Leighton Baines gives Everton a slender lead in Europa League tie
Wayne Rooney’s Everton return threatened to turn into embarrassment before captain Leighton Baines struck to give his side a slender first leg lead in their Europa League third qualifying round clash with…
England complete clean sweep of group to set up France clash
Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris struck early in each half as England made it three wins from three at the Women’s European Championship to set up a blockbuster quarter-final against France. On…
Joey Barton ban reduced to 13 months
Joey Barton’s 18-month ban for breaking Football Association betting rules has been reduced to 13 months, the governing body has announced. In April, the FA handed Barton the ban and fined the…
Alexis Sanchez will return to training on Sunday, says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger has confirmed Alexis Sanchez will begin training on Sunday as the Arsenal striker looks to find full fitness ahead of the start of the Premier League season. Sanchez and Shkodran…
Pedro Caixinha urges Rangers to put on a show against Sheffield Wednesday
Pedro Caixinha wants Rangers to put on a show for the travelling fans in Sunday’s friendly at Sheffield Wednesday. A Light Blue army will make their way to Hillsborough for the clash…
Harald Brattbakk believes Celtic hold edge over Rosenborg despite first leg draw
Harald Brattbakk believes Celtic still have the edge over Rosenborg despite the Hoops drawing a blank when his two former clubs met in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at…
Spanish football chief Angel Maria Villar Llona quits UEFA role following arrest
Spanish football chief Angel Maria Villar Llona has quit as first vice-president of UEFA following last week’s arrest in Spain on alleged corruption charges. The 67-year-old Villar Llona, one of the most…
Manchester City hammer Real Madrid in front of record crowd in Los Angeles
Manchester City beat Real Madrid 4-1 in the ICC Tournament in front of a record crowd at the Los Angeles Coliseum. After a goalless first half, Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling, John Stones…
Jose Mourinho remains positive despite final-game defeat to Barcelona
Manchester United’s American tour ended in defeat but Jose Mourinho returns home in a positive mood, having been impressed by his team’s improved second-half display against Barcelona and “special” player Paul Pogba.…
Football rumours from the media – 27th July 2017
What the papers say The Independent reports that Real Madrid’s £160million move for Kylian Mbappe could see Gareth Bale sold to Manchester United. Bale has made it known he is only interested…
Gylfi Sigurdsson back in first-team training with Swansea
Gylfi Sigurdsson has rejoined training with the Swansea first-team squad after missing the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. The Everton target withdrew from the Swans’ three-match Stateside trip two weeks…
Celtic held at home by Rosenborg in Champions League qualifier
Celtic’s bid to reach the Champions League group stages stuttered with a goalless draw against Rosenborg in the first leg of their third-round qualifier at Parkhead. The Hoops played without a recognised…
Masturbation and Muscular Christianity: A Brief History of English Football’s Anxiety – Part 1
The essence of the relationship between fancy foreigners and doughty Englishmen was captured by Sir Walter Scott in his novel The Talisman, written in 1825 and set during the 3rd Crusade. The key moment…
Monaco vice-president insists no deal has been reached to sell Kylian Mbappe
Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev insists no agreement has been reached with any club for the sale of Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid are reportedly willing to pay a world record £161million to land…
England Women manager Mark Sampson wants to keep up momentum against Portugal
England boss Mark Sampson has emphasised the importance of momentum ahead of his side’s final group match against Portugal at the Women’s European Championships. The Lionesses are on the brink of qualification…
Everton boss Ronald Koeman ‘100%’ expects Ross Barkley to leave
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed Ross Barkley is set to leave the club after telling the Dutchman he wants a new challenge. The academy graduate is in the final year of…
Jose Mourinho concerned over ‘dangerous’ transfer market
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has voiced his concern about the way clubs are “spending £30million, £40million, £50million in such an easy way.” The 54-year-old has splashed the cash since replacing Louis…
SPFL has ‘no legal power’ to probe issues surrounding Rangers tax case
The Scottish Professional Football League has declared it has “no legal power” to reopen disciplinary action surrounding the Rangers tax case. Legal advice given to the SPFL in the wake of a…
Liverpool forward Lazar Markovic holds talks with Fiorentina over move
Lazar Markovic has been left out of Liverpool’s squad for friendlies in Germany after holding talks with Fiorentina. The Serbia forward is surplus to requirements at Anfield and has spent the last…
Football fans warned to expect costly time in Norway
Northern Ireland football fans travelling for a crunch World Cup qualifier in Norway face paying £7 for a half of the local brew. The Green and White Army will converge on Oslo…
Pique: Instagram post was ‘gut thing’ but I hope Neymar stays at Barcelona
Gerard Pique admits he does not know for sure whether Neymar will stay at Barcelona amid interest from Paris St Germain. Neymar has been the subject of speculation this summer, with reports…
Connor Goldson calls on clubs to check more regularly for heart problems
Brighton defender Connor Goldson has called on football clubs to do more checks on players to detect heart problems. The 24-year-old has not played competitively since January after the discovery of a…
Daniel Levy defends Tottenham’s lack of transfer activity
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has defended his club’s lack of transfer activity and labelled the Premier League’s summer spending levels “unsustainable”. Manchester City have splashed out £217million in the last couple of…
Euros victory could be perfect way to bow out, admits Alex Scott
England veteran Alex Scott has hinted she will retire from international football if the Lionesses triumph at the Women’s European Championship. The 32-year-old Arsenal right-back made her England debut against Holland in…
Football rumours from the media – 26th July 2017
What the papers say Liverpool insist Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho is not for sale at any price but the Daily Star reports that Barcelona are preparing an £80million bid. The Reds have…
Jose Mourinho looking for two more players but confident situation is in hand
Manchester United are still two signings short this summer, but Jose Mourinho is confident executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has the situation under control. After making four acquisitions in his first summer at…
Jose Mourinho says Paul Pogba will help fill leadership gap at Manchester United
Jose Mourinho will miss Wayne Rooney’s influence around Manchester United, but has no doubt the likes of Paul Pogba will step up to lead the club into an exciting new era. After…
Celtic could be without two main strikers for Rosenborg fixture
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers could be without his two main strikers for the Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg on Wednesday night. The Northern Irishman claimed the Parkhead club are “100 per cent”…
Wayne Rooney relishing Europa League campaign with Everton
Wayne Rooney is looking forward to fulfilling a lifelong dream by making his European debut for Everton. The 31-year-old has won the Champions League and Europa League, as well as five Premier…
Jordan Henderson happy with strength of Liverpool squad
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson insists the squad has enough quality even if manager Jurgen Klopp fails to make more signings before the start of the season. Roma winger Mohamed Salah, Chelsea striker…