ENGLAND

Liverpool, Man Utd urged to bid for Trezeguet
Chelsea, Barcelona sound out Del Piero
Chelsea's Obi Mikel courts more Nigeria controversy
Bosingwa unsure of Spurs interest
Portsmouth turn to Bolton striker Anelka
Agent insists Benayoun wants West Ham stay
Four Premiership clubs battle for Diarra
Liverpool, AC Milan move for Mudingayi
Portsmouth, Newcastle eyeing Bordeaux's Faubert
Derby keeper Grant on way to Sheffield Wednesday
Juventus target Lampard rejects £140,000-a-week Chelsea deal
Juventus move for Man Utd striker Rossi
Chelsea to bid for Brazilian whizkid Pato
Chelsea, Spurs keep tabs on Newcastle's Dyer
West Ham boss Curbishley determined to land Bent
Benitez wants new Liverpool deal for Valencia target Macia
Sheffield Wednesday waiting for Fulham, Wigan offers for Brunt
Middlesbrough eyeing CSKA striker Vagner Love
Portsmouth to offer £3M for Wigan's Camara
Portsmouth rival Fulham for Villa's Davis
Middlesbrough must beat Spurs, Sevilla for Bosingwa
Shepherd can stay as chairman at Ashley's Newcastle
Birmingham in Arsenal talks for Djourou
Arsenal to send Merida to Atletico Madrid
Spurs to bid £8M for Atletico Madrid's Petrov
Middlesbrough step up bid for Villa's Moore
West Ham eyeing Reading's Hunt
Wigan signing Sibierski: Allardyce wanted me to stay
Sunderland boss wants Man Utd's Simpson
Routledge ready for Spurs move
No Derby deal for Currie
Portsmouth chasing Kenya star Mariga
Derby boss Davies determined to be competitive

RAFA AND RICK DELIGHTED BY DOUBLE DEAL

Rafael Benitez and Rick Parry today spoke of their delight after seeing Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher commit their long-term futures to Liverpool Football Club.
The club captain and vice-captain returned from England duty on Monday afternoon to sign new contracts that will keep them at Anfield until 2011.

For Benitez, working tirelessly to bring new players into the club, it sends out a clear message about where Liverpool Football Club are heading.

"These are two very important deals," Benitez told liverpoolfc.tv, "because they are about safeguarding the future of this football club. Stevie and Jamie both wanted to stay at the club. They have a passion for this club and you can see that in the way they play. They are 100% committed to Liverpool and now they can be 100% focussed on their futures at Anfield.

"I think these deals send out a key message as we enter a crucial period. Other players will look at Stevie and Carra committing their future to Liverpool and understand that this means we are determined to progress on the pitch.

"When we talk to players we'd like to sign for this club, we can point to the fact that they will be playing alongside the likes of Stevie and Carra. Now these two deals are complete, we need to continue working on bringing in new players and keeping the ones we already have."

One man key to helping Benitez bring in those players is Rick Parry, who was equally pleased to see the club's two longest-serving players extend their stay at Anfield.

"It was a priority for us to get two of our most important players - and two local players - signed up to new contracts. It's a very positive statement we feel and sends out an important message.

"There's a lot of work - an awful lot of work - going on in the background. It's important we get the right players and there will be a lot of activity at the club to come but we're delighted to see Steven and Jamie sign these contracts today."

GERRARD DEFENDS REDS FANS

Steven Gerrard has sprung to the defence of Liverpool supporters after Uefa spokesman William Gaillard labelled them the worst in Europe after problems marred the Champions League final.
The Reds captain, speaking while on duty with England, claimed he couldn't understand how the Liverpool fans – his friends and family included - could be blamed for the chaos in Athens.

"What Uefa have said really upsets me," revealed the midfielder. "We've travelled everywhere together for the six or seven years I've been in the first team and from what I've seen, their behaviour has been fantastic.

"I had friends and family at the final. Their opinion was that the organisation wasn't good enough. I'm sure when it all gets broken down, they will conclude the organisation wasn't good enough and maybe a minority of Liverpool fans let themselves down but as far as I'm concerned the European Cup Final has to be in a bigger stadium with better organisation."