women’s football.

For the Lionesses, it marked the departure of an era-defining goalkeeper with 53 caps, who had been pivotal to the national team’s recent success. Earps played every minute of the 2022 Euros and was named in the team of the tournament, as England won the competition for the first time. In the 2023...
Goalkeeper.com •

Linus Kandolin: the importance of adaptability as a GK coach

Adaptability, selflessness, and the hunger to learn are the formula for Linus Kandolin’s rise to a Premier League coaching job. The 34-year-old has been a goalkeeper coach for the last decade at Ostersunds FK, IF Elfsborg, and West Ham United.

Speaking exclusively to Goalkeeper.com, the Swede’s “biggest advice” to youngsters sums up the mindset that has underpinned his success so far: “be humble and curious about finding new ways of helping goalkeepers improve. Work hard, because you can always...
Goalkeeper.com •

Rafael Cabral interview: Brazil to Berkshire, and beyond

Rafael Cabral has enjoyed an illustrious playing career, spanning over 20 years, seeing the goalkeeper feature at the highest levels in Brazil, Italy, England, and the United States. Since January 2025, Rafael has been with MLS side Real Salt Lake. In September, the Claret and Cobalt announced that his contract had been extended to 2027, with an option to take it until 2028.
The 35-year-old is relishing his time in America. “Playing in the MLS was always...
Goalkeeper.com •

Maths Elfvendal and Michael Gspurning: How To Effectively Structure A Goalkeeper Pre-Season

Pre-season is a much less documented part of the football calendar. Welcome back videos will often be posted on the club’s social media, portraying a jovial ‘back-to-school’ atmosphere as everyone returns from their sun-soaked holidays. Hefty concentration is placed upon fitness as players recover from their well-deserved breaks, but what does the rest of the pre-season process involve for goalkeepers?

Michael Gspurning is Union Berlin’s Head of Goalkeeping and Goalkeeper Coach, playing an inst...
Glory •

EE Disability FA Cup

This match was one of six finals taking place at the EE Disability FA Cup across 28th and 29th June 2025 at St. George’s Park. It's the ninth edition of this event, hosting finals for the following formats: Amputee, Blind, Cerebral Palsy, Deaf, Partially Sighted and Powerchair football.
With EE confirmed as the official title partner for the next four years, this ensures that impairment-specific football has a national FA competition with a stable future. 
The 2025 edition of this remarkable eve...
Goalkeeper.com •

Should newly-promoted EPL teams change their goalkeeper?

In the last two Premier League seasons, the three Championship sides who were promoted to the top flight have been instantly relegated. In 2023/24, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United mustered a lowly 66 points. In the latest campaign, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton accumulated only 59.

This year, Leeds United, who clinched the title under Daniel Farke, the reinvented Burnley, thanks to the meticulous Scott Parker, and Sunderland, returning to the promised land for the first...
Goalkeeper.com •

Frederik Gössling: Inside RB Leipzig's GK Department

Hunger to succeed and the ambition to develop: these are the motives that embody Frederik Gössling’s working life and RB Leipzig’s monumental progression. Founded in 2009, Leipzig’s meteoric rise into Europe’s elite has included four promotions in seven years to reach the Bundesliga, two DFB-Pokal trophies and a Champions League semi-final. Gössling has been at the heart of this glorious journey.

Gössling has operated as the club’s goalkeeper coach for ten years. In October 2024, his contract i...
Load More