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• Lewandowski committed to Barcelona amid speculation over his future, says agent

  Robert Lewandowski remains committed to Barcelona amid speculation over his future, with his agent refuting reports the Poland striker wants to leave.

  Reports in Spain suggested Barcelona are considering the contract of 35-year-old Lewandowski as Xavi looks to bolster his attacking line-up after missing out on the LaLiga title to rivals Real Madrid.

  Lewandowski's agent Pini Zahavi rubbished reports that he is set to meet with Barca president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco, however.

  "This is nonsense," Zahavi told Polish journalist Tomasz Wlodarczyk, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

  "He wants to play one more year in Catalonia. He has signed a contract for four years.

  "It will depend on his performances in the 2024-2025 season and includes a clause that provides for the possibility of termination of the contract if Lewy does not play 55 per cent of the minutes."

  Lewandowski once again leads Barcelona's scoring charts this term in LaLiga, having found the net 17 times in 31 appearances before Monday's meeting with Real Sociedad.

  Barcelona will hope to leap back up to second in the Spanish top-flight standings with victory over La Real, currently trailing Girona by two points ahead of their game in hand.

• Ten Hag does not regret taking Man Utd job

  Erik ten Hag insists he has never regretted taking the job as Manchester United manager.

  United finished third, reached the FA Cup final, and ended their six-year wait for a trophy by winning the EFL Cup in Ten Hag’s first season in charge.

  The Dutchman’s second season has not lived up to the first, as United sit in eighth, with a European place slipping away from them.

  With a year still left on his contract, Ten Hag is under increasing pressure following a poor run of results, including a humbling 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday.

  "I don't regret being here for one second," said Ten Hag.

  "This is a massive club. You don't know the challenges you have to face until you are in it. But I wanted this challenge."

  Ten Hag once again highlighted their injury troubles, especially in defence, as one of their main struggles this season.

  Reports emerged following the Palace defeat that the United players no longer backed their manager, but Ten Hag rejected that suggestion.

  "There is great team spirit. In almost every game they fought," he added.

  "Not on Monday [at Palace], that is why I was so disappointed. But in all the other games they have fought. I can't have any doubts about this."

  United host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Mikel Arteta’s side aim to go back to the top of the Premier League table.

  Despite being favourites to win the game, Arteta praised Ten Hag as a coach and said the club should give him more time.

  When asked about the Dutchman’s position, Arteta said: "I can only talk about what I think about him as a coach. He's an excellent coach. I admire his teams, both Ajax and United.

  "Hopefully he gets the time because we are colleagues, and we know how difficult it is in this league and what the margins are - hopefully that's the case because I think he is an excellent coach."

• Former Soca Warrior Hislop endorses Edwards to steer TTFA back to glory days; hopes to see T&T at World Cup

  With the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) now back to regular proceedings, former Soca Warriors goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is optimistic that it will bring with it good fortunes that will see the twin island republic qualifying for another FIFA Men’s World Cup.

  Hislop’s sentiments came during an endorsement of recently-elected TTFA president Kieron Edwards, who he believes is best suited to steer the country’s football and finances back on track, as he foresees a bright future for football.

  In fact, Hislop, who was Trinidad and Tobago’s custodian at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, expressed delight that the association is no longer under the thumb of the Normalisation Committee, which was installed by FIFA in 2020.

  The Normalisation Committee had a mandate to manage the daily affairs of the TTFA, establish a repayment plan for the debt-riddled organisation, review and amend its statutes –and other regulations, where necessary – and ensure compliance with the statutes and rules of the world governing football body.

  “I was very critical of the Normalisation process, and I remain so. I felt our football needed to be in our hands. We needed to chart our own path and answer to our own stakeholders. And now with President Edwards in place, we have that,” Hislop said during Grenada’s 100 Years in Football Legends Match in the Spice Isle recently.

  “We have that opportunity again to do that. It’s a big opportunity for us to maybe try to rediscover a lot of our game, and our football, and what it means to us. Both in terms of our performances on the park and in terms of how we provide those opportunities and platforms that I did, and I was able to enjoy when I was a kid coming through,” he added.

  Having benefitted immensely from a decorated career with the Soca Warriors, Hislop is now hoping to return the favour by assisting aspiring players to chart the course towards a successful career of their own.

  “T&T as a country, T&T football as a sport, has given me an awful lot, more than I could ever repay for, and more than I think many people recognize. And that will always be my focus, how can I support young men and women who are trying to find their way in the sport,” he declared.

  That said, Hislop pointed out that the chances of Trinidad and Tobago making another appearance at the global showpiece remains highly possible, but it will require the right mentality and financial backing to achieve the feat.

  Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed a fairly successful 2023 Concacaf Nations League campaign in which they made the quarterfinals and secured an historic win over United States.

  Angus Eve’s side missed out on Copa America qualification, but they have a grand opportunity to possibly secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, especially with the confederation’s powerhouse teams –Mexico, United States and Canada –securing automatic qualification as hosts, and as such, will be absent from the upcoming qualifiers.

  “If they stick with it, if they are given the right tools, if they’re given the right coaching, provided the right mentors and the right opportunities, I’m sure the game will give back to them in an enriching way as it did to me,” said Hislop.

  “My dying dream is to see T&T qualify for a World Cup so I can go there as a fan. I was to go and experience T&T playing in a World Cup, purely as a fan. I’m hopeful that I’ll see that,” he ended.