Jurgen Klopp has the qualities to lead a Premier League title charge at Liverpool next season, according to club favourite Gary McAllister.

Klopp took the squad he inherited from Brendan Rodgers last October to two finals in 2015-16, although Liverpool were beaten in both showpieces, with Manchester City pipping them on penalties in the League Cup and Sevilla coming out on top in the Europa League.

The Reds eighth-place finish in the Premier League and defeat to Sevilla means they will not play European football next term.

However, McAllister a cult hero on the red half of Merseyside thanks to his key role in the club s treble-winning 2000-01 season feels a less hectic fixture schedule, coupled with Klopp s managerial stardust, could help Liverpool compete for th…

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba thanked former club Manchester United for preparing him for life in the big time.

Pogba joined Juventus on free transfer from United in 2012, after opting not to renew his contract with the Premier League giants.

The France international has flourished since arriving in Turin, winning back-to-back Serie A titles under the management of Antonio Conte.

And while he recently lifted the lid on decision to leave Old Trafford, the 21-year-old expressed his gratitude towards the Manchester club in an interview with BBC.

I ve made a great decision coming here from Manchester United, said Pogba, who recently tasted league success after Roma s defeat to Catania left Juve 11 points clear at the summit with two games remaining.

I m thankf…

Groningen defender Virgil van Dijk says English Premier League outfit Everton are interested in signing him.

The 21-year-old has been identified as a possible replacement for John Heitinga and Sylvain Distin, who are both reportedly on their way out.

I m aware of the interest of a few clubs and Everton is one of them, van Dijk told Voetbal International.

I hear and read a lot. Soon I have dinner with my agent Henk-Maarten Chin. He will tell me how things are going. I enjoy the interest, but if I leave it must be a good decision when I leave.

The Netherlands under-21 international had made 43 appearances in the Eredivisie since his debut in 2011 and has scored five times.

Despite the player s claims, Groningen director Hans Nijland does not b…

Eddie Howe said Bournemouth had to be pleased with their season despite a 5-3 final-day defeat to Crystal Palace that left them 14th in the Premier League table.

The Cherries were three goals down inside 37 minutes at Selhurst Park, where Michy Batshuayi scored twice for Palace before 22-year-old Bournemouth defender Jack Simpson scored an own goal.

Jefferson Lerma s stunning 25-yard strike brought Bournemouth back into the game before Jordon Ibe and Josh King scored either side of Patrick van Aanholt grabbing Palace s fourth.

But Andros Townsend scored 10 minutes from time to make sure Palace held onto 12th spot, while Newcastle United leapfrogged Bournemouth into 13th, leaving Cherries boss Howe to reflect on the impact of injuries on his squad during the se…

David Bentley has announced his retirement from professional football aged 29, stating he has lost his love of the game.

The former England international winger has been without a club since he was released by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2012-13 season, and has subsequently decided to call time on his career.

Bentley insists he has no regrets over his decision, and stated that he struggled to find enjoyment in the modern game.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: My life s gone in a different direction now and I felt like it was time to call it a day. The love of the game went a little bit and I didn t want to carry on.

(I have) no regrets, I ve enjoyed every moment of it with a smile on my face. The game s changed a lot. It s different. When I first sta…

Besiktas have decided not to sign Dele Alli on a permanent deal at the end of the season, according to , and the attacking midfielder is therefore set to return to Everton when his temporary spell in Turkey comes to an end.

Alli was told by Everton he was free to find a new club last summer. Besiktas took him up on loan for the season, agreeing an option to make the transfer permanent for £8million, which they obviously won t be triggering. 

The situation at Everton has changed significantly since Alli left, with Sean Dyche now in charge of the team instead of Frank Lampard, and asked about Alli s potential return to Goodison Park, the former Burnley boss said he was still waiting to hear whether he would have the former Tottenham Hotspur star in his ranks.

Al…

Picking between Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship winner LeBron James and reigning MVP Stephen Curry is no different to the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo debate that so often divides football, according to Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin.

France international footballer Coquelin is a basketball fan, having watched the 2016 NBA Finals closely, and he was asked about James and Curry.

James came out on top against two-time reigning MVP Curry after guiding the Cavs to their first NBA title his third in June but choosing between the two stars is too difficult, just like it is with Barcelona s Messi and Real Madrid s Ronaldo in LaLiga.

[Choosing between Steph Curry and LeBron] is a little bit like Cristiano or Messi? in our sport, Coquelin told Arsenal Pla…

Gregory van der Wiel has criticised Netherlands teammate Arjen Robben for his performances at Euro 2012.

The Netherlands went into the tournament as one of the favourites to emerge victorious in Poland and Ukraine, but crashed out in the group stages after losses against Denmark, Germany and Portugal.

In-fighting within the Dutch camp further compounded the misery and led to the dismissal of Bert van Marwijk as coach.

Ajax right-back Van der Wiel has come out and admitted that he was not impressed by Robben s contributions to the team.

If you give Arjen the ball and he has two opponents in front of him, he ll still try and get past them, he told NUsport.

He s not the type of player to sacrifice himself for the wing-back and cut inside to crea…

Stefano Pioli is looking forward to Zlatan Ibrahimovic s return, but the Milan coach was pleased with Rafael Leao s performance against Sassuolo.

Leao scored the fastest goal in Serie A history – after just six seconds – as Milan recorded a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday.

Milan returned to winning ways after back-to-back draws, and they are a point clear of rivals Inter atop the table.

Pioli s men have managed to stay unbeaten in Serie A through 13 games despite being without Ibrahimovic since the end of November, the striker – who has scored 11 goals this season – set to miss another month after suffering a calf injury in training.

Despite his side s form without the 39-year-old star, Pioli is keen to welcome Ibrahimovic back.

First of …

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will have close to a full-strength side for this weekend s Premier League clash against Watford.

Arsenal travel to Vicarage Road to face Watford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and are big favourites to pick up their first win of the season after a sluggish start.

The Gunners will be welcoming back a number of senior players to the first-team, and will be looking for a positive response against a Watford outfit without a win in their last three.

Arsenal’s returning stars should see them dominate the game

Arsenal game late cameos to chief playmaker Mesut Ozil and first-choice striker Olivier Giroud in their 0-0 draw against Leicester City, and the pair are expected to start against Watford on the weekend. Their…