Ghana head coach Milovan Rajevac says that Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has decided to take a break from international football to concentrate on regaining top fitness.

The 27-year-old missed the World Cup finals earlier this year due to a serious knee injury, but has returned to the fold for the Blues at the start of the new domestic season.

However, he asked Rajevac ...

It is nigh on impossible to remember a transfer deadline day which did not feature a veritable flurry of activity. Sky Sports News advertises their programming for this day way in advance, safe in the knowledge that there will be last minute drama. Cue television crews and reporters camped outside training grounds hoping to talk with a manager, player or owner. Fans ...

Czech Republic defender Martin Jiranek has confirmed that he turned down offers from a number of clubs across Europe in favour of joining Birmingham City.

The 31-year-old has signed an initial one-year deal with the Blues, having been allowed to leave Spartak Moscow before the transfer window slammed shut.

He told the Birmingham Mail:"I had many offers. Three from teams in

Jermaine Pennant’s footballing ability is often overshadowed by his stormy past. His most notorious incidents came at Arsenal where in January of 2005; he wrapped his Mercedes-Benz around a lamppost after previously being banned for 16 months because of a drink-driving incident.

When he joined them at the age of 16, he was the country’s ...

Mention the name Kevin MacDonald at Aston Villa and you are likely to elicit a response brimming with admiration.

The caretaker boss is an unsung hero at Villa Park, having spent years nurturing the talents of players such as Gabriel Agbonlahor, Nathan Delfounseo and Marc Albrighton and whilst his work is appreciated within the ...

For the last decade or so the FA has resembled the land that time forgot. Proactivity, decisiveness and dynamism should be the watchwords of any organisation, but the dinosaurs at the FA have failed utterly to possess any of these qualities. That being said you could probably make a decent soap-opera about the FA, given the seemingly endless stream of sleaze that it has been associated with. Former FA ...

Last Sunday saw a cracking Premier League match between Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City, which eventually ended all square but not before the Trotters and the Blues had gone toe-to-toe for 90 minutes. The Reebok Stadium was the scene for this enthralling encounter, which saw Johnson and Gardner put Birmingham 2-0 ahead, before a 10 man ...

With new players and bigger squads comes the juggling act of finding a team that is balanced and effective. Harry Redknapp now has that problem more than at any other time in his career. Although the Brazilian, Sandro was Spurs’ first bit of business of the summer, he has only just arrived ...

Last month an article on FootballFanCast speculated on whether Tony Carr’s latest crop of West Ham youngsters were getting sufficient playing chances. Only one of the club’s selected under-21 players has gone out on loan so far. Avram Grant may feel a larger squad is necessary and decide to bleed in his young starlets this season. Former Irons ...

After everything that has been argued, debated and written about Arsenal and England star Theo Walcott since he was left out of Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad, it was refreshing change on Tuesday when I picked up a newspaper to finally hear from the player himself.

Walcott ...

Wales manager John Toshack has revealed that Gareth Bale was the subject of a "big-money bid" from an unnamed club over the summer.

The 21-year-old Tottenham star has been one the stars of the opening weeks of the new season but could easily have been playing for another club, according to Toshack.

The former Southampton star only signed a four-year contract with Spurs four months ago but that did not ...

England manager Fabio Capello has faced a national backlash following England’s dreadful performance this summer in South Africa but the media abuse of the Italian has started to get out of hand. The Sun have been the chief architects in the war against Capello with ...

Transfer deadline day saw ex-Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder Eidur Gudjohnsen seal a one year contract with Stoke City. Potter’s boss Tony Pulis has been busy in the transfer window, building an exciting ...

When Alexander Hleb left Arsenal in 2008 to join Barcelona his slightly acrimonious departure held no hint of a return to the Premier League two years on so you can imagine the Emirates faithful’s surprise as he arrived ...

For Sunderland, everything is in place. Looking around the league and seeing financial struggles, manager/chairman tensions, player revolts and alike amongst their opponents, the view from the Stadium of Light can be considered somewhat rose-tinted.

In Ellis Short they have financial stability and backing. In Niall Quinn, there is a chairman who genuinely cares for ...

Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic has indicated that he had the chance to move to Manchester City before eventually opting to join AC Milan.

Ibrahimovic moved to the San Siro on loan with a view to a permanent switch after enduring a disappointing season with Barcelona following last summer's transfer from Inter Milan.

City have splashed the cash on the likes of Mario ...

Aston Villa have re-signed veteran goalkeeper Andy Marshall to act as cover for Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan.

The 35-year-old has penned a contract that will keep him at Villa Park until the end of the season.

The former Norwich City, Ipswich Town and Millwall shot-stopper was released by Coventry City at the end of ...

West Ham United winger Valon Behrami is disappointed that he was not able to seal a move away from Upton Park on transfer deadline day.

The 25-year-old Switzerland international was linked with a transfer to Roma during the summer only for the proposed switch to fall through.

Behrami, who has made 55 appearances for the Hammers following his move from Lazio two ...

Former Italy boss Roberto Donadoni has applied for the Aston Villa managerial post, according to his UK representative.

The 46-year-old led Italy to the last-eight at Euro 2008 but has been unable to secure a job since leaving Napoli more than ten months ago.

Charles Collymore told skysports.com:"Roberto is a great student of the English game and he is very interested in the job at

Zimbabwe international Benjani claims that some of the players at Manchester City are motivated purely by money.

The 32-year-old has signed for Blackburn Rovers after enduring a frustrating time at Eastlands and admits he did not enjoy his spell at the big-spending club.

He told the Daily Telegraph: ''It sounds great, but in football money is not everything.

''What is needed is people ...