League Football Live

Huddersfield boss Lee Clark has denied making an approach for Ipswich striker Jon Stead.

The 27-year-old, who spent the end of last season on loan at Coventry, looks set for the exit door at Portman Road after falling out of favour. But, despite expressing his admiration for the player, Clark insists he has not made contact over a possible move.

“Jon’s a very good footballer who made a big impact after moving from here to Blackburn and has continued to score goals ever since. He is under contract at Ipswich, and if I wanted to speak to any player under contract, I would approach his manager first. That’s what I did with Jordan Rhodes, but I haven’t contacted Roy (Keane) about Jon Stead,” Clark told the Huddersfield Examiner.

He added: “He’s also a player (Town performance coach) Steve Black knows well, having worked with him at Sunderland.”

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Sheffield United have signed former Crystal Palace midfielder Johnny Ertl on a two-year deal.

The 27-year-old, who was released by the Eagles at the end of last season, will officially join the Blades with fellow new-boy Daniel Bogdanovic on July 1. United boss Kevin Blackwell told the club’s official website: “He’s a good lad who can do a very solid job at right-back, central midfield and even at centre-half.

“And he has played enough times in the Championship for me to know he can come in and do it for us here.”

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Plymouth club captain Romain Larrieu has pledged his future by signing a new two-year deal.

Larrieu, Argyle’s longest-serving player, has made over 250 appearances for the club and will mark 10 years at Home Park in December having joined from ASOA Vallance in 2000.

The 33-year-old said: “I’m obviously delighted because it will take me to over 10 years with the club which is something that is very rarely achieved these days and to do that gives me a lot of pride.”

He added: “We’ve been working at different aspects of the contract and maybe waiting to have a manager, which I know the board are keen on resolving, and I wanted to stay here. It would have taken something really, really good to have tempted me away.

“League One is a league that I’ve played in and won. There are a lot of really good clubs in that league now but we should fancy ourselves.

“We need to prepare properly, have a good pre-season and then take every game as it comes.”

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Scunthorpe goalkeeper Sam Slocombe has signed a new one-year deal with the club who have the option of a further year.

Slocombe has made two competitive appearances since joining the Iron as a professional from Bottesford Town in 2008.

The 21-year-old came off the bench in last season’s Carling Cup victory over Port Vale and also featured in the league clash at Blackpool in November.

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Leicester have completed their first summer signing after agreeing a deal for defender Tom Kennedy.

The 25-year old arrives at the Walkers Stadium on a free transfer from Rochdale, having helped them gain promotion to League One.

Kennedy made 132 appearances in his time at Spotland and has been included in the League Two team of the season on two occasions. He was also named Dale’s player of the year in 2009.

The former Bury star has penned a three-year contract, which will start when his Rochdale deal expires at the end of this month.

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Watford midfielder Michael Bryan has signed a new one-year deal with the option of a further year.

The 20-year-old made a total of seven appearances, six as a substitute, during the 2009/10 campaign.

Bryan capped off his first-team breakthrough season by making his senior debut for Northern Ireland against Turkey before featuring in the clash with Chile last month.

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Manchester City forward Robinho would love to move to Barcelona this summer, according to his agent.

The Brazilian, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Santos in his homeland after failing to force his way into the plans of City coach Roberto Mancini, has been linked with a possible swap deal involving Barca striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

And his representative Evandro de Souza in quotes published by Spanish newspaper Sport said: “Any footballer in the world would love to play for a club like Barca. The relationship between Robinho and the board at Manchester City is very good, although it’s true that there are some problems with the coach, Roberto Mancini.”

Robinho, who scored two goals as Brazil thrashed Tanzania 5-1 in a World Cup warm-up match on Monday, will now travel to the World Cup with Dunga’s side.

But De Souza is set for a meeting with City next Wednesday to discuss the player’s future.

“We have a meeting with City on the 16th. I will travel to Manchester with Gilvan de Souza (Robinho’s father) and we will look at the situation with Robinho,” he said.

However, a summer exit seems certain for the former Real Madrid player.

“We know that City are looking for a club for Robinho,” De Souza said.

“There will be no quotes (from Robinho, at the moment),” he added.

“Robinho is focused on winning the World Cup and fighting for the Copa do Brasil (with Santos).”

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Clint Dempsey claims Roy Hodgson must be allowed to make up his own mind about whether he should quit Fulham for Liverpool.

Rafael Benitez’s eviction from the Anfield hotseat has created an attractive vacancy with the Merseyside giants that Hodgson has been tipped to fill.

“If the coach wants to be there he will be there,” said Dempsey. “He has to do the best for him and his family.”

The 63-year-old’s star has risen dramatically over the last couple of years, first by keeping Fulham in the Premier League and then steering the Cottagers into Europe and, last term, into the Europa League final.

Little wonder Hodgson’s name is near the top of Liverpool’s hit-list, which could finally offer the former Switzerland coach a chance to make his mark with a big club in England.

Dempsey has starred in Fulham’s attack and realises Hodgson would be a loss to the club, but the United States star has no intention of calling for his manager to stay.

He firmly believes if an offer comes, Hodgson should go with his heart.

Dempsey added: “It is not something I can worry about. I am with Fulham for three more years and I will do my best for them until something happens.

“If he wants to stay, let him stay. If he wants to go, let him go.”
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Clint Dempsey claims Roy Hodgson must be allowed to make up his own mind about whether he should quit Fulham for Liverpool.

Rafael Benitez’s eviction from the Anfield hotseat has created an attractive vacancy with the Merseyside giants that Hodgson has been tipped to fill.

“If the coach wants to be there he will be there,” said Dempsey. “He has to do the best for him and his family.”

The 63-year-old’s star has risen dramatically over the last couple of years, first by keeping Fulham in the Premier League and then steering the Cottagers into Europe and, last term, into the Europa League final.

Little wonder Hodgson’s name is near the top of Liverpool’s hit-list, which could finally offer the former Switzerland coach a chance to make his mark with a big club in England.

Dempsey has starred in Fulham’s attack and realises Hodgson would be a loss to the club, but the United States star has no intention of calling for his manager to stay.

He firmly believes if an offer comes, Hodgson should go with his heart.

Dempsey added: “It is not something I can worry about. I am with Fulham for three more years and I will do my best for them until something happens.

“If he wants to stay, let him stay. If he wants to go, let him go.”

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Harry Redknapp insists he is “loyal to Spurs” and would be keen to extend his contract with Tottenham, despite reports linking him with the vacant manager’s job at Liverpool.

Redknapp has been mooted as a successor to Rafael Benitez, who left Liverpool last week, after guiding Spurs to fourth place in the Barclays Premier League last season and a coveted qualifying place for the Champions League.

“I am loyal to Spurs, I want to stay at Spurs and I have a contract with Spurs, and I’d be happy to sign a new contract at Spurs if I was offered one, but in any case I have one year on my contract,” the 63-year-old told ESPN Soccernet.

“I am not being presumptuous turning down Liverpool, because I haven’t been offered the job and haven’t spoken to anyone about it.

“There is no need, as I have one year left on my contract at Tottenham and I am not thinking about anything other than being at White Hart Lane next season.

“I can tell you that I have not been offered a new contract, but that doesn’t mean I am looking to move on - far from it.”

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