Every sports fan loves a good stat. And Steve Smith's achievements this summer got us discussing the best  stats across a number of sports... here are some of the best we came up with.

Six-year-old Ethan Lax has caught the attention of professional tennis player Sloane Stephens after he was filmed serving one-handed backhands on the tennis court. Some have compared him to Federer.

The three teams who dropped out of the Championship last season will all play away on the opening day in League One, after the 2019-20 fixture list was revealed on Thursday.

According to The Sun, Rodrigo now wants to test himself in England's top flight again which has put a number of Premier League clubs on red alert. The forward started his senior career while at Bolton.

Bolton have officially confirmed the departure of manager Phil Parkinson and his assistant Steve Parkin, and insisting the pairs resignations were accepted 'with great reluctance.'

SPORTS AGENDA BY MIKE KEEGAN: Jurgen Klopp's call for governing bodies to meet the leading managers in world football to discuss the 'crazy' demands on players raised eyebrows at UEFA.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: The League One side have instead been handed a five-point penalty which is suspended for 18 months, in what will be viewed as a major boost for the club.

AHEAD OF THE GAME - MATT HUGHES: The ongoing battle for control of Sheffield United is hindering attempts to tie manager Chris Wilder and key player John Lundstram to new deals.

Despite being undefeated in the 100 and 200 metres this season, Justin Gatlin has failed to make the three-man shortlist for the IAAF 2014 World Athlete of the Year, following a two-week voting process.

The credibility of Alberto Salazar’s defence against doping allegations has been further undermined by an interview he gave about a controversial incident involving Justin Gatlin in 2006.

Switzerland is renowned for being neutral but the country nailed its colours to the mast where drug cheats are concerned by hosting the dirtiest Diamond League race this century.

Justin Gatlin could win world championships and go undefeated for a second consecutive season but he would still not be ineligible for the sport's athlete of the year award.

OLIVER HOLT: If Justin Gatlin wins, it will be a terrible indictment of a sport. If Usain Bolt wins, it will merely reinforce the idea that he is all that stands between athletics and oblivion.

American sprinter Justin Gatlin will refuse to speak to British media and the BBC in the future following 'hurtful attacks' and 'biased views' in reports having won silver in the 100m World Championship final.

Bolt claimed all the headlines as the star of a generation took his final bow in an emotional night in the English capital. And his sporting contemporaries paid homage to his career.

First-team stars Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman were seen entering Bayern's training facility on Monday morning as the players returned to action in small groups.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are both said to be interested in Antonio Rudiger. Rudiger has reportedly opened contract talks with Chelsea but has been linked with a move away.

KIT HOLDEN: The love affair between Bayern Munich and Thomas Muller is one of modern football's immovable certainties. A local boy with a goofy grin, Muller is the apple of Bayern's eye.

Kai Havertz is one of Europe's most exciting young players and is sought-after by clubs across Europe including Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United.

The Moroccan international has developed into one of the most coveted full-backs in Europe after an impressive two-year loan stint at Borussia Dortmund from Real Madrid.

Everton are reportedlyinterested in signing Torino's Andrea Belotti this summer, with Manchester United and Napoli also pursuing the striker. 

Everton have emerged as a front-runner in the race to bring Philippe Coutinho back to England, capitalising on strong links between Merseyside and Catalonia forged in recent transfer windows.

Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed there had been no resolution to contract negotiations with Manuel Neuer, but confirmed the Germany international has been placated after his outburst last week.

Clubs in the German top flight have returned to training in the hope that the rest of the season can be finished off - providing Chancellor Angela Merkel gives the green light for action to resume.

Jurgen Klopp has been told Ferran Torres would be a 'perfect fit' if Liverpool make a summer move for the Valencia starlet. The 20-year-old winger has been linked with Barcelona Bayern and Dortmund.

Klopp is on the verge of winning the Premier League title with Liverpool, but it won't be the charismatic German's first domestic league title, having stormed the Bundesliga with Dortmund.

According to Bild, tests at all Bundesliga clubs were carried out on Friday - the day German clubs returned to training - which saw all those connected to Bayern get the all clear.

The German government has given the green light for the return of the Bundesliga in the second half of May. But how will they get the show back on the road?

KIT HOLDEN IN GERMANY: The restart may be good news for football-starved fans across the world, but for the stars of Germany's top flight, it means a sudden return to full-time work.

Atletico Madrid are looking to ward off interest from Manchester United and Arsenal by giving Thomas Partey a new deal with a £93million release clause. 

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believed playing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in front of a full stadium was 'criminal'.

Sportsmail has taken a trip down memory lane to the 1999/00 season in Spain. Deportivo La Coruna claimed an unlikely triumph with Atletico, Sevilla and Real Betis all suffering relegation.

Thomas Partey is poised to sign a new contract with Atletico Madrid, according to reports in Spain. Arsenal and Manchester United had been monitoring the midfielder with view to a summer transfer.

The Argentinian forward shared his new shaved head look on Instagram stood alongside his mother Marcela, with both seen smiling in the heartwarming mother-son photo.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente has auctioned off the shirt in which he scored two goals against Liverpool to raise money for Spain's fight against coronavirus. 

The Ghanaian has become a key figure at the Wanda Metropolitano this season, featuring 35 times across all competitions to help Atletico reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

The £50million rated Ghanian international is thought to be Arteta's No1 target this summer with the club desperate for a defensive midfielder.

When Matteo Guendouzi joined Arsenal in an £8million deal from Ligue 2 side Lorient in the summer of 2018, his signing was meant to be one for the future.

Players at the Madrid-based club feared for their futures when the coronavirus led to football's shutdown. But Partey has stepped in to put the squad's minds at rest.

The 20-year-old playmaker has endured a difficult start to life in Spain, having been recruited as the fourth-most expensive player in the world, but hopes that Atletico will help him progress his game.

Atletico Madrid are reportedly ready to double Thomas Partey's salary to £130,000 a week in order to fend off interest from Arsenal.

The Ghanaian midfielder has been heavily linked with a summer move to the Emirates and has a £43million release clause in his current deal - allowing the Gunners to snap him up on the cheap.

Thomas Partey's agent has dismissed claims made by the player's father, Jacob, that the Atletico Madrid star has entered negotiations to sign for Arsenal.

Thomas Partey's representatives have confirmed that there have been 'no conversations' between the midfielder and Arsenal, after reports linking him to the Gunners. 

The Uruguayan's contract at PSG is up this summer and he is being heavily linked with a move away from Paris, with Atletico the most likely destination.

Mikel Arteta had identified Partey as a transfer target earlier in the season, with the Gunners boss hoping to convince the board to strike a deal for the 26-year-old when football returns to normality.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The Premier League will make a desperate plea for unity this week amid claims that the bottom six clubs are sabotaging plans to resume the season.

In Saturday's Daily Mail, chief sports writer Martin Samuel considered the growing conflict between top and bottom over restarting the season. Now he responds to reader comments.

Crystal Palace are confident that Roy Hodgson will not be barred from managing on safety grounds amid the coronavirus crisis when the Premier League resumes.

IAN LADYMAN: As English football conjures ever more fanciful ways to conclude an interrupted season, this is the problem. Anyone can get coronavirus, that includes footballers.