Palacios could get second chance under Hughes

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…

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew believes the pressure of the Europa League has had an adverse effect on his side s form in the Premier League.

The Magpies currently sit top of Group D, unbeaten after four games, knowing three points against Maritimo on Thursday will confirm their progression to the knockout stages.

However, results domestically have taken a recent downturn, with back-to-back home losses for the first time since 2010, and Pardew has admitted the heavy European schedule is finally taking its toll in his squad.

I think it is harder for us. I genuinely do, he told reporters.

The four Champions League teams have the finance to attack that with two squads, whereas we are attacking a competition which has much more games, a heavier schedule a…

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds lauded both his side and rivals Notts County after they edged a 3-2 classic to go three points clear in the National League.

The Welsh team took the spoils in a five-goal thriller between the division s top two sides, capped off by goalkeeper Ben Foster s dramatic 97th-minute penalty save.

It means Phil Parkinson s men move to 103 points for the season, just three ahead of County, and with a game in hand on their rivals after a pair of record-breaking seasons.

Hollywood star Reynolds, who owns the club alongside fellow actor Rob McElhenney, was quick to credit both his team s opponents and Foster s crucial contribution when he spoke afterwards.

It was a pressure cooker coming into this, I think, for both of these teams, he …

New Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari hit back at comparisons with his flamboyant predecessor Jose Mourinho and also resisted pressure for more attacking play.

Scolari has appeared jovial and friendly in his appearances as Chelsea boss but showed flashes of his famous temper as he snapped back at the latest mention of the Special One.

My name is Luiz Felipe Scolari. I m not Jose Mourinho. I have my own personality. I follow my way, not another way, Scolari said.

I don t know if Mourinho says yes or no and I say different or not. To my players and the fans, I say what all coaches say: we need to win. Only this.

The Brazilian also ducked questions about whether he would liven up Chelsea s defensive style as reportedly demanded by billionaire owner Ro…

Luis Enrique paid tribute to the strength of Barcelona s squad after Ivan Rakitic s goal earned a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao – his 100th victory as head coach of the Spanish champions.

Since his appointment in May 2014, Luis Enrique has claimed a century of wins from just 126 Barcelona matches, and the latest victory came after a hard-fought battle in rainy conditions at San Mames.

Rakitic scored with a simple header midway through the first half, but Luis Enrique saw his team – missing the likes of Andres Iniesta and Neymar – play some excellent passing football to ensure they made it two wins out of two LaLiga matches this season.

I am very happy with the result achieved against a team of this magnitude, said Luis Enrique.

It is a result…