David Beckham is looking forward to seeing an England team with Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli at the heart of it during Euro 2016. Alli has risen to prominence this season after breaking into the Spurs first team under Mauricio Pochettino and earning his maiden international call-up. The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at former club MK Dons, but has now established himself at White Hart Lane alongside Eric Dier in midfield. As Tottenham’s momentum grew, Alli and Dier gained recognition for England and Beckham is impressed with the impact the former has had. “I like…
Author: David Folami
Jose Mourinho is certain he will be back in management before the start of next season but claims to “know nothing” about a move to Manchester United. Mourinho has been strongly linked with taking over Manchester United ever since leaving Chelsea in December — with sources saying last month that the Portuguese was still confident of going to Old Trafford despite Louis van Gaal currently being in charge. The 53-year-old, whose second spell at Chelsea ended midway through this season’s disastrous defence of their Premier League title, was back in the dugout on Wednesday in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico…
Anthony Martial has two games — Sunday’s final league game of the season at home to Bournemouth and the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace — to break one of Manchester United’s lesser known records. Martial’s brace at West Ham took his club tally to 17 goals in a debut season at Old Trafford where he’s played 47 games, which is more than was initially expected. (He has also played seven times for Monaco at the start of the season and eight times for France, making 62 matches since August.) On a feverish night at Upton Park, which saw United’s…
Almost everything Lionel Messi does looks effortless but the Barcelona forward insists a lot of practice goes into trying to perfect the free-kicks which have contributed a sizeable chunk of his goals this season. The 28-year-old Argentine has scored seven goals from direct free-kicks in this year’s La Liga, the latest in Sunday’s 5-0 triumph over Espanyol. Messi now has 23 goals from free-kicks in his career at the club, equalling the previous record of former Barcelona star Ronald Koeman. “Yes, the truth is that we train for this,” he said in an interview with ESPN. “We work on how…
Karim Benzema is returning to full fitness at just the right time for Real Madrid, who will play Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final on May 28. Coach Zinedine Zidane was relieved to see the Frenchman come back from a hamstring problem and score in Sunday’s 3-2 triumph over Valencia, a result that kept Real just a point behind Barcelona with one game to go in the race for the league title. “He’s not been at 100 percent for a while. We’ve seen that it wasn’t easy for him physically,” Zidane told Real’s website. “(Against Valencia) he coped with…
Leicester City footballers look set to sweep this year’s individual awards after five were named in the 10 nominations for the Premier League Player of the Season. Playmaker Riyad Mahrez, the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) Player of the Year, was joined by Football Writers’ choice Jamie Vardy, midfielder N’Golo Kante, keeper Kasper Schmeichel and captain Wes Morgan. Leicester claimed their first top-flight title last week and lead the table by 10 points from Tottenham Hotspur going into the final weekend of the season. Tottenham trio Harry Kane, PFA Young Player of the Year Dele Alli and Toby Alderweireld also made…
Arsenal are moving the in right direction but must be more clinical in front of goal next season, midfielder Jack Wilshere has said. Arsenal are third in the league – 12 points behind champions Leicester City – and need a draw from their last game to seal automatic qualification for the Champions League next season. Wilshere said the players were disappointed that their title challenge crumbled but were confident of an improved display next term. “I think of the games that didn’t go our way like Swansea at home. There are a lot of chances we create with the likes…
Borussia Dortmund signed France’s young player of the year Ousmane Dembele from Rennes on Thursday, the German club fighting off strong English Premier League interest in the teenage forward. Dortmund called the 18-year-old “one of Europe’s most sought after talents” in a statement announcing the transfer on a five-year contract. The Bundesliga side did not give a figure for the deal, but German media said the fee was in the region of 15 million euros (£11.8m, $17.1m). British media had earlier reported that Liverpool were ready to offer £28 million for the France under-21 international, who was voted Ligue 1’s…
Barcelona star Luis Suarez has underlined the importance of his time at Liverpool and believes he reached another level at Anfield. The Uruguay international enjoyed a successful spell on Merseyside between 2011 and 2014, before making the move to Camp Nou. He has since developed into a key figure at Barcelona, but doubts he would be playing at the same standard without his time in the Premier League. “Liverpool turned me [into] a player of a different level,” Suarez told ESPN. “A player like [former Liverpool captain Steven] Gerrard, he was so motivating the way he played. I learned so…
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension until 2021, the club said on Thursday, ending media speculation the Argentine could be tempted elsewhere. Pochettino’s side will finish as top flight runners-up for the first time since 1964 if they beat Newcastle United on the final day of the season on Sunday, having pushed Leicester City hard for the title. “We have seen Mauricio bring a tremendous spirit and ethos to our club and embrace the attacking style of play with which we have always been associated,” chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement. “He has built a…
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been sacked with just one game to go in the Premier League this season. Martinez who been in charge for three years, has been under increasing pressure after a poor season in which Everton are on course for a mid-table Premier League finish. The sacking comes just a day after their embarrassing 3-0 loss at relegation threatened Sunderland. Under the Spaniard, Everton have a run of just one win in the last 10 matches, a form which turned supporters against the manager. According to reports, Martinez did not resume duties at Finch Farm, Everton training…
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain have kicked of an attempt to sign Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo by reportedly reaching a verbal agreement with his agent Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo has been long linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain even though Real Madrid have made it clear that the forward is not for sale. Le Parisien are however reporting that PSG’s President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Mendes have come to an agreement. The agreement is a first refusal option anytime the forward choses to leave Real Madrid. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to leave the French capital, PSG are looking for another…
After winning the Premier League title with Leicester City this season, Jamie Vardy is set to finally wed his fiancée, Becky Nicholson later in the month. With his wedding fixed for Wednesday, May 25, Vardy has revealed that he will be leaving all the wedding plans for his partner. After his good season with Leicester City, the striker is set to be included in England squad for the Euro 2016. The England squad will play in a friendly game against Australia leave for the champions just two days after his wedding and Vardy says he has no hands in the…
Just few days after unveiling their new home strip for next season, it has been announced that Chelsea have dumped their shirt supplier, adidas. Chelsea will stop using adidas kits after the 2016/17 season and are set to make a deal with rivals, Nike. The London club are not happy with £30million they receive from adidas compared to the deals with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid with the same shirt sponsor. Chelsea are parting company with adidas as their kit supplier six years early after becoming fed up with Manchester United receiving most of the attention and…
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has laughed off suggestions Granada’s players could be offered incentives by Real Madrid to raise their performance levels in this weekend’s La Liga climax. Barca need to win at Granada to be sure of retaining their title with Madrid, who visit Deportivo La Coruna, heading into the final weekend a point adrift in second. There has been no suggestion Madrid would even consider the thought of offering a maletines (briefcase) to Granada – LFP chief Javier Tebas also insisted “I believe Madrid will follow the rules and the Spanish rules do not allow any such ‘bonus’…
Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano is desperate for his team to avoid a slip-up as they look to secure the La Liga title against Granada on Saturday. Luis Enrique’s men are a point clear of Real Madrid at the top ahead of their trip to the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes. Barca had looked in trouble in their bid for a second-straight league crown after three league losses to start April, but they have bounced back. Mascherano, 31, is aware of the challenges awaiting Barca and is eager for them to be at their best. “Ultimately, we’re not only playing against the…
Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard headlines Marc Wilmots’ 24-man Belgium squad for Euro 2016, with Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany missing out due to injury. Hazard struggled to find his best form at Chelsea this campaign, but remains an undisputed starter for his country, with Wilmots naming the winger his captain in the absence of Kompany. “Kompany’s absence is a blow for him, a blow for the team. He is our leader,” the Belgium coach commented on the defender’s injury. “He must now focus on his recovery and his health, and make sure he returns as soon as possible at Manchester…
Football’s top 20 highest earners amassed $563 million over the last year, with Cristiano Ronaldo topping Forbes’ rich list once again. The sport’s wealthiest talents were revealed by the business magazine this week, as Real Madrid’s Ronaldo was shown to have pocketed $82m in wages and endorsements. That put him ahead of Barcelona rival Lionel Messi ($77m), with Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic a distant third on $37m. Only eight clubs are represented on the list, while Premier League outfit Manchester City are most prominently featured with four players. Madrid, named by Forbes as the richest club in the world four…
Former Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi could be set for a job in South Africa after inking a deal with a football agency in the country. Keshi has been out of job since he was sacked as Super Eagles coach in 2015. According to reports, Keshi signed a deal with top South African sports talent agency to help him secure a job with a club. “Stephen Keshi has signed with Quality Talent Sports, one of the biggest agencies in South Africa and they will work towards getting him a club in the PSL as soon as possible,” a Vanguard source…
Blac Chyna may be pregnant but she has certainly not lost her sense of style. The model displayed her growing baby bump as she stunned in a neat white, sexy jumpsuit to celebrate her 28th birthday with fiancé Rob Kardashian at a strip club in Miami, Florida on May 11. Chyna – who already has a three-year-old son with ex Tyga – displayed her affection for her future husband, after revealing that she’s been getting some pregnancy advice from within his family. The mum-of-one has turned to her soon-to-be sister-in-law and former BFF, Kim Kardashian, who has been offering her…