Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino insists he no longer has concerns over Harry Kane s exploits with England ahead of Euro 2016 later this year.
The 22-year-old striker has enjoyed another fine campaign, scoring 22 goals in all competitions as he closes in on last season s tally of 31.
Kane, though, had struggled earlier in the season, scoring once in his first nine Premier League games after Pochettino voiced concerns over his schedule, with his player called up for the European Under-21 Championship shortly after Spurs post-season tour to Australia and Malaysia.
Another busy spell awaits Kane after the 2015-16 season, with England hoping for a long run in the tournament in France, but Pochettino is confident he is now better placed to cope.
I …
March 8 will mark 10 years since Manchester United suffered one of their most one-sided home defeats in the Alex Ferguson era.
The Europa League last-16 first leg finished 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao, but the scoreline belied the contest. United were comprehensively out-run and outplayed, dismantled by Marcelo Bielsa s bold, brilliant Basques. Ferguson went as far as admitting that David de Gea kept embarrassment levels to a minimum: Our goalkeeper s made four or five terrific saves in the game, so really, it s not the worst result for us.
Athletic s performance was one of the finest by an away team against United in the past 30 years. That might sound an exaggeration, but it was clear to everyone present in Manchester that night, Ferguson included. Javi Martinez, Oscar …
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With it all still to play for in Group H, Ghana and Uruguay will meet at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday afternoon as both sides looking to punch their knockout stage ticket.
Ghana
Starting with Ghana, while the African giants might have been left heartbroken on November 24th as they opened their World Cup adventure with a 3-2 loss at the hands of Portugal, Otto Addo s men came roaring back earlier in the week. Putting in an action-packed display against South Korea as they eventually picked up their own 3-2 win, the Black Stars now find themselves sat in pole position to book a knockout stage ticket. Opening the final round of Group H fixtures holding a two-point buffer over both Uruguay and South Korea, the Whites will be desperate…
England players are still in the process of deciding which of FIFA’s eight approved armbands captain Millie Bright might wear in the Lionesses’ World Cup opener, midfielder Jordan Nobbs has revealed.
Controversy surrounding the rainbow ‘OneLove’ armband sparked the threat of sanctions being issued to countries – including England and Wales – during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar.
In an effort to pre-empt a similar situation in Australia and New Zealand, FIFA has partnered with the United Nations to create sanctioned options that can be swapped out or worn throughout the month-long women’s tournament, with England kicking off their campaign on Saturday against Haiti.
Speaking from the Lionesses team hotel in Brisbane, Nobbs said: “We’ve had …
Northern Ireland resume their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign when they take on Slovenia in Ljubljana on Thursday.
The match is part of an away double-header in Group H, with Michael O’Neill’s men travelling to Astana to face Kazakhstan at the weekend.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key talking points ahead of Thursday’s match.
No end to injury woes
Michael O’Neill has not had much luck on the injury front since his return to the Northern Ireland job in December. Key players Stuart Dallas, Steven Davis and Corry Evans have not been fit to play since last year, and the injury list goes on with the likes of Shane Ferguson, Jamal Lewis, Conor Bradley Shayne Lavery, Dale Taylor and Aaron Donnelly all sidelined, while Dan Ballard has reported to camp wit…
Simone Inzaghi could not assure Romelu Lukaku he would start again against Porto despite ending his goal drought on Saturday.
Lukaku has scored only three times since returning to Inter at the start of this season.
It has been a difficult campaign for the Belgium forward, who also failed to net at the World Cup in Qatar.
But a penalty against Udinese on Saturday gave Lukaku his first Serie A goal since August ahead of Wednesday s Champions League last-16 first leg against Porto.
That does not mean Lukaku is certain to start, however, as coach Inzaghi said in his news conference there were doubts about his line-up.
Edin Dzeko would be the obvious alternative to Lukaku, having netted 11 in all competitions this season, although the pair started toge…
New Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has sent a potential warning to fans of the Spanish giants by claiming the teams he has coached do not reach their peak until his second season in charge.
Mourinho, speaking to Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Sunday, made the claims despite having won domestic championships with Inter Milan, Chelsea and Porto during in his first season in charge with the respective clubs.
The process of assimilation means it is only really in the second season that a team has acquired the right systems and a philosophy of play, said the 47-year-old Portuguese, who led Inter to the Champions League triumph last season before signing a four-year deal with Real.
I have always said that my teams were at their peak from the second season. By chance…
Vinicius Junior says being the favourite for the Ballon d Or is a big boost for his confidence after a stellar campaign for Real Madrid in 2023-24.
The Brazilian was an influential figure for Los Blancos as they won a record-extending 15th Champions League and a 36th LaLiga title, as well as the Supercopa de Espana.
Madrid also added the UEFA Super Cup to their trophy cabinet earlier this month, beating Europa League winners Atalanta to claim the trophy.
After a successful club season, Vinicius is being tipped for the Ballon d Or, along with team-mates Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, and he believes that recognition has pushed him to be better.
I don t really talk about myself or the Ballon d Or, but it s something that in the last few months everyone…
Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Bradley Barcola from Lyon in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the French champions are willing to pay €20 million to their Ligue 1 rivals Lyon for the 20-year-old winger. The youngster himself is claimed to be willing to move to PSG.
Barcola has been on the books of Lyon since 2010 and has come through the French club’s youth system. The France Under-21 international forward made 15 starts and 11 substitute appearances in Ligue 1 last season, scoring five goals and providing eight assists in the process. The 20-year-old made two starts and nine substitute appearances in Ligue 1 and made two substitute appearances in the UEFA Europa League in 2021-22.
PSG won the Ligue 1 table last se…
According to , Barcelona and Manchester City are interested in signing Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig this summer, and both clubs have already made contact with the representatives of the 25-year-old Spaniard.
In the summer of 2014, at the age of just 16, Olmo left the famous Barcelona academy to join Dinamo Zagreb. He developed nicely in Croatia, earning a €29m transfer to Leipzig six years later. His progress continued apace in Germany, and the attacking midfielder believes he is now ready to take the next step. The clubs said to be after his signature appreciate his attacking versatility, which enables him to play with great success at either flank or as a No. 10.
Olmo s contract with Leipzig runs until the summer of 2027, but it apparently contains a release clause tho…