The man who brought the Netherlands international to the UK was also involved in the development of Kieran Tierney, Wilfried Zaha and Jamal Musiala Though there have been some question marks over his form this season, there is no doubting that Virgil van Dijk remains one of, if not the world's premier centre-back. How, then, did it take him so long to earn himself a move to one of Europe's e...Full Story »

Matt Taylor admitted he was no fan of the FA Cup’s substitution rules, even though he used it to great effect to help book Exeter place in the second round.Taylor made six substitutions in total as Exeter’s quality and freshness told in extra-time against a Bradford side that ended the game with 10 men.Two fantastic goals from Matt Jay and one from fellow sub Nigel Atangana sealed a ...Full Story »

Joey Barton praised the character of his Bristol Rovers team after substitute Sion Spence had netted twice in the second half of extra time to settle a memorable FA Cup first round replay win over Oxford.Barton’s League Two team trailed their League One opponents 3-1 but hit back to earn a second round tie at home to Sutton.The home side took a 48th-minute lead when Sam Finlay fired home f...Full Story »

Mark Bonner was pleased with Cambridge’s performance as well as the result after they despatched Northampton in the FA Cup.Bonner’s side made comfortable progress with a 3-1 success, with the game effectively over soon after half time when Ben Worman added to first-half goals from Harvey Knibbs and Sam Smith.Danny Rose’s late goal to reduce the deficit was merely a consolation ...Full Story »

Caretaker boss Antony Sweeney admitted Hartlepool had to ride their luck as they got the better of Sky Bet League One Wycombe 1-0 to book their place in the FA Cup second round.The League Two side will now travel to Lincoln after Mark Cullen’s first-half strike saw them get the better of the Chairboys, who dominated large parts of the game.And Sweeney acknowledged his team were always goin...Full Story »

Patrice Evra has described a 'face' of Cristiano Ronaldo that most people don't get to see while reminiscing over a "boring" lunch they shared during their time together at Manchester United Patrice Evra has described a side of Cristiano Ronaldo that Manchester United supporters might not get to see, while joking that they once shared one of the most boring lunches of his life. Ronaldo, 36, is...Full Story »

Motivating message towards the fans by the Brazilian Dani Alves during his Barcelona medical.FC Barcelona Dani Alves passed his medical examination this Monday, November 15, so his official presentation as a new Barcelona player will take place on Wednesday at the Camp Nou at 13:00 GMT in an event that will be open to the public. Ahead of the presentation, the Brazilian right-back urged the f...Full Story »

Let's start our 7M Daily Laugh today.   Cristiano Ronaldo calls FIFA President   England fans right now   A World Cup winner and Dani Alves   Poor Cristiano...   ouch   Cristiano Ronaldo had this goal disallowed the last time Portugal faced Serbia. If it had counted, they'd already have qualified for the World Cup   Every class has..   P...Full Story »

Tottenham Hotspur want Matthijs De Ligt - who hasn't settled at Juventus - to be Antonio Conte's statement centre-back signing Matthijs De Ligt is wanted by Tottenham Hotspur, according to Calciomercato. New boss Antonio Conte wants new blood at the club, as he looks to kickstart his revolution in north London. While plenty of new centre-backs have been linked with the club, however, De Lig...Full Story »

Mendy wants out of Leicester Leicester City midfielder Nampalys Mendy has made clear his desire to leave the club. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he said: "I'd like to leave. I hope it will get done, but I need to be patient." His playing time has been sporadic since he joined Leicester in 2016. Wolves to pursue Van de Beek (Sun) The former Ajax man appears ready for a fresh opportunity...Full Story »

Steve Clarke claimed comeback goal hero John Souttar was the story of Scotland’s thrilling 2-0 win over Denmark which secured home advantage in the first World Cup qualifying play-off game in March.The Hearts defender had suffered injury problems including a relapse of an Achilles issue since winning his first three caps in 2018 and he was a late call-up to the squad for the final Group F ...Full Story »

Scotland concluded their 2022 World Cup qualifying Group F campaign with a magnificent 2-0 win over runaway section winners Denmark to clinch their place as play-off seeds.Defender John Souttar, a late call-up and playing for the first time since he was sent off against Israel three years ago, raised the roof at Hampden Park with a headed opener in the 35th minute for his first international goa...Full Story »

Wycombe will continue to be without a host of international players for their FA Cup first-round replay against Hartlepool on Tuesday.Garath McCleary could remain sidelined and has not featured for the Chairboys since October 23.Daryl Horgan, Sullay Kaikai and Tjay De Barr are all on international duty.However, manager Gareth Ainsworth made a few changes for the previous game and could choose to...Full Story »

Oldham midfielder Faysal Bettache looks set to miss their FA Cup replay against Ipswich.The on-loan QPR player sat out the first meeting as his parent club did not want him cup-tied.Zak Dearnley could challenge Hallam Hope, with just one goal all season, for a start up front.Long-term absentee midfielders Ouss Cisse and Jamie Hopcutt both returned as unused substitutes in last weekend’s de...Full Story »

Chelsea have reportedly bid £34million for Real Madrid centre back Eder Militao as Thomas Tuchel plans to build a new-look defence. The Blues currently have the best defence in the Premier League, having conceded just four times in 11 matches so far this season, but manager Tuchel is planning a change. The German is understood to be planning on permanently moving to a three-man defence in...Full Story »

Spain qualified for next year's World Cup finals in Qatar by beating visitors Sweden 1-0 thanks to a late winner by substitute Alvaro Morata on Sunday. Spain, who won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, finished top of Group B with 19 points, four ahead of the second-placed Swedes, who could still qualify through the playoffs in March. "I felt more pressure now then in the Euros," said Spain m...Full Story »

Barca still eyeing Sterling Barcelona are still considering a move for Raheem Sterling, reports Sky Sports. Sterling remains a legitimate target for Barca, who have discussed the economic details that would be required to pull off such a big move. The Manchester City winger recently admitted that he was open to playing abroad, offering Barca a bit of hope for a deal. Man Utd eye Kounde as Ma...Full Story »

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has offered a passionate defence of Irish football following comments from Luxembourg counterpart Luc Holtz.In the run-up to Ireland’s 3-0 World Cup qualifier victory at the Stade de Luxembourg on Sunday, Kenny had been unhappy with Holtz’s description of his team’s style of play as “British” and the same as they had adopted...Full Story »

RONALDO superfan Addison Whelan took the day off school yesterday to celebrate scoring the footie star's shirt - as she revealed she even slept with it. The 11-year-old footie nut jumed over the pitchside barriers to get onto the grass after the World Cup qualifier between Ireland and Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Thursday night. Delighted Addison with younger brother GreysonCredi...Full Story »

Real Madrid remain interested in Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. The 28-year-old suffered a thigh injury in training with France on Monday that could keep him out for the rest of 2021, with his current Red Devils deal running out in June next year. Marca says Real are 'remaining attentive' over the next few months ahead of a possible approach. He is said to have also attracted inte...Full Story »