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Ecuador teenager Kendry Paez became the youngest goalscorer in Conmebol World Cup qualifying history on Thursday, when he found the net in Ecuador's 2-1 win away to Bolivia - aged 16 years and 161 days.

That follows his debut in September, when the Chelsea-bound midfielder became the youngest player (16 yrs 131 days) in the South American federation's history to lay on an assist in a World Cup qualifier, as Ecuador won 2-1 at home to Uruguay.

Paez, who will leave boyhood club Independiente del Valle for Chelsea in 2025, when he turns 18, has already become the youngest debutant and goalscorer in the Ecuadorian top flight.

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Sticking with the Tottenham theme, manager Ange Postecoglou and his fellow former Australia head coach Guus Hiddink have spoken to the national side's players before tonight's game at Wembley.

"The speech by Ange was very similar to what we've been saying for years," said Australia manager Graham Arnold.

"Doing it for the kids in Australia, the nation and the supporters."

Australian Postecoglou was appointed Tottenham manager this summer and has guided Spurs to the top of the Premier League table after eight matches.

Australia are underdogs on Friday having beaten England only once in seven meetings, a 3-1 victory at Upton Park in 2003.

Their most recent meeting saw them lose 2-1 at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland in 2016.

They are 23 spots below their fourth-placed hosts in the Fifa world rankings.

Read the full preview.

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Son Heung-min's Premier League Player of the Month award for September takes his tally to four, with just six Premier League players having won the monthly award more times than him.

He joins Premier League Hall of Famers Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry on four, while Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero are the only two players to have won the award seven times.

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Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has been named the Premier League's Player of the Month for September.

The 31-year-old forward, who inherited the armband at the start of the campaign from Hugo Lloris after vice-captain Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich, scored six goals in just four matches.

Spurs beat beat Burnley, Sheffield United and Liverpool, and drew with Arsenal to continue their unbeaten start to the season.

His team-mate James Maddison won the award for August.

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Stephan El Shaarawy has been called up to the Italy national team for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and England, after Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo left the camp following an investigation into the duo by Italian prosecutors.

El Shaarawy's last appearance for the national team was in 2021.

The Football Association has "tried to make the best decision with good intentions" over tributes to those who have died in Israel and Gaza, according to England manager Gareth Southgate.

Read more here.

Dan Roan
BBC sports editor

The fact England’s opponents tonight - Australia - are playing Palestine in an away fixture next month (and v Lebanon next March) was factored into the Football Association’s decision over how to mark the events in Israel and Gaza - and to not light the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israel flag, the BBC has learned.

The Australian FA (like the FA) was understood to want a neutral expression of support for innocent victims in Israel and Gaza.

The FA took advice this week from experts including inclusion advisors and members of the Jewish community and felt black armbands and a period of silence was an appropriate course of action given concerns they could be perceived to be taking sides in what is a long running and complicated conflict if the arch was lit in the Israel flag.

Those concerns were heightened given the prospect of an Israeli ground invasion into Gaza.

It has been noted within the FA that there was no specific request from the government to light the arch when the Department for Culture, Media and Sport [DCMS] “encouraged” sports to mark the events “appropriately” in a letter on Wednesday night, so criticism from Lucy Frazer [Secretary of State for DCMS] last night has come as a surprise in some quarters.

Senior members of the Jewish community also advised the FA that a ban on Israel and Palestine flags was an appropriate move, according to an FA source.

While FA chiefs will have to reflect on the numerous times they have lit the arch in the past for other countries and causes, it has been pointed out that the arch has been illuminated to mark Holocaust Memorial Day as a show of support to the Jewish community.

The FA is said to be mindful of the fact that it has a multi-faith staff, and points out that its statement this week is consistent with the neutral stance taken by other British sports bodies.

However, there has also been criticism that the FA and other bodies could and should have acted quicker in the days immediately after the Hamas attack.

England host Australia in an international friendly at Wembley tonight.

Players will wear black armbands during the match and a period of silence will be held in order to respect "the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine".

The FA has chosen not to light up the Wembley arch with the colours of the Israeli flag.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lucy Frazer has called that decision "disappointing".

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel in a series of attacks launched by Palestinian militant group Hamas last week.

Israel then launched air strikes on Gaza and has restricted access to food, water, fuel and medicine in the territory.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Gaza in those strikes, with 338,000 people displaced.

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The Birmingham City job is a return to English football for Wayne Rooney, who heads into his third job in management after stints with Derby County and, most recently, American side DC United - who he left earlier this month.

Birmingham City are sixth in the Championship, with Rooney's first game in charge at Middlesbrough - managed by his former Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick - on 21 October.

"I'm excited and, after speaking to the owners, was intrigued and wanted to get in and be part of it," said Rooney, who has agreed a deal with Birmingham City until 2027

"The club is looking to elevate itself to new levels and I really want to be the one to lead that."

The former Manchester United and Everton striker said he has already had a "great" meeting with the squad and highlighted the quality of the young players he can now develop, saying "that's something I've always tried to do as a coach".

Rooney arrives in the West Midlands with expectations high that he can finally end the club's exile from the Premier League, which dates back to 2011.

Ten managers have come and gone since then, along with several close shaves with relegation, and a prolonged period of uncertainty over the club's ownership that was only recently resolved with SCL's takeover in July.

"I love it," he said of the expectations. "I've dealt with a lot of pressure throughout my whole career, since I was 16.

"You're in the game to develop yourself and your team, and not be afraid to takes risks and make mistakes - you learn from the mistakes you make, that's how you improve.

"I've no problem with the pressure and I have to make sure the players are ready for that. We have expectations and targets to hit.

"Winning is always the key but the plan is getting back playing at the top level.

"That's the target for us and I'm here to make that happen."

Read Rooney's full interview with BBC Radio WM's Birmingham City reporter Richard Wilford.

Wayne Rooney believes Birmingham City belong in the Premier League and says that his aim is to "make that happen".

The former England captain, 37,was appointed the Championship club's new manager on a three-and-a-half-year contract on Wednesday.

Rooney said he was "intrigued" and "excited" by the opportunity he now has at St Andrew's.

He told BBC Radio WM: "I want to build Birmingham back up - really get it back to where it belongs. It's a huge club."

"It hasn't been where I think I should it have been over the last 10 years and now this is a challenge and an opportunity to get it back there."

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Speaking of the "Golden Generation," former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney was recently appointed as manager of Championship side Birmingham City.

He has been speaking about his excitement at the project and his want to lead the Blues into a bright future, hopefully back in the Premier League.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport

This team might not work in practice, but I would certainly pay to watch them play.

In reality, I would probably add in John Terry [actually Rio Ferdinand if he was available for selection] and go with four at the back, removing Paul Scholes and using Ashley Cole more in a wing-back role.

Declan Rice is probably needed to add some spine to the midfield, so we might have to drop either Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney from the attack.

But what I have done is cast my mind back to how exciting all these players were when they broke through on the international scene.

Imagining a team where they all broke through together is a beautiful thing...

Pick your team here.

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Alex shared his combined "Golden Generation" with us via X and gave reasoning for his picks.

He said: "That’s very difficult to do.. I’d swap Sol for Rio but he wasn’t an option.. still a left sided midfielder short but I needed Becks in there."

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Gareth Thomas, from Altrincham, has gone with a traditional 4-4-2, saying: "If Rio Ferdinand was available he’d be partnering Sol Campbell in centre defence.

"I thought about Trent Alexander-Arnold at right back, but I don’t need Trent pinging balls when Beckham is already doing it down that right flank.

"For the midfield I'm generally going with the team that beat Germany 5-1 in Munich but let Bellingham in."

Do you agree with Gareth, or think you can do better? Get in contact via the means above.

Pick your team here.

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Joe Nelson
BBC Sport

Well, this was tough! I wouldn't personally play this formation if I was manager but there are so many superb midfielders to get in!

John Stones could play in any era, in my opinion, and joins John Terry and Ashley Cole in a three-man defence. All five of the midfielders in my team warrant a spot, and it mixes pedigree with potential.

And who doesn't want a striker partnership of Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane? Frightening.

Do you agree? Get in contact via the means above.

Pick your team here.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Here's my combined "Golden Generation" team. If you agree or disagree, get involved in the discussion via the means above.

Pick yours here.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

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England's current squad was handed the bouquet - some might say the burden - of being labelled "The Golden Generation" after the recent win in Scotland.

Those three words, uttered in this case by former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness, might send shivers down the spines of long-time England observers who have heard it all before, only for that promise to be left unfulfilled.

They were most strongly applied to Sven-Goran Eriksson's side, who reached Euro 2004 in Portugal and the World Cup in Germany two years later but never even touched silver.

Euro 2004 saw huge underdogs Greece secure a stunning victory in the final against the hosts in Lisbon's iconic Estadio da Luz (Stadium of light).

Those of us in Portugal then would rank England's failure to win that tournament as a missed opportunity to rank alongside any in recent years, such as the 2018 World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia and the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy on penalties at Wembley.

In 2004 England's side was littered with world-class players in all positions, apart from goalkeeper, but they went out on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals, and then did exactly the same - at the same stage - in Germany in 2006.

So is this really England's new "Golden Generation"? And how many of the new breed would get in the 2004 side ahead of the old guard under Eriksson?

Read about the sides and pick your combined XI.

England

England midfielder Jack Grealish speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live about Jude Bellingham: "What he’s done and the way he’s come on especially in the last 18 months has been unbelievable. He was still a brilliant player at Dortmund but the way he started this season he’s made the whole world see just how good he is.

"I don’t want to put too much pressure on him because he’s only 20 years old but he’s got some career ahead of him if he keeps playing the way he is. He’s an unbelievable player. You look at him and think in his position is there anyone better in the world at the moment?"

On both being from the Midlands: "We always look out for each other. Me and Jude get on really well. When I come in from a game I’ll check the Villa score, I’ll check certain scores and now Jude is at Madrid I like to see how he’s getting on. We get on well, both being from Birmingham, it’s just a shame he’s not a Villa fan!"

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