Kopstuff 5/6/10 - Gerrard to Captain England to World Cup Glory / Sven a Liverpool Fan?

Saturday 5th June.

Gerrard to be England's Captain Fantastic / Sven a 'lifelong Liverpool fan'.

Gossip: Rafa Benitez may not have cleared out his locker, but already the first candidate for the vacant Liverpool manager’s job has thrown his hat in the Anfield ring. Reports in the S*n suggest that Sven Goran Ericsson has admitted to being a ‘lifelong Liverpool fan’, for whom the club ‘holds a special place in his heart’. It’s strange how these things only ever come out when there is a sniff of a transfer (isn’t it Robbie Keane?).

The Swede was mentioned yesterday amongst a number of potential candidates, but is the first one to have shown an active interest in the position. Despite this, it is not believed that the former Manchester City man ranks high on the Red’s shortlist, with Kenny Dalglish preferring either Roy Hodgson or Louis van Gaal.

Gossip: A manager who is unlikely to take the reins at Liverpool is Dutchman Gus Hiddink. Quotes attributed to his agent make it clear that Hiddink is unlikely to break his existing contract with the Turkish national side, and has already turned down overtures from Inter Milan.

News: Former Reds star Emile Heskey defied his critics and proved his worth to the England squad by ruling defender Rio Ferdinand out of the World Cup. The big striker bulldozed through the injury prone Manc, ending his chances of lifting the FIFA trophy. Ferdinand was alleged to have ‘screamed in agony’ as he tore knee ligaments, cementing Heskey’s place as a Liverpool legend.

Step forward newly appointed England captain Steven Gerrard, who will now be tasked with leading the nation to glory in 2010, just as he did for the Reds on that famous night in Istanbul.

Gossip: Still on the subject of Gerrard, former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso has been credited by the S*n as apparently ‘urging Real Madrid to sign the Liverpool captain’. Six lines of text, in what just about passes as a story provides no actual quotes or evidence to back up its tawdry claims.

Gossip: The press continues to fan the flames of an exodus, with the reports that Chelsea are to give the Reds board an almighty financial headache. The Mail has suggested that the time is now right for the Stamford Bridge club to make a British record breaking £70million bid for striker Fernando Torres. The sale of the Liverpool front-man would go some way to easing the club’s mounting debts in the short term, although the loss of the Spaniard could prove equally costly if the Reds were to remain in the Champions League wilderness. Without a manager, managing director Christian Purslow and the American owners will be left with the ultimate decision, and one should never underestimate the power of the dollar.