Leeds United have signed Inter Milan’s Irish international Robbie Keane until the end of the season with a view to a possible £12 million transfer.
The 20-year-old former Wolves and Coventry striker, who joined Inter in the summer, has failed to hold down a regular starting place at the San Siro despite long-term injuries to Ronaldo and Christian Vieri.Chelsea and West Ham have both been tracking him and the Blues reportedly had agreed a £12 million transfer fee only for Inter owners to say he wasn’t leaving.But Leeds secured the loan deal today and Keane will team up with Australian forwards Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka and English forwards Alan Smith, Darren Huckerby and Michael Bridges for a place on the Leeds strikeforce.”We felt it imprudent to spend another £12 million immediately,” said Leeds owner Peter Ridsdale, who earlier this month paid £18 million – a world record for a defender – for West Ham center back Rio Ferdinand.”But, by structuring a loan formula, we have the player now without impacting on our financial position.”. The Leeds midfielder David Batty feared he had become the “forgotten man” at Elland Road but has since been left in no doubt as to his hero status. The Leeds midfielder David Batty feared he had become the “forgotten man” at Elland Road but has since been left in no doubt as to his hero status.
Batty was given a standing ovation by Leeds supporters as he made his first appearance for a year on Saturday, replacing Olivier Dacourt with 12 minutes remaining of the 2-0 win over Sunderland. It signalled the end of 12 agonising months, during which time he believed he would never play football again as an Achilles injury threatened his career.It was an injury which had been aggravated by painkillers required for a heart problem sustained after breaking a rib on his first appearance for Leeds following his £4.4m move from Newcastle two years ago.But now the message is clear: Batty is back, with the applause of the fans still ringing in his ears to deliver a moment he says he “will never forget”.”I hoped I would play against Sunderland and I got my wish,” said Batty, who had warmed up for the occasion with three reserve appearances.”Coming on for those 12 minutes was amazing and as for the reception, that was just class. It’s always nice when people say they want to see you back because, although it sounds funny, you sometimes wonder if the fans have forgotten you when you are out for as long as I was.”The gaffer told me before kick-off that he would stick me on in the second half if things were going well and at half-time he marked my card again.”He told me to make sure I was ready, but he need not have worried about that. I had been looking forward to such a moment for a long, long time.”In the second half I seemed to watch the clock more than the game I was desperate to get on.

Then [Mark] Viduka scored and the gaffer told me to warm up because I was going on – but I had a problem with that.”I could have jogged up the touchline only to see Sunderland pull one back. That might have forced the gaffer into a change of mind and I didn’t want to run the risk of that happening, so I told him ‘I’m ready to go on now’.”Thankfully this was good enough for him and I came on to a reception I will never forget.”Batty added: “As for my performance I was happy. I got clobbered within three minutes of coming on and that was a wake-up call, but I really enjoyed it.”Michael Bridges, another of Leeds’s long-term absentees, has only just started his rehabilitation following recent surgery for ankle ligament damage sustained in a Champions’ League game with Besiktas in Istanbul two months ago.Following last season when Bridges could do no wrong, scoring 21 goals after his £5m move from Sunderland, this term has been a disaster for the 22-year-old – one which started with his return from a summer holiday in Mauritius.Bridges contracted a mystery illness which led to him being hospitalised for two days, ultimately leading to him missing two weeks of pre-season.”I still haven’t got a clue what it was,” said Bridges. “I had a lot of hospital examinations and blood tests but they never told me what the problem was.”Within four or five days it cleared up but it knocked me back for a couple of weeks in pre-season and I was worried at the time It left me needing to catch up with the rest of the lads. When the symptoms were at their worst I couldn’t look at bright light, I had headaches and migraines and felt weak all over.”It was just like a mild dose of meningitis. At one time they thought it could be malaria, but they cancelled that one out.” Bridges is refusing to make his illness an excuse for why he failed to find the net prior to picking up the injury which many thought would rule him out until the end of the season.But such has been Bridges’ determination to battle back from injury, just like Batty and Harry Kewell before him, there is a chance he could return to the side sooner rather than later..

Leicester skipper Matt Elliott has been charged with violent and threatening behaviour after allegedly elbowing Coventry captain Craig Bellamy. Leicester skipper Matt Elliott has been charged with violent and threatening behaviour after allegedly elbowing Coventry captain Craig Bellamy.
Television cameras appeared to catch him striking Bellamy in an off-the-ball incident missed by referee Steve Dunn.The pictures were relayed to the Football Association’s advisory panel which has taken action.Elliott faces a three-match ban if the charges are proven.Bellamy has urged the FA not to take action, a view not taken initially by his team David Thompson, who said Elliott should be heavily punished before retracting his comments.A Leicester spokesman said the club planned to mount a strong defence and which would include a personal hearing for the 32-year-old defender.. Jaap Stam has given Manchester United fresh hope that he will soon be match-fit. United are currently struggling with injuries up front, leaving manager Sir Alex Ferguson scratching for a fit and potent strike force. However, he has at least received some good news from Stam about his availability at the other end of the field. Jaap Stam has given Manchester United fresh hope that he will soon be match-fit.

United are currently struggling with injuries up front, leaving manager Sir Alex Ferguson scratching for a fit and potent strike force. However, he has at least received some good news from Stam about his availability at the other end of the field.
Stam, the central defender who has been out since 9 September with Achilles tendon trouble, hopes to be back in training within the next week and said: “My recovery from injury continues to go very well.”I think I’ll be back in training with the team some time this week. I don’t know whether I’ll play any games in training but I’ll probably do some possession, passing and finishing with the ball.”Speaking on his personal website, Stam added: “I don’t think I’ll be back in the first team before the end of the year. I’ll probably play a reserve game at the beginning of January and then take it from there. The specialist has told me we’re on schedule – if anything a bit ahead of it.”Adie Moses will complete his move to Huddersfield despite David Bassett’s departure from Barnsley. The two clubs agreed a £225,000 fee for the versatile defender last week, but manager Bassett’s exit had threatened to wreck the deal.Blackburn’s proposed deal to bring Tugay Kerimoglu to Ewood Park from Rangers has been hit by work permit problems. The Turkish international is the target of the Rovers manager Graeme Souness after he originally recommended the player to Rangers.