Ibrahimovic ‘a gift’ for Rashford – Mourinho

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a “gift” for his Manchester United teammate Marcus Rashford, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Rashford impressed as a regular starter last season but faces being on the bench at the start of the new Premier League season after the arrival of Ibrahimovic from Paris Saint-Germain.

But Mourinho said the Swede’s presence would help rather than hinder the 18-year-old’s development.

The United manager told BT Sport: “He [Ibrahimovic] is brilliant with the young boys. I think, for Rashford, this is a gift.

Mourinho used Ibrahimovic as the advanced striker and Rooney as a No. 10 in the 2-1 Community Shield win over Leicester City at Wembley on Sunday.“People can say he is not going to play every game from the start, like he did in the second part of last season — but this is a gift for the kid, too.”

Rashford came on for the final 20 minutes of the match, replacing wide attacker Anthony Martial, as Ibrahimovic headed the late winning goal.

Nathan Dyer signs new four-year Swansea City contract

Swansea City winger Nathan Dyer has signed a new four-year contract.

The 28-year-old, who picked up a Premier League winner’s medal during his loan spell at Leicester City last season, joined the club from Southampton in 2009.

Dyer, who had one year left on his previous contract, is the second Swansea player to commit to the club in as many days with Gylfi Sigurdsson also signing a new four-year deal.

“I was on loan last season and I had a good year at Leicester — the experience I had was unbelievable — but I’m happy to be back here at the club that first gave me the opportunity to show what I can do,” he told the club’s official website.

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“Coming back, there was only one thought in my mind — impress the new manager, speak to the chairman, get into the team and play games. I was going into the final year of my contract, so it was nice to sign a new deal.

“The new deal will keep me here until I finish. I have always seen myself being here. Once a Jack, always a Jack!”

Man City Signs Jesus

Gabriel Jesus

Manchester City have signed 19-year-old Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras on a five-year contract, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.

Jesus, who is reported to have cost City an initial fee of £27m ($36m, €32.2m), will remain on loan at Palmeiras until December before moving to Manchester in January.

He is currently on duty with hosts Brazil at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“Manchester City is one of the best clubs in the world so I’m really pleased to sign,” Jesus said in comments published on the City website.

“We have many great talents in the team and a fantastic manager in Pep Guardiola that I can learn so much from.

“I’m looking forward to showing the City fans what I can do and I think we’ll have a great future together!”

Nadal Confirms Participation In Rio Olympics Despite Injury And Zika Concerns

Rafael Nadal

World number five Nadal spent a lengthy period after his practice session on centre court discussing his plans with the team doctor and team captain Conchita Martinez.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner has committed himself to playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles at the Games, despite worries over whether or not his left wrist injury will survive the gruelling challenges ahead.

He is scheduled to play doubles with Marc Lopez and mixed doubles with French Open champion Garbine Muguruza.”Yesterday (Monday) and today (Tuesday) have been my strongest training in two months and the wrist has not gotten worse,” he added.

Nadal admitted that his best medal chance may be in the doubles where the burden is shared.”It’s true that in doubles, I might go better, but you never know,” he said.”I will do everything possible to make my role the best and bring something positive for Spain.”

Nadal’s decision to play in all three events was a major boost for the organisers who on Tuesday saw world number four Stan Wawrinka pull out with a back injury.Wawrinka was replaced in the draw by big-serving Australian Sam Groth.

Nadal is due to carry his country’s flag at Friday’s opening ceremony in Rio.

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney ‘can play in any era’ – Ferguson

Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex Ferguson has compared Wayne Rooney to Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton ahead of the England international’s testimonial for the club.

Rooney, 30, will play his United testimonial against his former club Everton on Wednesday at Old Trafford, having made 520 appearances for the Red Devils, with the match streamed live on Facebook.

The forward has scored 245 goals in those appearances, four short of Charlton’s all-time club record from 758 outings.

Ferguson, who signed Rooney from Everton in nine years ago and had agree, won five Premier League titles working with the forward, and also lifted the Champions League in 2008.

The Scot, who had disagreements with Rooney in the past, told the official United programme: “He [Rooney] was an exciting signing [in 2004]. It was fairly shortly after I’d got rid of the idea of retiring and changed my mind, and I had to rethink about how we were going to take the club forward.

“When you make the decision to retire, you stop thinking, but once I decided to stay I started thinking again and it was really centred around bringing energy back into the team by looking at young players.

“Of course there was Cristiano Ronaldo, then there was Rooney, and it was a fantastic period. The two of them were unbelievable.

“I always think that great players can play in any era. Bobby Charlton would have been a great player today and Wayne Rooney would have been a great player back then.”“Wayne came in as a first-team player right away, even though he was only 18, and he’s gone on to play for Manchester United for 12 years, which is very difficult in the present day.

Former United manager Louis van Gaal has also praised England captain Rooney, adding: “I was very quickly convinced of his personality and that’s why he was easy to work with. I quickly decided he would be my captain because I saw also the attitude of his fellow players towards him.

“They approached him always with a lot of respect and that’s also important when you have to install a captain. It is very important that he is seen by his fellow players as a very important person in the dressing room, and there is no question that he is very important at United.”

Meanwhile, Rooney’s childhood hero and former Everton great Duncan Ferguson has named the United striker as the “best player we’ve ever had” in the Premier League.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min targets Olympic gold with South Korea

Son Heung-Min

South Korea international Son Heung-Min has apologised to his Tottenham Hotspur teammates for missing the start of the Premier League season in his bid to win Olympic gold in Rio.

Son, 24, was selected as one of his country’s three players over the age of 23 and he travelled straight to Brazil from Spurs’ training camp in Melbourne following Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Although the group stage of the Olympic football tournament finishes before the start of the Premier League season, South Korea — who won the bronze medal in London four years ago — will hope to challenge for a medal again.

The final takes place at the Maracana on Aug. 20, so the forward would miss at least the opening two games against Everton and Crystal Palace should South Korea go all the way.

“First of all, I’m sorry for the team because I’m going to miss the first game of the season,” Son told Spurs’ official website. “I’ve had a very good time in the first four weeks of preseason with the team, the gaffer and the coaching staff.

“I watched the Olympics in 2012 in London and there were so many great performances there, so many people, so many sports. Everyone is excited. It’s a great feeling.”“Now I’m excited to go to Rio and to play for South Korea. This is very special for me, my first time at the Olympics.

South Korea’s first game is against Fiji on Thursday, with fixtures against Germany and Mexico to follow. But Son wants to make sure he is still in Brazil to play in one of the medal matches at the Maracana.

“If that wasn’t the case there would be no point going,” Son said. “I want to get a medal for South Korea.

“I run for South Korea every time, the same as I run for Tottenham. I’m not going there just to have fun and enjoy it, I want to win an Olympic medal as well.”

Son was given permission by Spurs to attend the Olympics earlier this summer, with the club persuaded by a South Korean policy that Olympic medalists are exempt from the country’s compulsory two-year military service.