England captain Wayne Rooney announced on Tuesday (Aug 30) that the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be his final tournament as an international footballer.

“Realistically, I know myself that Russia will be my last opportunity to do anything with England,” Rooney told a press conference at St George’s Park in Burton, central England.

“My mind is made up. Russia will be my last tournament.”

New England manager Sam Allardyce announced on Monday that Rooney, 30, will be kept on as captain for the World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in Slovakia on Sunday.

The Manchester United striker will make his 116th England appearance in Trnava, taking him past David Beckham as the country’s most-capped outfield player.

Captain since August 2014, Rooney is also England’s record goal-scorer with 53 goals.

But in six major tournament appearances with England, he has never gone further than the quarter-finals.

England crashed out in the group phase at the last World Cup in Brazil two years ago and, with Rooney as captain, were humiliated by minnows Iceland in the last at Euro 2016.

“Hopefully I can end my time with England on a high,” Rooney said. “I said before the Euros, I enjoyed playing in this team, and that’s the case still.

“There were some questions about whether I should stop playing (for England), but I am looking forward to getting back on the pitch.

“I made my mind up before the Euros, whether we did well or not, that I was going to continue. I’ve had nothing to think about since then.”

Source AFP

England goalkeeper Joe Hart was given a rousing welcome by ecstatic Torino fans on Tuesday (Aug 30) as he held up the team’s jersey ahead of signing a season-long loan with the unfashionable Serie A club.

Hart, 29, fell out of favour with new coach Pep Guardiola at Manchester City following the signing of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona and has caused general surprise by joining Torino in a bid to preserve his international career following England’s spectacular Euro 2016 exit.

Television pictures earlier showed Hart arriving at the city’s Caselle airport and the ‘keeper on a balcony in the city centre holding up a Torino shirt with his name emblazoned on the back.

Although Torino have yet to make an official announcement, Hart’s agent earlier told Tuttosport: “Yes, Joe Hart will play at Torino. It’s a done deal. He has said ‘yes’ to the club and now Manchester City have given the OK.”

Hart becomes only the third English goalkeeper to play in Italy’s top flight and the first since 1929/30, an era in which English players – some of whom helped lay the foundations of some of Italy’s biggest clubs – were prevalent in the country’s top flight.

Prior to Hart, James Richardson Spensley played for Genoa at the turn of the 20th century, when Hoberlin Hood turned out between the posts for AC Milan.

It is considered a major coup for Torino, who have been given a boost in their bid to secure a place in next season’s Europa League, especially with City agreeing to pay a significant portion of Hart’s annual salary of £3.3 million (€4.2 million).

Hart, meanwhile, has the chance to gain valuable experience in one of the world’s toughest league in terms of tactics.

He is expected to take the gloves from Daniele Padelli, who has failed to impress coach Sinisa Mihajlovic since he arrived at the club several months after his sacking by AC Milan last season.

It would allow Hart to rebuild confidence following a disastrous Euro 2016 campaign for England, who saw hopes of contending for the title undone during a sensational 2-1 last 16 defeat to Iceland that pre-empted the resignation of manager Roy Hodgson.

Hart was considered to be amongst the key culprits after making errors against Wales and Iceland, but if he expected to find succour in the comfort of his Premiership club he was wrong.

When Guardiola signed Bravo from Barcelona, Hart lost his number one spot.

To retain his place as England ‘keeper, Hart needs regular football in a season that will see the Three Lions begin their qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup in a Group F featuring Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta.

But Hart, who will be keen to avoid the fate of the many English players who failed to make an impact in Serie A, has reason for apprehension.

One of Mihajloivoc’s first decisions at Milan was to hand 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma his Serie A debut, leading to the contentious demotion of experienced Spaniard Diego Lopez.

Donnarumma, widely expected to succeed Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon as Italy’s number one some time in the future, remains Milan’s first choice ‘keeper.

Media reports said the option of looking to sign Hart came through Attilio Lombardo, the former Sampdoria winger who was Roberto Mancini’s assistant at Manchester City and is now Mihajlovic’s assistant at Torino.

Hart could make his Torino debut on September 11 when the ‘Granata’ face Atalanta in Bergamo.

Mihajlovic’s men have made a mixed start to the campaign, following their 3-2 opening defeat to Milan at the San Siro with a 5-1 demolition of Bologna that saw new Italy call-up Andrea Belotti hit a hat-trick.

Source AFP

 Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been charged with violent conduct over an incident involving West Ham United defender Winston Reid, the FA said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 30).

The Argentine international now faces a three-match ban that would see him miss Premier League games against Manchester United and Bournemouth and a League Cup third-round tie against Swansea City.

Aguero appeared to elbow Reid in the head on Sunday, a Premier League game City won 3-1. The incident was not seen by match officials so the FA has taken retrospective action.

On Monday, Aguero withdrew from the World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela due to a calf injury. Argentina host Uruguay on Thursday and then visit Venezuela five days later.

Source AFP/ Reuters