Wellington Phoenix have signed Solomon Islands striker Benji Totori for the 2012/13 A-League season.

The 26-year-old was part of the Solomon Islands recent Oceania Nations Cup campaign in Honiara and he has agreed a one-year deal with an option for a second.

The small but pacy striker scored in every match he played in the Nations Cup, including three goals in two games against New Zealand, who are also coached by Phoenix boss Ricki Herbert.

He helped the Solomon Islands to a 1-1 draw against the All Whites in pool play and scored twice in the last-gasp 4-3 victory over Herbert s side in the third-placed play-off.

He is very fast. He is very good with the ball at his feet. He s got a great finish as we saw at the Nations Cup, said Phoenix general manaer…

Dele Alli insists Tottenham have improved this season, despite them sitting outside the Premier League top four after 21 games.

Spurs made it three wins in a row with a 2-0 victory over Swansea City on Tuesday, a result that lifted them two points above Arsenal into fifth place.

Mauricio Pochettino s side finished as runners-up to champions Chelsea last season and came third in 2015-16, but a 22-point gap to leaders Manchester City means another title challenge this term looks to be beyond them.

Spurs, who entertain West Ham on Thursday, also face a battle to finish in the Champions League places, with Liverpool four points above them in fourth after playing a game more, but Alli does not believe the league table shows their progress this term.

At the …

After taking the reins at Stoke City, Paul Lambert conceded he was unsure whether he would ever secure a return to Premier League management.

Lambert was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year deal on Monday as the Potters confirmed their replacement for Mark Hughes, who paid the price for a run of eight defeats in 11 games, including a loss to League Two Coventry City in the FA Cup third round. 

A Champions League winner as a player with Borussia Dortmund, Lambert has not held a Premier League role since parting company with Aston Villa in February 2015.

He has since managed in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers and Wolves, and was thrilled at the opportunity to return to the top tier with Stoke, who sit third from bottom after 23 games.

I never though…

Frank Lampard believes John Terry s influence on an improving Aston Villa is clear to see. 

Lampard s Chelsea host Villa on Monday, with Dean Smith s side enjoying an excellent season. 

Villa are above the Blues on goal difference in seventh, despite having played two games fewer than their next opponents. 

They have the second-best defence in the division   their 13 conceded only bettered by Manchester City (12)   and are bolstered by a current run of four successive clean sheets. 

Villa s backline will be without the suspended Tyrone Mings against Chelsea, although they kept Crystal Palace at bay despite playing more than half of their 3-0 Boxing Day win when down to 10 men. 

Smith s squad have not made a single error leading…

Mario Balotelli says his mother cried when she found out he was signing for Brescia.

Balotelli, a free agent since leaving Ligue 1 side Marseille, has agreed a multi-year contract with his hometown club.

It marks a return to Italy for the former Inter and AC Milan striker, who has not played in Italy since 2016.

Spells with Nice and Marseille have rebuilt Balotelli s career and he revealed his mother s delight at his latest move.

At the beginning she was crying. She was very happy, Balotelli told a news conference on Monday.

My father was from Brescia, he was always in Brescia, for him it would have been a dream to see me here.

I chose Brescia, I thought of nothing else when I got the offer. Brescia can give me everything, it is the t…

Market: Parma win

Odds: 5/6 @

Two sides who find themselves battling it out at opposite ends of the Serie B table, Parma will welcome Modena to the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Saturday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while Parma might have been disappointed after settling for a bottom-half finish last season, Fabio Pecchia s men now have their sights set on securing a Serie A return. Last seen making an immediate return to winning ways as they claimed a 3-1 victory at home against Cittadella, the Crusaders are tipped as a leading promotion contender this time around. Losing just a pair of their last nine matchups across all formats a run that stems all the way back to September 10th Parma should find the mood in their camp at a high. Knowing that three points he…

France head coach Didier Deschamps has opened up about the decision to let Kylian Mbappe return to Paris Saint-Germain after sustaining a minor injury.

Mbappe was taken off in the closing stages of Les Blues 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday with a calf problem.

The French Football Federation announced on Thursday that Mbappe had been granted permission to leave the camp ahead of the games with Ukraine on Saturday and Finland on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old s injury is not considered serious, but Deschamps was not willing to take any risks by using the prolific forward in France s next two matches.

I ll be clear about this. Kylian felt something late in the game, Deschamps said at a news conference on Friday.

We have…

AC Milan president and former Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has received a four-year prison sentence for his part in a tax fraud scandal.

The 76-year-old, along with 10 others, was on trial after it was alleged the defendants were involved in a scheme to purchase American movies for his company Mediaset, through an offshore company, and had failed to declare payments properly to avoid taxes.

It was also claimed that Berlusconi had re-licensed the films, and pocketed the difference, making the Milan supremo some 250 million euros.

Berlusconi has been involved in a number of legal procedures relating to his business ventures, but has either been cleared, or the cases have been dropped due to time constraints.

However, this time he has been found g…

The season of upheaval has continued at Sydney FC, with football director Gary Cole sacked after just under a year in the job.

Announced via a press release on Monday, the Sky Blues revealed Cole had departed after the role had become made redundant, effective immediately.

Having held the same position at Melbourne Victory during the 2006-07 and 2008-09 championship seasons, Cole joined Sydney FC in December 2011 in a bid to increase stability at the club after constant coaching and boardroom changes.

But the 56-year-old has become yet another casualty at the Sky Blues, just 22 days after the resignation of rookie coach Ian Crook.

Sydney FC has decided to make some structural changes to the football department and the position of Football Director has b…

PSV Eindhoven coach Dick Advocaat says he is unsure whether he will still be in charge of the club at the end of the season.

The former Zenit St Petersburg boss has guided PSV to the top of the Eredivisie table, but is refusing to rule out a move back to Britain where he previously enjoyed success with Rangers if the right opportunity came along.

I would work there again. It is not about money, but if I can be myself, he told Voetbal International.

The 65-year-old also admitted the club would be on the lookout for new signings in the January transfer window, but only if a possible purchase made financial sense to technical director Marcel Brands and CEO Justin Sanders.

We ll look at things and Marcel and Sanders will see what is financially feasible, h…