ENGLAND captain David Beckham has become the top paid footballer in the world, earning €22.4m last year, bi-weekly soccer magazine France Football reported last night.

Having been sent off at Newcastle United in September 2001, Roy Keane wondered if he should give up football. In his autobiography he describes how he ran through his options if he left Manchester United.

MANCHESTER UNITED have confirmed Spanish defender Gerard Pique has signed a new contract to keep him at Old Trafford until June 2009.

NICKY BUTT has accepted the chance of a season’s loan at Birmingham to avoid the prospect of spending the months before the 2006 World Cup on the Newcastle bench.

NEWCASTLE midfielder Nicky Butt will sit out the club’s next three European games after being banned by UEFA.

Richie Ryan (Arena letter, June 14) thinks it is both racist and bizarre that Irish people want the English soccer team to lose, but he is wrong on both counts.

ALEX Ferguson believes Everton’s swoop for England striker Andy Johnson could prove the signing of the summer.

CHELSEA chief executive Peter Kenyon has confirmed the club have been offered the chance to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack.

Royal Antwerp 1 Manchester United 6

INTER Milan have completed the signing of former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira from Juventus for £6.5m.

Manchester United forward Memphis Depay has been involved in a spat with former Red Devils striker Robin van Persie during a Holland training session.

Mikie Sheehan and Peter McNamara join Stephen Barry for a packed show previewing a bumper sporting weekend.

Paul Hartley and Gary Caldwell have been ruled out of Scotland’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday.