Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland are set to face China in a friendly international after the European Championships.

The summer after his departure from Manchester United, Roy Keane gave a riveting two-hour talk to the Cork hurlers who were then bidding for a third All-Ireland in a row.

Falling in love with the game. Falling out of love with the game. And now, after years of thinking his chance had passed him by, the opportunity to represent his country at the European Championship finals. West Brom and Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews tells his story

Mark Rohan’s story is so engaging it could keep the spools of a recorder turning for hours but, this being Ireland, the conversation eventually wound its way around to the more humdrum topic of the weather on Thursday.

Liverpool are to allow unprecedented behind-the-scenes dressing-room access to American broadcaster FOX Soccer for a six-part documentary.

Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini has warned his team that beating Manchester United on Monday night might not be enough to guarantee them the title.

Paul McGinley displayed his dogged fighting qualities in posting a one under par 71 on the first day of the Ballantine’s Championship in Seoul.

The multi-talented Quevega produced a dazzling display to slam Voler La Vedette in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes.com Series World Hurdle at Punchestown last evening.

Henry Cecil’s incredible colt Frankel stepped up his recovery from injury with a piece of work in Newmarket yesterday morning.

The provincial spotlight is set to remain firmly focused on Leinster and Ulster this week as Munster are at least a week away from announcing who will fill the hot seat on Tony McGahan’s departure at the end of the season.

TAKE Paddy With You. Just tuck him inside your mobile phone, or onto your iPad. But most of all, take him in your head, where he can pop out every now and again, tap you on the shoulder, and whisper that it’s time for a flutter.

Adam Nolan, with Olympic qualification secured, rounded off a memorable week with the gold medal around his neck after beating the teak tough German welterweight Patrick Wojcicki on countback at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Trabzon.

Leinster utility back Isa Nacewa is hoping he won’t be forced out of the province by bureaucracy — but says he will accept it if he must leave.

There’s little doubt that Sergio Ramos stands out.

The IRFU have announced the structures and pathway which they hope will take an Irish women’s team to the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, and possibly the 2016 Olympics — but there will be no similar initiative in the men’s game.

Show jumper Denis Lynch last night qualified for tomorrow’s showdown at the World Cup finals in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

Alex Ferguson does not believe FIFA will ever launch a crackdown to rid football of the scourge of diving.

Roberto Di Matteo yesterday insisted he had spoken to no one at Chelsea about becoming manager full-time and refused to set a deadline for declaring whether he wanted the job.

Paul McGinley fully acknowledges he is widely regarded as a red-hot favourite to become the first Irish captain of the 2014 European Ryder Cup team.

Manchester United continue to top the Forbes list as the most valuable football club in the world but Real Madrid are gaining ground.