The veteran defender believes a quota should be put in place to ensure home-grown talent is nurtured, though accepted that "elite" foreign talent has had a positive impact

Lack of English players in the Premier League is a disgrace, says Rio Ferdinand
Manchester United defender and former England international Rio Ferdinand has hit out at the negative effect the Premier League is having on the English national team.

The Three Lions have been the subject of great debate following Greg Dyke's first address as FA chairman, where he labelled English football a “tanker that needs turning” amid a “frightening” dilution of domestic talent in the top flight.

And Ferdinand, who retired from international duty in May, believes there is not enough faith shown in Englishman and has called for rules to be put in place to guarantee their participation in the Premier League.

"Look at the Manchester City game recently against Newcastle. There was barely an English player on the pitch, three out of 22 starters," the 34-year-old told the Mail on Sunday.
"That is a disgrace. If you look at it and ask whether there should be a stipulation that you have a minimum number of players who are English, even just in your squad, I think that should happen.

"If you look at a lot of teams, there are England players who aren’t playing for their clubs — yet we’re hoping to go to a World Cup and do well!

"I know that European laws won't let a legal quota happen. So you can’t do that. But if you want to protect English football and its heritage and its future, something like that has to be done."

Ferdinand developed in a West Ham squad alongside future internationals like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, but says England's next generation of footballers are being stifled by the influx of foreigners to the Premier League.

"Nowadays, there are managers who have lots of foreign players, not of the standard of [Thierry] Henry and [Eric] Cantona and those others," the defender continued.

"But they've still paid £7m-£8m or more for them, and they're on £30,000, £40,000, £50,000 a week, which means they can't sit in the stands.

"If a manager plays an English kid instead, his chairman will be saying, 'You're wasting my money'.

"So you're locked into a cycle of negativity. The young English player is stuck playing reserves in front of 10 people on a Wednesday."

The veteran centre-back did acknowledge that foreign players and managers had played a big role in the development of the English game, but insists any signings from abroad must be "the elite".

"There is no questioning the impact that the best foreign players have had. Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Cantona, Gianfranco Zola — they had a massive positive impact on our football," Ferdinand added.

"Our game would not have been enhanced without them. Arsene Wenger's ethos as a manager changed things, too, on diet and nutrition and other areas off the pitch, and that's been positive. So there is a place for the best of foreign talent. But they're the elite.

"What I don’t like seeing is a manager having to choose between a kid coming through and a more established foreign player who isn't perhaps that good."

The French Bernabeu legend has voiced concern at football's "inconprehensible" transfer fees - including the €75m figure for which he joined Real Madrid in 2001

   
Zinedine Zidane has slammed the world-record fee that Real Madrid forked out for Gareth Bale, stating that no player is worth such a sum.

The Real Madrid assistant coach, who held the title of most expensive footballer on the planet when he moved from Juventus to los Blancos in 2001, believes the €100 million [£84m] deal for the Wales international is simply one of many "incomprehensible" fees which clubs are willing to pay in the modern game.

"Ten years ago I was bought for €75m [£63m] and I said I was not worth this," the World Cup winner toldCanal Plus.

"Even now I would think that a player is not worth this. It's football, unfortunately. It is incomprehensible to pay so much."

Despite holding reservations about the amount, Zidane is more than happy to have Bale at Santiago Bernabeu and the Frenchman is excited to have the opportunity to work with the former Tottenham star. 

"My role will certainly be to explain that he has to play as he knows," Zidane continued.

"This is a player who has incredible potential, which he has demonstrated over the past three years and he is certainly among the top three players.

"But he can still progress a lot. I think he can bring a lot to Madrid."

PICTURED: England star Walker appearing to inhale 'hippy crack' from black balloon during Sheffield night out

      
Inhale: England and Tottenham player Kyle Walker appears to suck in 'hippy crack' from a balloon during a night out in June

England player Kyle Walker has been pictured appearing to inhale 'hippy crack' from a balloon while on a night out.

The 23-year-old right-back, who played for England against Moldova in Friday's World Cup qualifier, allegedly sucked in the potentially deadly nitrous oxide several times during a night out in Sheffield, the Sunday Mirror reported.

The laughing gas, which is decanted into balloons and sold for as little as £1.50, is a legal high.

It has been known to cause users suffocation, seizures, strokes, blackouts, chronic depression and strain on the heart.

The Sunday Mirror said that Walker, who plays for Tottenham, allegedly inhaled a number of times from the balloon while out with friends in his hometown on June 1.

He was recovering from an injury that forced him to sit out England's friendly double-header with the Republic of Ireland and Brazil

Walker, the PFA Young Player of the Year last season, is expected to line-up against for England in Ukraine on Tuesday in a must-win World Cup qualifier.

'I have now been made aware of the health risks associated with the practice and accept that my actions were of poor judgement,’ said Walker in a statement issued by his employers at Tottenham.‘I hope this will in no way influence or encourage others into putting their own health at risk.’

An eyewitness in the club told the paper: 'More and more canisters of laughing gas started appearing.

'Kyle and his pals were getting well carried away with them. He didn't mind one bit that people were taking pictures.'

'Hippy crack' first became popular during the 1960s, but has now become a popular legal high in British nightclubs, where it is sold for a couple of pounds.

The FA have declined to comment.

Terry, Pires and Larsson pull on their boots to pay tribute to brave Petrov's cancer fight... but Agbonlahor's not feeling very charitable as he clatters One Direction's Louis and leaves him rolling in agony

              

There weren't many dry eyes in the house. Stan Petrov was addressing supporters inside Celtic Park after his charity match on Sunday and it all became too much. 

'You've made today special for me, my family and for all these players. Thank you very much,' Petrov - in remission from acute leukaemia - said. 

Glasgow erupted. 'You'll Never Walk Alone' blasted out aptly. Petrov's sons ran to the pitch for a family embrace. That set Stan off: he wept in the arms of his wife Paulina as those in the stands passionately cheered one of the most likeable men in football. 

It was an almost indescribable 10 minutes after the final whistle. Nobody left. Nobody wanted to.

The former Aston Villa midfielder was deservingly the star of the show. The match between a #19 Legends side and a team of Celtic heroes was a huge success for him and his charity.

The emotion started early on. When the clock hit the 19th minute - his squad number - the entire sell-out crowd stood up as one to show their appreciation for the 34-year-old.

'I said I wouldn't cry but I couldn't hold it. It was an absolute privilege,' he told BT Sport. 'I'm just happy to see my family every day.

The Bulgarian stood in the centre circle, waved at the crowd and pinched between his eyes to hold back the tears. 

Villa supporters have a ritual of clapping for 60 seconds in the 19th minute, but Petrov was still overcome with emotion.

'It is just great. I nearly started crying but I held it. I was in a dark place a year-and-a-half ago,' he said.

'They have always been brilliant to me. It's been amazing. Today I'm here with all these friends and the Celtic family. It's incredible.' 

After the time Petrov has endured, it was only fitting that those closest to him within the game were there to shown an outpouring of support for one of football's most humble individuals.

Want to work out if someone is lying? Time their texts: Liars take longer to reply because they're making up stories

              
People who are lying in digital messages take longer to respond. They also edit their messages more and send briefer replies than they usually would

Have you ever noticed an awkward pause in the middle of a text message conversation?

New research suggests that you should be suspicious of those pregnant pauses.

U.S. researchers have discovered that people who are lying in digital messages take longer to respond.

The study also found when people lie in digital messages - texts, social media, email, and instant messages - they make more edits and write shorter responses than usual.

‘Digital conversations are a fertile ground for deception because people can easily conceal their identity and their messages often appear credible,’ said Dr Tom Meservy, Brigham Young University in Utah

First look at the new fingerprint pad on the new iPhone 5s after images of the mobile are leaked

              
The new iPhone? This image apparently showing the new iPhone5S was leaked on Chinese website C Technology. It appears to show a thin silver ring around the home button

Fans of the iPhone have apparently been given a sneak peak at the latest model after images of the mobile's packaging was leaked online.

While it may not look all that different from the iPhone5, Apple's latest offering appears to have a thin silver ring around the home button.

The images appear to confirm rumours that the new model has an embedded fingerprint sensor in the home button and will be called the iPhone5S.

They were leaked by Chinese site C Technology ahead of the phones' official launch on September 10. 

The high-end handset's sensor is said to be able to identify the owner by his or her fingerprints - making them a lot more secure than at present

Mummy's lucky mascot! Harper Beckham sits on David's lap front row at Victoria's New York Fashion Week show

          

She's a regular fixture at her mother's fashion shows, and has become something of a lucky mascot over the past two years.

So when it came to allocating seats for Victoria Beckham's New York Fashion Week show on Saturday, her daughter Harper had pride of place on the front row.

The adorable two-year-old was seen sitting with her father David as the pair watched designs from the hugely talented Spice Girl-turned-designer walk the runway.

Harper looked picture perfect for the occasion in a pale blue baby Chloé summer dress, with her long hair tied up in a bun, and little pumps, as she sat on her father's lap.

In fact, the little girl was so cute in her ensemble that even Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour was seen giving her an indulgent smile as Harper chatted away to her. 

Former footballer David, meanwhile, looked as dapper as ever in a dark suit, pale blue shirt and skinny tie as he proudly watched his wife's work come to life on the catwalk.

Victoria, 39, has been working incredibly hard in preparation for the Spring/Summer 14 show, taking place during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. 

Tweeting a number of photos on Saturday, the multi-talented star appeared to be pushing herself hard as she ensured everything was show ready for the New York fashion elite.

She told her six million followers that she was expecting a 'A long night ahead #SS14', and posted a photo of one of her colleagues working hard on a sewing machine.

Beyoncé narrowly avoids a wardrobe malfunction as a button on her low-cut jumpsuit pops open at dinner with Jay Z

    

She's not exactly known for being shy when it comes to her wardrobe choices.

But Beyoncé ran into some trouble as she sported a revealing ensemble while out for dinner with husband Jay Z in Italy on Saturday.

As the pair arrived at the Taverna Anema e Core on the island of Capri, a button on Beyoncé's already low-cut jumpsuit popped open, causing her to nearly encounter an embarrassing faux pas.

Luckily for the singer, she managed to catch sight of the error before she revealed too much, quickly buttoning herself back up as Jay Z watched with concern. 

Slightly embarrassed about the incident, Beyoncé was seen looking red-faced as she laughed off the narrow miss, before walking alongside her husband into the eatery.

Despite the almost wardrobe malfunction, Beyoncé looked otherwise stunning in her ensemble for the night out.

Earlier this week, Beyonce, Jay Z and Blue Ivy were seen taking a break from the luxury vessel they have chartered for the trip to take a stroll along the Nerano shore 

Putting her own spin on resort wear, the Girls singer donned a flowing cheesecloth cotton skirt with a cropped white patterned top in matching material, which showed off the perfosrmer's toned stomach.

Keeping her look simple the star wore a pair of white gladiator sandals and allowed her newly cropped blonded 'do to fall in small waves around her face.

Beyonce's only accessory was a white headband, instead the star's focus was on making sure to bring a professional looking camera to capture her family's exploration of the local town but also taking more candid shots on her iPhone.

Following her mother's lead, one-year-old Blue Ivy was also dressed head to toe in white.

Obama's shocking case for striking Syria: Horrific videos of gas attacks that White House is using to persuade US politicians to act

    

President Barack Obama has been showing an officially-verified collection of 13 graphic videos to lawmakers that depict the horrors of the chemical gas attacks in Syria in behind-closed-door briefings - as he lobbies to win approval for his plan to use military force against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. 

So far, support for the president's plan has been sparse, with even fellow Democrats opposing the use of military force in Syria. He is preparing a media blitz for Monday and promised Americans in his weekly address on Saturday that 'This would not be another Iraq or Afghanistan.'

CNN first obtained the official White House collection of 13 videos showing the carnage of the August 21 chemical weapons attack near the rebel stronghold of Demascus. 

The Obama administration told lawmakers in the Senate Intelligence Committee - which last week approved plans to attack Syria - that the videos' authenticity has been verified by the intelligence community.

Many of the videos shown to senators can be found on Youtube. But what makes this footage unique is the fact that it has been verified by intelligence officials.

The videos show the panic that set in as people began experiencing the effects of chemical nerve agents, specifically sarin gas, which can cause convulsions, respiratory failure and ultimately death.

In one of the more heartbreaking videos, a room is full of what appear to be the lifeless bodies of dozens of children. In another, men are seen foaming at the mouth and having convulsions.