Konchesky in 'last-chance' move to Liverpool

Paul Konchesky believes signing for Liverpool is his last chance to play at the highest level - but admits it is a huge step up for him.

The 29-year-old left-back was brought in from Fulham on Tuesday but has had little time to get to know his new team-mates as most have been away on international duty.
Konchesky played the second half of Jamie Carragher's testimonial yesterday, in which Liverpool comfortably beat an Everton XI 4-1.
But he accepts things will be a lot tougher when he makes his full debut for real, possibly next weekend at Birmingham.
"I'm 29 and this is my last chance to play at the highest level. That is what Liverpool are and I am really looking forward to it," said Konchesky, who has been reunited with former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson.
"It was a big factor (Hodgson) but Liverpool being a big club was a massive factor.
"I'm looking forward to getting a new lease of life and playing at a very high standard.
"I can't wait to pull on a Liverpool shirt in the Premier League, it is a massive club and it is a big step for me.
"I just want to give it my all and go from there.
"I've had three or four days' training and although there have not been a lot of players there it has been a good week and I am hopefully going to enjoy it soon.
"It was good to be involved in Jamie's testimonial and put a Liverpool shirt on."
Konchesky enjoyed his run-out in the relaxed atmosphere of a friendly but is looking forward to being able to bring success back to Anfield.
"You look at the history they have got behind them it is unbelievable and there are some great players here," he added.
"If we can bring that back to the side this year in something like the Europa League then this team can go a long way.
"The testimonial was a bit slower than the Premier League but it was good for Jamie.
"I'm glad all the players came back for him; they obviously respect him a lot and he is well respected within the team.
"He looks fit and I think he has a few more years left in him - and hopefully it will be at Liverpool."
Carragher, who hopes to raise £1million from the game and a gala dinner last night for his 23 Foundation, which benefits local groups and charities, is confident he will sign a new contract in the coming weeks.
"I don't think it has ever been in doubt," said the 32-year-old defender.
"The club has always been the most important thing and they will decide if they think I am good enough or not.
"I'm sure with the transfer window now closed maybe there is something we can sort out - I think it will take two minutes.
"I've always wanted to play for Liverpool for my whole career and I'm sure that will be the case."

Mascherano: Liverpool didn't fulfil promise

Barcelona new boy Javier Mascherano has accused former club Liverpool of lying about his motivations for leaving Anfield this summer.

The Argentina captain sealed a £20million move to the Nou Camp last week after being denied a transfer to the Catalan giants in the summer of 2009.
Mascherano's final weeks at Liverpool turned sour amid reports that he had refused to play in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City to force a route out of England for family reasons.
But the 26-year-old West Ham flop has blamed the Reds for his desire to leave, claiming the Premier League side denied him his switch to Barcelona after promising 12 months earlier that he could leave if an acceptable bid was received.
The Guardian quotes Mascherano as saying about Liverpool: "When they started to involve my family and to say things that didn't make sense, I obviously suffered.
"They'd promised me something for a whole year and they never fulfilled their promise.
"And that didn't have anything to do with my family or anything else. When you read or hear lies, you obviously get angry."
Mascherano was plucked from West Ham's reserve team by ex-Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who had wanted to take the midfielder to current club Inter Milan.
And the South American has praise for his one-time boss, adding: "Rafa taught me tactics.
"He's one of the coaches who have taught me the most in my career and I'm very grateful to him.
"He was fundamental. He gave me the chance to join Liverpool. He had confidence in me at a time when, perhaps, nobody would have dreamed of giving me an opportunity. I'll be grateful to him all my life."

Spurs switch delights van der Vaart

Rafael van der Vaart described Tottenham as "a beautiful club" after completing his £8million move from Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old was in as much of a daze as Spurs fans after the Premier League sanctioned his whirlwind transfer from Real Madrid with hours to spare.
Van der Vaart, deemed surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu, told De Telegraaf: "Four years at Spurs, for 11million euros, I can hardly believe it myself.
"The interest from Tottenham came very quick and I did not have much time to think.
"But I want to play football again and if possible every week, with a beautiful club. I'm totally happy.
"I am excited about playing in England. Whether it suits my style remains to be seen, but I think a good footballer can adapt and I am very proud of this transfer."
Spurs had been sweating on clearance to bring the Holland midfielder to White Hart Lane after technical difficulties hampered their efforts to submit the relevant paperwork for the signing before Tuesday's 6pm transfer deadline.
But after investigating the club's claims that there were difficulties involving computer servers used in the transaction between themselves and Real, the Premier League ratified the move.
That allowed Tottenham to announce the signing less than two hours before top-flight clubs had to submit their 25-man squads for the first half of the league season.
Manager Harry Redknapp had claimed Van der Vaart had been set to join Bayern Munich for £18million on Monday until the move broke down.
However, that was categorically denied by Real, with sports director Miguel Pardeza telling his club's website, realmadrid.com: "It is absolutely false that Real Madrid received a 21million euro offer from Bayern Munich for Van der Vaart.
"In fact, the German team never showed an interest to sign the player, so the allegations made in England have greatly surprised us."
Van der Vaart helped Holland reach this summer's World Cup final but struggled to establish himself at Real after joining them two years ago.
The midfielder came through the ranks at Ajax and won two league titles before moving to Hamburg in 2005.
He was the Bundesliga side's leading scorer in his first season and went on to captain them before joining Real.
He has won 83 caps for Holland, scoring 16 goals and representing his country at two European Championships and two World Cups.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Woodgate failed to make Tottenham's 25-man squad yesterday.
Redknapp decided to omit the injury-plagued defender, who he recently revealed was fighting to save his career.
Also left out was goalkeeper Ben Alnwick, with new loan signing Stipe Pletikosa now providing back-up to Heurelho Gomes and Carlo Cudicini.

Spurs waiting for Van der Vaart confirmation

Tottenham are hoping to receive confirmation from the Premier League that they beat the transfer deadline to sign Rafael van der Vaart.

Spurs remain poised to land Tuesday's biggest coup as the window closed in unexpected drama.
Manager Harry Redknapp revealed he became aware of Real Madrid midfielder Van der Vaart's availability for a cut-price £8million just two hours before the 6pm cut-off.
But as night fell, there was still no confirmation from either club that the move had been completed in time.
Redknapp claimed 27-year-old Holland star Van der Vaart had been due to join Bayern Munich for £18million but the move broke down.
He said on Sky Sports News: "It's still dragging on.
"We have been trying to do something but we are waiting to see if it has all gone through and we are hoping it has.
"It's something to do with clearance.
"I think he was going to Bayern Munich yesterday for £18million and suddenly he became much cheaper.
"They let me know around 4pm that he was available for £8million and, for that money, he is a top player who will definitely improve us.
"The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close.
"He's a great passer of the ball, he's a top footballer, he will join in here and be a big plus for us."
Van der Vaart helped Holland reach this summer's World Cup final but has struggled to establish himself at Real since signing from Hamburg two years ago.
Redknapp also revealed he had made an approach for Liverpool winger Ryan Babel, saying: "He was a player we made an enquiry about but it never came close."

Stoke City have signed forward Eidur Gudjohnsen

Stoke City have signed forward Eidur Gudjohnsen and winger Jermaine Pennant on loan, while midfielder Marc Wilson has joined permanently.

Gudjohnsen arrives on loan from Monaco, Wilson comes in on a permanent basis from Portsmouth and Pennant will stay on loan from Real Zaragoza until January, the club announced on their website.
The club are awaiting confirmation from the Football Association and Premier League that the transfers were completed in time.
The arrival of former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Gudjohnsen, 31, for the season would be a particular coup for Potters boss Tony Pulis.
Ex-Liverpool winger Pennant, 27, agreed a loan deal to stay at the Britannia Stadium until January after a troubled year in Spain.
Portsmouth's Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Wilson, 23, joined in a player-plus-cash move that saw midfielder Liam Lawrence, 28, and striker Dave Kitson, 30, move in the opposite direction.
Gudjohnsen, who scored against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium while on loan at Tottenham last season, told the Potters' official website: "It is a new challenge, indeed a big challenge, but one I am really looking forward to.
"After speaking to the gaffer and hearing his and the club's ambitions, he really swayed my mind, and I am delighted the deal is done.
"I can't wait to step on to the pitch, the fans are fantastic here and I always remember the atmosphere from when I have played here before.
"I scored here not so long ago for Tottenham, so maybe I owe the supporters something. Hopefully I can reward them with some goals."
He added: "I am an ambitious player, but this is an ambitious football club. I want to help take the club on to the next level. That is my main objective."
Pulis said: "This is a fantastic signing for the football club because Eidur is a player of outstanding international calibre who has performed at the highest level.
"There is no better example of the quality he provides than his contribution to Tottenham's win here in April. Not only did he score an excellent goal, he showed what a great footballing brain he has and his sense of awareness with a key role in their winner.
"Eidur made a significant contribution to Spurs qualifying for the Champions League and I am confident he can have a big impact upon our season."
Wilson, who can play in either midfield or defence, signed a four-year contract.
Wilson said on his new club's official website: "This is a great club which is on the up and so this is a positive move for me.
"I had a taste of playing in the Premier League last season; it's the best league in the world and I wanted to get back there as soon as possible.
"I spoke to (Potters coach) Mark O'Connor when I knew Stoke were interested in me because he was responsible for bringing me through as a youngster at Portsmouth. He's a great guy and he has certainly been a big influence upon me choosing to come here."
Pulis said: "I wanted to freshen the squad up with some young players, and Marc certainly fits that criteria.
"He showed great maturity last season in what was a very difficult time for Portsmouth, so he will give us more competition for midfield places."
He added: "The deal has enabled Lawrence and Kitson to move on, giving them a fresh start in their careers and the chance of regular first-team football.
"We would like to thank them for their contribution and wish them all the best. Liam, in particular, has been a great servant of this club and he has played a major part in the success that we have achieved over the past three seasons."

Robinho joins Milan permanently

AC Milan have signed Robinho from Manchester City on a permanent deal, the Italian club have announced on their official website.

The Brazil forward, 26, was unsettled at Eastlands and spent the second half of last season on loan at Santos.
A statement from AC Milan read: "AC Milan announces it has acquired player Robinho on a permanent deal from Manchester City.
"The Brazilian player has signed a four-year contract with the Rossoneri club."
The fee is undisclosed but is variously reported as between £14million and £18million, which would represent a considerable loss for City on a player they signed for a British record fee of £32.5million from Real Madrid two years ago.
City will at least have his £160,000 weekly salary off the wage bill
AC Milan signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona on Monday and Robinho's arrival means the Rossoneri will have a lot of Brazilian flair with Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato already on the books.
Earlier on deadline day, Robinho expressed his satisfaction about joining the Italian giants.
"I am very happy," he said. "Milan is an excellent club."

Sunderland smash record for Gyan

Sunderland have broken their transfer record with the £13million signing of Ghana international striker Asamoah Gyan from Rennes.

Bruce finally got his hands on the 24-year-old with just 20 minutes of the summer transfer window to spare when he completed his move from French Ligue 1.
The fee is in excess of £13million and significantly higher than the initial £10million the club paid Tottenham for Darren Bent last summer.
Bruce will hope for a similar return from Gyan, who has signed a four-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
He said: "As anyone who has watched Ghana recently or who watched the World Cup will tell you, Asamoah is a real livewire.
"He had a fantastic tournament in the summer and a lot of European clubs sat up and took notice.
"I have been very keen to bring in another striker to add to the quality we have, but only when we felt the deal was right.
"We feel this is a great deal for the football club and Asamoah really wants to be here and in the Premier League, so I'm delighted he has joined us."
Gyan is a player in whom the manager has maintained an interest all summer, and that began long before his three goals in South Africa helped Ghana make a major impact at the World Cup finals.
It was his last-gasp penalty miss which allowed Uruguay to make the semi-finals, but he made a big impression on the world stage.
Tuesday's news will come as a welcome boost for Bruce, who was determined to recruit a replacement for Kenwyne Jones following his departure from Wearside in an £8million switch to Stoke earlier this month.
Owner Ellis Short has refused to spend for spending's sake during the most recent transfer window, and chairman Niall Quinn hinted last week that the purse strings might remain tightly closed.
However, Bruce's case was helped by the knee injury youngster Fraizer Campbell sustained during Sunday's 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester City, which will sideline him for at least six months, and substantive talks took place that night.
Accra-born Gyan is an international team-mate of loan signing John Mensah, who has seen at close hand just how dangerous he can be.
The striker has scored 22 goals in 44 international appearances, a record which marks him out as a genuine threat.
He began his career in his native country with Liberty Professionals before for heading for Italy and Udinese, from where he was loaned to Modena at one point.
Gyan scored the quickest goal at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, where he struck after just 68 seconds against the Czech Republic.
He headed for Rennes in an 8million Euros move in July 2008, making 47 appearances and scoring 14 times.
He could make his debut after the international break in the Black Cats' league trip to Wigan on September 11.