SPORTS UPDATE WITH EMMAH ATAI: Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez has been named Barclays Player of the Season and Tony Pulis the Barclays Manager of the Season for his efforts with Crystal Palace. The Reds star struck 31 Premier League goals as his side finished second overall, with his 12 assists contributing to his recognition as the best in the division. Pulis led the Eagles to a comfortable 11th-place finish, having been six points from safety when he took charge towards the end of November. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been named the League Managers Association manager of the year. He guided the Reds to second place in the Premier League, as well as a return to the Champions League, as they finished just two points behind Manchester City. Rodgers is the first Liverpool boss to win the award in its 20-year history. Leicester manager ,Nigel Pearson won the Sky Bet Football League Championship manager of the year award, having led his side to next seasons Premier League with 102 points as they finished top of the second tier. Sheffield Uniteds Nigel Clough was named the FA Cup manager of the year after taking the League One side past Premier League Aston Villa and Fulham en route to the semi-finals. Rio Ferdinand will leave Manchester United in the summer after not being offered a new contract. The 35-year-old defender s departure will bring to an end a 12-year stay at the club, for whom he has made 454 appearances, scoring eight goals. Fredinand intends to continue playing but his next club is still unknown. Ferdinand helped United win six league titles, two League Cups, one Champions League and a Club World Cup. England boss, Roy Hodgson says there is an element of risk in his decision to overlook Ashley Cole for Southamptons Luke Shaw in his World Cup squad. Chelseas Cole, 33, announced his international retirement when Hodgson decided to take 18-year-old Shaw to Brazil. Evertons Leighton Baines, 29, will be Englands first-choice left-back. Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is one of four Premier League players selected by coach Oscar Tabarez for Uruguays 25-man provisional World Cup squad. The 27-year-old has been joined by Reds team-mate, 23-year-old defender Sebastian Coates. TRANSFER GOSSIP; Chelsea have agreed a £32m deal with Atletico Madrid to sign their Brazilian striker Diego Costa, 25. Manchester United are hoping to sign Borussia Dortmunds Germany defender Mats Hummels, 25, as a replacement for the departing Rio Ferdinand, 35. Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis is planning to raid relegated Norwich for goalkeeper John Ruddy, 27, who is on standby for Englands World Cup squad. Strikers Luuk de Jong, 23, and Shola Ameobi, 32, are among seven players expected to leave Newcastle this summer. Southampton are holding out for £25m for England midfielder Adam Lallana after Liverpool made a £20m bid on Monday Chelsea defender David Luiz, 27, has fuelled speculation he could be on his way to Paris St-Germain this summer after expressing his love of both the club and the city, along with declaring how cool it is to play alongside the French champions skipper Thiago Silva. Cardiff City striker Fraizer Campbell, 26, wants to leave the club after Premier League relegation and would be available for as little as £800,000 because of an escape clause in his contract. Hull City are interested. Bacary Sagna has told Arsenal he will not sign a new contract and will leave at the end of the season. The Frenchman let manager Arsene Wenger know at the end of last week that the FA Cup final against Hull City on Saturday will be his final game for the club. Arsenal had been close to an agreement with Sagna last month after offering him an £80,000-a-week, two-year deal with the option of a third year in a final attempt to keep him at the club. OTHER NEWS; Sports Club Victoria University coach Morley Byekwaso has said he has shifted focus to the forthcoming 2014 CECAFA Nile Basin Cup Winners Cup in Sudan. Guest side Arab Contractors SC, three-time winners of the Africa Cup Winners Cup, will also spice up the tournament that runs May 20th to June 6th in Khartoum and Port Sudan. Group ‘A’: El Merreikh [Sudan], Victoria University [Uganda], Malaika [S. Sudan] and Police [Zanzibar] Group ‘B’: El Merreikh Al Fasher [Sudan], Mbeya City [Tz], Elman [Somalia], AFC Leopards [Kenya] Group ‘C’: Al Ahli Shandi [Sudan], Al Masri [Egypt], Defence [Ethiopia], Dkhill [Djibouti] Group ‘D’: Hey Al Arab [Sudan], Arab Contractors [Egypt], Flambeau [Burundi], Etincelles [Rwanda]
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 10:46:40 +0000