Competition: Euro 2016
Market: Jamie Vardy to make the final England squad
Odds:
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has enjoyed a brilliant start to the season with the Foxes, scoring 12 goals in as many games under new manager Claudio Ranieri. Such form has kept him in the England national team, and Vardy now looks a shoo-in to be in and around the squad by the time manager Roy Hodgson picks his Euro 2016 squad.
Vardy provides an injection of pace and a real direct threat. He’s been full of confidence, and could certainly have a role with England as an impact player. He missed out on selection for two international friendlies through injury, but will likely find himself on the teamsheet for the final batch of games before Hodgson makes a final decision.<…
Wolves captain Ruben Neves is close to a £47million move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
The 26-year-old midfielder has been expected to leave Molineux this summer and is poised to become the latest high-profile player to move to the Middle East, the PA news agency understands.
Barcelona had held a long-term interest in the Portugal international but have not been able to get a deal over the line.
Wolves are now in talks with Al Hilal for Neves, who only had a year left on his contract, with a move – which will be a club-record sale – likely to be completed this week.
Karim Benzema completed a free transfer to Al Ittihad this month and Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is linked with joining him, while Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr in December.…
Jude Bellingham says he felt like Ronaldo while scoring a stunning overhead kick to send England to extra-time against Slovakia in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions looked to be heading out of the European Championships on Sunday until Bellingham scored a 95th-minute equaliser.
Harry Kane then scored the winner in the first minute of extra time, with the captain later describing Bellingham s strike as one of the best in England s history.
Bellingham has admitted that while he was in the air, he compared himself to former Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored an iconic overhead kick for Los Blancos in the 2018 Champions League final.
It was really instinct more than anything, Bellingham said while speaking on England s Diary Room …
World Cup hosts Qatar are staring down the barrel of an early exit from the tournament after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Senegal.
Beaten 2-0 by Ecuador in their opening Group A match, a late push on Friday at Al Thumama Stadium was not enough for Qatar to claim a much-needed result.
With Boulaye Dia and Famara Diedhiou having put Senegal in control, Qatar had hope when Mohammed Muntari scored their first World Cup goal.
However, it was too little too late for the hosts, with substitute Bamba Dieng rounding off Senegal s victory six minutes from time.
After a bright start from Senegal, the lively Qatar fans gathered behind Edouard Mendy s goal were furious in the 34th minute, when Akram Afif was bundled over by Ismaila Sarr, but referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz w…
Luka Modric has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at Real Madrid until June 2025.
The 38-year-old s previous contract expired at the end of June, but he has reached an agreement to play a 13th season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Modric signed for Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 and has since made 534 appearances in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 83 assists.
He boasts a club-record 26 trophies, including six Champions League, five Club World Cups, four European Super Cups and four LaLiga titles.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
In 46 appearances last season, with many of those off the bench, he scored twice and assisted six goals.
The announcement also confirmed that Modric will be the new club cap…
England manager Roy Hodgson should consider experienced Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe for next month s Euro 2016 in France, according to Sam Allardyce.
Defoe has been Sunderland s saviour this season, scoring 15 Premier League goals to almost singlehandedly haul the strugglers out of the relegation zone.
The 33-year-old with 55 international caps to his name but has not played since November 2013 scored a 70th-minute winner as Sunderland stunned Chelsea 3-2, which lifted the club out of the drop zone by a point with two games remaining.
Sunderland manager Allardyce heaped praise on Defoe, who left Toronto FC last year as Jozy Altidore moved in the opposite direction, while offering Hodgson some advice.
Having just been reminded that he was swapped for…
Paolo Maldini is glad that Milan can now plan for the future after confirming he has reached an agreement with the Serie A champions to stay on as technical director.
Club legend Maldini was considered one of the main architects behind Milan s first Scudetto success in 11 years last season thanks to his work behind the scenes.
He has held a boardroom position for the past four years, three of those in his current role, and helped sign the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan.
The 54-year-old was due to be out of contract come the end of Thursday, but he announced shortly ahead of that deal expiring that he will remain in the job.
Everything is sorted. We renewed at the last minute, but we did it, Maldini told reporters outside Milan s he…
Edin Terzic praised his team s defensive fortitude after Borussia Dortmund equalled a club record by securing an eighth consecutive Bundesliga victory with a 2-1 win over title rivals RB Leipzig, and a 10th overall.
Dortmund headed into Friday s game second to Bayern Munich only on goal difference after an imperious run of form since the return of domestic football following the Qatar World Cup.
Meanwhile, Leipzig, led by former Dortmund boss Marco Rose, were four points off top spot themselves and looking to move within striking distance of the top two.
After Julian Brandt had seen a goal ruled out for offside for the hosts, captain Marco Reus scored from the spot after being felled by Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich to put Dortmund ahead and move into second …
Frank Lampard is back at Chelsea.
The club s record goalscorer and former boss has taken on an interim position in the dugout until the end of the season, when Chelsea will bring in their long-term choice.
Of course, should Lampard do well enough, he could put his own name into consideration, but either way he still has plenty to do over the next two months.
Graham Potter was hired to give the team an identity, but Lampard will have no such responsibility given his short-term deal and the fact that someone like Julian Nagelsmann or Luis Enrique would bring their own ideas should they ultimately be hired ahead of next season.
Lampard was sacked by Chelsea in January 2021, before suffering the same demise at Everton two years later, but his continued legend…
Rob Page has called on his Wales team to give their supporters the chance to enjoy the Euro 2024 experience.
Wales are still two wins away from qualification but now know that if they can make it to the tournament they face mouthwatering matches against the Netherlands, Austria and France in Group D.
Page and his team will have home backing from the ‘Red Wall’ for their play-off semi against Finland on March 21 and the final against either Poland or Estonia on March 26 should they progress.
He wants his players to be buoyed on by the thought of setting up a Welsh party in Germany after challenging assignments for the fans at the last two major tournaments.
“Off the back of 2016 we’ve had Euro 2020, but because of Covid we were limited with travel,…