Mirallas happy at Everton

Everton winger Kevin Mirallas has insisted that he sees his future at Goodison Park, amid reports he wants to leave the Merseyside club.

Mirallas has made 101 appearances for Everton since arriving for Olympiacos in August 2012 and has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season, including the winner against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.

And the 27-year-old – who has a year left on his current deal, although Everton have the option to extend that by another season – has confirmed that he is happy to remain at the club, despite being heavily linked with a switch elsewhere.

A lot of people have talked about my future, but I like to play for Everton, said Mirallas, who manager Roberto Martinez has claimed is key to his plans for next seaso…

Van Dijk agrees new Liverpool contract

Virgil van Dijk has agreed a new contract with Liverpool, according to the .

Since his arrival to Anfield from Southampton in January 2018 for £75 million, a world-record fee for a defender at the time, the Dutch centre-back has risen from a good player to one of the best on the planet. He helped his team win the Champions League this year after finishing runners-up previously, and he captained Netherlands to the Nations League final. He topped it all off with UEFA Men s Player of the Year award which he won ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and he s a candidate for this year s Ballon d Or.

Van Dijk s current contract is set to keep him on Merseyside until 2023, but the new one would represent the acknowledgement of his exploits and lift his basic salary fro…

Liverpool give teenager Glatzel new long-term contract

Liverpool have announced teenage striker Paul Glatzel has signed a new long-term contract after firing the team to FA Youth Cup glory last term.

Glatzel captained the Reds to victory in the competition, scoring eight goals in their run to the final, where he converted the winning penalty to down Manchester City.

The 18-year-old trained with Jurgen Klopp s first-team squad ahead of the 2019-20 campaign but is recovering from knee surgery after he was injured in a pre-season friendly.

It s a great feeling obviously,  Glatzel, who has represented both England and Germany at youth level, told Liverpool s official website.

A clinical finisher 

We’re looking forward to more of these from Glatzel  

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

I was…

Premier League team of the ‘noughties’

The skipper

As we approach the end of the decade somewhat annoyingly referred to as the ‘noughties’ I thought I would pick my team of the decade from the English Premier League.

It isn’t an easy task as there have been some wonderful players. This is my opinion and it will no doubt be different to everyone else’s. That is the great thing about football, we all have different opinions that we truly believe to be right.

Consistent

In goal I am going to choose Manchester City’s Shay Given. He has been a consistent performer for many years and along with Mark Schwartzer and Brad Friedel has probably been the most consistent keeper of the decade. On his day Petr Cech or Pepe Reine may be individually better, but Shay Given gets…

Barrios pens new Dortmund deal

Argentine striker Lucas Barrios has penned an extension to his contract at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. The new deal, which gives Barrios a higher take home pay packet every week,  will keep The Panther at Signal Iduna Park till June 2014.

Barrios has been a revelation for Dortmund since his 4.2 million euro move from Chilean outfit Colo Colo in July 2009 . He is currently BVB s highest scorer in the league with nine goals.  Barrios also has two assists to his name this season in the Bundesliga.  Only Stefan Kiessling, who plies his trade for leaders Bayer Leverkusen, has scored more than him.

Dortmund are currently fifth in the league with 33 points, and will host Hamburger SV in the next round of Bundesliga matches this weekend.

[Source:- Borussia Dor…

Mourinho claims festive fixtures are ´chosen to create problems´

Jose Mourinho claims the Premier League fixtures over the busy festive period have been arranged to give rest to some and create problems for others .

Manchester United face Sunderland on Boxing Day before Middlesbrough visit Old Trafford on New Year s Eve, with a further two matches against West Ham and Reading in the FA Cup taking place in the first week of January.

Although all sides in the top flight are facing a similar pile-up of matches, Mourinho has suggested that the games are arranged to be more beneficial to some teams than others.

The busy period is for some clubs and not for everyone because if you analyse there is no congestion for them, the fixtures are chosen to give some rest for some and create problems for others, said the Portuguese.

Ancelotti the right man for Bayern – Magath

Former Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath believes the reigning Bundesliga champions have made the right choice by naming Carlo Ancelotti as Pep Guardiola s successor and is confident the Spaniard s impending departure will not affect the club s form in the second half of the season.

The Bavarians announced at the weekend that Guardiola will not extend his contract beyond the end of the season and immediately named Ancelotti as the man to take over.

There is clarity at last about who will be Bayern s coach next season. The fact that Guardiola will leave will not affect the team, though, Magath told TZ.

Of course, the players will discuss it among each other. But in the end they all want to win titles and impress the new coach in the process.

Ancelotti …

Arteta confirms Balogun close to signing new Arsenal contract

Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is very close to signing a new contract, according to manager Mikel Arteta.

The 19-year-old England youth international had looked likely to leave the Gunners at the end of the season on a free transfer after struggling to break into the senior squad on a regular basis.

However, talks over a new deal appear to have progressed well and Arteta believes the player will commit his future to the north London club.

Speaking on Wednesday, he said: We are going to make it official when it is official and everything is done, but as I said before, I have always been very positive that he wants to stay at the club. We want him to stay at the club. We are very close.

Balogun has scored 55 goals in 78 appearances for Arsenal in yout…

´United players should be embarrassed´ – Keane scathing after derby defeat

Manchester United players should be embarrassed after their 6-3 defeat to local rivals Manchester City, says former Red Devils midfielder Roy Keane.

First-half doubles from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden had United four goals down at half-time, before they both capped off their hat-tricks after the interval as the visitors conceded six in a Premier League game for just the fourth time.

And despite a late double from substitute Anthony Martial and a superb strike from Antony in consolation, Keane was fuming with United s performance after Sunday s match.

It was the way they started they were slow out of the blocks. City sent a message that they were up for it, and the first goal is huge, Keane told Sky Sports.

United went down after eight minutes and they…

A-League Wrap: Roar go top, Mariners battle back

Brisbane Roar moved to the top of the A-League with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Sydney FC at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

The 2010-11 and 2011-12 champions produced a dominant performance in front of their own fans, with Matt Smith, Henrique and Jade North all scoring in a devastating seven-minute spell at the end of the first half to send Brisbane into the break leading 3-0.

Sydney, who saw captain Alessandro Del Piero limp off injured before the interval, could not muster much of a response in the second period and Thomas Broich eventually put the result beyond doubt with a fourth for the hosts on 80 minutes.

Frank Farina s men set up to frustrate Brisbane early in the game and their tactics appeared to be working until Smith broke the deadlock after 37 mi…