Christian Kabasele made his Belgium debut over the international break and is now hoping his form with Watford can bring more appearances for his country in the future.

The 25-year-old defender was a last-minute call-up for his side’s clash with Netherlands after Vincent Kompany went down in the warm-up.

A subsequent injury for the DR Congo-born defender then ended his international break early but Kabasele loved every minute of his showing.

And the former Genk man – who only converted from being a striker three years ago – hopes that was the first of many.

“It was a great feeling for me, I think every footballer wants to play for their national team and I made it. It was a big dream that came true,” he said.

“I found out one minute before the kick-off, Vincent felt something at the end the warm-up and in a few minutes I had to take off long pants and big jacket to be ready so it was a strange story.

(Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

“Three years ago I was still a striker and now I am an international defender which is a little bit crazy.

“Nobody would have said a few years ago that I would be an international, it’s crazy and I’m sure I don’t realise yet.

“It was a long time that I didn’t play – what I want now is to play here (at Watford) every day, I need to work and if the coach does not put me on the field I just need to be ready.

“Things like this can also happen here and it is my job to be ready.”

At 35 Michael Carrick is in the autumn of his career but the Manchester United stalwart believes he has plenty left in the tank after carving out a more prominent role under Jose Mourinho of late.

Since moving to Old Trafford from Tottenham Hotspur in 2006 Carrick has played 427 times for the club – and picked up 16 trophies in the process.

However, his appearance in United’s latest victory over Swansea was his first start in the Premier League this season.

(Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)

There is every reason to believe he will feature more heavily from now on – United have won all six games that Carrick has been involved in this term.

And though his contract runs out next year after signing a new one-year deal in the summer, Carrick is very much focused on the present.

“Physically I feel fine, I feel really good in all honesty,” he said. “You have to manage yourself a little bit more when you get older and international breaks allow me to stay fresh, but also as fit as possible for the games coming up.

“I have played nowhere near as much as I have wanted to play, but I understand the situation. It’s about finishing the season strong and being successful as a squad.

“Whatever my contribution is, whether it’s big or it’s little, then I’m ready to make it.

“You’ve just got to judge it as you go along. Physically how do I feel? Am I able to do it? More importantly, do the manager and the club feel I am still able to do it?

“So there are a lot of things to judge but there’s plenty of time for that [to discuss the future]. We’re not even at Christmas yet so we’ve got bags of time.”

Plenty of credit has been given to the Leicester City scouting department for spotting Riyad Mahrez in France, but the midfielder says he’s worked hard to make himself a success in England.

The winger was bought by Nigel Pearson in January 2014 after impressing scout Steve Walsh during his time at Le Havre in France’s Ligue 2.

And while many thought his slim build and mazy dribbling meant he could not succeed in English football, he’s proved everybody wrong.

He was an integral part of the Foxes Premier League-winning side last season and picked up the PFA Player of the Year award ahead of team-mate Jamie Vardy.

“At the beginning, it wasn’t suited to my qualities to play here. The environment in England is not the same as France,” he said.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

“But I just looked at it as a challenge. It was difficult and it was a challenge, but now it’s good.

“Barcelona and Real Madrid wingers, these are the big players at the big clubs and you have to watch them. They are at a top level.

“I’m not going to say they inspire me but I take things from them.

“I work on my recoveries, coming back into the defensive line and things like that. I had to work on that before but now I’m better at it.”

Basketball legend Steve Nash claims Tottenham Hotspur is in his blood after training with the squad at Hotspur Way this week.

Nash was twice named as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player – in 2005 and 2006 – during a storied 19-year professional career.

He was an eight-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA assists leader while playing for the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Photo credit: Getty Images

The South African-born Canadian reached the very top of the sport but is adamant that football, and more specifically Spurs, has always been his first love.

“My dad grew up across the park from White Hart Lane, my granddad was also a Spurs fan and when you are born into that, it’s just a way of life,” said Nash, who first trained with the Spurs squad back in August 1999. “It’s in my blood.

“You wake up and wake up to see what is going on in ‘Spurs land’ and from across the pond it’s so easy to follow the team now through social media and the internet and cable TV, it’s even better to be a fan now.

“When I was a kid, you’d have to hope it was a Spurs game on in Canada at 5am in the morning on the west coast, I’d get up with my kit on with my dad. Nowadays, we can get it all.

“I can see every Spurs match in the Premier League and Champions League. I get to see a ton of games and soccer has come so far in the States.

“I came into the NBA 20 years ago and it was hard to get a game in the States but now you get every Premier League game plus Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Italian games, MLS, Mexico. The game has exploded.

“It’s a fantastic time to be able to watch, especially with the renaissance of this famous old beautiful club as one of the top clubs in the world.”

Coming off the back of successive Premier League defeats, Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez knows the important of their first game back after the international break.

And it couldn’t get much harder for them, as Claude Puel’s side welcome table-toppers Liverpool to St Mary’s on Saturday.

The Saints’ last two league games before the international break saw losses to both Hull City and a resurgent Chelsea, with Puel’s defence conceding twice in each fixture.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are the top scorers in the Premier League with 30 goals from their 11 games so far, and Rodriguez knows his colleagues in defence will be up against it come Saturday.

“We know how important these matches are, so we just want to get the three points,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s going to be a good battle against their strikers for our defence, but it will also be crucial to make sure we take our chances.

“After the Hull game we were very disappointed and we can’t wait to put it right.

“The international break was a long break, but the lads are raring to go again. It’s important that we focus on ourselves and make sure that we do our jobs properly on Saturday.”

And despite Klopp’s side featuring former Saints Adam Lallana, injury permitting, as well as Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren, Rodriguez insists it will be just another game.

“It’s normal to come up against old teammates. You just need to be as professional as possible,” he added.

“During the game you are very focused on the match itself. You’re in a team environment and you are just focused on a positive result.”

Manchester United may be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Arsenal on Saturday, but Arsene Wenger says Marcus Rashford is as equally dangerous.

The Gunners arrived at Old Trafford in February last season as title favourites before they fell to a 3-2 defeat to their old rivals, with Rashford scoring twice in four first-half minutes.

Arsenal look strong again this season, with seven wins from their last nine Premier League games putting them just two points off leaders Liverpool.

United, by contrast, have struggled and Jose Mourinho has a selection headache against the Gunners.

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Ibrahimovic, their first-choice striker, is suspended but with Rashford set to move down the middle, Wenger is not taking anything for granted.

“Look, certainly they would prefer to have him but, let’s not forget, last year the guy who killed us was Rashford. So let’s not speculate on any weakness of Man United,” he said.

“Yes of course [Rashford was a surprise] but to me less because I watched him against a Danish team [earlier that week] and he scored and I could see straight away that this guy could be dangerous.

“On crosses his movement was good, the way he moved in the box was strong. He took everyone by surprise because no-one knew him in England.”

It has been a long road to the top for West Brom’s Craig Dawson but as he closes in on 100 Premier League appearances for the Baggies, the defender admits he will be humbled to reach the landmark.

After signing from League One’s Rochdale in 2010, Dawson struggled to make the grade at the Hawthorns, initially being loaned back to the Dale and then on to Bolton.

But a breakthrough 2014/15 campaign saw him make 30 appearances in a West Brom shirt, and he went 11 better last term as he became a mainstay in their Premier League XI.

And with Burnley in town on Monday, against whom he scored the first of his six Baggies goals to date, Dawson is relishing his landmark appearance and is grateful for the help he has received along the way.

“I would settle for [a goal] again on Monday!” he said. “But I don’t think my scoring record is anything to shout about.

“Six goals? I don’t think that’s particularly good and it’s one of the areas I want to improve on.

“If I am selected, then it will be a nice moment and when I think about the quality of defenders who have been at the club while I have been making my way and trying to get established, it’s naturally very pleasing.

“You look at ‘G-Mac’ [Gareth McAuley], Jonny Evans, Jonas Olsson, Joleon Lescott, James Chester – that’s quite a group of players to fight your way through to even get a look-in in the team.

“They have all been a help to me and played a part in helping me progress.

“It’s a long, long way from my days at Rochdale but I never stopped dreaming I could play at this level.

“I like to think that this is a reward for hard work and dedication. You only get to achieve your dreams with that sort of commitment.”

He may not have got a goal yet for Middlesbrough but Mark Schwarzer has described Adama Traore as a ‘relevation’ at the Teeside club.

The 20-year-old Spanish winger was bought from Aston Villa in the summer following Middlesbrough’s promotion to the Premier League for an undisclosed fee.

He has made just six appearances under Aitor Karanka so far this season but has made a real impression on former Boro stopper Schwarzer, who spent nearly ten years at the club.

“I think Adama Traore has been a revelation, I think he’s been one of the best finds so far at the club this season and he’s really brought an extra dimension to the team,” he said.

“I’m excited every time I see him play because you think he’s going to do something special, he’s so strong and powerful in his running as well.”

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Newly-promoted Middlesbrough are 15^th in the Premier League after draws with Arsenal and Manchester City and a 2-0 home victory over Bournemouth in their last three games.

And the 44-year-old has been impressed by the start Karanka’s men have made in the Premier League.

“I’ve been really surprised and pleasantly surprised and really impressed with how they’ve played especially away at Arsenal and at Man City,” added Schwarzer.

“I think clearly the Arsenal result gave the team a lot of confidence and they’ve grown from it.”

Ronald Koeman says his Everton side are far from the finished article as he outlined his plans on how to make the Toffees one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League once again.

The Dutchman moved from Southampton to replace Roberto Martinez last summer, but after a positive start the club have won just one of their last six league games.

Koeman has frustrated supporters by claiming star striker Romelu Lukaku should leave the club in order to reach his best, and says he will be brutally honest throughout his time in charge.

But the 53-year-old has a clear plan to restore Everton to title contenders and says it will take three years for them to mix with the best.

LPhoto by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

“This season, Everton will fight for European football. But to finish above the big teams in the Premier League will be difficult,” he said.

“For next season we need to improve and we will get new signings in which will make the team stronger.

“The third year, we need to be close to playing in the Champions League. It’s all about we win and we get a high position. We want to reach that.

“At the moment I think we are maybe at 60 per cent of the whole project.

“Also, how is the team, playing? Are the changes we are making to the team improving us until the end of the season?

“But finally it’s all about if you win, that you get a high position and that’s the target we have.”