Celtic axe Thompson

England midfielder Jack Wilshere insisted his team-mates do not feel let down by the country s supporters at Euro 2016, despite UEFA s threat of expulsion following fan violence in Marseille.

Clashes between England and Russia fans around Saturday s 1-1 draw in Group B prompted UEFA to warn both sides that they could be kicked out of the tournament if the scenes were repeated.

Wilshere was brought on as a second half substitute at the Stade Velodrome and admitted the England players were aware of the unrest before and during the match.

But he rebuffed suggestions the supporters had let their team down, saying: Of course not. I wouldn t say that. Their support in the stadium was fantastic and it always is – it was the same in Brazil.

There was obviou…

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has rubbished reports linking the Premier League champions with a move for Celtic defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama, .

Mancini scouted the 21-year-old Kenya international during the Celts 3-0 UEFA Champions League defeat to Italian powerhouse Juventus in Glasgow on Tuesday.

However, the Italian boss played down reports linking City with Wanyama during his press conference ahead of his side s FA Cup clash with Leeds United on Saturday, insisting that he had never watched the Kenyan midfielder in action prior to Tuesday s match against Juventus.

I saw him for the first time against Juventus, I never saw him before, revealed Mancini.

But every time I go to see a game, the next day people say Manchester C…

Olivier Giroud is relishing facing his old club when Chelsea take on Arsenal in the Europa League final.

Giroud is expected to lead the line in the May 29 showpiece, with his 10 Europa League goals the most anyone has scored in this season s tournament.

The World Cup winner left Arsenal for Chelsea in January 2018 but has been linked with a return to Ligue 1 for more playing time at the end of the season.

Giroud therefore has the chance to sign off in style when Maurizio Sarri s side take on the Gunners in Baku.

I always like playing against my old teams,  Giroud told the Daily Mail. It s going to be tough, and it could be painful if it s not going the right way, but you have to put the feelings and memories aside.

I enjoyed the years I spent …

Paulo Dybala has disputed his brother s suggestion that he could be set to leave Juventus and insists he wants to stay at the Serie A champions.

The Argentina international appeared ready to depart Turin when his brother and agent Gustavo claimed there was a good chance of a move as the forward needs a change .

But, despite making just 23 league starts in 2018-19 following Cristiano Ronaldo s arrival at Juve, Dybala has dismissed his brother s comments, stating they do not reflect his feelings.

[My brother] spoke for himself, Dybala told Sky Sport Italia.

Grazie mister per questi magnifici 4 anni dove mi hai insegnato sopratutto a vincere! Ti auguro il meglio ovunque tu andrai!

— Paulo Dybala (@PauDybala_JR)

I talked to the club and …

Miguel Ibarra could be handed a starting berth when United States host Panama on Sunday.

United States midfielder Miguel Ibarra is in line for a place in the nation s starting XI following praise from coach Jurgen Klinsmann ahead of Sunday s international friendly against Panama.

Ibarra became the first player from North America s second-tier to be called into a senior national team camp since Clyde Simms in 2005 when the Minnesota United star was selected for an October friendly against Ecuador.

The 24-year-old has impressed ever since, making his international bow in a 1-1 draw with Honduras on October 14 last year, while he did not feature in friendlies against Colombia and Republic of Ireland.

Ibarra was an unused substitute as USA twice surrendered a…

Bastia have tied down experienced defender Sebastien Squillaci until June 2016 after he agreed a new one-year contract extension.

Sebastien Squillaci has extended his contract with Bastia for a further year in a deal that will see him stay at the club until June 2016.

The central defender, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season, moved to the Ligue 1 club from Arsenal in 2013 and has since made 58 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.

Squillaci was also the hero earlier this month when he netted the winning penalty in a shootout to take Bastia to their first Coupe de la Ligue final since 1985, the Corsicans knocking out his former club Monaco.

Ghislain Printant s side are 13th in the table following an eight-match unbe…

Fernando Torres is in danger of missing Liverpool s Premeir League game with Wigan on Saturday after suffering a thigh injury in Spain s 2-1 win over Belgium here on Wednesday.

Torres had to be replaced by Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas in the 15th minute in this 2010 World Cup qualifier.

Spain team doctor Oscar Celada told Spanish television: He has intense pain in the back part of the thigh. It is difficult to diagnose now exactly the extent, if it is a question of a strain or a small tear. If it is a strain then he could be out for about a week.

Euro 2008 champions Spain lead Group 5 but only after David Villa struck in the closing stages.

Belgium took the lead from Wesley Sonck s seventh minute header, the first goal Spain keeper Iker Casillas has c…

George Boateng has learnt to live with the fact that he will never play international football for his native Ghana.

But the thought of playing alongside the richly-talented Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien in the Black Stars engine room is one that struggles to go away.

As a naive teenager Boateng made the decision to switch to Dutch nationality in a bid to make it easier to get into the Feyenoord first team.

It was a choice that would end up having more far reaching consequences than he ever imagined.

At 15, I had to change my nationality from Ghanaian to Dutch, because at the time there were only three non EU (European Union) residents allowed to play in the first-team, Boateng told AFP.

I had to change it to give me a be…

Arsenal are ready to hand Mohamed Elneny a new contract, according to the the Mirror.

The twenty-five year old still has two years remaining on the deal he signed on arrival from Basel in 2016 and was linked with a move away from the Gunners in January.

However, with Francis Coquelin moving to Valencia two months ago Elneny has been called upon and is set to remain with the North London club.

Since arriving in England, the Egypt international has racked up sixty-four appearances in all competitions while he grabbed his second goal for the club in the 6-0 thrashing of BATE in the Europa League back in December.

Arsene Wenger’s men booked their place in the quarter finals of that competition after securing a 5-1 aggregate victory over AC Milan in th…

Mauricio Pochettino has revealed how he carried the burden of Tottenham s last-day collapse through to pre-season, when he held a meeting to tell his players he wanted to kill them.

Spurs succumbed to a 5-1 loss at Newcastle United to slip to third at the end of a 2015-16 campaign that at one stage held the promise of a maiden Premier League title.

With many of Pochettino s squad heading away on international duty, the Argentine had to wait before delivering a dressing-down following their pre-season tour of Australia.

When we came back from Australia, we talked a little bit about the end of last season, he said.

The players needed to hear from the manager my feelings, how I felt after the game and after the season, because there was no time to share it…