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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted it is more difficult for Manchester United to win titles now than it was under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Solskjaer and United – fifth in the standings this season – watched bitter rivals Liverpool end their 30-year wait for an English league crown on Thursday.

United enjoyed dominance during Ferguson's 26-year tenure, winning 13 Premier League titles and 38 trophies in total at Old Trafford.

However, United have not won the Premier League since Ferguson's final season in 2013, though the Red Devils have had Europa League (2017), FA Cup (2016) and EFL Cup (2017) success.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Norwich City, United manager Solskjaer said: "We've got to be honest enough to say it is more difficult now.

"We've always had challengers, whether it was Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool. But most of the time it was just one of them challenging us.

"Finishing third wasn't normal. Now there are at least four, maybe five teams that can win the league and the cups."

Solskjaer, meanwhile, talked up the partnership between star United midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.

Fernandes and Pogba – who has endured an injury-ravaged season – started together for the first time as United outclassed Sheffield United 3-0 in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Amid doubts over Pogba's future and whether the duo can work together, Solskjaer told reporters: "I'm certain they can play well together, yes.

"They've both played well in training and in the games they play together it's exciting. There will be rotations and there will be times that Paul will play up with Bruno, sometimes it's deeper, sometimes we will play with a diamond. It's encouraging to see them together. 

"It's also encouraging to see how Nemanja [Matic], Scott [McTominay] and Fred are making it difficult for me to keep them out.

"It's a good position to be in as a coach and you want to give Paul a chance to get 100 per cent fit with practice and rest. He's been out for so long and I think it says everything about the boy with the quality of his performances."

Carlos Tevez has selected as many as seven Manchester United players from the past and present as he picked his dream XI, with his former Manchester City team-mates snubbed entirely.

The Argentina international striker, who is currently under contract with Boca Juniors, spent seven years in England, where he started out with West Ham in 2006 before winning two Premier League titles with the Red Devils and one with City.

He also won the Champions League while with United, with Tevez in the starting XI as Sir Alex Ferguson's side beat Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow back in 2008.

Although he spent four years playing at the Etihad Stadium, and just two under Ferguson at Old Trafford, Tevez named many of his former team-mates from the red half of Manchester when asked to reveal his ideal XI.

"If I retired and had to put together a farewell match, my team would be: Gianluigi Buffon, Hugo Ibarra, Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel Heinze, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney. I’d stay on the bench," he told Radio La Red.

While Tevez has selected United midfielder Pogba in his side, he never teamed up with the World Cup winner at Old Trafford, instead turning out alongside him during his time at Juventus.

Ibarra represents Boca Juniors' only representation, while Messi has been a team-mate on the international stage.

And Tevez has also revealed that he may well be open to a return to relegation-threatened West Ham in the future, claiming he would go back to David Moyes's side to receive the adulation of the club's supporters.

"If I had to go back to Europe, I’d go to West Ham to be applauded," he said. "Or I’d play six months in Brazil with Corinthians. I don’t want to rule anything out because I don’t want to be a slave to my words."

The three-time South American Footballer of the Year has enjoyed a well-travelled career, in which he has played in five countries and on three continents, having also featured for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League.

For his national team, meanwhile, Tevez has played for Argentina on 76 occasions, scoring 13 goals, winning Olympic gold in 2004.

Maritzburg United have decided to retain Siyanda Xulu's services, for now, amidst reported interest from Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United.

The Bafana Bafana international's contract with the Team of Choice is set to expire at the end of this month.

Xulu joined the KwaZulu-Natal side at the beginning of the 2017/18 season on a three-year contract, following his release from Kaizer Chiefs.

His agent, Paul Mitchell has revealed the experienced player will complete the season when it resumes having been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic last March.

“Siyanda will stay on at Maritzburg and complete the season and that is the agreement,” Mitchell told Daily Sun.

Xulu has been plagued by injuries this season having made just 12 appearances in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and netted once in the process.

However, the former Mamelodi Sundowns centre defender is said to have attracted interest from Gauteng-based clubs Pirates and SuperSport.

Maritzburg are still keen to keep hold of Xulu beyond the current campaign by extending his deal and this has been confirmed by his representative, Mitchell.

“At the moment, Siyanda is out of contract at the end of the season and he’s staying for now to complete the season," he added.

"We will obviously look at the situation. But Maritzburg have always shown an intention of keeping him, and we’ve been talking to them.

"At the moment, his concentration is to finish the season. He’s finishing the season with Maritzburg and then we’ll sit down with Maritzburg to discuss the way forward.”

Xulu has managed to revive his career at the Team of Choice following a disappointing two-year spell at Chiefs where he struggled for game time.

The former FC Rostov player made only six appearances in the league for the Soweto giants with the likes of Lorenzo Gordinho and Eric Mathoho preferred ahead of him.

Amakhosi released him at the end of the 2016/17 campaign and he secured a move to Maritzburg where he became a regular in the starting line-up.

Xulu made 58 appearances in the league for the Team of Choice in his first two seasons with the team - missing only two games in the competition.

The lanky player also played all five matches in the Nedbank Cup as they reached the final where they were narrowly defeated by Free State Stars in 2018.

KCB FC are keen on signing Gor Mahia duo Boniface Omondi, Charles Momanyi and Darius Msagha of Bandari.
The Bankers are keen on strengthening their squad to stand a chance of winning the 2020/21 Kenyan Premier League (KPL). 

"There will be changes in the team to ensure we add the quality to stand a chance of offering stiff competition," a senior source from the club told Goal on Saturday.

"It is true, we are still negotiating with Omondi, Momanyi and Msagha, but we have not reached a conclusion. However, early signs are encouraging and we hope to reach an agreement soon. There are players who will strengthen us and give as the competitive edge we desire."

Some players will be released to create space for new signings; the decision over the same will be reached on June 28.

"We are meeting tomorrow [Sunday] to analyse the season and decide who we will release and who we will retain," our source added.

"Our target is to win the league next season, and we want to ensure we bring onboard players who can help us achieve the same."

When reached for comment, Gor Mahia defender Momanyi - who will be out of contract with the club soon, could not confirm or deny the reports.

"I do not want to comment on the [discussions] but when the time is ripe I will," the former Kakamega Homeboyz defender told Goal.

The 26-year-old joined K'Ogalo in December 2017, signing a three-year contract with the club. In an earlier interview, he revealed he was not sure whether he will be at the club for the next season.

"To be honest my future at the club is bleak, I am not sure whether I will extend my contract.

"It has not been easy surviving without pay when you have a family to feed. We are owed a lot of money which I do not know whether we will be paid or not, it will be the key to my extension.

"If the club settles my dues, we can re-negotiate, but if not, my eyes will be elsewhere."

The defender had revealed several clubs eyeing his signature, but he does not want to make a decision which he will come to regret.

"About three clubs have contacted me, but I have not promised anything because I also want to know the way forward with Gor Mahia," Momanyi added.

"Every player wants to play in a team which offers a favourable environment, without that, he will not deliver." 

Defender Washington Munene has praised the incredibly talented AFC Leopards side.

Asked to pick his best players during an Online TV interview, Munene said that was a tough assignment given everyone at the club is highly talented.

The former Wazito FC left-back, however, went ahead to pick youngsters Austin Odhiambo and Marvin Nabwire as his best stars at the Den.

“The talent at AFC Leopards is incredible even if I will pick the best, I know it is hard to do it,” said Munene.

“All in all, I will pick [Austin] Odhiambo; he is young and whatever he does on the pitch is amazing. If he continues to get the support he has been getting from the technical bench and the players he will end up being an incredible player.

“[Marvin] Nabwire is another talented player but what I know is there is talent in AFC Leopards generally.”

Munene settled for Benjamin Ochan as his preferred goalkeeper when he was tasked to name his best five a side team.

“Benjamin Ochan, Robinson Kamura, Eugene Mukangula, Boniface Mukhekhe and I are my ideal five a side AFC Leopards team,” he revealed.

Munene also went further to point out things younger footballers must have in order to realise their dreams.

“One's background does not matter because anyone from anywhere can play football,” advised the star.

“I am an example because I come from a region that has not produced prominent footballers and I believe it can be an inspiration to the young ones that.

“One needs more than just talent. Discipline, and taking advice from your seniors is very important. Football has changed unlike before when one was approached for being talented, now it is the opposite as it is the players who must strive to get what they want.”

Ingwe faced a tougher season when they had to honour matches without any financial partner and Munene reveals what might have made them stronger despite the off-pitch issues.

“We have had hard times even though things have slightly changed recently. The office did their best, they ensured we honoured matches and got us motivated. The players did their part and did what was expected from the,” concluded the left-back.

“Our technical bench has been like a family to us as they are people you can share with them anything. They are like brothers.

“The fans have always made us feel at home, have pushed us during the toughest matches and that is why players always fought to ensure they replicate the love. We will need that support even more next season.”

ATK took a significant step towards defending the Indian Super League (ISL) title after the merged entity ATK-Mohun Bagan completed the contract extension of Fijian striker Roy Krishna.

The former Wellington Phoenix star played a key role in ATK’s title-winning campaign. He scored 15 goals and assisted six more to average a goal contribution in each of the 21 games he featured. He formed a dangerous partnership with Australian forward David Williams, another crucial cog in the wheel that the champions managed to retain ahead of the new season.

ATK have managed to keep together a huge chunk of their core. Sumit Rathi, Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Javi Hernandez and Jayesh Rane are other players who were instrumental in their campaign last season and will be staying at the club for at least one more year.

A player of Roy’s quality is bound to be pursued by numerous suitors. He confirmed the same in an interview with Fiji-based FBC Sports.

“I had a number of offers from around the world at the beginning of the year but right now there are no discussions due to COVID-19. I do hope that at the end of COVID-19  pandemic, I can play football again. I usually get a month or two between seasons for my break,” he said.

Opting to extend with ATK despite having offers from potentially bigger clubs in a bigger league is an indication of the player’s faith in the club’s sporting project. It is noteworthy that the ISL champions were prepared to offer a financially superior offer and this could have played a part in Roy’s decision.

ATK have qualified for the group stage of the AFC Cup 2021, thanks to their merger with Mohun Bagan who had won the I-League. This provided their talisman with an additional incentive to put pen to paper for another year. Roy enjoyed a fantastic time with Wellington Phoenix, but he never featured in a continental cup game in their skin.

Much like most of his teammates who are playing in the AFC Cup for the first time, Roy will be fuelled to perform to the best of his abilities.

The defending champions also made a statement for themselves in the ISL by retaining these key players. With the core intact, the squad for the 2020-21 season will be spared the trouble of starting from scratch as they look to build a rhythm. It would be fair to claim that they are a couple of overseas signings away from earning the favourites tag ahead of the new season.

Clearly, the management has not tinkered with the proven formula for winning. The extension of the contracts of their top players and coach Antonio Habas is a step in the right direction and the management will be hoping it reaps rewards.

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will improve the more he plays after the coronavirus-enforced break, according to head coach Maurizio Sarri.

Ronaldo converted a penalty as Serie A leaders Juve routed 10-man Lecce 4-0 in Turin on Friday – the defending champions opening a seven-point advantage over Scudetto challengers Lazio.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner took his tally to 23 goals in Serie A this season, though Ronaldo has been in the headlines for his lack of form since the 2019-20 campaign restarted earlier this month following the Covid-19 crisis.

Asked about Ronaldo post-match, Sarri told reporters: "Cristiano now can play with a good fit. He needs to improve after the break and he is doing so match after match.

"He needs to play a lot. In the future we will find the way to preserve him across matches or for some matches.

"He is great in listening to himself and he will realise when he will need to stop and rest. But now I think he fits quite well."

Juve overran Lecce following a goalless opening 45 minutes which saw Fabio Lucioni sent off, with Paulo Dybala, Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Matthijs de Ligt on target in the second half.

Ronaldo teed up Dybala to score a brilliant 53rd-minute opener before doubling the lead from the penalty spot nine minutes later.

Juve forward Ronaldo was again influential for substitute Higuain's strike in the 83rd minute, with De Ligt rounding off the rout five minutes from the end.

Amid doubts and criticism over Higuain, Sarri said: "For us he is very important. He is powerful, one of the strongest centre forward in the world right now. He can be decisive for us at the end of the season.

"He had a difficult time on a personal and global level, because the coronavirus emergency hit him a lot and left a mark on him.

"He has returned, had a minor injury and is now getting back into shape. I am happy that he scored immediately, he is a player who will give us a lot in this season finale."

Sarri also stressed he's not worried about the future of Miralem Pjanic, who has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona at season's end. 

Juve – top of the table through 28 matches – travel to relegation-threatened Genoa on Tuesday.

Do you consider yourself a huge fan of the Indian football? How abreast are you when it comes to developments in and around the Indian football ecosystem?

How much do you know about Mohun Bagan, a club that has a rich and storied history?

This edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for the fans of the Mariners.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

England will kick off their next Nations League campaign in Iceland on September 5 after UEFA revealed a revised schedule for the competition. 

The tournament, which only began in 2018 and was won for the first time by Portugal last year, has slightly shifted the dates of some of their group stage games following the coronavirus pandemic. 

While the virus could still prevent the tournament from going ahead should further outbreaks emerge, UEFA has locked in a new schedule to accommodate changes to the international windows. 

"The 2020/21 UEFA Nations League group stage will be played on revised dates in September, October and November 2020," a statement from UEFA read.

"The new schedule was announced following a meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee on Wednesday 17 June to discuss the new European football calendar in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The national team football windows of October and November 2020 will now feature triple-headers instead of double-headers, thus allowing the postponed UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs to be rescheduled for 8 October and 12 November.

"The group stage matches of the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League will be played on the following dates: 3/4/5 and 6/7/8 September; 10/11 and 13/14 October; 14/15 and 17/18 November 2020.

"Friendly matches will be played on 7/8 October and 11/12 November."

The first matchday kicks off on September 3 with Germany's game against Spain the highlight of the day before Netherlands and Poland face off on September 4.

Iceland then host England on September 5 with reigning champions Portugal also in action at home against Croatia. 

There will be six matchdays in total with the finals then set to be played at a yet to be confirmed date next year. 

Portugal defeated Netherlands in the tournament's inaugural final last year with Guedes scoring the sole goal in a narrow 1-0 win. 

England's first foray into the competition saw them finish top of their group before losing to the Dutch 3-1 in the semi-finals. 

The full group stage schedule of the 2020/21 Nations League can be viewed here. 

DR Congo national team players have created the Leopards Foundation to support disadvantaged people as the country continues its fight against coronavirus pandemic.

In its communique, the players disclosed that the foundation is focused on giving free social assistance to aid the educational and sports development of Congolese youth.

They are also driven to cushion the hardship caused by Covid-19 on the citizens with their priority for people with special needs.

The Leopards captain and Wolfsburg defender Marcel Tisserand confirmed the giant step made by national team alongside former West Bromwich Albion and PSG midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu.

"Congolese Excellencies. It is with immense honour and great responsibility that the players of the national team of the Democratic Republic of Congo, announce the creation of the 'Leopards Foundation'," the statement read.

"She dedicates her activity to free social assistance through the educational and sports development of the Congolese youth.

"Faced with the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting food crisis, the Leopards Foundation mobilises and supports the most disadvantaged population, by directing its first actions aimed at people living with disabilities.

"The players of the national team of the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Leopards Foundation, wish for the unwavering support of their supporters through development actions and concrete aid." 

The gesture should rectify the displeasure between the fans and the DR Congo national team players after their unconvincing performance at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt where they were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Madagascar via penalty shoot-out.

They have started their qualifying campaign for the 2021 Afcon on a rather poor note with a goalless draw against Gabon and a 2-2 draw against Gambia.

The Leopards are placed third in the Group D with two points after two outings.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Erling Haaland has described his match-winning strike against Paris Saint-Germain as the best goal he has ever scored. 

In his first Champions League appearance for Dortmund, Haaland struck twice as he helped the club to a 2-1 win in the first leg of their last-16 clash.

After Haaland forced home the game's first goal in the 69th minute, Neymar equalised for the visitors just six minutes later, only for Dortmund's Norwegian star to step up once again. 

Having been picked out in the final third by Giovanni Reyna, Haaland took two quick touches before rifling the ball into the top left corner from just outside the box. 

The thumping effort left Keylor Navas with no chance in PSG's goal and settled a memorable first-leg. 

While PSG would go on to claim a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture to progress to the quarter-finals, Haaland still remembers his effort fondly and holds no ill will after the French side copied his celebration in Paris. 

“It is the best goal I have ever scored," Haaland told BT Sport. "I love the Champions League. I am happy PSG copied my meditation celebration.”

Haaland has impressed since joining Dortmund from RB Salzburg in January, scoring 16 goals across just 17 appearances in all competitions. 

His arrival has seen him join force with rising England star Jadon Sancho with Haaland savouring the chance to play alongside such a talent. 

“Amazing to play with him at Dortmund and I played against him when I was 16 also and he was the best player then and he is now," Haaland said of Sancho. 

"He is the same age as me and he has a very bright future.”

Haaland recently hit out at speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid, stressing he is giving no thought to leaving Dortmund anytime soon. 

Dortmund's season will come to an end on Saturday when they host Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga with Haaland's side destined to finish second in the league. 

BT Sport exclusively brings you the conclusion of the Bundesliga this weekend on BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 3 from 2.00pm on Saturday 27th June.

Jurgen Klopp has vowed Liverpool will not stop after winning the Premier League, with the manager promising his team will continue to improve.

The Reds have enjoyed a sensational season and wrapped up their first English title in 30 years on Thursday when Chelsea defeated second-placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Having won the Champions League last season too, Klopp is overjoyed at Liverpool's progress under his stewardship.

However, he does not see it as the culmination of his efforts, with the German stressing there is much more to come from his players.

"The last 13 months were pretty special for us, it's true," he told reporters.

"I would like to involve the year before because it was an incredible time in my football life. I didn't experience it before - not that good - the consistency the boys show is so exceptional. 

"We will not stop, we really have to stay focused, because we see the opportunity. I will promise we will improve. But this will not mean we will win everything, but that we will improve. City is exceptional, so I cannot promise that we will win something. 

"If you ask my team at Mainz, they worked hard. Dortmund as well. This group is a mix – we have a lot of world class players, but other clubs do too. 

"The consistency comes from the mix of determination, buying into ideas, attitude, character, personality. That's what makes this group special. They are confident because we won, but they are humble. If they stay humble, we have a good chance to be successful.

"It helped massively that we won the Champions League. It helps from a confidence point of view – from the nearly man to a winner. We get a super push from our supporters, every two weeks we have the best atmosphere in football. 

"We have a good situation, we use our history instead of being held back by it. We will make sure we are still good from now on."

Klopp knows with Pep Guardiola at City at a time Chelsea and Manchester United are looking resurgent, the champions will face fierce competition going forward.

"If you want to win the league, it's pretty much not allowed to lose a game," he added.

"City have never stopped since Pep was there. We will try not to stop, to improve, to make things special. Tomorrow we train, that's how it is. 

"We have a common dream. We have big dreams. The more people dream the more important and stronger it gets. So we will not stop. 

"If you really go into detail, you'll see we have been doing this for three, four years. The intensity was never less, we were not as successful. 

"The boys are more experienced, more convinced. But we know other teams are there and will do a lot to improve their situation. 

"There will be hard fights, and the hard fight starts now."

Kevin De Bruyne says Manchester City can still make it an unbelievable season despite missing out to Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

City’s defeat at Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed Jurgen Klopp’s side would be crowned champions for the time in 30 years and the Belgian midfielder admitted Liverpool deserved it.

“We knew it was impossible [to catch them after lockdown],” he said. “You are always disappointed when you don’t win, but I think we are honest enough to say Liverpool were better this year.

“I think we worked really hard, we played really well but we weren’t good enough and that’s no problem for us to admit.

“If everything goes to plan for us then I think we still have 13 or 14 games, so we still have a lot to play for and a lot of objectives.”

City won a domestic treble last season and can still add the FA Cup and Champions League to the Carabao Cup glory in March for another trio of trophies.

Their FA Cup defence continues with a difficult trip to Newcastle on Sunday and De Bruyne says the critics have been too quick to put the boot in on Pep Guardiola’s side after failing to win a third successive Premier League title.

“In comparison with a lot of other teams we are doing alright,” he added. “We are still second, so that means after Liverpool we are the second best team.

“I think we have still got big chances in the FA Cup and Champions League. Imagine if we come out after winning these cups, it will be an unbelievable season. We have got a lot to play for and look forward to it.”

While City haven’t matched their form of their previous two campaigns, De Bruyne has been in devastating form with 16 assists and 10 goals this season.

The 28-year-old is in the running for the Player of the Year awards - an accolade never won by a City player despite four Premier League title triumphs for the club.

“Two years ago I was second and we won the title 20 points ahead, so I don’t know how people decide,” he said.

“I think I have a chance. It is not me who decides and I think I can make my own analysis of how this season has gone. Whatever you get in the end is nice, but we will see.”

Maurizio Sarri admits he does not know if Miralem Pjanic will remain at Juventus beyond the end of the season but is not overly concerned by reports over the midfielder's future.

Pjanic played 90 minutes as the Bianconeri overran 10-man Lecce 4-0 in Friday's Serie A contest to open up a seven-point lead over Scudetto challengers Lazio.

The future of Pjanic has been the topic of much debate amid reports he is headed to Barcelona in a swap deal that will see Arthur move to Turin.

Sarri spoke before the game to say he has had no update on such a deal and continued to follow a similar party line when speaking to Sky Sport Italy following the win.

"I don't know if Pjanic will no longer play with Juventus, I have not received any communication," the Juve head coach said. 

"These are not things that interest us, the market only starts in September. Miralem's a professional, he understands situations quickly. 

"I don't know anything at the moment, but I'm not worried."

Sarri added: "He'll be with us until the end of August. I hope he'll stay with us even beyond that, but these are decisions that will be made at a later stage."

Juve were slow off the mark against Lecce and the game remained 0-0 until half-time despite a straight red card for Fabio Lucioni.

But the floodgates opened in the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo teeing up Paulo Dybala to score a brilliant opener before doubling the lead from the penalty spot.

Ronaldo was again influential for Gonzalo Higuain's strike, with Matthijs de Ligt rounding off the rout.

Sarri was particularly happy for Higuain given how the coronavirus crisis has affected the Argentine striker, an issue he had spoken about pre-game.

"He had a difficult time on a personal and global level, because the coronavirus emergency hit him a lot and left a mark on him," Sarri added. 

"He has returned, had a minor injury and is now getting back into shape. I am happy that he scored immediately, he is a player who will give us a lot in this season finale."

Jordan Henderson is among the best captains Liverpool have ever had, according to former manager Sir Kenny Dalglish.

The Anfield side were crowned Premier League champions on Thursday after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea gave Jurgen Klopp's men a 23-point lead at the top with seven games to go. 

Henderson, who joined from Sunderland in 2011 during Dalglish's last spell in charge, has been the team's captain since Steven Gerrard's departure in 2015 and helped guide the club to Champions League success last season.

After his role in securing Liverpool's first top-flight title success in 30 years, Dalglish says he has earned his place among the club's biggest legends.

“Jordan will be the only Liverpool captain who has lifted this trophy and be a Club World Cup winner as well," Dalglish told The Mirror.

"He is up there with the captains who have picked up the Champions League.

"[When I signed him] I saw somebody who was better than what we had at that time. That was on the pitch. Then when you get into discussions, he was very balanced, his dad came with him for the conversations which was for me a good sign.

“He had a secure home life which helps and he was determined to be a success in football. If I hadn’t given him a chance, it would have been me who would have been wrong. I’m not being modest; you see something you like it and you get it.”

The ex-Scotland hero was quick to give credit to coach Klopp, too, adding that the German has rare qualities.

"Obviously Liverpool fans and the players adore Jurgen, but there are a lot of opposition fans who think he is a good fella, too," he said.

“You don’t get that with too many managers. You don’t get that. That is quite unique. Jurgen is the perfect fit for Liverpool. He is perfect.

“I am sure he is Scouser. Some people are suited to clubs because of the personality they have and the beliefs they have are similar and that is exactly what Jurgen has.

“He is very comfortable in himself because he knows what he does is an honest effort and commitment to success, and he doesn’t mind sharing that success.

“He knows what he is doing is the right way for him. Some people might feel intimidated, but when the club had success there were always people in and around the football club. I think that is important to have that.

“He is very comfortable and he enjoys sharing the success he has with everybody.”

Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski has won the Bundesliga's Player of the Season award.

It has been some campaign for one of European football's most feared marksmen and he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Bundesliga matches earlier this term.

Lewandowski has scored against each of the teams currently playing in Germany's top flight, having netted against Fortuna Dusseldorf for the first time on matchday 29.

Having chalked up 33 league goals this term, Lewandowski is a shoo-in to be the Bundesliga's top scorer for the fourth time in five seasons.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho was second, with Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen third for an award decided by fan votes and experts.

Timo Werner, Amine Harit, Erling Haaland and Serge Gnabry were also in the running for the prize, for which Lewandowski received a whopping 50 per cent of the vote.

Bayern wrapped up an eighth straight league title this month and can still win a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble.

While Lewandowski has arguably been in career-best form, he declared earlier this month that he is yet to hit his peak at the age of 31. 

"I am not yet in the best period of my career. Soon (I'll be). But all of these are just numbers," he told France Football.

"I am confident that the best moment of my career will come quickly. I know this is not my last contract. I want to play longer and stay in shape.

"I have all the time in front of me to think about the future, but I feel really good. I'm going to celebrate my 32th birthday next August, but that doesn't mean that I feel this age.

"For me, it doesn't matter in terms of everything I do, my involvement in and outside of football. What I want is not just staying on top for the next two or three years, I’m looking at the longer term.

"I don't even think about the Ballon d'Or, even if, in my life, I believe that anything is possible."

Kevin-Prince Boateng made a second-half appearance while Abdoulay Diaby was on the scoresheet as Besiktas clinched a 3-0 win over Konyaspor in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

Ghana international Boateng made a return to Sergen Yalcın’s side after missing their victory over Denizlispor last weekend, owing to Achilles tendonitis problem.

Diaby, meanwhile, started the encounter and impressed, scoring his fourth league goal of the season at Vodafone Park.

With only 15 minutes into the contest, Konyaspor suffered a huge blow when they were reduced to 10 men as Amir Hadziahmetovic was shown a straight red card.

The Black Eagles soon capitalised on their numerical advantage when Burak Yilmaz opened the scoring in the 40th minute.

Moments before the half-time break, Mali international Diaby then doubled the lead after receiving a sumptuous assist from Burak Yilmaz.

Jeremain Lens added the third for the Vodafone Park outfit in the 52nd minute to compound the woes of their visitors.

In the 70th minute, Boateng was introduced into the game, replacing Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and played his part to ensure his side maintained their three-goal lead and clinched the maximum points.

Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny made way for Kartal Yilmaz with six minutes left to play while Diaby was replaced by Guven Yalcin.

With the result, the Black Eagles are fifth on the Super Lig table with 50 points from 29 games, one point below Europa League qualification spot.

Boateng joined Besiktas in January on loan from Serie A side Fiorentina and has featured in eight league games since his arrival at Vodafone Park, scoring two goals.

Diaby, meanwhile, teamed up with the Black Eagles last summer on loan from Sporting CP and has made 34 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

The African stars will hope to help Besiktas extend their winning run to three games when they take on Kayserispor on July 6.

Former Liverpool manager Sir Kenny Dalglish has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson sent the club a message of congratulations and peace after they wrapped up the Premier League title on Thursday. 

Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City handed the Reds the title with seven games to play and Jurgen Klopp's side a remarkable 23 points clear atop the ladder. 

The title was Liverpool's first in the Premier League era with Ferguson's Manchester United currently boasting the most with 13 to their name. 

But despite the stats and the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, Ferguson was able to put that aside and extend his congratulations to the Reds, which Dalglish was impressed by. 

“He has contacted us to say congratulations - you are not at war!” Dalglish was quoted as saying by the Mirror. 

“There is competition between all the old foes, but at the end of the year you send a letter of congratulations to say well done.

“That continues and it is a great compliment. You may be rivals but to have the intelligence so that you are magnanimous enough to send in a letter saying congratulations.

“The people who you’ve been competing with all your life in football, they would wish it was themselves who won, it but they are proud to pay homage to other people as well.”

The two managers were often at odds while in charge of their respective teams with both not above taking a shot at the other in press conferences. 

Thursday's long-awaited title triumph was a long time coming for Dalglish, who feels Klopp can continue to bring success to Anfield in the years to come. 

"The last two years and since Jurgen's come in has been very positive,” Dalglish told BT Sport. “He's been fantastic and epitomises everything Liverpool Football Club stands for. Whatever they got, they have deserved it.

"Onwards and upwards. We have a lot more happy days to look forward to as long as Jurgen is here. Liverpool from top to bottom in the football club have been fantastically supportive.

"You know how much it means. It's hard work to dominate the English league beside quality like Manchester City, by the way!"