HEARTBREAKING LOSS: HOW WILL WOLVES HONOR ACADEMY GRADUATE ETHAN MCLEOD ON SATURDAY
From Wolves Academy to Macclesfield hero, we ask: how will Ethan McLeod’s infectious personality be remembered by his teammates?
After the death of Ethan McLeod, a former academy player, Wolves have shared their thoughts online.
Macclesfield Town shared the sad news on Wednesday. Ethan, 21, played in the Wolves youth system for ten years before moving to Macclesfield this year. He was driving home from a game at Bedford Town when he died in a car crash.
The club posted: It is with great sadness that Macclesfield FC confirms the death of Ethan McLeod, a 21-year-old forward. Ethan was involved in a car accident on the M1 last night while returning from Bedford Town, which tragically took his life.
Ethan was a very talented and respected member of our First Team Squad, with a bright future ahead. More than that, everyone loved Ethan because of his infectious personality. He always gave his all, pushing us to be our best, both on and off the field.
Ethan's professionalism and hard work inspired everyone. His love for life made us all smile, even on bad days. The news of Ethan's death has deeply saddened our club, and we are at a loss for words about how sad we feel.
The emotional pain from Ethan's death will never go away. But one thing is certain: Ethan's memory will live on, no matter how much time passes. Ethan will always be in our hearts, and we will never forget his unique smile that captivated us all.
We send our deepest sympathy to Ethan's family and friends during this difficult time. We will do everything we can to support those who need it. May you rest in peace, Ethan. You will always be a Silkman.
Wolves also shared a touching message about Ethan, saying, "We are heartbroken to hear about the death of Ethan McLeod at 21." Ethan joined @WolvesAcademy at seven and signed professional terms before leaving in September 2024.
We are sending our love to Ethan's family, friends, and everyone at Macclesfield. Ethan's younger brother, Conor, is currently in our under-21 squad. The club will be supporting him and his family. We will have a minute of silence at Saturday's game against Brentford to remember Ethan.
While at Wolves, Ethan played on loan for Alvechurch and Rushall Olympic before joining Macclesfield this year. Since July, he has played three times and scored once.
The football world came together on Wednesday after the tragic news of his death. Many clubs, including Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Charlton Athletic, sent their condolences in response to Macclesfield's statement.
Rushall Olympic wrote about their former player: We are very sad to learn about the tragic death of Ethan McLeod. Ethan made history for us, scoring the winning penalty against Peterborough Sports to send us to the First Round of the FA Cup last season.
His name will forever be in our club's history. We will remember Ethan at our home game against Leek Town on Saturday. Our thoughts are with Ethan's friends, family, and Macclesfield FC during this sad time. RIP Ethan.
Many players also shared messages on Instagram to honour Ethan after his death. Harry Birtwhistle of Wacker Burghausen, who was in the Wolves youth system with Ethan, wrote, "The best person I ever met in football." An ex-Chelsea and West Ham striker shared a teary-eyed emoji.
Dane Scarlett, Kaide Gordon, Lino Sousa, Cody Johnson, and Nico O'Reilly also shared their condolences. Coaches from Baller League, including Tobjizzle and Sharky, also posted messages after Ethan joined the six-a-side competition with VZN FC this year.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
