Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall believes defender Leighton Baines could be the player to be sacrificed in order to fund the club’s bid for Champions League football.

I’M sure Giovanni Trapattoni doesn’t need any additional pressure going into tonight’s European Championship qualifier against Macedonia, but if he does chance to feel the hand of history on his shoulder this morning, it might just be because, on this day 25 years ago, the most celebrated period in Irish football history officially kicked off.

Shay Given will grab with both hands the chance of another international cap against Wales at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

GIANFRANCO ZOLA arrived at Goodison Park is search of some divine inspiration and left with his prayers answered after West Ham finally demonstrated that they have a stomach for the fight they find themselves in at the bottom of the Premier League.

Everton trio Phil Jagielka, Joseph Yobo and Tim Howard have all signed new extended contracts with the club.

TOTTENHAM’S hopes of playing in Europe next season were all but snuffed out by this result, but even that disappointment failed to register on a wretched weekend for the north London club.

COVENTRY goalkeeper Keiren Westwood admits returning to his native Lancashire to face Blackburn in the FA Cup will provide him with a stark reminder of how far he has come in the last few years.

Everton boss David Moyes has admitted there is only a slim chance midfielders Mikel Arteta and Leon Osman will be fit to face Chelsea at Goodison Park tomorrow.

Ryan Giggs is to announce his retirement from international football with Wales this afternoon.

Tim Cahill is the first Everton player for 18 years to be nominated for the European footballer of the year award.

JOHN TOSHACK defiantly calls himself “big bad John” for the way he has had to confront the problems he inherited when he took over as Wales manager last year.

Skipper Gary Speed and former Wrexham boss Brian Flynn have emerged as a potential dream ticket to run the Welsh set-up in the wake of Mark Hughes’ impending departure as national manager.

MARK HUGHES admits he has been picking the managerial brains of Alex Ferguson as he goes about transforming Wales from no-hopers into a team feared on the world stage.