Kevin Nolan joins Magpies

Adam Idah will head into Euro 2024 qualifier battle with Greece and Gibraltar grateful for both the help and competition provided by two strikers at opposite ends of their careers.

The 22-year-old Republic of Ireland frontman has spent much of the last four seasons fighting Teemu Pukki for a place in the Norwich starting line-up, and now faces a major challenge from Brighton’s teenage sensation Evan Ferguson on the international front.

However Idah, who made his Canaries debut as an 18-year-old and won his first senior cap for Ireland a little more than a year later, has not been daunted by either battle.

Asked about Pukki’s influence on his fledgling career as the 33-year-old Finland international prepares to leave Norwich this summer, he said: “Teemu was …

Wolfsburg have secured the services of Josuha Guilavogui from Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal after spending the past two seasons on loan at the Bundesliga side.

Guilavogui has developed into a key figure at Wolfsburg since joining the club in August 2014 and following the end of the campaign they have acted quickly to exercise their option to buy the France international.

The 25-year-old has signed a contract until June 2019 with the German outfit, much to the delight of chief executive Klaus Allofs.

We are very happy to have signed Josuha on a permanent deal, Allofs said.

He has shown over the past two seasons that he is a perfect fit for Wolfsburg. He still has room for improvement and we want to enjoy more successes on the pitch with him.

…

Walter Mazzarri has been named Watford s new head coach.

The former Napoli and Inter boss has signed a three-year deal at Vicarage Road and will take over from Quique Sanchez Flores on July 1.

OFFICIAL: Walter Mazzarri has signed a three-year contract to become Head Coach from 1st July 2016.

— Watford FC (@WatfordFC)

Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury commented: Walter has been the target of a number of approaches for his services, so we re delighted to secure him as head coach here at Watford.

We re thoroughly looking forward to working with such a highly-regarded coach, with the progress and development of the club always remaining the highest priority.

Mazzarri has been out of work since getting the sack after a spe…

Arsenal are ready to activate the £4 million buy-back clause for Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela, .

The 24-year-old was purchased by the Spanish club last summer after impressing while on loan during the 2011/2012 season.

Vela has since continued with scintillating performances, scoring 12 goals and producing 8 assists in 27 La Liga fixtures this season, thus helping the team climb to Champions League places.

With the Mexican having proved that he can compete successfully at the highest level, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger now wants the striker back to the Emirates.

The £4 million buy-back clause inserted in the player’s contract can be activated by the Gunners in the next transfer window, although they have yet to convince the player to return to the…

Team GB coach Stuart Pearce has confirmed David Beckham will not be offered a backroom role following his selection snub.

Reports surfaced in the aftermath of the 18-man squad confirmation that suggested the veteran midfielder could take up a position similar to the one he occupied under Fabio Capello during England s disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.

However, Pearce has confirmed that no such opportunity is in the offing, saying the former Manchester United midfielder does not offer enough coaching experience to warrant taking up one of the seven places available for backroom staff.

That won t be the case with regards to David. With what he s done to bring the (Olympic) bid to these shores, I for one would champion him for what he s done for …

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 4/5 @

While they might not be able to welcome fans back into the London Stadium on Wednesday night, West Ham will host crosstown rivals Crystal Palace in midweek.

Starting with the hosts, while West Ham might have suffered a 3-1 defeat against Manchester United on home soil earlier in the month, the Hammers managed to make an eye-catching immediate return to winning ways over the weekend. Despite falling 1-0 down after just two minutes away at Premier League returners Leeds on Friday night, David Moyes men eventually managed to leave Elland Road with a 2-1 win to show for their troubles. Largely shocking almost everyone across England s top-flight after opening the 2020/2021 campaign with back-to-back defeats, the former Manche…

James Milner hailed Liverpool s battling qualities after they maintained their remarkable Premier League form with a scrappy 2-0 win over rock-bottom Watford.

Two goals from Mohamed Salah earned a 16th win in 17 league games for the runaway leaders at a windy Anfield, but Liverpool certainly did not have things all their own way as their struggling opponents offered a consistent threat on the counter-attack.

In their first game under new head coach Nigel Pearson, Watford were guilty of two awful misses  from Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ismaila Sarr  either side of Salah s first-half opener and the visitors remained in the contest until the Egypt international struck again in the final minute of normal time.

They were always going to be up for it, a new manager co…

Chelsea F.C. have confirmed the re-signing of Côte d’Ivoire international striker Didier Drogba on a one-year deal.

Drogba, 36, left West London in favour of joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua after helping the Blues win the UEFA Champions League in 2012.

In January 2013, Drogba signed for Galatasaray, where he would go on to net 20 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions during his one-and-a-half year spell with Turkish Süper Lig giants.

He s coming because he s one of the best strikers in Europe, Mourinho, who signed Drogba for Chelsea from Olympique de Marseille in a deal worth £24 million in July 2004, told the club s official website.

I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he’s not …

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert is confident that the Midlands club can keep hold of star defender Ron Vlaar,.

The centre-back was one of the stand-out performers for the Netherlands at this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil, playing every minute of a campaign which resulted in them finishing in third place.

He signed for Villa in the summer of 2012 and had gone on to make sixty-five appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals.

Manchester United, now under the management of former Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, have been linked with a moved for the 29 year old, who has just twelve months remaining on his current deal.

However, Lambert has insisted that talks with the player have gone well, and he fully expects him to be in the side to …

Harry Kane helped Bayern Munich maintain their unbeaten start with a 3-1 win at Mainz.

Kingsley Coman and Kane put ruthless Bayern 2-0 up inside 16 minutes before Anthony Caci pulled a goal back just before the break.

Leon Goretzka restored Bayern’s two-goal lead just before the hour and Bayern remain unbeaten and sit third in the Bundesliga, two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Mainz are still looking for their first league win of the season and stay second bottom with just two points from eight games.

Kane, fresh from his brace in the 3-1 win over Italy which helped England qualify for Euro 2024, now has nine league goals in eight games.

Joshua Kimmich had fired a speculative effort off target before Bayern scored two quickfire goals.