Bolton Wanderers have handed Stuart Holden a new contract following the midfielder's impressive start to life at the Reebok Stadium.
The Scottish-born USA international joined the Trotters in January following a successful trial and has now been handed a deal that runs until summer 2013.
Holden has started all six of the club's Premier League matches so far this season.
"Stuart has been a breath of fresh air since he's come in," manager Owen Coyle told the club's official website.
"He did terrifically last season and has started this campaign really well.
"To now have him signed until 2013 tells you how committed Stuart is to the club. It also goes to show how committed the club are to Stuart."
The 25-year-old began his career at Sunderland before moving to the United States with Houston Dynamo in 2006.
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"I was given an opportunity by the manager to show that I can play at this level and I'm extremely grateful for that. The confidence that he has shown in me has really allowed me to push on," explained the midfielder.
"With the players that he has brought in and the players that were here already, then I believe that we can do special things in the coming seasons."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
It is extremely easy to become complacent in any line if work, but especially for professional footballers. The amount of money they get paid each week makes their life financially stress free and time and time again a player will become too comfortable at a club and suddenly a year of his career has gone by.
Whether it is a lack of confidence or just the fact that they are playing for all the wrong reason, it is becoming even more common for players to accept sitting on the side lines and taking their pay check each month without doing a lot to deserve it. However, we are midway through the January transfer window and so it is an ideal chance for these players to leave their respective clubs and find some regular first team football that has been missing in the past.
A chance to get their careers back on track should not be sniffed at and whether they were an up-and-coming youngster that has not fulfilled their potential or have struggled after a big money move here is a look at the top ten players whose career is passing them by.
Click on Michael Turner to unveil the top 10
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Have I missed anyone out? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard
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It seems Uruguayan international striker Diego Forlan could be set for a Premier League return; of course Forlan previous had a spell in English football with Manchester United. During that time Forlan failed to establish himself as a prolific Premier League striker – but he is well remembered for his entertaining nature and scoring important goals. But he only scored 10 Premier goals in over 60 appearances, despite that both Manchester United and Spurs are keen for him to return to the Premier League. But which of these clubs would represent the best move?
Manchester United is already blessed with several top quality striking options and Forlan may find it difficult to get regular games. But he knows the area from his previous spell, will be encouraged by the fact he is still remembered by the fans and will know a move to Manchester United will almost certainly include competing for trophy’s.
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Spurs also have a decent array of strikers – but they haven’t all been in the best of form this season; both Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch have had disappointing returns in the Premier League. Therefore, Forlan could come in and if he does well would stand a decent chance of keeping his place in the team. The downside with a move to Spurs is the fact that he is unlikely to be competing for trophy’s and can’t even be sure of playing in the Champions’ League.
Personally I would welcome a return to the Premier League for Diego Forlan and he would be a good signing for any club in the Premier League – but I would think he would want to go to a top four/five team and both Manchester United and Spurs seem realistic choices. Although, his goal return in his previous spell in English football was disappointing there is little doubt the player is a natural goal-scorer. Forlan was one of the standout players in the World Cup and has a very impressive scoring record in Spain. For instance last season he scored 28 goals in all competitions.
I have a sneaky feeling Forlan thinks that he has unfinished business at Manchester United and at 31 will want to finish his career at the highest level possible. Forlan would also not be under pressure to score goals with the fine array of attacking talent available at Manchester United. But the Uruguay international will have to weigh that up against how often he will play. The bottom line is it would be fantastic to see Forlan back in the Premier League.
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Celtic recorded a 14th straight successive league victory with a 2-1 victory over Hibernian at Parkhead.
Celtic broke the deadlock after just five minutes of the match, with a superb volley from captain, Scott Brown against the team where he began his career. The match however proved to be a dire affair in terms of entertainment value. However the start of the second half, saw the match finally come to life again when a Glenn Loovens header doubled Celtic’s lead. However a touch of brilliance from Derek Riordan saw Hibernian pull a goal back when the striker hit a superb lob over opposing keeper, Fraser Forster. Celtic however held on for a deserved 2-1 home win,
Dundee United finally appear to be getting their season up and running with a 1-0 win at home against St Johnstone. The only goal of the game came from, Scotland under 21 star, David Goodwillie who poked home the ball from six yards out beating Enckleman to hand the Tangerines three points.
Hamilton and Kilmarnock shared the spoils with a 2-2 draw at New Douglas Park which was high on entertainment value.
Hamilton took the lead in front of their home support with Flavio Paixao scoring a header from a Jim Goodwin cross. Nigel Hasselbaink then made it 2-0 for Hamilton inside 38 minutes with an easy goal weaving past the Kilmarnock defence.
Killie however had other ideas in the 2nd half and got back into the match through a Jamie Hamill penalty which was retaken. Connor Sammon then completed the comeback with an 89th minute strike from close range, leaving both the odds on relegation candidates with a point each.
Hearts’ woes continued with a 2-0 defeat at home against Craig Brown’s Motherwell.
Hearts who suffered a painful 4-3 defeat in the League Cup during the week against First Division, Falkirk will have plenty of things to think about after the Steelman recorded their third successive away victory in the Premier League.
It took till the second half for Well to open the scoring with on loan striker, Nick Blackman sweeping home the ball into the net from a Chris Humphrey delivery. John Sutton then made it 2-0 on the 70th minute to seal another impressive away victory.
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An Eric Odhiambo brace sealed a 2-1 win for Inverness at St Mirren.
Odhiambo opened the scoring for Inverness with a drilled shot past Paul Gallacher in injury time at the start of the first half. The player then doubled the lead for the away side at the start of the second half firing home from a Jonny Hayes pass.
St Mirren’s striker, Paul McGowan then pulled a goal back for the home side with a terrific volley but it wasn’t enough as his team left the match empty handed, remaining rooted to the bottom of the league.
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has admitted that he is proud to equal Thierry Henry’s goalscoring record for most goals in a calendar year.
The Netherlands international scored against Aston Villa on Wednesday night to make it 34 goals for the North London club in 2011, equalling the French attacker’s record.
Despite being honoured at achieving the tally, Van Persie feels that winning trophies for Arsene Wenger’s men is more important than individual accolades.
“It is a big honour to equal Thierry’s record because he is probably the best player Arsenal ever had. To achieve what he did in a year is really special. It makes me proud,” he told The Daily Mail.
“I think it has helped that I haven’t missed a single Premier League game and featured for 90 minutes in most of them.
“When you have a good run, and you feel fresh and fit, you try things, you take more risks here and there than, for example, if you are just coming back from injury. You always need a couple of games when you’re back from injury.
“As a striker I think it is really important to have a go. If you look at my performances, I take more risks now because I know with the team behind me I will always get more chances.
“It’s not that I only get one chance normally, I always get one, two, three, sometimes four chances in a game. That sort of tells me that I can take a risk here and there.
“It (the scoring records) is not my main target. The main target is to win games and to help my team out and to have a good run.
“After losing to Manchester City, it is always really important to bounce back after a defeat. Great teams do bounce back and that’s what we had to do at Villa on Wednesday.
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“Now we have Wolves on Tuesday, then afterwards QPR both at home, so hopefully we can have a good run again,” he concluded.
Coupe de la Ligue: Marseille 1 Montpellier 0Marseille claimed their second-straight Coupe de la Ligue with a 1-0 win over Montpellier in the final on Saturday.
Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo scored the only goal of the game in the 81st minute as Marseille became the first side to successfully defend the Cup in its 17-year history.
The French champions went within inches of opening the scoring in the 32nd minute through midfielder Mathieu Valbuena.
He controlled a loose ball on his chest and hit a half-volley from just inside the area, but it struck the post and bounced clear.
In a scrappy second half, Montpellier defender Cyril Jeunechamp came close when he tested Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda with a fierce drive.
But the Cup holders would eventually find a breakthrough nine minutes from full-time.
Montpellier shot-stopper Laurent Pionnier failed to make a decent connection to his attempted clearance from a free kick, and Taiwo’s right-footed strike found the bottom corner through a sea of bodies.
Marseille will be hoping their success has the same impact as it did last season when they went on to win Ligue 1. Didier Deschamps’ side sits a point behind leaders Lille with seven games remaining this campaign.
Birmingham City vice-chairman Peter Pannu has launched a withering attack on Blues manager Alex McLeish, insisting that the Scotsman is 'no Jose Mourinho'.
Talks over new contract at St Andrew's have hit the buffers in recent weeks, with Pannu claiming that McLeish is asking for far too much money.
He told the Daily Star:"I have been in talks with his representative and he was asking for a very large amount of money, which I was not prepared to meet.
"He has not been tried and tested yet. The club was relegated, then promoted and last year we stayed up, so he has done well.
"But to suggest that he is in the top class like a Mourinho, well, he is no Mourinho yet. The ball is in his court."
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McLeish, who has been linked with the managerial vacancy at nearby Aston Villa, took charge at City in November 2007, following spells in charge of Motherwell, Hibernian, Rangers and the Scotland national team.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Liverpool have been criticised for their unrelenting support for Luis Suarez by Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley.
The Uruguay international was found guilty of racial abuse against Patrice Evra in The Reds’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United back in October, and handed an eight-match ban.
Despite this, the Anfield club’s players wore t-shirts with Suarez’s face on it as a mark of support in a recent warm-up, and Kenny Dalglish has been adamant in his backing of the player.
This conduct is deemed as hypocritical by Ouseley, who feels the Merseysiders are guilty of double standards.
“Liverpool FC need to take a hard look at themselves and how they have responded to the complaint and the investigations into the allegations of abuse in the Patrice Evra/Luis Suarez case,” he stated to The Guardian.
“Throughout the entirety of the proceedings, over the past three months, all we have heard are denials and denigration of Evra. Since the publication of the 115-page report of the findings of the FA’s independent commission, Liverpool’s vitriol has increased.
”Suarez’s attempt at a belated apology is nothing short of lamentable. I cannot believe that a club of Liverpool’s stature, and with how it has previously led on matters of social injustice and inequality, can allow its integrity and credibility to be debased by such crass and ill-considered responses.
”Liverpool have been particularly hypocritical. You can’t on the one hand wear a Kick It Out T-shirt in a week of campaigning against racism when this is also happening on the pitch: it’s the height of hypocrisy.
”Liverpool players wore a T-shirt saying: ‘We support Luis Suarez’, seemingly whatever the outcome. This was a dreadful knee-jerk reaction because it stirs things up,” he concluded.
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Well here’s to the most pointless set of Champions League quarter final second legs in the history of its existence? Certainly for a very long time! Football fans the world over watched the eagerly anticipated draw in mid-March; mouths watering over the possibility of Harry vs. Jose, Gareth Bale adding Real Madrid to his list of ‘teams I destroyed this season’, the all-English clash of the titans Chelsea vs. United, Torres finally finding himself or Ancelotti out of a job, a refreshing bunch of youthful talented players in Shakhtar Donetsk (who won at the Camp Nou in December 2008) shocking the world by beating the best team in the world, and the current holders; the almighty Inter Milan after their breath-taking tie with Bayern in the last round coming face-to-face with surprise package Shalke 04 led by the ever aging, every prolific Raul. “What a draw” we said, “An all-English final, AT WEMBLEY” we said. And how wrong we were!
If anything there was goals, in fact in the first legs alone we saw eighteen hit the back of the net! None more so than Dejan Stankovic’s unbelievable first-time volley from the halfway line and Angel Di Maria’s thunderous strike at the Bernabeu. But as brilliant and as plentiful as they were they all served one miserable purpose which was to kill off any chance of a spectacle in the second leg.
Tottenham’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Real Madrid pretty much sealed their fate, a double from ex-Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor and the stupidity of red-carded Peter Crouch cost them a place in the semi-final a week ago. But nevertheless Harry’s boys turned in a typically defiant first half performance in the second leg; with a bit of luck they might have had a penalty or two. But then the calamitous Heurelho Gomes pressed the self-destruct button five minutes after the break. My 70-year-old Nan could’ve saved Ronaldo’s speculative effort, but not Gomes. 5-0 on aggregate and an away goal (despite wishful thinking from ITV who thought Spurs deserved the goal) well and truly distinguished any hopes of a comeback, as if we didn’t already know. The White Hart Lane faithful showed their appreciation after the game; Harry now turns his attentions to that crucial fourth-place finish. The special one on the other hand could still fulfil his prophecy and win Europe’s biggest prize with three different clubs, but it’s not going to be easy, El Clasico awaits!
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Tuesday night’s clash between United and Chelsea was the only competitive one of the round. Wayne Rooney resisted the urge to stick two fingers up towards his critics at Stamford Bridge when he bagged a crucial winner in the first leg and Torres once again showed his worth, £50 million of pure class, I think? No, Not at all actually. Ancelotti left us all amazed when he substituted the lively Drogba instead of the woeful Torres. The Spaniard started again in the second leg and you have to wonder who actually made that decision. Abramovich’s prized asset failed to get on the score sheet, while at the other end Hernandez (£44 million cheaper) put United ahead. El’ Nino hauled off in the interval and Drogba showed his worth. With 13 minutes to play he gave hope to the ten-man Blues, but it didn’t last long; seconds later Park Ji-Sung booked United’s place in the semis.
Completing the semi-final line up, Schalke and Barcelona surprised nobody. Schalke phenomenally won 5-2 at the San Siro in their first leg. Even the goal of the tournament so far just one minute in from Stankovic wasn’t enough to halt the German side that took Inter to pieces, following it up with a 2-1 win on home soil, 7-3 on aggregate!
Barcelona were in typically punishing mood when Shakhtar Donetsk came to visit in the first leg of their quarter final. The only surprise here was Lionel Messi’s failure to score in the 5-1 rout. The little Argentinian put it right in the second leg however; his 43rd minute goal was enough to secure the win, can’t imagine many people tuned in for this enthralling encounter!
So is it worth us getting excited about this year’s semi-finals? Of course it is! United won’t find it easy when they travel to Schalke, the threat of Raul could leave them with it all to do at Old Trafford. No doubt Mourinho will have something up his sleeve for Barca, and he’s going to need it if he wants to prevent a repeat of the 5-0 hiding they received earlier in the season.
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The dream final has to be United vs. Barca. It’s difficult to see anyone beating Guardiola’s boys right now but if anyone is up to the task then it’s a fully-fit United at Wembley! Ferdinand and Vidic will have to be fit and United’s fans need to make it feel like Old Trafford.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has allowed Austria international Stefan Maierhofer to join Duisburg on a season-long loan arrangement.
The 27-year-old only moved to Molineux last summer in a £1.8million transfer but failed to impress, starting only two matches for McCarthy's team.
He scored on his debut as a late substitute in a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers last September, but was loaned out to Bristol City for the last two months of the campaign. However, the striker failed to find the net in three appearances for the Robins.
He has now been given the chance to resurrect his career with the German second division club and could earn a permanent switch if he impresses.
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Meanwhile, Wolves have denied that Sam Vokes is set to sign for Crystal Palace but Andy Keogh continues to be linked with a move away from the club.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email