This summer’s World Cup was meant to be the platform where Wayne Rooney would showcase his talents in front of a global audience, where he would brush aside the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and demonstrate to everyone just how brilliant he is. Ever since that goal he scored against David Seaman at the age of 16, Rooney has had the pressure of a nation on his shoulders. He is the one contemporary player who has that un...More
There was a strangeness about the arrival of Raúl Meireles on Merseyside four days ago. Unusually for the modern transfer market, the deal was conducted swiftly and quietly, with none of the haggling or agent-wrangling which has become almost customary for high-profile signings. Scarcely twenty-four hours after Javier Mascherano completed his protracted move away from Anfield, the 27-year old Meireles completed his switch in the o...More
Robin van Persie lasted just 34 minutes into his first start of the season before being forced off with yet another injury. It is a huge blow for the Netherlands forward, as he only came back from a serious injury the end of last season. The Dutch star enjoyed a good World Cup, featuring in every game en route to the final, only to lose out to Spain.
Despite having only played for half an hour, the Dutch maestro stamped his mark o...More
After an excellent 2008 European Championship with Russia, Yury Zhirkov arrived in England as Carlo Ancelotti’s first major signing as Chelsea boss, joining for a fee of £18m. Comfortable being deployed anywhere on the left-hand side of the pitch, Zhirkov provided the strength in depth the Blues’ needed last term whilst Solomon Kalou was at the African Cup of Nations and Ashley Cole missed the latter stages of the campaign due to a ...More
From part-worns to payday loans, football shirt sponsorship has had a colourful past – but it has never been as profitable to top flight clubs as it is today! Premier League clubs will pull in close to £100m in shirt sponsorship this season, so it’s no surprise that sponsor’s logos have become as much a part of kit design as the club crest. But this hasn’t always been the case, so before we look at the figures, let’s make sure you know ...More
Although there was no drama to compete with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov's midnight move to Old Trafford and other eye catching deadline day deals, some clubs certainly have reason to be happy with their summer transfer activity. One particular last minute deal to stand out for the Football League would be the transfer of England U19 wideman Matt Phillips from League Two Wycombe to Premiership newcomers Blackpool.
This writer has...More
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