OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Best wishes to Steven Gerrard, an exemplary leader of Liverpool Football Club and for England, who has announced his "retirement" from the end of this season. In his career, there has been the odd indiscretion, but nobody will have served his sport better than he. Making his debut at the end of November 1998, Gerrard has scored 180 goals and won two FA Cups, three League Cups, a Champions League and UEFA Cup, mainly in an halcyon period between 2001 and 2006. He has stuck loyally to his home club, Liverpool, despite attractions from other clubs both English and on the continent. So, now that he has planned his Premier League departure with dignity, he may consider a future in America. 
International colleague, Frank Lampard, clearly has no plans to retire and has set his stall out by signing a deal with Manchester City that will keep him at the Etihad until the end of this season at least. He was to join the North American MLS and New York City in March but he has no plans to join the Blues "sister" club until he runs his contract out with City. This has left 11,000 American fans frustrated as they were already season ticketed up to see their new star play. And the result is that Lampard team shirts have halved in price since this was announced. Guy Poyet will be fed up too since it was the returning Lampard who characteristically planted a header into the Sunderland goal yesterday, to seal a victory for City.
Whilst these two oldies are enjoying their eventide, some youngsters are making their mark such as Harry Kane, the Hurricane, who destroyed Chelsea yesterday, fellow Londoner, Jordan Ibe on loan from Liverpool to Derby and in Spain, four Zidane sons who are all on Real Madrid's books.