Robert Lewandowski has put Europe’s top clubs on red alert after admitting he could leave Borussia Dortmund next summer. The Daily Mail reports.
The Polish international has attracted the interest of Chelsea and Manchester United, while Juventus and Bayern Munich are also keeping tabs on the forward.
He scored 30 goals for Dortmund last season as they secured a league and cup double before leading the line for Poland at Euro 2012.
The German champions have kept a firm stance over their star man claiming he is not going anywhere during the remainder of his contract.
But it could be increasingly difficult to hold on to a player who is contemplating a future away from Dortmund.
He said: “I don’t set myself any limits. I don’t know what will be after this season.
“I can’t and don’t want to rule out anything. This would not be professional.”
Lewandowski has two years left in his current deal, but amidst the uncertainty surrounding his future, he intimated that he is willing to see it out.
“I have another two years on my contract. This is a long time. I don’t have to decide today if I extend it or not. But, like I said, I only concentrate on Borussia right now”, he added.
West Ham have reportedly made a shock bid for Real Madrid’s Mateo Kovacic, and he is the type of superstar signing that would put the Hammers back amongst the big boys.
What’s the story?
West Ham were incredibly close to infiltrating the top four in their last season at the Boleyn Ground, and if the Hammers want to get back up there they have to add some top quality to support Manuel Pellegrini.
Manuel Lanzini’s injury is a huge loss in terms of attacking impetus and creativity, and Italian reports claim the club are trying to make up for it by moving for Kovacic.
According to the report from Tuttomercatoweb, the Hammers “tabled a bid” for the Croatian international on Monday.
Real Madrid don’t want to lose a player they see as the next in line to the midfield throne after Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, but they might not have a choice.
The 24 year-old is frustrated with his lack of first team opportunities, and asked to leave the club last month, so this could be the Hammers’ best chance to swoop in and sign themselves a superstar.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”262679″ player=”12034″ title=”Chattin’ Shirt 3 Teams at Russia 2018″]
What’s all the fuss about?
Kovacic is of course not a like for like replacement for Lanzini, but his ability to break the lines with his passing or dribbling would be a huge asset in Pellegrini’s midfield.
Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the former Inter Milan star can play in various positions, but is best as a box to box midfielder, where he can use his versatility and intelligence help out at both ends of the pitch.
Former Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni once described him as a mixture of Kaka and Clarence Seedorf, so if that doesn’t get you excited then nothing will.
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The 24 year-old already has 45 caps for Croatia, is excellent at weaving past players with the ball, and doesn’t mind getting stuck in either, averaging well over two tackles per 90 minutes in La Liga last season.
The feisty but extremely technically gifted midfielder is reportedly wanted by Chelsea and Spurs, but if the experience and charm of Pellegrini can lure him to East London then the Hammers could make a legitimate charge at the top six, especially if they can secure other targets like Felipe Anderson.
So, West Ham fans, would you like to see a move for Kovacic? Do you think you can pull it off? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…
The Joe Cole contract saga has dragged on for far too long at his current club Chelsea and all parties concerned will be relieved when the ordeal finally comes to a head.
The midfielder has just earned a spot in Fabio Capello’s final 23-man England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, so it is unlikely that he will make a decision on his future until the Three Lions’ involvement in the tournament is over and the squad returns home.
It is widely expected that he will leave Stamford Bridge in order to find first team football and after countless stories of disagreements over wages. The Sunday Mirror reported that Chelsea were so offended by Cole’s ridiculous wage demands (apparently he wants parity with the club’s top stars) that they rescinded an offer of £100,000-a-week contract, who exactly does he think he is?
The tricky England man is a good player, one which I admire, but where does he get off thinking he is in the same bracket as a Frank Lampard or club captain John Terry?
He’s certainly not worth £100,000-£120,000-a-week in wages as he spends more time on the bench or on the treatment table than on the pitch for Chelsea. Also, it is already something of an injustice that Cole earns more than Petr Cech, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien (the best player on Chelsea’s books) as it stands.
However, I would like to think that it is not about the money for him, it’s about playing first team football. I doubt he will be able to force his way into Chelsea’s first XI again and perhaps he thinks that too, so a move to one of the interested clubs Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United or Liverpool could tempt him.
I’d expect that it is most likely the north London clubs (Arsenal and Spurs) are leading the race for his signature as he is settled in the capital and it is doubtful he’d want to uproot his young family up north. A reunion with former manager Harry Redknapp is very much on the cards as Spurs are seeking to increase the depth of their squad ahead of the Champions League next season and many believe with his experience the 28-year-old midfielder will fit right in.
Although he is massively popular amongst the Chelsea support he has made himself a divisive player of late splitting the fans opinions on whether he should stay or go. Personally, I don’t think Chelsea will miss him a whole lot as he is replaceable (not sure Yossi Benayoun is the right man though) and you cannot rely on his fitness. I think Chelsea have much bigger worries on their hands this summer than sweating over Cole’s future like keeping Lampard and Ashley Cole away from Jose Mourinho’s clutches at Real Madrid.
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With the Benayoun to Chelsea rumours gaining strength and Cole not signing a contract at the club it seems that both parties have made their minds up, but I am slightly puzzled as to why he hasn’t secured his future to avoid any distractions during England’s World Cup campaign.
For Chelsea’s fans Joe Cole wearing a Tottenham or Arsenal shirt next season does not even bear thinking about.
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Middlesbrough look to be closing in on a deal for Charlton captain Nicky Bailey. The 26-year-old midfielder is set to join Boro for a fee of £1.4m and manager Gordon Strachan will be hoping that can help fire his team back into the Premiership.
Bailey will be arriving at the club off the back of a dejecting season for Charlton as his last kick in an Addicks’ shirt was the team’s one and only missed penalty in the play-off semi-final against Swindon, which ultimately decided the tie. Aside from that he had a good season for Charlton from a personal point of view scoring 13 goals from midfield, which brings his total tally for the club to 26 goals in two years which is a great feat. Ever since his arrival from Southend in 2008 he has been virtually nothing but consistent for Charlton and didn’t look out of place one bit in what was his first ever season playing in the Championship. Even though the club got relegated in his debut season he was their one shining light and this was acknowledged by him receiving their player of the year award.
This season Bailey can be credited with a lot of the hard work that went into Charlton getting into the play-offs and although in some games he wasn’t at his best, one thing he always did without fail week-in, week-out was give 110 per cent. Had it not been for his influence in midfield then Charlton probably wouldn’t have came close to promotion.
Boro fans can look forward to the signing of Bailey as he is an all-action midfielder who is capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck and won’t stop trying until the final whistle. He has got a good-eye for goal and is capable of scoring some absolute stunners as he has on numerous occasions for Charlton. He will provide a lot of energy in midfield and in games last season where Boro seemed to run out of steam, with a player like Bailey in the side he won’t let that happen. Of course there are weaknesses to his game, such as he is liable of trying spectacular passes that don’t come off when he should play the simple ball instead. Also sometimes he can make the wrong decision when it comes to either shooting or passing the ball.
Nicky Bailey is definitely a player who can help Middlesbrough get promoted next season and there is a chance should that happen that he just may be able to cut it in the Premiership. However firstly Boro need to win promotion first and with the imminent signing of Bailey they will be significantly boosting their chances of this becoming a reality.
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With Sir Alex Ferguson’s insistence that Manchester United won’t be signing any players this summer due to ‘over-inflated’ prices, the question surrounding the clubs massive debt still lingers.
After all, following a season which yielded just the Carling Cup- hardly what is deemed successful at Old Trafford- there was an expectation that the coffers would be thrown open and at least one marquee signing would arrive at the Theatre of Dreams.
Many have already turned to the most hated men at Old Trafford- unless you count Gary Neville by away fans- the Glazers as the reason for lack of transfer activity.
Fergie though, had insisted that he does have the money but feels that the players available are over-priced or not really needed, as may have been the case with Liverpool’s new saviour Joe Cole.
All this reminded me of the summer of 1995 when three of the club’s biggest names left to be replaced by members of the youth team. Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and the Russian Locomotive that was Andrei Kanchelskis, all left for new clubs following United’s first trophy-less season in five years.
Fergie replaced his trio of departed stars, with unknown quantities Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and some kid named David Beckham. Add to that the fact that Gary Neville was now a regular and was joined by his younger brother Phil and many thought the United manager had gone mad, little realising it was all a massive ploy to embarrass Alan Hansen on Match of the Day.
Hansen’s: “You’ll never win anything win kids” comment following United’s opening day defeat at Aston Villa was the biggest gaffe since Romeo told Juliet getting together would be a good idea.
Hansen was made to eat his words on an almost daily basis as United’s young side, led by Sky’s new advertising genie Eric Cantona swept all before them, to win the double.
The young English backbone of that United side, would become the backbone of the England side for a decade to come, with Scholes, Butt, Beckham and the Nevilles gaining over 350 caps between them and featuring in every major tournament since then until this year’s World Cup- although technically Beckham featured as the teams chief eye-brow raiser and frowner.
West Ham have of course contributed massively to the England team, with the likes of Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Jermaine Defoe and Michael Carrick all coming through the Academy of Football. Unlike the United youth team of 1992, most of West Ham’s England players came through at different times. Ferdinand and Lampard were part of the youth team which reached the FA youth cup final of 1996, losing to a Liverpool side which included Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen. Carrick and Cole went one better in 1999 defeating a Coventry side that had Chris Kirkland between the sticks, by a 9 goal aggregate- no doubt this was good preparation for what was to happen to Kirkland at Spurs a decade down the line.
Although, technically it wasn’t until 1993 that all the aforementioned United players were in the same youth team- Phil Neville joining the team then, the fact is for a single team to contain a crop of youngsters that would go on to be so successful is not so much a rarity as an absolute phenomenon .
What makes the class of ’92 even more exceptional is that while it may not have contained the younger Neville sibling, it did have a young lad named Ryan Giggs, who would go on to make the odd appearance for the first team.
The point I’m making is can Fergie do it again with a crop of youngsters? Is there enough talent coming through the youth ranks for him to surprise everyone with another crop of ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ –sorry I’ve always hated that term but felt obliged to use it- who can carry the team to glory?
Lately United have been giving more and more youngsters a chance as the likes of the Da Silva twins, Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck, Kiko Macheda, and Jonny Evans have figured in many games.
Will Fergie be prepared to turn to youth fully, in the way he did back in 1995 to replace some of the players who’ve either left the club or are nearing retirement.
With the last remnants of the class of 92, in Scholes, Giggs and Neville, surely entering their final season, this may be the time for the United manager to confound the critics and turn to his youngsters.
While Jonny Evans is practically a first team member now, most of the young players are only used sparingly, could we now see Fergie give them a chance and make them starting members of his squad.
A starting line up of say VDS, Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Nani, Macheda and Rooney is still a very strong side which could give any team a run for its money.
Maybe the reason the United manager is acting like Ebeneezer Scrooge before the ghosts paid him a visit, is due to the knowledge that some of his younger players are actually up to the task.
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With a further host of younger players in the likes of Cameron Stewart, Corry Evans, Tom Cleverley, Paul Pogba and Will Keane coming through the ranks the future may not quite be as bleak at Manchester United as many, myself included, have thought lately.
As the great Sir Matt Busby showed over 50 years ago, youth can be good enough to win league titles and challenge the cream of Europe, a lesson Fergie remembered in 1995, maybe it’s one he’s realised again.
Read more of Justin Mottershead’s work on his blog ‘Name on the Trophy’
Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
Whilst the futures of a certain Reds duo continually dominate Merseyside football headlines, an occurrence over on the other side of Stanley Park may constitute the most curious transfer event of the summer. Everton midfielder Dan Gosling has been cleared to walk away from Goodison Park as a free agent following his club’s failure to offer him a new contract in writing. Although the club may rue the decision to formalise the verbal agreement negotiated between the two parties earlier this year, with the mistake set to cost them in the region of £4m-£5m, opting to seek employment elsewhere may come back to haunt the England Under-21 international. Will Gosling regret reneging upon his new contract at Everton?
Signed from Plymouth Argyle during the transfer window of January 2008, Dan Gosling swiftly earned a reputation as one of England’s finest young talents at Goodison Park. The versatile 20-year-old, who can operate at right-back, right-midfield and centre-midfield, was dispatched to the club’s reserve team immediately after his arrival but was promoted to the first-team squad at the start of the 2008/09 season. Over the course of the last two seasons, Gosling made 34 appearances and scored six goals, both respectable tallies for a young player plying his trade in the Premier League. Gosling also managed to write himself into Everton folklore after scoring an extra-time winner against arch-rivals Liverpool during an FA Cup fourth round replay in 2009.
Although Gosling may have left Everton on the grounds that he can receive a better salary and more playing time at another club, he is unlikely to find another playing environment as suitable as the one that he left behind at Goodison Park. David Moyes plucked Gosling from the relative obscurity of Championship football and courageously afforded Gosling healthy doses of first-team football over the course of the last seasons. The cases of Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell both vindicate Moyes’ reputation as one of a nurturing, youth-friendly manager. Everton’s most recent recruit, 20-year-old Frenchman Magaye Gueye, cited Moyes’ reputation as major factor in his decision to join the club, stating “I had better feelings with Everton. I know I will get opportunities to play in a great league, which has been my dream since I was a kid.”
Newcastle United and West Ham United have both been touted as Gosling’s most likely destinations. Whilst he may be able to secure higher wages and first-team playing time at either club, both clubs are more likely than Everton to find themselves in a relegation battle next season, and could consequently provide a more tumultuous, unsettled environment for Gosling to develop in. On the other hand, Everton are comfortably established in the top half of the Premier League table and would have provided a more secure setting for Gosling to continue his progress.
Gosling’s former team-mate Jack Rodwell, one of England’s most coveted young players, spurned interest from Chelsea and Manchester United in order to sign a new contract at Everton at the end of last season. Clearly recognising the value of the environment created by David Moyes at Goodison Park, Rodwell has acknowledged that his future growth as a player would best be served upon Merseyside. Only time will tell whether or not Gosling will rue the decision not to follow the actions of his former team-mate.
Will Dan Gosling rue his decision to leave Goodison Park?
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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup
If Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli is reunited with Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, then the Eastlands club will have one of the most troublesome strike lines in football.
In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa Mancini has stated “He (Balotelli) is one of the four or five strikers that interest us. I was the first to believe in him and I’m convinced about what he can do.”
Balotelli now seems on the brink of signing for Man City, a move that will take Mancini’s summer spending to around the £100 million mark. But do Manchester City really want another petulant striker in their squad? Already they have Craig Bellamy, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Robinho, if the collective size of these ego’s already rather large, when Balotelli is added to the mix it will be positively colossal. This is something that could have a very negative effect on Man City’s season, as dressing room divides and player tantrums could easily affect the performances of the team.
Despite being only 19 years old, Mario Balotelli has already carved out a name for himself as being one of the most talented yet troublesome players in Italy. Inter boss Jose Mourinho has endured a very difficult relationship with the Italian teenager throughout his time as manager there.
Balotelli’s perceived lack of effort was highlighted in a game with Roma in 2009 when The Guardian quotes Mourinho as stating “Balotelli? In my opinion he came close to a zero rating.”
The situation between the two became worse when Balotelli was dropped from the squad in Inter’s Champions League second leg tie with Chelsea, after an argument with Mourinho.
Inter defender Marco Materazzi criticised Balotelli in the wake of the game, and ESPN reported that even his own agent Mino Raiola stated Balotelli “Must behave like a professional.”
Later in the year, Balotelli’s relationship with Inter fans reached a nadir when he wore the shirt of bitter rivals AC Milan on national television. Although he is undeniably talented, Balotelli could prove to be more trouble than he’s worth should he move to Eastlands. As Balotelli’s first manager at Inter, maybe Roberto Mancini believes he can get the best out of the player and avoid the histrionics that come as part of the package.
The situation may be exacerbated however, by the fact that City already have their own collection of troublesome young men, particularly in Balotelli’s position up front. Craig Bellamy’s antics are well documented, and he also had a run in with Mancini last season. There is a distinct possibility however, that the Welshman will not be at the City of Manchester when the season begins. Emmanuel Adebayor showed his all his shyness of controversy when he scored against former club Arsenal last season, and is a player who sulks regularly. South American duo Carlos Tevez and Robinho are also known as somewhat temperamental individuals. With perhaps only two positions up front available at any one time, some of these precious characters will have to be content with sitting on the bench, but it is highly doubtful whether they will be. If there is conflict with the coach, or the dressing room becomes divided, it could harm Man City’s prospects this season. If Roberto Mancini is intent on signing another striker, he could be well advised to seek out a more serene individual.
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Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer
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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has just over a week to decide on the 25 players he will choose to assist him in his Anfield re-building project as the fallen giants look to re-gain a place in the top four this season. However after Monday night’s sorry display against Manchester City at Eastlands, it will certainly be an unenviable task.
While the strength-in-depth of Liverpool’s top four rivals City is highlighted by some expected big name casualties failing to make the cut, including striker Roque Santa Cruz and samba star Robinho, Hodgson’s task looks set to be considerably easier. The Reds do not have a luxury of stars to choose from and there looks certain to be no major shocks when the manager’s bare-bones squad is announced when the transfer window slams shut on 1 September.
The new ‘home-grown’ (HG) rule being introduced to the Premier League this season is designed to help young English players develop while also limiting the amount of foreign players in Premier League squads. Each club must register at least eight home-grown players under the age of 21 who have been with a Welsh or English club for at least three years.
Club stalwarts Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher make up a quarter of the HG quota, while England internationals Glen Johnson and Joe Cole bring the total up to four. Goalkeeper Brad Jones, a new sigining from Middlesbrough, also qualifies as home-grown, leaving three more HG spaces in the squad which need filling.
Former academy duo Stephen Darby and Jay Spearing, who have been on the fringes of the first-team in recent seasons, both also look set to be named in the first-team squad as home-grown players. Both players turn 22 in the next few months and therefore have to be registered to play. The final spot remains a problematic one however and Liverpool may find themselves registering less players than the 25 permitted by the Premier League.
Players under the age of 21 do not have to be registered and clubs can call on these players at any time throughout the season. Highly-rated talents such as Martin Kelly, Danny Wilson, Dani Pacheco, JonJo Shelvey and Peter Gulacsi all fall into this category and therefore do not have to be registered in the squad. David N’Gog and Emiliano Insua also do not have to be registered due to the date their respective birthdays fall on.
Taking into account the expected departure of Argentine skipper Javier Mascherano to Barcelona, Liverpool’s squad looks somewhat depleted. Arsenal star Aleksander Hleb has been tipped to head in the opposite direction as a makeweight in the deal to increase the squad numbers further. Hodgson is also keen to conclude a £9m deal for PSV striker Ola Toivonen, however the Dutch side have so far refused to negotiate the player’s sale. A deal for veteran Mexican defender Carlos Salcido, whom Hodgson is also rumoured to be interested in signing.
These deals all remain a long way from being completed however and you have to question the manager’s decision to allow £18m signing Alberto Aquilani to leave on loan. It may leave the 63-year-old coach relying on the likes of unproven Nabil El Zhar and Damien Plessis throughout the season. Unless some moves are made in the transfer market Liverpool could be up to four experienced players short of the Premier League’s recommended amount.
The likely squad is listed below, while these numbers will be further boosted by any new signings and the club’s u-21 players.
GK: Pepe Reina, Brad Jones
FB: Fabio Aurelio, Glen Johnson, Stephen Darby,
CB: Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Soto Kyrgiakos
MF: Steven Gerrard, Christian Poulsen, Lucas Leiva, Joe Cole, Jay Spearing
AMF: Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Maxi Rodriguez, Milan Jovanovic
F: Fernando Torres
Hodgson certainly has a great deal of work to do in the final few days of the transfer market as he makes the last-minute additions and finishing touches to his squad of players.
Do you think Hodgson will complete any other signings? Comment below-
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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
This week sees the Group Stages of the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League kick off, as the best teams from Europe go head to head in the competition sponsored by Heineken. Many people will be watching Tottenham’s trip to Werder Bremen to see how Spurs fare in their first Champions League appearance, but on Tuesday night all eyes will be on Old Trafford where the latest instalment of the Battle of Britain is set to take place. Manchester United will host Rangers as England and Scotland match up once more on the football pitch in an occasion where plenty of passion is sure to be on show. The Battle of Britain has certainly thrown up plenty of tasty encounters before and here are ten of the best…
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Rangers v Wolves: 3-1 on aggregate (1961)
The first ‘Battle of Britain’ in European competition saw Rangers and Wolves match up in the 1961 Cup Winners’ Cup semi final. Rangers were always favourites to win after securing a 2-0 first leg win in front of 80,000 fans at Ibrox thanks to goals from Ralph Brand and Alex Scott. They prevailed in this Anglo-Scottish encounter despite a consolation goal from Peter Broadbent for Wolves, but Rangers fell to Fiorentina in the final that followed.
Tottenham v Rangers: 8-4 on aggregate (1962)
This European encounter remains one of the highest scoring ones, with an incredible 12 goals scored, which meant that it lived up to Tottenham manager Bill Nicholson’s billing as ‘the greatest game on earth’. The queue for tickets at White Hart Lane stretched for more than two miles and they wouldn’t have been disappointed as Spurs won 5-2. They followed that up with a 3-2 against Rangers at Ibrox, resulting in an 8-4 aggregate score.
Liverpool 2-0 Celtic (1966)
Two of football’s greatest managers were in the dugout for this game: Jock Stein and Bill Shankly. After losing just 1-0 at Parkhead in a game which Celtic dominated, the second leg of the 1966 Cup Winners’ Cup semi final was a different matter. Goals from Tommy Smith and Geoff Strong were enough for Liverpool to emerge victorious, leaving Celtic fans to go home disappointed, especially after a disallowed goal which prompted them to throw bottles onto the pitch. Liverpool couldn’t go on to win the competition, though, as they were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Celtic 2-1 Leeds (1970)
A bumper crowd of 136,505 at Hampden Park (a record for a European club match) saw Jock Stein’s Celtic overcome Don Revie’s Leeds in this 1970 European Cup semi final. Celtic’s hard work in the first leg that secured them a 1-0 victory at Elland Road thanks to a goal from George Connelly looked to have been undone as Billy Bremner drew the scores level at Hampden, thus silencing the crowd. Stein believed that Liverpool were for the taking and his was right, as a Jimmy Johnstone inspired display saw them through to the final, which they lost to Feyenoord.
Liverpool 4-0 Aberdeen (1980)
It is not often that Sir Alex Ferguson comes off second best but this was exactly what happened in 1980 when he matched up against Bob Paisley – the only time he did so in his career. A 1-0 loss at Pittodrie was followed crushing defeat for Aberdeen at Anfield as the Reds netted four times. Before the match Paisley had praised Fergie and Aberdeen star Gordon Strachan, but the Dons were well and truly second best – losing 5-0 on aggregate.
Head to Page 2 for five more recent Battles of Britain…
Manchester United v Dundee United: 5-4 on aggregate (1984)
Ron Atkinson’s Manchester United side eventually prevailed in this pulsating two-legged encounter in the 1980s. Dundee United held the Red Devils to a 2-2 at Old Trafford in the first leg, with Bryan Robson and Gordon Strachan on the score sheet for Man Utd. The second leg was just as exciting and a Mark Hughes amongst other helped United to victory, meaning that Paul Hegarty’s goal in each leg was ultimately in vein.
Rangers v Leeds: 4-2 on aggregate (1992)
Rangers became the unofficial Champions of Britain after Howard Wilkinson’s Leeds were beaten by the Gers at Ibrox and Elland Road. Hotshot Ally McCoist netted in both games and ensured Rangers continued their European venture that year, which almost saw them reach the final. Stuart McCall and the rest of the team showcased true Scottish spirit and Rangers went on a 44 match unbeaten run that season, which helped them to the domestic treble. A Leeds team that featured Eric Cantona (who was soon to cross the Pennines) were simply outclassed.
Celtic 2-2 Liverpool (1997)
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This first round UEFA Cup encounter deserved to be much later in the competition for the quality of the football on display. Michael Owen gave Liverpool the advantage early on in the first leg at Parkhead, before goals from Jackie McNamara and Simon Donnelly gave Celtic the edge. Then came the moment for which the game will always be remembered – a magnificent solo goal from Steve McManaman. The Liverpool winger picked up the ball in his own half and ghosted past a number of defenders before capping off his 70 yard run with a great finish.
Liverpool v Celtic: 1-3 on aggregate (2003)
Celtic managed to get their revenge against Liverpool a little over five years later, in a UEFA Cup campaign that saw them reach the final and knock out two British teams in the process. Having earlier defeated Blackburn Rovers, Celtic held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park in a match that saw the infamous El Hadji Diouf spitting incident. Celtic went on to record an impressive 2-0 win at Anfield thanks to goals from Alan Thompson and John Hartson.
Manchester United 3-2 Celtic (2006)
A five goal thriller at Old Trafford – something the neutral will be hoping is replicated on Tuesday. Not only were Celtic defeated by Man United, but Gordon Strachan also lost out to his old boss – Sir Alex Ferguson. Goals from the giant that is Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and a stunning free kick from Japanese sensation Shunsuke Nakamura sandwiched a Louis Saha double to make it all square at half time. Then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went on to do what he did dozens of times for the Red Devils – net an invaluable winner.
So will England or Scotland emerge victorious as Manchester United face Rangers and are there any more footballing Battles of Britain you feel deserve a mention here?
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has revealed that he can't wait to face one of his former teams, Inter Milan, in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The much-travelled Republic of Ireland international enjoyed his brief time in Serie A after joining Inter from Coventry City in 2000.
He eventually moved to Leeds United, initially on loan, less than five months after being signed by the Italian giants, and told Sky Sports News:"I was only a young lad at the time but it's something I will never regret.
"I had a great time over there, I really enjoyed it. They are great people over there so it's something I can look back on, to go over there as a 19-year-old kid and play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, was one of the greatest times in my life and something I will never forget.
"(Christian) Vieri, Ronaldo, (Alvaro) Recoba were all there. They were great players and playing with good players every day in training, you obviously learn a lot and I think it really helped me as a player.
"If you look at the squad of players we have now, there is no reason why we shouldn't go there and be confident enough to get a result.
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"It would be a great game to be involved in. Hopefully I will play some part and it would be nice to score and help us to get a good result."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email