Melbourne Heart defender Aziz Behich is ready to find something extra for the derby against his former club Melbourne Victory on Friday.
The left-back moved on from the Victory at the end of the 2009/10 season before finding himself at the Heart for their inaugural A-League campaign.
Behich, 21, became the first player to play for both Melbourne clubs and was sent off in the first derby.
While he said the encounter was just like any other game, he admits taking on the Heart s rivals helps him lift.
Every game is the same to me. I just want to win, Behich told Sportal.
This season we ve set ourselves goals and playing against your old team, and obviously being a derby, you get that extra bit of something.
It s always good to play in a d…
Former Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark hopes to see more local players emerge from the club s youth ranks and progress into the first team.
Paul Dummett, 23, and Adam Armstrong, 18, were born in Newcastle and both are prospects at St James Park, while Jack Colback, who arrived from Sunderland last year, is also from the area.
Wales defender Dummett has made 43 Premier League appearances since debuting in 2010, while Armstrong – on loan at Coventry City – has played 15 matches over the past two seasons.
Clark, who enjoyed two spells at Newcastle between 1990-97 and 2005-06, believes the duo are good enough to make a name for themselves in the senior team – and he wants others to follow suit.
Paul has done extremely well and forced his w…
Napoli winger Dries Mertens will end speculation regarding his future at Stadio San Paolo by signing a new deal with the club, Sky Sport Italia has revealed.
The 28-year-old hasn t quite managed to establish himself as an undisputed starter in Naples and with quite a few top clubs showing interest in his services, he was linked with a summer exit.
But, with the Azzurri keen to keep hold of their prized asset, they have now offered the winger a new deal until June 2010.
It is believed that talks over a new contract are already in progress and they should eventually result in Mertens extending his stay at Stadio San Paolo.
The Belgium international arrived as a big name signing from PSV Eindhoven two years ago and he has done well to justify the hype.
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Barcelona could be set to make a surprise move for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, .
The Spanish giants are on the lookout for a new midfielder with Andres Iniesta, now 32, struggling to cope with the demands of playing every game.
Ozil will have twelve months remaining on his current deal at the Emirates Stadium come the end of the season and doesn’t appear to be any closer to agreeing new terms.
The twenty-eight year old moved to the North London outfit from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 has since racked up over one hundred and fifty appearances in all competitions, scoring thirty-one goals while he was part of the squads that won the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015.
Internationally, he has been capped eighty-four times by Germany, scoring twenty-one …
Jerome Boateng is glad to be back in action after returning from four months out in Bayern Munich s 3-0 home victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Germany international Boateng replaced Javi Martinez in the second half of Saturday s game, having recovered from a chest muscle injury, as Bayern extended their advantage at the top of the table to 10 points.
Boateng s return is timely as Bayern have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, with the treble in their sights, but Boateng is just happy to be playing again.
Welcome back, ! (65 ) 3-0
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN)
It s always a comfortable feeling when you come into the game and the score is 3-0, Boateng told the DFB w…
According to a recent report from Sky Germany, Borussia Dortmund have a buy-back clause for striker Alexander Isak.
The 21-year-old was sold to Real Sociedad by Dortmund back in 2019, but as it turns out, they could get the first option on bringing him back to Germany if all the pieces fall into place, that is.
The youngster has been turning heads with Sociedad for quite some time now and given his upward trajectory, we aren’t expecting that theme to change. However, if another club comes in with a sizeable offer, you’d have to imagine Sociedad will at least consider it.
Making a decision on your future is hard at any age but especially when you re that young. The wrong move could be the catalyst behind success or failure, and when you re someone like Isak w…
Neymar has been defended by his father after the Paris Saint-Germain star claimed Barcelona s 6-1 Champions League win over his current employers was a career highlight.
PSG forward Neymar caused controversy when he failed to report in the French capital for pre-season training, with the club stating they would take appropriate action , although the player s camp insisted it had been agreed he would not return until July 15.
The club s sporting director Leonardo later confirmed Neymar wished to leave PSG, though he stressed a move would only be sanctioned if a suitable offer was made, with Barca seemingly favourites to land their former forward despite the €120million arrival of Antoine Griezmann.
And Neymar who is due to return to PSG on Monday risked causin…
FC Internazionale Milano midfielder Joseph Alfred Duncan is flattered by reports linking him with a summer move to Sunderland A.F.C., .
Duncan, 20, is believed to be one of Ghana s rising stars and has been compared to Chelsea standout Michael Essien.
The Ghana international, who spent the second half of the 2012/13 campaign on loan at A.S. Livorno Calcio in Serie B, is also reportedly attracting interest from the aforementioned Livorno, Sampdoria and Serie A newcomers Sassuolo.
I am flattered by the interest of Sunderland. I know the scout of Sunderland has been watching me, said Duncan.
To be honest, though, nothing has been done and Inter will have a big say if I leave Inter or not.
Fans compare me with Essien and if I can have…
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Uruguayan Football Association and four of the Celeste s players – including Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin – following the team s furious reaction to their World Cup exit.
Uruguay failed to escape Group H despite Friday s 2-0 win over Ghana, as South Korea advanced at their expense following their comeback victory against Portugal.
Diego Alonso s team were ultimately eliminated on the basis of goals scored, and reacted angrily when Cavani was denied a late penalty after going down in the Ghana 18-yard box.
Social media footage showed the former Manchester United striker pushing the VAR monitor over after the final whistle, while several other Uruguay players surrounded referee Daniel Siebert.
FIFA …
Anton Ferdinand has left Queens Park Rangers by mutual consent, .
The 28 year old was one of a number of want-away players left out the match day squad for the season opener against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, while he was also absent for the League Cup win over Exeter City midweek.
The defender spent the second half of last season on loan with Turkish side Bursaspor, where he made eight appearances before returning to England.
He began his career with West Ham United, where he spent five years before moving to Sunderland in 2008.
After three years on Wearside, the former England U21 international moved to Loftus Road following QPR’s return to the Premier League.
He made forty-nine appearances in all competitions for the Hoops before temp…