Republic of Ireland boss Vera Pauw has named a 31-player pre-World Cup training camp squad again to be captained by Arsenal’s Katie McCabe.

The Republic will face co-hosts Australia in their World Cup opener on July 20, a contest which proved so popular that in January it was relocated to the tournament’s largest venue, Sydney’s 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia.

Pauw’s World Cup debutants have three scheduled warm-up games before that fixture, beginning with a sold-out June 22 encounter against Zambia at Dublin’s Tallaght Stadium.

McCabe along with three US-based players – Denise O’Sullivan, Sinead Farrelly and Marissa Sheva – will link up with the squad after the Zambia game.

Manchester United defender Aoife Mannion is a notable absence after tweaking her knee in training for her club last month, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) on Friday confirmed she will continue to be monitored ahead of the final squad selection of 23 players, to be whittled down by June 29.

The training camp schedule will factor in when players finished their respective club seasons to determine workload and recovery time and ensure they will be in line with each other for the final stage of tournament preparation.

Other Women’s Super League players to make the training squad include Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, Brighton shot-stopper Megan Walsh, and Liverpool defensive duo Niamh Fahey and Megan Campbell, with their Reds team-mate Leanne Kiernan among the forwards.

Brighton’s Megan Connolly and Aston Villa’s Ruesha Littlejohn join McCabe in the pack of midfielders hoping to make Pauw’s final 23-player squad to travel to Australia, where they will also meet Canada and Nigeria in Group B.

Grace Moloney and Diane Caldwell represent recently relegated Reading, while Chloe Mustaki plays for newly promoted Bristol City.

Full Republic of Ireland pre-World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton), Sophie Whitehouse (Lewes)

Defenders: Harriet Scott (Birmingham), Aine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Louise Quinn (Birmingham), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Hayley Nolan (London City Lionesses), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Megan Campbell (Liverpool), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Tara O’Hanlon (Peamount United)

Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Megan Connolly (Brighton), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Jamie Finn (Birmingham), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Sinead Farrelly (NY/NJ Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Erin McLaughlin (Peamount United)

Forwards: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Potsdam Turbine), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Saoirse Noonan (Durham WFC).

West Ham have been charged by UEFA following the behaviour of their fans at their midweek Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina.

The Serie A side’s captain Cristiano Biraghi sustained a cut head after being hit by one of several plastic cups hurled at him from the end containing Hammers supporters as he went to take a first-half corner.

West Ham have also been charged with an invasion of the field of play.

Fiorentina have landed two charges relating to the lighting of fireworks and throwing of objects.

UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course.

Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne admit winning the Champions League is both a dream and an obsession for Manchester City.

City are bidding to win the competition for the first time, and complete the treble, as they face Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on Saturday.

Guardiola’s side have dominated the domestic scene in recent years but repeatedly fallen short chasing Europe’s top prize, the one the club covets most highly.

City playmaker De Bruyne and manager Guardiola both spoke at a pre-match press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Friday.

De Bruyne was asked first if he felt victory was a “dream” or an “obsession”.

The Belgium international said: “Maybe both. It depends who you ask. Every professional player wants to win the Champions League and be on top.

“If you can win the Champions League, you’ve reached one of the biggest things you can.”

Guardiola was in agreement when asked the same question.

The Catalan, who guided Barcelona to victory in the competition twice, has taken City into the knockout stages seven times but their runner-up finish in 2021 is the closest they have come to success.

“Absolutely it’s a dream,” he said. “To achieve things you have to have correct portion of obsession and desire, it’s a positive word, and willingness to try to do it, but of course it’s a dream.”

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez is determined to seize the moment as he looks to follow up his World Cup triumph with Champions League success.

The Italian side take on favourites Manchester City for Europe’s top prize in Istanbul on Saturday and Martinez is hoping to round off a memorable campaign that also saw him help Argentina to international success in December.

Martinez said at a press conference at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium: “These are the two major finals a footballer can play.

“It has certainly been a very positive season for me. I am pleased with how it has gone and how I have done. Now we hope to finish off in the best possible way.

“If you want to achieve your goal this is the very last step and we must be ready to take it. It will be a very important game for everyone at Inter and the club.”

Saturday’s match will see Martinez come up against his Argentina team-mate Julian Alvarez, with whom he shared glory in Qatar.

Martinez said: “I have not been in contact with Julian. I got married recently and invited him but he was unable to attend.”

Inter, who finished third in Serie A, are rated as the underdogs against a City side bidding to complete a treble.

Coach Simeone Inzaghi said: “After reaching the final we didn’t have time to think about it as we still had games to play.

“Only now are we realising what we have achieved but we are not relaxed. We are concentrating very much and we will fight for every inch of the pitch against an excellent team.

“We must be fully focused and make no mistakes.”

Stopping the prolific Erling Haaland, who has scored 52 goals for City this season, will be key to Inter’s hopes.

Inzaghi said: “We know who we have to play. We know Manchester City are probably the best in the world. They have proved that, they have been defeated very few times.

“We know what a player Haaland is. Clearly we will have a special eye on him.

“I have prepared something but it will be all of Inter that have to defend, trying to limit not only Haaland but all of City.”

Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, the Turkey international, hopes to have the locals in the crowd on his side even though City captain Ilkay Gundogan also has a proud Turkish heritage.

Calhanoglu said: “I think it will be a very special game for me. It is special for a Turk to play in Istanbul.

“I want to enjoy this moment and I don’t know if I will play another final. We will give it our very best shot.

“I know Turks will support me. Gundogan is on the other team but he plays for Germany, so for our people it is perhaps more important I win. That is my dream.”

Former Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan has returned to training for Inter after a thigh injury but remains a doubt.

Inzaghi said: “We have a positive feeling but he is not 100 per cent. I will have to decide whether to field him from the beginning or send him on during the match.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has returned to Germany to join Werder Bremen after the expiration of his contract at Anfield.

The Guinea international’s £52million move to Merseyside from RB Leipzig in 2018 came with high expectations.  However,  he disappointed in his 129 appearances over five years as he struggled to get to grips with the physicality of the Premier League and missed large amounts of time with a series of injuries.

The 28-year-old featured just 13 times last season, was left out of the Champions League squad due to injury, and started only three Premier League matches.

Bremen will hope the midfielder’s return to the Bundesliga will bring a change of luck after scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists in 58 matches for Leipzig before his move to Liverpool.

“A number of clubs are obviously going to be interested when a player like Naby Keita is available on a free transfer,” said Bremen head of scouting Clemens Fritz.

“We’re therefore really pleased that Naby has decided to join Werder, despite several other offers. His qualities will massively strengthen our team.

“We now want to get him back to his best.”

Erling Haaland has brushed off concerns about his form ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday.

Haaland has scored 52 goals in an astonishing first season for Manchester City but grabbed only one in his last seven appearances.

Coming just prior to one of the biggest games in City’s history, as they take on Inter Milan in Istanbul for Europe’s top prize, it is a run that has raised eyebrows.

Yet Haaland insists there is nothing to worry about and he is not feeling the effects of a long and arduous season.

“You can think of it as one goal in seven games or 52 goals in 52 games and eight assists,” said the Norway striker. “You can think of it in both ways. I’m not stressed. I feel really good.”

Haaland has had no trouble dismissing critics this season.

Prior to his arrival at City last summer there were claims he would need time to settle, suggestions that only increased after he spurned a gilt-edged chance on debut against Liverpool in the Community Shield.

Even after he bounced back in sensational style by scoring 27 goals before the end of December, it was reckoned his presence could be hampering City, as their results at that stage were inconsistent.

“I think often it’s a good thing when people start criticising you,” he said. “I scored every single game and then people started criticising me. That’s what happened basically.

“When people criticise you it’s normally a good thing. It’s just about trying to smile a bit and enjoy life.

“In the Community Shield I missed a couple of big chances. It can happen, it will happen again.

“What can you do? Nothing. We have to focus on the next thing, the next game and that’s what I did. I scored two goals in the next game, so it was still not a bad start.”

Haaland feels he has exceeded his own expectations in his first season at City but still feels he could have done better.

He said: “No, I didn’t expect to score this many goals but, again, I could have scored more.

“I’ve been missing a lot of chances, so I could have scored more. That’s the truth.”

Everton have offered new contracts to Seamus Coleman, Tom Davies and Andy Lonergan but Yerry Mina and Andros Townsend will leave the club this summer.

Coleman, 34, has made over 400 appearances for the Toffees, including 25 last season, and has been offered the chance to stay at Goodison Park.

Davies, who came through the youth system at the club, managed just 20 appearances last term but boss Sean Dyche wants him to be part of his squad, along with back-up goalkeeper Lonergan.

Mina, a £27million signing from Barcelona in 2018, will leave at the end of his current contract, having had a mixed time at the club, while Townsend did not play for the club after March 2022 and also departs at the expiry of his deal.

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic will leave after turning down a fresh contract offer.

Director of football Kevin Thelwell said on the club’s official website: “Everyone at the club wishes to thank all departing players for their contribution throughout their time at Everton.

“We’re also grateful to our senior men’s players who are moving on, including Yerry – whose passion and determination for Everton was evident by how highly he was thought of by our fans – to Andros and Asmir who were consummate professionals during their two years at the club.

“We wish all of them the best with the next chapters in their careers.

“We have also offered new contracts to players and we will continue talking with them as we look to build a competitive squad for Sean Dyche and his staff for the new season.”

Celtic have appointed former Motherwell manager Steven Hammell as their new head of academy coaching.

The 41-year-old was academy director at Fir Park before being promoted to take charge of the first team at the start of the season just finished.

Hammell was sacked in February after just six months at the helm but he will return to football in a new role overseeing the development of the Hoops’ youth academy coaching at all levels

“It is a great honour to join Celtic and I am really excited about the opportunity that has been given to me,” Hammell told the Celtic website.

“It is a hugely successful and exciting time for the club at all levels and I am looking forward to making my own contribution to add to the fantastic ongoing work right across our academy.

“I know the club has a rich history of developing its own young players. It is an important area for the club and I can’t wait to get started to play my part in working with our coaches to bring our players through to make their own contribution to this great club at the highest level.”

Celtic head of academy Chris McCart – to whom Hammell will report – feels the former Well boss’ expertise in youth development will serve him well in his new position.

“Stevie has a great track record in achieving positive outcomes in the development of young players, and I know that through his talent and experience he will play a significant role in this area for the club,” said McCart.

“We are always looking to develop across all areas and his enthusiasm and energy will be hugely beneficial to us going forward.”

Sheikh Jassim’s fifth and final bid to buy Manchester United will remain on the table beyond Friday but the Qatari’s patience with the takeover process is wearing thin.

The Sheikh and his Nine Two Foundation, which is seeking to buy 100 per cent of the club, are understood to feel that by Friday United’s owners, the Glazer family, and the Raine banking group which is conducting the sale process will have had ample time to seek or request clarification and revision of the bid, and will therefore no longer engage with them on it beyond this date.

Some observers have interpreted the submission of two additional bids from Sheikh Jassim as an indication that the rival offer from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos is preferred by the Glazers.

However, sources close to the Qatari say he is simply keen to bring the matter to a swift conclusion with a crucial summer transfer window for United coming up.

The fifth and final bid was issued earlier this week, and Sheikh Jassim considers it an enormous premium on the current share price of the club, both now and at any stage of the club’s recent share price.

Ratcliffe is understood to have made an improved offer on April 28. It has been reported that his offer enables Avram and Joel Glazer to retain a 20 per cent stake in the club, something the Ineos camp has not confirmed.

The Glazers are reported to value the club at £6billion.

This is a crunch period on and off the field for United, who won the Carabao Cup, finished third in the Premier League and lost Saturday’s FA Cup final in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge.

Co-owner Avram Glazer was at Wembley for Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City and ignored questions about the takeover as he left through the interview area.

Asked about the potential takeover and summer improvements, United boss Ten Hag said: “I think in this moment I don’t want to discuss that.

“It’s about finalising the season. We have to be quiet, analyse the season, go into the depth, then set the right conclusions and then take action.”

England will face Portugal on July 1 in their final home warm-up match before flying to Australia for the Women’s World Cup.

Sarina Wiegman’s side are due to leave for the tournament four days after the meeting with their fellow finalists in Milton Keynes, with the game to kick-off at 3:15pm and be broadcast live on ITV.

Their opening game of the competition, which is being hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand, is against Haiti in Brisbane on 22 July, before the team fly to Sydney to face Denmark then finish the group stage against China in Adelaide.

Wiegman finalised her squad for the World Cup, which England are looking to win for the first time following their Euro 2022 triumph last summer, in May with Arsenal’s Beth Mead a notable absence through injury.

Portugal are competing for the first time in the World Cup and are building on their first major tournament appearances at the last two editions of the European Championships.

Canada will be England’s final warm-up opponents in a behind-closed-doors friendly on July 14.

“I am really pleased to have a competitive game for our last home fixture,” said Wiegman. “We had two big games in April against Brazil and Australia where we learned so much.

“This will be another challenging match against a team that have performed well and are going to their first World Cup.

“Portugal will also want to show they can be a threat to teams in Australia, and they have very technical players with good ability. For us, it will be important to come together again as a team after the end of the club season and feel the support of our fans.

“We will do our best to give them a good performance. It will only be three weeks until our opening World Cup game so it will be such an important moment in our preparation.”

The Football Association and Women’s Super League clubs had been in a dispute over the release date for players called up to the squad.

The FIFA-sanctioned date by which clubs must make players available is July 10, just 10 days before the tournament kicks off.

It was reported last week that the FA had planned for the squad to meet up on June 19, though a formal agreement between parties took time to reach.

That date has now been confirmed by the FA, which said in a statement: “We are grateful for the mutual understanding of the clubs, as we have collectively worked towards a solution with the wellbeing of players at the heart.”

England beat Portugal the last time the sides met competitively, Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris scoring the goals in a 2-1 win for the Lionesses in the Euro 2017 group stage.

Ange Postecoglou has promised “a team to get excited by” as he strives for success after being appointed as Tottenham head coach.

The Australian takes up the post having guided Celtic to the domestic treble north of the border, signing a four-year contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Postecoglou, 57, takes the reins after Antonio Conte’s dismissal in March and interim runs for both Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason.

Spurs finished eighth at the end of a dismal season, their worst Premier League position since 2008, and Postecoglou is ready to get started on turning those fortunes around.

“It’s great to finally get started as manager of this great football club,” he said in a video message posted on the club’s social media accounts.

“I’m really looking forward to our task ahead. I think it’s an exciting opportunity for us to now set off on a new direction, play football and create an environment that embodies the values and traditions of this fantastic football club.

“Hopefully a team that you can all be proud of, and more importantly get excited by.

“I can assure you that right through pre-season we won’t leave any stone unturned, myself, the staff and the players, to make sure that when the league comes around you will be as excited as I am about the season ahead.

“So I really look forward to seeing everyone at the stadium, in particular at our first home game, and I look forward to the journey ahead.”

Lawrence Shankland is hoping to end his “really strong season” by helping Scotland take another big stride towards Euro 2024.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed arguably the best campaign of his career as he scored 28 goals and earned the captaincy in his first year at Hearts, whom he joined last summer from Belgian club Beerschot.

Shankland’s form at Tynecastle earned him a first Scotland cap for two and a half years in the victory over Spain in March, and he has retained his place in the squad for this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers away to Norway and at home to Georgia.

“When you get to the end of a season you get the chance to look back and assess it,” Shankland told the Scottish Football Association.

“For me, it was a really strong season. My performances throughout the season were to a really high standard and I was really happy with them.

“The number of goals I managed to chip in with was great. It was my first season at Hearts as well so it was good to get off to a good start. The captaincy was an opportunity that I probably didn’t expect when I first went to Hearts but when it was offered to me I was keen to take on that role.

“I felt it was something that would improve my all-round game, improve me as a person, and I felt I took it in my stride and handled it really well. It’s been a huge learning opportunity for me and hopefully it stands me in good stead for the future.”

Shankland has won five Scotland caps but he admits such a scenario would have been a pipe dream when he found himself without a club and pondering getting a job away from football when he was released by Aberdeen in 2017. He eventually joined Ayr and set about rebuilding his career.

“There’s been a lot of rejections along the way but it comes down to hard work and determination really,” he said, reflecting on his rise. “You have your end goals and what you want to achieve in your career.

“There have been times when I couldn’t have dreamed of getting a Scotland cap. But you just need to knuckle down and if you keep working hard, things pay off and you get these opportunities.

“I’ve taken most of them first time and did well at most of the clubs I’ve been at. It has been a bit of an up-and-down journey but I’ve worked hard and I feel like I deserve what’s come my way.”

The Scotland squad are currently at a training camp in Spain gearing up for their showdown with Norway in Oslo a week on Saturday.

Steve Clarke’s side sit top of their qualifying section after winning their opening two matches and know that a good share of points from their two outings this month will leave them firmly on course for the finals in Germany next summer.

“It’s been good to meet up and get everybody back together,” said Shankland.

“The wee break in between (the end of the club season) gives us a bit of time to do a training camp and I think that’s important for us before we go into the game week next week.

“The training’s been good and the weather’s been nice. The last two games we had really good results and we’ve given ourselves a really good opportunity going into these two games. If we get positive results we could be in a really good position.”

Alex Iacovitti has thanked Ross County for “an incredible three years” after his departure from the Staggies was confirmed.

The 25-year-old former Scotland Under-21 defender moved to the Highlands from Oldham in 2020 and made 116 games appearances for the Dingwall club, scoring 12 goals.

Iacovitti is leaving County, who survived in the cinch Premiership following a dramatic play-off victory over Partick Thistle, under freedom of contract.

“Firstly I’d like to place on record my thank you for an incredible three years at the club,” he said in a statement on the Staggies’ website. “I’ve loved my time in the Highlands and was happy to call it home for this period.

“The supporters were excellent throughout my time here and they will always hold a special place in my heart for how they have treated me.

“The players I played with at the club are also a top bunch of lads, unfortunately I was unable to play a part in the play-offs due to an injury I had played through that eventually got the better of me.

“I was absolutely delighted the club secured their Premiership status, where they belong.

“I wanted to thank all of you for your support throughout and wish you all and the club the very best for the future. I’ll be back to watch a game as a County fan in the future!”

County will announce full details of their retained/released list in due course.

Ben Foster has signed a new one-year contract with Wrexham following their return to the English Football League.

The former England goalkeeper, 40, was tempted out of retirement in March to become a part of co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ambitious plans to haul the club up the divisions.

He provided one of the National League’s moments of the season with a brilliant stoppage-time penalty save against fellow promotion hopefuls Notts County in April, preserving a 3-2 lead and sending Wrexham top of the table.

Phil Parkinson’s side clinched the title with a game to spare to ensure their 15-year stay in the fifth tier finally came to an end.

Foster, who played in the Premier League for Watford as recently as last year, told the club’s official website: “At the end of last season it was obvious that I enjoyed being at the club, I loved being part of the team and everything that Wrexham stands for.

“The fans took to me so warmly, Phil Parkinson is brilliant, (assistant manager) Steve Parkin is top class, I love (goalkeeping coach) Aidan Davison to bits, and the co-chairmen are out of this world.

“I’d decided before the end of last season I wanted to do it, because it feels like home. I’ve never joined a football club and felt at ease so quickly.”

Foster kept three clean sheets in his eight appearances to win his second trophy for the club, 18 years after lifting the LDV Vans Trophy while on loan from Stoke in 2005.

Parkinson said: “We’re delighted that Ben has signed for the coming season.

“It’s a key signing for us because we all saw the impact he had, not just on the pitch but also around the training ground, and we are all looking forward to working with him again next season.”

Norwich have signed Republic of Ireland defender Shane Duffy from Fulham on a three-year contract.

The 31-year-old, capped 55 times by his country, made five Premier League appearances for Fulham during the 2022-23 season.

Norwich boss David Wagner told the club’s official website: “We’re delighted to welcome Shane to the club. He’s a player with a vast amount of experience, both domestically and on the international stage.

“I’m confident that he’ll be a great fit for our squad and brings not only the on-field qualities that we have been looking for, but leadership and desire to help drive our club forward.

“From my conversations with Shane, his vision was clear. You can feel that determination and hunger to play and win football games.”

Duffy began his career in England at Everton and had spells at Blackburn and Brighton before a loan move to Fulham last summer was made permanent in the January transfer window.