Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has committed his immediate future to the club by signing a new deal.
The Slovakia international looked set to go into his final season with the club he joined in 2008, having described a contract offer from Liverpool as unacceptable last month.
However, the 30-year-old has now committed to a squad already bolstered by the arrivals of James Milner, Danny Ings, Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino during the close-season.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp left in-form duo Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench for Saturday s Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
Mane made way as one of seven changes from the side that beat Everton 5-2 in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.
Alexander-Arnold was left out of the starting line-up in a league game for the first time this season and replaced at right-back by Joe Gomez.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were both selected in attack as midfielder Naby Keita made his first Premier League start since April.
Goalkeeper Alisson returned to the team after serving a one-match suspension, while captain Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were also both restored to the side.
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Arsenal great Paul Merson says he would like to see Ronald Koeman take over from Arsene Wenger at the club when the Frenchman moves on.
Wenger has shown no signs of giving up the post, despite another season without a credible Premier League challenge and another round-of-16 Champions League exit.
Koeman, on the other hand, has done a good job of moving Southampton into a respectable seventh place in the Premier League table with two games to play.
The former Barcelona star arrived at the club ahead of the 2014-15 season and has helped them improve despite the losses of players like Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne to Manchester United and Liverpool.
And Merson has been suitably impressed, tipping the Dutchman who has managerial Champion…
Luis Suarez will feature in his first international tournament since the 2014 World Cup, having been included in Uruguay s 23-man squad for the Copa America Centenario.
Suarez was handed a four-month ban from all football and nine-match suspension at international level after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the competition in Brazil two years ago.
The star striker subsequently played no part as Uruguay failed to defend their Copa America crown in Chile last year, with the hosts eliminating them at the quarter-finals en route to claiming their first title.
Suarez will be hoping to carry his impressive club form he has scored 56 goals for Barcelona this season into the tournament in the United States, and is set to link up with Edinson Cavani in atta…
Karim Benzema has recovered from injury ahead of Real Madrid s Champions League clash with Liverpool on Wednesday, with Carlo Ancelotti warning Los Blancos to forget last month s win at Anfield.
Benzema joined Vinicius Junior in scoring twice as Madrid thrashed Jurgen Klopp s men 5-2 in February s last-16 first leg, but the striker has seen his form dip since that rout.
The Madrid skipper has failed to find the net in three consecutive games across all competitions, while injuries have limited him to just 15 appearances in LaLiga this campaign.
Benzema sat out Saturday s 3-1 win over Espanyol with an ankle problem, but Ancelotti says he is fit and raring to go ahead of Liverpool s visit to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Benzema is 100 per cent recovered. He has …
Putting in another thrilling Champions League display on Wednesday night, Napoli booked their quarter-final ticket after cruising to a 3-0 romp against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Simply looking to finish off the job and avoid a European collapse at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after picking up a 2-0 first-leg win out in Germany on February 21st, the Italian high-flyers have certainly laid down a real marker.
With attacking talisman Victor Osimhen opening the scoring just seconds before the half-time break, it will be the Nigerian marksman who will steal most of the headlines here.
Eventually leaving Naples with another Champions League brace before Polish international Piotr Zielinski converted from the spot just after the hour mark, Osimhen and co hardly had to …
Pep Guardiola has built the best team in world football at Manchester City, according to the club s former midfielder Joey Barton.
City are on track to win the quadruple, with Guardiola s men 16 points clear at the top of the Premier League and through to the final of the EFL Cup, where they will face Arsenal on February 25.
A 4-0 thrashing of Basel on Tuesday in which Leroy Sane returned from injury leaves City with a foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, while a trip to League One side Wigan Athletic awaits in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday.
And Barton, who started his career at City and played for the club between 2002 and 2007, says his former employers are the real deal.
Yeah no doubt about it. I think they re the best team in wor…
Cristiano Ronaldo does not believe Portugal are among the favourites to win the World Cup in Russia, with Brazil and Spain instead tipped by the Real Madrid star to claim the trophy.
Portugal face Spain in their World Cup opener on June 15 before facing Morocco and Iran in their remaining Group B fixtures.
The Iberian derby promises to be one of the great matches of the group stage, but Ronaldo thinks Spain have a better chance of winning the World Cup than Euro 2016 champions Portugal.
We are not favourites, Ronaldo told Desimpedidos. We have to be honest and humble and understand that, theoretically, there are teams with stronger names, like Brazil, Spain, Germany, also Argentina.
We re not favourites but everything is possible in football. We ll try …
Raphael Wolf has signed a two-year contract extension at Werder Bremen that will see the goalkeeper remain at the Weserstadion until 2017.
The 26-year-old joined Werder in 2012, but saw his first season at the club wrecked by a serious knee injury, preventing him from appearing for the first team the whole campaign.
After returning to fitness and usurping Sebastian Mielitz in goal last term, Wolf went on to keep six clean sheets in 21 Bundesliga outings, as Robin Dutt s side finished a disappointing 12th in the league table.
Sporting director Thomas Eichin hailed the goalkeeper s great development after tying him down for another two seasons and, having established himself as number one, Wolf is positive for the future.
I am really happy that I was able …
Tottenham star Gareth Bale scopped both the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year
Tottenham star Gareth Bale scooped both PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year at last night’s award ceremony.
Bale is the first player since Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the double honour and only third in history to claim both awards.
Outstanding
Gareth Bale is an outstanding player and has been one of the standouts performers this season.
His 19 goals in the Premier League from midfield have kept Tottenham in contention for a place in the Champions League next season.
The 23 year-olds talent is not in question. However, has he really done enough to win both awards? I am not so sure to be honest.
Half
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Youssoufa Moukoko made more history by becoming the Bundesliga s youngest ever scorer in Borussia Dortmund s match against Union Berlin on Friday.
The prodigious striker lashed home a rocket of a shot from just inside the penalty area to draw Dortmund level at Alten Forsterei after Taiwo Awoniyi had put the hosts in front after 57 minutes.
His goal ultimately proved in vain as Marvin Friedrich quickly restored the hosts lead to secure a 2-1 win, but at just 16 years and 28 days Moukoko sets a new German top-flight benchmark.
It surpasses the record set by Bayer Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz, who was 17 years, one month and three days when he scored his first Bundesliga goal in June.
16 years and 28 days old
Youssoufa is the youngest goalscor…