Jake Livermore does not think that playing for Hull City should dent his hopes of representing England again.

The 24-year-old midfielder has one cap to his name, earned while at Tottenham in August 2012, and hopes to add to that tally under Roy Hodgson.

However, there is a perception that players at some of the so-called lesser clubs are overlooked for international duty and Livermore Hull s record signing does not believe that should be the case.

Asked if being at the KC Stadium permanently might limit his England opportunities, Livermore told Perform: It shouldn t do, it certainly shouldn t.

If you look at the World Cup just gone by, I think other countries – not saying this country s got it wrong, but other countries have got it right – [Ron] Vlaa…

Lionel Messi became a free agent last week.

Initial reports suggested he had agreed to a new two-deal with Barca.

The 34-year-old told Barcelona last year he wanted to leave but opted to remain.

TOP STORY – MESSI BEING EYED BY DUO

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are both monitoring Lionel Messi s transfer position after becoming a free agent, according to the front page of Tuesday s Mundo Deportivo.

Messi s Barcelona contract expired on June 30, but he has been widely expected to re-sign with the LaLiga giants, who need to manage their finances.

However, with Messi still unattached, Ligue 1 powerhouse PSG and Premier League champions City are continuing to eye the six-time Ballon d Or winner.

FINALISSIMA

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Facing Liverpool at Old Trafford is the perfect game for Manchester United to kick-start their season, Virgil van Dijk has warned.

United followed up a 2-1 home loss against Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening Premier League game of the campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend.

The Red Devils find themselves bottom for the first time since August 1992, which is the only previous occasion they lost their opening two games in the competition.

Erik ten Hag is the first United manager to lose his opening two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921 and the Dutchman s task does not get any easier.

United face fierce rivals Liverpool on Monday, when Van Dijk expects the home side to be extra motivated to get off the mark in front o…

Chelsea midfielder Oscar admits he was scared by Antonio Conte s approach during his first few training sessions as the club s manager.

The former Juventus and Italy boss took charge at Stamford Bridge last month and has enjoyed an encouraging start, with Chelsea winning 2-1 in their Premier League opener against West Ham.

Oscar has revealed that Conte s intensity was a little alarming at first, but he is confident that the club can mount a title challenge this season and put their dismal 2015-16 campaign behind them.

It s a change, it s different, and he is a very good coach, a very good guy. Every coach is different to one another and we re playing slightly different style, but we enjoy it and we re hoping to have a very good season, he told Sky Sports.

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Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-yeung is delighted to have signed a new four-year contract at the Premier League club.

Ki joined Swansea for £5.5million from Celtic in 2012 but his future at the club looked in serious doubt after he was sent on loan to Sunderland for the 2013-14 season.

But the South Korea international is back in favour under new manager Garry Monk and scored in his side s surprise 2-1 win at Manchester United on the opening day of the season.

He has played the full 90 minutes in both of Swansea s Premier League fixtures this term they followed up their victory at Old Trafford by beating Burnley and said he was excited after committing his future to the Welsh outfit.

I m very pleased, Ki told the club s official website.

This …

Adel Taarabt has been tipped to emulate Joey Barton and become a QPR star by chairman Tony Fernandes.

Taarabt s career at QPR has been mixed and the mercurial forward spent all of last season away from Loftus Road, first joining Fulham on loan for the first half of the 2013-14 campaign before moving to Milan in January.

The Serie A giants were linked with a permanent deal for the Morocco international, but were unwilling to meet Taarabt s asking price that was reported to be £6million.

With the transfer window now shut, Taarabt will remain with the London side and Fernandes has backed him to follow in the footsteps of midfielder Barton.

The 32-year-old left the club in acrimonious circumstances to join Marseille on loan in 2012-13, only to return and bec…

Mirjan Pavlovic has left the Wellington Phoenix by mutual consent, the A-League club said on Wednesday.

The striker, who signed for the Phoenix in the 2010/11 season, has played 25 games for the New Zealand-based club and scored two goals.

He was loaned out to New South Wales Premier League side Sydney United during the last off-season after playing only a limited role for the Phoenix in 2011/12.

Last month, the Phoenix said the 23-year-old would be out of professional football for the foreseeable future because of an unspecified medical condition.

In a brief statement on Wednesday the club said his contract had been terminated by mutual consent, adding: The Wellington Phoenix management wish to thank Mirjan for his services and wish him every success in…

Liverpool s Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun on Monday signed a new two-year extension to his contract which will keep him at the club until 2013.

The 29-year-old told www.liverpoolfc.tv: I am very happy that we have reached an agreement. Of course, to be at a club like this is a dream come true and I want to keep playing here.

Hopefully now I can concentrate on the hard work that needs to be done and try to play better and better and win some silverware.

Benayoun, who moved to Anfield from West Ham in July 2007, scored nine goals in 42 appearances during the 2008-09 campaign, including the late winner against Real in the Champions League last 16 at the Bernabeu stadium in February.

He follows Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and Dirk Kuy…

Xavi accepts Sergio Busquets could decide to end his Barcelona career on a high at the end of the season, though the Blaugrana boss remains hopeful of keeping the midfielder.

Busquets has won 31 major trophies during a glittering 15-year spell with Barca s senior side, but the 34-year-old s contract with the Catalan giants expires at the end of this season.

While Barca president Joan Laporta revealed the club were looking to offer Busquets a one-year extension last month, MLS side Inter Miami have long been credited with an interest in him.

Barca are 12 points clear of Real Madrid at LaLiga s summit ahead of Monday s meeting with Girona, and while Xavi hopes Busquets will stay at Camp Nou, he accepts his captain may view a title triumph as the ideal time to depar…

Trent Alexander-Arnold felt Liverpool delivered their best performance of the season so far when they hammered Leicester City 4-0 to move 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Champions League and Club World Cup holders Liverpool stormed closer to winning their first domestic title in three decades by thrashing the second-placed Foxes at the King Power Stadium.

Roberto Firmino scored twice – both goals coming from crosses provided by Alexander-Arnold, who was also on target along with a James Milner penalty as the Reds showed no sign of fatigue despite being in Qatar for the Club World Cup last week.

It was the Reds 17th win from 18 Premier League games and Alexander-Arnold felt Thursday s victory was their finest to date.

We played real…