Ledley King is available for selection on Sunday when England face Germany in a crucial World Cup last-16 encounter.
The Tottenham defender was able to play a full part in England training on Saturday after recovering from a groin injury.
England boss Fabio Capello confirmed that all 23 players trained in Rustenburg ahead of Sunday's clash in Bloemfontein.
Capello used John Terry and Matthew Upson as his centre-back pairing against Slovenia on Wednesday but could bring in King or Jamie Carragher, who is back from suspension.
Wayne Rooney and Aaron Lennon are both fit after recovering from ankle knocks.
King limped out of the 1-1 draw against against the US at half time and was replaced by Carragher for the second half with the Liverpool stalwart keeping his place for the dismal goalless stalemate with Algeria.
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However, a second yellow card in that game ruled him out of England's final group game against Slovenia.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
So finally the footballing world has got over World Cup fever and is about to get back down to the nitty gritty of week-in, week-out league football again. And as with any league season, there’s the perennial pre-season transfer market for us football fans to enjoy, berate and totally lose ourselves in. As with any summer transfer market, there’s always one signing that nobody sees coming, and the summer of 2010 has proved no different. So I ask; who the hell saw the Reds getting Cole? Seriously? Hands up…didn’t think I’d see any.
It just seems like such an odd move for Cole. No Champions League. There is certainly no realistic chance of getting the Premier League crown this season. So what motivated him? Well probably the usual, money; however it just seems like a step down for Cole.
So this begs the question, why didn’t Manchester United sign him? It’s not a step down that’s for sure, as everyone knows United will be challenging for the title this year as always. Also even with United’s huge debt, they could easily match the £90,000 a week that Liverpool has given him. And he’d get a game, that’s for sure.
But why should Man United sign him? Because Man United NEED a player like Cole. Why I here you ask? Because they were short last year in one key department – goals. Now I’m not saying Cole was going to be the new Ronaldo with 30 plus a season, but he could have been the man that created those goals. United cannot rely on Paul Scholes to be that man anymore, considering his age. And the small matter of him retiring at the end of the season. Another attribute that Joe Cole has on his side is age. Yes he’s pushing 30 but the key point is that he IS under 30. It’s something that United haven’t got right now in midfield, a player hitting his peak.
One argument that is being suggested for his move to the scouse part of the north-west is he wanted a long-term deal. It’s apparently why he turned down offers from Spurs and his old haunt at Upton Park. But surely United would have given him the same.
However the biggest thing that is puzzling most United fans is that Cole was free. United had nothing to lose in signing him. Sure, he gets injured quite a lot but so does Owen Hargreaves. So does Michael Owen, who Fergie signed under similar circumstances last year. And Cole is definitely a better asset to a team than Michael Owen.
So where do United go now for a new midfield dynamo? It’s looking increasingly likely that they’ll wait until next year, and hope that Giggs and Scholes can produce the goods just one final time for the red devils. As for Roy Hodgson and his men, they’ve taken the first positive step in the long rebuilding process for Liverpool football Club. Only time will tell to see if Man United were right in letting Cole slip away to their bitterest rivals.
Written By Michael Glover
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Manchester United's Serbia international central defender Nemanja Vidic has dismissed talk of him having considered quitting Old Trafford earlier this summer.
The 28-year-old was heavily linked with both Real Madrid and Barcelona, before signing a new long-term contract, a move which abruptly ended the unwanted speculation.
Vidic commented:"I don't know why people think it was a difficult decision. I always said I am happy here.
"I never spoke about my future. I know there was all this speculation but I never said I wanted to go.
"There was nothing new and I am very happy to be here."
Meanwhile, United strike ace Wayne Rooney has admitted that winning the Premier League title is getting harder every year.
He told the Premier League Season Review:"Since I signed for United I think the Premier League has got progressively harder to win.
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"I know it's a cliche, but there are no easy games in the Premier League. In previous seasons you might have had straightforward games where the top clubs could afford to rest players, but that's not the case anymore.
"Nowadays it's hard to leave players out because every game is competitive and difficult."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
As a fresh-faced 17-year-old at Selhurst Park, Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge had the world at his feet. After breaking into the Crystal Palace first-team at the tender age of 16 in 2001, Sidcup-born Routledge went onto score within a minute of his full debut the following season.
Routledge’s reputation continued to grow at Palace throughout the early stages of his career and he went onto make over 100 appearances for The Eagles in just over three seasons in South London. After helping Palace win promotion from The Championship in 2003, the former fan favourite impressed in his debut Premier League season.
Tottenham Hotspur were huge admirers of Routledge’s talents and brought him to White Hart Lane in 2005. Tipped as a future England star, Routledge was expected to develop and fulfil his undoubted potential under Martin Jol at Spurs following an impressive pre-season campaign. While Routledge couldn’t have wished for a better start at Palace, his opening game for the North Londoners was something of a nightmare. In what set the tone for the rest of his spell at Spurs, the winger cruelly broke his foot, keeping him out of action for five months.
Routledge never got his career back on track at Tottenham and was loaned out to several clubs including Portsmouth and Fulham before finally moving to QPR in 2009 albeit via Aston Villa and Cardiff. Routledge eventually signed for Newcastle in January 2010 where he has been given the confidence and time to flourish under manager Chris Houghton and start to fulfil his undoubted potential.
Newcastle is already the midfielder’s EIGHTH club in ten years and the 26-year-old fully intends to make it his last. Routledge is tired of moving around and may have finally found a place to call home at St James’ Park, revealing:
“I know I have had a lot of clubs but it’s not like I have not been trying to settle over the last few years,” Routledge said.
“I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to be moving around the whole time, I want to be able to concentrate fully on my football and to do that I need to build a career at one club.
“Hopefully that will bring out the best in me when I’m out on the pitch knowing I’m settled in my life. Newcastle is the perfect place for me to do that.”
Routledge certainly has all the attributes to be a hit in the Premier League, starring in Newcastle’s 6-0 romp over Aston Villa last Sunday. His pace, vision and trickery make him a handful for any defender, while the width he provides Newcastle on the right in invaluable. The flying winger has started his club’s opening two Premier League games this season and a regular run in the side will benefit him greatly after a stop-start career to date.
A rejuvenated Routledge is a major bonus for The Magpies and could be key to the club’s chances on their return to the Premier League. Routledge and Newcastle could well be the perfect combination on the road to redemption.
If you like this article then you can read more of Mr Molloy’s blogs HERE
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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
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It is a shame that former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will not be around to reap the benefits of the radical and wholesale changes he made to the club’s youth and reserve set-up during his six-year tenure at Anfield.
When Benitez arrived from Valencia in 2004, the club’s bright young hopes for the future read- Darren Potter, Zak Whitbread, Robbie Foy and David Raven. Captain Steven Gerrard and club stalwart Jamie Carragher remain the last major successes to rise through the club’s youth and reserve sides, nearly 15 years ago. A statistic which remains a major concern for Liverpool fans.
Benitez was fully committed to revolutionising the club’s youth and reserve sides and named it as one of the key terms in his contract negotiations in March 2009. Former Barcelona man Jose Segura was brought in two months later to oversee operations at the club’s Kirkby Academy and was very much Benitez’s man. Benitez also gradually raised the standard of personnel at the club, who are now aiming to become the next generation of first-team Liverpool players.
Despite the positives, Benitez ultimately failed to develop a young player good enough to become a Liverpool regular during his time at Anfield. However, such fundamental core changes to the youth set-up and player recruitment structure could not be made overnight and Benitez’s legacy could yet be the players he signed for the club’s future. These players may or may not make the break through, however I do think this latest crop of youngsters are the best the club has seen in years. It is now increasingly difficult to develop local players and the Reds have now altered their strategy to attract the best talent in England and abroad from an early age.
In reserve, Liverpool now have fresh, young and exciting talent banging at manager Roy Hodgson’s door, desperate for some first-team action. Players such as Spanish starlets Daniel Pacheco & Suso are a testament to Benitez’s efforts, while youngsters JonJo Shelvey, Jack Robinson and Michael Ngoo have all been tipped to have massive futures in the game. One other notable player to look out for is 15-year-old Raheem Sterling.
The attacking midfielder was signed from QPR for an initial £300,000 and the fee could rise to £5m should the player become a regular at Liverpool. England youth international Sterling saw his reputation soar after breaking into the national u-16 side at the tender age of 14 and has both pace and trickery in abundance.
Liverpool beat off competition from the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea to land Sterling, considered to be as good as England star Wayne Rooney during his Everton youth days.
Sterling has been in impressive form for the Rodolfo Borrell’s unbeaten U-18 side so far this season and bagged two goals against Leeds United last Saturday. The winger also became one of the youngest ever players to make an appearance for The Reds in a pre-season game against Borussia Monchengladbach this summer. Academy Director Frank McParland certainly has high hopes for Sterling, revealing:
“The boy is only 15 so it was great that he could play 10 minutes or so. Everyone at the Academy was delighted about that. He is probably the youngest ever player to get near the first team and it was good that the manager showed his trust in our judgment.
“He’s still getting to know everything about the club and we are looking forward to working with him more and more in the weeks ahead.”
His former coach at QPR, Steve Gallen, also revealed: “(Sterling) has loads of natural ability. This boy can pass, shoot, head it, score goals, tackle, defend, anything.”
Sterling certainly has a long way to go before he lives up to his tag as ‘the next Theo Walcott’, but the early signs certainly look promising. Liverpool showed that they are now starting to compete with Arsenal and United with the signing of Sterling and The Reds will hope they are rewarded for their efforts in the future.
Have you seen Sterling in action? Leave your comments below. You can read more of my blogs HERE or follow me on Twitter.
Liverpool old boy taking the Championship by storm
TOP TEN: Upsets
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Wigan Athletic will be without loanee Tom Cleverley for the next month after the 21-year-old damaged knee ligaments during training.
The Manchester United starlet is set to miss Wigan's next three matches after being a late withdrawal for Sunday's 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
He is not expected to return to action until the meeting with Newcastle United in mid-October.
"Tom will probably be out for at least the next two weeks," Latics boss Roberto Martinez told the Evening Post.
"He has a little problem with the medial ligament in his knee. But he is a very strong, fit boy and we hope he'll be able to heal quicker than is expected.
"In training, as you can imagine, it's very competitive with all the talent we have in the squad.
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"Tom got a challenge and unfortunately he opened his knee a little bit. It's not great timing, because he had a real impact when he came on against Sunderland.
"He didn't need any settling in period at all and that's the sign of an excellent player. The good news is it's not going to be a long lay-off, but it's frustrating nonetheless."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is an early injury doubt ahead of a massive Merseyside derby against Everton.
Torres limped out of Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Blackpool with a fresh adductor muscle problem.
The Spain striker was troubled by a similar injury during the World Cup finals and has already pulled out of the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Lithuania and Scotland.
He could now miss the trip to Goodison Park on October 17, although the Reds are remaining coy on the extent of his latest injury.
"Fernando was assessed earlier today at Melwood and underwent a scan this afternoon," head of sports medicine and sports science, Dr Peter Brukner, told the club's official website.
"He will have intensive treatment over the next couple of weeks but it is too early to say if he will be fit for the game against Everton."
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Liverpool make the short trip across Stanley Park in desperate need of three points following their worst start to a season since 1953-54.
They have picked up just six points from the first 21 on offer and find themselves in the relegation places after seven games.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Chris Smalling’s move from Fulham to Manchester United raised many an eye brow considering he had only played half a dozen times for Fulham. However, Chris Smalling is playing like a seasoned professional and looks now to have leapfrogged both Wes Brown and Jonny Evans in the defensive pecking order. Evans who played 35 times in the 08/09 season, looked to have established himself but a combination of Smalling’s form and his own dip in form has opend up the covering position once again.
What has happened to Jonny Evans though? Over the past two seasons, Evans has looked assured in defence and looked the man to replace Rio Ferdinand when he hangs up his boots. This season a catalogue of errors from the Northern Irishman has shown that theory up, and it seems Sir Alex Ferguson is looking elsewhere – Chris Smalling.
Jonny Evans does not seem the player to rest on his laurels, but could it be that he has found life at Old Trafford too comfortable. Over the past two seasons he has been the man to step in, expectations of course are high but not impossible to handle. As a covering centre half, much of the responsibility was with either Ferdinand or Vidic. This season, Evans is now a leader in his own right – something he hasn’t been able to handle too well.
So with Jonny Evans completely out of form and injured at the moment, this is the time for Chris Smalling to take aim at getting himself into the Manchester United side regularly. Smalling has settled into life at Old Trafford very quickly, and mirrors the rise that Evans himself had at Old Trafford. Smalling was assured in his play last night and seized his opportunity, something he will look to do over the coming weeks. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson dropped Jonny Evans, Manchester United have kept five clean sheets in eight games, and Smalling can take a share of the accolades.
After the match last night, Chris Smalling spoke to Sky Sports and his confidence was evident.
“The likes of Rio and Vida have been brilliant,” said Smalling.
“They help guide you through games and I am learning from them all the time.
“They deserve credit too. They have really helped me to settle in and my confidence is sky high at the moment.”
As well as this, Manchester United have been lavishing praise on the young defender. Manchester United’s captain has been highly impressed with the young Englishman.
“Chris did very well but you are not just talking about one night, he has done well over the last few games,” said the United skipper.
“He has proved the boss was right to give him his chance.”
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Such glowing praise from his fellow professionals is what will inspire Chris Smalling at Old Trafford. Manchester United players will not heap praise on a player who does not deserve it, Smalling has definitely earned it. However, the hard work has only just begun for the young defender. At the expense of Jonny Evans, he looks to be the third choice centre half at Old Trafford now. Smalling is by no means a finished article and must continue to work hard, improve and most important not take his place for granted.
The situation with Jonny Evans shows the strength in depth a club like Manchester United has. Only a year ago Evans was destined for great things at Manchester United – and he still could. However if your form drops at a club like Manchester United, there is always somebody who can and will take your place. If Smalling can retain his place it will be extremely hard for Evans to get back into the Manchetser United squad. The challenge is clear for both players and that can only be a long term benefit for Manchester United.
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Liverpool owner John W Henry has leapt to the defence of under-pressure manager Roy Hodgson following last weekend's shocking 2-0 Premier League loss at Stoke City.
The Merseysiders appeared to be turning the corner after claiming ten points from a possible 12 prior to their aberration at the Britannia Stadium to help them into the top half of the table.
Many sceptics were calling for Hodgson to be removed in the Potteries, but the American supremo has now called for calm.
Henry, who fronts the New England Sports Ventures group that bought the Anfield giants from Tom Hicks George Gillett, has also hinted that a splurge in the January transfer market may not be the way to move forward.
"This club can be better and blaming the manager or any one particular player is simply wrong," Henry said.
"This club needs to play up to their potential every match. If they don't, they won't win.
"We have work to do and must invest in this club to improve it on the field. Can that be successfully done in January?
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"A number of people I've talked with doubt it. Most seem to think it will be the summer before we can really begin to improve. So all the players have to be on the same page and have to live up to the history and respect this club has engendered.
"The club has gone through a very difficult period and that period has not ended.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Hugo Rodallega is hoping to make amends as he returns from suspension this weekend.
The Colombian marksman was handed a three-match ban after picking up a straight red card in the defeat at Manchester United last month.
The Latics have struggled in the striker’s absence and have picked up just one point while Rodallega was out of the side, as well as being dumped out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal.
However, Rodallega is available for the trip to Everton this weekend and boss Roberto Martinez feels the striker is keen to make amends following his suspension.
“It’s a massive boost to have Hugo available again,” Martinez told the Observer.
“From a mental point of view you couldn’t get anyone with more of a desire to get out there.
“It’s been so frustrating for him, and in many ways a learning process for him.
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“I’m sure he’s learned his lesson from what happened and he’s desperate to make amends on Saturday.”
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