England coach Gary Neville has stated that Ryan Shawcross is a model professional and should be an example for young children to follow.
The Stoke defender has a bad reputation after breaking Aaron Ramsey’s leg in a horror challenge in February 2010, but Neville feels that Shawcross is a role model.
“Any kid who has a dream should look at Ryan Shawcross maybe more than people at the highest elements of the game. He is a great story and the fact he is in the England squad this week is something I am proud of,” Neville is quoted as saying in The Daily Mail.
“I remember playing with him when he was 16. He was a raw talent but someone who really wanted to make it. He wanted to use the last ounce of his energy to become a professional footballer.
“He had to leave Manchester United to get his chance. Not giving in and continuing to fight is a huge strength and he has been absolutely fantastic for Stoke.
“He deserves his opportunity this week and I am looking forward to seeing him because he represents the best of attitude, of working hard to get where you want. I am sure he will improve and get better,” he concluded.
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Joao Moutinho has ended speculation over his potential transfer to Tottenham Hotspur by stating his loyalties lie with F.C. Porto.
The Portuguese midfielder had been linked with a move to White Hart Lane in the summer, however it now appears chances of resurrecting the deal in January and bringing Moutinho to the Premier League are unlikely.
Tottenham had targeted the Portuguese international throughout the summer as a replacement for midfield playmaker Luka Modric.
The club put in a record bid of £20million plus future incentives on transfer deadline day in an attempt to reunite Moutinho with his former boss Andre-Villas Boas, however the move broke down during contract negotiations.
“I’ve made the decision to stay with Porto,” said Joao Moutinho yesterday.
“We believe in the value and quality we have here.”
Interest in the 26-year-old still remains high, and he has been linked with moves to Zenit St. Petersburg and Barcelona.
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Despite the rumours, the midfielder seems keen to concentrate on football, and is in action tonight in the Champions League.
“I’m happy and what I want most is to win against PSG,” he added.
A summit to discuss the concerns over tackling racism in football has been called for by organisation Show Racism the Red Card.
After the boycotting of the Kick it Out t-shirts on the weekend not to mention claims from the Daily Mail that Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand wishes to lead a “ break out organisation” to revolutionise the fight against racism in football there are fears the unease of black players will only deepen unless an anti racism summit is called.
In an official statement the national organisation offered the chance for players “to sit down with us” and discuss their issues whilst weighing in on the boycott of the kick it out t-shirts stating “we understand the anger of the Ferdinand family and Jason Roberts in relation to the FA handling of the John Terry case.”
The concern is that the issue of t-shirts has now begun to overshadow the actual issue of racism and Show Racism the Red Card ambassador Leroy Rosenior pointed out the boycott was “not constructive in terms of moving the debate forward” calling for Kick it Out to be given more authority because despite Jason Roberts accusing them of not being “strong enough” Rosenior felt the organisation “could not do more than they were doing.”
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With a growing number of players and managers calling for more action to be taken in an interview with BBC Radio 5 live Kick It Out’s chairman Lord Herman Ouseley called for said individuals to speak openly about it as only then can “ those grievances can only be addressed.”
Everton boss David Moyes has told reporters that there are no hard feelings following Luis Suarez’s cheeky goal celebration during Sunday’s Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
The Uruguayan forward celebrated his 14th minute strike, which ricocheted off Leighton Baines into the Everton goal, by speeding towards the Toffees’ dugout and performing an Oscar-worthy dive, landing inches away from David Moyes.
Suarez scored a second for the Reds just six minutes later, however Everton managed to level the scores before half time.
The bizarre celebration was a direct response to comments made by the Scottish gaffer in the build-up to the hotly anticipated Premier League derby, blaming Suarez for discontenting football fans through his dramatic diving antics.
“It will turn the public and fans off football if they think people are conning their way to results. When you’re out to manufacture results, supporters don’t like it” said Moyes on Saturday.
The Scot was left blue in the face after Phil Neville was booked for diving just before half time. In a post-match interview, the Everton captain admitted he had gone down easy from a Daniel Agger challenge.
“It was a stupid thing to do. I don’t often find myself in that position and I thought Daniel Agger was going to take me out,” explained Neville.
“But I got a good kick up the backside at half-time as I couldn’t commit to tackles in the second half. I’ll take the rollicking and I won’t do it again, that’s for sure.”
Following the full time whistle, Moyes addressed Neville’s simulated fall with a serious tone.
“Well I have got to say Phil Neville went down too easy so I have told him about it,” said the Scot.
However, the Everton boss viewed Suarez’s controversial celebration in a light-hearted manner. Moyes told reporters: “I thought it was great. I would probably have done the same if I had been the player, but he is going to have to dive in front of a lot of managers then I think.
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“I might have done the same to him, if we had won 3-2 I might have done one in front of him as well,” he added.
The thrilling derby finished 2-2, however Liverpool fans will feel hard done by as a late goal from Luis Suarez was wrongly disallowed. The point-a-piece leaves Everton in 5th place, while the Reds move up to 12th.
Brendan Rodgers named Wednesday’s Premier League opponents Tottenham as the club Liverpool should imitate to return to Champions League football.
The Londoners have gone from strength-to-strength during the course of the last few seasons, making themselves one of the top teams in English football.
The Reds lost two transfer targets, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Clint Dempsey, to the White Hart Lane club during the summer and Rodgers has commended the work being done in North London:
“Over the course of the summer they (Spurs) invested something in the region of £55m in terms of everything they were putting into the group,” he is quoted by SkySports.
“But it is not just in the last window, Tottenham have been building the group steadily and have worked their way up the league to become challengers for those Champions League positions.
“We are trying to arrive in that position and we see that what sometimes it takes in order to do that.
“Of course Liverpool want to be in for the top players and top talents and this is a club which will bring those players here.
“But obviously a lot of players want to be in the Champions League so if they want to come in here that is an area we want to get into in the coming years.
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However, he does believe that the Merseysiders are almost ready to challenge for a place in the top four:
“We know we are not too far away and are very close to be arriving in that zone that we want to be in.”
Every so often, your team makes an absolutely inexplicable signing. United may never provide an explanation for the purchase of Bebe last year and the Gunners likewise with Amaury Bischoff in 2008, so who are Tottenham’s most baffling signings since the Premier League began?
It is important to distinguish between Spurs worst signings and their most inexplicable. Jason Dozzell features in most Tottenham fans nightmare elevens but when he was signed he was considered a great talent so he’s not making this list. This criteria will automatically shorten the list, it is not the practice of football clubs to knowingly spend money on someone pants, still it is amazing how often they do.
All of these signings must have been closely followed by the question ‘why did we sign him?’ These are the players that make you question the value of a scouting network or even its existence. The top ten players that were never going to make the grade but were signed anyway.
Click on Milenko Acimovic to unveil the top 10
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Robin Van Persie’s first minute goal was enough for Manchester United to sneak past West Ham at Old Trafford and remain top of the Premier League.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had regained top spot over after usurping Manchester City with a win over QPR before watching their local adversaries draw at Chelsea on Sunday.
But they were made to earn their seventh victory in eight league games by the Hammers, who faced an uphill battle after going behind before the clock had completed a full revolution.
Just 32 seconds had ticked by when Van Persie lifted the ball over Winston Reid, after being found by Michael Carrick on the edge of the penalty area, before beating Jussi Jaaskelainen with the help of a deflection from James Collins.
Despite the early opener the home side’s nerves weren’t settled and the five changes Ferguson made to the starting lineup stifled any momentum built up at the weekend, allowing Sam Allardyce’s men a route back into the game.
Captain Kevin Nolan went closest, sending Matt Taylor’s free kick into the side netting before Andy Carroll struck wide as the visitors scented an equaliser in the Manchester air.
However, their lack of cutting edge up front prevented them from restoring parity and came close to falling further behind when Jaaskelainen dived to stop Javier Hernandez’s low strike from sneaking in.
The Finnish shot stopper also kept out a curling effort from Wayne Rooney in the second half before beating away Carrick’s goalbound header from Van Persie’s corner
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Allardyce replaced Carroll with Carlton Cole and the England striker set up Taylor to force a top drawer save from Anders Lindegaard, with Modibo Maiga wasted a chance late on by firing just over the bar from the angle.
Here at FootballFanCast.com we think that Christmas is a time for giving and as a special treat, in addition to our Football Advent Calendar, we’re giving away a brand new iPad 3!
What better way to watch all the football over the festive period on the go than on a new iPad?
You’re bound to have lots of commitments over Christmas and New Year, which may make sitting down to watch the likes of Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park and Arsenal v Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on the box a little difficult, but if you have an iPad you’ll have no excuse not to keep up to date with the latest news.
Enough about what you could do with an iPad, how do I win one I here you ask?
Well, we’re interested in finding out who you think will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
I’d argue that Manchester United and City are shoe-ins, but Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all have a fight on their hands.
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Everton shouldn’t be discounted, while Liverpool could make a late run if they make some signings in January, but are Newcastle well and truly out of it?
So have your say and be in with a chance of winning a brand new tablet
Tottenham Hotspur are likely to complete the signing of Standard Liege left-back Ezekiel Fryers, according to the Daily Mail.
The former Manchester United player began training with Spurs in the summer before leaving the Red Devils.
Fryers, 20, then saw his move to White Hart Lane collapse last year. The Manchester club were set on receiving up to £6million in compensation for the sale of the player who was, and is still, under 23.
United instead opted to sell him onto Liege, with the player signing a two-year contract but having made only seven first team appearances while developing his game in the Belgium Pro League.
Spurs – who currently have seen central defender Jan Vertonghen and right-back Kyle Naughton fill-in for the injured Benoit Assou-Ekotto – are in desperate need of cover on the left-side of defence.
The Belgium club are seen as willing to let Fryers leave for a fee believed to be in the region of £3million this January.
Spurs have however seen Assou-Ekotto return to training in December after three months out with a knee problem. The knee injury first emerged in September, restricting the left-back’s first team action to only three appearances. Having said that, his first team start against West Bromwich Albion in late August produced a fantastic long-range effort which gave the Lilywhites a 1-0 lead in their eventual 1-1 draw against the Baggies at White Hart Lane.
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Spurs will be looking to strengthen the left-side of defence this January, with Fryers back on their radar.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce will put his contract negotiations at risk by admitting that he will need assurances of transfer funds before he agrees to a new deal.
Big Sam’s contract expires at the end of the Premier League season and both he and club owners David Gold and David Sullivan have decided to postpone talks until the summer. Gold and Sullivan want West Ham to avoid relegation before they discuss a new contract with the boss and Allardyce will want assurances that there will be funds available to buy players before he signs the a new deal.
West Ham face the prospect of being left with one senior striker in the summer as Modibo Maiga and Carlton Cole will be sold and loanees Wellington Paulista and Marouane Chamakh will return to their respective clubs.
Andy Carroll is likely to be heading back to Merseyside if the Hammers fail to agree a deal with Liverpool who are demanding £17million for the out of form striker who is currently on loan at Upton Park.
Sam Allardyce has serious concerns about the lack of goalscorers at Upton park and if he decides to stay, then he will want money to spend in rebuilding his frontline attack.
Meanwhile, West Ham are closing in on a deal for the Olympic Stadium in East London, with the decision potentially being announced as early as next week.
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