O'Leary signs six-year deal

The Leeds United manager, David O'Leary, yesterday accepted a lucrative new six-year deal with the club and is now determined to repay such faith with silverware.

The Leeds United manager, David O'Leary, yesterday accepted a lucrative new six-year deal with the club and is now determined to repay such faith with silverware.

O'Leary, who will sign the improved contract this weekend, is now poised to become the best-paid manager in the Premiership - providing he brings trophies to Elland Road.

The team spirit nurtured and fostered by O'Leary has also persuaded United's top players to sign four and five-year deals of their own in the last 12 months as the Irishman builds towards the future.

Harry Kewell on Thursday became the most highly-paid player in Leeds history when he put pen to paper to his new four-year, £25,000-a-week contract, but only after being assured O'Leary would remain at Elland Road. O'Leary is also beginning to attract top players to Yorkshire and, although the Leeds squad still requires another two major names, the framework is almost complete.

But the 42-year-old O'Leary realises a trophy or two will be the icing on the cake, with the apparent £10m he is due to earn over the course of the next six years of no real concern. "I'm so pleased to be staying here," said O'Leary. "I'm flattered those players who have been negotiating deals were asking about my future, because I didn't think they were worried about that.

"I admit the players are the ones who are earning the big money. They will always be the most highly paid at clubs. But what I do know is if I can bring silverware to the club then I will be very, very well rewarded and that's as it should be.

"I've signed a six year contract and everything is in place. The fans have been with me from day one. I love where I am and I enjoy working with the chairman [Peter Ridsdale]. He drives me crazy at times and I drive him crazy at times, but you need that relationship, and he is great to work for.

"As long as he is here then I will be here - and I really, really hope I'm still here in six years' time as Leeds manager."

Despite O'Leary describing as "ludicrous" some of the figures given to his new deal, he is all for managerial power in the financial world of football.

O'Leary sees no reason why managers should not earn the same as some of the most high-profile players, as he added: "The players have all the power now. No manager earns more than a big-time player at a club and, although I'm bound to say this, I think a manager should be paid as much as the player, particularly when you see the job he does.

"Alex [Ferguson] and Gérard Houllier tell me they've never been able to crack that one yet, and me being the baby of the pack, I don't think I'll crack it yet. But at the end of the day I'm still going to be paid well, so I guess I'm still a lucky person."

Hot on the heels of insulting his club manager, Gianluca Vialli, the Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has now threatened to quit international football unless he is guaranteed an automatic place in the side.

Laurent Blanc has retired from the international game and Leboeuf, a perennial second choice to the Internazionale centre-back, wants the France coach, Roger Lemerre, to make him the replacement.

Leboeuf said: "If I am not given the same status Laurent Blanc has enjoyed in the national team over the last four years, by which I mean an automatic place in the side, I will retire. I am totally clear about it. There is no ambiguity."

Tony Adams has agreed to sign a one-year extension to his contract at Arsenal, manager Arsÿne Wenger has revealed. The news came ahead of the Gunners' opening match at Sunderland today, where Adams - who only played in England's first Euro 2000 game before being injured - will line up alongside Martin Keown in central defence.

Wenger, who is delighted to have his 33-year-old captain's agreement to put pen to paper, said: "Tony has extended his contract by one year as he only had one year to go."

Everton have finally agreed a fee to sign Israeli international Idam Tal, after weeks of negotiations with his club, Maccabi Petach Tikva.

The 24-year-old left winger has been a regular in his national side and impressed the Everton manager, Walter Smith, in training abroad.

The two clubs have agreed a fee of £700,000, and the player must now wait for a work permit to be issued.