The 17-year-old was promoted to their first team after his impressive performance for the club’s development team.

The young forward made his first team debut for Spurs in their Carling Cup defeat to Orlando Pirates.

Baartman also had a brilliant cameo against Kaizer Chiefs after scoring his first DStv Premiership goal in their 3-2 defeat.

According to the Scottish Sun, Scottish giants Celtic are currently monitoring Baartman’s situation while they also confirmed that the 17-year-old is attracting interest from Premier League outfit Leeds United.

“Celtic’s recruitment team have been following his progress and have had representatives at matches,” the report read.

“Celts aren’t thought to view the Cape Town-born youngster as an immediate first-team player for boss Brendan Rodgers.

“But they recognise his big potential while there could also be spin-offs from involvement in the South Africa football market, just as they have benefited through signing the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Oh Hyeon-gyu from Japan and South Korea.”

Photo by Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

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The Foxes will progress to the last 16 as Group C winners with victory in their final pool game and could still avoid a playoff by finishing top if they draw.

Should they lose to the Serie A title challengers, their passage to the knockout phase will hinge on the result between Legia Warsaw and Spartak Moscow.

Several Leicester City players have not travelled to Italy through illness ahead of #NapLei, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 8, 2021

Rodgers told a media conference the squad that had travelled to Naples had been depleted through both positive Covid-19 cases and other illnesses.

He said: “We’ve had a number of people, staff and players, who haven’t travelled. We’ve had some positive [Covid] cases, some are generally not well, so we haven’t taken the risk.”

When asked to specify which players had been taken ill, Rodgers added: “That’s something you will see in time. We will have seven unavailable.

“It’s been [over the] last few days really. In general, you’re starting to see a few more cases and, for us, it’s always about the health of our players.

“Travelling to a foreign country, we have to respect travelling into Italy. We still have a strong squad here, but unfortunately it’s not a fully fit squad.”

Leicester let slip a 2-0 lead and were denied victory in the home tie against Napoli in September by Victor Osimhen’s late equaliser, while their only group defeat came in Warsaw later that month.

Napoli sit third on the table after losing 2-1 in Moscow in November. Victory could have them qualify as group winners and with so many permutations it is a game they, too, cannot afford to lose.

Rodgers said: “We’re very comfortable, knowing we have it in our own hands. If we win, we top the group, if we don’t lose, we qualify.

“The key is to be positive in our mindset and try to win the game. They are an excellent team, but we played really well against them at home.

“The game at the weekend [a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa], it showed we’re not too far away if we get rid of the mistakes. The team has a confidence there.”

Rodgers confirmed Youri Tielemans, out for five games with a calf injury, is back in contention and left back Ryan Bertrand was also available.

Napoli, third in Serie A, two points behind leaders AC Milan, are bidding to rescue their season in Europe following two group defeats by Spartak Moscow.

Boss Luciano Spalletti will be without injured star players Kalidou Koulibaly, Osimhen, Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz.

Spalletti told a media conference: “All matches are important and decisive, but we didn’t treat them that way, that’s why we are in this situation right now.

“The difference is that this one is a really decisive one. These are the matches that show the strength of the player. This is a match where there is no second chance. It is decisive.”

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In charge since December 2018 after initially being brought in as Jose Mourinho’s temporary successor, the humiliating 4-1 defeat at Vicarage Road brought down the curtain on the 1999 treble hero’s Old Trafford reign.

Michael Carrick has been placed in temporary charge, with United saying they will be looking for an interim boss until the end of the season, though several big names will be mentioned irrespective of that.

Here the PA news agency looks at potential candidates for the role.

Zinedine Zidane (unattached)

The current bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Solskjaer, the 49-year-old has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid earlier this year. The France great managed the Bernabeu giants’ reserve team before taking control of the senior side in 2016, winning a LaLiga crown and three successive Champions League titles. Zidane left in 2018 but returned 10 months later, leading the side to another league title before departing again in May.

Brendan Rodgers (Leicester)

The highly-rated Northern Irishman has done an impressive job at Leicester, with last season’s FA Cup triumph complementing back-to-back fifth-placed league finishes, although the Foxes are struggling in comparison this term. Rodgers certainly knows what it takes to manage big clubs, having been agonisingly close to leading Liverpool to the Premier League in 2014 before joining Celtic. He won seven domestic trophies during his two-and-a-half-season stint in Scotland.

Mauricio Pochettino (Paris St Germain)

Long admired by the Old Trafford hierarchy, PA understands he was interested in the job at several points during Solskjaer’s reign. Pochettino was on the market after being sacked by Tottenham, who he left months after taking to the 2019 Champions League FINAL, until joining former club Paris St Germain at the start of 2021. There have been bumps in the road for the former Southampton boss in France but prising him away from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe might be tough.

Erik Ten Hag (Ajax)

The Ajax boss is a fine coach with the lowest profile of the contenders listed here. Ten Hag managed Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich II and Utrecht before heading to Amsterdam in 2017, leading the Dutch giants to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 when they agonisingly lost to Pochettino’s Spurs. The 51-year-old has won two Eredivisie titles during his time at Ajax, as well as a pair of KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield. They are currently three points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven after back-to-back draws.

Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

Following the departure of Solskjaer, Carrick was named interim manager until the end of the 2021/22 season. Solskjaer had started his tenure at Old Trafford in a similar role when named caretaker boss in December 2018 after Mourinho’s sacking and went on to win 10 of his first 11 games before being named full-time boss in March. Carrick will hope he can turn things around in similar style to stake his own claim for the role on a full-time basis. He has been part of the coaching set up at United, originally under Mourinho, since retiring as a player in 2018 after a 12-year career at Old Trafford.

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Rodgers has been touted as a possible replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should the Norwegian get the sack at Old Trafford.

The former Liverpool manager was asked whether he would be interested in the United role ahead of Saturday’s clash with Chelsea, but was not prepared to engage.

He said: “There’s two things. Firstly it is really disrespectful to ask the question when you have a manager in place, a good manager and a good man, who is working hard at the club.

“Secondly I can’t really comment on it, because it is not something that is real.

“I am here as the Leicester City manager, proud to be here, privileged to be here and fully committed to the players, the club, the ownership. That’s about it, all the other noise around that is something we can’t control.”

It is not the first time the 48-year-old has been the subject of speculation over other jobs during his spell at the King Power Stadium, having been linked to Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle in recent years.

While the gossip does not bother him, he says it can have a destabilising effect.

“It doesn’t frustrate me because my focus is always looking for the next game. The only club I am thinking about is Chelsea and getting ready for that,” Rodgers said.

“It is frustrating for our supporters and also my players, if anyone is to read anything that is out there then that can destabilise. It is something that is the modern game, lots of speculation and gossip, it’s all part of the modern game but it’s not something I have any focus on.”

Rodgers is not the only figure at Leicester who is the subject of speculation.

Veteran goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has said in an interview that he plans to leave the Foxes before retiring, while defender Wesley Fofana has been linked with a move to Chelsea.

Rodgers added: “Speculation and gossip is natural in the modern game. It is the frustrating element of the game.

“Kasper has been such a great servant for the club, he has been first class since I came into here but over the 10 or 11-year period he has been sensational for the club.

“I have got no worries about Kasper’s mentality and commitment. I haven’t seen any of the interviews so I can’t comment on that.

“For both boys, Wesley as well, you see how comfortable they are in the environment. Every player will have ambitions to be at the highest level and want to do that but that doesn’t mean they are always thinking to leave here to do that.

“This is a club that is ambitious and the two players are very committed to doing that and we are a group that has won some silverware and want to see if we can win more. Both those players are first class.”

Youri Tielemans will miss out for Leicester against the European champions along with James Justin, but Marc Albrighton could feature.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not sacked in the immediate aftermath of last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester City.

The Norwegian is still under massive pressure, though, and he could be relieved of his duties if United fail to beat Watford after the international break.

Solskjaer’s side currently sit sixth on the Premier League table and have already fallen nine points adrift of top spot.

They could even drop into mid-table if results go against them next weekend, and Solskjaer might not be able to survive another couple of bad results despite his enduring popularity with the club’s supporters.

The former striker will always be a legendary figure at Old Trafford but it is increasingly difficult to envisage him seeing out the season in the dugout.

Leicester boss Rodgers has emerged as a leading contender to replace Solskjaer should United make a change.

And according to the Daily Star, the Red Devils are confident they will be able to prise the Northern Irishman away from the King Power Stadium.

United chiefs believe Rodgers wants the job and would be willing to take charge soon after a vacancy appears.

The former Liverpool head coach is happy at Leicester, who won the FA Cup under his guidance last term.

But Rodgers would consider the United job too good to turn down – and a clause in his contract would make it easier for the Red Devils to land him.

Rodgers’ deal contains a release clause which would allow him to depart Leicester if a Champions League club came calling.

Compensation would still be due to the Foxes, but United would be willing to pay the required fee to secure their top target.

Rodgers has also been linked with Manchester City in recent months, although the Premier League champions are unlikely to be looking for a new manager until Pep Guardiola’s contract ends in 2023.

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The Foxes face Chelsea in their first FA Cup final in 52 years at Wembley on Saturday.

Khun Vichai and four others died in October 2018 when his helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium following a 1-1 draw with West Ham.

He bought the club in 2010 and saw the Foxes win a shock Premier Legaue title in 2016.

Son Aiyawatt, known as Top, is now the club’s chairman and Rodgers wants to lift the trophy – for the first time in the club’s history – for the family.

He said: ‘We had a chat on Thursday morning around that. We revisited when I first came in, two-and-a-half years ago back in 2019, when I talked about the cause and why we were doing it.

‘Back then we sat as a team and collectively had a set of values and a signpost going forward.

‘Of course, for Khun Vichai and his family, they were obviously a massive motivator because, even though he’s not here, our fight every day is to continue with his legacy and the dreams he had for Leicester and the supporters.

‘We still very much feel his presence. You see it here in the training facility and I’m very protective of that. I try to ensure that the players understand that it’s more than football why we’re here.

‘That’s a huge part of our story and an influence for the development of this club. We fight every day to protect that.’

Rodgers left Celtic almost two-and-a-half years ago on the brink of winning the treble for the third straight year.

He has built a team to challenge for the Premier League’s top four, but insists he does not view reaching Saturday’s final as simple justification for leaving Parkhead.

‘I don’t want to say that, I knew what I was leaving, I was leaving one of the great clubs in the world in Celtic,’ said the 48-year-old. ‘To deal with the pressure there, the expectation and that mental fortitude to deal with the biggest clubs was an incredible experience for me.

‘From that point I thought I had taken it as far as I could, it was on to the next challenge.

‘It’s one of the rules of success for me, you have to be able to test yourself. I’m not a maintainer, I have to be able to build, create and have the opportunity to do that.

‘It isn’t necessarily at the biggest clubs, arriving to Leicester was the next part of my story. I know when I left Celtic some people weren’t happy, some people could understand it but I have my own mind.

‘I made a decision which I was very clear on but it’s always been about the challenge and test. Coming here was going to be a big challenge against some of the biggest clubs in the world. We have embraced that. It’s gone well but we want to keep pushing forward.’

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Spurs relieved Jose Mourinho of his duties last week and appointed Ryan Mason as interim head coach until the end of the season.

Rodgers and Julian Nagelsmann were thought to be two of the leading contenders to replace Mourinho on a permanent basis.

However, Bayern Munich have confirmed that Nagelsmann will take charge at the Allianz Arena next term.

And a report by Sky Sports states that Rodgers has now ruled himself out of the running.

The Northern Irishman was appointed as Leicester manager in 2019 and led the club to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League in his first full season at the helm.

The Foxes occupied a top-four spot for much of last term, only to drop out of the Champions League places late on.

Rodgers looks set to guide Leicester into Europe’s premier competition this season, though, with Monday’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace moving his side seven points clear of fifth place.

Leicester are also through to the FA Cup final as the club seeks to win the tournament for the first time in its history.

Rodgers believes Leicester are well placed to compete for European football season in, season out.

As such, Tottenham will have to look elsewhere as their search for a new manager continues.

‘Tottenham is a fantastic club, it’s one of the big clubs in this country, it’s a huge club. My focus is purely here,’ Rodgers said when asked about the speculation last week.

‘I’m at a world-class training facility, the project we’re in here we still want to develop, we still have a lot of work to do here.

‘I have a great connection with the players and the board, and we have plans to keep progressing.’

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Having missed the last two games with a calf problem, Vardy was fit enough to be named among the substitutes at the Emirates Stadium and came on to head home the only goal of the game as the Foxes left north London with a 1-0 victory.

It was Vardy’s 11th Premier League goal against Arsenal – only Wayne Rooney can boast more – and gave Leicester a win in a game where they had to soak up plenty of pressure from the hosts.

Rodgers revealed after the game that he had always planned to give Vardy the final 30 minutes and had set up his side to be in a position for the 33-year-old to do the damage.

‘The idea was always to bring Jamie on, he is always a huge threat and brings great confidence to the team,’ he said.

‘He is a world-class striker and he is up there for the ball to be squared to him.

‘He is an incredible talent and we would have loved to have started him but he has been out with his calf, which we just needed to make sure we nursed him back in.

‘The plan was to still be in the game and then he can come in for 30 minutes and stretch the game for us.

‘It is always the case, every game he looks like scoring and he is disappointed he doesn’t have another one because he was through one-on-one on a slight angle.

‘It was a moment of real quality in the game. Youri [Tielemans] makes a perfect pass but it all came from the run. I’m always talking about people running in behind and Cengiz Under’s run was great.

‘He squared it when he could have taken it himself and Jamie is there to finish – a brilliant goal to win the game.’

Arsenal had plenty of the ball during the game but were left ruing an early Alexandre Lacazette effort that was ruled out.

The France forward headed home a Dani Ceballos corner but the goal was chalked off as Granit Xhaka was deemed to have blocked Kasper Schmeichel’s view while in an offside position.

The decision left Arsenal’s bench perplexed during the game and manager Mikel Arteta was unhappy with the call of referee Craig Pawson and the VAR team.

Arteta said: ‘I’m really disappointed. We had it in our hands in the first half and I don’t know how the hell the goal was disallowed.

‘To be fair, I was really pleased with the first half and the way we pressed and the aggression we showed against a team that are very capable of breaking that pressure and creating chances against you.

‘We were very on top of the game, we restricted them to nothing. We scored a goal from the set piece, I don’t know how it got disallowed.’

To make the evening worse, Arsenal lost both David Luiz and Bukayo Saka to injury during the second half.

Arteta added: ‘We have lost a few players in the last week or so. David had a muscular problem and couldn’t carry on so we will have to assess him in the next 48 hours.’

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The Foxes looked certain to be heading for a top-four finish, but have won just two of eight Premier League matches since the season resumed following a three-month break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Leicester will start the final game of the season against Manchester United a point behind their opponents and Chelsea, who are at home to Wolves for their own season-deciding clash.

Rodgers insists it will be a good season for his side regardless of the outcome this weekend, as the Foxes have already improved upon their ninth-place finish from last season.

Meanwhile, competing in the Champions League is a must for the Red Devils, who are looking to return to Europe’s top competition after finishing sixth last season.

Ahead of Sunday’s match, the former Liverpool and Celtic manager said: ‘There is a difference where we want to be in the Champions League, but when you’re a club like Manchester United, there’s a need to be in the Champions League.

‘We want to be in it, but if we fall short, it’s still been a really good season.’

Rodgers is relishing the opportunity to contest a game of such magnitude as Sunday will certainly be the biggest match since he took charge of the club.

‘I’ve been involved in finals and two-legged games where games mean everything, so I’m not new to the situation. It’s just very exciting,’ he said.

‘Sometimes things peter out in a season, but for us this is what you’re looking for. Our season doesn’t finish until the very end, we can finish on a high.’

Rodgers added: ‘We are playing one of the superpowers of world football with a chance to go above them and get into the Champions League. We have one last shot, and that tells you how well the players have done.’

Injury-hit Leicester are set to have winger Marc Albrighton back in contention for the final match of the campaign.

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Rodgers, now managing Leicester, joined the Blues coaching set-up under Jose Mourinho in 2004, working as a youth coach and later reserves manager.

When the Northern Irishman took the reins at Liverpool, he decided to go back to one of his old targets, taking Coutinho to Anfield in 2013.

‘When I was looking at the team in the first six months, there was certain ingredients we were missing,’ Rodgers told The Beautiful Game Podcast.

‘Philippe was one I knew from my Chelsea days, because we tried to get him to Chelsea when he was 14 but he had already committed to Inter Milan.

‘We talked about him during the summer and kept tabs on him then all of a sudden he became available and at 19 I thought: “Wow, right, let’s get this boy in.”‘

Coutinho flourished in five-and-a-half seasons at Liverpool, scoring 54 goals in 201 games in all competitions before his controversial move to Barcelona midway through 2017-18.

Now, after three disappointing seasons between Barca and Bayern Munich, Coutinho is being linked with a return to the Premier League.

Rodgers and Leicester have been credited with an interest, as have Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea, among others.

If he does return to England, Rodgers believes Coutinho will remind people why Barca made him their most expensive signing ever.

‘Most people probably look at him and think he’s not for the Premier League but what a talent,’ he said.

‘He intimidates people when he has the ball with his quality.

‘It’s sad to see, I hear people talk him down at the moment. This boy is top and if he comes to this league, he’ll show that. He’s world class.’

Coutinho’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, said in mid-May that no talks had been held with any other clubs and that he was focusing on recovering from his recent ankle surgery.

Since then, Bayern CEO president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed that the Bundesliga leaders had not activated their purchase option, and that the clause to buy him has now expired.

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