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“He is one of the best in the business in the world,” Hyypia told the PA news agency at a Nike Game On initiative which, in conjunction with the LFC Foundation, has provided more than 8,000 local schoolchildren with access to a range of sports.

“I think he has raised the standard with everyone expecting him to play at that level every time and that is very difficult.

“But he is doing well, he is a big part of our team and a big leader of the team so I think we all need to be patient and his best is coming.

“I think this season he has shown in some games he is still at the level and I have no doubts he will be the best centre-back in the league this season.”

Despite their good start to the season there has been scrutiny on Liverpool’s defence…

Dusan Vlahovic should remain at Juventus even if the Bianconeri fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to Lecce director Pantaleo Corvino.

Injuries have limited Vlahovic to just 12 appearances in Serie A this season, yet he is Juve s top scorer with eight goals.

The Serbia striker scored two and assisted another in the midweek win at Salernitana and will hope to add more in Sunday s match against former club Fiorentina.

But Juventus head into that match only two points ahead of La Viola due to a 15-point deduction following an investigation into past transfer dealings.

The Bianconeri have a mammoth 14 points to make up on the top four if they are going to qualify for the Champions League through their league position, and Vlahovic has been li…

Pep Guardiola hailed Gabriel Jesus display in Manchester City s 5-0 win against Norwich City and said he feels fortunate to be able to work with a player as selfless as the Brazilian.

Jesus was brought into City s starting line-up as one of five changes from last weekend s defeat to Tottenham as City produced a five-star showing against Norwich.

The Brazil international was fielded to the right of a front three that also contained Ferran Torres and Jack Grealish in Saturday s Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

While Jesus did not find the net, he played a game-high three key passes, which included assists for Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling.

He also sent in the ball that led to Grant Hanley and Tim Krul inadvertently combining for City s opene…

Rangers will sign Fabio Silva on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the January transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist has claimed that Rangers, who are aiming to win the Scottish Premiership title this season, have reached an agreement with Wolves on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Romano has added that Silva will sign the loan deal soon. The two clubs have already reached an agreement. Former Scottish Premiership champions Rangers will have no option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

🚨🔵 Fábio Silva to Rangers, here we go! Deal in place between Scottish club and Wolves — agreement reached on loan until June.

Portuguese striker will sign the contract soon. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

…

England boss Gareth Southgate is keeping a close eye on teenage talent Kobbie Mainoo having been impressed by his “fabulous” breakthrough at Manchester United.

The 18-year-old academy graduate joined the Red Devils aged nine and has long been tipped for stardom, going onto make his first-team bow in January 2023.

Mainoo has now made 14 appearances in all competitions for United and would have played more had he not sustained an injury during their US tour in the summer.

The midfielder has represented England up to under-19s level and his burgeoning displays have impressed senior boss Southgate.

“He’s doing brilliantly,” the England manager said after Thursday’s Nations League draw in Paris. “I’m not certain he’s necessarily going to be a…

Brazil great Robinho has returned to Santos for a fourth spell after signing a short-term contract with his boyhood club.

The former Manchester City and Real Madrid forward has agreed a deal with the Brazilian top-flight club for the remainder of the campaign.

Robinho had been without a team since leaving Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir in August and the 36-year-old was delighted to return to familiar surroundings.

This has always been my home, he said of Santos, who are currently seventh in the table after 14 games.

My objective is to help on and off the pitch and get Santos in as high a place as possible.

O ROBINHO ESTÁ DE VOLTA! O eterno Rei das Pedaladas assinou contrato de cinco meses e acertou seu retorno para iniciar a quarta passagem …

Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has completed his move to West Brom on a one-year contract.

Ivanovic, 36, has been a free agent since leaving Zenit when his contract expired at the end of the Russian Premier League season in July.

Three Premier League titles and the Champions League were among 10 trophies he won during nine successful years with Chelsea between 2008 and 2017.

The Premier League is the best league in the world, Ivanovic, who will wear the number 20 shirt with West Brom, said after finalising his move on Tuesday.

I need to challenge myself and I am ready for the challenge. I am really happy to be back playing in the Premier League.

I hope I am going to be successful here. I have a lot of ambition and I want to prove a …

Best odds: 6/5

Bookmaker:

On Saturday evening, Mestalla will be the venue for an intriguing La Liga match, as Valencia host Real Betis with both teams competing for a European spot in Spain s top division.

Valencia presently hold seventh place in the La Liga standings, trailing sixth-placed Real Sociedad by three points. Meanwhile, Real Betis occupy eighth place, trailing their weekend opponents by two points.

Valencia

Valencia endured a notably disappointing 2022-23 season, landing in 16th place in La Liga, marking their lowest finish since relegation to the Segunda Division in 1986. However, this term has showcased considerable improvement, with the team amassing 47 points from 31 matches, securing seventh position in the league standings.

Cur…

Best odds: 37/50

Bookmaker:

Fiorentina aim to secure a second consecutive Europa Conference League final appearance as they host Club Brugge at the Stadio Artemio Franchi for the first leg of their semifinal clash on Thursday night.

La Viola had to rely on extra time to overcome Viktoria Plzen in the quarterfinals, while Club Brugge comfortably progressed to the last four with a convincing two-legged victory over Molde.

Fiorentina

After narrowly advancing past Maccabi Haifa with a 5-4 aggregate scoreline in the round of 16, Fiorentina encountered difficulties breaking through Viktoria Plzen s resilient defense in the quarterfinals. The tie seemed destined for penalties after a goalless deadlock over two legs.

However, Fiorentina s persistence pa…

Roberto Martinez believes Belgium s players can handle the expectations of a potentially legacy-defining tournament as they prepare to open their Euro 2020 campaign against Russia in St Petersburg.

The Red Devils sit atop FIFA s world rankings, a position to which a lavishly gifted squad have become accustomed over the recent past.

However, an improvement upon their third-placed finish at the 2018 World Cup will be required to make good on their incredible promise.

Until that run under Martinez, quarter-final exits at Brazil 2014 and Euro 2016 went down as disappointments for the generation of Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne, the latter of whom will sit out the Group A opener alongside Axel Witsel.

I m sure that the last three years, when …