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Great sporting rivalries - Netherlands v Germany, Celtic v Rangers, Barca v Real and more. Tottenham and West Brom open negotiations over defender. Rodgers meets Sigurdsson over Liverpool switch. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers looks set to pinch Gylfi Sigurdsson from under the noses of former club Swansea, after holding talks with the 22-year-old last week. Sigurdsson, who scored 7 goals in 18 matches during an impressive loan spell at the Swans last season, had been tipped to make the move permanent this summer, after the club agreed a £6.8 million fee with Hoffenheim. However, after Rodgers swapped the Liberty Stadium for Liverpool last month, the deal has stalled.
The Reds are now hopeful of muscling in and securing Sigurdsson's signature, with new boss Rodgers using his influence to hold talks with the player last week. The former Reading ace is now expected to decide on his next destination in the coming few days, with neither club in a rush for an answer. Sigurdsson - a highly creative and technical central midfielder - had admitted his admiration for Liverpool last month, telling the Icelandic media that they are 'a huge club with a glorious history'. Appell: Arshavin's price has risen after Euro 2012 performances. Dzagoev does it again and Kuba scores a screamer: Poland 1-1 Russia.
The next Arshavin and the 'Polish Ronaldo' that could decide Poland v Russia. Greece go bust and Petr Cech has a howler: Greece 1-2 Czech Republic. Man United sign Crewe wonderkid. Former Liverpool hitman v the so-called Greek Messi at Euro 2012. Arsenal jinx, Torres rubbish, listen to Keane: 10 things we've learned from Euro 2012 so far.
Besiktas keen on wantaway Man United star. Besiktas are planning another raid on Manchester United - this time for Federico Macheda. The Turkish club signed misfit Bebe on loan last summer but his spell was disrupted through injury. And now they're ready to ask United for striker Macheda, 20, in the hope of getting the Italian's career back on track. Since scoring a stunning last minute winner against Aston Villa in 2009, Macheda has stalled at United and had two disappointing loan moves. First, he under-performed at Sampdoria as they were relegated before he went to QPR, where he hardly played before picking up an injury. United want to give the Italian Under-21 international another chance to prove himself and Besiktas are ready to offer him a prolonged spell in the first team.
Besiktas have mounting debts and the club chairman Fikret Orman's policy will be to bring in cheap options and loan stars this summer - with Macheda a target. 'Liverpool and Spurs stars contributed hugely to England result' says Andy Gray. Juventus winger alerts Liverpool to his availability. Liverpool have been put on red alert after Juventus winger Eljero Elia revealed he is ready to join another club in the next few weeks. Elia, 25, managed to win the Serie A title during his first season at Juventus, but he only made four league appearances and is now looking to get his career back on track. Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for the Dutch forward who would relish the chance to showcase his talents in the Premier League. Elia just missed out on a place in the Holland squad for Euro 2012 and is now hoping to finalise his long-term future in the next few weeks after confirming he will leave the Italian giants.
Elia, speaking on Dutch TV channel Eredivisie Live, said: "I'll leave Juventus. "I just have the desire to start enjoying football again and my agent is evaluating all offers. " Photos: Chelsea reject breathes life into Ukraine v Sweden. Durham: France draw better than anything we did at World Cup 2010. France 1-1 England: talkSPORT rates and slates the Three Lions. Liverpool and Spurs target and Bayern man ready for Euro 2012 clash. Rio cheers for City rival, Owen praises Stevie G and more tweets from England v France.
Video: Kammy reckons England's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is great... for the bench! Can you imagine Gerrard, Terry, Rooney and co. doing this? Seth McFarlane's new creation Ted tells France: 'You Suck!' It's Man United v Man City as England take on France in Donetsk. Group D gets underway on Monday evening when Roy Hodgson's England will face their first real test against Laurent Blanc's resurgent French side. These guys will be two of the key figures in decidng the outcome... Name: Danny WelbeckPosition: StrikerCountry: EnglandCaps: 5 prior to Euro 2012Club: Manchester UnitedThe details: Danny Welbeck appears to have won the battle with Andy Carroll to lead England’s line in the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney for Monday evening’s Euro 2012 Group D opener in Donetsk. He may be relatively untried at the very highest level, but the Manchester United youngster has shown in his brief appearances for the Three Lions that he has the movement and intelligence to trouble top quality defenders, and his goal in the 1-0 warm-up win over Belgium has seemingly convinced Roy Hodgson he is the man spearhead to his attack, with Old Trafford team-mate Ashley Young playing off him.
Name: Transfer sensation! Robben quits Holland to make Portugal switch. Funny video: Ukrainian Man United fan baffled by Shinji Kagawa and Germans reminded of Chelsea triumph. Fans from around the world rate (and slate) England's chances at Euro 2012. Bilic, Dalglish, Pulis and the best football managers' hats. Funny video: Crazy Brazilian celebrates Croatia goal against Ireland.
Funny Ireland Euro 2012 flag. Ireland v Croatia: ex-Celtic star and the man who stunned Arsenal. It's Dortmund v Moscow as Croatia take on Republic of Ireland By talkSPORT magazine | Sunday, June 10, 2012 Ireland and Croatia are the outsiders in Group C, so it's vital they get off to a good start with Spain and Italy to follow.
Aiden McGeady Right winger Republic of Ireland 49 prior to Euro 2012 Spartak Moscow Ireland's tricky 26-year-old winger was a fan favourite at Celtic, where his skill and sheer number of assists helped the Celts to three titles and the Champions League knockout stages. McGeady's form for Spartak dipped slightly last season, amid rumours he is hankering for a move back to Britain, but the right-footed attacker remains an important part of Ireland boss Trapattoni's tactical plans – along with fellow winger Damian Duff, McGeady will be relied heavily upon to provide the creative flair to create chances for the Irish. Ivan Perisic Wide, attacking midfielder Croatia 10 prior to Euro 2012 Borussia Dortmund.
Ask the Guv'nor: Paul Ince answers fan questions ahead of Euro 2012. Spain v Italy: Ones to Watch. Reigning champions Spain take on old foes Italy in one of Euro 2012's most anticipated matches. Spain have never scored a goal in open play against the Italians at a European Championship, but this time it could be different, with a flurry of tactical surprises and two new names in particular to look out for. Read on for talkSPORT's ones to watch in tonight's showdown... Name: Jordi AlbaPosition: Left wing-backCountry: SpainCaps: 5Club: Valencia The details: A winger until recently, Jordi Alba was converted into a left-sided defender by former Valencia coach Unai Emery, and it's in this position that the Barcelona youth product has truly shone. With Spain veteran Joan Capdevila leaving the left-back position vacant after retiring from international football, Alba has made the position his own with a series of impressive performances in qualifiers and friendlies.
Video evidenceCheck out Alba bursting ahead to score against Rayo Vallecano below. Funny video: Arsenal supporter is educated in Kiev and England fans get ready for France clash. Why Spain's Euro 2012 success is vital for Chelsea - La Liga expert Jimmy Burns. Football euro-2012: Dunne: Ireland can win Euro 2012. Richard Dunne insists the Republic of Ireland are not at the European Championship to make up the numbers – with the defender convinced his side can pull off a stunning triumph in Poland and Ukraine. Ireland kick off their first major tournament in ten years on Sunday night against Croatia, with few expecting Giovanni Trapattoni’s men to advance from a group also containing Spain and Italy. But Dunne said: “We just needed to stop accepting second best, stop being this team that nearly gets there. "We had to do it and to do it we needed to be stronger in those bigger games.
Now we’re here, we fancy our chances against anyone. “Greece and Denmark have won the Euros when they weren’t expected but that’s the way it is. Anyone can win the tournament because it’s wide open. “Spain are probably better than anyone but why would we even think about playing them without believing we can beat them? Rio Ferdinand backs Ronaldo and Nani, and Arsenal star Podolski fails to impress: Germany v Portugal in tweets. Football euro-2012: Van Marwijk defends Van Persie after Denmark defeat. Holland boss Bert Van Marwijk has refused to single out Robin Van Persie for criticism after the Arsenal captain missed a hatful of chances in the shock 1-0 defeat against Denmark. The Dutch are rated as one of the favourites to reach the latter stages of Euro 2012 and their attacking talent created 28 opportunities against the Danish, including hitting the post through Arjen Robben. But Van Marwijk, who opted for Van Persie over Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to spearhead his attack, insisted his team were guilty as a unit of missing the chances which cost them victory.
"It was not only Robin Van Persie,” he said. “There were maybe four, five, six players who had a lot of chances and the referee had also a chance to give us a penalty. "I'm not looking for excuses. “We put the substitutes on [Huntelaar and Rafael Van Der Vaart with 20 minutes left] and were even more attacking - we had even more chance after that - but this is the game. "We just have to beat Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo frustrated, Gomez does the business and Podolski misses a sitter: Germany 1-0 Portugal. Germany v Portugal: Ones to Watch. One of the first round’s most appealing clashes takes place on Saturday night when Germany face Portugal. How big a role will these two play? Name: Mario GomezPosition: StrikerCountry: GermanyCaps: 52Club: Bayern Munich The details: Gomez has already passed his half century of international appearances, despite the fact he doesn’t turn 27 until next month.
A record of a goal almost every game for Germany speaks for itself, and he has the uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time to finish off opportunities. If Portugal’s defenders switch off in Lviv, it’s a decent bet he’ll punish them. Video evidence: Name: Miguel LopesPosition: DefenderCountry: PortugalCaps: 23Club: Porto (on loan at Braga) Miguel who?
Video: Poland fan reactions to Szczesny's red card and 1-1 draw with Greece. Danish and Dutch beauties as Arsenal and LFC stars go head-to-head at Euro 2012. Football euro-2012: Hodgson: Kelly is more useful to England than Ferdinand. Roy Hodgson has lifted the lid on the "football reasons" behind Rio Ferdinand's England snub. Hodgson has revealed he had overlooked the veteran Man United defender because it would have been wrong to have him in his European Championship squad and not in the team. Ferdinand, capped 81 times by England, reacted angrily to his omission with a representative claiming Hodgson and the FA treated him with a 'total lack of respect'. But the new England manager has hit back insisting Liverpool’s Martin Kelly, called up in the wake of Gary Cahill’s injury against Belgium, will be of more use to England than Ferdinand. "Rio Ferdinand for me is not a player that you call up as a substitute, or to cover for the players that you have,” Hodgson told ITV.
"We turned to Martin Kelly because I knew he was going to be someone who would be very useful to us. "He's very happy to be here knowing that his chances of playing a big part in the tournament are quite small. German Golden Boot winner Premier League-bound? talkSPORT Euro 2012 transfer spotlight. Midfield Maestros: It's Strootman v Eriksen as Holland take on Denmark. Dutch destroyer bound for London after Euro 2012? talkSPORT Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight.
Fresh from winning the Premier League title with Manchester City, Dutch midfielder Nigel De Jong is hoping to improve on Holland's runners up position at the 2010 World Cup by winning Euro 2012. Even if he manages to help his national team emulate the Netherlands' European champions of 1988, De Jong faces an uncertain future at club level, with Man City considering releasing the midfield enforcer.
Should De Jong move on, there will be no shortage of takers, as talkSPORT reveals, as our Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight focuses on the Dutchman… Name: Nigel De JongDate of birth: 30 November 1984Birthplace: Amsterdam, NetherlandsPosition: Defensive midfielderClub: Manchester City International appearances: 60 (to date)Honours: One Premier League title (2011/12), one FA Cup (2011), one Eredivisie (2003/04), one Dutch Cup (2006) What's the latest?
Do you think De Jong is the kind of player Arsenal need? Playboy centrefold who's caught the eye of Germany's centre-back. Germany are being widely tipped as the team to beat at Euro 2012, but it seems the Henri Delaunay trophy isn't the only thing that national team defender Jerome Boateng is keen to become acquainted with this summer. Just prior to Germany jetting off to Ukraine for their tough group stage clashes with Portugal, Holland and Denmark, Boateng was spotted leaving the hotel room of Playboy model Gina-Lisa Lohfink. Miss Lohfink insisted that nuffink naughty had happened and that Boateng had merely "wanted to get to know me. We met in the bar at my hotel bar around 2am. We went up to my room but we just chatted. " About tactics for the Portugal match, presumably. Behind the scenes video with Mark Saggers during an ad break in Kiev.
Video: Drive Time on Tour - Doing the Poznan... in Poznan! Video: Mark Saggers watches Euro 2012 Kick Off in Kiev. Video: Drive Time on Tour - Doing the Poznan... in Poznan! Mark Saggers reacts to the first red card at Euro 2012 from Kiev Fan Zone. Szczesny's Arsenal team-mate laughs at his Euro 'mare on Twitter - Tweets of the opening game. He could have played for Liverpool - now he's set to light up Euro 2012. Russia meet the Czech Republic in their first match of Euro 2012 and talkSPORT has picked out two players to watch from both teams, including a striker who could have been banging them in for Liverpool last season. Name: Aleksandr KerzhakovPosition: StrikerCountry: RussiaCaps: 61 (prior to Euro 2012)Goals: 19Club: Zenit St. Petersburg The details: With 19 goals for the national team, including strikes against Italy and Uruguay in the last few weeks, as well as the first in Russia's 3-2 qualifying win in Dublin against Ireland, Aleksandr Kerzhakov will fancy his chances of scoring in Group A.
The 29-year-old Zenit St. Kerzhakov is in his second spell at Zenit, having left the club originally in 2006 when current national coach Dick Advocaat dropped him from the team and sold the player to Spanish side Seville. Video evidence Name: Petr JiracekPosition: MidfieldCountry: Czech RepublicCaps: 6Goals: 1Club: Wolfsburg. TalkSPORT : This is the view from the...
A brilliant young defender and a tricky number 10 star in the ones to watch in Poland v Greece. Manchester United eye Euro 2012 star striker: talkSPORT Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight. Euro 2012 co-host Poland take on Greece in the tournament opener and, if they hope to make an impact, they'll be looking to deadly target-man Robert Lewandowski and his goals. The Dortmund striker has been tracked by the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, with United reportedly leading the race. talkSPORT's Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight explains why he's so important for club and country... Name: Robert LewandowskiDate of birth: 21 August 1988Birthplace: Warsaw, PolandPosition: StrikerClub: Borussia DortmundInternational appearances: 42Honours: Two Bundesliga titles (2010/11, 2011/12), German Cup (2011/12) What's the latest? Lewandowski bagged 22 league goals with Borussia Dortmund last season and the prolific striker caught the eye of Man United, Man City and Chelsea in the process.
Did you know? 2) Blackburn Rovers were among the clubs linked with Lewandowski in 2010, but the striker opted to move to Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth around 4.5 million Euros. Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea target 'Russia's Wilshere' - talkSPORT Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight. TalkSPORT shine our Euro 2012 Transfer Spotlight on the young Russian attacking midfielder with a speciality for set-pieces who has been watched by Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United.
Unsurprisingly, considering he is considered Russia's answer to young talent like Neymar, Mario Gotze and Jack Wilshere and top scored for the Russians in Euro 2012 qualifying. Name: Alan Dzagoev Date of birth: 17/06/1990Birthplace: Beslan, Russia Position: Attacking midfielder Club: CSKA MoscowInternational: 18 caps, 4 goals (to date)Honours: CSKA Moscow - 3 Russian Cups 07/08, 08/09, 10/11. Russian Super Cup 2009Who's interested? Manchester United have been keeping tabs on CSKA Moscow star Alan Dzagoev for some time and Sir Alex Ferguson considered a move for him in January 2012, while Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with the player before. He would appear to fit the Arsenal mould perfectly, while Chelsea's owner will always be interested in Russian talent. Did you know? More video evidence. 'Expect a surprise winner at Euro 2012' says Andy Gray. England's Euro 2012 training live. Radio - Drivetime - talkSPORT – Transfer Rumours, Sports News, Premier League, Live Football, Live Radio.
New England flag for Euro 2012 - fly it with pride. Food poisoning scandal hits Euro 2012! Matterface breaks the latest news from Ukraine. Waddle's mullet, Scholes' baggy '90s suit, Heskey! England team photos through the years. Germany, France and Russia the teams to watch say Saggers and Matterface. The greatest European Championship matches. Exclusive – Meyler: Henderson is a future England captain. Football euro-2012: Bernstein swerves Ferdinand's Euro 2012 omission. Video: Drive Time on Tour - London to Lille. Video: Gourmand Goughie's Gobble of the Day - Lille.
Drive Time on Tour - London to Lille in pics and tweets. Football euro-2012: England blow as Lampard ruled out of Euro 2012. TalkSPORT Spoof: Liverpool hold talks with Pep Guardiola. Stan Collymore: Welcome to Wembley @talkSP... Stan Collymore: My team to start v France(... Stan Collymore: Welcome to the Etihad Stad... Mfnwqzj Shared by TSCollymore. TalkSPORT | Sports News | Live Premier League | Transfer Rumours | Live Radio. Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea: Ancelotti gets it right with his strikers. Five goals, four red cards and three arrests...all in the name of the FA Youth Cup | talkSPORT.
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