Slovenski nogomet

Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch have been named in Fabio Capello's England squad for friendlies with the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.

Liverpool: Pld 15 W 11 D 3 L 1 Pts 36
Chelsea: Pld 14 W 9 D 5 L 0 Pts 32
Man Utd: Pld 14 W 9 D 3 L 2 Pts 30

LIVERPOOL will travel to Spain to take on Villarreal as part of their preparations for next season.

The fixture has been arranged under the terms of the deal that saw Pepe Reina move from El Madrigal to Anfield for £6million in the summer of 2005.

Although final details have not yet been confirmed, the game is expected to take place in the final week of July with Wednesday, July 30 indicated as a possible date.

Rafael Benitez has already revealed Liverpool will once again visit Switzerland for a pre-season camp with friendlies expected to be arranged during their spell abroad. However, it is not thought the Anfield outfit will embark on any major pre-season tours, such as their week-long trip to Hong Kong last year to take part in the Barclays Asia Trophy.

There had been hopes that the expiry of pre-emption rights this month would allow Hicks' co-owner George Gillett to sell his shares to DIC. But an administrative oversight on Gillett's part appears to have prevented that, so DIC is now dependent on Hicks – or his bankers – reaching the conclusion that he has no option but to sell to them.

There is a belief in the DIC camp that Hicks' bankers might ultimately force his hand, though when that might happen is unclear. DIC may have to wait until October, the date Hicks has promised that construction work will begin on Liverpool's new 60,000-seat stadium and which is the acid test of his ability to deliver what he has promised for the club.

"Last summer, I was by the swimming pool and a kid was playing football wearing a Liverpool cap. He passed the ball and it came to me, so I tried to dribble it past him and we were playing for about five minutes.

"After we'd finished, his father spoke to him and said 'do you know who that is?' The kid says 'is it a Liverpool player?' and his dad replies 'no, it's the manager!'

"So after that he was with me playing football the whole week. He was the only one who hadn't recognised me and he was the one wearing the Liverpool cap."