Manchester United tend to pride themselves on supporting younger players. However, Reece Oxford, of early season West Ham fame, would be a fool to move to Old Trafford at this time. The Hammer has been linked with a move to the North West already this summer and it looks as though he will be subject to interest from across the country.

Oxford starred for West Ham with an excellent early season performance against Arsenal, but, since then, has failed to really nail down a regular place in the side and had to rely on injuries or suspension to get any sort of role in the XI. Slaven Bilic is not short of options in Oxford’s roles, unfortunately.

The defender, who can also slot into a midfield position, only made three league starts for the east London club last season. However, it would be a massive mistake to be lured in by a move to Old Trafford.

Here are FIVE reasons why…

Not so Special One

Jose Mourinho’s invincibility cloak was whipped off last season. ‘The Special One’ seems to have had his golden touch tarred slightly and it will take a storming start to his time at Manchester United for it to return.

Youngsters are seldom a part of Mourinho’s planning, anyway, and his short-term challenge at United will just make that harder for any player of Oxford’s inexperience to get minutes. Mourinho might envisage a longer future at Old Trafford and, if he does, then it might change Oxford’s decision, but that would only happen in a year or two.

Europa Demands

West Ham might look like they’ve got a fair amount of midfield and defensive depth at the moment, but the lingering Europa League campaign will give plenty of opportunity for fringe players to step up.

Despite Kouyate and Noble’s stranglehold on the midfield roles, Oxford would definitely be a viable option for Bilic in the midfield. Oxford’s own versatility gives him an upper hand on many who are trying to make their breakthrough.

Friendly competition

Manchester United, even without all the signings they are likely to make this summer, have plenty of players in either of Oxford’s primary positions.

In the defensive midfield slot they have Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, whilst at centre-back there are plenty of players who have slotted in alongside Chris Smalling. The crucial run of starts that any young player needs would be pretty damn hard to come by at United.

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Pay-day Loans

Jose Mourinho has a penchant for loaning out youngsters he doesn’t quite fancy.

The move to Old Trafford would award Oxford with a monstrous pay-day, sure, but would it help his development? Across the whole of the country, it seems to be so rare that a player returns to have much success from a lengthy loan period.

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DNA of a winner

Youngsters got a sniff at Manchester United this season, admittedly, but that was largely down to an onslaught of injuries.

The pressure for success next season at Old Trafford is going to be phenomenal. Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal will all be piling the pressure on the sleeping giants of Premier League football and there is only so much that can be done with youngsters.

Oxford would be way down the pecking order and unlucky to get much big match experience.

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It’s been all change for Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.

After signing for United in 2004 for £25m from Everton as a striker, Rooney is just four goals short of Bobby Charlton’s all-time club goalscoring record. He has already surpassed the World Cup winner at international level and surely now has his sights on completing the set.

But now that the years are catching up fast, Louis van Gaal has seen fit to drag the England captain into a different role, despite a shortage of good strikers at the club.

The alternative position has seen a decline in goals from Rooney this season. Just eight league goals underlines the position he now adopts as a No.10, rather than as a striker, as he used to be.

The match against Bournemouth this week showed that Rooney can still play a big part for United, as he scored the first in a 3-1 win, but also had a hand in the other two goals.

It is a position which will give Rooney longevity in the game, but not at international level.

For Rooney, the EUROs will be his swansong. At 30, he will be looking to maintain his playing career for a few more years yet, but as with other international players before him, to do that he will need to step down from the England squad.

Rooney knows it, we all know it, and Rooney knows that within Hodgson’s plans in France, he is not an automatic choice. The Manchester United man has been included because he is the captain, he is a Hodgson favourite, has 109 caps and 51 goals and has helped England cruise casually into the finals.

It is well documented that getting to finals isn’t England’s problem, but once they come up against strong opposition, the plan falls apart and Rooney can’t find the net.

Talking after the Bournemouth game, Rooney said: “Sometimes you have to make choices in your career and at the moment it’s better for me to play deeper,” he said. “It could be a bit different for England where I could still be the striker, but probably next season that’s where I see myself playing.”

For United maybe, but for England, no.

As with life, the team moves on and Hodgson has a plethora of attacking options including the injured Danny Welbeck. In the 26 man squad, Roy Hodgson named Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy of Leicester, Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge and Rooney’s 18-year-old United team-mate, Marcus Rashford, as his striking options.

It’s debatable whether the role that Rooney fills with United is one that suits Hodgson’s style of play. In the games without Rooney, England looked more than capable and if the England captain is left on the bench more than he is on the field, then the decision is stark and clear – it’s time to go.

Van Gaal was recently asked whether Rooney remained the best English centre-forward, to which he said: “It always depends on their form because everybody has tendencies in their shape. It is always like that. Wayne is more like that. Normally he is the best striker, but Harry Kane, how many has he scored? That also counts for a striker and also for Wayne. So, it’s also dependable on your team, how they are playing, so you cannot say that so easily. But when you see his record he is the best striker.”

Which then begs the question, why aren’t Man Utd using him as a striker?

Rooney has done more than his best wherever he’s played. He has been superb at international level and his own goalscoring record will stand for many years to come as a testament to his achievements.

However, the time will come this summer to put England to one side and concentrate on his club and the next record to be broken.

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Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has welcomed the signing of Moussa Dembele, but has told the young Frenchman he is going to have fight him for a first-team place at Celtic.

It was announced yesterday that the 19-year-old had joined the Bhoys from English Championship side Fulham after his contract expired, and when talking to the Glasgow Evening Times at Celtic’s hotel in Maribor, Griffiths said:

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“Anybody that the gaffer signs will be welcomed to this club but he is going to have a tough job on his hands to move me out of the team.”

Rodgers does usually favour three up front and Griffiths is hopeful that they can be a lethal partnership with both in the starting XI:

“Hopefully, we can work together if he goes with two or three up front. Hopefully, the gaffer can find a space for both of us. I concentrate on what I do. I just work hard on and off the pitch and if I do that the manager will find it difficult to leave me out. When I do my job on the pitch and score goals it is going to be even harder for the team. Celtic are always going to be linked with big names strikers. I haven’t seen a lot of Dembele but he is meant to be a very big talent.”

Celtic will need to pay compensation for Dembele as he is under 23, but it could prove to be a bargain with teams like Tottenham and other Premier League clubs having looked at bringing in the young forward previously.

After striking up a lethal partnership with Ross McCormack in the Championship, Celtic fans will be hopeful Dembele can do the same with Griffiths.

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If English reports are to be believed, Georginio Wijnaldum is set to become a Liverpool player within the next few days.

The recently relegated Newcastle star has been linked with a host of clubs in recent weeks, but it seems that Liverpool have won the race for his signature.

Wjinaldum, alongside Liverpool’s other signings this summer, represent Jurgen Klopp’s first real dip into the transfer market with Liverpool, as the German looks to assemble a Premier League winning side.

A host of stars have already been signed, but it doesn’t look like the spending is going to stop any time soon – with Joe Allen and Christian Benteke reportedly on the move and Klopp reportedly still interested in signing a few more players.

With that, here are FIVE players that could follow Georginio Wijnaldum to Liverpool

Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic received his dream move to Real Madrid last summer, but since then the dream has turned into a bit of a nightmare.

Unable to hold down a spot in the first team amongst some of the worlds best players, Kovacic had to settle for a bit part role for Madrid at a time in his career where regular game time is imperative.

As a result, it seems that he might be looking for a move this summer, with Liverpool reportedly circling.

The Daily Star is reporting that Liverpool are interested in the player, whilst Real Madrid are willing to listen to bids.

Sky Sports suggest that the deal is the second most likely deal, behind Wijnaldum, this summer – so this has a real chance of happening.

Jonas Hector

A long term Liverpool target, Jonas Hector has been linked with a move to Anfield for months.

The German left back was a star at the European Championships this summer, making the German left full back spot his own.

With Alberto Moreno’s future reportedly up in the air, with Liverpool questioning the quality of the Spanish defender, Hector would be a fantastic replacement. He is a really solid full back.

£25million is reportedly on the table for the German defender, with The Metro reporting that Liverpool want the deal tied up as soon as possible.

Lucas Moura

Lucas Moura is reportedly another target for Liverpool, with the stylish Brazilian playmaker reportedly looking to leave PSG this summer.

Moura is a very exciting player to watch, and would add unpredictability and technical prowess to Liverpool’s attacking line.

Sky Sports place the deal just behind Kovacic’s in terms of likeliness, suggesting that the deal definitely has a chance of going through. Lucas Moura has been linked with a host of clubs this summer; could Anfield end up being his final destination?

Jeremy Mathieu

A defensive target that Klopp is reportedly looking at is Jeremy Mathieu.

The solid defender has never really been a consistent starter at Barcelona, typically setting for more of a bit part role for his side.

As a result, SportWitness are suggesting that Barcelona would be willing to let the defender go for as little as €10 million; an absolute steal for a player with Mathieu’s experience and quality.

They add that Liverpool are very much interested in a move for the defender as they look to rebuild their shaky back line.

With concrete interest in both a sale and a purchase; surely this one will happen?

Jordan Amavi

One player that comes with less fanfare than most of Liverpool’s reported targets if Aston Villa defender Jordan Amavi.

Amavi came to England with quite a reputation, but was last season relegated with Aston Villa, and he is now reportedly looking to escape the Championship and get back up to the top flight.

The Daily Star are suggesting that Klopp will continue to follow Amavi and will decide within 10 days whether the deal is right for his club.

He would seemingly be brought in as more of a squad utility player more than anything else, and if he wants the move; maybe Liverpool could capture him for a bargain fee?

They say you shouldn’t look at the Premier League table until after ten games but Stoke City fans will find it difficult to ignore at the moment.

Indeed, the Potters are currently rock-bottom of the English top flight, picking up just a single point and conceding eight times in their first four league games of the new season.

Amid a Premier League era in which relegation racers can transform into title-winners and vice versa, some Stoke fans might even be murmuring the ‘R’ word around the Bet365 Stadium.

But we are particularly fond of Stoke City and despite their incredibly poor start to the season, we’re sure the Staffordshire outfit will go on to enjoy a decent campaign.

With that in mind, we’ve come up with five reasons Stoke will turn their season around – and fans can stop thinking about a potential relegation to the Championship…

TOUGH OPENING FIXTURES

No doubt, one point from four games is incredibly disappointing. But excepting the draw against newly-promoted Middlesbrough, Stoke have been unfortunate enough to face some of the Premier League’s toughest sides in the opening weeks of the season, not least including current table toppers Manchester City who have destroyed everything in their path this term.

Likewise, Tottenham Hotspur are fourth in the league and have conceded only twice, whilst Everton are yet to lose. Getting these tricky fixtures out of the way could be a blessing in disguise as the season goes on.

COMING RUN IS MUCH EASIER

Compare the aforementioned to Stoke’s coming run of fixtures. Barring Manchester United in a few weeks’ time, the Potters don’t face a top Premier League side until Arsenal on December 10th.

Regardless of recent form, you’d expect Stoke to pick up points against the likes of West Brom, Sunderland, Swansea City and Bournemouth at home.

STOKE’S SQUAD IS PROVEN

Whilst some squads in the Premier League this season are certainly questionable, there’s no doubt Stoke City’s is top-flight quality.

Indeed, Marko Arnautovic is one of the most formidable forwards in the division when enjoying top form, few defenders are more established than Ryan Shawcross and Xherdan Shaqiri scored arguably the best goal of Euro 2016 with an acrobatic bicycle kick. Even the likes of Jonathan Walters, Joe Allen and Phil Bardsley are more than proven in the Premier League.

For whatever reason, it’s not happened for the Potters so far this season, but they’ve got more than enough quality and experience to quickly turn results around.

WILFRIED BONY’S ONLY JUST ARRIVED

A consistent striker was the missing piece of the jigsaw for Stoke City last season and Mark Hughes seemingly found one on Deadline Day in the form of Wilfried Bony.

He didn’t make a difference against Spurs but it should be remembered that he’s only been at the Bet365 Stadium for a couple of weeks – nowhere near enough time to get match fit and adapt to Stoke’s style of play.

The Ivorian proved how potent he can be in the Premier League with Swansea City and after a few more games he could be firing on all cylinders.

Having a 15-goal striker pretty much guarantees you a mid-table finish, at the very least.

JACK BUTLAND WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE

Whilst Wilfried Bony should sharpen up Stoke City at one end of the pitch, Jack Butland will bolster their efforts at the other once he returns from injury.

The 23-year-old was the best goalkeeper in the Premier League last season, keeping ten clean sheets and making a phenomenal 81 saves in 31 appearances.

Stoke are much better organised and more confident defensively with the England international behind them; unfortunately, however, recent reports claim he could be sidelined for another ten weeks.

For years, we have waited for Romelu Lukaku to live up to his potential and it looks like he is starting to do that at Everton.

He made his debut at just 16 for Belgian side Anderlecht and scored 33 goals in 73 games, highlighting himself as one of the best young strikers in the world.

In August 2011, he signed for Chelsea for a fee of around £17m but struggled for playing time in his opening season. He did show what he was capable of in spurts, however, and earned comparisons with Didier Drogba for his physicality.

He first managed to show he could cut it in the Premier League on a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion. The Belgian managed 17 goals in 35 games to help the Baggies to their best ever Premier League finish.

He has since established himself as one of the league’s best strikers for Everton and is coming on well this season under Ronald Koeman. And Lukaku’ meteoric development has produced five stats that show just how brilliant a striker he truly is.

MORE GOALS AT 22 THAN CRISTIANO RONALDO

A statistic heavily touted last year was the sheer amount of goals Lukaku had managed before turning 23.

The Belgian had 121 senior goals by that point – more than legendary Premier League goalscorers Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In fact, the only modern players to have beaten his record in top flights were the Brazilian Ronaldo, Sergio Aguero, Raul and Lionel Messi.

The feat is made even more impressive by the fact he essentially missed a season of development at Stamford Bridge.

FIFTH PLAYER UNDER 23 TO REACH 50 PL GOALS

Another fact that makes the previous feat even more impressive is how many of those goals came in the Premier League.

It would be easy to scoff and say he was against easy defences had he scored most of his goals in the Belgian top flight, but Lukaku has actually scored over a half century in the Premier League already.

He was only the fifth man to manage it at his age, after Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo – putting him in some pretty illustrious company.

BELGIAN LEAGUE TOP SCORER AT 18

In his first full season at Anderlecht, Lukaku was already wowing football fans.

At the tender age of 17, Lukaku managed to win the Golden Boot as he scored 15 goals in 33 games and also won the Belgian Pro League title.

Lukaku was incredibly developed for such a young player and bullied defenders with his strength and aerial ability.

He even went one better the next season season but was unable to help Anderlecht to retain the league.

OVER 250 GOALS AT YOUTH LEVEL

After playing for Rupel Boom from an early age, Lukaku was discovered by Lierse SK, a top division Belgian side with a reputable youth academy.

Between 2004 and 2006, he scored 121 goals in 68 appearances, almost managing two goals a game.

Lierse were relegated and Lukaku joined a host of his teammates in a move to Anderlecht, where he scored a further 131 goals in 93 games – making his total at youth level an impressive 252 goals in 161 appearances.

BACK IN THE GOALS THIS SEASON

This season is shaping up to be Lukaku’s best yet, with the Belgian already grabbing seven goals from eight starts.

The management of Ronald Koeman seems to be having a positive effect, with Lukaku currently the league’s second top scorer despite missing the start of the campaign as he was rested after Euro 2016.

The Belgian has even improved his goal involvement, adding three assists to his strikes and becoming a real focal point for his side.

The European dream continued for Leicester City tonight as they rode their luck at times to beat the Danish outfit FC Copenhagen.

The game started nervously for the Foxes as the Danes, buoyed by their vociferous away support, started the brighter of the two.

As the first half wore on though, Leicester began to find their rhythm and their fans their voices and duly, a goal game before the break.

It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing of goals to watch to be frank but they all count and Riyad Mahrez won’t care one bit as he left his poor Premier League form behind him.

The Algerian linked up with his compatriot Islam Slimani to score from close range and give the Foxes the lead, a lead they held on to for the rest of the match.

1-0 it finished, then, to the Foxes and here are five images to help sum up another great European night for the club…

Crackling atmosphere

You can’t deny that the Copenhagen fans certainly did their bit to generate an atmosphere in this game.

Leicester’s fans have been vocal on this European journey of theirs but the Danish supporters were not to be outdone and brought flares with them to get the point home leading to this rather dramatic picture from the beginning of the game.

 Leicester edge a tight first-half

Neither side could really assert themselves in the first-half as the rain fell at the King Power.

Copenhagen actually started the brighter of the two before the Foxes began to grow into the game and took the lead through Riyad Mahrez giving them a lead that they saw out until half-time.

 Mahrez back with a bang

Riyad Mahrez grabbed the opener just before half-time after a good knock-down from his team-mate and compatriot Islam Slimani.

The two Algerians are beginning to create a bit of understanding between one another and this was the culmination of weathering an early storm and then striking back before half-time by Leicester.

 Tough night for Vards

Whilst the Foxes as a team got the result they wanted it was another frustrating from Jamie Vardy.

So often the main attraction last season, the England international just couldn’t get things to work for him as much as he tried. Leicester tried to play him in enough times but he just couldn’t find the net. On to the next one, then.

A lot’s been made of Leicester’s defensive frailties all of a sudden this season.

Wes Morgan and Robert Huth were as solid as they came last season but have struggled from set pieces especially this time around. Nevertheless, they could not be passed by the Copenhagen attack and it’ll go down as a very welcome, confidence-boosting clean sheet.

Liverpool were at their entertaining best today as they thrashed Watford 6-1 in front of a jubilant Anfield crowd.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring after persistent pressure from the home side just past the 20 minute mark, before Philippe Coutinho added a well deserved second.

Emre Can, Roberto Firmino, another Mane goal and a strike from late substitute Georginio Wijnaldum completed the rout. Daryl Janmaat scored the visitors only goal, who continued their poor form away from home.

The three points mean Liverpool sit happy at the top of the Premier League table for the first time under Jurgen Klopp’s stewardship, ahead of rivals Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

With the lack of European football, it appears the former Dortmund manager and his side are only going from strength to strength as they continue to bang in the goals. They have found the net on 30 occasions this season, more than any other team.

Today was no exception, so here are five images that sum up today’s rout…

Mane the man

Two more goals for Sadio Mane takes his total for the season to six for his new club having joined from Southampton in the summer.

Many doubted the astronomical fee paid for the Senegalese forward, but he is taking to life at Anfield like a duck to water and proving why he was worth every penny.

Team Spirit

Liverpool are exactly that now, a team.

And today was yet another display of the players playing for each other and for their manager, not as individuals. Come the end of the season, it will be the best team who will emerge Champions, and Liverpool are certainly staking their claim.

A Happy man

You cannot help but adore the charismatic Jurgen Klopp and the German seems happier than ever.

And can you blame him with the way his side are playing? He is rubbing off on those around him and the fans absolutely adore him.

First to everything

While their attack was remarkable, plenty of work was done by Liverpool’s defence and midfield too, who were never second best in a challenge all afternoon.

That graft allows for the likes of Coutinho and Firmino to express themselves, and should not be undervalued.

Anfield rocking

The atmosphere before, during and after today’s game was oddly reminiscent of the Luis Suarez era when Liverpool were all but set to take home the title (thanks Demba Ba).

While they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves, the Liverpool fans are clearly loving life under Jurgen Klopp and will welcome six goal hammerings every weekend if they were on offer.

The Premier League is no stranger to a crazy game, but Bournemouth vs. Liverpool on Sunday may go down as one of the most zany of the season.It’s an often trotted out cliché to say that a game is one of two halves, but the clash at the Vitality Stadium really was, with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds utterly dominant for the first 45 minutes before a collapse, triggered around midway through the second period, saw them throw away a two-goal lead and crash to just their second loss of the season.

Now with over 24 hours having passed, it’s time to dissect the match and see just where it went wrong for the title-chasing Merseysiders, who entered the game anticipating a routine victory over a side expected to be towards the bottom end of the division when game 38 has been played.

We at Football FanCast have been looking at the numbers, and here are FIVE stats that show how it all fell apart…

Defensive shuffling…

Some Liverpool fans were worried when they saw the team-sheet ahead of kick-off. An ankle injury ruled Joel Matip out for the trip to the Dorset coast and although Lucas has proven himself to be a relatively decent option at centre-back, he’s not an orthodox choiceÂin the role.

As shown, Klopp hasn’t been able to field a reliable defensive partnership through much of his reign, with Lucas and Dejan Lovren one of 18 different combinations he’s been forced to field since his arrival at the club.

It’s often said that a settled back three (goalkeeper included) can spread confidence through any team and when the pressure started to come at 1-3 up, the way the Reds faltered illustrated that. It’s also worth noting that Lovren’s best performances have come alongside Matip this term, with the Cameroonian clearly the leader of the two.

The main Mane…

With a goal and an assist, Mane’s job looked to be done at 1-3 up, so his exit due to a slight injury was, although a concern, not seen as a massive deal by Kopites watching on.

Withdrawn on 69 minutes, just seven minutes later Ryan Fraser made it 2-3, then shortly after (two minutes, to be precise) Steve Cook netted what may be the goal of his career to make it 3-3.

As soon as Mane hobbled off, Liverpool lost the pace from wide that was frightening Bournemouth, which gave their full-backs freedom to push up and robbed the RedsÂof an outlet to open up the Cherries on the counter-attack.

Lionel Fraser…

Ryan Fraser was truly excellent at the Vitality Stadium. The Scot, who has been away from the club on loan in recent times, came on ten minutes after the half-time interval for the injured Junior Stanislas and ran the show.

As the numbers demonstrate, he was influential beyond his goal and assists, with his two tackles showing that he tracked back, while his key pass and dribble is an illustration of his effective performance in the final third.

Shots fired…

It may be harsh to judge Loris Karius after letting in a penalty-kick, but the below stat was dropped by Squawka when Callum Wilson’s effort nestled in the net…

The German went on to concede another three times and although he did make a smart save to keep Benik Afobe out when the striker went through one-on-one, he really could have done more to stop Ryan Fraser’s relatively tame right-footed effort, while his inability to handle Steve Cook’s speculative shot from distance, which allowed Nathan Ake to net the winner, may render his relationship with Reds fans beyond repair.

Ake’s rejuvenation

Liverpool fans may remember that Nathan Ake netted against them last season while on loan at Watford, and he’s quickly becoming one of those bogey players for the Reds.

The defender was good at both ends of the pitch, though, and it should be noted that he was denied what looked to be a clear penalty when Roberto Firmino felled him in the box during the first half.

Interestingly, Ake is on loan from Liverpool’s title rivals, Chelsea. That winner was a bitter blow, then.

Christmas is here! The time we have all been waiting for, a day of over-eating, grotesque amounts of TV and saying thank you for gifts that you would much rather not have had to open. The build-up has been long and the preparation intense… much like the summer before a Premier League campaign, in fact.

It’s time for some festive cheer, though. Premier League football might be keeping a few of you a little stressed, but there are plenty of distractions around the football world to make you smile. Some of them are just found by searching through Vine for anything, particularly if it involves Tony Pulis laughing or an Arsenal Fan TV meltdown.

Luckily for you we’ve taken some time to compile a rather amusing Premier League list of lookalikes. There are millions of them, in truth, but few as eyebrow-raising as this TEN.

If you have any other suggestions feel free to send them in, of course…

Jurgen Klopp + Stephen Merchant

Jurgen Klopp is already a pretty popular man around the Premier League, but he would be even more popular if he were as funny as The Office creator, Stephen Merchant. Merchant is admittedly a fair bit taller than the Liverpool manager, and we reckon they would be a good pair to go for a pint with.

Maybe Klopp can fill in for Merchant in his next presenting or film role? One issue, actually, that German accent could give it all away before the fun has even begun.

Sean Dyche + Walter White

Admittedly Walter White is not actually a real person, but the Breaking Bad lead bears a frankly haunting resemblance to Burnley’s manager.

Sean Dyche has been a recent champion of ‘Proper Football Men’ and his continued paranoia about foreign managers perhaps belongs under a hat similar to Walter White’s.

Then again, there are probably a fair few men across the world that look similar to Dyche.

Mesut Ozil + Enzo Ferrari

Enzo Ferrari, if you hadn’t worked it out, is the founder of Ferrari. Funny, that. The Italian once looked rather similar to another great creator, Mesut Ozil.

The former racing driver might have invented one of the world’s most recognisable brands, but did he ever score against Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League group stage? Because, as we now know, that’s the real test of an individual.

Jamie Vardy + Lee Chapman

That’s right, it’s that bloke who jumped on the Leicester City bandwagon because he looked like Jamie Vardy. Lee Chapman was everywhere earlier this year and, one would imagine, made a fair bit of cash off the back of Vardy’s zero to hero tale.

Vardy has now returned to the mediocrity of midtable and Chapman is probably still trying to organise events in dodgy student clubs.

Olivier Giroud + Errol Flynn

Perhaps a little obscure, this, but Errol Flynn and Olivier Giroud do look rather similar. Flynn was a Hollywood actor in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, which meant that he did not have to suffer being called a fraud on Twitter.

We can’t help wondering how Giroud’s acting would fare if he tried to crack Hollywood like Flynn. So long as he didn’t have any roles that involved running it would probably go okay we reckon.

Owen Hargreaves + Richard Madden

Richard Madden is fortunate that he only looks like Owen Hargreaves. Madden’s career has not been disrupted by injury in quite the same way luckily, but the Game of Thrones star could probably talk his way onto the BT Sport sofas.

Maybe Madden would finally tell some of those pundits that they’re talking utter nonsense? Or perhaps Hargreaves could pursue a career in film?

That said, looking similar doesn’t actually mean they have to become the same people.

Ian Wright + Michael Clarke Duncan

It’s the cheeky grin that makes it for these two. Finding a picture of either Wright or Duncan not smiling is one of the hardest challenges known to man.

Duncan’s Hollywood career included award nominations and key roles in numerous successful films, including The Green Mile and Kung Fu Panda.

Jose Mourinho + Jack Dee

Two of the world’s grumpiest men happen to look rather similar, particularly when they’re both developing that lazy stubble. Mourinho and Dee would probably get on rather well, but Dee’s miserable rants are at least done with the intention of humour.

Then again, the creator of Lead Balloon could probably do a better job of motivating players than Mourinho has done over the past 18 months. What a pairing, though, maybe Mourinho will be hosting Live At The Apollo soon.

Kevin de Bruyne + The Shermanator

We can only dream that Kevin De Bruyne is as ludicrous in person as The Shermanator. American Pie’s resident creepy outcast is an icon of the series. Well, a hero in a sense, I suppose. Making fleeting appearances throughout the films, The Shermanator flickers in and out of the series just like De Bruyne does throughout a season.

Okay, they aren’t exactly a spitting image of one another, but it’s all good Christmas fun, anyway.

Nacho Monreal + Peter Crouch

Last but not least, it’s two footballers!

Yep, two actual Premier League footballers. Well, Crouch does not really play much anymore, he spends most of his time trotting up and down the touchline. Monreal, though, has become one of Europe’s most reliable full-backs in the last few seasons.

Despite the fact that there is nearly a foot in height difference, there’s something facially that’s a bit similar, isn’t there? No? Just me then…