Alex Ferguson says Wayne Rooney has a "presence about him" and is hopeful the legendary forward will succeed in management after announcing his retirement from playing.
Rooney was officially named as Derby County boss on Friday, two months after replacing Phillip Cocu as interim coach.
The 35-year-old enjoyed an incredible playing career that spanned nearly two decades, during which time he won 16 trophies at Manchester United, the majority of those under Ferguson.
He retires as United and England's all-time leading goalscorer and while Ferguson believes that will be an advantage for Rooney, he warned the former forward results were all that mattered as a coach.
"He is England’s top goalscorer, he is Manchester United’s top goalscorer and he has had a fantastic career as a player and it will give him a starting point," Ferguson said on the 'A Team Talk With Legends' panel on Friday.
"But like anyone else it is a results industry and you need to get results. He will know that better than anyone.
"He has had a good start… and he has knowledge of the game, a presence about him and I hope he does well.
"It is a big step for him. He is quite a wealthy young man now with his career in football, so he probably doesn't need to go into management to look after his family, but he wants to do it and that is important.
"There is no point being a manager because someone asks you to be. He went there as a player-coach, he then become player-manager and now he has the manager's job and that's what he wanted. Hopefully he does well.”
England manager Gareth Southgate was also pleased to see Rooney take the helm at Derby.
Rooney joins former England team-mates Steven Gerrard (Rangers), Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Scott Parker (Fulham) in management.
"He has had an incredible career. I am pleased we have the likes of Wayne, Steven, Frank and Scott Parker – we don't want too many [Jamie] Carraghers sitting on the sofa because those good football brains are gone from the game," Southgate said.
"What you want from an England perspective is young English managers and ex-players to come in and add to the game and help develop young players.
"Those lads have brilliant experiences and it will be a huge challenge of course, but Wayne loves football, has a fantastic brain for football and I wish I had the chance to manage him five years earlier – not be the one to leave him out of the England squad, I'd rather be the one picking him at his peak."
James Harden believes he will combine well with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the Brooklyn Nets, talking up the "sacrifice" that would be required.
Harden, an eight-time All-Star, was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Nets in a move that was confirmed on Thursday.
Amid questions over how Harden will fit alongside Durant and Irving, the Nets recruit is confident – and said there would need to be sacrifices.
"Chemistry, sacrifice and like you said we're all elite so depending on the game, depending on what's going on throughout the course of the game, that's going to determine who gets the ball and who makes the plays," Harden told a news conference on Friday.
"We're all unselfish, we're all willing passers and we play basketball the right way and that's all that matters."
Asked what the Nets fans were getting, Harden said: "An elite player, an elite team-mate, an elite leader and just a guy that is willing to do whatever it takes to rack up as many wins as we can, sacrifice."
Harden's arrival enhances the Nets' championship hopes as the 31-year-old looks to win a maiden NBA title.
With Durant and Harden, the Nets now have two players who have won seven of the past 11 NBA scoring titles. No Brooklyn qualifier has ever finished higher than fifth.
Irving, Harden and Durant all rank in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring average (minimum 500 games) since the former's rookie season in 2011-12.
Harden said the Nets (7-6) were in position to contend.
"Obviously you've got Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the team and then surrounded by those guys you have really good pieces in DeAndre [Jordan], Jeff [Green], shooters in Joe [Harris], Landry [Shamet]," he said.
"You just look at this entire roster and it's built for any style of basketball you want. And then the coaching staff who know the game of basketball at a high level.
"You just add that all together and that's a legit chance right there. It was a no-brainer for me."
Kyrie Irving is counting the cost of attending a party last weekend after the Brooklyn Nets star was handed sanctions that looks set to leave him almost $900,000 out of pocket.
The NBA declared on Friday that it had imposed a $50,000 fine on Irving, who according to TMZ and widespread reports attended a large family birthday celebration while not wearing a mask.
That was in contravention of the league's coronavirus protocols.
But that penalty is just the tip of a very large iceberg, as Irving also must sacrifice his salary for the games he has since missed while quarantining, and according to ESPN's Bobby Marks that amounts to $816,898 in addition to the fine.
In a statement, the NBA said: "Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been fined $50,000 for violating the league's health and safety protocols, which among other things prohibit attending indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people or entering bars, lounges, clubs or similar establishments, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, president, league operations.
"The violation occurred when he attended a private indoor party last weekend.
"Irving will forfeit salary for any games he misses due to his five-day quarantine period, which will allow him to return to team activities on Saturday, January 16 if he continues to test negative."
Irving has averaged 27.1 points in his seven NBA appearances for the Nets this season, but for personal reasons he has not played in the team's most recent five games.
The 28-year-old six-time NBA All-Star joined the Nets in 2019 from the Boston Celtics and began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, landing a 2016 championship with the Cavs.
The Nets face the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
Mauricio Pochettino will miss Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 clash with Angers after testing positive for coronavirus.
The club confirmed in a tweet that Pochettino had returned a positive PCR test and will enter self-isolation.
Assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D'Agostino will take charge for Saturday's clash at the Stade Jean-Bouin.
After a 1-1 draw against Saint-Etienne in his first game at the helm, Pochettino has overseen a 3-0 win over Brest and a 2-1 Trophee des Champions victory against Marseille.
Wednesday's defeat of PSG's arch rivals secured Pochettino's first trophy of his career as a coach.
PSG are a point behind Lyon at the top of Ligue 1.
Dan Lawrence gave Joe Root a first-hand look at his talents on debut in Sri Lanka and the England Test captain came away impressed.
Root brought up his 18th century in the longest format and reached 168 not out before rain and bad light spared Sri Lanka the punishment of an evening session on day two.
The other stand-out turn in England amassing 320-4 - a first-innings lead of 185 after the hosts were skittled on day one - was Lawrence, who plundered a stylish 73 to announce himself at the highest level.
A mighty slog-swept six off left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya came with ample panache and was the shot of the day.
He helped add 173 alongside Root for the fourth wicket and the captain looked on approvingly.
"I'm very impressed, I thought he played magnificently well," he said.
"He showed exactly why he deserves his opportunity to play, and hopefully it is the start of something very special for him."
Root surpassed Kevin Pietersen's 151 in Colombo nine years ago to register England's highest score in Sri Lanka.
Despite this being his first Test century since November 2019, the Yorkshireman showed he had not lost his knack for going big - this his eighth score in excess of 150.
"Generally when I make a 100, I make it really count," he said.
"I have got quite a good record past 100, so tomorrow I will be trying to make that another really big one and drive the game forward from there.
"I felt that I got in a really good mindset throughout this game so far and I will try and take that into the rest of this winter tour and beyond.
"The previous couple of hundreds that I have got - even though they were a while ago - have come at the end of series.
"So to get one at the start of a very long winter is quite exciting, and hopefully I can take that forward into the rest of the game."
The New York Yankees are reportedly finalising a deal to re-sign second baseman DJ LeMahieu.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, LeMahieu is set to sign a six-year, $90million contract to stay in the Bronx.
That payday follows a stellar second season with the Yankees, who reached the American League Divisional Series but lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in five games.
LeMahieu finished the season with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, leading MLB with a batting average of .364.
He was also first in the American League in on-base percentage (.421) and on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (1.011).
The infielder's efforts saw him finish third in the American League MVP voting and he was the second base silver slugger for the second straight year.
The Yankees are due to begin their spring training schedule on February 27 against the Detroit Tigers. Their regular season is scheduled to get under way on April 1 with a meeting with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino has defended Kylian Mbappe amid accusations the forward has lost form and focus.
France star Mbappe has scored only twice in his past seven games in all competitions, having started the season by hitting nine goals in as many games.
Beyond a lack of goals, the 22-year-old has been enduring a run of performances in which he has made few decisive contributions.
In his most recent five outings, Mbappe has twice failed to have a shot – including in Wednesday's 2-1 Trophee des Champions win over Marseille – and failed to create a chance for team-mates in three separate games.
He has also completed more than two dribbles in a single game on only one occasion in that run and has been criticised for losing the ball too often. Against Marseille, he lost possession 19 times, the most of any PSG player, and only dribbled past a defender twice.
Former PSG midfielder and coach Jean-Michel Larque, speaking via RMC, claimed Mbappe was careless against Marseille as he was trying to "ridicule" his opponents, adding that the player's current malaise means he "has no place at Paris Saint-Germain".
However, ahead of Saturday's Ligue 1 clash with Angers, Pochettino insisted Mbappe is striving to do his best.
"I'm very happy with Kylian's form," Pochettino told a news conference. "He is an important player for us.
"He is trying hard for the team. I'm happy with his effort and his involvement against Marseille.
"As with everything, we are always looking to improve but I'm pleased with Mbappe's effort and commitment. He's played 90 minutes in all three games [since Pochettino's arriva], which shows I'm pleased with the way he is performing.
"So much is expected of him and he's in the spotlight, but as I said, I'm very pleased with him and, over time, he'll get goals and more assists."
Asked if Mbappe needed a rest to recover top form, Pochettino said: "There are a lot of myths about the way you manage players in a team in terms of fitness.
"Our decisions are based on the best for all the players. Mbappe has played all three games because he is fit. He will improve with the more minutes he gets."
PSG head to Angers having not lost to Stephane Moulin's side in the past 20 league meetings since a 3-1 defeat in January 1975.
However, the champions have won only once in their previous four away league matches and have failed to win five of their past nine top-flight games, as many as in their previous 30 in the competition.
Hansi Flick wants every member of his Bayern Munich team to work on turning their defensive struggles around as they prepare for a dangerous Bundesliga clash with in-form Freiburg.
Bayern saw their hopes of a second successive treble ended on Wednesday as they suffered a shock DFB-Pokal exit at the hands of 2. Bundesliga promotion challengers Holstein Kiel.
They conceded a 95th-minute equaliser to make it 2-2 at the end of normal time, with the second-tier side going on to prevail 6-5 on penalties.
Flick's side have not kept a clean sheet since the Champions League win over Lokomotiv Moscow on December 9, while the second of just two shutouts in the Bundesliga came back in the 5-0 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt on October 24.
Bayern have faced the fifth-fewest total shots in the Bundesliga (160) but have conceded the sixth-most goals with 24, that total 12 more than the league leaders' closest challengers, RB Leipzig, who could have leapfrogged the Bavarian giants by the time Freiburg visit the Allianz Arena on Sunday.
Freiburg have won five successive league games and are second in the Bundesliga in 'big chance' conversion rate (58.33 per cent), so Bayern can ill-afford to present them with the kind of opportunities they have afforded their opponents all too often in 2020-21.
"It's going to be an intense game, Freiburg is known for that type of football. They're scoring a lot of goals," Flick said during a media conference on Friday.
"It's going to be about us and how we play in defence. It's down to us, the disappointment we had to digest pretty quickly, we have to make the best out of the situation now.
"The whole team is under pressure in defence, it's not only the back four. We're not getting enough pressure on to the ball, not as much as we used to."
Adding that Bayern's remarkable treble-winning efforts of last season were "not normal", Flick said: "I did expect us to experience a bit of a slump a little earlier but my team showed incredible mentality and we made it to the top of the table before the winter break.
"The engine isn't running smoothly, on Wednesday we experienced it in the most brutal fashion.
"We're making it too easy for the opponents to make chances, we have to be in better positions, we have to defend together.
"It's our job and it's our expectation to get back on top."
Barcelona have been forced to postpone their presidential elections due to concerns around mounting coronavirus cases.
Catalonia's regional government told the club in a meeting on Friday that it could not authorise members to travel to a polling station outside their local area on election day.
Because of these restrictions on movement, Barca have declared it impossible to hold elections as planned on January 24.
There are three candidates still in the running for the presidency: favourite Joan Laporta, Victor Font and Toni Freixa.
In a statement, the club also said: "In this sense, the club has asked the Catalan Government to evaluate the possibility of modifying the current sports legislation in order to enable voting by post on the new date of the elections, a request that the Government has undertaken to study."
While Spain has so far resisted implementing a new stringent national lockdown, regional restrictions have been toughened in recent weeks due to increasing cases of COVID-19.
On Thursday, there were 35,878 confirmed cases of the virus – the second highest daily total – and 201 deaths across the country.
There are at least 19,000 people being treated in hospital having tested positive for the virus, forcing some areas to cancel non-essential surgeries. The country has partly blamed the rise in cases on the highly infectious new strain first identified in the United Kingdom.
Wayne Rooney has been appointed the new Derby County manager after impressing as interim boss.
The former Manchester United and England captain has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship club.
Rooney, 35, has overseen three wins and four draws in nine games since taking temporary charge back in November after Phillip Cocu was sacked with the Rams bottom of the table. They are now 22nd and only in the relegation zone due to goal difference.
The decision to take over as full-time boss means Rooney has officially brought his illustrious playing career to an end.
"When I first arrived back in the United Kingdom I was completely blown away by the potential of Derby County Football Club," Rooney said in a statement. "The stadium, training ground, the quality of the playing staff and the young players coming through and of course the fan base that has remained loyal and supportive.
"Despite other offers I knew instinctively Derby County was the place for me.
"To be given the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is such an honour and I can promise everyone in involved in the club and all our fans, my staff and I will leave no stone unturned in achieving the potential I have witnessed over the last 12 months of this historic football club."
Rooney's impressive impact upon results has come despite turmoil around the club, including a wage delay, a protracted takeover by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan and a coronavirus outbreak that forced the closure of the training ground.
Derby kept five clean sheets, conceded only four goals and lost just twice in their first nine matches under Rooney. No side conceded fewer goals in that time and only Brentford suffered fewer defeats (zero).
Rooney initially joined Derby in a player-coach role in January 2020 after spending two years in MLS with DC United.
England and Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer played 35 times for the Rams, the last of which was in a 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough on November 25.
Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker will all stay on in Rooney's backroom team, with Rosenior named assistant manager. Former England boss Steve McClaren will continue as technical director.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to go through the gears as he attempts to steer Milan to their first Scudetto in a decade.
Ten goals in seven games from Ibrahimovic, at a rate of one every 53.4 minutes, has been a vital spur in the first half of the season that has taken the Rossoneri to the Serie A summit.
"Today I feel like a leader. I drive, the team follows me," the 39-year-old striker told Corriere dello Sport.
Fit again after a seven-week injury lay-off, Milan head coach Stefano Pioli will hope Ibrahimovic can resume leading the attacking line with his familiar panache as the season nears its halfway mark.
A scintillating start to the campaign will count for little if Milan tail off over the coming months, which Ibrahimovic acknowledged when he considered the prospect of earning a place in next season's Champions League.
Inter and Juventus appear to be the biggest threats to Milan's lead, which stands at three points after 17 games. Milan are next in action when they face Cagliari on Monday.
"It is early. How much is still to go? All the second half of the season plus two games," Ibrahimovic said.
"Furthermore, setting goals is like setting limits. I never do it. Second place is the first of the last. I want to get the best out of me and the team, every day, including training."
The former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain frontman is enjoying a second stint with Milan, after a fruitful first spell from 2010 to 2012, when he featured in that 2010-11 title-winning team.
"Ten years ago it was another Milan. But also the Milan that I found in 2020 was different. Always a very young team. We have worked, we sacrificed ourselves. Here are the results," said Ibrahimovic.
"We are doing great things, it is true, as it is true that we have not won anything. There is the desire to do more."
Joe Root led from the front with an unbeaten century to leave England in complete control of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Resuming on 66, the England captain batted throughout truncated day two in masterful fashion, reaching 168 at tea before rain and bad light put paid to the final session, with the tourists on 320-4 - a first-innings lead of 185.
Debutant Dan Lawrence made a wonderfully fluent 73 as part of a 173 alongside Root, with Sri Lanka's main hopes of avoiding a heavy defeat already seemingly pinned on further unseasonably wet weather.
Events might have panned out very differently had Dilruwan Perera removed Root lbw with the first ball of the day, but an umpire's call fell in the batsman's favour and he was off and running with a straight four crunched back down the ground in the same over.
The tireless Lasith Embuldeniya claimed his third wicket of the match as Kusal Mendis held a sharp chance at gully to dismiss Jonny Bairstow three runs shy of a half-century.
Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, Lawrence showed no sign of debut nerves as his attractive, smooth-wristed style transferred easily to the Test arena.
The highlight of the 23-year-old's 150-ball knock came when he launched left-arm spinner Embuldeniya for a huge, slog-swept six.
Root and Lawrence played in unhurried fashion off front and back foot, devouring a heavy diet of spin bowling until Dilruwan found extra bounce with the second new ball to have the youngster caught by Mendis at short leg.
Jos Buttler's scratchy progress against Dilruwan showed batting might not be quite as easy on a turning surface as Root and Lawrence suggested, meaning England are ominously placed despite the lost time.
Root begins pivotal year in emphatic fashion
A packed 2021 schedule is likely to define Root's reign as England's Test captain, with home and away series against India preceding a trip to Australia and a third crack at Ashes glory in his tenure.
He probably took a light lunch, having ended the first session on 99 in pursuit of a first ton in the longest format since November 2019.
In truth, the immaculate balance and judgement Root displayed throughout made an 18th Test century feel like a formality and, after nudging a single off Dilruwan from the second ball of the session, he went on to surpass Kevin Pietersen's 151 in Colombo in 2012 to make England's highest individual score in Sri Lanka.
Lawrence gives England a handy problem
Root and head coach Chris Silverwood will need to call on squad depth as they negotiate the challenges of the year to come and Lawrence's stylish introduction to the middle order was most welcome.
A remodelled Test side designed to bat time at the top of the order with the likes of Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Rory Burns now has another option in the engine room to make the purists purr. Ollie Pope knows he must hit the ground running on his expected return from shoulder surgery in India.
Embuldeniya gamely holds the fort in Galle
Sri Lanka's spinners have matched their batsmen for ineptitude at times, with Dilruwan struggling for length before finding some rhythm prior to tea and leg-spinner Hasaranga De Silva (0-63) going at more than four an over.
Skipper Dinesh Chandimal has turned time and again to Embuldeniya, who has wheeled through 38 overs for his 3-131. If a five-wicket haul arrives it will be the result of relentless toil.
After a long string of low scores, Andre Fletcher finally came good with a man-of-the-match performance that saw the Melbourne Stars score a massive 111-run victory over the Adelaide Strikers in Melbourne on Thursday.
Australia fear they might have let India off the hook on the first day of the deciding Test in Brisbane, according to centurion Marnus Labuschagne.
Number three Labuschagne reached three figures for the first time in the series with a typically diligent 108.
However, he top-edged a pull off debutant seamer Thangarasu Natarajan (2-63) to be pouched by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, shortly after Matthew Wade departed to the same bowler for 45.
Like Wade, Steve Smith was guilty of not capitalising on a start when he became Washington Sundar's maiden Test wicket on 36, although Cameron Green (28 not out) and under-fire captain Tim Paine (38no) got the hosts to 274-5 at stumps with the four-match series all square at 1-1.
"Look, all our batters are going to make their own assessment of the way they got out. They're all international players," Labuschagne said.
"You know everyone gets judged harshly. You're your own harshest critic and everyone will look at their dismissals and say, 'What could I have done better?'
"I'm definitely disappointed about not going on and getting a really big score that would have put us in a better position as a team.
"We'll still take the position we're in, it was really nice to see Greeny and Tim finish it off there when we did lose two wickets in quick succession."
Injuries have laid waste to India's plans over the course of the series and Natarajan and Sundar featured for the first time in the longest format as key men Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah were ruled out.
It meant learning on the fly against unfamiliar opposition, although it was a challenge Labuschagne relished.
"Definitely I had to formulate some plans on the run and keep trying to understand the situation, what they were doing. That's the part of the game that is really enjoyable." he said when considering an India attack that was further compromised by the loss of Navdeep Saini to a groin injury after only 7.5 overs.
"You've got to read the situation out there. You can look at stuff on a screen and see how guys bowl but only you know out there, with a feel of how you can do things and how you can make things easier. "
Not for the first time, Smith was the centre of controversy for alleged gamesmanship on the final day of the drawn third Test, but Labuschagne failed to spot any ill-effects as the pair shared a stand of 70 for the third wicket.
"I don't think when he walks out onto the field that stuff really concerns him. He's focusing on the ball and scoring runs," he added.
"If anything it gives him extra motivation to put big runs on the board. I don't think that stuff comes into play when he's out there at all."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
