Cech pays tribute to Mason after injury-enforced retirement

Bournemouth midfielder Ryan Fraser would be a great signing for Arsenal according to former Gunners playmaker Jack Wilshere.

Fraser has been linked with a move to Emirates Stadium after his scored seven goals and laid on 14 assists for Bournemouth in the Premier League 2018-19 and reportedly caught the eye of a number of big clubs.

West Ham s Wilshere, who knows Fraser from his spell on loan with the Cherries two seasons ago, recommends his former club move for the Scotland international while heaping praise on his work ethic.

I think Ryan Fraser would be a great signing. I know him well. He s probably the hardest working player I ve ever worked with, Wilshere told football.london.

He s got an exceptional attitude. On the pitch he runs around all day he…

Zinedine Zidane can win his second trophy in just a little over six months in charge of Real Madrid when the European champions face Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.

As Zidane prepares to start his first full season in charge, he will know as well as anyone that even another piece of continental silverware in Trondheim will not will be enough to guarantee him a job beyond 2016-17.

Two years ago, fresh from ending the 12-year wait for the fabled Decima a 10th conquering of Europe Carlo Ancelotti s Madrid, with assistant Zidane in tow, dispatched Sevilla 2-0 to lift the Super Cup in Cardiff.

The Club World Cup followed in December, during a run of 22 consecutive victories in all competitions a record for the self-proclaimed biggest club on Earth.

F…

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insisted the Premier League champions would only sign players that could improve their high-quality squad in the off-season.

City spent more than £200million ahead of the 2017-18 season and Pep Guardiola s men delivered in the Premier League, winning the title with a record-breaking campaign.

But the big-spending outfit are unlikely to repeat that this close-season, with Al Mubarak suggesting there would be more caution about their spending.

In terms of improving the squad, we have had a lot of learning in the past. Today, we have a superbly high-quality squad, he told City TV.

You don t get to 100 points without a full, high-quality squad, which is what we have. Any additions have to improve the squad.

…

Leicester City have rejected two bids for rumoured Manchester United and Manchester City target Harry Maguire, Brendan Rodgers has said.

England international Maguire is thought to be of interest to both Manchester clubs, with United having been linked with the 26-year-old a year ago during Jose Mourinho s time in charge.

A deal did not materialise then and the defender signed a new five-year contract in September 2018.

However, United are said to have renewed their interest and Leicester boss Rodgers revealed on Tuesday that his club had turned down two offers for a player the Foxes are thought to value at £80million.

In quotes published by the Leicester Mercury after Maguire played 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly against Scunthorpe United, Rodg…

Aston Villa heaped more misery on Portsmouth on Saturday as their 2-0 victory inflicted a sixth Premier League defeat of the season on the 2008 FA Cup winners.

Goals by former England Under-21 captain James Milner and England international striker Gabriel Agbonlahor were enough to see off a poor Portsmouth side, who have seen several of their stars leave for other clubs.

Villa were firmly in control at half-time after Milner and Agbonlahor had scored.

Milner made no mistake from the penalty spot after Stiliyan Petrov was felled in the area by Nadir Belhadj and then Agbonlahor, who has recently taken up doing more work in the gym to work on his body, rifled in a superb goal with a 20-metre shot.

Portsmouth must have rued the fact that they had sent one-ca…

Ray Wilkins expects Chelsea to see in 2009 in style after watching them dispatch West Bromwich Albion 2-0.

Victory left the Blues just a point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and they could end the year top of the table if they beat west London rivals Fulham on Sunday and the Reds slip up against Newcastle.

Chelsea hardly had to break sweat in sweeping aside Tony Mowbray s bottom-of-the-table team, cruising to victory here at Stamford Bridge on Friday thanks to an early strike from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard s effort in first-half injury time.

A polished performance suggested Chelsea have banished the doubts which have bedevilled them at Stamford Bridge for much of the campaign.

Wilkins, the Blues assistant manager, has warned the club s…

Scotland international forward Steven Naismith signed a three-year extension with Everton on Wednesday.

Naismith, who joined Everton from Rangers in 2012, will remain at Goodison Park until 2019.

The 28-year-old has been in good form for Roberto Martinez s side this season, scoring five Premier League goals to help Everton up to 10th in the table.

I am so happy here. From the moment I signed my first contract here it wasn t long before I saw what a great club it was, Naismith told EvertonTV.

Over the months and years it has progressed into a fantastic move for myself on and off the park. I am delighted to have agreed an extension, which will keep me here for a few more years yet. 

When you come to the last 18 months of your contract, negotiati…

Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given says he just wants the chance to play, having slipped behind Brad Guzan in the Villa Park pecking order.

Given, 37, has fallen out of favour at Villa under manager Paul Lambert and has made just nine appearances for the club since the end of the 2011-12 season.

The former Republic of Ireland international was linked with a switch to Liverpool in the recent transfer window that never materialised, while Championship outfit Doncaster Rovers also failed in a bid to sign the keeper.

With the Premier League s transfer window shut until January, meaning Given – who would prefer to remain in the top flight – will have to drop into the Football League if he moves out on loan.

The emergency loan window in the Football League opened on…

Promoted Premier League side Wolves have signed Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio on a four-year contract.

Patricio, 30, leaves Primeira Liga side Sporting CP to make the move to Molineux, becoming Wolves second new signing of the transfer window in a deal subject to international clearance.

His arrival follows that of Raul Jimenez, who joined on loan from Benfica last week.

Patricio made 460 appearances for Sporting and kept 179 clean sheets, winning the Taca de Portugal twice and the Taca da Liga this past season.

However, his time at Sporting ended in acrimony as he terminated his own contract in the aftermath of attack by a section of the club s supporters at the end of last season after they missed out on qualification for the Champions League. Sport…

Market: Burnley draw no bet

Odds: 8/11 @

In a real Lancashire derby on Tuesday night, Burnley will make the trip to Deepdale in midweek when they meet a downbeat Preston.

Starting with the hosts, while Preston might still find themselves battling it out in the top-half of the Championship table, they are in the midst of a recent wobble. Last seen earlier in the month when getting hit with a toothless 1-0 loss at home against Birmingham, Ryan Lowe s men have now managed to win just one of their last six matchups across all formats. With that sluggish run of form stemming all the way back to August 13th, the Whites have gained an unwanted reputation for their struggles in the final third. Tuesday s hosts have bagged just a single Championship strike from any of th…