22/08 The Sports Pages

In The Irish Mail on Sunday’s pull-out The Title, FAI chief executive John Delaney claims that the organisation will wipe out its debt in 10 years. “Our debt to the bank is €38million at the moment,” said Delaney. “That’s what was revealed today and we are comfortable with that and so are the bankers.”

In the same paper, Stephen Ireland claims that he would “rather win the league with Villa than the World Cup with Ireland.” He has reiterated his position that he will never again play for his country. Also in The Title, “Dubs are not good enough,” claims Dublin captain David Henry. “If you are realistic, it’s a team that’s building. It’s about performing to the best of our abilities,” he adds.

In The News of the World, Martin O’Neill has emerged as a shock contender for the Nottingham Forest job.  Current manager, Billy Davies, is currently at loggerhead with the Forest board over finances, and O’Neill is favourites with the bookies for the job, if Davies does indeed leave.

In The Observer, Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta has revealed that he would very much consider playing for England if he received a call-up. “If one day the opportunity comes, obviously I would have to consider it very seriously,” he told Match of the Day yesterday. Wayne Rooney should miss Man Utd’s clash with Fulham with a stomach bug, while New Zealand fly-half is to miss eight weeks of rugby, as he is to undergo ankle surgery.