Chelsea have agreed to sign Werder Bremen midfielder Marko Marin.

Barring an unexpected hitch, Roy Hodgson will become the new England manager after it was confirmed last night that the Football Association had been granted permission to speak with the West Brom boss.

IRELAND’s love-affair with the Heineken Cup is about to reach into the stratosphere, with a first ever all-Ireland final at the headquarters of English rugby in three weeks.

Giovanni Trapattoni has said that he expects his players to be responsible and to “not betray the Irish people” by breaching discipline off the pitch during the European Championship finals.

It’s been a fallow few seasons for Cork Harlequins in national competitions, but they continued to roll back the years in stunning style on Saturday to see off Banbridge 2-1 and progress to the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals.

An Irish crystal company is poised to tap into the current goodwill from the Chinese market towards business in this part of the world — with the help of former employees of a world-famous brand.

The Spanish team may not be the only European champions Ireland face this summer.

It had to happen sometime, I suppose: Luis Suarez getting the headlines for the one thing he is actually paid to do...

Ulster’s progress today to a Heineken Cup final depends on...

Forget the heroics of 1999, in picking Paddy Jackson to start at fly-half in today’s Heineken Cup semi-final with Edinburgh (5.45pm), Brian McLaughlin could not have sent out a clearer message to the Ulster faithful that his team is ready to write a new chapter in their history.

The All Blacks side to tackle Ireland in a three-test series will be named on June 3.

Bridesmaid. It’s a word that seems to provoke equal amounts of fear and loathing from members of the opposite sex, much to the incomprehension of men everywhere.

Neil Lennon has expressed regret over the incident at the end of the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Hearts at Hampden a fortnight ago which is likely to see him hit with another touchline ban, according to first-team coach Alan Thompson.

A day after shooting the lowest official score of his career, a 10-under-par 61 to set the course record, Pádraig Harrington slumped to a two- over 73 in the Transitions Championship in Florida, yesterday.

He might be a knight of the realm and chairman of the Premier League to boot but it seems Dave Richards is now destined to be forever remembered as the man who put the ‘Doh’ in ‘Doha’.

Harry Redknapp has told Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to stop sticking his nose in Tottenham’s business and start concentrating on his own performances.

1 DEFENCE

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has urged his players to end their RBS 6 Nations campaign on a high with a victory over England at Twickenham today.

Declan Kidney’s side have produced several flashes of brilliance in their last four games but unfortunately these moments have been eclipsed by too many sequences of mediocrity.

England’s new boys have nothing to fear from Ireland or their country’s poor home record against today’s visitors to Twickenham, captain Chris Robshaw and coach Andy Farrell insisted yesterday.