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Harry Kane sounds like a gangster from a Guy Ritchie movie, but he is actually Spurs’ latest young star to have been tipped for great things. Whilst he is not yet a household name amongst football fans, that could well change in the next few years. The 17 year old is regarded as one of the club’s top academy prospects, on Kane’s biography on the official Spurs’ website it says,

“Playing just behind a central striker, Harry made a huge impact during his first full season in our Academy, establishing himself as one of the most highly-rated young players at the club.”

Harry Kane is a product of the Spurs’ youth system and in the 2008-09 season played in the Under-16’s side that competed in the Copa Chivas and Bellinzona tournaments in Mexico, scoring three goals.

In the 2009/10 season Kane played 22 times for Tottenham’s Under-18’s, scoring an impressive 18 goals, he was also named on the first team bench for two matches last season, which is no mean feat for a 17 year old in what is a strong Spurs’ squad. Kane’s good form for Tottenham did not go unnoticed, and he made his international debut for England Under-17’s during the campaign. So far he has made three appearances for England Under-17’s, scoring two goals in the process. Upon his call up to England, Spurs’ Under-18 coach Alex Inglethorpe stated on the club’s website that,

“It’s fantastic for the academy and Harry that he’s been recognised in this way. He’s a lovely lad, a terrific young player with a great work ethic and one who will keep on improving.”

Kane is also renowned as something of a dead ball specialist, scoring two free kicks in one game for the Under-17’s against Watford last season. With set-pieces becoming an increasingly important part of the game, this will stand Kane in good stead to make an impact as he steps up to the next level.

Goals are the currency of football and any player who can score a lot of them will always be in high demand. Harry Kane’s youth career has so far yielded a good number of goals, and this is what has made him really stand out in the Spurs’ academy. Kane is amongst some other highly rated young prospects at Tottenham, with Dean Parrett and John Bostock the most notable of these. These players add to the already large stock of exciting young English players Spurs’ have on their books, including Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton to name just a few, whilst Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone are still only 23.

Harry Kane may not be a name known by many outside Tottenham Hotspur, but if he can continue the excellent form he has showed in his fledgling career to date his reputation is sure to grow. Goalscoring will never fail to get a player noticed, and Spurs’ and England fans will be hoping he is just as lethal as his career progresses.

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It will be interesting to see if Kane will be able to take full advantage of a talent that seems really remarkable. It could be just what Tottenham needs to get back into contention for the Premier League and be relevant again in Europe as well.

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Online bookmakers in the UK and around the world seem likely to give young Kane credit as a reliable prospect. The English talent is being credited as a potential top scorer for the new Premier League season. We are confident that many football betting enthusiasts will pick Hurricane as their king of goalscorers.

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When things look bleak at Chelsea, owner Abramovich has one default setting – buy a big money striker. First Shevchenko and now Torres. With both epic failures, you could be forgiven for thinking that the one the billionaire Russian has his heart set on this January is Berbatov, yet according to Barcelona based publication Sport, Chelsea have strong interest in Gonzalo Higuain, the Real Madrid striker who has scored 12 goals in 13 La Liga games and the man who AVB feels can revive his strike force.

Despite Higuain’s importance to the Real Madrid team, president Perez is prepared to listen to any offers that meet his valuation according to Sport, and with Anelka wanted by Spurs and clearly unfancied by AVB, and Drogba turning down a contract extension for one final pay day, Chelsea need forwards who can score desperately, and with their season falling apart at the seams, the Argentine Higuain is seen as the man to do this.

How much of this actually will come to pass in January remains to be seen, and whilst it is more than credible to believe Chelsea are after Higuain, it remains dubious if Real will actually sell such a prolific forward, and may just be a low attempt to unsettle the side from a pro Barcelona paper before the Classico.

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It has come to that stage in the year, where fans can start to look back on their season and decide which of their players have done well and which were poor. Today I am creating a let-down eleven.

I have had to exclude some pretty poor players. I think Manchester United players Gabriel Obertan and Bebe have been hugely unsatisfactory this season, but we already knew Obertan was bad and Bebe has hardly played enough. Another enormous let-down was Mauro Boselli, but he has since left Wigan who obviously realised this.

Players like Jovanovic and Squillaci were bought as squad players, so I would not class them as being as disappointing as others, despite playing poorly. As for Laurent Koscielny, he has been unfortunate that Thomas Vermaelen has been injured all year, and that his ‘keepers have been dire. All the same, he has not made the impression many expected and misses out narrowly.

The players that follow have disappointed most, in comparison to what is expected of them.

Click on Manuel Almunia below to see the Let Down XI

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In Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh, Arsene Wenger may just have pulled another rabbit out of the hat for Arsenal. The forward, who was brought in on a free transfer this summer has already caught the eye of Arsenal fans with some impressive pre-season performances, capped off with a goal against Italian giants AC Milan in the annual Emirates Cup. Although he has only yet been seen in friendlies, Arsenal supporters will be optimistic that Chamakh can carry this form into the coming season and help Arsenal challenge in the league and in Europe. Last term Arsenal lacked a striker whole scored regularly throughout the season. Whilst Robin van Persie is a quality player, he suffers badly from injury problems and last season was no different as the Dutchman endured a five month layoff from November to April. This was a huge blow to Arsenal; van Persie was in red hot form before the injury and he left a goal scoring hole behind him that no-one else could fill, who knows how the league season may have turned out differently if van Persie had remained fit throughout its duration. With the new signing of Marouane Chamakh though, Arsenal fans will be hoping that the club now has the firepower required to lift the league title.

At the start of last season not many Premier League fans would had heard of Marouane Chamakh. The French-born striker though, had already played a crucial role in Bordeaux’s 2008/09 title winning season. The Morocco international who qualifies through his parents, really caught the eye of fans in Europe during Bordeaux’s highly impressive 2009/10 Champions League campaign. The French outfit were drawn in a tough group with Juventus and Bayern Munich from which many did not expect them to qualify. However Bordeaux topped the group with ease, with Chamakh scoring goals against both Juventus and Bayern Munich. Chamakh continued his impressive form into the knockout rounds, where he scored three goals in two rounds as Bordeaux disposed of Olympiakos before succumbing to French rivals Lyon in the quarter finals. Arsenal were linked with a Bosman transfer for the player for a large part of last season and when he finally signed for the club in May many fans were delighted at the prospect of seeing him pull on the Arsenal jersey. So far at least, those fans have not been disappointed at what they have seen. The fact that Chamakh was also picked up on a free transfer, has made his acquisition even more satisfying.

Marouane Chamakh also fills a gap in the Arsenal team that many have thought has needed plugging. Whilst being technically good, Chamakh has all the attributes of a classic target-man. He is tall, strong, good in the air and holds the ball up well.

The official Arsenal website quotes Wenger as stating “He (Chamakh) is very good in the air and is also a good team player.” After a friendly against Barnet Wenger also stated on the website that “You could see Chamakh was very good at bringing players in. With our creative midfielders, that will be suited to our game.”

Arsenal’s other big striker Nicklas Bendtner, has impressed in spurts but has been inconsistent. Chamakh is older and more experienced and may provide the consistency Arsenal need from a front man this season. Arsene Wenger’s preferred first eleven is as yet unknown, but at the age of 26 Marouane Chamakh is about to enter the prime of his career and will surely have a big part to play for Arsenal this season.

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Uefa have confirmed that England have been placed in pot two of the seedings for Euro 2012, whilst Republic of Ireland will be in pot four.

The seedings were revealed ahead of the draw for the group stages of the competition on December 3rd, which will take place in Kiev.

Fabio Capello’s men are in a pot with highly fancied Germany, rejuvenated Italy and Dick Advocaat’s Russia.

Pot number one has the hosts Ukraine and Poland in it, who are accompanied by world champions Spain and in-form Netherlands.

The Irish nation will wait for the draw for the pool stage with baited breath after ensuring qualification on Tuesday, and are in a pot alongside France, Denmark and Czech Republic.

The final pot is number three, where Croatia, Greece, Portugal and Sweden complete the 16 teams set to compete in the tournament next year.

Seedings in full

Pot 1: Spain, Holland, Poland, Ukraine.

Pot 2: Germany, Italy, England, Russia.

Pot 3: Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Sweden.

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Pot 4: Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland.

By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger is rumoured to be looking into the Football League once again with the pursuit of Charlton Athletic full-back Carl Jenkinson. Having previously signed youngsters Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey from Southampton and Cardiff City respectively in previous years, Wenger is looking to bring another promising young talent to the Emirates Stadium – but who is Carl Jenkinson?

Unless you’re a Charlton Athletic or a follower of a League One club, the name is probably totally new to you. Carl Jenkinson is 19 years old and plays at right-back for the Addicks but can also play at centre half – like he did for the Finland Under-19s squad.

Having previously played for England Under 17’s and 18’s, Carl decided to switch to Finland as he qualifies through the nationality of his Mother. The player would make a great understudy for Bacary Sagna at full-back or even in the centre of defence.

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However it is not the first time that Jenkinson has been linked to a big club. In 2009 he was linked to a £500,000 move to Manchester United at the age of 17, which makes you realise that this player is certainly one for the future.

This season he’s broken into the first-team at Charlton and has made 7 starts having previously played 3 games for Eastbourne Borough on loan. However, the Addicks will be looking to keep onto their promising youngster who’s been at the club since the age of 9.

Although, with the likes of Arsenal interested the club may be persuaded by the big transfer fees that saw Ramsey and Walcott sold to the Gunners.

Look out for Carl Jenkinson pulling on an Arsenal shirt in the near future.

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One talented youngster already on Arsenal’s books is Wellington Silva…

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West Brom midfielder Steven Reid has decided to retire from international football after enduring an injury-ravaged couple of years.

The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland star, who penned a two-year deal with Albion earlier this month, has opted to put all his efforts into extending his club career.

The former Blackburn Rovers star told the Baggies' official website:"It was a tough decision because I've had some terrific times with Ireland. But, having weighed everything up, I know this is the right decision.

"The injuries I've had over the past couple of years have been well documented and I've taken this step to prolong my club career and to spend more time with my family. It's a decision I came to after lengthy discussions with the club's medical staff and my family.

"I've had some unforgettable times with Ireland, the highlight being making two appearances at the World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea in 2002. It's just a shame my injuries cut short the number of caps I possibly could have won over the past few years."

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Reid represented his country on 23 occasions with his last appearance coming in the goalless World Cup qualifier against Montenegro in September 2008.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

In an age where footballers can be accused of having too much too soon and being thrust into the spotlight before they are ready, only for their form and ability to then suffer, let’s take a look at three players who have been protected and nurtured by the youth academy at United. As they begin the transition from youth team to reserves and eventually the United first team – or so they hope – let’s see what we can expect from them and what they have achieved so far in their young careers.

Ezekiel Fryers – Only born in 1992, this youngster is making waves at Old Trafford, and for all the right reasons. The versatile left-back is everything you could want in a defender – strong and athletic, not to mention able to get up and down the wing with ease.

After a stop start season last term with injuries, the youngster, who is also able to play at centre back, has made such an impression that in the Carling Cup he was selected to play alongside Carrick at centre half, and performed well, keeping a clean sheet to boot. He then appeared in his favoured position of left –back in the following round against Aldershot, and has even clocked up a champion’s league appearance to his name, replacing Evans late into the game against Galati.

The future looks bright for this young star, and with a ringing endorsement from Rio Ferdinand , who tips him to play for England in 2018, expect to see much more of the youngster.

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Paul Pogba – Perhaps the best known of the 3 players here, Pogba has been on the radar for a while now, and is making the transition slowly from the FA youth cup winning team of last season to featuring in both the reserves and the first team. Impressive performances in the Carling Cup meant it was not just the United faithful who became aware of the midfielder.

Described as a cross between Diaby and Viera, the 17 year old is more than capable of scoring the odd wonder goal too, and possesses a range of passing and vision that is beyond a player of such tender years.

The boy is highly regarded by manger Alex Ferguson, who believes there is much to come from an already impressive midfielder and the Frenchman can have real hope over breaking into the first team this season.

Larnell Cole – A player who has caught the eye in a major way this season through Carling Cup action was added – along with Fryers – to the list of squad players for the midweek Champions League game and trained with the first team. Cole is an attacking midfielder by trade,  and will occasionally feature on the wing, with the Manchester born player already causing a stir at the young age of 18.

Hailed as a brilliant professional already by Warren Joyce, who commended the player for being willing to spend time at full back to iron out any defensive issues, he looks like really being able to make the difference in tight games.

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With 3 caps already for the Under 19s at international level, it is not only United who have taken note of Cole’s potential. Having scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over City’s youth team, oozing class during the game, he has the potential to be not only a fan favourite, but someone who bangs in the goals from midfield.

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Since Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United, there have been some memorable players who have come out of Old Trafford. Admittedly, Fergie has made some dodgy signings over the years – you’ll be pleased to hear that William Prunier and Eric Djemba-Djemba won’t be making my list, but seeing as this week we are concentrating on football’s cult heroes, I’ve decided to put together 10 of Manchester United’s finest.

It was a tough decision to leave out players we would all consider a hero of football, and players who Manchester United fans would consider a legend for their contributions to the cause; Diego Forlan has unfortunately missed out despite his brace at Anfield even though it did confirm his slot in United folk-law. Some of the players included were also winning over the hearts of United fans before Sir Alex’s time.

So here are my Manchester United top 10 cult heroes. You may feel some players have been hard done by, as they miss out. But free feel to argue their case below in the comments section!

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Click on the image below to see the Top TEN

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Fulham have placed Ray Lewington in temporary charge of first-team affairs following Roy Hodgson's departure to take over at Liverpool.

Hodgson's two-and-a-half year reign at Craven Cottage came to an end when the veteran Englishman decided to replaced Rafael Benitez in the Anfield hot-seat.

The 62-year-old had been linked with the managerial vacancy since Benitez's departure on June 3 and the Cottagers have handed Hodgson's former number two, Lewington, interim charge of first-team affairs while a permanent successor is sought.

"Fulham confirm that at 9.20am this morning (Thursday), Roy Hodgson resigned from his position of first-team manager, effective immediately," confirmed a brief club statement.

"The club would like to wish Roy the very best for the future and thanks him for all that was achieved during his tenure.

"Ray Lewington will take temporary charge of team matters until a successor is announced in due course."

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Former Charlton Athletic and West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley is the early front-runner to replace Hodgson at the helm of the Craven Cottage club.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email