Talisman Wayne Rooney s goal drought stretched on as England crashed out of the World Cup at the hands of old rivals Germany on Sunday.

Drawing a blank in the match in Bloemfontein means the Manchester United star, after a stellar season for his club, has still never found the net at a World Cup.

He came to South Africa billed as one of the world s top players along with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo but has now failed to net in eight matches at finals including against minnows Algeria and Slovenia.

England goalkeeper David James said Germany should take credit for nullifying Rooney.

You have to give credit to the opposition. The teams know how good he is and they did all then can to stop him from playing, said James.

He wasn …

Dietmar Hamann has urged Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to front up over striker Daniel Sturridge s injury problems, suggesting the striker picks and chooses when he wants to play.

The England international has endured another injury-hit campaign under Brendan Rodgers and current Liverpool boss Klopp making just six appearances due to hamstring, ankle and knee complaints.

Sturridge has managed four goals despite his constant fitness troubles and was a key part of Liverpool s Premier League title challenge in 2013-14.

However, former midfielder Hamann feels Klopp must stop protecting the striker and be honest with fans over Sturridge s injuries.

The club has got a responsibility to tell the paying public what is wrong with him, Hamann told talkSPORT. If h…

Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart believes speculation linking Pep Guardiola with the Premier League club is inevitable.

Guardiola has announced he will leave Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich when his contract expires at the end of this season and the former Barcelona coach has expressed his desire to work in the Premier League.

The Etihad Stadium is viewed as the most likely destination for the 45-year-old, with former Barcelona board members Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano tipped to exert a measure of influence in their respective current positions of director of football and chief executive at City respectively.

The upshot for current manager Manuel Pellegrini has been a steady stream of questions regarding his future at pre-match media briefings, as …

Inter s recent revival continued as Danilo D Ambrosio s late goal secured a 2-1 win over Fiorentina at the San Siro on Tuesday.

Last-gasp wins against Tottenham in the Champions League and Sampdoria in Serie A in the past week had injected life into the Nerazzurri s stuttering start to the season and another three points will further ease the pressure on Luciano Spalletti.

Inter s cause was aided significantly on the stroke of half-time when referee Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni punished Vitor Hugo for handball inside the penalty area after a VAR review, Mauro Icardi opening his league account for the season from the resulting spot-kick.

The Viola thought they had secured a share of the spoils after 52 minutes when Federico Chiesa s long-range drive took a huge deflecti…

Spartak Moscow have appointed Oleg Kononov as their new head coach following the dismissal of Massimo Carrera.

Carrera was sacked a day after a 3-2 loss to Arsenal Tula on October 21, with Spartak languishing in seventh in the Russian Premier League after a run of one win in six games.

The 2016-17 champions have now turned to 52-year-old Kononov, who joins from Tula despite only taking charge in June.

He takes over from Raul Riancho, who was put in temporary charge and won two of his six games at the helm.

The offer from Spartak was unexpected for Arsenal, but they wished me success with a new team. The fans also reacted warmly and I thank them for that, Kononov told Spartak s official website.

 Олег Кононов — главный тре�…

Harry Kane says Manchester City attacker Erling Haaland is a fantastic player but the Tottenham forward is not getting caught up in comparisons or speculation over his own future amid links with Bayern Munich.

The England captain was linked to Pep Guardiola s side last year in a high-profile transfer saga, with a move from north London ultimately failing to materialise after Spurs refused to let him go.

Since then, former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland has arrived at the Etihad Stadium, ripping up the record books in the Premier League and making his presence felt in Europe too.

Ahead of Wednesday s home Champions League encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt, Kane did not wish to focus on his rivals or what might have been for his own career.

Instead, he …

Gavi has fast become the talk of Spanish football.

The 17-year-old is a regular for Barcelona and now an international for Luis Enrique s Spain.

His exploits have reportedly attracted interest from Europe s elite.

TOP STORY – TRIO CHASING GAVI

Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Manchester United are interested in Barcelona and Spain sensation Gavi, according to El Nacional.

Gavi has enjoyed a rapid rise at Camp Nou this season, while he earned his first international cap in Spain s Nations League semi-final success against Italy on Wednesday.

PSG, Liverpool and United are eyeing Gavi as Barca try to extend the 17-year-old s contract, claims Mundo Deportivo.

 Junto a Pedri y Ansu son los últimos de una larga relaci�…

(GSM) Internazionale striker Diego Milito has publically thanked his fans for showing their support following his inexplicable absence from the long-list for the Ballon d Or.

The Argentine striker, whose strikes helped Inter to win the Champions League in 2009/10 season, was expected to be in the running for the prestigious award after scoring 30 goals last season.

But Milito s omission has even baffled Inter supremo Massimo Moratti who claims the 31-year-old made his side win a historic treble and can t understand the snub.

“I would like to once again thank everyone who publically and privately have made me feel their affection,” Milito told ANSA.

…

Parma s Antonio Cassano says he is doing all he can to give Italy coach Cesare Prandelli selection headaches ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The 31-year-old striker scored twice in Sunday s 4-2 win at Milan, a result that extended the club s record unbeaten run to 16 Serie A matches.

Parma have won their last five league road trips extending another record and Cassano has now scored 11 Serie A goals this season for the club, who are right among the battle for European football.

Cassano last appeared for Italy at UEFA Euro 2012 but is considered an outside chance of featuring in Prandelli s 23-man squad for this year s Brazil showpiece, having missed the 2010 edition after falling out of favour under Marcello Lippi.

I swear I d love to go, as I ve never been to a Wor…

Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli said it is his dream to take the reins of Argentina. 

Sampaoli, 55, has been at the helm of Chile since 2012 and guided the South American nation to their first major trophy at the 2015 Copa America in July.

However, the Argentinean revealed his future is uncertain, at least until the elections of the Chilean Football Federation (AFNP) next month.

I will wait for the elections on January 4 and see what are the plans of the new president of the ANFP, he said on Puro Concepto.

I negotiated with other people, but I need to know what the plan of the new president is and whether he approves or rejects my project. 

If I can contribute, I will continue.

But if things do not work out, then Sampaoli who has been l…