Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has earned his first England call-up under manager Roy Hodgson for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro, the Football Association has confirmed.

Midfielder Park Ji-sung is confident his Manchester United performances will improve because he has quit international football.

Alex Ferguson has assured £17m new-boy Phil Jones he will see plenty of action for Manchester United this season.

Bolton midfielder Mark Davies is confident of being fit for the start of pre-season training next month.

England keeper Joe Hart has admitted Gareth Bale’s absence from Saturday’s Euro 2012 qualifier with Wales is good news.

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Birmingham have completed the £3m signing of midfielder Craig Gardner from local rivals Aston Villa.

Hull are confident of completing a deal for Manchester United’s England Under-21 striker Fraizer Campbell in the near future.

Alex Ferguson intends to carry on as Manchester United manager as long as he feels up to the job.

Ajax have confirmed Ryan Babel’s departure to Liverpool in a deal worth £11.5m.

Liverpool are closing in on Yossi Benayoun after agreeing a fee with West Ham for the Israel midfielder.

Holland Under-21 winger Daniel de Ridder who has just joined the Blues' squad first impressed City manager Steve Bruce with his performances in the recent European Championships.

Newly-promoted Birmingham have added Holland Under-21 winger Daniel de Ridder to their squad for the new Barclays Premier League season.

NAC Breda have given permission for striker Maceo Rigters to open transfer talks with Celtic.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will not have to sell his top players to fund a summer rebuilding programme.

Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has warned his players that Israel are far too good to be only considered the dark horses of their World Cup qualifying group.

Shay Given and Matt Holland both missed the Republic of Ireland’s first training session today ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Israel on Saturday.

The Football Association of Ireland are pressing ahead with plans for their forthcoming matches against Israel in Tel Aviv later this month despite the latest security alert.

Don Givens’ Irish Under-21s aimed to make it 12 games unbeaten against Bulgaria at Drogheda tonight with new star Aiden McGeady in the side.

Cork city’s European dream for next season came to an end tonight when they missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup following the Fair Play League draw in Germany.

Charlton face an agonising wait before they know whether they have gained automatic entry into the UEFA Cup through the Fair Play League.

Nicolas Anelka has been warned by France coach Jacques Santini that he has no future in the national team until he issues an apology for refusing a call-up last year.

Leeds United striker Alan Smith has been dropped from England’s friendly against Denmark on Sunday after he was arrested over allegations he threw a bottle into the crowd at Leeds’s Elland Road ground last month.

Republic of Ireland Under-20 manager Gerry Smith has included 10 players who were in Switzerland last week for the European Under-21 Championship qualifier in a squad of 18 for an Under-20 friendly against Italy in Tolka Park on Wednesday, October 29.

Paul Tierney is out of the Republic of Ireland’s European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Albania tomorrow afternoon.

Ireland have taken a 2-0 lead against Switzerland in their European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Switzerland.

RUSSIA will introduce to international football a player said to be quicker than Michael Owen when they play Ireland today in the opening match of the European Under-21 Championship in Moscow.

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