Liverpool have been boosted by the return to training of striker Daniel Sturridge but it may still be too soon for him to feature in tomorrow’s trip to Manchester United.

It’s almost a year now since this column fulfilled a near life-long sporting ambition with a trip to Chicago to see the Bears host the Green Bay Packers at the iconic Soldier Field.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Gary Lineker has backed Wayne Rooney to amass plenty more England goals between now and the end of his international career and hopes that he can lead the country to the 2018 World Cup.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Wayne Rooney smashed Bobby Charlton’s record and became England’s greatest ever goalscorer with a fine penalty in the 2-0 win over Switzerland at Wembley last night.

In light of yesterday’s Champions League draw, there might be good reason for optimism English clubs will survive the marathon of the group stage but rather less grounds for confidence in the notion they will still be in the race for Milan when the sprint section turns into the final straight.

Manchester City’s Champions League curse returned to haunt them yesterday after they were drawn with last season’s finalists Juventus and Europa League winners Seville for the group stage of the competition.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Former Shelbourne Red Adam McDonnell could be about to face Manchester’s famous Reds of United after the young midfielder finally took his belated first bow for Ipswich Town in their 4-1 League Cup win at Doncaster on Tuesday night.

Club Brugge 0 Manchester United 4 (Manchester United win 7-1 on aggregate): Mission accomplished for Manchester United and Wayne Rooney, in more ways than one, as a hat-trick and routine Champions League victory in Brugge carried Louis van Gaal’s team into today’s draw for the group stages.

Morgan Schneiderlin wants to emulate Roy Keane at Manchester United.

Uefa’s new seeding system means Jose Mourinho faces the possibility of his Chelsea side being in the same group as his old team Real Madrid when the draw for the Champions League takes place in Monaco today.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed he intends to use Marouane Fellaini as a striker this season.

Malmo 2 Celtic 0 (Malmo win 4-3 on aggregate): Celtic’s Champions League hopes ended amid some controversy as a 2-0 defeat by Malmo at the Swedbank Stadion put the Swedish side through to the group stages on a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren has vowed to field the strongest team he can as he bids to end Newcastle’s 46-year trophy drought against Northampton in the Capital One Cup second round tonight.

Spain striker Pedro feels a lack of playing time left him with no choice but to leave Barcelona and make the move to Premier League champions Chelsea.

August of 1969 was a month of events in Northern Ireland which have echoed down through history.

He will compete with Corkonian Colin Doyle and Zdenek Zlamal for a starting place at Tynecastle.

Happy anniversary to us, dear reader. It’s 20 years to the week since this column began, and how very different the United world is today.