Perth Glory have confirmed that Kenny Lowe will become the club s interim coach, replacing the sacked Alistair Edwards.

Lowe – previously Perth s assistant coach from 2007 to 2011 took his first training session on Friday ahead of his first match in charge against Adelaide United on Sunday.

Perth chief executive Jason Brewer believes the appointment is the right fit because Lowe s coaching philosophy is consistent with the club s player development strategy.

Kenny Lowe is very well respected by his peers for his coaching abilities, Brewer said.

He has helped nurture some of this country s brightest prospects including many members of our current squad.

He has a very impressive pedigree in youth development in particular and that is something our club is s…

Sky Sports understand that Everton are set to offer Jordan Pickford an improved contract.

The England international is currently on an extended break following his involvement in this summer’s World Cup finals.

His performances at the tournament have seen him attract interest from Chelsea, who have installed him as their top target with Thibaut Courtois continuously linked with a move to Real Madrid.

However, a move away from Merseyside would be unlikely with Everton set to reward the twenty-four-year-old for his rise to prominence.

Pickford only moved to Goodison Park from Sunderland twelve months ago, following the North East outfit’s relegation to the Championship.

The shot-stopper was ever present for the Toffees in the 2017/18 Pre…

Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere refuted the suggestion that Mario Balotelli only stayed at the club because he failed to secure a move to Marseille, saying: He has shown us his desire to stay.

Balotelli was expected to leave Nice following the club s failure to qualify for European football last season, which Rivere explained prompted a reduction in the Italy striker s salary.

Rivere revealed that the 28-year-old received a very, very large financial offer from a club in the Chinese Super League and entered discussions with a number of French clubs, including Marseille, but opted to remain at Allianz Riviera for a third season.

The Nice chief insisted claims that Balotelli remained at the club by default are totally wrong , telling their official website: He …

Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney won the Professional Footballers Association player of the year award at a ceremony here on Sunday and then declared his readiness for the World Cup.

Rooney, currently out of action with a groin injury, is widely regarded as being central to England s chances of winning the World Cup in South Africa later this year.

I m good, Rooney told guests at the PFA dinner at Grosvenor House in central London.

I m disappointed to miss a couple of games. Hopefully I will play before the season finishes.

Asked if he would be fit in time for South Africa, Rooney replied: No problems for the World Cup.

Rooney dismissed suggestions England could not win the World Cup, which starts in June, without him: We ve…

Fabio Capello has named Ledley King, Jamie Carragher and Scott Parker among his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup finals.

Capello has opted to take a gamble on Tottenham centre-back King even though he struggles with a degenerative knee problem, while Liverpool defender Carragher has been persuaded to come out of international retirement.

There is also a surprise place for West Ham midfielder Parker, who been in fine form for his club this season but had rarely been mentioned as a contender for Capello s squad.

There is no place for Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves despite predictions the injury-hit star would be a shock inclusion.

Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry does make the squad even though he is expected to be out of act…

Leicester City returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea, leaving the defending champions just one point clear of the relegation zone.

Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez did the damage for Claudio Ranieri s side, both finding the net to take their combined top-flight tally this term to 26 goals 11 more than the entire Chelsea squad have scored.

The former Fleetwood Town forward made it 14 consecutive Premier League matches in which he has scored or assisted when he steered a volley past Thibaut Courtois shortly after the half-hour mark.

Nemanja Matic hit the crossbar for Chelsea but they fell two goals behind when Mahrez, who supplied the assist for Vardy s strike, produced a sublime effort early in the second half.

After Diego …

Pedro feels facing Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League last 16 could prepare Barcelona better for the latter stages.

Defending La Liga champions Barca have reached the semi-finals of Europe s premier club competition for the last six seasons, but succumbed to a 7-0 aggregate defeat to eventual winners Bayern Munich last term.

Barca, who last won the Champions League in 2011, face a tough task to reach the quarter-finals this year, with Premier League title challengers City awaiting in the first knockout round.

However, ahead of Tuesday s first leg at the Etihad Stadium, Pedro believes that taking on one of the better sides left in the competition at this early stage could prove to be a positive for Barca.

Definitely, Pedro told The Guardian when asked if…

Dudelange have apologised to Qarabag after a drone carrying the flag of a region disputed by Azerbaijan and Armenia caused Thursday s Europa League match to be temporarily suspended.

Play was halted in the first half of the Group A encounter in Luxembourg when a drone hovered above the pitch with the flag of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is derived from the Armenian flag.

Both sets of players attempted to knock the drone out of the air by kicking balls at it, with the match delayed by over 15 minutes.

When the match resumed, Qarabag took control, gaining a 3-0 lead by half-time with Dani Quintana s goal adding further gloss after the interval.

Qarabag originated in Agdam, a now ghost-town in south-west Azerbaijan that was destroyed by Armenian fo…

Iker Casillas does not have a contract or the medical authorisation to play in one of Porto s final Primeira Liga games, says head coach Sergio Conceicao.

Real Madrid and Spain legend Casillas suffered a heart attack in a training session in May 2019 and has since retired as a player.

Porto wrapped up the Primeira Liga title with two games to spare by beating Sporting CP 2-0 on Wednesday.

Supporters subsequently posted #IkerCampeao on social media in a bid to get the 39-year-old goalkeeper an appearance before the conclusion of the season so he can be part of the triumph.

However, Conceicao criticised the movement because Casillas is not eligible to play for Porto anymore.

People who ask for this have no idea what is going on. Iker cannot play, C…

Siphiwe Tshabalala has been transformed from a fringe club footballer to a key South Africa World Cup cog within 12 months.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira paid the diminutive left-side midfielder a huge compliment recently by branding him a Brazilian when it came to football.

Tshabalala faced the media Tuesday at a hotel in the swanky Sandton district of Johannesburg just three days before reaching a half-century of caps in the opening World Cup match against Mexico at Soccer City.

How did a footballer struggling to make the starting line-up with popular domestic club Kaizer Chiefs turn into an ever-present for Bafana Bafana?

Carlos brought out the best in me, he replied, visibly in awe of the 67-year-old Rio de Janeiro-raised grandfather who has turned …