Daily Mail

WARNING FOR AGENT MURRAY

- CONTRIBUTO­RS: Laurie Whitwell, Mike Keegan, Kieran Gill, Mike Dickson, Adam Crafton

WOLVES have told ex-goalkeeper Matt Murray not to exploit his access to the training ground after he began trying to recruit players for his agency during chats in the canteen.

Murray, a former England Under 21 internatio­nal and now widely used by talkSPORT and Sky Sports as a pundit, has become a registered intermedia­ry with Unique Sports Management.

But he was judged by Wolves to have oversteppe­d the boundaries in what has been described as an ‘awkward episode’.

Agents must make appointmen­ts to enter the Sir Jack Hayward training ground, but Murray has been allowed a fairly free rein after spending 20 years at Wolves from academy to first team. He retired because of injury aged 29.

Sources have told Sports Agenda, however, that last season in the canteen he asked a number of players if they were satisfied with their agents and told them of his new profession.

Sporting director Kevin Thelwell was made aware of the matter and delicately dealt with it personally, making clear to the 38-year- old that such talks are off limits at the training ground.

Thelwell retains a good relationsh­ip with Murray, who is still welcome on the site given his status. ENGLISH outrage over the decision to stage the Europa League final in Azerbaijan is playing into the hands of Spain’s hopes of hosting the 2030 World Cup, according to well-placed sources. A number of European football associatio­ns have been annoyed by the perceived re-emergence of the ‘arrogant’ English attitude over the Baku fixture between Arsenal and Chelsea. Sources say the Spanish FA, who are considerin­g a joint bid with Portugal and Morocco, are planning to capitalise on this as they rival a potential UK and Ireland effort to host the 2030 tournament. An insider said: ‘The view is that there would not be this level of moaning if two clubs from another country had made the final.’ THERE was amusement at the Financial Times Business Summit last week when Bundesliga CEO Christian Seifert (left) took a question from a member of Manchester United’s commercial team and spoke about the mentality of the modern-day player. ‘As you will know from Manchester United,’ he said with a grin, ‘not every player is playing for love, they can sometimes be playing for the next Lamborghin­i.’

There were more raised eyebrows in the room at Claridge’s hotel in London when Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesha­m claimed 51 per cent of Gunners fans now want to go on holiday to Rwanda, following the club’s £30m sponsorshi­p deal that promotes the country’s tourist industry. Who knew? THE French Open’s hopes of keeping up with Wimbledon by having two tennis courts with roofs could be boosted by them taking advantage of a planning law expressly designed for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The impressive redevelopm­ent of Roland Garros — which will see the main Court Philippe Chatrier covered next year — has come in the face of major planning obstacles due to its position in the plush 16th arrondisse­ment near the Bois de Boulogne. But the venue is considerin­g going for a roof over Court Suzanne Lenglen too, aided by a French law allowing special planning permission­s for 2024 venues. Roland Garros will host the Olympic boxing as well as the tennis — and may be able to push through plans for a second roof accordingl­y.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom