Kevin De Bruyne has played through serious pain with Manchester City this season but feels his condition is starting to improve.
The Belgium international has had a tough few months due to physical ailments, starting with the collision with Antonio Rudiger in the Champions League final that left him with a fractured nose and eye socket.
De Bruyne was able to recover in time to play a part in Belgium s ultimately unsuccessful Euro 2020 campaign, though he sustained another injury in the last-16 victory over Portugal.
It was ankle ligament damage on that occasion, yet De Bruyne still played Belgium s next game as they were eliminated by eventual champions Italy.
The midfielder was able to have a brief cameo in City s Premier League opener but then disappe…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer acknowledged Jesse Lingard s disappointment at a lack of playing time following rumours suggesting contract talks with the midfielder had collapsed.
Various publications claimed on Thursday that discussions over a new Manchester United deal for England international Lingard had broken down.
The 28-year-old s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and United seemingly look set to lose a valuable asset on a free transfer.
The speculation has stoked criticism of United s decision-making, given the club almost certainly could have fetched £25million for Lingard in pre-season after he enjoyed a scintillating loan spell at West Ham.
Between his Hammers debut in February and the end of 2020-21, Lingard scored nine times in the …
Unai Emery has his sights set on winning the Premier League or Champions League with Aston Villa after securing a top-four finish earlier this week.
Fifth-place Tottenham s defeat to title-chasing Manchester City on Tuesday meant Villa will play in Europe s premier club competition next season for the first time in 41 years.
Emery s side conclude a memorable season – in which they also reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals – away at Crystal Palace on the final day.
And the Spaniard is already focused on achieving bigger and better things with Villa.
It really was amazing when the [Tottenham-Manchester City] match finished, he smiled. At the beginning of the season, it was really a dream. Of course, we worked hard to try to be there.
…
Zlatko Dalic pinpointed Dominik Livakovic as the difference in Croatia s World Cup quarter-final win over Brazil, while he hailed the unbelievable Luka Modric.
Croatia, as they did against Japan in the round of 16, progressed in Qatar with a penalty shoot-out victory over Tite s side on Friday after a 1-1 draw at Education City Stadium.
A well-crafted Neymar strike before half-time in extra-time seemed to have Brazil on course for the final four, only for substitute Bruno Petkovic to level with a deflected strike with four minutes remaining.
Livakovic made the most saves by a Croatian in a World Cup match (11) before stepping up in the shoot-out to deny Rodrygo as Croatia reached the semi-finals in FIFA s top tournament for just a third time.
A couple of…
Nathan Dyer has vowed to fulfil his potential at Swansea City after pledging his future to the club by signing a new four-year deal.
Dyer has made no secret of his desire to remain at the Liberty Stadium over the past month despite being a reported transfer target for Everton, and he has now penned terms until July 2017.
The 25-year-old winger joined from Southampton in 2009 following an initial loan spell and has since played an integral part in helping the club achieve promotion and subsequently stay in the Premier League last season.
A brace from Dyer, who was due to be out of contract in 12 months time, in the League Cup final against Bradford City in February also ensured that Swansea secured their first major trophy.
Having agreed his new deal, Dyer is exci…
Runaway LaLiga champions Real Madrid welcome Real Betis for the last game of the domestic season in what was supposed to be just a dress rehearsal ahead of next week s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
But the shock retirement announcement of midfielder Toni Kroos on Tuesday suddenly changed the significance of Saturday s clash, which quickly lost that end-of-the-season vibe.
A sold-out crowd will bid farewell to a fan favourite and all-time club great who will play his final game at the stadium after a remarkable decade with the Spanish giants.
Kroos said in a statement on his social media that his last game for Madrid will be next week s Champions League final, adding that he will retire after this year s European Championship on home…
Erik Lamela hopes to stay at Tottenham next season for the Premier League club s return to Champions League action.
Mauricio Pochettino s men fell short in their title bid but are favourites to claim second place ahead of rivals Arsenal going into the final round of fixtures this weekend.
It means Spurs will once again contest a tournament where they embarked upon a memorable run to the quarter-finals in 2010-11.
Lamela has enjoyed his most impressive season to date in Tottenham colours, earning him a place in Argentina s provisional squad for the Copa America Centenario.
The 24-year-old former Roma winger has designs on one day returning to boyhood club River Plate, but not for the foreseeable future.
Honestly, I feel comfortable in Tottenham, …
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has paid tribute to midfielder Gareth Barry ahead of what is set to be his 500th Premier League appearance.
The England international will become the 10th player in Premier League history to reach the landmark if he features in the club s fixture against Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Monday.
Barry made his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in May 1998 and will join the likes of Frank Lampard and Ryan Giggs in featuring 500 times in the top flight.
The 32-year-old moved to Manchester City in June 2009 and was part of the side that won the FA Cup in 2011 and the Premier League title in 2012.
Martinez then took him to Goodison Park on a loan deal in August and the Spaniard hailed Barry s professionalism.
I don t think th…
It takes courage and determination to recover from a serious injury late in a footballer s career.
Some players unfortunate enough to rupture a cruciate ligament at the age 32 would even consider giving up.
And then there s the worst-case scenario; having laboured through months of rehabilitation and battled with the isolation of being away from your team-mates, every player fears suffering a recurrence of that injury, which is exactly the fate that befell Zoltan Gera.
The midfielder, just months after re-joining West Brom from Fulham, tore the ACL in his left knee in November 2011, keeping him out until the end of the season.
In January 2013 the curse struck again, this time forcing Gera to remain on the sidelines until October that year.
By the …
that Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for long-term target Steven Caulker.
The Reds boss Brendan Rodgers is far from satisfied with his current defensive options and he is hoping to lure the Tottenham graduate to Anfield in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool attempted to sign Steven Caulker last summer, but Spurs opted against selling the youngster to their rivals and instead farmed him out to Cardiff City.
However, with the Bluebirds suffering relegation to the Championship, the Reds are convinced they can finally acquire his signature.
Steven Caulker has enjoyed a very good season on personal level, playing full 90 minutes in all 37 league fixtures this season and scoring 5 goals in the process.
Despite suffering relegation to the sec…