Redmond is a big hit in Turkey

tHE tURKISH Super Lig can kill or cure a career. It did not go to plan for Dele Alli at Besiktas but Nathan Redmond has thrived in the same place. Redmond signed a one-year deal in September, inspired by a serendipitous meeting with David Beckham at the airport on his way out to Istanbul. Beckham told him of the delights of football overseas but that the key to success was to embrace the culture.

Redmond has really kicked on since the World Cup break, back to full matchsharpness after barely playing in his final months at Southampton, and with confidence soaring under new boss Senol Gunes. Besiktas are making a charge for the top with nine wins and a draw in their last 10 games, including victories against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Redmond has scored four in his last seven appearances. the fans adore him and Gunes wants him to sign a long-term deal. But, in this form, on a free and still only 29, there is sure to be interest from the Premier League.

AMONG the unused substitutes for Fulham last week against Leicester was an academy graduate. Matt Dibley-Dias is grandson of Manoel Jose Dias, a Brazilian midfielder, who played in the 1960s for both Flamengo and Corinthians. Known as Manoelzinho, he died in 2004 soon after 19-year-old Dibley-Dias was born. The teen, likened in appearance to Kaka, is eligible to play for England, Brazil, Portugal or New Zealand, where he was born. tHIRty years ago, the old Wembley Stadium held its last major European final. Parma, with tomas Brolin in the team and tino Asprilla an unused sub, beat Royal Antwerp 3-1 in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup final, with fewer than 40,000 rattling around inside the vast bowl with room for 100,000. UEFA have gone from one extreme to the other with the final of the Europa Conference League is going to Prague’s Fortuna Stadium with its capacity of 20,000. PETERBOROUGH’S Barry Fry has always had faith in players from non-League and Friday’s 4-0 play-off win against Sheffield Wednesday featured key contributions by three signed from his old club Barnet. Jack Taylor scored the first, Ephron Mason-Clark set up the third and England Under 20s centre half Ronnie Edwards impressed at the back.