Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland is keen to play in the Premier League next season after missing out on a FIFA World Cup call-up.
Butland was named is England s squad for the 2012 UEFA European Championships as the third goalkeeper but was omitted from manager Roy Hodgson s plans for the upcoming World Cup.
The 21-year-old made just three Premier League appearances for Stoke last season, serving loan spells in the Championship with Barnsley and Leeds United.
And the former Birmingham City man feels that he needs to be playing more football in the top flight in order to work his way back into the England set-up.
I m gutted I m not going to the World Cup because you always want to be a part of major tournaments, Butland said.
But I can t sit here and be fru…
Real Madrid treated the 93,702 fans at the sold-out Rose Bowl to a strong performance in their 2-0 friendly win against Juventus, thoroughly outplaying the Italian side by every statistical measure.
It was almost the best possible start for the Spanish giants, finding the back of the net just 14 seconds in, but the celebrations were cut short by the offside flag.
Juventus were the next side to threaten, but Denis Zakaria s hit from the edge of the area found only the woodwork in the 13th minute to keep things tied.
Madrid fans did not have to wait long for the lead, earning a penalty in the 19th minute, and Karim Benzema made no mistake, giving his side a 1-0 advantage.
That score would hold until the 69th minute, when substitutes combined as Jesus Vall…
Mikel Arteta told those who criticised Arsenal s celebrations against Bournemouth last week to go to church instead of attending football matches.
Arsenal players and staff celebrated Reiss Nelson s 97th-minute winner wildly on the pitch as they recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 at Emirates Stadium.
The Football Association opened an investigation into the fervent scenes after they were mentioned in referee Chris Kavanagh s report, but no further action was taken.
Some pundits, including Gary Neville, have questioned Arsenal s celebrations at times this season, but Arteta has no intention of telling his players to rein it in.
If you win in football, you celebrate, he said. If you want passion and emotion, there is nothing better than scoring goals…
Wilfried Zaha has admitted that he would consider making his loan spell at Crystal Palace permanent at the end of the season,.
The winger, who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s final signing at Manchester United, returned to Selhurst Park on a temporary basis in the summer having mad just two league appearances for the Red Devils.
He has made seventeen appearances in all competitions for the Eagles so far this season, scoring his one and only goal in the 3-3 draw at Newcastle United back in August.
With a future at Old Trafford for the two-time England international looking increasingly unlikely, Zaha could well re-sign for Palace permanently in the summer, but if first keen to help the club retain their top flight status.
However, they turn their attention t…
Inter s home defeat to Torino last week may be exactly what the team needed, according to defender Andrea Ranocchia.
Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia feels his side s last-gasp defeat at Torino will serve as motivation for the rest of the season.
The Italian giants travel to Sassuolo on Sunday looking to bounce back from a setback at San Siro last weekend.
Inter controlled the match, but were unable to score before Emiliano Moretti nodded in from three yards for Torino from a 94th-minute corner.
The home loss robbed Inter of momentum after a four-match unbeaten run under new boss Roberto Mancini that showed signs of promise.
New signings Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski have lifted the mood at Inter but defeat to Torino was a blow on a day when …
Portugal manager Paulo Bento insists his side will not fall into the same trap as France by retreating into their shells against Spain.
Les Bleus boss Laurent Blanc made radical changes to his starting line-up ahead of last week s Euro 2012 quarter-final in an attempt to upset Spain s rhythm and knock them out of their usual assured stride.
However, it was a plan that backfired and Bento is adamant he will stay true to the attacking beliefs which have put Portugal on the brink of reaching only the second major final in their history.
Our aim is not to defend all of the time. We can t do this against the reigning world and European champions. We are aware it will be difficult but they know we can pose a lot of problems for them, he said.
It is easy to …
Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has called up Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter Milan midfielder Ricardo Quaresma to his squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Albania.
Ronaldo has only recently recovered from an ankle operation and will return to his national squad for the first time since playing in the Euro 2008.
Queiroz has also called up Chelsea playmaker Deco, despite him being sidelined by his club Chelsea after picking up an injury during the warm-up to the 1-1 draw with Manchester United nearly two weeks ago.
Diagnosed with an upper thigh muscle tear, he was set to be out for approximately two weeks , according to a club statement.
Among the new faces to Queiroz s 23-man squad is Sporting Lisbon defender…
Al Hilal captain Mohammad Al Shalhoub is determined to make sure their maiden Club World Cup campaign continues into the semi-finals ahead of a debut clash with ES Tunis.
The champions of Asia and Africa meet at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday for the right to face Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo in the last four next week.
Al Hilal became continental kings for the first time since 2000 this year, beating Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on aggregate in the AFC Champions League final to avenge their 2-1 defeat to the same opponents two years ago.
The Saudi Arabian side boast a strong contingent of experienced players, including former Juventus and Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco, ex-Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Peru international Andre Carrillo, and it i…
Liverpool kept their first home clean sheet of the Premier League season in a 2-0 win over Watford as Mohamed Salah s double rescued the off-key Reds.
The manner in which Jurgen Klopp s men can win when out of sorts must be hard to swallow for second-placed Leicester, who drew 1-1 at home to Norwich City, and third-placed Manchester City, who travel to Arsenal on Sunday.
Chelsea failed to put pressure on the top three as they succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, but Sheffield United moved up to fifth after brushing Aston Villa aside in a 2-0 win.
Chris Wood s goal was enough to bring Burnley s three-match losing streak to an end and condemn Newcastle United to a first defeat in four league outings.
Watford make Reds work for 16th str…
Harry Redknapp has confirmed a deal between QPR and Real Sociedad for midfielder Esteban Granero has been completed.
The Spaniard moved to Loftus Road in 2012 but suffered relegation from the Premier League in his debut season.
Former Real Madrid man Granero was then loaned to Sociedad but featured only seven times in an injury-hit season where he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Having secured a league winners medal at the Santiago Bernabeu in his three-year spell with the Spanish giants, Granero will return to La Liga next term with Sociedad according to Redknapp.
[Chief executive] Philip Beard did the deal at the weekend, the 67-year-old said on Monday.
I think Esteban is going back and I wish him well. He s a great l…