Latest news with #ex-Blackburn
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alan Shearer suggests Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement to Arne Slot after Conor Bradley comments
Alan Shearer has suggested Inter Milian's Denzel Dumfries as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Liverpool - after Arne Slot insisted he has "confidence" in Conor Bradley to make his case as his successor at right-back. After months of speculation over his future, Alexander-Arnold confirmed his intention to depart Anfield at the end of the current season as a free agent. With the England international presumed to be bound for Real Madrid, it remains to be seen how his boyhood club will fill the void. Departing as a two-time Premier League victor after the Reds secured the title last month, the 26-year-old has been an important component in this triumph. However, Northern Irish defender Bradley has proven himself to be an able deputy in Alexander-Arnold's absence after breaking into the Anfield set-up in the past couple of seasons. READ MORE: Jamie Carragher spots 'worrying sign' in Mikel Arteta comments about Liverpool READ MORE: Liverpool given injury boost as defender returns to training after three-month absence The 21-year-old, who is also a Liverpool Academy graduate, has been mooted by many observers to be the natural successor to his outbound teammate in recent times. However, some concerns do abound over the youngster's fitness, with Bradley having missed significant periods of the current campaign through injury. Now, Premier League legend Shearer has offered up a potential alternative replacement for Alexander-Arnold - if the Reds do go into the transfer market to mitigate the loss. Speaking to Betfair, the Newcastle United icon said: "Although Denzel Dumfries plays in a completely different system with Inter Milan, there's no doubt that when I've seen him in that system, he's shone. "His energy has been incredible and the most impressive thing for me is how good he's been in forward positions," he continued, as he assessed the Dutchman's merits, following his strong performances en route to the Champions League final this term. "He got a couple of goals, the assist in the [Champions League] semi-finals. Moreover, the ex-Blackburn striker is convinced that opportunity to work alongside compatriot Slot could prove to be an attractive prospect for Netherlands international. He opined: "Defensively is a different question, but certainly offensively he's a very, very good player. Arne Slot will know him better than anyone being a fellow Dutchman. "Signing for Liverpool would be an option, but he's got the chance of winning the Champions League and he's also got a chance of winning the league so he's obviously in a very healthy position.' As for Bradley's situation, there is no doubt that Slot is willing to give the prospect the opportunity to stake his claim for a starting XI spot moving forward. Confirming that the full-back will start against Arsenal this weekend, he said: "Conor will start, he needs playing time, games under his belt to be prepared for next season. That said, the former Feyenoord boss was honest in his assessment of the player's progress this term, as he admitted that the defender's fitness has hampered him. He added: "Unfortunately he hasn't been fit all season but to become a good player you have to be fit all season but we have a lot of confidence in him as a very good full-back for Liverpool." READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news as Julian Alvarez 'plan' emerges and Arne Slot 'eyes $112M Real Madrid ace' READ MORE: 'Arne Slot has created Liverpool transfer advantage - I'd love to sign for him The Anfield head coach also offered up his thoughts on the impending exit of Alexander-Arnold, after his long-awaited announcement earlier this week. Slot added: "I am not here to tell the fans how they should react. "We are all disappointed but Trent is the first one also who he said he would prefer us as a team and a club not to be not too much distracted by this announcement. "I am hoping all the energy on Sunday goes to the players and less as possible to Trent – unless it is positive then they can do whatever they want."
Irish Daily Mirror
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Damien Duff gets Ireland manager job verdict as 'offers could have been coming'
Shane Long admits he'd love to see Damien Duff managing the Ireland national team as he showered praise on his former team-mate's coaching career. The 46-year-old has been the manager of League of Ireland outfit Shelbourne FC since 2021 and led the club to their first league title for 18 years last season. Bringing silverware back to Shelbourne while seeing the club compete in the qualification rounds of the Champions League has brought attention onto the ex-Chelsea star and the upward trajectory of his managerial career. Long – who spent five years as Duff's international team-mate – admitted he hasn't been surprised with the success Duff and fellow Irishman Robbie Keane have enjoyed in management, with the latter in charge of Ferencvaros. "I knew there was a problem at the end of my career when I didn't know any of the players I was playing against, but I knew their coaches and managers - that was showing me how old I was getting," he exclusively told Ladbrokes. "But when you talk about the likes of Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, these are the kind of guys who don't surprise me at all with the fact they've gone into management. "I'm delighted for Duffer with how well things are going - when he was coaching with Ireland, you could just see how much he loved it, and how much effort he put into it. You could just tell he was going to go on to good things. I think they'll do well to keep hold of him in Ireland, you know." Long suggested that Duff's success with Shelbourne may have seen him field job offers but a desire to remain close to his family has resulted in his four-year stay at the club so far. "He's infectious when you meet him, as well," the ex-Southampton striker said. "With Duffer, I think he maybe could have had offers coming in, but he really wanted to progress the game in Ireland, and I know he really wanted to live back home there with his family and, yeah, just grow the league there, and I think he's done that. "It's not easier for them, but they come in immediately with respect from their players, because of the careers they've had - people will definitely be watching them a bit more. "I wouldn't say it's a case of Duff and Keane training themselves up for bigger jobs, but they're definitely learning a lot as managers right now. I hope the pair of them keep doing what they're doing, because it'd be nice to see one of them managing Ireland one day." Despite Long's belief that either Duff or Keane could manage the national team – who have been in the hands of Former Iceland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson since July 2024 – the ex-Blackburn winger has certainly made his thoughts clear on the potential of that happening, with Duff admitting the role would "drive me insane". "I had the eight or nine months with Stephen [Kenny]," he said on the Episode podcast with Richie Sadlier last year. "You are in an office every day, just pottering around. There is nothing better than going in and being with the players – our players. It's special, you are building bonds every day. "What do international managers and coaches do? They might fly over and meet the player at the training ground... are you really building a bond? You build bonds on Friday nights, Monday nights here in Ireland. In England, Saturday afternoons. It doesn't interest me whatsoever because I'm learning too much at the moment." Ireland are next in action on June 6 when they welcome Senegal to the Aviva Stadium, before another friendly away to Luxembourg awaits four days later. World Cup qualifiers don't return until September, with Hungary and Armenia awaiting then.
