Thursday, December 12, 2024

10 sports stars who could shine in 2025

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Here, the PA news agency picks out 10 stars who are expected to shine.

Ellie Kildunne

England rugby player Ellie Kildunne played sevens for Team GB at the Paris Olympics (Joe Giddens/PA)

The England back was named Women’s 15s Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards in November. Kildunne, 25, helped England win the 2024 Six Nations Grand Slam, in which she was the top try scorer, and will be targeting World Cup success on home soil next year.

Keely Hodgkinson

Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Day Ten
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has World Championship glory on her mind in 2025 (Peter Byrne/PA)

The Olympic 800m champion was crowned the British Queen of the track in Paris and won all nine of her races in the event in 2024. The 22-year-old will be back in 2025 with her sights set on breaking the 800m world record that has stood since 1983 and claiming World Championship glory in Tokyo.

Luke Littler

BetMGM Premier League 2024 – Play Offs – The O2
Teenage sensation Luke Littler has transcended the world of darts (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Darts prodigy Littler burst onto the scene at the World Championship last December, reaching the final at the age of 16. Littler has won 10 senior Professional Darts Corporation events since turning 17 – including Premier League, Grand Slam and World Series titles – and is now the biggest name in the sport.

Lauren Hemp

England v France – UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Qualifiers – League A – Group A3 – St. James’ Park
Lauren Hemp will be a key player for England at Euro 2025 (Ian Hodgson/PA)

The talented Manchester City forward is currently recovery from knee surgery and England boss Sarina Wiegman will want her back on the field as soon as possible ahead of Euro 2025. Hemp’s direct running, pace and goal threat make her possibly the only forward guaranteed a place in Wiegman’s starting XI when fit.

Hamzah Sheeraz

Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium
Hamzah Sheeraz will fight for world boxing honours in 2025 (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Unbeaten middleweight Sheeraz, from Ilford, has shown huge promise rising through the ranks, with 17 knockout wins in 21 fights. The 25-year-old has the chance to go to the next level in challenging for his maiden world title against WBC middleweight king Carlos Adames in February.

Archie Vaughan

Glamorgan v Somerset – Metro Bank One Day Cup Final – Trent Bridge
Spinner Archie Vaughan has underlined his promise with some eye-catching performances for Somerset (Mike Egerton/PA)

The son of England’s 2005 Ashes-winning captain Michael, spinner Vaughan played for England’s Under-19s last summer before making his Somerset debut. Vaughan highlighted his potential in September by returning match figures of 11 for 140 as Somerset beat county champions Surrey at Taunton.

Tyler Dibling

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Southampton – Premier League – Molineux
Southampton winger Tyler Dibling is being tracked by the biggest clubs in the Premier League (Mike Egerton/PA)

The 18-year-old winger has come from the same Southampton Academy that produced Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott. Blessed with silky ball-carrying skills, Dibling has already been capped by England at Under-21 level and attracted the attention of the biggest clubs in the land.

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso

England v New Zealand – Autumn International – Allianz Stadium
England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has impressed in the early stages of his Test career (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Having chosen to play for England instead of Wales, the Cardiff-born Exeter winger has hit the Test ground running with five tries in eight appearances. The 21-year-old has electric pace and raw strength and is expected to muscle his way into the British and Irish Lions squad for the summer tour of Australia.

Caroline Dubois

Caroline Dubois v Maira Moneo – IBO and WBC Interim World Lightweight Championships – Oakwell Stadium – Barnsley
Caroline Dubois is making a stir in boxing alongside her older brother Daniel (Nick Potts/PA)

The younger sister of IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel, Dubois has made her own headlines in the boxing ring. The 23-year-old, unbeaten in 10 fights, has held the interim WBC women’s lightweight world title since August and is capable of unifying the division over the next few years.

Ben Doak

Scotland v Croatia – UEFA Nations League – Group A1 – Hampden Park
Liverpool winger Ben Doak has starred for Scotland at the tender age of 19 (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The 19-year-old Scotland winger came of age on the international scene by tormenting Croatia’s Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol at Hampden Park last month. Liverpool talent Doak has shone on loan at Middlesbrough this season with six assists for the Sky Bet Championship club in November.

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