Nicky

Nicky is a budding journalist who specialises in matters related to football, basketball and the economics of sports. He is a student at the University of Edinburgh as well. Follow him on Twitter @NickyHelfgott1.
  • Soccer
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LEGEND - MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 21: Harry Kane of Bayern Muenchen celebrates as he scores the goal 1:0 during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FC Bayern München and R. Union Saint-Gilloise at Football Arena Munich on January 21, 2026 in Munich, Germany.

    Champions League 2025/26 Matchweek Seven Review

    In the seventh matchweek of this year’s thrilling Champions League campaign, Liverpool rediscovered their rhythm (with Mohamed Salah back in the picture), Arsenal stayed spotless like a team playing on fresh bedsheets, Harry Kane kept climbing the all-time ladders with the calm menace of a man doing admin, Manchester City…

  • Soccer
    Post Manchester United glow - NAPLES, ITALY - APRIL 14: Scott McTominay of Napoli celebrates after scoring his side third goal during the Serie A match between Napoli and Empoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 14, 2025 in Naples, Italy.

    Why are players so much better after they leave Manchester United?

    Some say that Manchester United have accidentally become football’s leading glow-up clinic. Leave Old Trafford, change your surroundings, and suddenly the lighting is better, the confidence is back, and everyone is asking why you didn’t always look like this. Players leave Old Trafford and suddenly look freer, sharper, and more…

  • Soccer
    AFCON is mental - Senegal's goalkeeper #16 Edouard Mendy speaks to Morocco's forward #10 Brahim Diaz before a penalty kick during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) final football match between Senegal and Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on January 18, 2026.

    Senegal’s AFCON winning madness – how it all went down

    For 90 minutes in Rabat, the AFCON match between Senegal vs Morocco looked like what you expect from a continental final: suffocating tension, narrow margins, elite defenders refusing to blink, and two world-class goalkeepers quietly dominating their areas. Then the board went up for eight minutes of stoppage time and…

  • Soccer
    FILE PHOTO (EDITORS NOTE: COMPOSITE OF IMAGES - Image numbers 1449393850, 2246917190) In this composite image, a comparison has been made between Achraf Hakimi of Morocco (L) and Sadio Mane of Senegal. Senegal and Morocco meet in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on January 18,2026 in Rabat, Morocco. ***LEFT IMAGE*** AL KHOR, QATAR - DECEMBER 14: Achraf Hakimi of Morocco during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 semifinal match between France and Morocco at Al Bayt Stadium on December 14, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) ***RIGHT IMAGE*** LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 15: Sadio Mane of Senegal controls the ball during the International Friendly between Brazil and Senegal at Emirates Stadium on November 15, 2025 in London, England.

    AFCON Final – Preview: Host nation Morocco battle Senegal in a thriller

    The bracket has behaved itself, the heavyweights have survived the chaos tax, and now we get the final AFCON promised by the rankings and delivered by the margins: Morocco, hosts and obsessives, against Senegal, champions-in-living-memory and masters of the big-game grind. It is also a final built on control. Morocco…

  • Premier League
    MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: Luke Shaw of Manchester United attempts to stop Erling Braut Haaland of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Manchester, England.

    Manchester United vs Manchester City Preview: Pressure on both sides

    Old Trafford at lunchtime is usually a recipe for chaos. Add a title-chasing Manchester City, a Manchester United side trying to stabilise under interim boss Michael Carrick’s first game, and a league table that suddenly feels crowded from second to ninth, and you get a derby that can swing a…

  • Soccer
    STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 05: Desire Doue of France is challenged by Lamine Yamal of Spain during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match between Spain and France at Stuttgart Arena on June 05, 2025 in Stuttgart, Germany.

    Ranking the Top 10 U21 Players in World Football (2026)

    There are two kinds of U21 players hype: the “nice cameo, lovely story” variety, and the “wait, this person is running the game already” kind. This list is for the second group. These are the under-21 players who feel most likely to shape elite football over the next decade, whether…