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We will not pay ´Disneyland money´ for Texeira - Klopp
23 January 2016 00:54
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not prepared to pay 'Disneyland money' to sign Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Anfield outfit have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old and are reportedly putting in a bid close to £25million this week.
However, with other clubs circling and Shakhtar asking for more money, Klopp said he needs to be smart about how he spends the club's budget.
"I've tried my best, but I don't think in the short term. I knew when I came here, it was not the easiest way to go, that it would be difficult," he said.
"I had a few problems to solve, which three months ago nobody could know we would have.
"You can't just go 'We have money', and throw it away and take any players you want. It is always about the decision, you can sign a lot of rubbish with money or you can make really good decisions.
"I cannot say, 'It is only money going somewhere else'.
He added: "We have money, but we are not in Disneyland and can say, 'Come on, take what you want'. We have a budget, we work with it.
"We have a lot of things to do; the club is building a stand, this is for the long-term development of the club.
"I know I can handle pressure really good. Now we have a situation where we think 'What will help?'"
The German hinted the club would be looking to splash the cash in the off-season rather than in January.
"Who can help from next season on for three, four, five years? In the summer we will have to make decisions; that is normal," he said.
"Now we have to work on this situation and then in the summer, believe me, we will be prepared for the next season."
Former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has labelled Diego Costa "a serial cheat" after the controversial Chelsea striker helped Guus Hiddink's men to victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Arsenal's Premier League title bid was dealt a blow as Chelsea left north London with a 1-0 win thanks to Costa's 23rd-minute strike.
Five minutes before the decisive goal, Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker was sent off for a professional foul on Costa, although replays showed contact between the pair to have been minimal.
The Spain international was involved in an altercation that saw another Arsenal centre-back, Gabriel, sent off during a 2-0 win for the reigning champions at Stamford Bridge in September.
Costa received a retrospective three-match ban for a clash with Laurent Koscielny during that match and Hill-Wood is deeply unimpressed by his on-field conduct.
"He is a serial cheat and he gets away with it," Hill-Wood said to the Daily Star. "I think he deliberately ran in front of Mertesacker, who hardly touched him.
"Yet Costa rolls around as if his legs have been cut off. Once the red card's been shown, he's suddenly perfectly all right again.
"That's because there's absolutely nothing wrong with him. There certainly wasn't soon after when he scored that goal.
"Personally I think the referee should have sent him off for diving. It's very annoying because to me it is blatant."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger described Costa as "clever" following Mertesacker's red card but Hiddink believed the Germany international was correctly dismissed.
Pellegrini hopes for Kompany return ´in a couple of weeks´
26 January 2016 15:38
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has dismissed suggestions that captain Vincent Kompany will be sidelined for a further six weeks by his troublesome calf problem.
Kompany has been restricted to eight Premier League starts this season and his most recent attempt at a return to first-team action was curtailed by a recurrence of his injury nine minutes after coming off the bench during December's 4-1 victory against Sunderland.
The 29-year-old's injury saga has become a dominant theme of a season where City remain in contention for trophies on four fronts despite erratic form.
Reports this week suggested Kompany would not feature until March but, speaking ahead of Wednesday's League Cup semi-final second leg against Everton, Pellegrini had a more positive prognosis.
"I don't think Vincent will be out for six weeks – he will return in a couple of weeks," Pellegrini told a news conference.
"As I said in the last press conference, it's very important how he improves in the next weeks.
"Be sure we are doing all we can to review Vincent in different places with different doctors.
"I hope that now - for him also as he's very sad not to play - I hope that now when he comes back he will be fit until the end of the season."
City are nursing a 2-1 deficit from the initial match at Goodison Park.
Pellegrini - who confirmed understudy goalkeeper Willy Caballero would once more start ahead of Joe Hart in domestic cup action - will again be without Wilfried Bony, Aleksandar Kolarov (both calf), Eliaquim Mangala and long-term victim Samir Nasri (both hamstring).
The Chilean lifted the 2014 League Cup ahead of his team's Premier League success later that season and he is hungry for more glory in the competition.
"Maybe Everton haven't been in a final for many years and they will be motivated but our team will do all they can to get there too," Pellegrini added.
"The most important thing is to try to play another final at Wembley. That is our target.
"After we lost to Everton 2-1 I said that if we don't qualify for the final, it's not because of that game but because we can’t win at home at least 1-0."
West Ham confirm ´significant injury´ for Jenkinson
26 January 2016 17:23
West Ham United's on-loan Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson has suffered "a significant injury" to his left knee.
The full-back, who is spending the 2015-16 campaign with the Gunners' London rivals, was hurt during the challenge on Sergio Aguero which led to Manchester City's penalty in the 2-2 Premier League draw between the teams at Upton Park on Saturday.
Initial reports suggested Jenkinson could be out for the rest of the season but neither West Ham nor Arsenal have placed a time frame on the 23-year-old's expected absence as he awaits further assessment this week.
"West Ham United can confirm that Carl Jenkinson injured his left knee during the early stages of Saturday's Premier League fixture with Manchester City," a West Ham statement released on Tuesday confirmed.
"Unfortunately, it appears that Carl has suffered a significant injury and he will be assessed by a specialist in central London on Wednesday.
"A further update will be provided when the full extent of the injury has been confirmed."
Arsenal added: "The thoughts and best wishes from everyone at Arsenal are with Carl, and we all wish him a successful recovery."
Jenkinson has made 23 appearances for West Ham in all competitions so far this season.
Chelsea and West Brom have been hit with fines of £65,000 and £35,000 respectively by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players during their fixture at Stamford Bridge on January 13.
Claudio Yacob, who had already been booked, sparked an angry confrontation between players after an off-the-ball trip on Chelsea striker Diego Costa, before the West Brom midfielder was substituted shortly after having avoided further punishment by referee Anthony Taylor.
Both clubs have now been fined after accepting FA charges, with another flare-up occurring just after the final whistle of the Premier League fixture, which finished 2-2, and have also been warned over their future conduct.
"Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion have been fined £65,000 and £35,000 respectively and warned as to their future conduct after both clubs admitted breaching FA Rule E20(a) in relation to their game on 13 January 2016," read an FA statement on Tuesday.
"It was alleged that in or around the 58th minute of the fixture, they failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion."
Tottenham confirm knee ligament damage for Vertonghen
26 January 2016 11:00
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen sustained medial collateral knee ligament damage in his side's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Vertonghen was substituted 15 minutes from time at Selhurst Park, having fallen awkwardly following a clash with Palace striker Connor Wickham.
On Monday, the Football Association charged Wickham with violent conduct in relation to the incident, where he appeared to swing an elbow at Vertonghen.
And the Belgium defender, a Premier League ever-present for Spurs this season, is now set for a significant spell on the sidelines, although the club did not confirm the expected length of his absence.
"Further assessment and scans have confirmed Jan Vertonghen sustained damage to his medial collateral ligament in his knee at Palace," Tottenham said on their official Twitter account.
"Our medical staff will continue to monitor his progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training.
Only one Premier League defender tops Vidic's clean sheet record at Manchester United
By Chris Davie
Jan 29, 2016 13:45:00
The 34-year-old won five Premier League titles as well as the Champions League in nine seasons at Manchester United
Nemanja Vidic has called time on his career and will go down as one of the best centre-backs the Premier League has ever seen.
The 34-year-old won five Premier League titles duing his nine seasons with Manchester United, while he also lifted the Champions League trophy, as well as the FA Cup on five separate occasions.
Vidic also formed one of the greatest centre-back partnerships in the Premier League era alongside Rio Ferdinand.
But while the 34-year-old's clean sheet is impressive, it has been narrowly beaten by former Arsenal defender Tony Adams.
Note that this record is made up of all Premier League defenders who have played over 200 games...
Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam faces up to six weeks out with a torn calf muscle suffered in the League Cup semi-final second leg against his former club Liverpool at Anfield.
The Scotland international, who had initially come on as a second-half substitute, had to be replaced by Marco van Ginkel during extra-time and left the ground on crutches after Tuesday's match, which saw Stoke lose on penalties.
Manager Mark Hughes initially thought Adam, 30, faced "a few weeks" out, but tests have revealed the damage means he will be sidelined for a more serious spell.
The former Rangers player will be out for five to six weeks and miss Stoke's next seven games if he is unavailable for as long as predicted, with a potential return on March 12 against Southampton.
"Charlie unfortunately had a bad tear to his calf so he will be five to six weeks, which is unfortunate," said Hughes.
"But with Ryan Shawcross it is more positive as he feels a lot better at the moment."
Geoff Cameron also remains unavailable with an ankle injury that is taking longer than expected to heal and Stephen Ireland is now likely to be handed a run in the side.
"People like Stevie will come into my thoughts, in particular when Charlie and Geoff are out," said Hughes.
Adam has played in 17 of Stoke's 23 Premier League matches this season.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists it is unfair for critics to claim his team are underachieving as they are still a work in progress.
The Toffees lost 4-3 to Manchester City on aggregate in their League Cup semi-final tie, which concluded at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
That leaves the FA Cup – where Everton travel to play Carlisle United in the fourth round on Sunday – as the club's only realistic trophy opportunity this season.
Everton have disappointed in the Premier League and sit 12th in the table having won only one of their last 10 top-flight matches, but Martinez thinks it is too early to make any judgements on his squad.
"You cannot be underachieving when this team is new," Martinez said.
"This team has been formed over the last two-and-a-half years and we are developing something that is going to be very powerful for the future.
"That process is not going to be overnight or straightforward. You need to go through painful experiences to develop the know-how of a winning team.
"In my eyes we have one of the most competitive squads in the league with four or five players with the best potential in Europe and that has been down to a clear strategy.
"We have achieved this squad not having the blank cheque of £500m, which other clubs have had to become a competitive team overnight."
Martinez thinks Everton are not far from challenging for a Champions League place and revealed he was happy to take criticism for his team's lack of recent wins.
"It would be very easy for us to say we can't really compete against the top four, accept where we are and fight every short-term target," he said.
"But we have an overall approach of wanting to get into the top four and we are showing signs we are starting to do that.
"As a manager you need to accept that we need to get wins. I will never come out with excuses and try to justify lack of wins.
"I feel we are close to getting what the fans deserve but I will accept any criticism and I will be the one fronting that. I share their frustrations at a lack of wins, but I am the first one who has a strong belief we will be successful at the end of it."
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge remains some way off a return to fitness, as the England international struggles for consistency on his road to recovery.
Sturridge has managed just six appearances for Liverpool this season, with his Anfield career having been plagued by hamstring and thigh injuries since arriving from Chelsea in 2013.
The 26-year-old offered Klopp a glimpse of his quality with a brace during Liverpool's 6-1 League Cup hammering of Southampton in December but Sturridge will miss the FA Cup visit of West Ham this weekend and Tuesday's Premier League trip to Leicester City.
"[There is] no news. He's still working. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse," Klopp told reporters.
"Daniel is still working. He needs consistency in sessions and that's what we try to do.
"But something isn't right if you are injured that often. Everyone here in this room knows Daniel better than me. There's no doubt about his quality. We have to work together on his fitness.
"He cannot play tomorrow and for sure he can't play against Leicester."
Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Alex Teixeira and Joel Matip in recent weeks as Klopp continues to deal with a lengthy injury list during the first months of his maiden season at the club.
The League Cup finalists continue their FA Cup campaign on Saturday, with Klopp relaxed over possible new arrivals.
"We are always busy, we always check the possibilities. If something happens, we will see," he added.
"You have to wait, like I have to wait. I have no problem with this. I'm fine with the squad, it was never a problem - it's all about injuries and the number of games.
"It doesn't fit too well. That's the reason we thought about a few things but only if it makes sense to us.
"You say get a bigger squad. But you can't buy as then injured players come back."
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has denied suggestions the impending loan signing of Alexandre Pato represents a gamble for the Premier League champions.
The 26-year-old is expected to complete his temporary move from Corinthians over the coming days after his previous loan spell at Sao Paulo ended in December - declaring Chelsea his "new home" after arriving in London on Wednesday.
Having been snapped up as an exciting prospect by AC Milan in 2007, Pato enjoyed a number of promising seasons at San Siro before injuries slowed his rise and ultimately led him to return home.
The Brazil international will have the rest of the season to showcase his quality and Hiddink does not believe the signing is a gamble, despite Pato having not played first-team football since early December.
"He is in London, well-spotted. Nowadays there are no secrets because everywhere there are cameras," Hiddink told reporters.
"He is in the process of completing the bureaucratic paperwork. We don't rush it, we'll see how soon it can be solved and when he can get on the pitch.
"He was a promising youngster and it was nice to see such a stylish player, then he had a few years in Milan and after that he did not go to make a big step in Europe.
"He went back to Brazil so now he has another chance to make a step in Europe and in England, which is a brave step.
"It's up to him but we'll help him get fit and see what he can bring to this club. It's not a gamble, coming on loan makes it possible to have a good view on him, whether he is able to adapt to our demands.
"We give him support but it's up to him. If you buy those players who must make the next step then it's more of a risk but a loan is a good move for everyone to see whether he's happy at the club and whether the club is happy with him."
Hiddink hinted Loic Remy could leave the club despite the forward suffering from a minor calf injury, which would leave Pato to compete with in-form Diego Costa for a striking berth.
Costa boasts six goals in his last six games and Hiddink reserved praise for the Spain international who, like Chelsea, endured a difficult start to the campaign.
"I don't know what he did in previous games but I'm pleased with what he is doing now. I am pleased with the efficiency of his goals.
"We are depending on him - a little too much sometimes - but I'm very happy with his performance and his attitude.
"He's a key figure for us, he's very nice to everyone outside the pitch and in Cobham, focusing on his job. He's of huge importance for us. I respect his attitude as well."
John Terry has announced he will leave Chelsea at the end of this season.
Here Omnisport examines the numbers behind a 17-and-a-half-year professional career that has returned four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and European glory in both the Champions League and Europa League:
Total Chelsea appearances: 690
Total Chelsea goals: 66
Premier League appearances: 477
Premier League goals: 40
Domestic cup appearances: 89
Domestic cup goals: 13
European appearances: 124
European goals: 13
England appearances: 78
England goals: 6
Key Opta stats:
- Terry is the highest scoring defender in Premier League history with 40 goals.
- His 27 headed goals put him 10th overall in the league's all-time list for that category.
- Only four players have made more Premier League appearances for a single club: Ryan Giggs, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.
- Terry is one of three Chelsea players to play more than 300 times the club in the Premier League, along with Frank Lampard and Petr Cech.
- He is one of only two outfield players to have played every minute of every Premier League game in a title-winning season, along with ex-Manchester United defender Gary Pallister, who completed the feat in 1992-93 and 1994-95.
Following John Terry's announcement that he will leave Chelsea at the end of this season and look to play on away from the Premier League, Omnisport examines five potential destinations for the Stamford Bridge captain.
MLS
Terry confirmed he will not line up for another Premier League club, which opens up the prospect of his joining the growing ranks of former England stars plying their trade in Major League soccer.
Ex-Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole has joined Terry's fellow former England captain Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy, while old Stamford Bridge ally Frank Lampard is preparing for his first full campaign with New York City – having undertaken the type of sojourn at Manchester City that Terry insists he wants no part of in his post-Stamford Bridge career.
Chinese Super League
Flushed with cash, the Chinese Super League is attempting to establish itself as an alternative counterpoint to Europe's dominance of club football.
Brazil international Ramires swapped Chelsea for Jiangsu Suning this week and, should Terry opt to follow suit, he would find plenty of familiar faces.
Premier League tussles against Asamoah Gyan and Demba Ba could be revisited, with the strikers in situ at Shanghai SIPG and Shanghai Shenhua, while Tim Cahill – a veteran campaigner who can match Terry's aerial prowess – is also on the books at the latter club.
Bayern Munich
Terry's Chelsea glory years will be forever be linked to Jose Mourinho's stints as manager at Stamford Bridge, but he also memorably lifted the Premier League and FA Cup double under Carlo Ancelotti in 2009-10.
The esteemed Italian coach will take the reins at Bundesliga giants Bayern when Pep Guardiola seeks pastures new at the end of this season. Unlike Terry, the former Barcelona boss appears to be Premier League-bound and his departure could spark a post-season of upheaval in Bavaria.
Should Ancelotti feel the need to bring in a reliable, steadying influence amid possible uncertainty he knows a one-time ally is ready and available.
Paris Saint-Germain
Should Terry wish to remain in top tier European football, Paris Saint-Germain could provide an intriguing option. Chelsea are poised for their latest Champions League showdown with the Ligue 1 title holders next month and Laurent Blanc and company will be thoroughly well-versed in Terry's qualities.
PSG already allowed one decorated England captain to bring down the curtain on his career, when David Beckham graced the Parc des Princes, and Terry could provide a handy quick-fix as speculation increases that Marquinhos will leave the French capital in search of regular first-team starts.
Inter
Inter boss Roberto Mancini became an admirer of Terry during his time in charge of Manchester City and was heavily linked with a move for the centre-back when he was coach at Galatasaray.
An unexpected title challenge from the San Siro outfit has faded slightly in recent weeks, meaning Mancini and ambitious owner Erick Thohir are likely to seek proven trophy-winners during the close-season transfer window.
Nemanja Vidic's fitful Inter stint ended prematurely this month, but Terry could provide an alternative take on an ex-Premier League defensive great aiming to enter the hearts of the Nerazzurri faithful.
Interim Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink believes the constant presence of owner Roman Abramovich at training is a good thing for the club.
The Dutchman said it was natural for owners who make big investments in clubs to attend training and said his presence did not mean there was bad news to come for players or other staff.
"It’s rather natural but that doesn’t mean every now and then you have to make big decisions," Hiddink said.
"I like them [the owners] to feel welcome not just in the official receptions before and after games.
"Roman was here the previous week several times. We organised an under-21's game against QPR and I asked him to come. They have started to love football years ago and it’s important to be part of it. Normally when big bosses come to the training ground then there’s always a bad message. They go to punish and whatsoever.
"Every now and then it’s done in the past but also I invited my bosses, although they have the right to step in at any minute, to come because they say 'we don’t want to bother, we don’t want to come', and I said 'no it’s your and our club so feel welcome to come to *training and watch and there’s no pressure'."
One player who might be feeling a bit of pressure in the Chelsea locker room is Eden Hazard.
The reigning Premier League Footballer of the Year has not scored a single goal this campaign, but Hiddink has told the Belgium international to focus his efforts on getting fully fit and the "beautiful times" should return.
"When getting his rhythm back, he’s of big value to Chelsea," the Dutch manager said.
"He’s a very important player to us. A nice player. He has this injury and that’s been an unstable situation for at least two months.
"He is eager to perform, but the physical fitness must be there.
"Hopefully, he is coming back to where he was before. But he needs training and game fitness, and you get that by playing games.
"For the club, beautiful times can come up for him. And on top of that there is the Euros coming up. Everyone who is a *candidate for being a big player in the upcoming time, and then the Euros, it’s a beautiful period for them."
BBC reporting that Pep Guardiola will be manager of Man City for next season.
Manuel Pellegrini will leave at the end of the season. The irony of all this is that they could still win four trophies this year including UEFA Champions League.
The Bayern Munich coach will replace Manuel Pellegrini as Manchester City manager at the end of the season and has been tipped to get rid of several players
Former Manchester City winger Trevor Sinclair believes Pep Guardiola will sell Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta and Samir Nasri once he becomes the club's new manager.
Current City boss Manuel Pellegrini announced he would leave at the end of the season on Monday, with the club quickly confirming outgoing Bayern Munich coach Guardiola would begin a three-year contract from 2016-17.
Toure played under Guardiola at Barcelona, during which time he lost his regular starting place to Sergio Busquets before signing for City in 2010.
The midfielder's outspoken agent Dimitri Seluk responded to Guardiola's appointment by predicting Toure will seek pastures new, but ex-England international Sinclair does not think he will be the only victim.
Right-back Zabaleta joined City in 2008 and established himself as both a cult hero on the terraces through his all-action displayed and a key performer in the club's 2011-12 and 2013-14 Premier League title triumph.
But Sinclair, who represented his hometown club between 2003 and 2007, feels the 31-year-old could be surplus to requirements along with playmaker Samir Nasri as Guardiola seeks to implement his trademark dynamic playing style.
"Yaya is the obvious one, Nasri you would expect him to be moving on," he told Omnisport.
"Some of the older players – Zabaleta has been an absolutely brilliant player for Manchester City, as Yaya has.
"Zabaleta, he's actually got an important part to play towards the end of this season.
"For a lot of fans here at Manchester City, he's really in their hearts and he's been an incredible servant to the club.
"He's been so successful at the club but I think he might be one of the casualties."
Should Guardiola seek to bring in players from his former clubs, Sinclair earmarked Bayern defender David Alaba as a man who could improve what has often been a flimsy backline for City this season.
"You think about players like Alaba, who could come in and bring that extra bit of zest and youthfulness to the defence," he added.
Desailly predicts Terry will sign new Chelsea deal
2 February 2016
John Terry will sign a new deal to remain at Chelsea, former club captain Marcel Desailly has predicted.
Terry claimed on Sunday his attempts to negotiate a new deal had been rebuffed by club executives, and the captain is now plotting a move at the end of the season.
Chelsea then released a statement on Sunday claiming they remain open to retaining Terry, dependant on the wishes of a new manager, with caretaker Guus Hiddink filling in until the end of the season after Jose Mourinho's sacking.
Desailly moved to Stamford Bridge in 1998, the season Terry made his first-team debut, and the Frenchman hopes to see his former team-mate find a solution to stay at the club.
"This is a story that has not finished," Desailly told the Daily Express.
"The club are saying that they are still negotiating.
"I think they will probably renew. There is more talking to be done."
Terry has claimed he will not leave Chelsea for another Premier League club. Major League Soccer and China are thought to be his most likely destinations come July.
Hamann tips Guardiola for unpleasant Premier League suprise
3 February 2016
Dietmar Hamann says Pep Guardiola is leaving the best league in the world by walking away from the Bundesliga and may find the experience of English football underwhelming.
Guardiola will depart Bayern Munich at the end of the season to take the helm at Manchester City, replacing Manuel Pellegrini for the 2016-17 campaign.
After announcing his decision to not to sign a new Bayern deal, the former Spain international confirmed his intention to test himself in England, often hailed as one of the most passionate football environments in the world.
But former Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers and City player Hamann has warned the highly rated tactician to prepare for a rude awakening in the Premier League.
"After his time in Barcelona and Munich he will be surprised," Hamann wrote in Kicker.
"When he experiences the atmosphere in an English stadium he might think he was in Unterhaching," he added, referring to the Bavarian minnows playing in one of Germany's regional competitions.
"The Premier League is not the best league in Europe - the Bundesliga with its attacking, skilful style has the most attractive product."
Hamann also offered a grim warning about the state of the next domestic competition Guardiola will attempt to conquer, claiming the seemingly rude financial health of the Premier League is in fact a "huge bubble" which has not resulted in international success for English clubs or the national team.
"The Premier League is heading straight into a crisis," he said.
"The inflationary rise of TV money to two, three billion Euros does not improve the level at all … if every player who is able to walk straight earns three million per year, that is dangerous for the English clubs.
"The English [have shown] during the last five years that money is no guarantee for success."
Dennis Giggs passed away on Wednesday morning shortly after Ryan had been given leave to miss Manchester United's clash with Stoke City
Tributes have been flooding in for Ryan Giggs’ grandfather, who died on Wednesday morning.
Dennis Giggs, of Fairwater in Cardiff, lost his battle with cancer just hours after the Manchester United assistant manager had been given leave to miss the club’s Premier League clash with Stoke City at Old Trafford on Tuesday night to be with his beloved grandad.
Ryan’s absence had originally prompted speculation regarding his future, with some believing that reports linking him to the manager’s job at Celtic may have been behind his absence. However, it was quickly confirmed that he had missed the game due to family illness.
Dennis remained close to Manchester United supporters in his region before his death, and the Cardiff and Vale Reds led the tributes on their Facebook page on Wednesday night.
In a 2014 interview with the BBC, Dennis spoke of his appreciation of Sir Alex Ferguson’s handling of his grandson.
He said: “He was hard on him, Mr Ferguson, over the years. But it was for his own good. He did want Ryan to go the way others have gone. I thanked him for what he’d done for Ryan but he said ‘No, it’s what he’s done for me.’ That was good respect from somebody like that.”
United say they are currently unsure whether Ryan will return to the bench for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
