BITS AND BOBS

Last updated : 04 September 2006 By Ed

* From PA:

Manchester United's teenage central defender Jonny Evans has been drafted into the Northern Ireland squad for the first time.

Evans, 18, will link up with the players when they return to training in Belfast on Monday.

The province are preparing to face Spain at Windsor Park on Wednesday in a Euro 2008 qualifier.

It is a huge game for the hosts as they suffered a 3-0 defeat by Iceland on Saturday in their opening game.

Evans could win a place in the team as there are doubts not only about the fitness of skipper Aaron Hughes but the form of Stephen Craigan and Tony Capaldi.


* Quote from Hargreaves:

"The topic of the transfer has been and gone. There is nothing really to say. I've tried to block out the saga of the last few weeks and concentrate on playing football. That's my job. There was a lot of talk but a deal didn't happen and that's the way it is. Could there be a possible move in January? God knows. It is not down to me."


* Keane:

"Brian Clough will go down as one of the top five greatest managers of all time. I learned an awful lot from him. He kept things very simple and that is the message I aim to get across as a manager.

"Clough always preached that football was a straightforward game and it is something I have always believed in. His advice to me before my first game for Forest was, 'Get the ball, pass to a red shirt and move'.

"I have made a career out of following that advice. I will try to simplify things. Clough's ideas were simple but there was genius behind it.

"He had his ways of getting players playing the right way. He picked up players other managers maybe didn't want and got them to believe in themselves. John Robertson is a good example.

"Clough took me from Irish football with Cobh Ramblers and put me straight into the Forest first team. Not many would have done that. Hopefully I have learnt a little bit from the three years I had with him. He gave me my chance and was a big inspiration.

"The path was made for me going to Forest, learning my trade, making mistakes, looking for bigger and better things and then Manchester United came along and Sir Alex Ferguson gave me another springboard.