A look at some of the player’s finest moments for club and country

The utterance from Alan Pardew two weeks ago was just about as damning as anything he has said as Newcastle United manager. "For the first time since I have been here, he has shown signs of life."

Rodgers can only yearn for the striking potential of other teams

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias is confident the events of the past fortnight have helped to secure the long-term future of the club.

England in bright mood under their new manager as coach puts his boots back on

Roy Hodgson was yesterday unveiled as the the new England manager. During his press conference, he talked of his delight at being named as manager and his ambitions for the Three Lions.

Nicolas Anelka has confirmed he will try to lure former Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba to China following his shock appointment to the coaching staff of Shanghai Shenhua.

Calm down, calm down! If you're a Scouser like me you would have heard that phrase about every 10 days for the past 20 years, usually coupled with the flat-palmed hand gestures and "'ey, 'ey". Thank you, Harry Enfield, for cementing a stereotype of Liverpudlians that has been harder to shift than a van full of shell suits.

View From The Sofa: Manchester United v Liverpool, Sky / Country at the BBC, BBC 2

This week I've been drinking...Snowballs

Newcastle United 2 Aston Villa 1

Cup mind games begin as Ferguson locks horns with his opposite number at City

Back in 2004 Glenn Tilbrook, his wild hair sticking out like Christopher Lloyd's Doc in Back to the Future, cheerfully tore through a short set of Squeeze classics in support of an awed Fountains of Wayne, the US equivalent of Squeeze.