England manager Roy Hodgson talks to the media during an England press conference on Thursday in Hertford, England. Andrew Redington / Getty Images / May 29, 2014
England manager Roy Hodgson talks to the media during an England press conference on Thursday in Hertford, England. Andrew Redington / Getty Images / May 29, 2014

Hodgson, hailing Sturridge and Lambert, laments ‘Wayne Rooney-obsessed’ England



England manager Roy Hodgson has publicly given his backing to striker Rickie Lambert’s impending transfer from Southampton to Liverpool.

Lambert, 32, underwent a medical examination in Liverpool on Saturday with a view to a move that will reportedly cost an initial £4 million (Dh24.6m), rising to £9 million with add-ons.

A former Liverpool trainee, Lambert has emerged as an important squad player for England since scoring against Scotland with his first touch as an international footballer in a friendly last year.

He is a member of the 23-man World Cup squad that will fly to Miami on Sunday for a pre-tournament training camp and Hodgson said that his move to Anfield would be good news for the national side.

“He’s very happy. I’m happy for him,” Hodgson told reporters after England beat Peru 3-0 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on Friday.

“I congratulate Liverpool on signing a good player and I’m sure that on Wednesday, when he plays against Ecuador, you’ll see a fella running around with all the joy that his heart can muster.

“He’s very happy to be here with England and he’s very happy that the move has gone through to Liverpool.”

Liverpool are also reported to have tabled a £25 million bid for Lambert’s Southampton colleague Adam Lallana, who caught the eye against Peru with an enterprising performance.

Luke Shaw is expected to leave Southampton during the close season as well, amid interest from Manchester United, and Hodgson expressed sympathy for the south coast club, who finished eighth in the Premier League.

“It’s a pity for Southampton because they’ve been terrific this year and I congratulate them enormously,” he said.

“But unfortunately there are always bigger fish in the sea and it’s hard to keep those bigger fish away sometimes.”

While Lambert, who hails from Liverpool, is riding the crest of a wave, his fellow forward Wayne Rooney found himself criticised in some quarters after a lacklustre showing against Peru.

The United striker, who is recovering from a groin injury, failed to impress before being withdrawn in the 66th minute.

Instead it was strike partner Daniel Sturridge who took the plaudits for a fine 32nd-minute opener, but Hodgson said that it was unrealistic to expect Rooney to be England’s match-winner in every game.

“I think it’s a bit sad that the country is so Wayne Rooney-obsessed,” he said.

“I don’t think Wayne sets himself up to be anything other than a very, very important member of the squad, someone who does his best and tries his best at all times.

“As far as I’m concerned, talk about combinations doesn’t interest me. All I want is for Wayne Rooney to play well and Daniel Sturridge to play well and to score goals and to create goals.

“That’s what they’re in the team for and that’s what we work hard to help them to do as a team, but certainly we don’t have the same obsession with Wayne or Daniel.”

He added: “I’m not focusing on one individual. I don’t come to press conferences thinking as I walk in, ‘What am I going to say about Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard today?’

“Steven or Wayne have never asked to be elevated to the position where they are now. They’ve got there because they’re good footballers and they deserve to be there.”

After playing Ecuador and Honduras in Miami, England will open their World Cup campaign against Italy in the Brazilian city of Manaus on June 14.

While England’s defence essentially picks itself, Hodgson said that the attacking roles in his starting XI were still up for grabs – suggesting that Rooney’s place is far from secure.

“Once you get past Steven Gerrard in the midfield, there’s five positions to fill and I think there’s quite a lot of options there,” he said.

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COMPANY PROFILE

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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe

Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians

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RESULT

Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

RESULTS
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6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m | Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed

7.40pm: Handicap (T) $145,000 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes

8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) $200,000 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) $200,000 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor

9.25pm: Handicap (T) $175,000 1,400m​​​ | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

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Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

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The bio

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Favourite car: Lamborghini

Favourite hobby: Football

Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough

Favourite country: UAE

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

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Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

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The%20specs
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The specs

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

Torque: 350 and 360Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT 

On sale: now


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