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• Van Persie lands first head coach role with Heerenveen

  Robin van Persie has landed his first head coach role after being appointed the new boss of Eredivisie team Heerenveen.

  Van Persie has agreed a two-year contract that will start at the end of the 2023-24 season, with the Dutch club confirming the deal on Friday.

  Heerenveen missed out on European qualification this season and can finish no higher than 10th when the top-flight campaign concludes this weekend.

  The club said in their statement they were convinced by the ambition and motivational skills of Van Persie, who starred for Arsenal and Manchester United in his playing career, winning the Premier League Golden Boot with both clubs, and the league title at Old Trafford.

  That was as well as earning 102 caps and scoring a record 50 goals for the Netherlands at international level.

  Van Persie said: "The coaching profession is comprehensive and challenging, and I've practised it with great passion and pleasure.

  "I would like to continue my development and the role of head coach fits in perfectly with that goal. I am therefore pleased with the opportunity that Heerenveen offers me.

  "Heerenveen is a very nice club with a rich tradition and loyal supporters. 

  "It is a fantastic challenge to contribute to the sporting ambitions and development of the club."

  While this is the 40-year-old’s first senior coaching role, he has been working under Liverpool-bound Arne Slot as a youth coach with Feyenoord.

  He succeeds Kees van Wonderen – who announced his impending departure in March ahead of the expiry of his contract – at Heerenveen.

  The club will finish their league campaign away against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday.

  "Although Robin is at the start of his career as head coach, he immediately convinced us," said general manager Ferry de Haan. 

  "He is ambitious, passionate and eager to learn. I think he knows how to enthuse and motivate a squad of players."

  Van Persie retired in 2019 and had two spells with Feyenoord at either end of his career, as well as a period playing in Turkey for Fenerbahce.

• Leeds' belief never wavered as Wembley beckons

  Ethan Ampadu said Leeds United's players never let their belief waver despite a poor end to their Championship campaign, with a trip to Wembley now coming up.

  Leeds will face either Southampton or West Brom in the play-off final on May 26 after thrashing Norwich City 4-0 at Elland Road on Thursday.

  The Whites endured a miserable end to their campaign, losing 4-0 at Queens Park Rangers before going down at home to Southampton on the final day, as Ipswich Town claimed automatic promotion behind Leicester City.

  But after their emphatic defeat of the Canaries, who they drew with 0-0 in the first leg, Ampadu claimed Leeds never lost their way.

  "Towards the end of the season there was a lot of talk about how we were playing, how we weren't on the front foot, how we weren't aggressive or clinical," he told Sky Sports.

  "But we always had our belief that on our day, when we are firing, we can be hard for anyone to play against.

  "When the front four, five, six play like that, they make the job of us defenders a lot easier.

  "Whoever we play in the final it's going to be a hard game but to go in like this, to put in a performance like this, we can take momentum and confidence into it.

  "The fans were second to none and we enjoyed their support – now we are going to prepare for the big one."

  Georginio Rutter scored one and set up another in the rout, and he put the onus on Leeds to replicate the same level at Wembley.

  "It's incredible. Today we go to Wembley," he said.

  "We played a good game. I'm happy, everybody is happy. One more game and we will see.

  "We played very good. 4-0 is a clean sheet. Today, we were mature. It's a very good performance from the team.

  "I want to try my best and help the team. If we play like this [at the final], we have a good chance but we have to play like this."

• Klopp jokes he 'doesn't like Maddison' after failing to block Kompany winner

  Jurgen Klopp has joked he doesn't like James Maddison after the midfielder's failure to block Vincent Kompany's long-range winner in the 2018-19 season.

  With the title race that campaign nearing its conclusion, Manchester City and Liverpool were going toe-to-toe at the Premier League summit.

  City faced Leicester City in their penultimate game, and with the contest 0-0 with 20 minutes left, the ball sat up for Kompany to shoot from range with Maddison in the vicinity.

  Maddison failed to block the effort, and Kompany's drive flew into the top corner before City ultimately went on to claim the title.

  Klopp has joked that he now feels differently about Maddison following that incident, telling The Redmen TV: "The moment when Vinny Kompany fires the ball, I'm really happy I didn't get a stroke because that's how it must feel.

  "I was watching thinking, 'Maddison, block him, close him down!'

  "And since then, I don't like Maddison! I was also angry with Brendan [Rodgers, then Leicester manager] that day, because he should have taken him off, he was tired.

  "It's a personal thing. Of course, I have no problem."