West Brom are likely to hand the Premier League’s oldest outfield player Gareth McAuley a new contract, boss Tony Pulis said.
The 37-year-old defender is the club’s joint-top scorer with striker Salomon Rondon with seven goals in all competitions this season.
“Gareth McAuley has been fantastic and we are very close to agreeing a new deal with him. His performances have been special,” Pulis said.
“McAuley is a wonderful lad around the dressing room. He’s a block you want to build around.”
Former France great Raymond Kopa dies
Former France soccer great Raymond Kopa, who won three European Cups with Real Madrid in the 1950s, died at the age of 85 yesterday.
A crafty advanced playmaker, Kopa guided France to third place at the 1958 World Cup won by Pele’s Brazil, and was named the tournament’s best player.
“It is a terrible loss, he is a legend,” French football federation president Noel Le Graet said.
Kopa was one of four French players, with Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and Jean-Pierre Papin, to have won the Ballon d’Or award.
Boro’s Karanka does not fear the sack
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka is not worried about the possibility of losing his job and the Spaniard is fully focused on keeping his struggling team in the Premier League.
Middlesbrough sit out of the bottom three only on goal difference with 12 games remaining.
“I don’t fear for my job. We have to trust each other, and the club trust me in my job. They know how I have been working since I arrived here. Every day I’m enjoying the challenge,” Karanka told reporters.
“The only thing I can control is my work. I can’t control the chairman’s decision. I am trying to do my best. Things out of my control, I don’t care about.”
Carrick ponders retirement
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick hinted he could call time on his career if the club do not offer him a new contract for the next season.
Carrick, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign, has been reduced to a bit-part role in United’s squad under manager Jose Mourinho, having made just 11 Premier League appearances so far.
“(Retirement) almost depends on how long I’m here. I don’t think there’s many places I’d want to play, if any, after this anyway. I probably would say yes – that would be it if I left in the summer,” Carrick said.
The 35-year-old Carrick has spent 11 years at the club, winning 16 major trophies, including five league titles.
West Ham rejected bids for Carroll
West Ham United rejected bids from Chinese Super League clubs for striker Andy Carroll, manager Slaven Bilic said.
The 28-year-old Carroll has been strongly linked by the British media with a move to the far east during their winter window, which closed this week.
“No way, no way,” Bilic told British media when asked about reports claiming the club had secured an agent.
“He’s one of our best players and we want to keep him.
“I know the Chinese clubs sent their representatives to watch our games. Apparently they were watching other players, but they fell in love with Andy. We turned down an offer.”
Argentina players confirm strike
Argentina’s professional soccer players are pressing ahead with their plan to strike this weekend over millions of dollars in salary arrears, prompting the Argentine FA (AFA) to threaten clubs with sanctions for delaying the resumption of the league.
Some players are owed up to five months in salaries by clubs and the debts must be settled before competition resumes in the country’s five professional divisions, Argentine Players Union (FAA) boss Sergio Marchi told reporters.
“The demands are just. We’re not asking for increases, but that payments be deposited in the footballers’ accounts,” Marchi said.
“We have decided to down tools because the debts (clubs have) with the players dating back four and five months and which we’ve been demanding (be paid) since January 3 have not be settled.”
Stop sitting back, Watford players told
Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has stressed the need for his men to stop sitting back in games when winning as they did against West Ham last weekend.
The Italian was left “very angry” by what he saw from his side in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with the Hammers at Vicarage Road, in which Troy Deeney’s third-minute penalty for the hosts was cancelled out by an Andre Ayew equaliser late on.
“We need to improve and stop sitting back,” Mazzarri said.
“We have done it too many times, and it is a mentality we need to change.”