Wayne Hennessey
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley sign ex-Crystal Palace and Wales goalkeeper #WayneHennessey #BURNLEYFC

July 21, 2021
Burnley have signed former Crystal Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey on a two-year deal with the option of a further 12 months. The 34-year-old – who has been capped 96 times by Wales – left the Eagles this summer after seven years at Selhurst Park. Hennessey becomes the Clarets’ second signing of the summer following the arrival of Nathan Collins from Stoke City. “There’s a fantastic spirit here and hopefully we’ll do really well this season," said the goalkeeper. “We’ve always known what Burnley are like - a great atmosphere. The lads are superb, always tight and have always played really well together and with Sean Dyche, as well, have an amazing manager. “They’re exciting times and I’m excited to start working with the lads.” Hennessey joins Nick Pope, Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Will Norris in the Clarets' goalkeeping ranks. And goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer is excited to work with the Welshman. “You only have to look at his record,” added Mercer. “He has played 96 times for Wales and 181 Premier League games so far, so he’s got bags of experience. He is a top-class goalkeeper and a great professional. “We’ve done a lot of homework finding out about his background and he is everything you want at a football club. “He is very supportive if he’s not playing, which is vital because we pride ourselves on the team spirit we have here. “He’s a great addition to what we already have as a great group of goalkeepers.”
Lukas Jensen
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley goalkeeper #LukasJensen signs new deal and joins Carlisle on loan #BURNLEYFC

July 21, 2021
Burnley goalkeeper Lukas Jensen has joined Carlisle United on a season-long loan after signing a new two-year deal with the Clarets. The 22-year-old – who stands at 6ft 6ins – heads to Brunton Park in search of regular playing time in League Two. “He joins us on loan from Burnley where he’s held in high regard,” said Carlisle boss Chris Beech. “They see him as having a real chance in the game and there were other clubs who were also looking to take him, but both Burnley and Lukas consider us as the right destination for him.” Jensen – who joined the Clarets in 2019 - has featured regularly for the Under-23 side and been named on the bench at first-team level. The towering goalkeeper spent time on loan at Bolton Wanderers last season as the Whites clinched promotion to League One, before heading overseas with Kordrengir this summer. “Credit to him. He sacrificed most of his summer to go and play in Iceland, which has earned him a move to a League club,” added Burnley goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer. “He had a spell at Bolton last season, which was disappointing from a playing point of view but gave him valuable experience of being part of a promotion-winning set-up. “And he has now a chance to gain further experience with a good move to Carlisle after earning a new contract here.” Jensen could be in action tonight as Carlisle continue their pre-season preparations with a trip to Chorley.
Caleb Watts
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #CalebWatts feels ‘very connected’ to #Australia as he heads to Olympic Games #SAINTSFC

July 21, 2021
ENGLAND-born Saints youngster Caleb Watts expressed his pride towards Australia following his Olyroos Olympic Games call-up, saying: “I feel very connected to the country.” Watts’ grandparents are from Australia and his Dad was born in the country, with the central midfielder representing them at under-17 level for the 2019 World Cup in Brazil. The side advanced to the knockout stages before falling 4-0 to eventual semi-finalists France, and Watts has also represented the under-23 side since. After making three Premier League appearances from the bench for Saints during the 2020-21 season, Watts’ raised profile has seen him selected by first team Australia manager Graham Arnold – who is also managing the Olyroos for the Games. Watts and his international team-mates kick off their Group C campaign on Thursday, when they take on Argentina at the Sapporo Dome. Egypt and Spain also occupy their tournament group. Speaking to the Olyroos official podcast, Watts said: “I feel very connected to the country, obviously I’ve got an English accent and all but I do feel more Australian than anything, especially when I stick that shirt on. “I think I was just in my bed and I got a call from Arnie saying I was in the squad. I kind of did like a double-take to really register what he said. “My mum is a massive Olympics fan, so she did a lot of screaming, but it was a nice surprise for her to wake up to.” It was however a famous British Olympic moment which Watts reflected fondly on. Asked of his Games memories, he added: “Yeah I think in London 2012 when Mo Farah won the 5000m, seeing how the excitement around the country bought people together, that’s one of the reasons I love sport, that’s a moment that sticks in my head. “I didn’t really know anyone coming here (the Australia camp) but everyone’s very friendly and we’re all here for the same reason. “I think after a couple of days everyone’s comfortable around everyone and the standard of training has been good.”
Ben Mee Burnley
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley captain #BenMee wants Burnley to make a quick start in Premier League #BURNLEYFC

July 19, 2021
The Clarets won just one of their opening 10 Premier League games last season before pulling clear of danger to make sure of a sixth straight season in the top flight. That kicks off at Turf Moor against Brighton on August 14 and skipper Mee has been impressed by how the squad have looked on their return to Barnfield. “The lads have come back the best I have seen,” Mee told the club. “Everyone has been putting the work in in the off-season, definitely. Everyone is doing the running and looking really good. That's exciting and we all are raring to go. “That's definitely a priority to get points under our belts early on and get off to a good start. We don't want to be relying on a good second half of this season. “We want to get off to a good start and work from there. “We have got plenty of experience and we are always optimistic, enthusiastic of where we can go in the season and it's no different this season.” Burnley’s public friendlies begin at League Two Oldham on Saturday, July 24. Further EFL tests come at Championship sides Blackpool, July 27, and Nottingham Forest, July 31. Sean Dyche’s side are also playing behind closed doors games but Mee admits being in front of fans again is a big incentive for all involved. “The Euros have given a bit of a taste of having fans back and how much that means," he said. “Having 3,500 at Turf Moor for the Liverpool game was brilliant and gave us a good buzz. “I am really excited to start the season and get that first game under way, hopefully all being well and fingers crossed, at a packed Turf Moor. “Fans behind us at Turf Moor will hopefully bring back that 'tough place to come mentality' and we can use that to our advantage.”
Mat Ryan Arsenal
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #MathewRyan says he improved as a goalkeeper with Brighton #BHAFC

July 19, 2021
But he wants to prove that to fans at his new club. Ryan is preparing to battle last season’s ever-present Alex Remiro for a starting spot after completing his move from the Seagulls to Real Sociedad. He is returning to a Spanish league in which he previously featured for Valencia. Ryan told a press conference: “I’m a different goalkeeper now for the experiences I’ve had. “Since I left Valencia I’ve had three-and-a-half seasons as first choice at Brighton and a couple of games at Arsenal, which is a big club as well and a good experience. “I want to show what I have learned since I left Valencia. “I’ve learnt a lot. I think I’ve grown. “Obviously I’m sitting here saying I’ve improved but I want to show it with my performances. “I’ll get my head down and work hard and see what opportunities come.” Ryan, who sat out Real Sociedad's opening friendly yesterday, revealed Europa League winners Villarreal made a late bid for his services. HOW BRIGHTON FANS WILL REMEMBER ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH But he added: “We had already given our word that we were coming to Real Sociedad.” Club president Jokin Aperribay effectively confirmed reports La Real will not pay an up-front fee for Ryan but will be liable to various clauses if all goes well.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #RalphHasenhuttl quiet on Manchester United’s #BrandonWilliams #SAINTSFC

July 19, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl responded to Saints’ Brandon Williams speculation, joking: “It’s interesting that you name this player. It was a nice try, to be honest!” Saints have long been linked with a loan move for Manchester United’s 20-year-old full-back – three transfer windows – whose versatility means he can operate on either side of the defence. Beyond the starters Kyle Walker-Peters and new signing Romain Perraud, Saints do not have the depth in wide defensive areas required and have looked to make an addition as cover, with Williams’ versatility looking ideal. The Manchester-born youngster has already made 21 appearances in the Premier League for the Red Devils, scoring his first goal in a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United in November 2019 – while playing at wide-midfield. With under four weeks until the Premier League season kicks off for Saints at Everton, fans will start to question the shape of the squad if nothing advances soon. When quizzed about the potential of bringing Williams in, Hasenhuttl told BBC Radio Solent: “At the moment on the transfer market, nobody has money. “Everybody wants the most money for his players when they sell so it keeps everything on hold. Therefore, a lot of players are letting their contracts run out and leave without money. “This money is what smaller clubs are missing, it’s going out of football somewhere else, I don’t know, in the pockets of agents or wherever. This situation is not good for no league in the world. “You pay a lot of money for players and the extending of contracts gets thwarted not only in our situation but all around the world I see players knowing this, running out clubs for free and this also leads to then finding more money for clubs, they don’t know where it comes. “We have Covid and other issues in the modern world, we know this, these are problems not only we are fighting with but a lot of teams are fighting with.” The boss would not be drawn on the Williams speculation, however. He added: “It’s interesting that you name this player, normally you don’t. It was a nice try to be honest!” To add, Williams was named as a starter ahead of £13m acquisition Alex Telles, who was on the bench today as the Red Devils take on Derby County in a first pre-season fixture, perhaps suggesting that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not done with the youngster just yet.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #AlirezaJahanbakhsh reveals key reason why he joined Feyenoord #BHAFC

July 18, 2021
Alireza Jahanbakhsh has revealed the key role Feyenoord manager Arne Slot played in him returning to the Netherlands. Read more: Alireza Jahanbakhsh joins Feyenoord Slot was assistant manager at AZ Alkmaar to John van den Brom during Jahanbakhsh's time at the club. But the Iranian international revealed that when Slot expressed his interest in signing him for Feyenoord, he was determined to make the move happen. He told the club's official website: "During my time at AZ as assistant coach, Arne Slot was one of the people who helped me to become a better player. "So when he called and asked if I wanted to come to Feyenoord, I told him I was going to do everything I could to make this transfer. I had no doubts." Feyenoord’s sporting director Frank Arnesen believes Jahanbakhsh could become a valuable player for them. He said: 'With Alireza we add the desired offensive reinforcement to the selection. “A player who has proven to achieve a high return for several seasons. “Moreover, he is now in the phase of his career where he can quickly be of enormous added value to us."
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #RalphHasenhuttl says there is ‘no reason to sell’ #DannyIngs #SAINTSFC

July 18, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl has publicly squashed the idea of offloading Danny Ings now and insisted “he is our player for another year, there is no reason to sell.” Former Liverpool and Burnley striker Ings has just one year remaining on his Saints contract amid rumours that Spurs want to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The forward has been Saints’ main source of goals for the last two seasons, netting 22 in the 2019-20 campaign and adding 12 more last term. Despite injury concerns that have followed the 28-year-old throughout the later stages of his career, Hasenhuttl clearly feels what he offers the team is unmatched. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Hasenhuttl was defiant in saying: “He has one more year left in our club, we need this player, we want him to play for us. Read more 'Stop this nonsense' - Keith Hackett on Premier League refs Hasenhuttl: It would be a miracle to see McQueen play again Saints reasonable as Premier League clubs list £65 shorts “But it’s never helpful to go into a season with only one year left and I think he should also know. “Messages like ‘he doesn’t want to sign a contract’ doesn’t help anybody, doesn’t help him or us. I don’t know who said these messages to be honest, it’s not coming from our side, definitely not. “We have no interest to blame the player or find him not feeling good here, not helping him to perform the best he can for us. It’s his decision but anyway he is our player for another year, we paid a lot of money for him when we brought him here. “We invested a lot to bring him, went with him through all of his injuries, gave him time to recover and he helped us massively with his goals, putting a lot of effort in while he’s been here. There’s still one year to go and there is no reason to sell.” All eyes on #PL 2021/22 👀 pic.twitter.com/NCtBG0oefj — Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 17, 2021 Winchester-born Ings cost Saints around £20million when he signed from the Kop in July 2019, following a loan spell on the south-coast. The former Cherries academy man has played three times for England, scoring once with a brilliant bicycle kick against rivals Wales. The Austrian manager did also admit that there a lot of voices around inputting their own ideas, as you might expect with a player of Ings’ quality. He added: “Finally, he has his people around him telling him what to do, we have our opinions of what we want him to do, he’s our player and we’d love him to be here. “One thing is clear, that it is not a perfect situation.”
Graham Potter Brighton
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton to host Getafe ahead of Premier League season #BHAFC

July 17, 2021
The clubs will meet at the Amex on Saturday, August 7 (7pm). The Seagulls are currently hoping to sign ‘Geta’ star Marc Cucurella. The match will be Albion’s final workout before they start their Premier League season. Their attempts to stage a prestigious home date against overseas opponents have been hindered by Covid-related restrictions. Albion head coach Graham Potter said: “We have a really good programme lined up with some behind-closed-doors and in-house games. "We will kick off at Rangers, with a match to be confirmed in between, before rounding off with a really good game at the Amex against Getafe.” Ticket and full match details will be announced in due course, along with travel arrangements, but the club expects there to be no limits on capacity. Tickets will be priced from £15 for adults, £10 for under-21s and over-65s, and £5 for under-18s in general admission areas of the stadium. Travel will not be included in the ticket price but near-site parking will be available to buy and Albion might open a park-and-ride site.
Graham Potter Brighton
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brighton sign #KjellScherpen from Ajax #BHAFC

July 17, 2021
The 21-year-old made four first team appearances for the Amsterdam giants  last season and arrives on undisclosed terms. Albion head coach Graham Potter said: “We’re delighted to welcome Kjell to the club. "He’s a player we have been monitoring for a while and we see him as a player with a lot of the right attributes. BRIGHTON TO PLAY GETAFE IN PRE-SEASON “As well as his size, he is someone we think will work very hard to improve all aspects of his game as he gets used to English football. “We wish him all the best and look forward to working with him.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2020-2021-Season Daily News

#PLStories- #RalphHasenhuttl says It would be a miracle to see #SamMcQueen play again #SAINTSFC

July 17, 2021
BOSS Ralph Hasenhuttl admits it would feel like a "miracle" if forgotten man Sam McQueen were to return to a football pitch. The 26-year-old has endured injury hell over the past three years, not playing a competitive game since suffering a serious knee injury during a loan spell with Middlesbrough in October 2018. Having ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament, screws inserted during surgery to help repair the problem became infected, providing a huge setback to the former England under-21 international. Most expected the Saints academy graduate to be among the list of players released by the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer, but his name was not included. Reports suggest Saints are happy to allow McQueen to continue to use the club's facilities to aid in his recovery before they decide on next steps for the Southampton-born ace, who has been with the St Mary's side for close to two decades. Having come up through the youth ranks, McQueen has played 29 first-team matches for Saints in the Premier League, domestic cups and Europa League. Whether he will add to that tally is still unclear, but the left-back was spotted with Saints' first-team squad this week, pictured cycling in the New Forest with the group as part of their pre-season preparations. Discussing McQueen's lengthy recovery, Hasenhuttl said: "His knee is good. He had some other problems, it’s a very long story to be honest. "I’ve never had a situation where I was coming to a club and never see a player playing for two-and-a-half years now. "Since I’m here I’ve never seen him on the pitch. But when you know the infection in his knee and how things were going on then it's even now like a wonder that he’s still able to play football or will be maybe one time able to play football again. "And finally, we don’t know if he will ever return back to the pitch but if (he does) then it's a miracle." Hasenhuttl will later this month take his squad to Wales for a five-day training camp, incorporating friendly matches against Championship duo Cardiff City and Swansea City.