All posts by h79snht.top

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has endured a strained relationship ever since taking over the club in the summer with midfielder Stewart Downing, but after the player’s recent confession that he’s been told that he can look elsewhere for a new club in January is simply latest example in a whole line of bundled communicative measures which could prove the last straw in extending his time on Merseyside.

Back in September, the 39-year-old boss challenged both Downing and Jose Enrique to up their game otherwise the exit door loomed large for them at Anfield, explaining: “What is important is that you have good communication. I don’t waste time waiting until January to tell both players what I know now. We will give them everything to help them to be better, but if they don’t want to show that self-motivation – and if they haven’t got that desire and hunger to succeed – then it can be very difficult. Stewart is a good guy but it hasn’t quite worked out for him as he would want it. The big challenge for him now is that commitment to the cause – to fight – because he has the qualities. Talent alone is not enough. You have to work hard; you have to fight for the shirt. I will keep private the discussions Stewart and I have had but he is under no illusion that he has to fight.”

Quite aside from the fact that this wasn’t keeping the conversations between the pair private by any stretch, openly calling out a player in public and slamming him for his past form is a bold move to take as it leaves little wriggle room if things don’t improve, while also souring relations to an alarming extent, creating needless tension for the media to thrive on.

This prompted Downing to, sadly again, publicly lash out at Rodgers’ confrontational style and respond to claims that some of the players were ‘lazy’ during their 3-2 defeat at home to Udinese in the Europa League: “I was obviously upset. I always try to give my best. You’ll have to ask the manager what he meant by his quotes. I would have preferred it obviously if it was private. Bravery is a lot of things, if you want tackling, running around bustling, that obviously is not my game. But bravery is also taking the ball when you are losing a game and creating things, which I try to do. We’ve had a few conversations. You can sit in offices for hours and talk about my game, but the only way I can prove it is out on the field. When I’m given that chance I have to take it. I thought I did OK against Udinese. I’ve three years left on my contract so I’m going nowhere. I will fight.”

All is clearly not well between the pair, and while Rodgers praised Downing’s display and winning goal during the 1-0 win over Anzhi Makhachkala at home in his post-match press conference, his actions in walking onto the pitch and pointing to Downing for the applause of the crowd, while well-intentioned, only served to come across as deeply patronising.

The latest step comes after Downing  revealed in a frank interview with Liverpool’s match-day programme before their game against Aston Villa last weekend: “The manager has said I can leave if I want to. But then all of a sudden I’ve come back into the team, it’s a strange situation. I’ve played for a long time and there are spells when you can be in and out of the side. At the minute I’m trying to play as many games as possible. If that doesn’t happen I’m at an age where I can’t be sat around. I need to play and the manager understands that. That’s how the situation is and we’ll have to see what happens in January or the summer.”

Putting aside quite how the club can ever hope to receive any sort of return on their £20m investment on such a clear flop, one who has frequently been played out of position at left-back and is known to have a fractious relationship with his manager, why the club deemed it intelligent to place that in the programme truly beggars belief. The club used to be known as one which kept matters such as this in-house; they were private and sorted between the two parties amicably, but this soap opera is being played out in the public arena and neither side is helping as they air their dirty linen in public.

You can hardly blame Downing for feeling marginalised, after all, he is the club’s fourth-most expensive player ever, yet he has been routinely humiliated and made to feel small by a manager who appears to think that getting right up in someone’s face is the correct approach for every single player, but each player responds differently; some prefer the arm around the shoulder, others being barked orders at.

It’s bizarre to say the least and this whole situation has been created by Rodgers ostracising of Downing in public, leading the player to try and get his own version of events across. You could comfortably attribute blame to both, but the conditions for this situation were first created by the manager back in September.

The 28-year-old has never played to the best of his somewhat limited ability during his time at the club and they would be well within their rights to try and move him on as he’s been granted numerous opportunities to impress. The truth of the matter is that Liverpool grossly overpaid for a one-dimensional winger with very little pace, so his failure should come as no surprise, for he’s been a divisive figure for years and was purchased off the back of his first truly exceptional season at club level which has proven to be the exception rather than the rule.

Despite all of this, though, Rodgers desire to create news where none exists and keep the media in the loop with his brutal honesty has only served to backfire and will surely only weaken the club’s negotiating position when they do come to sell. There’s nothing that has been said in public by either Rodgers or Downing that would not have had the same impact in private and by making this falling-out visible to everyone, while it may be honesty, in this case it has certainly proved not to be the best policy for the reaction it has caused, the tense environment it has created and the needless attention it has attracted.

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Marco Reus has often been linked with Premier League clubs but his anticipated move to the English top flight could finally materialise this summer, following reports that the Borussia Dortmund star has stalled contract talks at Westfalen.

News of the German international’s apparent £20million release clause, set to come into effect in summer 2015, was brought to light during the off-season by none other than Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.  It was assumed however, Reus’s  loyalty, despite his availability, remained firmly with Jurgen Klopp’s side.

But with discussions over a new deal – that would eradicate his remarkably cheap buy-out fee -reportedly hitting a sour note, potential suitors will feel their chances of signing Reus have dramatically improved. And according to the tabloids, Arsenal and Liverpool have emerged as the most interested parties.

It won’t be the clear-cut choice the British press are currently making out. After all, Reus is regarded as one of the most exciting attacking talents in European football, and at just 25 years of age, virtually every major club on the continent will look to capitalise upon the opportunity to sign the forward for his best years.

But in the interests of debate, the question must be asked; who should Marco Reus choose – the Mersey outfit or the Gunners?

Liverpool need a new hero after losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona this summer and Reus is more than capable of filling that void with a paralleled talismanic tone.

It may not be an achievement of recognised value like trophies or titles, but maintaining the tradition of world-class attacking talent at Anfield is an honour in its own right. Reus possesses the quality to rival the likes of Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Kenny Dalglish in Liverpool’s history books, and one can already envisage him in the famous No.7 jersey.

That nostalgic prestige won’t be enough on its own however, and at this moment in time, it remains to be seen just where Brendan Rodgers can take the club in terms of silverware. Following their subdued start to the season, even Liverpool’s Champions League status is currently under threat.

History tells us too that Anfield is more of a stepping stone than a final destination. Many of the aforementioned names left for huge money to the world’s top clubs. Having already more than proved his worth at Borussia Dortmund, it’s not as if Reus needs the platform Liverpool would provide to attract attention from Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Philosophically however, Liverpool’s style of play suits the Germany star well. The Anfield outfit share many characteristics with the Black-Yellows; particularly, their industriousness, desire to defend from the front and the ability to move the ball at breakneck pace going forward. In theory, Reus would transition to life on Merseyside with few teething pains.

Not that he’d be in any way alien to Arsenal’s brand of football. Reus is best famed for his electric pace but the forward’s technical qualities are equally astounding. And the level of talent on the display at the Emirates is arguably more alluring than Anfield- the prospect of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Reus operating in attacking tandem verges upon orgasmic. You could throw Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere into that equation too.

The recent plight of Mesut Ozil however should serve as a warning to Reus. Arsene Wenger spent around £80million to bring Ozil and Sanchez to the Emirates, but he’s yet to truly mould the team around either of them – something the Dortmund star would surely expect should he join the Arsenal ranks next summer.

Of course, Reus is an exceptionally versatile footballer but that same characteristic has served his countryman poorly, who now finds himself regularly lingering in an unaccommodating role on the right hand side. The core of the issue is Arsenal’s depth of quality in midfield; Wenger struggles to find room for all and, as is the case with Ozil, eventually settles on an uneasy compromise.

Comparatively, at Liverpool, Reus would be uncontested for his habitual role on the left hand side; currently, the Anfield roster is absent of established wide options. How he would fit into a strike-force that already contains two elite strikers in Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge however, or how Rodgers would balance gametime between the German,  Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana in the No.10 role, remain further conundrums.

Admittedly, the differences between the two clubs are rather minimal. Both will be competing for the same aims in the league this season, both will be challenging regularly for auxiliary silverware, and both employ a style of football that suits Reus’ natural strengths as a footballer.

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In terms of the starting Xi however, I feel that there would be a natural role for Reus at Liverpool, or at least, Brendan Rodgers will feel obliged to carve one for him. For Arsenal on the other hand, he’d only be exacerbating a situation that Arsene Wenger is already struggling to resolve.

That being said, a year in the world of Premier League football is a very, very long time.

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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…

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Roberto Mancini and Mario Balotelli are said to have had another bust-up after Manchester City relinquished their lead to draw 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday.

The temperamental Italian forward was left on the bench for the crunch fixture, with Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero starting for the Premier League champions.

Balotelli did get a chance to enter the play after 85 minutes, replacing Aguero towards the end of the game.

The pair have had clashes before, with Balotelli getting sent off against Arsenal last season at the Emirates Stadium and feeling the anger of Mancini after the dismissal.

It is believed that Balotelli confronted his trainer after the game on Sunday, and Mancini pushed the striker in the tunnel, but the City manager has refused to exaggerate the incident.

“I don’t remember what happened after the game,” Mancini is quoted as saying by Mirror Football.

“I don’t know if he was asking me something. That’s not ­important. Mario thinks it was important, probably. I don’t know. Tomorrow I’ll ask him.”

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Balotelli has recently returned to action after laser surgery on his eye, but is by no means guaranteed a place in City’s line-up due to the strength in depth the squad have in attack.

By Gareth McKnight

There was an almost macabre element to endure as you sat back and watched the Robin van Persie transfer story unfold. It wasn’t anything to do with the ambitions of the player nor even the acceptance of the club to sell to one of their greatest rivals. It’s more the simple principle that Arsene Wenger has been perceived to have done the best he could, to squeeze £24million out of his star acquisition.

Because even if circumstances dictated Van Persie’s sale was inevitability, it still doesn’t mean it’s right. Sir Alex Ferguson personally intervening to make the sale stick, felt akin to the school bully walking over and nicking Wenger’s lunch money. Wenger was powerless and even though he may view the avoidance of a beating -in this case, a potential RVP Bosman- as something of a victory, the truth is he’s still been forced to give up something he so dearly wished to keep.

Wenger achieved the best possible deal he could for the football club and time may even dictate Van Persie’s sale to be something of a masterstroke, given his injury history. But even if it does turn out to be a blinder, it’s one that should never have been played.

As the Gunner’s failed to net in their Premier League curtain raiser against Sunderland on Saturday, the hacks of Fleet Street probably couldn’t believe their luck.

The Sun took it upon themselves to spell it out as bright as day for Arsenal fans with the overzealous “NO RVP = NO GOALS,” hammered their back page, adjacent to the rather apt image of Arsene Wenger burying his head in his hands. The task of replacing 37 goals may have started in earnest during the weekend, but it’s clear that the replacement duo of Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud are going to be under massive pressure to perform from the off this season. Foreign signings need to be allowed a fair period of adjustment to bed into the trappings of English football. The stirring has begun and it feels as if it their purgatory period may have already defined by the shadow of their predecessor.

Because they’re not just replacing any run of the mill striker. It feels very clichéd to describe Van Persie as irreplaceable but how do you go about replacing a player who at times last season, almost dragged his team kicking and screaming back into the top four? Talismanic is one thing. Scoring 30 league goals, creating another nine and urging your team on as club captain is quite another. You may not be able to put a definitive value on those traits, but £24milion certainly doesn’t cover it.

However, the sale of Van Persie was dictated under the looming circumstance of his rapidly expiring contract. The Dutchman had one year left to run on his deal at the Emirates. The reality was of course, that should Wenger refuse to sell his prize asset now, that he would go for nothing the following summer. Barring an absolute catastrophe, it’s hard to envisage that he’d have had a lack of clubs to pick from with a non-existent transfer fee. He wanted out and he had to go this summer.

And considering the situation, Wenger did a cracking job to get the amount of money he did for his skipper. At 29, Van Persie is at the wrong end of his twenties, had a contractual situation that drastically effected his transfer fee and most prominently, had only managed more than 28 league games in a season for the first time in his career last term. He represents a substantial risk to Fergie, but should they win a Premier League or a Champions League off the back of his mercurial left foot, the fee is all but forgotten.

But the point is that the elements of risk in this deal would be a hell of a lot more prominent, had he not cost £24miilion. And if his deal had say three years left to run as opposed to one, there’s no way he’d have left the Emirates for a penny under £30million, at the very least. As a simple matter of risk management, would Manchester United, Juventus or any other club for that matter, have been willing to risk a potential £35million plus on a striker of Van Persie’s age and with his injury record? It doesn’t matter that he’s nearly 30; he was arguably the best out-and-out striker in Europe last season. If Wenger didn’t want to sell, clubs would have had to cough up that sort of money.

But the length of his contract distorted the circumstance and however you frame the £24million, it could have been so much different. It feels like Groundhog Day again at the Emirates. Similarly with the Samir Nasri deal to Manchester City in 2011, no one can deny that £25million was a good bit of business. But yet again, it was dictated by his contract situation; Nasri had one-year left to run on his latest deal.

It remains to be seen what their North London rivals attain for their prized asset, but as we are seeing with Luka Modric’s protracted move away to Real Madrid, no one is pushing Spurs chairman Daniel Levy around. His philosophy has been to regularly top-up Spurs’ players with new deals when their stock has incrementally risen. You can’t prevent the likes of Modric and Van Persie from wanting to move, but you can ensure that the club remains in a degree of control. However you may critique their transfer activity, Spurs have ensured everything has been done to ensure they get maximum value out of their players.

But as Alex Song becomes the latest Arsenal player to jump ship, following his £15million move to Barcelona, it feels like something of a tipping point has emerged. Here was a player who, according to recent reports, showed a lack of professionalism in training towards the end of last term and the club has subsequently been happy to let him move on. But conflicting stories have suggested that Song was in fact, desperate to commit his future to the Gunners and his advisors initiated contact with the club in January, in the hope of renewing his £55,000-a-week deal that had three years left to run.

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It’s difficult to make a staunch analysis on such conflicting reports and who you believe will greatly determine what viewpoint you take on Song’s departure. As immoral as footballers wages may be, was Song really asking too much in looking for parity with the club’s top earners? A salary of £55k a week for a man who chipped in with 11 league assists as arguably Arsenal’s second most influential player last season, doesn’t seem particularly reflective with the rest of the market. Have Arsenal flogged a greedy, unprofessional player to Barcelona and avoided the next Nasri/Van Perise? Or is this transfer the legacy of having their fingers burnt for two summers on the trot?

The term watershed season is wheeled out a little too often this season, but it feels like it could definitely be slapped on Arsenal’s term this season. Arsene Wenger is trying to run the football club in the mould of sustainability, not reckless investment. But as important as it is to acquire new players, he equally needs to find a way to keep the ones he already has. Next up is Theo Walcott. Let’s hope the script isn’t already written.

How can Arsenal buck the departures of their finest players? Are the club right to not hand new contracts out like confetti or does something have to change quickly at the Emirates? Tell me how you see it on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me all your views. 

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Liverpool Football Club have welcomed the announcement of a fresh investigation into police conduct surrounding the Hillsborough disaster.

The new enquiry has been described as a ‘significant step forward’ in the campaign for justice for the families and survivors of the tragic events that occurred on April 15, 1989.

It will study any possible crimes committed by South Yorkshire police and others in relation to the disaster.

The club’s managing director Ian Ayre, said:”We welcome today’s announcement by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions. This is another significant step forward in the campaign for justice for Hillsborough families and survivors.” (Guardian)

The Independent Police Complaints Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions revealed on Friday that they would review the evidence looking at the circumstances in which the 96 fans died. They will then decide if they should bring any charges for manslaughter, perjury or perverting the course of justice to the courts.

The commission will also reassess if there was a cover-up by the police officers who were in charge of the original investigation of the Hillsborough disaster. While an investigation to find out if any officers perverted the course of justice by providing wrong information to journalists, leading to misleading and incorrect newspaper stories being published about Liverpool fans, will also be carried out.

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Mr Ayre added: “We will follow the progress of this investigation and remain resolute in our support of the families and survivors as they continue with their battle to bring those responsible for the tragedy to justice.”

Arsenal skipper Thomas Vermaelen believes his team can take a lot of confidence from last night’s difficult 3-1 win against Olympiakos in the UEFA Champions League.

Their second consecutive win in Europe leaves the Gunners top of Group B, and has also lifted the team after their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea last Saturday in the Premier League.

The scoring was opened by Gervinho, however Arsenal’s grip on the game quickly faded and Kostas Mitroglou equalised for the Greek champions just before half time.

Arsenal controlled the second half and goals from Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey secured the win for Arsene Wenger – watching from the stands due to a touchline ban.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Vermaelen said: “I think it gives us a lot of confidence, six out of six [points] and that’s really important.”

The Belgium international was eager to address his side’s conceded goal.

“In the first half we were sloppy sometimes with passing, we lost a lot of balls.

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“We started with a high tempo and that was great but then we dropped a little,” he said.

However, the Arsenal defender was pleased with his team’s result. “The most important thing is to win your home games in the Champions League. We want to keep it going.” he added.

England boss Roy Hodgson has brought in a sports psychiatrist to aid them in their preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Sky Sports reports.

Psychiatrist Dr. Steven Peters is well renowned for his previous work with snooker champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, as well as English cyclists and currently employed by Liverpool.

Hodgson, who was speaking at the press conference before the England friendly with Denmark, declared his delight at the services of Dr. Peters.

“Yes we are (bringing a sports psychiatrist in),” Hodgson said. “It’s not just any psychologist either, it’s Dr Steve Peters who is a very famous man in that area.

“He has a great CV of working in different sports and has been doing some work with Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers so Steve knows him quite well.

“It is something we have spoken about for some time but we wanted to get the right man – luckily Brendan let me talk to Steve and he has accepted our invitations so we are happy with that.”

Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard also stated that he’s work with Dr. Peters since 2010.

“He’s helped me an awful lot from a personal point of view,” Gerrard said. “I’ve been seeing Steve for three years even though he’s only been at the club for a year.

“I first saw him when I had a big groin problem back in 2010 – I had a groin avulsion where it had come off the bone. I feared for my career so I went to see him in a one-on-one situation a couple of times.

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“I really liked the work he did with me so I went back to see him a couple of times and I have seen an awful lot more of him since he has been with Liverpool.

“I feel as though he can help the players if the players buy into what he’s trying to do.”

Both FIFA and UEFA have an obligation to safeguard the future of football. The European governing body’s plan to regulate the spending of its constituency members is an admirable, and necessary, step. There are other areas though where UEFA could potentially step in to regulate certain parts of the sport. For example, player transfers. It is so interlinked with the problems facing the sport at this present time that for many it seems like the next logical step for Platini to take.

Such an exercise would undoubtedly come with challenges but it could be a valuable opportunity to stamp out certain, less favourable elements of the sport. Attempting to do so would not come without opposition but providing it received the backing of the clubs it could prove worthwhile.

The primary benefit of having a UEFA regulated transfer market would be that agents would become, for the most part, redundant. There would be no need for agents to act as a mediator if that mediator was a centralised governing body.

At a time when money’s stranglehold of our sport is ever increasing so is the power that agents are able to wield over clubs and footballers. How many players have been persuaded to move from their clubs as a result of their agents? How many footballers’ dream moves have never materialised as a result of their agents’ financial demands?

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted to having cancelled transfers as a result of the demands of the agents. There is a fine line between having the best interests of your client at heart and simply trying to extort as much money out of a club as possible. The vast majority of agents in today’s world have crossed that line.

To rid our sport of agents would also, you would hope, encourage a culture whereby footballers are taught to think for themselves. The commercialisation of football has taken so much from the game that it is important that the players themselves are still able to analyse and appreciate their moral responsibilities and act accordingly.

In theory, if UEFA regulate the transfer market there will also be less of a possibility for corruption. The allegations made by the BBC towards a number of Premier League managers, coaches and agents could be a thing of the past. There would be no opportunity for corruption to go unnoticed if UEFA had an active role in every transfer.

It’s not just bungs that are the issue either. Anybody who read or watched the recent reports on the trafficking of young African footballers to Europe will understand that a more intensive focus is needed on the transfer market, especially when players have come from deprived areas where they may be manipulated and abused.

There are, however, downsides to implementing an initiative like this. The first is that, just because we allocate the responsibility to UEFA it wouldn’t necessarily mean that corruption could not take place. After the revelations of the last two years associated with FIFA, trust for football’s governing bodies are at an all time low whilst having UEFA regulate transfers could stamp out elements of lower level corruption it is far from guaranteed.

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The main issue for UEFA would be the sheer scale of the task. Would it actually be possible to closely monitor every single transfer made throughout Europe? And, even if they could do it, would it be painfully inefficient. On the whole, centralised governing bodies are always slower to act than local, devolved governing bodies. Were this pattern to be mirrored in football it could spell the end of last minute deadline day signings and transfers of this nature. Sometimes it is essential for transfers to be conducted quickly and it would appear unlikely that such transfers would ever be possible.

Lastly, while it’s important to remember that some agents do serve some sort of purpose in some cases, it is obvious that UEFA should attempt to create some extra regulating bodies to monitor the transfer market in Europe. The power of certain incredibly rich clubs is becoming dangerous, as is the influence that agents hold over their players. What those necessary next steps are, however, is up to Platini.

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Anderson admits that despite finding life hard at Old Trafford he is happy there and denies reports of wanting to leaving the club.

The 24-year-old player joined Manchester United in 2007 in a £17million deal from Porto. Over the years of his career he has suffered a few injuries and concerns were raised about his conditioning. He has made just 4 Premier League starts this year and 12 altogether.

Last week it was rumoured that Anderson had said that he wanted to leave Old Trafford, fearing that he would risk his place in the Brazil national team next year during the World Cup.

However, Anderson spoke to The Daily Mail about his injuries and dispelled the rumours as nonsense.

“It’s not true. Everyone knows I’m happy at the club. I’ve had a lot of injuries but I’ve never let the smile go from my face. I try to help the team all the time,” he said.

“I have had some serious injuries, some problems. But when I don’t have these problems I know my quality. I know I can play. When I take two steps forward I seem to take three back. It is sad but I have to do my job. I need to play games and not to have any injuries.

“When I want to leave I will have to talk to the boss first. I don’t have any issues.

“The only places you could go to from here are  Real Madrid and Barcelona. You can’t have another choice. The  level at Manchester United is so big. You come here and you are definitely going to win titles. I have won the Premier League three  times. I have won the Champions League once and lost two finals. I have always been there.”

The midfielder also admitted that he has struggled in the UK and says it is quite hard for South American players to settle here and play well

“I came to Manchester United as a Brazilian  and I have been here six years,” he added.

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“It’s not easy to stay here. I love it here. But it is hard.

“It is not easy to play for  Manchester United. A lot of top players came here and couldn’t do it – Juan Veron, some big players. Kleberson came here and didn’t play.”

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Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has dismissed rumours that he is set to return to Spain in the January transfer window, as reported by The Sun.

De Gea is happy at United, despite Sir Alex Ferguson regularly chopping and changing his goalkeepers, leaving nobody 100% sure who his current number one is.

De Gea arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid last year and it is rumoured that the other big club from the Spanish capital are interested in him becoming the long term successor of legend Iker Casillas.

However, the United stopper has put to bed those rumours and is keen to rise to the challenge that Sir Alex has laid down for him.

“I am happy at United and not thinking about a return to Spain,

“I’ve accepted the challenge to learn and improve as a professional.

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“And fighting for my place gives me a bigger incentive to play well.”