Swansea City midfielder Jonjo Shelvey says that it was his choice to leave Liverpool and that he was not forced out.

The 21-year-old moved to the Liberty Stadium in July after failing to nail down a regular starting spot at Anfield under Brendan Rodgers.

And Shelvey, who has started all three of his new club s Premier League games so far this season, revealed it was a desire to play regular football that motivated his decision to leave Anfield, rather than any ill-feeling towards the club.

Brendan (Rodgers) told me I could stay there and see what happened. It really was my choice. I wasn t pushed, Shelvey told The Daily Mail.

I wanted to play football. I would hate to be one of those sitting on my money. It is in my character, the way I was brought up.

E…

Everton have confirmed defender Michael Keane suffered a small hairline fracture of the skull during Saturday s 2-2 draw at Bournemouth but there are no other complications related to the injury.

Keane clashed heads with team-mate Idrissa Gueye during the closing stages of the match at the Vitality Stadium, having earlier scored his first Premier League goal for Everton.

The former Manchester United and Burnley player was admitted to Poole Hospital but the nature of his injury means he is expected to return to full training next month.

The 25-year-old defender will be unable to engage in head contact for between three and four weeks, from which point he will be able to resume full training, read a statement on Everton s official website.

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Kepa Arrizabalaga claims he would like to return to Athletic Bilbao one day.

The Spain international left the Basque club in 2018 to join Chelsea, which ended a 14-year spell with the club after he joined the youth ranks of at age nine.

Kepa, 25, commanded a record transfer fee for a goalkeeper at the time, and has since become first choice goalkeeper for Spain head coach Robert Moreno, but admits a return to the Rojiblancos is a possibility.

Of course I would like to return to Athletic (Bilbao), he told Spanish football show El Chiringuito.

I don’t know when or how or what, but playing at Athletic obviously I’d like that. I have great memories.

The Chelsea stopper also reflected on the heavy speculation that saw him come close to joining R…

Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta said he was looking forward to the World Cup semi-final against Germany after being named man-of-the-match in Saturday s 1-0 quarter-final victory over Paraguay.

David Villa scored the only goal of the game to move clear at the top of the World Cup goalscoring charts with his fifth strike in South Africa.

But it was his new Barcelona team-mate Iniesta who got the fans vote for the best performance in the Ellis Park stadium as it was his run through the core of the South Americans defence that created the winner.

And now he can t wait to renew rivalries with Germany, whom Spain beat 1-0 in the Euro 2008 final in Vienna two years ago.

We ll be playing Germany again but I don t think what happened two years ago will have any …

Chelsea s admiration of 23-year-old Milan forward Rafael Leao is not a secret.

The Blues, along with several other clubs including Manchester City, are keen on the Portuguese.

Chelsea have also been linked with Christopher Nkunku in recent days but are plotting ways to land Rafael Leao too.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA AND MILAN PLOTTING SWAP DEAL

Chelsea and Milan are considering a swap deal whereby Rafael Leao would join the Blues, claims Calciomercato.

Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi would be part of the deal, although the Italian champions would still demand a £90million fee for the Portuguese.

According to the report, Milan will use their Champions League game on Wednesday against the Blues at Stamford Bridge to talk with Pulisic, …

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta believes fit-again striker Sergio Aguero can lead his side to Premier League glory.

Aguero has been sidelined since March 12, when he came off at half-time in City s 2-1 UEFA Champions League loss to Barcelona.

But the star striker is set to return in his side s crucial league clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Zabaleta said while his team had enough quality to perform without Aguero, the 25-year-old s return had come at just the right time.

Sergio is fit. He s been training well with the team for a few days now, he said.

He wasn t 100 per cent to play against Southampton (on Saturday). That s why the manager decided to leave him out and let him be fully ready for the next game against Liverpool.

Have…

Russian daily newspaper that Spartak Moscow are set to cash in on star midfielder Aiden McGeady.

The Irish winger has reportedly become unsettled in Russia and has expressed his desire to move to English Premier League.

And any doubts over whether Spartak would agree to let him leave have been dispelled as the player clashed with boss Valery Karpin.

McGeady has been dropped from the squad after exchanging harsh words with boss Valeri Karpin following the derby game against CSKA Moscow, which seems to have persuaded club chiefs to sell the Irishman at the earliest opportunity.

And with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, it is clear McGeady will be available for a nominal fee in January.

Aiden McGeady joined Spartak from Celtic i…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has sprung a major surprise by naming Alexis Sanchez among his substitutes for Saturday s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

The Chilean forward is the club s leading goalscorer this season, with 20 in all competitions, three of which have come in his last three games.

However, he will start on the bench as Olivier Giroud is selected to lead the line against Jurgen Klopp s men.

Mesut Ozil has not travelled with the squad misses out due to illness, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck the trio behind Giroud.

Liverpool welcome Ragnar Klavan back into the centre of defence, with Lucas Leiva dropping to the bench, where he is joined by Dejan Lovren who has been struggling with a knee injury.

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Lucas has revealed that he turned down Manchester United in favour of a move to Paris Saint-Germain in January 2013 because he preferred the Ligue 1 champions long-term project.

The 23-year-old was close to leaving Sao Paulo for Old Trafford three years ago, but eventually opted to snub United for PSG

I was very close to coming to Manchester United before I signed for PSG, Lucas told Squawka.

It was honestly my choice to join PSG. I have all the respect for Manchester United, a great club with more tradition than Paris Saint-Germain, but I really liked the project PSG showed me.

There are several Brazilians in the PSG squad which made a difference in my decision too. You know, I was quite young and it does make a difference to have some compatriots bes…

The 18-year-old Jadon Sancho has hit a sensational run of form early on in the Bundesliga and already has a long list of suitors on his trail.

Sancho’s bright start for Dortmund has earned him a call-up from Gareth Southgate and also saw his name getting linked with a swift return to England.

The talented winger only joined the Bundesliga outfit in a £8 million deal in the summer of 2017 and is contracted until 2022 in his deal.

This hasn’t stopped the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham from casting admiring glances toward the English youngster but the latest reports coming from the have it that Sancho’s former club still has a say in his future.

The Citizens had reportedly inserted a buyback clause in Sancho�…