Striker Rickie Lambert is hopeful his move to West Bromwich Albion will help him win back his place in Roy Hodgson’s England set-up.
The 33-year-old joined West Brom from Liverpool on a two-year deal on Friday.
“It is only two years ago that I scored against Scotland. I scored 15 goals and then 13 goals for Southampton and obviously it is over a year since I did that but I have just got to get back to that now,” the Birmingham Mail quoted him as saying.
Lambert scored two goals in his West Brom debut against Bristol Rovers on Friday night, helping his new club win the match 4-0.
Tevez scores but Boca crash to Union
Carlos Tevez scored his first goal for Boca Juniors at La Bombonera in more than a decade but it was not enough to prevent his side from crashing to a shock 4-3 defeat to Union in the Argentine championship on Sunday.
“It was a match in which we scored a quick goal and then had chances to get the second and go in at the break with a comfy lead but it’s unbelievable the errors we had,” Tevez told reporters.
“There must be a reason for a result like that.
“Boca didn’t play a good match,” added Tevez, who is back at his first club after a decade in Brazil, England and Italy.
Austin likely to move, says QPR manager
Charlie Austin, the Queens Park Rangers striker called up by England at the end of last season, is likely to leave the relegated club before the end of the transfer window, manager Chris Ramsey said yesterday.
“We know it’s a financial situation where the players, given the right offer, will probably go,” he told BBC London.
“Selfishly, I hope nobody comes in for them. Whoever’s in the building and can help needs to be on hand.
“What is happening is that the players are training very hard to get fit for the beginning of the season and if they’re fit they’ll feature.”
Asprilla’s horse
Former Colombia striker Fau-stino Asprilla has recovered a $68,500 show horse that he lent to a friend who gave it away while drunk at a local fair.
Valle del Cauca regional police chief Fernando Murillo said the horse named Lucas, which had been missing since April 17, was found in a stable in the local town of Florida.
“It had been left there by some people we are now seeking,” Murillo told reporters.
“What really happened was that ‘Tino’ lent the horse to a friend who, in a drunken state, had given it away to two men.”
Asprilla, who had offered a $1,700 reward for the horse’s recovery, allowed his friend to ride it at the Buga Fair parade.
Rafael joins Lyon from Man. United
Brazil defender Rafael will join Olympique Lyonnais on a four-year deal from Manchester United after both clubs reached an agreement, the Ligue 1 side said yesterday.
“Olympique Lyonnais inform that they have found an agreement with Manchester United over the transfer of Brazilian international defender Rafael da Silva who will sign a four-year deal in the coming days,” the club said on their website.
Rafael, who won two caps for Brazil, made 109 Premier League appearances and won three league titles following his debut in 2008.
Lyon finished runners-up to Paris St Germain in Ligue 1 last season.
No financial details were given on the transfer.
Hendry admits harassing his ex
Former Scotland captain Colin Hendry has admitted harassing his ex-girlfriend over a two-month period.
Hendry, 49, pleaded guilty to sending unwanted text messages and emails to beautician Sarah Kinder after she ended their relationship in March this year.
He also accepted that he made unwanted visits to her home in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, and twice threw stones at her bedroom window.
An allegation of common assault against Hendry was dropped after Kinder retracted her statement in which the footballer was said to have grabbed her by the arm several times as she tried to get in a taxi.
Striker Wickham joins Crystal Palace
England Under-21 international striker Connor Wickham has joined Crystal Palace from Sunderland, the London club announced yesterday.
Palace’s official website said his contract was for the next five years.
Wickham, 22, had his best period at Sunderland at the end of the 2013-14 season, when a flurry of five goals in three games lifted them from the bottom of the Premier League to 17th place and eventual safety.
Those were his only goals from 15 appearances and last season he managed a modest five in 36 games.