Grigor Dimitrov confident of ATP World Tour Finals place

Dimitrov is looking to beat Murray again (©GettyImages).

Grigor Dimitrov has his eyes firmly set on a place at the ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena despite strong competition for places.

The season-ending tournament is available only to those who finish the year in the top eight and whilst currently sitting in tenth, it could take something special from the Bulgarian to achieve his goal.

He isn't the only one, however, even two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is desperately scrapping for points. His first title in 15 months in Shenzhen only came about after the 27-year-old accept a wildcard to boost his ranking. 

Race to London

As you might expect, the big three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have already qualified, meanwhile Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka is on the brink of making it. 

That realistically leaves four spots left to occupy and a season of breakthroughs mean that the intriguing race is set to run down to the wire, with only a few more tournaments left between now and the November start for the Finals. 

Dimitrov had his eureka moment at Wimbledon when he beat defending champion Murray before eventually losing in the semi-finals. However, despite his hard work, the stylish player's place isn't secure. 

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Perform 

“I need to perform with my best every week basically from now on,” the 23-year-old admitted to ATP. “That's the most important thing. After all, I've been having a great year so far.

"I don't want to stop here. Of course, I want to get to London. That's going to be the ultimate reward for me, to get to London. If not, then it's not meant to happen. I'm positive in my power in the moment and how I've been performing, and I'm sure I can come up with the goods.”

Dimitrov isn't the only man to have a better-than-usual season, however, and the current standings represent that.

Breakthroughs

US Open winner Marin Cilic and his defeated finalist Kei Nishikori marked new territory with their astonishing runs at Flushing Meadows, they are now fifth and sixth respectively and know decent showings will be enough. 

Perhaps the pair who will have the biggest reason to peer over their shoulders are seventh placed David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych, who occupies the last place.

Berdych is ready to compete at the China Open alongside the likes of Djokovic and Nadal to pick-up some vital points. Murray and Dimitrov will be looking to out-do the Czech player in Beijing this week. 

Danger

Ferrer, however, opted for a trip to Japan for his part in the Asian swing off the back of playing at Shenzhen, yet the 32-year-old's chances received a blow in the Japanese capital after a first round defeat. 

Eager to take advantage of Ferrer's slip is Milos Raonic who is also in Japan at the moment. The ninth-placed Canadian could leapfrog the Spaniard with a strong performance. 

With everyone dotted around the two tournaments at the moment, things could become clearer when everyone should compete together for Masters 1000 events in Shaghai and Paris later this month. 

One thing is for sure, however, nobody can afford to slip-up. 

Leicestershire: Where do they go from here?

Many of Leicestershire's brightest hopes from this season have already moved on (©GettyImages).

Leicestershire’s autopsy is well under way after completing a second successive season without a win in the County Championship.

32 games have now passed since their last four-day victory against Gloucestershire in 2012, and they were gifted the wooden spoon long ago having been rooted to the bottom of Division Two for almost the entirety.

Hoards are seemingly heading for the exit, including talented youngsters Josh Cobb, Shiv Thakor, and Nathan Buck. Cobb, who captained the one-day side but slammed the county’s lack of ambition, has signed a two-year deal at Northants, but they will be joining Leicestershire in the second division. Shiv Thakor, meanwhile, has agreed a deal with Derbyshire.

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Best XI from the English county season 
Glen Chapple considering future after Lancashire relegation 

In a statement, the county confirmed that several players had rejected new, improved contract offers, which unsurprisingly makes the task of attracting new talent more difficult.
Another winless season is completely unacceptable, though the board insist they are working “tirelessly” to prevent another year like the one they have endured.

Change underway

Change is already underway, with Chief Executive Mike Siddall set to leave this week. However, whether that is part of a more systematic plan remains unclear, especially as they have not yet found a long-term replacement. Andrew Boyce will take on the role on a temporary basis.

Former chairman Neil Davidson is being linked with a return to the helm, but in truth, it will take more than the work of one man to bring Leicestershire back up to scratch. This, in a side that lifted silverware in the form of the Friends Life T20 Cup just three years ago.
Yet, the reality is that the heart of that side has been ripped out for financial purposes, which could not really be avoided. Stalwart wicket-keeper Paul Nixon can no longer be found behind the stumps, while that team’s young stars, such as James Taylor and Harry Gurney have left seeking Division One cricket.

The task then, from this close-season, is to confront the club’s lack of resources, which is at the very root of their problems on the pitch. Leicestershire is one of the smallest clubs by a long way, and is simultaneously forced to compete with other, more major sporting outfits, including Premier League side Leicester City, as well as the Leicester Tigers in rugby.

ECB backing

However difficult it may be for the club to stay afloat – something which should be guaranteed by the ECB, but at present, is not – a greater priority must be placed on their playing budget.

The county has already lost much of its appeal, and their latest troubles could well resulted in reduced membership figures for next season at Grace Road.
Trying to bring in a top, top-class bowler may be overoptimistic, but in their present state, Leicestershire will lose nothing by being ambitious. It would also be worth looking at their second XI – which won the treble - and perhaps giving some of their younger squad players a chance.

Regardless of what players stay, it is essentially up to the board to sort their county out. There is no quick fix, but what is beyond doubt is that Leicestershire cannot afford one more season continuing at their present rate.

Manchester United to announce Ji-sung Park as ambassador

Ji-sung Park will return to Manchester United. (©GettyImages).

Manchester United have left supporters in suspense after tweeting that they have ‘exciting’ news about Ji-sung Park, and the club will announce an Old Trafford role for their former midfielder on Wednesday.

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Ambassadorial role

Park retired at the end of last season two years after leaving Manchester United for Queens Park Rangers, but the former South Korea captain has been afforded a return to the club in a non-playing capacity.

GiveMeSport understands that Park will be confirmed as a new club ambassador, which means he will attend various events across the globe to enhance Manchester United’s global appeal and promote their numerous partners.

It is quite an accolade for the 33-year-old, who becomes only the seventh former player to be appointed an ambassador after Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Bryan Robson, Gary Neville, Andy Cole and Peter Schmeichel.

Manchester United history

Park signed for Manchester United from PSV in 2005 and made over 200 appearances for the club in seven seasons. During this spell he won four Premier League titles, four League Cups and recorded a Champions League final triumph.

He was never able to establish himself as regular starter in a team packed with stars, but was notably favoured by Sir Alex Ferguson for the club’s most important matches, with his industry and attitude highly valued assets.

"The great thing about Ji-sung Park is he's one of the best professionals we've had here,” Ferguson said of Park. “He was truly fantastic, and particularly in big games.

“Park had roles that only a disciplined and selfless player could have. That’s exactly what Ji-sung was, selfless.

“He played for the team and whatever role you gave him, he would stick to that role. So he was a really wonderful, disciplined professional for us."

Post Old Trafford

A lack of first-team opportunities eventually proved too much to bear, and led Park to pursue a transfer elsewhere, with the South Korean moving to Queens Park Rangers where he was immediately appointed club captain.

Park was, however, unable to prevent QPR from avoiding relegation to the Championship after only one season at Loftus Road, and their drop from the top tier resulted in the player moving to the Eredivisie to join PSV.

Eindhoven was Park’s first destination when he arrived in European football from Kyoto Purple Sanga 11 years ago, so it was somewhat fitting that he was given a chance to finish his career at the Philips Stadion.

County cricket team of the 2014 season

Lyth raises his willow after yet another ton (©GettyImages).

There was all kinds of cricketing drama that we were fortunate enough to witness in 2014.

We saw some epic clashes, the emergence of young stars, individual excellence and some heroics.

This was the season that saw Yorkshire lift the Championship after almost a decade, the so-called "underdogs" Warwickshire lift the T20 Cup, and last but not the least, Durham lift the ODI Cup after battling in a breathtaking Lord's final against the
Bears.

As this is the end of the road for the 2014 season it is that time of the year again when we pick that best XI.

There really have been some scintillating performances so well done to everyone who shined. But in the end, as we can unfortunately pick just 11 men, I've had to make some tough calls.

Here is the best XI from the county season...

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1. Adam Lyth (Yorkshire)

Easily one of the reasons why Yorkshire have been crowned the county Champions, Adam Lyth's sensational form has had a massive impact on their campaign. 1689 runs at an avg. of 68 with six hundreds, his stats speak for themselves.

His scores enabled Yorkshire to build massive totals, and gave their bowlers something to defend.

2. Daryll Mitchell (Worcestershire)

He set a perfect example of how do you lead from the front. It was an inexperienced Worcs squad coming into the season with the batting department particularly weak. Though his excellence with the bat (1334 runs at an avg. of 58) not only made it a memorable season for him but changed the fortunes of his side too. 

3. Ed Joyce (Sussex)

The Mr. Reliable of the county circuit, Ed Joyce has been staggering with his willow throughout the season. He has had to bat at different positions for his team but that didn't affect him one bit.

1398 runs in a mere 14 matches with seven hundreds at an average of 66 were very hard earned given the situations in which he came to the crease. If it wasn't for him, I don't think Sussex would have finished in third.

4. James Vince (Hampshire)

I have no doubts whatsoever about him being the best batsman of the season. It wasn't about just one format in his case and he was able to finish as the overall leading run scorer for 2014.

His 1525 runs at an avg. of 61 with four hundreds in the FC season were of course beautiful to watch and particularly that stunning 240 off 250 odd balls. 

5. Rikki Wessels (Nottinghamshire)

Honestly speaking, I never ever thought that I'd be including Rikki Wessels in my dream team for the 2014 season. This year has in fact changed the way Wessels would be seen from now on.

He has been prolific with the wood (1197 runs at an avg. of 48) and a genius behind the timber with 22 catches to his name. If I had to make a list of the most dangerous batsmen in the circuit, Wessels surely will be in there.

6. Jason Roy (Surrey)

This lad is an absolute monster when he gets going. One of the rare commodities who mercilessly beat the bowlers with brutal strokemaking, Roy's emergence has flabbergasted many.

When the season was about to begin, he talked about his England ambitions with just one championship 100 to show but he looked confident. That confidence really paid off this season as he turned to be a nightmare for the bowlers.

He scored 600+ runs in the shortest version, he excelled in the longest version too, scoring 1092 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 85 with three hundreds and an avg. of 52.10, which is barely believable for a man who comes in at no.6.

I'd be surprised if he doesn't play for England for a long, long time.

 7. Tom Smith (Lancashire)

From the team's point of view, it was an extremely disappointing season for Lancashire but if Tom Smith takes a look at the campaign from individual point of view, he'll surely find that it was well and truly an year he must remember.

773 runs at an avg. of 34 and 54 wickets at an astounding 21 apiece really takes some doing. Some people have termed Adil Rashid as better than him, but in my view that is a wrong choice as the 28 year-old outshone Yorkie by some distance in both the aspects.

Well done to Smith, he has shown great fight throughout the season.

8. Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire)

The Most Valuable Player for the 2014 season and rightly so, as there really wasn't a format this lad didn't do well in. Taking 100+ wickets (55 FC, 23 OD and 25 T20) across all formats indeed takes some serious doing.

There has been a buzz going around that he has been a better overseas player than Brian Lara and Allan Donald for the Bears, and I would actually agree on that.

9. Steve Magoffin (Sussex)

Well it really doesn't surprise me that he is the leading wicket taker this season. Ever since he made that magical debut against Lancashire in a cold April as far as I remember, everyone knew this was a damn good signing. 72 scalps at 19 apiece is just another fine example of his capability even at the age of 36.

10. Jack Brooks (Yorkshire)

Well he is just too fast. The pace that he has along with the swing, any batsman can easily get disturbed. His rise from an academy bowler to one of the best in England is really worth admiring and it is his determination to succeed that has taken him from strength to strength. It is this determination that has rewarded him 68 scalps this summer. 

11. Mark Footitt (Derbyshire)

82 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 19 with 6 five-fors. Would you believe it? Even Glen Chapple, Jack Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Magoffin like bowlers couldn't manage that. The Derbyshire lad has really taken the selectors by storm and is surely an England prospect.

Wayne Rooney says Roy Keane was Manchester United’s best passer

Wayne Rooney praise for Roy Keane. (©GettyImages).

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has offered a surprise revelation as he celebrates a decade with the club, with the striker claiming that Roy Keane was the best passer he played with over this successful period.

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Keane praise

Sunday was the 10th anniversary of Rooney’s debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League and, since that moment, he has scored a further 216 goals and won numerous top honours, including five league titles.

Rooney has been fortunate to play in the same Manchester United team as some of the greats of the modern era, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes among them, yet it was his understanding with Keane that he deemed most fruitful.

“With Roy, I knew he was a great footballer but until I played with him didn’t realise how great. His passing was probably the best I’ve played with,” Rooney told the Sunday Times. “In terms of getting it in to the forwards’ feet.

“I had associated him with someone who got round the pitch, making tackles, but it was his passing that blew me away.”

Keane and Rooney were together for only one season until the former’s acrimonious departure from Old Trafford, but the club’s ex-captain clearly made a lasting mark on the then teenaged centre-forward.

It is certainly quite an accolade for a player, as Rooney explains, was more known for his robustness in the middle of the park that allowed the likes of Scholes, David Beckham and others to provide a creative spark.

What about Scholes?

It would have been fair to assume that Rooney would have identified Scholes as the most supreme passer he had encountered during his time with Manchester United, given his reputation as one of the greatest ball players of his generation.

Is Rooney’s willingness to place Keane above Scholes an honest assessment or an act of retaliation? Scholes had claimed in the summer that Rooney was beyond his peak and, unsurprisingly, this did not sit too well with his former Manchester United teammate.

Rooney, though, was diplomatic in his response to these comments from Scholes, and maintained that the United legend was “probably” the best player he has ever operated alongside - even if they have no relationship away from the game.

Marvan Atapattu aiming to keep cricket and politics separate for Sri Lanka

"I don't wish to bring in any politics" (©GettyImages).

Newly appointed Sri Lanka head coach Marvan Atapattu has announced that he aims to keep cricket and politics separate, as relayed by ESPN.

However, his aim will be a lot more easier said than done since Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is one of the most politically influenced boards in international cricket, especially when it comes to team selection.

In fact, the country's sports minister still sends a representative to all national selection meetings and, according to Sri Lanka's sports laws, the representative has to agree and sign his name on the team roster before the squads are made official.

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Atapattu comments

"I don't see any undue influences in Sri Lankan cricket," Atapattu, who is Sri Lanka's first local head coach in 15 years, said.

"But I'm someone who likes to have everything transparent and fair. That's so important when you're working in a group. That gives everybody confidence. It's easier to manage when everyone knows which way we are going. I don't wish to bring in any politics.

"Political interference or any other interference - my way of doing this would be to not let anything affect the players. I'll do my best to try and stay away from it. We will be successful if we work in a way that is transparent to our fans. I don't think the board officials or selection committee will make any undue influences."

Atapattu is also focusing on Sri Lanka's next three major assignments, which will include a seven-match ODI series at home against England in November, a tour of New Zealand towards the end of December and the 2015 World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.

Moving forward

"The World Cup is our immediate focus," Atapattu said.

"We have done very well in the last few months starting January. We were building ourselves up to that and we can be very happy with what we have achieved.

"I have a group of players who are willing to learn and listen. It's up to us as a management group to manage these players and get them peaking at the right time at the World Cup. We won the last few series so our morale is high, but we have to do a lot of work ourselves. We've got another 14 one-day games before we play the first game on February 14."

Atapattu is also optimistic about having both off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake and pace maestro Lasith Malinga back in action before the World Cup gets underway.

Senanayake recently underwent a remedial course at the University of Western Australia in Perth to rectify his bowling action after it was found to be illegal, while Malinga underwent ankle surgery in Australia and is expected to be out of action for the next 16 weeks.

"All going well, we'll have Lasith's services around mid-January," Atapattu said.

"Hopefully he can play a couple of one-dayers with New Zealand and the practice matches before he plays the actual tournament matches in the World Cup.

"Sachithra has done good work. He has done work locally with Piyak Wijetunge and Jerome Jayaratne. And he has also done work with the lab in Western Australia. Now it's a matter of him getting a date fixed to get it retested. Hopefully he will get the clearance so SLC has given him permission to play Mercantile cricket."

Confidence in players

Even though they have been not been able to find any form whatsoever over the past couple of months, Atapattu believes that wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal and middle order batsman Lahiru Thirimanne will be major assets for Sri Lanka in the upcoming series against England and New Zealand, and during the World Cup as well.

"Chandimal and Thirimanne are two of our most talented cricketers," he said.

"They have developed a lot in the past three years, but that development has not been reflected in their scores - I accept that. We know that they are better than that. We expect runs from them, and are disappointed when runs don't come.

"But when you look back at a Sangakkara or Jayawardene when they first started, and you analyse that, Chandimal and Thirimanne have done as well as them in a similar number of games. Chandimal has played 14 Tests, and if you look at where Sangakkara was at 14 matches, Chandimal is actually 11 runs ahead.

"Thirimanne is as good as Angelo Mathews at a similar stage in his ODI career as well. We shouldn't panic, because they have developed. We have to try and give them a stable place, and maybe relieve them of some responsibility, and maintain patience with them."

Andrew Sheridan forced to retire from rugby

Sheridan reached the 2007 World Cup with England, but suffered Final heartache (©GettyImages).

Former England international Andrew Sheridan has been forced to retire on medical grounds, according to ESPNscrum.

The ex-Lions prop suffered a neck injury last year whilst playing for French side Toulon.

The coveted 34-year-old has starred in two World Cups for his country - losing in the final in 2007 - whilst having featured in the English Premiership for Bristol, Sale Sharks and Richmond.

Career-ending

Sports management company James Grant, said on their official website: “Andrew has failed to recover from a neck injury sustained last season playing for Toulon and the subsequent operation he underwent, back in February.

“Andrew will now focus on completing his qualifications in Wine, before looking to forge a new career in the trade.”

Sheridan was only capped 40 times by England, but has been a star player everywhere he has gone.

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The prop started his professional rugby career out at Richmond in the Premiership, but only spent a season at the London-based club before moving west to Bristol.

After four years and 58 top-flight appearances, Sheridan made a move that ultimately helped shape his career.

North to Sale

Once again journeying across the country, the loosehead travelled north to Sale, where he spent nine glorious seasons with the Sharks, winning two trophies during his time at the club.

His first came in 2005, when the Greater Manchester side lifted the European Challenge Cup, beating French side Pau.

The following year, Sheridan featured ten times as Sale won their first Premiership trophy, defeating favourites Leicester Tigers convincingly in the play-off final.

Yet, one of the Londoner’s greatest achievements came in his second season at the Sharks.

International star

Although he played for an England XV against the Barbarians during his debut year at Sale, he had to wait until November 2004 to win his first full international cap for the national side, facing Canada in 70-0 victory.

Sheridan didn’t star in the Six Nations until 2006, but featured in the biggest rugby competition of all, the World Cup, the following year.

During the competition in France, the prop featured in every game, including in the final against South Africa, where an inspired Percy Montgomery was needed to kick the Springboks to a 15-6 victory.

Revenge with Lions

The 34-year-old was given the opportunity to exact revenge on the 2007 World Cup winners when playing on the British and Irish Lions tour two years later.

Despite a narrow defeat in the second tour match on his Lions debut, Sheridan helped them to a cruising 28-9 victory to end a disappointing series on a high.

Sheridan was back in the World Cup three years ago but featured just once, facing Argentina, which turned out to be his last match for England.

French affair

Following his success at Sale, he moved abroad to Top 14 side Toulon in 2012, where he continued to be a beast, starring in the Heineken Cup final victory over fellow French club Clermont Auvergne in his debut season.

But injury prevented him from helping his team-mates to retain the title, after picking up a neck problem in 2013.

The prop will now hang up his boots and move into wine industry, but the 6ft 5in man mountain will be sorely missed in the game and will always be regarded as one of England’s finest props.

Tom Watson hits back at Phil Mickelson after Ryder Cup defeat

Watson has responded to criticism (©GettyImages).

American Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has hit back at Phil Mickelson after comments made following USA's 16.5-11.5 defeat to Europe in the Ryder Cup.

After the loss, Mickelson spoke about former captain Paul Azinger and praised his captaincy skills comparing them to Watson's.

Azinger led USA to their last Ryder Cup victory in Kentucky in 2008 and there have been early calls to re-install him as captain.

Difference of opinions

But Watson feels Mickelson's comments aren't justified and has simply put their disagreement down to a difference of opinions.

"The issue between Phil and myself is basically a difference of opinion.

"He has a difference of opinion where he would like to manage the team and I certainly had my own opinion on how I'd manage the team," Watson told Sky Sports.

Potential unfulfilled

Watson didn't believe that any of his decisions cost America the Ryder Cup but admitted that his players didn't play to their potential against a strong European team.

"That's the controversy and that's the issue but I have to say that I'm very proud of my team's efforts. One thing I asked them to do from the beginning was to give absolutely everything they have and they did. They just ran up against a buzz saw.

"The European team was very strong and had four of the top five players in the world. When you play against them, you better be firing on all cylinders and frankly, we weren't so that's it."

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American Hunter Mahan attempted to play down any potential rift between Mickelson and Watson by insisting that everyone is just frustrated at the outcome.

"I don't think there's a spat. I think there are two strong-willed guys who want to win.

Hindsight is 20-20 and you never know what's going to happen. Both guys worked hard this week and everyone's frustrated we didn't get the win.

"It still stings. It's still tough. We came here on a mission to try and get the Ryder Cup back this week. We weren't able to do this but we grew closer together as a team.

"We're just trying to lick our wounds right now. Hopefully we can get something out of this week and do better. Europe have kicked our butts the last few times and they've got a good formula. We've got to find a way to make it happen."

War of words

Phil Mickelson had originally started a potential war of words by praising Azinger's captaincy methods immediately after USA's Ryder Cup defeat suggesting he was campaigning for his return as skipper.

"There were two things that allowed us to play our best that Paul Azinger did: one was he got everybody invested in the process," said Mickelson.

"He got everybody invested in who they were going to play with, who the picks were going to be, who was going to be in their pod, when they would play, and they had a great leader for each pod.

Game plan

"The other thing that Paul did really well was he had a great game-plan for us; how we were going to go about doing this, how we were going to go about playing together, if so-and-so is playing well, if so-and-so is not playing well - we had a real game-plan.

"Those two things helped us bring out our best golf. We use that same process in the Presidents Cup and we do really well.

"Unfortunately we have strayed from a winning formula in 2008 for the last three Ryder Cups and we need to consider maybe getting back to that formula that helped us play our best."

Asked whether he was consulted in any of the decision-making, Mickelson added: "No. Nobody here was, in any decision."

Paul Collingwood criticises England selectors

Stoneman has performed well for Durham this season (©GettyImages).

Ex-England all-rounder Paul Collingwood has taken to Twitter to criticise the ECB selectors over their selection of the England batting Performance Programme squad for the winter camp in Sri Lanka.

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Collingwood miffed

Collingwood was surprised that his Durham colleague, opening batsmen Mark Stoneman, was left out of the squad.

He decided to air his views publicly by declaring "I'm sorry but how @mark23stone keeps being overlooked for the England Performance Programme is beyond me. @ECB_cricket you're missing out!"

Collingwood is basing his argument on the fact that Stoneman impressed again this season for Durham. He scored 951 runs in 26 innings, with an average just over 36, scoring three centuries and four half-centuries in the process.

It is worth remembering that Stoneman spends half his time batting on pitches that can be very helpful to bowlers, particularly early and late in the season, so although his stats may not be the best he has to work hard for his runs.

However, it appears that English cricket has a very good strength in depth particularly in the batting areas so Stoneman may have to bide his time and continue to perform on the pitch in order to achieve the recognition that Collingwood feels he deserves.

Southern bias?

There is still a strength of feeling that players in the north of the country do not catch the eye of the selectors as much as their colleagues down south. Particularly at Durham they feel that, Collingwood and Steve Harmison aside, the county has produced England players but they have failed to cement places in the national side. Players such as Graham Onions, Scott Borthwick and Phil Mustard are three such examples.

Is Collingwood correct in his criticism or is he speaking from the heart rather than his head?

After all there are others on the county circuit who could perhaps claim to have a stronger argument. As Stoneman is an opening batsmen he is challenging Yorkshire's prolific opening pair of Adam Lyth and Alex Lees and was always likely to be second best to them.

As well as the batting and spin-bowling camp a separate camp has also been selected for the fast bowlers who will be travelling to South Africa.

England Performance Programme (Batters and spinners) Zafar Ansari (Surrey), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Adam Lees (Yorkshire), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Stephen Parry (Lancashire), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Adam Riley (Kent), Jason Roy (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Tom Westley (Essex)

England Performance Programme (Fast bowlers) Jack Brooks (Yorkshire), Matthew Dunn (Surrey), Mark Footitt (Derbyshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Novak Djokovic faces Rafael Nadal test at China Open

Djokovic is ready to return (©GettyImages).

Novak Djokovic has admitted he cannot wait to get back into the swing of things in China, a place he adores, despite the pressure of keeping a 100% record intact with an old foe ready to pounce. 

The world no.1 has been absent since he failed to win the US Open, a tournament he was strongly tipped to win, but the China Open in Beijing will hold no fears and could be the perfect place to return.

Djokovic is looking for his third consecutive title in the Chinese capital and his fifth in six years. It's a record that has endeared him to the passionate home crowds. In fact it's not just Beijing that holds fond memories for the Serbian, he's also hoping for a third consecutive Shanghai Masters crown when that kicks-off next week.

Chinese glory

Unsurprisingly the eight-time Grand Slam champion is keen to keep his local supporters happy with more domination. 

“I enjoy my time in China," the 27-year-old claimed at a press conference ahead of his first encounter. "I think over the years the tournament has been growing in every sense.

“You can see that more fans are coming to support their tennis players. I have a big fan club here, teenagers especially, who come and support me, give me presents every day. That's something that makes me feel very special and encourages me to play my best tennis here.

“As soon as I arrive, I feel this generosity from the people and I feel their hospitality. That's the first kind of positive feeling that I get as soon as I'm on Chinese soil. Then the court itself and the balls and the conditions are pretty suitable to my style of the game. So for the last four, five years I've been playing some of my best tennis on the centre court.”

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Resurgence

Djokovic will hope that his form from the North American hard-court season doesn't re-manifest itself for the Asian swing.

With his great rival and world no.2 Rafael Nadal missing due to injury and with Roger Federer suffering the ill effects of ageing, the Wimbledon winner was expected to pick up his ninth Grand Slam in easier fashion.

However, despite recovering from early Masters exits in Toronto and Cincinnati with a relatively stress-free passage through to the Flushing Meadows' latter stages, Djokovic was shocked by Kei Nishikori in the semis. 

US Open shocker

The Japanese star earned a clash with fellow debutant finalist Marin Cilic, a contest which the Croatian strolled to. With both men ranked outside the top 10 at the time, Djokovic would have been kicking himself at the missed opportunity. 

The world no.1 was forced to dismiss theories of a lack of focus, due to family life, in the aftermath of the shock and he'll therefore be keen to prove that he remains unaffected by an exciting time in his life. After marrying long-term partner Jelena Ristic after Wimbledon, the couple are expecting their first child in the not too distant future. 

Nonetheless Djokovic says the support will come in-handy whilst he's a long way from home.

“Obviously having the support is very much necessary anywhere you go. Of course, I'm far away from my own country," he continued.

"To be able to experience the support of such proportions, and that it's growing each year, is amazing to see. I'm very grateful for that. I try to return the favour with my tennis and obviously with my kindness to these people who follow me…For me, it’s a pleasure to perform in front of the people who respect what I do.”

Nadal return

One of the most intriguing possibilities at the China Open is the potential renewal of battle with Nadal.

The Spaniard has overcome his troublesome wrist injury and has already admitted he is relishing a return to action. 

If they do meet, it'll be the 43rd time in their careers and the first since Nadal retained the French Open to deny Djokovic of his Career Slam for the third time. 

Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, just holds the edge in their head-to-head record with 23 wins, but that Roland Garros triumph ended a run of four straight wins for the man who stole his world no.1 mantle in the summer. 

Challenge

"If we get to play each other here, obviously it will be another big challenge for both of us,”  Djokovic said of a potential battle.“Of course, I always look forward to these big matches. It's still a long way. It's his first tournament after Wimbledon. I am sure he still also is not aware of how his game is going to be on the court.

"That's something that we're all going to see. I can't really predict what his result and performance will be in this tournament. But he's definitely always one of the biggest favorites to win any tournament in the world because he's Nadal and he's a great champion."

To start their potential collision course at the China Open; Djokovic will face Guillermo Garcia-Lopez first-up while Nadal is drawn with Richard Gasquet.

New Zealand seal third consecutive Rugby Championship title

New Zealand's 34-13 win over Argentina gave them their third consecutive Rugby Championship title (©GettyImages).

New Zealand have sealed their third consecutive Rugby Championship title after a comfortable 34-13 win over Argentina in La Plata.

The reigning world champions proved too strong for the Argentines as they ran in four tries on their way to a victory which gave them the trophy with one game to spare.

Beauden Barrett starred for the dominant All-Blacks with 14 points, and during the game captain Richie McCaw made his 133rd appearance - equalling Colin Mead's long-standing record.

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McCaw's pride in immense achievement

McCaw said: "They were wonderful conditions to play in and I'm really proud of the way the guys took their opportunities."

New Zealand knew they could wrap up the title with a bonus-point victory after South Africa beat Australia 28-10 earlier in the day.

That seemed to give them impetus from the start as they raced into an early 13-0 lead courtesy of Ben Smith's try, coupled with two penalties and a conversion from the sensational Barrett.

Perfect start saw Puma's turned into prey

Already at that early stage an Argentina win looked unlikely and the world's number one side continued to press home their advantage, although there was a mini-revival in the first-half as Nicolas Sanchez kicked two penalties.

But an Israel Dagg try in between Sanchez's points ensured the All-Blacks maintained their dominance, and Julian Savea and TJ Perenara put the result beyond all doubt in the second-half.

Horacio Agulla did manage a scant consolation in the dying stages but it mattered little on another trophy-laden day for the formidable New Zealand.

World Cup favourites look truly formidable

New Zealand coach Steve Hansen said: "I'm very pleased with the way we've played throughout the tournament.

"We've had to win many different ways because of the weather and because of the opposition playing as well as they have."

The All-Blacks have yet to lose a match in the Rugby Championship and they round off their campaign against South Africa on October 4, perfect preparation building towards a World Cup which although still a year away already has a clear favourite.

Turkish Airlines confirm sponsorship deal with Chelsea

Turkish Airlines will replace Samsung. (©GettyImages).

Turkish Airlines have confirmed that they will become the new sponsor of Chelsea after agreeing a multi-million pound deal.

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Speaking via their Twitter account, the company, which is the fourth largest airliner in Europe, posted confirmation that a deal had been reached between them and the Premier League outfit.

The statement read: "Did you know that we’re the next proud shirt sponsor of Chelsea?"

The deal

The Daily Mail first reported that a deal between the two clubs was close and would replace Chelsea's current £18 million-a-year deal with technology giants Samsung.

Although no figures have yet to be announced, it is very likely that the deal will be worth in excess of their deal with Samsung and closer to the £30 million Arsenal agreed with Fly Emirates in 2012.

Turkish airlines

The airliner came to prominence in the world of sport sponsorship after agreeing a memorable deal wit Lionel Messi and Kobe Bryant. The football and NBA superstars came together in a famous advert.

Turkish Airlines have further enhanced their position in football by agreeing deals with Barcelona, Manchester United and the Turkish national team.

Manchester United cancelled their deal with Turkish Airlines last year and replaced them with Russia's Aeroflot.

Chelsea deal

For Chelsea, the new deal comes with good timing. Financial Fair Play regulations are restricting Jose Mourinho with both wages and transfers but the new deal is likely to add more funds to the pot.

Samsung have been the official shirt sponsor of Chelsea since 2005 and will see out their contract, which expires at the end of the season.

NOTE: The tweet, originally posted by Turkish Airlines corporate club, has since been deleted.

England must use Sri Lanka tour to determine best XI

England must assemble a settled group of players. (©GettyImages).

It is integral to England’s aspirations of progressing to the latter stages of next year’s World Cup that they use the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka to discover their best team.

Alastair Cook’s side have a seven-match ODI series against the Sri Lankans, which will be followed by a triangular series with Australia and India before the World Cup begins next February.

But England must narrow down their squad to the best eleven players they possess as soon as possible in order to get ideal preparation before the tournament begins.

Sri Lanka series

England will look to atone for the 3-2 loss they suffered at the hands of the Sri Lankans when the two sides met on English soil earlier this summer.

They will be provided with another stern assessment from the side currently ranked third in the world in 50-over cricket. But that is the sort of test that England need if they are going to push themselves during next spring’s competition.

Recalls

The 16-man squad that will travel includes the recalled Ravi Bopara and James Taylor. Both men have been in excellent form in county cricket, which they will look to bring back to the international stage.

It is expected that all players will be given appearances during the series, allowing Cook and Peter Moores the chance to assess them up close and personal.

Poor form with the bat during the summer has opened the door for players to be recalled, and a few decent performances in warm-up fixtures could lead to a starting spot for the side’s opening World Cup game against hosts Australia.

Royal London One-Day Cup

It remains to be seen whether or not the ECB’s decision to bring back 50-over cricket to the county game will have a positive or negative effect on the national team’s performance.

But it can only be a good thing if domestic players are well versed in the identical format that they will find themselves in should they get a call up.

For Taylor and Bopara – who averaged 88 and 40 respectively in the One-Day Cup – performances for their counties have been integral in providing a route back to the national team.

Settled

The England team has been in transition in all formats of the game over the past 12 months, but the side needs to settle before entering the 2015 World Cup.

The likes of Harry Gurney, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes have all started to establish themselves in the England side in recent times, but now it is time for a regular XI to take shape.

A more consistent line-up could provide more consistent performances and results for a side that, at present, look very unlikely to win their maiden World Cup next year.

Justin Bieber unsuccessfully attempts to play tennis

Bieber is a friend of Floyd Mayweather (©GettyImages).

Justin Bieber is on the way to becoming a tennis player; however, that's possibly the first and last time you'll see the singer on the GiveMeSport Tennis page. 

The 20-year-old has been spotted with a racquet in-hand on-court in videos uploaded to YouTube this week.

The reason for saying it may be the last time we hear of Bieber's credentials as a tennis star is because the quality was, shall we say, a little lacking.

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Embarrassment 

Aside from the hoards of screaming teenage girls that worship the Canadian, popular public opinion would suggest that Bieber making a fool of himself would make for good viewing, so here you are:

The singer of 'Baby' struggled to juggle the balls and to pick them up off the ground. His strokeplay wasn't up too much, if anything, either.

His serves would have had Roger Federer in fits of laughter as two consecutive attempts floated serenely into the net , his forehand shot nearly went behind him, a backhand has only just come back into orbit and one particularly amusingly enthusiastic effort at a smash was met with air. 

Future in the sport?

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. After all, the burly-looking man alongside him in an apparent doubles match wasn't a Rafael Nadal-sort. It's hard to purvey quality when in a poor environment.

Who knows, with his assumed infinite wealth, Bieber could possibly recruit the best coaches and try and make it in the sport.

Bieber could join the growing market of talented young Canadian stars. 

Fellow Canadian stars

Milos Raonic has certainly displayed quality that could see him one day crowned a Grand Slam champion, the 23-year-old world no.6 got to the semi-finals of Wimbledon this year.

Meanwhile in the women's game, Eugenie Bouchard - same age and nationality as Bieber - has become something of a sensation having reached two major semi-finals and one final this year. 

What an Olympic line-up that could be. Bieber, Bouchard and Raonic all in cohorts...

Trouble

Bieber might need to curb his recent appetite for trouble, however. His recent rap-sheet includes incidents such as vandalism through egg-throwing, paparazzi assaults and an arrest for dangerous driving while suspected to be under the influence of drink and drugs.

He may be better off to continue hanging out with his friend Floyd Mayweather, the world's wealthiest athlete. Bieber has been invited to the ring for his fights in the past and he'll certainly get all the protection he needs.  

Younis Khan blasts Pakistan

Khan has been dropped by Pakistan in the past after 15 years of service (©GettyImages).

Pakistan star Younis Khan has sensationally hit out at the national side’s selectors, who have dropped him for the upcoming ODI series against Australia.

Khan is not taking the decision lying down, and has challenged Pakistan to try and build a Test team without him.

Supporters back Khan

The PCB have also risked the wrath of a section of supporters, who have already been accusing the board of treating the legend unfairly.

“Don’t select me, not even in Tests. I sacrifice my future”, he told ESPNcricinfo.

However, he insists he has no plans to retire just yet. The 36-year-old has also ruled himself out of the ICC World Cup, which takes place in Australia and New Zealand next year.
Khan had already been away from the ODI side for a year and a half, but was recalled in August for the series with Sri Lanka.

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Tricky relationship

If Khan plans to force the PCB’s hands by refusing to play altogether – as has worked for a number of international players in the past – his attempts may be hampered by his strained relations with chief selector Moin Khan.

The batsman left the tour midway through the Sri Lanka series due to personal reasons, having played only one game, scoring 3 off 7.

Announcing his reasons for dropping his namesake, Moin Khan said their decision to play him against Sri Lanka had “backfired”.

Younus was also banned for a three month spell in 2010, when he was accused, along with Mohammad Yousuf, of causing divisions within the team.

Khan’s defence

Khan’s career with the Men in Green has spanned almost 15 years, but during that time, he claims he has never approached selectors in order to curry favour.

Pakistan are aiming to create a more youthful side, particularly due to their current focus on fitness, which has seen 11 players fined for failing tests.

It is a strategy that has seen them discard several of their more experienced players over the years, with Khan citing their treatment of Inzamam ul-Haq and Javed Miandad as similar to the position he now finds himself in.

“They have hurt me when they said that players like me have no future”, he said. “Don’t disrespect them otherwise no youngster will play for Pakistan”.

Ryder Cup 2014: Tom Watson admits thrashing

Watson admits US were 'shellacked' (©GettyImages).

US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson had admitted that his side were thrashed by Europe in Saturday afternoon's foursomes but remains positive about his side's chances.

USA head into Sunday's singles matches trailing 10-6 after only winning 0.5 of a point during the afternoon session for the second day in a row.

Watson echoed US President Barack Obama words during his party's defeat in the 2010 midterm election.

Shellacked

"In the infamous words of our President: we got shellacked this afternoon," he said.

But Watson found reasons to believe his team can turn things around at Gleneagles during the final day. Twice in the last seven Ryder Cups has a 10-6 deficit been overturned, by Europe two years ago and by the US in 1999.

Revenge

Watson believes that his players are capable of turning it around as they hope to get revenge for Europe's comback at Medinah two years ago.

"It's 10-6 and, as I recall, there's been a little bit of history with 10-6 comebacks - most recently the Europeans last year (2012) and of course in 1999 at Brookline.

"The players are already talking about that. They said that this is what we're going to have to do. Every player right here is going to have to play their guts out, play their hearts out."

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Bad decisions

A couple of Watson's decisions during the event have raised eyebrows, most notably the decision to leave out rookies Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth during Friday's foursomes after their convincing win in the morning.

He also left out five-time winner Phil Mickelson of both the fourballs and foursomes on Saturday. Mickelson is playing in a record 10th Ryder Cup and Watson revealed that he was desperate to play on Saturday.

"I played him two rounds yesterday and he was exhausted and maybe that was the wrong choice for me - playing him two rounds - but he wanted to play in the alternate-shot (on Friday) and I had to give him his due," said Watson.

"He said, 'I've got a good record in the alternate shot'. Today I talked to him and Keegan (Bradley) and Webb (Simpson) and said they would be sitting in the afternoon.

"I expected exactly what Phil said to me. He said, 'We can get it done, captain. We want the chance'. I said, 'Well, I think the way this golf course sets up the four teams I put out there gives us the best chance'.

"He lobbied again. He texted me, he said, 'Give us a chance'. I had to tell him no."

Mistake

But Watson admitted that he may have made a mistake by choosing to send out Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler for the fourth successive session with the duo being thrashed by Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson 5&4.

Watson said: "It may have been a mistake that I put Jimmy and Rickie out (for) four matches. I thought they could handle it. I think Jimmy got a little bit tired today.

"Maybe it was not the right decision to play Phil two rounds in a row or Jimmy four rounds in a row. Maybe I regret not understanding that they couldn't handle it."

Tony Strudwick replaced as Manchester United fitness coach

Tony Strudwick has been replaced by Jos van Dijk (©GettyImages).

Manchester United fitness coach Tony Strudwick has been relieved of his first-team duties and replaced by Louis van Gaal’s long-serving fitness guru Jos van Dijk, it has emerged.

While no official confirmation has been made by the club, the Daily Mail have had it confirmed by sources at Old Trafford that Strudwick has been told to focus on working with Manchester United’s youth players.

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Van Dijk will condition United's first-team stars

The Red Devils’ elite stars will now be monitored and conditioned by Van Dijk, who was part of Van Gaal’s coaching staff with the Netherlands national team at this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

Strudwick, who travelled to the United States and worked with United’s first-team stars in pre-season, will now focus exclusively on the club’s young stars except for some warm-up drills and strength work exercises.

The 42-year-old, who was brought to Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson from Blackburn Rovers in 2007, will no longer have any involvement in designing and planning first-team training sessions.

Reasons behind the reshuffle

The report claims that Van Gaal’s decision to replace Strudwick is not a reflection of his work. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss simply wishes to work with his trusted aide Van Dijk.

But it could be a risk by Van Gaal because Strudwick is a well-respected member of Manchester United’s coaching staff, and someone liked and trusted by the Red Devils’ senior players.

It’s unclear whether the recent speight of injuries may have contributed to Strudwick being replaced. Ahead of today’s match against West Ham, Manchester United have nine injuries, and will be without all three of their first-choice central defenders.

Rafael Nadal relishing Beijing injury comeback

Nadal set to return (©GettyImages).

Rafael Nadal, after months of frustration, finally looks ready to make his long-awaited return to action for the first time since picking up a wrist injury after Wimbledon.

The Spaniard was forced to sit-out the entirety of the North American hard-court season, including the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows, with his injuries not quite clearing in-time to make playing pain-free.

However the former world no.1 is back in business for the Masters 1000 events, firstly in Shanghai and then to Paris, before the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena, an event for which Nadal has already qualified.

Beijing return

Before those higher-ranking events, however, the 28-year-old joins a number star names on the bill for the China Open in Beijing; a 500 ranking-point event.

Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov and US Open champion Marin Cilic will also be competing in the Chinese capital, and Nadal admits he's looking forward to his return.

“I am fine,” the world no.2 said at a press conference.  “I am much better. The thing is the injury, the evolution of the injury, was a bit slow and took a little bit of time. But that's it. I just feel the wrist a little bit when I am starting, when I start to play every day, but then it disappears. I'm in good conditions to compete again.”

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Lost time

Nadal's time on the sidelines meant he was unable to defend plenty of tournaments he had won in 2013, however at leas he won't have that kind of pressure straight away this time around.

The 14-time Grand Slam champion did win this tournament way back in 2005, as a teenager, but more recently it has been Novak Djokovic who has dominated.

Nadal's successor to the world no.1 slot is aiming towards his third consecutive title in Beijing and the Serbian's fifth in six years.

It isn't likely to be a walk in the park for Djokovic, however, the 27-year-old - perhaps Nadal's fiercest rival - is appearing for the first time since a shock semi-final exit at the US Open to Kei Nishikori, a tournament that he was expected to stroll to because of Rafa's absence. 

Rivalry

The fans will undoubtedly lick their lips at the prospect of Nadal and Djokovic renewing their rivalry, but the former says he doesn't mind who he faces.

“My motivation is always high. I am coming here to Beijing for a big tournament,” Nadal continued. 

“The best players are here. I try my best always. It's not because I'm coming back from an injury. This part of the season has always been a little bit difficult for me, and will be for sure even more this year after stopping for three months at the middle of the season. That was really bad news for me.

“But the last part of the season remains. I am going to try to be ready for it. I don't know in which condition I am going to be in, in terms of tennis, in these two tournaments, but I hope to practise and play as much as possible to be in rhythm again."

Tour Finals

Despite his outstanding talent, coming back from injury, Nadal couldn't possibly expect his perfect best just yet, but he'll be striving for that by the time the Tour Finals kick-off.

Remarkably, Nadal has never won the Finals - contested by the top eight ranked players for the calendar year - and will hope to turn that tide this year.

Djokovic has won the last two tournaments at the O2 while Roger Federer - also qualified for 2014 - is a six-time winner. 

Rugby World Cup 2015: Tickets still available for 33 matches

'Too Big To Miss' campaign got off to a promising start (©GettyImages).

There is just two days to go for the sale of the 2015 Rugby World Cup tickets, but several matches still look like they will have a low attendance next year.

The tournament kicks off on the 18th September with England facing Fiji at Twickenham, whilst the London-based stadium will also host the final on the 31st October.

Tickets went on sale two weeks ago, but fans have until 6pm on Monday to snap up the opportunity to go to the World Cup with 33 of the 48 matches still having seats available.

Few Rugby Stadiums

This is worrying for the organising committee chiefs, who had to upset some rugby fans by choosing football stadiums to host games, needing the extra capacity at these grounds to be able to sell more tickets.

Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester, Sandy Park in Exeter, Twickenham and Wales’ Millennium Stadium are the only traditional rugby union venues that will be used at the World Cup next year.

Those looked over include Saracens' new Allianz Park and Leicester Tigers fortress Welford Road, with Wembley, Leeds’ Elland Road and Milton Keynes Dons’ Stadium:mk chosen instead.

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Looking at games that remain available, only two being held at Twickenham have tickets left, with the final having been sold out in a matter of days.

England have also been, unsurprisingly, in high demand, with just their opening fixture against Fiji still yet to sell out.

Not selling

The Pacific Islands’ nation face the possibility of a lower attendance when they take on Wales at the Millennium Stadium, with the Rugby World Cup tickets website noting the game down as being of good availability.

The home of Welsh rugby is yet to be filled for their country’s game against the play off winner of either Russia or Uruguay, whilst Ireland clash with Canada there still has plenty of seats left.

One thing that has turned away fans is the quality of sides that will be starring with Georgia, Romania, Canada and Namibia amongst those struggling to sell.

Another issue has been the cost of tickets, with the most expensive and available being £315 for the opening fixture.

Quarter final matches, which could involve New Zealand, Argentina, France and Ireland, are all still available, and with the 29th September deadline fast closing in, the England 2015 organising committee will be start to panic.

Top 5: Craziest tennis players in the world

Murray's had his moments (©GettyImages).

Being a famous sportsman comes with a massive amount of responsibility, and no wonder we sometimes see the players lose their cool on occasions.

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 You have to have a big ego, generally, to cope with the fame, but there comes to points where all the pressure can spill over and there's no exception for tennis stars.

Being a sport for individuals, any mistakes made are highlighted further, it's not as if teammates or management can cover up for errors.

Crazy

Down the years we have seen plenty of loose cannons. In fact John McEnroe, despite his talent and success, is perhaps better known for his on-court meltdowns and tantrums; he must be sick of hearing 'you cannot be serious.'

McEnroe isn't in his own league, however, and plenty of the current stars on-tour can be characterized by their craziness. 

Here's my top five for you. Agree or disagree, feel free to use the comment box below. 

Manchester United could fund Ronaldo deal with star departure

Will Mata or Van Persie leave Old Trafford? (©GettyImages).

Manchester United could help fund a sensational move for Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo by selling either of Juan Mata or Robin van Persie. 

This has been reported by the Telegraph, who have suggested that the Red Devils will have to pay a package worth £140 million for the player's services in the 2015 summer transfer window. 

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Ronaldo link 

Manchester United have been linked with the Portuguese superstar for some time now, with Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal having already confirmed his interest in the player's services. 

Ronaldo, of course, left Old Trafford for the Spanish giants for a then world record fee of £80 million in the summer of 2009, but could now make a dramatic return to the club he joined as a teenager. 

And, it appears that United's willingness to stump up a huge fee for the World Player of the Year puts them in the driving seat to bring him back to the Premier League. As well as United, Chelsea and Manchester City have also been linked with the phenomenon in recent time. French money-bags Paris Saint Germain have also been credited with interest in Ronaldo, as Real Madrid consider entering a new era without their prize asset. 

Duo to exit? 

However, it now appears that Louis van Gaal could sell one of his top stars in order to make way for the signature of the club's former No.7. It's been suggested that either of Van Persie or Mata could depart the Theatre of Dreams at the end of the season, with Van Gaal continuing to make changes at the club.

Mata, of course, only signed for United in January of this year from Chelsea, but may struggle for opportunities this term with the array of attacking talent at the club's disposal. Van Persie, meanwhile, has struggled to find his best form so far this season, but will be desperate to find his magic touch in the near future. 

Van Gaal and Van Persie have a fine relationship following their days together with the Dutch national team, so it remains to be seen as to whether the Manchester United boss would be willing to move him on next year. 

Manchester United fans: Would you be happy to see Mata or Van Persie leave in order to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford? Have your say in the comments section below! 

Ryder Cup 2014: Europe fight back in foursomes

Europe enjoyed a successful afternoon (©GettyImages).

Europe managed to dominate Friday's foursomes to take a 5-3 lead during day one at Gleneagles.

Europe managed to win three of the four matches and a sublime comeback from Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia earned them a half to take the afternoon session 3.5-0.5.

Jamie Donaldson, making his first Ryder Cup appearance, and Lee Westwood played Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar in the afternoon's first match.

Impressive

All four players had sat out of the morning session which saw USA take a a 2.5-1.5 lead. Although Stephen Gallacher failed to mark his mark during his debut, Donaldson made his mark and looked impressive throughout.

Furyk and Kuchar had began well but birdies at holes six and seven put them ahead while another birdie at the 11th put them two holes ahead.

The Americans looked to make it a nervy finish but Westwood and Furyk managed to half both the 16th and 17th and won the last for a 2Up victory.

Relished the battle

Donaldson enjoyed his debut and relished the battle with Furyk and Westwood.

"My first Ryder Cup was just an incredible day," said Donaldson. "I was playing against two quality players like Jim and Kuch - it's a battle. I think we played as well as we could have played there and (it came down to) the last, so it just shows how tough it is in this great format."

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson followed Donaldson and Westwood and managed a 2 & 1 triumph.

The pair, who had won their fourball match in the morning, let a two hole lead slip after opponents Hunter Mahan and Zach Johnson birdied the 7th and 8th to claw it back.

Rallied

But Rose and Stenson rallied to win holes 11, 15 and 17 with the U.S only managing to take one further hole to give Europe another point.

A magnificent finish from Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia saw him half the match with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker as they finished with three successive birdies. The European pair were two down with two holes to play but earned half a point.

Monster putt

McIlroy sunk a monster 40-foot putt on the 17th and the pair took momentum onto the final hole to birdie and snatch victory away from Walker and Fowler.

World number one McIlroy was glad to have achieved something from his two matches on the opening day.

“We needed it we really did, we were making life difficult for ourselves out there,” said McIlroy. “I don’t think either of us played from the fairways much. We’ve played two really tough matches but at least we’ve got something out of it.”

But in the foursomes final match Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell managed victory over Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley.

Mickelson and Bradley managed a final hole victory over McIlroy and Garcia in the morning but debutant Dubuisson and McDowell achieved a 3&2 victory over the pair to leave Europe 5-3 ahead after day one.

Superstar

Frenchman Dubuisson will be pleased with his first performance in the Ryder Cup and McDowell sang his praises afterwards.

"Victor and I were really fired up for this afternoon.

"I've got to say, one thing about my Ryder Cup experience is that I always get good partners. I played with Rory McIlroy the last couple and this kid right here - I'm telling you right now folks - this kid's the next superstar in Europe."

Robin van Persie could ask Van Gaal for Manchester United exit

Van Persie is tipped to struggle for game-time. (©GettyImages).

Manchester United star Robin van Persie is set to convene with Louis van Gaal in order to discuss his future at the club in the wake of rumours linking him to both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

According to the Daily Express the Dutchman is preparing to ask his boss to allow him to move for Spain if he prefers the likes of Radamel Falcao and Wayne Rooney in his starting lineups each week. Despite ranking amongst United’s key players, Van Persie’s position as been put under threat following Falcao’s big-money arrival, and it’s now believed he’s ready to leave in order to find regular football.

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Chances for Van Persie

The situation at Old Trafford remains precarious at best for the 31-year-old, who is said to be unhappy at Van Gaal’s decision to bring in Falcao when other areas of the squad are in dire need of reinforcements.

That move, plus the United boss’s comments which inferred Rooney would never be dropped whilst he remains club captain, have led to speculation that Van Persie could find himself third-choice in the pecking order.

Long gone are the days when the forward was the most important player on the Red Devils side, and despite the healthy relationship he shares with Van Gaal he could be the first major casualty of the new United era. As such Van Persie has been reportedly keeping an ear close to the ground to monitor the interest in his services, and will approach his manager in order to talk things through.

Interest from Spain

Over the past few weeks it’s been speculated that both Madrid and Barcelona are ready to firm up their interest with offers for Van Persie next summer, with both La Liga outfits still rating his abilities to find the back of the net highly. Coincidentally the player is thought to be aware of their stance, and will include it during his meeting with Van Gaal in order to get across how serious he is about leaving should he become a backup option.

Subsequently United will have a decision to make moving forward. Van Persie is still one of the most feared forwards around but his age is inevitable beginning to take his toll and this time next year he will be 32.

The Red Devils will know that next summer realistically marks the last transfer window wherein they can expect to see an impressive return if they sell him, and so could be tempted to let him leave as they look to the future. Getting £250k-a-week off of the wage bill will also free up space for them should they continue with their relentless plan to attract the world's most notable names to Old Trafford.

Owen Farrell to miss 'a few weeks' with injury

Farrell sustained a leg injury in Saracens' victory over London Irish. (©GettyImages).

Saracens fly-half Owen Farrell is set to miss a 'few weeks' after sustaining a leg injury during the win over London Irish last weekend - which puts his England place under threat ahead of the autumn internationals, reports the Daily Mail.

The 23-year old has already been ruled out ahead of tonight's clash with Sale, and whilst his club have not yet confirmed the full nature of the problem, he is also likely to be absent from the matches with Bath and Gloucester, as well as the European tie with Clermont Auvergne on October 18.

Squad announcement

England head coach Stuart Lancaster will name his squad for the matches with New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Samoa four days later.

He is already without duo Dan Cole and Mako Vunipola, as well as Tom Youngs, who has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.

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Competition for places

Whilst Farrell - considered by many as the lynchpin of the England side - will no doubt make Lancaster's 32-man squad, his inclusion in the starting XV may be under threat.

Danny Cipriani is one of the leading candidates to step into the role should Farrell not quite be ready to take on New Zealand on November 8.

In fact if Farrell was fit, the two would have come head-to-head when Saracens face Cipriani's Sale, and the 26-year old has made an impressive start to the campaign, particularly in the defeat to Gloucester - where he set up three tries and managed to touch down himself once.

Cipriani also made a good impression during the tour of New Zealand, but even he faces competition to be England's number 10.

Several candidates

The new campaign has seen a number of players in that role but their name in the hat for international selection with the autumn Tests looming.

One such man is George Ford, whose performance during Bath's 45-0 thrashing of Leicester was lauded by many, especially for his kicking prowess and his general dominance of the game.

Bell to return in charity game

Ian Bell in action for the Bears (©GettyImages).

Ian Bell will return to the crease in charity game this Sunday in memory of former Warwickshire coach Neal Abberley.

The England batsman fractured his toe earlier this month and was ruled out for the last ODI against India and missed the Royal London One-Day Cup final at Lord’s but he is ready to gently ease back into the game after being selected in the England squad to travel to face Sri Lanka next month.

However, Bell is back in action this weekend and he explains the reason behind the charity event.

“The Neal Abberley Cup started three years ago. Neale was somebody who brought so many players through the Warwickshire youth system and we have had so many players that have been successful over the years. He coached plenty of players from the age of 11 all the way through,” The England man said of his former tutor.

“It started off as a memorial game for him at his club which is Knowle and Dorridge but also we have the opportunity to raise some good money and an added bonus for this year is the money is going back into the Warwickshire youth development programme. Neale was a massive part of this so to help finance the academy through a game in memory of him is fantastic.”

There are a number of big name splaying the game with Bell captaining an all-star team against former Warwickshire captain Jim Troughton and his Bears XI.

“Moeen Ali is playing, David Sakar is coming down to play, the actor Colin Salmon, and a number of ex and current Warwickshire players are involved, including the director of cricket Dougie Brown,” Bell revealed.

“There are a number of people who are coming to support which is a great, a couple of Aston Villa legends Gary Shaw and Nigel Spink are playing and some good local characters too. The theme is Warwickshire and to try and arrange as much money as possible and allowing supporters to get close to the team and meet the players that have done so well for the team this year.

“The NatWest T20 Blast trophy is coming along too so people can get a picture with that, it should be a great day for fans to get close to their heroes.”

The club, based in Solihull in the West Midlands gets the action started at 1pm on Sunday with each side batting for 30-overs each.

“Hopefully I won’t have to face too many Yorkers!

“It should be a little bit friendlier than what I’m used to but I’m looking forward to getting out there, having a bat and have a good time because that’s what it’s all about. The money we raised is going to help bring more players through.”

For more details on the all-star game click HERE.

Padraig Harrington interview: Team USA might be better than ever at Ryder Cup

Harrington has a big role to play for Europe. (©GettyImages).

Team Europe vice-captain Padraig Harrington has told GiveMeSport that Team USA might be the strongest they have ever been at this year’s Ryder Cup.

The Americans have arrived at Gleneagles without former world number one Tiger Woods, and the hosts have been made pre-tournament favourites with bookmakers and pundits alike ahead of the 40th instalment of the famous competition.

Dangerous opponents

However, Harrington, a three-time Major winner, believes the mix of youth and experience in Tom Watson’s side could be a dangerous formula for the visitors, who lost the trophy in incredible fashion two years ago.

"Obviously the result on Sunday in Medinah was a shock to Team USA and the memory of it will be in both team’s minds heading in to Gleneagles. But, I think Europe have to just focus on the task ahead of them,” Harrington told GiveMeSport ahead of the big tee-off on Friday.

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"I think that the US might be better than they have ever been and I'd be wary of them coming out with a point to prove.They are seemingly loving being the underdogs, which is situation that Team Europe have typically enjoyed in recent years.”

That underdog tag has been emphasised further with the pairing of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth among the opening fourballs, They will meet the talismanic Ian Poulter and another debutant, Stephen Gallacher, in the third match off.

Intriguing match-ups

Veteran Phil Mickleson anchors the side with Keegan Bradley, and their clash with Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia is the one people will be waiting for on the opening day.

Rickie Fowler impressed on his debut two years ago and he plays in the second match alongside Jimmy Walker, whilst the opening pair for USA sees Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson reprise their partnership.

Harrington can certainly see the advantage of having younger players sprinkled throughout a side ahead of the rigours of five possible rounds in three days, and the Irishman is sure that they’ll be relishing the challenge ahead of them.

Benefits of youth

"Playing in the Ryder Cup at only 25-years-old would be a dream come true and I sometimes wonder how these young guys play so well week-in-week-out,” he concluded before the fourballs announcement.

"I played in my first Ryder Cup at the age of 28, so for Rickie (Fowler) to be playing his second already is very impressive. The Ryder Cup can be tough physically because you can play up to five rounds in three days, so being younger can be a huge advantage in that sense, but on the other hand experience is worth a lot.”

The talking is almost over and the action is about to begin, and you can follow Padraig Harrington on Facebook HERE

Rafael Nadal should focus on tennis rather than Ronaldo duel

Nadal has been out since Wimbledon (©GettyImages).

Fans of Rafael Nadal can be vindicated in feeling slightly frustrated at the moment, their hero hasn't been seen on-court since Wimbledon and he seems to be publicising his poker match with Ronaldo more than his return to action from wrist issues.

Now obviously a lot of famous sportsmen have various activities to complete for the companies they endorse, but maybe Nadal isn't sending-out the right messages considering his injury lay-off.

Return needed

In fact its not just fans of the Spaniard that are eager to see the return of the former world no.1, the US Open showed that the sport is weaker without the 14-time Grand Slam champion.

Simply put, tennis needs Rafael Nadal.

While fake helicopter stunts, practice poker matches against the general public and trash talking with Ronaldo are amusing for a minute, I'm sure I am not alone in wishing there were more videos of his injury rehabilitation.

It has been far too long since we have seen the 28-year-old with a racquet in hand, nobody wants to see the Ace of Spades in his clutches instead.

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Poker

Ronaldo finished his career a long time ago and is undoubtedly hungry for the attention, but like a naughty school child the former Real Madrid star could disrupt Nadal's return. While it probably isn't the case, some could get the impression that the Majorcan-born star isn't focused enough on getting fit and challenging to add to his already bulging trophy cabinet.

After all, there's a lot to be won for Nadal if he can reach the sky-high levels we have seen in the past.

With Andy Murray on an seemingly one-way slide down the rankings and Roger Federer struggling to win in the majors in his thirties, it leaves only Novak Djokovic as the superstar capable of stopping Nadal.

Plenty to win

Even the world no.1 faces doubts over his own future, his family life is about to get all the more exciting with the impending birth of his first child, and the Serbain would be forgiven if his game suffers.

Marin Cilic may have just won his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, but he and the other surprising finalist, Kei Nishikori, will need more consistency to prove they can stay at the top.

After confirming his return to two China tournaments before the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, it would be fantastic to see Nadal hitting some on his trade-mark forearm smashes.

Perhaps he's just building suspense for everybody, lets hope so... 

Marco Reus stalling on Borussia Dortmund contract

Reus is concerned about the Dortmund exodus (©GettyImages).

Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus is delaying signing a new contract as he waits to see if Liverpool or Manchester United firm up their interest with a bid for his services in the January transfer window or next summer.

According to the Daily Express, Arsenal have also joined Liverpool and United in the hunt for the Germany international, who has refused to renegotiate terms on his current deal.

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Release clause

That's because his current deal reportedly includes a clause that drops Reus's minimum release fee to just £20m at the end of this season. The forward would be one of the world's most wanted players if he was available for that price, but teams may hold off bidding in January to get him at the knockdown price six months later.

Dortmund are understandably keen to get Reus tied down to the club long-term, and want to remove that clause from his contract if possible.

German newspaper SportBild claims Reus told Jurgen Klopp that he is not interested in discussing a new Dortmund contract until next summer at the earliest, as he waits to see if any of the big clubs come in for him next summer.

As well as United, Arsenal and Liverpool, the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are also keeping tabs on the Germany forward.

Dortmund exodus

Klopp is desperate to prevent his side from losing another big name, as Dortmund have been powerless to stop Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski leaving for Bayern Munich in recent seasons.

Both Lewandowski and Gotze were key parts of Bundesliga-winning Dortmund sides, and helped the club to their first Champions League final since 1997. Having watched two of his top teammates depart the club, Reus is worried about stagnation in Dortmund.

Liverpool and United have the transfer funds to make sizeable bids for the attacker, while Arsenal have many players similar to Reus but that hasn't put Arsene Wenger off in the past.

Richard Cockerill calls on Leicester players to show 'backbone'

Cockerill has seen several of his top players fall victim to early-season injury (©GettyImages).

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill has urged his players to show backbone and resilience as the club's injury list continues to mount.

Tom Youngs - who has been ruled out of England's autumn Tests with a shoulder injury - Geoff Parling and winger Niall Morris were all injured during the devastating 45-0 loss to Bath last weekend.

Manu Tuliagi, Anthony Allen and Ed Slater are also sidelined, leaving Cockerill with a depleted squad for the upcoming clash with London Irish at Welford Road.

"We need to show some steel and backbone," the former England hooker told BBC East Midlands Today.

"We need to get out there, do what we do to keep the critics quiet. Those that want to throw mud can throw it, and we'll just get on with it."

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Defiance

Cockerill appeared defiant when speaking about Leicester's continuing injury concerns and he feels the current squad have the ability to earn a victory against London Irish.

He said: "We have a side more than capable of going out and performing on Saturday and getting a result.

"Let's concentrate on that. Whoever is missing is missing, we can't control that at this point. We will patch up what we have got and crack on.

"I'm sure they will look at our team sheet and fancy their chances, but we have had that before on lots of occasions and against a lot of sides."

Silver lining

Despite the depleted nature of the Tigers' squad, there are a few players nearing a return - which will come as great relief to Cockerill as he sets about mending the damage from the loss to Bath.

Italian prop Michele Rozzo, dual-code international Brad Thorn - a summer signing who is yet to appear for the club - and Laurence Pearce are set to return to action in the coming weeks.

Seremaia Bai, Blaine Scully, Miles Benjamin and Christian Loamanu are all also set to feature sooner rather than later, and despite the early season woes on the treatment table, Leicester have made a good start to the campaign with two wins from their opening three Aviva Premiership matches.