Lampard says England best placed for hosting 2018 World Cup

LONDON - Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has backed England’s World Cup bid and feels there are “so many reasons” why they should stage the 2018 tournament.

Gascoigne slept with hookers, claims ex-wife

LONDON - Football legend Paul Gascoigne a.k.a Gazza has slept with prostitutes, according to his former wife.

Beck’s Armani success spurs him to launch own range of underwear

LONDON - After the immense success of Armani kecks, advertised by David Beckham, the England striker has decided to cash on the factor and launch his own range of men’s underwear.

Manchester United eyeing 10 mln pound deal with Russian goalkeeper Akinfeev

LONDON - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly keen on signing Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev during the January transfer window.

FA seeks ban on players, managers, referees found placing any kind of bets on the game

LONDON - FA chairman Lord Triesman has insisted that players, managers and referees should be banned from football if they are found guilty of placing any kind of bets on the game.

Axed Harmison gets whopping 600,000 pounds contract from Durham

LONDON - England fast bowler Steve Harmison has agreed a new four-year contract with Durham worth around 600,000 pounds.

Manchester City set for 65-mn pounds Ribery swoop

LONDON - English Premier League big spenders Manchester City will go all out to make a stunning bid for Bayern Munich’s star Franck Ribery.

Injury-hit Ferdinand wary of his place in England World Cup squad

LONDON - Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who has suffered a string of injuries during recent months, has admitted that he is sweating over whether he will make it to the World Cup Finals.

Benitez assures Liverpool owner of winning honours through tranquility, confidence

LONDON - Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has told the club’s joint owner George Gillett that they can win the title if they are tranquil and confident.

Ronaldo laughs off Rooney’s Portuguese ‘death wish’ comment

LONDON - Ace striker Cristiano Ronaldo has laughed off Wayne Rooney’s comments that he hopes Portugal do not qualify for the World Cup.

England football players to get 400,000 pounds each for winning World Cup

LONDON - The England football team players will get four lakh pounds each as bonus if they win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Cristiano Ronaldo ‘records slushy love song for TV ad’

LONDON - Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo recently recorded songs for a new TV commercial.

The footballer belted out South American ballad Amor Mio, as well as Barry White’s “Walrus of Love.”

US Soccer president Gulati says Americans must approach World Cup with attitude it can win it

LONDON — U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati believes the Americans can win next year’s World Cup.

Wayne Rooney’s goal scoring skills don’t impress Marcel Desailly

LONDON - In a major snub to England strikers- Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey and Peter Crouch, Former French footballer Marcel Desailly has claimed that though coach Fabio Capello can lead them to victory, but one major weakness is the lack of a world class striker.

Nelson Piquet Jr hopes to make a comeback to F1

LONDON - Disgraced former Renault Formula One racing driver Nelson Piquet Jr has said that he is looking forward to make a comeback to F1 racing less that 12 months after the Singapore Grand Prix fiasco.

Felipe Massa to wave chequered flag at Brazilian GP

LONDON - Injured Brazilian Formula One racing driver Felipe Massa will be back in action during the Brazilian Grand Prix next week, where he would be waving the chequered flag.

Posh inspired Melanie Slade for going beyond being a WAG

LONDON - English footballer Theo Walcott’s girlfriend Melanie Slade has said that Victoria Beckham encouraged her to have her own identity other than being a WAG.

Saudi Arabian millionaires can buy most English football clubs: Almedlej

LONDON - Dr Hafez Almedlej, the chairman of the Saudi Professional League Commission, has claimed that English football clubs are gaining in popularity and a dozen Saudi Arabian millionaires might come forward to buy some of them.

Harmison was dumped because of his retirement ultimatum

LONDON - Steve Harmison’s dumping from England’s South African tour has renewed the row over his announcement last month that he would retire from international cricket if he was not selected for the tour.

Rooney lucky to escape Becks treatment in last World Cup

LONDON - When Wayne Rooney was sent off against Portugal for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho during the 2006 World Cup quarter-final, he escaped scot free.

Rio Ferdinand ready to lock horns with “Hell’s Kitchen” chef Marco White

LONDON - Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has said that he is to lock horns with Hell’s Kitchen top chef Marco Pierre White.

Tennis star Dokic’s jailed dad goes on hunger strike

LONDON - Tennis player Jelena Dokic’s father has launched a hunger strike to protest against his 15-month jail sentence for threatening Australia’s ambassador to Serbia.

Stuart Broad’s ex-girlfriend lands lingerie offer

LONDON - Model Chloe Mosley’s career seems to be in no way affected by her split with English cricketer Stuart Broad.

Shah vows to fight for his England spot

LONDON - Middlesex middle order batsman Owais Shah has vowed to keep on fighting for his England spot despite being dropped from the one-day squad for the winter tour to South Africa.

Owen won’t lose sleep if he doesn’t play for England

LONDON - Manchester United striker Michael Owen has said that he won’t face sleepless nights if he doesn’t find a place in England squad for World Cup 2010.

‘I’ll take the abuse on the Proteas tour as a compliment,’ says KP

LONDON - England’s best batsman Kevin Pietersen is raring to go back to South Africa, the land where he grew up, and says that he is more than ready to cop a few abuses, as he sees such diatribe as a compliment and acknowledgement of his cricketing ability.

Brit Andy Murray may drop to No. 4 in world tennis rankings

LONDON - Twenty-two-year-old Andy Murray’s unwillingness to risk his injured left wrist in order to play for his country may well cost him his world No 3 ranking.

Rooney may miss his first child’s birth

LONDON - England striker Wayne Rooney has no plans to attend the birth of his first child, as he is away in Ukraine playing for team’s World Cup qualifier.

Juventus hope to recruit Mascherano and deepen Liverpool’s misery

LONDON - Juventus are preparing to deepen Liverpool’s misery with a January raid for 24-year-old Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano.

Rooney wants Ronaldo to crash out of 2010 World Cup

LONDON - England forward Wayne Rooney wants former Manchester United mate and Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo to crash out of the World Cup.

England’s World Cup bid signs up foreign Premier League players, gets LA Galaxy CEO’s backing

LONDON — England’s 2018 World Cup bid received the backing Thursday of the CEO of the company that owns the Los Angeles Galaxy, despite the United States being of the one main competitors to host the tournament.

LA Galaxy boss Leiweke wants Beckham’s new Milan loan set in 2 weeks before MLS playoffs

LONDON — The Los Angeles Galaxy want David Beckham’s expected loan to AC Milan to be completed in the next two weeks so the deal doesn’t distract from the team’s bid for the MLS Cup.

Soccer league in England tells clubs to reveal the identities of their owners

LONDON — The English Football League is demanding that all its clubs reveal the identities of their owners.

Man City’s Ireland sees red over girlfriend crashing œ264K Bentley

LONDON - Manchester City ace Stephen Ireland saw red when his girlfriend pranged a 264,000 pound motor just days after he bought it for her.

Briatore to be kicked out of Queens Park Rangers?

LONDON - After being banned for life by Formula One’s governing body, disgraced former Renault team chief Flavio Briatore will be reportedly kicked out of the Queens Park Rangers (QPR) by the Football League on Thursday.