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talkSPORT is here to keep you updated as the Premier League season rolls on.

Erik ten Hag is still clinging on to his job as Manchester United manager despite their tough start to the season.

Elsewhere, Lee Carsley left journalists puzzled by saying 'hopefully I'll be going back to the Under-21s' after England's 2-1 defeat to Greece.

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just nowBy Josh Fordham

Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has announced his retirement from football.

The 33-year-old left Liverpool this summer after making 201 appearances for the club and winning five trophies.

He joined them in 2016 on a free transfer from Schalke.

Matip saw his 2023/24 season curtailed due to a knee injury.

He did not join another club following his release by Liverpool and retires as a free agent.

Joel Matip was a hugely popular figure during his time with LiverpoolCredit: GettyCopied

35 minutes agoBy Josh Fordham

Bukayo Saka and Curtis Jones will not travel to Finland.

Saka has returned to Arsenal for further assessment having been substituted during the second-half of Thursday night’s match against Greece.

Liverpool’s Jones remains in England owing to a personal commitment.

A squad of 22 will train at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre before flying to Helsinki on Saturday afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA Nations League fixture.

Saka has left the England campCopied

58 minutes agoBy Josh Fordham

Mohamed Salah will be allowed to leave the Egypt squad.

That's because huge concerns have been raised about the injury risk to players ahead of their game with Mauritania on Tuesday.

Egypt technical director Hossam Hassan was concerned about the quality of the artificial pitch and claimed their opponents play 'hard and with violent intentions'.

I know this was just a prank, but this could have gone a lot worse. 

“This needs to be looked at by the security and everybody has to take it really seriously.”

Ten Hag's team talks were reportedly recorded at Villa ParkCredit: GettyCopied

11th Oct 2024, 16:13By Joe Brophy

Joel Matip is reportedly considering retirement from football at the age of just 33 - and no one might be sadder than Jurgen Klopp.

The defender, who most recently played for Liverpool, became a free agent over the summer after leaving the Reds but is yet to join a new club.

The Cameroon star joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016 after leaving Schalke 04 and became a firm favourite on Merseyside.

During his time at the club, Matip made 201 appearances and was a mainstay in Klopp's side.

Upon the announcement he would be leaving Anfield his former manager paid him a glowing tribute...

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11th Oct 2024, 15:39By Joe Brophy

Liverpool cult hero Joel Matip is reportedly considering retiring from football.

The 33-year-old defender has been a free agent after leaving the Reds at the end of last season.

The former Cameroonian international was one of Jurgen Klopp's first signings at Anfield after joining on a free transfer in 2016.

In eight years on Merseyside, he made 201 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 11 goals in that time.

Matip also helped the Reds to win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

He was a target for West Ham last month but negotiations failed to see a transfer materialise.

According to German outlet Bild, Matip is in constant contact with boyhood club Schalke - whom he left for Liverpool.

However, another report from Ruhr Nachrichten claims Matip is now considering retiring completely.

Credit: GettyCopied

11th Oct 2024, 15:14By Joe Brophy

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner will be using the international break to find a way to get his attack clicking once more.

The Eagles were always going to suffer in the final third this season after losing talisman Michael Olise this summer.

However, the club retained the services of chief creator Eberechi Eze, and Jean Philippe-Mateta, who scored 13 goals in 13 games under Glasner.

Palace then added to that firepower with the arrival of Eddie Nkeitah from Arsenal, but despite this, have struggled this campaign.

The south Londoners are in the relegation zone and are the second-lowest scorers in the Premier League, with only one more than Southampton.

Having been rushed back from the Olympic Games, Mateta has struggled to replicate his form of the end of last season.

Both of the two goals he has scored in his first seven Premier League matches came in the same game, with blanks in his other six.

Nketiah meanwhile is yet to open his account for his new team, having been deployed in attacking midfield and right-wing roles.

He finally got his chance to lead the line in the 1-0 defeat against Liverpool before the break with Mateta dropped and was only denied a goal by the offside flag.

Palace manager Glasner will be taking serious thought to changing formation to potentially find a way of playing the pair together.

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11th Oct 2024, 14:38By Joe Brophy

Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones has revealed Angel di Maria looked like a 'lost soul' ahead of his debut for the club.

The Red Devils broke the Premier League transfer record to bring in Di Maria from Real Madrid for £59million in 2014.

The Argentina international was handed Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic No.7 shirt but was moved on after just one season at Old Trafford.

His wife was scathing about the people, the food and the climate in the northwest and he ultimately joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2015.

Di Maria scored just four goals in 32 matches in all competitions that season and is not remembered fondly by United fans.

His former United teammate Jones has now admitted the 2022 World Cup winner was given a brutal introduction to life in England.

The 36-year-old played 70 minutes under Louis van Gaal during a goalless draw away at Turf Moor on the opening day of the season.

“I look at Angel Di Maria, I think ‘wow’.

Extremely sad.

“He was hard working, he was a very good player, he gave his all, he was honest, I don’t know if we had a better character or a better player during the time I’ve owned the club in these 11 years. 

“My thoughts are with his family, I saw the news just before I boarded a flight and the whole flight I was thinking about him.”

When asked about a tribute for Bladock before United’s next match, the Prince added: “It goes without saying, but I don’t know if anything would be enough to explain or show how we feel and how huge this loss is. 

“My heart goes to his family and the people close to him, we had many special players but I can tell you without hesitation that he was one of the most respected, the most loved and he was really a great player and great man.”

Credit: GettyCopied

11th Oct 2024, 12:04By Joe Brophy

Cole Palmer has won the Premier League Player of the Month but his success has unwittingly caused a mockery of his Chelsea teammate.

EA Sports, the video game publisher behind FC25 (formerly FIFA), has been a lead partner of the Premier League since the 2016/17 season.

As a result, English top-flight clubs usually do player ratings reveals at the start of every season to promote the release of the new game.

Following his exploits last season, Palmer received a 19-point increase to become Chelsea's highest-rated men's player with an overall rating of 85.

When the England star was gifted his copy of the game he ruthlessly poked fun at teammate Marc Cucurella who was alongside him.

Palmer took great delight in telling the Spaniard that he'd been downgraded to a non-rare player item on FC's Ultimate Team mode.

He added: "I've quick-sold him about five times", meaning Cucurella's card had been discarded at face value such is his lowly worth.

Palmer's virtual reward for winning POTM for September meant EA rewarded him with an upgraded 87-rated card that gamers can earn by completing three puzzle-based SBC challenges.

One of them extended the mockery of Cucurella by requiring users to submit a lowly bronze item to receive the left-back's non-rare item that Palmer had ripped into in return.

In the description of the Cucurella reward, EA made sure to put Palmer's words 'non-rare' in bold quotation marks.

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11th Oct 2024, 11:40By Joe Brophy

Manchester City have agreed a deal to make Sporting Lisbon's Hugo Viana their new sporting director, talkSPORT understands.

Former Newcastle midfielder Viana will take over from Txiki Begiristain when he stands down at the end of the season.

The Portuguese was signed by Sir Bobby Robson aged 19 for a fee of £8.5million and became the club’s most expensive teenage signing, eclipsing the £5m spent on Jermaine Jenas.

Viana's arrival is likely to put Sporting boss Ruben Amorim in the box seat to succeed Pep Guardiola if he leaves when his contract expires in the summer.

Amorim has impressed at Sporting having won the Portuguese title twice in the last four years.

And his side currently sit top of the table having won all eight league games so far this season.

Credit: GettyCopied

11th Oct 2024, 11:04By Joe Brophy

John Terry has claimed that Chelsea’s defensive record from their 2004/05 Premier League campaign will never be beaten.

However, the former Blues captain still believes the club's return should have been even better.

The west Londoners breezed to the title in Jose Mourinho's first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Their success was largely built upon their rock-solid defensive structure, with just 15 top-flight goals conceded all season.

Posting a list of the 15 players who breached Chelsea's defence that year on Instagram, Terry wrote: “I recently got sent this list of the 15 goals we conceded in 2004/05.

Great record for the season, mind.”

Chelsea set a record of 25 clean sheets in a single Premier League season that campaign among other defensive records.

That year was also the start of Mourinho's legendary Stamford Bridge run that saw the Blues go 86 matches unbeaten at home in the Premier League between February 21, 2004 and October 26, 2008.

Credit: GETTYCopied

11th Oct 2024, 10:33By Joe Brophy

Julian Nagelsmann has fired a shot at Arsenal legend Jens Lehmann for his comments on Germany's goalkeeper selection.

'Die Mannschaft' saw Manuel Neuer retire after Euro 2024, while his successor Marc-Andre ter Stegen has suffered a serious knee injury.

Fulham star Bernd Leno rejected the opportunity to be called up after he was informed that he would not get any playing time.

Former Germany goalkeeper Lehmann revealed he was 'surprised' over the latter decision, which drew a response from Nagelsmann.

"Many so-called experts have commented on this," Nagelsmann said during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.

"Another expert this morning.

And it falls on Lee Carsley's head."

Check out his full ratings on talkSPORT.com below...

Credit: GettyCopied

11th Oct 2024, 09:19By Joe Brophy

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly rejected the chance to replace Kasper Hjulmand as manager of the Denmark national team.

Lars Knudsen has been taking caretaker charge of the Danes since Hjulmand resigned following their exit from Euro 2024.

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, the country's FA made an approach for Solskjaer - that would have seen him take charge of current Manchester United stars Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen.

However, the report adds that the Norwegian has declined further talks as he is in talks with a 'major club' about a head coaching job.

Solskjaer has been out of work for almost three years after being sacked by the Red Devils in November 2021.

During his time as United's boss, the 51-year-old managed 149 games, winning 78, drawing 33 and losing 38.

Earlier this year, Solskjaer was linked with the Swedish manager job, and he also discussed the prospect of coaching Norway.

In recent weeks, the 'Baby-faced Assassin' also admitted he would accept a role back at Old Trafford if the opportunity arose.

He said at the Oslo Business Forum in Lillestrom, via VG: "If the family [United] asks, I would say yes every day of the week.

"It feels wrong to talk about jobs that other people have now, but I would say yes, of course."

Credit: GETTYCopied

11th Oct 2024, 09:09By Joe Brophy

The FA would be reluctant to pay compensation for the next England manager, talkSPORT understands.

After Lee Carsley's honest admission following defeat against Greece that he would 'hopefully' be returning to the under-21s, many fans are calling for Eddie Howe to be named as Gareth Southgate's long-term successor.

However prising Howe away from Newcastle would cost around £5m while the ex-Bournemouth boss would also command more in wages than Southgate was paid.

There is a concern within the FA they would face a backlash for spending big money on a Southgate replacement rather than ploughing the funds into grass roots football.

TalkSPORT understands neither Howe nor out-of-work Graham Potter have had any contact from the FA since Southgate quit after this summer's European championship final defeat to Spain.

The same applies to former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, who would be keen on taking the job.

Carsley will remain in charge for at least the next three Nations League games.

The FA believe they can afford to take their time over the appointment as England do not begin their World Cup qualifying campaign until March.

Credit: GettyCopied

10th Oct 2024, 16:38By Joe Brophy

Former Newcastle striker Nile Ranger has admitted that he was 'too unruly' to become a top footballer.

The 33-year-old, who is currently playing for Kettering Town in the seventh tier, claimed last year that he would have been as good as Erling Haaland if he had looked after himself.

Ranger was hailed as a star in the making when he broke into Newcastle’s first team in 2009 aged just 18, subsequently helping the Magpies achieve promotion to the Premier League under Chris Hughton.

However, his career took a downward spiral due to a host of off-field misdemeanours which led to him serving two jail terms and a battle against a gambling addiction.

“Teammates, friends and managers would say: ‘Nile, your chances are going to run out’,” Ranger told BBC Sport.

“Arsenal don’t play with a maverick; that’s what Cole Palmer is.”

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10th Oct 2024, 16:01By Joe Brophy

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has lavished praise on two of his Gunners teammates, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.

The pair both signed for the club in the summer of 2023, but for different reasons took time to hit top form under Mikel Arteta.

Former Chelsea star Havertz has been in supreme form this calendar year after establishing himself as Arsenal's No.9.

The 25-year-old already has six goals and one assist from 10 games across the Premier League, Champions League, and EFL Cup.

"I've always thought Kai's an unbelievable player," says Saka to CBS Sports.
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