Brandon Williams explained his decision to hug Christian Eriksen during Norwich City s recent 3-1 defeat to Brentford was pure instinct following the Dane s ordeal.
A video clip went viral on Saturday after a comical and heart-warming moment between Williams and Eriksen, who initially looked set for an angry tussle.
Eriksen grappled with Williams in an attempt to halt a Norwich attack, and the two players fell to the floor in a pile.
Williams reaction suggested anger as he appeared about to pin the midfielder down, but upon realising who it was he was tussling with, he instead gave Eriksen a hug – the latter s confused smile as he got up said it all about the amusing exchange.
Four days on, Norwich defender Williams has spoken publicly about his gestur…
Steve Bruce refused to be critical of his Hull City side after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
Mohamed Diame and Abel Hernandez cancelled out Alexis Sanchez s opener at the Emirates Stadium as Hull looked set for a first win over Arsenal since 2008.
However, Alexis jinked past a host of Hull defenders to set up Danny Welbeck to snatch a point for the hosts at the death.
It capped an ultimately frustrating day for the visitors, who saw Steve Harper and Michael Dawson go off injured with arm and ankle injuries respectively after Nikica Jelavic sustained a knee injury in the warm-up.
However, Bruce was pleased with the point and highlighted Alexis quality as a key factor in Arsenal gaining a draw.
If I m be…
Former England and Manchester City striker Francis Lee has died aged 79, the Premier League club have announced.
Lee, who also had a spell as City chairman in the 1990s, scored 148 goals in 330 appearances for the club between 1967-74.
City said in a statement: “It is with the deepest sadness and heaviest of hearts we announce the passing of former Manchester City player and chairman Francis Lee.
It is with the deepest sadness and heaviest of hearts we announce the passing of former Manchester City player and Chairman Francis Lee.
Everyone at Manchester City would like to send their condolences to the friends and family of Francis at this very difficult time.
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
“Everyone at Manchester City would like to se…
Bournemouth s on-loan Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere can re-establish himself as one of the best in the Premier League, according to long-time admirer Pep Guardiola.
England international Wilshere joined Bournemouth on a season-long loan after a prolonged injury nightmare left him down the pecking order at his boyhood club.
The 25-year-old s Arsenal contract is up at the end of next season and Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is yet to consider a permanent switch, despite his admiration for the player
A spate of fitness problems and Granit Xhaka s four-match ban saw Arsene Wenger admit he could have done with Wilshere over recent weeks, although Arsenal s considerable midfield reserves add to the sense of a once promising talent left in limbo.
Guardiola take…
Diego Simeone s seamless transition into coaching comes as no surprise to former team-mate Dejan Stankovic, who says the Atletico Madrid boss always had the coach feeling as a player.
The makings of a future coach were clear when Simeone and Stankovic played together at Serie A side Lazio from 1999 until 2003.
In Rome, Simeone and Stankovic helped Lazio to the Scudetto, as well as Coppa Italia, UEFA Super Cup and Supercoppa Italiana glory.
The Atletico head coach has since added LaLiga, Europa League and Copa del Rey silverware to his collection, as well as becoming one of the most sought-after bosses in football.
And Stankovic says Simeone s management qualities have never been in doubt.
He was the leader then and he is the leader now, too, Stan…
As revealed by the club, have confirmed the signing of from Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee. The move has been in the pipeline for quite some time now, with a series of Premier League clubs having their eye on the 28-year-old goalkeeper over the course of the last few months. Smithies professional career began with hometown club Huddersfield, who he joined at the youth level at the age of just eight.
He was with them all the way through until 2015 when he earned a big money move to London with QPR, where he has spent the last three years of his career. Now, with more than 350 professional appearances under his belt in English football, he s ready for the big time as he attempts to help the Bluebirds preserve their place in the top flight.
Smithies one piece…
Fatih Terim has urged a long-term approach to improving Turkey s fortunes ahead of Sunday s Euro 2016 qualifier against Kazakhstan.
Having responded well to their failure to reach the 2014 World Cup, winning seven out of eight friendlies, Turkey have taken a big backwards step in Group A.
A return of one point from three matches has left the 2008 European Championship semi-finalists bottom of the group, level with this weekend s visitors.
Wednesday s 4-0 loss to Brazil made it four games without a win for Turkey, but an under-pressure Terim believes his side can take positives from the experience though he wants the focus to shift away from short-term results.
We have a very important game on Sunday, but you learn a lot from playing the best sides, he sa…
Toronto FC have added former Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou to their squad ahead of the 2015 MLS season.
Experienced Frenchman Benoit Cheyrou became the latest player to join the Toronto FC revolution after the Canadian-based outfit announced his arrival on Thursday.
Cheyrou, 33, had been without a club since his Marseille contract was terminated at a tribunal in October after seven seasons with the Ligue 1 side.
The former Lille and Auxerre man joins high-profile recruits and designated players Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore, as well as Poland international centre-back Damien Perquis in Toronto.
Benoit s vision and his ability to distribute the ball are two very distinct qualities that have made him such a successful player throughout his car…
United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann will be taking no chances in their World Cup 2018 qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday.
USA began their campaign with a resounding 6-1 victory against St Vincent and the Grenadines, despite an early scare when Oalex Anderson put the visitors ahead inside five minutes.
The victory was Klinsmann s 43rd as coach of the national team, though he trails Bruce Arena s record of 71 wins accumulated between 1998 and 2006.
Trinidad and Tobago reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 Gold Cup, suffering elimination at the hands of Panama, who went on to beat USA on penalties in the third-place play-off.
The German believes such form warrants due care from his side.
I think Trinidad and Tobago and probably Haiti…
Alvaro Morata has great potential but he needs to work on his mental strength, according to Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri.
Morata scored twice in Sunday s 3-1 Premier League win at home to Crystal Palace, sending the Blues up to second place in the table.
The 26-year-old has now scored four goals in four Premier League appearances having regained his confidence following a back injury and loss of form last term.
But Sarri feels there could still be a lot more to come from the striker, who lost his place in the Spain squad as a result of his 2017-18 struggles.
Alvaro improved [in] the last month, Sarri told a news conference. Improved for the confidence, improved for the personality, improved also from the technical point of view.
Now he…