O’Shea set for massive United pay deal
Republic of Ireland international O’Shea, 22, has three years to run on his present deal but United, in a bid to make sure the talented defender is not lured away from Old Trafford, are ready to move him up their internal pay scale.
In March 2002, O’Shea signed a new four-year deal having made just eight senior appearances.
But this season has seen O’Shea become an important first team player with 47 appearances including 39 starts. The Waterford-born player won praise yesterday from manager Alex Ferguson.
“John O’Shea and Wes Brown are young defenders,” Ferguson said. “Wes needs games. He still needs the experience of playing a whole season, and I think in two or three years time he could be a very good player.
“O’Shea has shown that and Rio Ferdinand has achieved a lot in his first year at Manchester United.”
O’Shea, who was reported to be on a ‘reserve’ weekly wage in the region of stg£10,000 (€14,000), could now skip the lower band for senior players and move straight onto the middle tier with a pay packet of stg£35,000 (€50,000) per week.
In the meantime, O’Shea faces a fitness battle in order to be ready for the Premiership leaders’ home game against Charlton tomorrow following the recurrence of a knee injury. Gary Neville is already out for the remainder of the season and will face surgery after suffering further “discomfort” from the foot injury which wrecked his chances of appearing in the World Cup finals.
Ferguson yesterday escaped with a stg£4,500 (€6,400) fine for suggesting that the Champions League quarter-finals draw may have been fixed, after making a humble apology to UEFA.
The Manchester United manager submitted a 10-page document to UEFA’s control and disciplinary panel apologising for his comments and pointing out he has publicly withdrawn the remarks.
The fine was imposed at a UEFA disciplinary hearing at their Nyon headquarters in Switzerland, and Ferguson, whose mitigation included a letter from United lawyer Maurice Watkins, will be relieved to have escaped a touchline ban.
Meanwhile, O’Shea’s international colleague Damien Duff has been hailed as one of the best players in the world following his dazzling display in the friendly victory over Norway on Wednesday night at Lansdowne Road.
Sunderland winger Kevin Kilbane played alongside Duff and saw how much the alternative formation benefited the team.
“I think we created a few chances and Damien was on fire,” said Kilbane. “He had more freedom to play off the front two and play in that little hole.
“His pace and skills are frightening. Norway are top of their group and a quality team and Damien made them look like mugs.
“He produced a performance on that pitch which shows how good a player he is.
“He is getting better and better and the older he gets the wiser he will become. Give him another couple of years and he will be up there will the world’s best, although he is already in my opinion.”
*THERE could be one midfield player moving between Manchester United and Real Madrid but, rather than David Beckham, the most likely candidate is Claude Makelele. The France player is high on Alex Ferguson’s wish list as he attempts to turn his team into European champions.
The holding player is the lowest-paid of Real’s regular starting XI and, unless he is given a new contract at the Bernabéu this summer, is understood to be ready for a move, if it can make him rich.
Makelele would cost less than £10m (€14m) because of his age and United’s interest in him is another complication to the continuing saga involving Beckham.
A new goalkeeper is essential after the collapse of Fabien Barthez’s form and the United manager also believes that he must recruit more players with pace and the ability to beat opponents, which explains why Jermain Defoe, the West Ham United striker, and Ronaldinho are also on his list.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
