Wayne Rooney has told former Manchester United team-mate Marcus Rashford to be more selfish and feels Anthony Martial could be one of the best players in the Premier League.

Rooney ended a 13-year association with United before the start of this season, departing as the club s record goalscorer for a return to boyhood club Everton.

The ability and potential of Martial and Rashford, 22 and 20 respectively, was part of the reason for Rooney seeking a fresh start for the final chapter of his career as his first-team opportunities dwindled.

The former England captain believes United s future is in good hands but encouraged Rashford, who has been used predominantly as a wide attacker by Jose Mourinho despite making his first-team breakthrough as a striker, to leave th…

Champions League glory is firmly in the sights of Marco Verratti after the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder signed a contract extension.

Verratti penned a new five-year deal with the French champions that will see him remain in Paris until 2021.

The 23-year-old has won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles since arriving from Pescara in 2012 and the Italian is now eyeing European success under new boss Unai Emery, having failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals in the past four seasons.

We have already won a lot in France and I want to keep on winning and now we also hope to win in Europe because that s our aim, the club s aim,  Verratti said via the club s website.

It s a very, very ambitious aim, but I m a player that likes this type of objective becaus…

Italy captain Andrea Ranocchia has signed a four-year contract extension with Inter.

The defender joined the Milan giants from Genoa in January 2011 and has gone on to become a key player.

Ranocchia has racked up 156 appearances for the Serie A outfit and looks set to make many more after agreeing a new deal.

Inter published a short statement on their website revealing that the centre-back s new contract will run until June 30, 2019.

Goalkeper Juan Pablo Carrizo also signed a new contract on Tuesday, extending his stay for a further two years.

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Youssouf Fofana says he will do everything possible to earn a place in France s starting line-up at the World Cup in Qatar.

Fofana only made his France debut against Austria in September, but his impressive form in Ligue 1 for Monaco was enough to earn him a spot in Didier Deschamps 26-man squad for the tournament.

Injuries to fellow midfielders Paul Pogba and N Golo Kante mean he may even start for the reigning world champions, potentially alongside former team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni.

The 22-year-old says he will do all he can to receive a place among France s starters for their opening match against Australia on Tuesday.

As a newcomer [to the squad], we come to discover this great competition, Fofana told reporters. Whether you are 23 or 30, the firs…

Jurgen Klopp is relishing the opportunity to lead Liverpool at a full Anfield again, insisting memories of the previous meeting with Burnley are far from his mind.

The Reds will be backed by a capacity home crowd for the first time since March 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic meaning fans missed their subsequent Premier League title triumph.

Supporters were also absent in 2020-21, as Liverpool struggled a little, although they maintained an outstanding unbeaten run at home until coming up against Burnley.

Klopp s men had not lost in 68 league matches at Anfield prior to the Clarets 1-0 victory in January, a game in which Liverpool had 26 shots to the visitors six and 72 per cent of the possession.

But Burnley have not won consecutive away league matche…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 4/7 @

Looking to make an immediate return to winning ways on Saturday morning, Melbourne Victory will welcome Western Sydney Wanderers to AAMI Park.

Starting with the hosts, after officially accepting that they will be unable to punch a lucrative AFC Champions League ticket this season, Melbourne are sat in pole position to secure a bronze medal finish in 2024. Last seen missing out on what they had billed as a potential opportunity as they had to settle for a 0-0 stalemate against Brisbane, the Victory have lost just one of their previous six A-League appearances. Opening April with a stunning 2-1 victory against bitter local rivals Melbourne City, Tony Popovic’s side have gained a reputation for their largely rugged performa…

Didier Deschamps has defended his decision to substitute Olivier Giroud in France s World Cup win over Australia, delaying his bid to become France s all-time leading goalscorer outright.

Giroud equalled Thierry Henry s record of 51 goals for France with a brace on Tuesday, helping Les Bleus fight back to post a 4-1 win in their Group D contest.

However, the striker was replaced by Marcus Thuram in the closing stages, meaning he will have to wait until Saturday s meeting with Denmark for another chance to seize the record for himself.

Deschamps was defensive when asked why he withdrew Giroud in his post-match press conference, responding: Would you like to take my place and be the coach?

Olivier Giroud did what he does best, he scored goals. You have t…

Fiorentina have reportedly asked Juventus to include Luca Marrone in their offer for Stevan Jovetic.

The Turin giants saw their previous bid of 13 million euros plus Alessandro Matri and Michele Pazienza turned down by Fiorentina, who were initially holding out for a transfer fee of 30m.

However, Fiorentina could now accept an offer in the region of 22m plus 50 per cent of the economical rights of Marrone, as head coach Vincenzo Montella sees the 22-year-old midfielder as a useful addition to his squad.

Juventus coach Antonio Conte considers Marrone to be an important player for the future, and would support the idea of seeing the former Italy Under-21 starlet earn first-team experience elsewhere as long as the Serie A champions can re-sign him in the future.