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Posts Tagged ‘personal’

• Real Betis defender needs surgery on tumour in pelvis
• 22-year-old was in Liverpool youth team that won cup in 2006

The Real Betis defender Miki Roque, a former Liverpool youth player, gave a tearful news conference to announce he needs surgery on a malignant tumour in his pelvis.

The 22-year-old was at Liverpool between 2005 and 2009 and was part of their FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2006. He appeared as a first-team substitute in a Champions League match against Galatasaray in December 2006.

“The doctors are hopeful it’s not too far advanced,” he said, adding that he would be out for the rest of the second division season.

Roque also had spells at Oldham Athletic and the Spanish sides Xerez and Cartagena.

Xabi Alonso, the player Roque replaced in the Galatasaray game, sent a message of support to his former team-mate on his personal Twitter account.

“They have found a tumour in the pelvis of Betis and former Liverpool player Miki Roque,” Alonso, now at Real Madrid, wrote. “A big hug for him.”

LiverpoolCancerReal Betisguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool finally agree fee with Ajax for Uruguayan striker
• Club will now discuss personal terms with 23-year-old

Liverpool have off-set the possible departure of Fernando Torres by agreeing a €26.5m (£22.8m) fee with Ajax for their Uruguay international striker, Luis Suárez.

Suárez was an Anfield target before Chelsea’s late move for the Spain international but his proposed move had stalled over Ajax’s asking price, with Liverpool only offering an initial £12.8m and the Dutch club insisting on €30m. Following further negotiations involving Damien Comolli, Liverpool’s director of football strategy, and the Ajax general manager, Rik van den Boog, in Amsterdam this afternoon, however, a deal was struck after the Anfield club agreed to raise its offer significantly.

In a statement released this evening, Liverpool confirmed that: “They had agreed a fee of up to €26.5m with Ajax for the transfer of Luis Suárez, subject to the completion of a medical. The club have now been given permission by Ajax to discuss personal terms with the player and his representatives.”

Suárez has made clear his desire to move to Merseyside and no problems are anticipated over his personal terms. The striker joined Ajax in 2007 and has scored 81 goals in 108 league games for the Amsterdam club.

LiverpoolAjaxTransfer windowAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Goalkeeper eclipses Ray Clemence’s clean-sheet record
• Christmas period key to Hodgson’s debut season, he says

José Reina has said he is more concerned with restoring Liverpool to the upper reaches of the Premier League than his latest individual landmark as he admitted the hectic Christmas period will shape Roy Hodgson’s debut season as manager.

Reina established another personal record last night when Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa marked his century of clean sheets in 198 league games, eclipsing the previous record, set by Ray Clemence, by 19 matches. Beyond sharing the credit with his team-mates over the past five years – “It is nice to achieve the record but it is down to the fantastic players I have had around me at the club,” said Reina – the Liverpool keeper took greater satisfaction in the performance that ruined Gérard Houllier’s return to Anfield.

Hodgson’s team have now won their past four league games at Anfield since losing to Blackpool in October and, while they remain vulnerable on the road, Reina believes Liverpool are discovering the consistency needed to climb the Premier League table. “I said when we played Birmingham [in September] that we all knew it would take a while because we have new ideas, a new manager and new players at the club,” said the Spain international. “We needed time to get ourselves on the right track and hopefully we can build from a good foundation now.

“The league is a bit fractured. We are 10 points back from the leaders and there is some space between us, but we have to understand the ideas, keep our shape and our philosophy and aim higher. Anything is possible in this league and we have more confidence now. We have to be consistent and find that balance that makes us stay up there and fight to be as high as possible.”

Despite his optimism the 28-year-old is reluctant to make predictions for Liverpool, other than that their prospects are likely to be defined over the festive season. Reina said: “We lost to Blackpool at home and we have to go there on Boxing Day. We know Christmas is crucial and after those four games [Blackpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bolton and Blackburn between Boxing Day and 5 January] we can talk about where the team should aim and where the team is going to be.”

Reina admitted he expected some transfer activity from Liverpool in the January transfer window. “We have to expect Liverpool to be with the top clubs and that is on the manager, the new board and the new owners to develop that. All we can do is play as well as we can,” he added.

Liverpool are reported to have made a €3m (£2.5m) bid for the Rennes right-back Rod Fanni. Anfield scouts have watched the defender several times in recent weeks. But no bid has been lodged with Rennes and Liverpool officials believe Fanni’s club are trying to engineer a bidding war in the face of rival interest from Marseille.

LiverpoolPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk