Football news

Defender William Gallas wants Tottenham to go all out for victory against Fulham today to help lift the spirits of manager Harry Redknapp who was admitted to hospital on Tuesday to have tests after he started feeling breathless while running.

The Spurs boss had two stents inserted the following day to help unblock two coronary arteries and he was ruled out of the club’s Europa League trip to Rubin Kazan on Thursday.

That 6,500 kilometre round trip to Russia ended in a 1-0 defeat.

“We have to beat Fulham because he is not well at the moment,” Gallas said.

“The manager is a good guy so I think we have to do a good job for him. We have to do it for the squad and the fans too.”

Leeds swoop for goalkeeper McCarthy

Leeds have completed the loan signing of Reading’s England U-21 international goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Manager Simon Grayson has moved to draft in goalkeeping cover after Andy Lonergan fractured his finger and deputy Paul Rachubka had a nightmare in Wednesday’s 5-0 home loss to Blackpool.

McCarthy, 21, will go straight into the squad for today’s game at Leicester. He was man of the match at Elland Road last season when Leeds drew 0-0 with Reading but has only played once this season.

United fans launch Ferguson website

A dedicated website has been launched by Manchester United fans in tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson’s 25 years at Old Trafford.

The site – www.saf25.com – was officially launched yesterday. Fans are being invited to sign a ‘Book of Thanks’ which will live in the digital space but will be made into a unique, printed and bound ‘edition of one’ for presentation to Ferguson at the end of the season.

Players and celebrities are also being invited to add their names to the tribute.

The initiative has been deve-loped by the Manchester United Supporters Trust but is supported by United fans’ groups and individuals across the world.

Hearts settle overdue wages

Hearts’ players yesterday received their overdue wages. Senior squad members at the Scottish Premier League club received their monthly income which had been due on October 16.

The news comes 24 hours after the squad were persuaded not to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Premier League by manager Paulo Sergio.

It is understood the players were ready to sign a letter of complaint addressed to SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster, asking him to intervene in the matter.

Sergio asked them to bide their time and now the players have been paid for the first time since mid-September.

Boateng hangs up international boots

Ghana’s Kevin-Prince Boateng has announced his retirement from international football aged just 24.

The Milan star has won nine caps for the Black Stars since switching his allegiance from Germany 18 months ago, scoring one goal, but claims the physical demands of international football are proving too much for him.

“The Ghana Football Associa-tion is yet to take a position on the decision of Kevin-Prince Boa-teng,” a statement said.

Ramsey won’t risk Wales for GB

Aaron Ramsey has said he would turn his back on playing for Great Britain at the Olympics if he felt it would affect Wales’ standing as an independent football nation.

The Arsenal midfielder and Tottenham winger Gareth Bale have been pictured posing in the blue Team GB supporters’ shirt, and both players have spoken of their desire to be involved in Stuart Pearce’s squad for the Games.

But Ramsey has moved to reassure fans he would not turn out in London next year if it were harmful to Welsh identity on the international stage.

The 20-year-old posted on his official Twitter feed: “There is absolutely no way I would play in the Olympics if it was going to affect Wales’ identity as an individual nation!”

Teixeira questioned by investigators

Brazil’s FIFA member and 2014 World Cup chief Ricardo Teixeira spent three hours being questioned by fraud investigators in midweek, according to reports from Rio de Janeiro.

Teixeira met officers from the federal police’s financial crimes unit Delefin and was quizzed about allegations he received payments from FIFA’s collapsed marketing company ISL, Brazilian sports newspaper Lance reported.

BBC’s Panorama has previously named Teixeira as having allegedly received payments via a Liechtenstein-based company called Sanud.

FIFA say they will release the ISL file from a Swiss court case next month, containing the names of those who received money from the company, which sold World Cup TV rights.