Moyes wants Ross reunion
Aluko quits at the top
DAVID MOYES has targeted an audacious loan bid for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley.
TheWest Ham boss wants a reunion with the schemer he nurtured at Everton. Chelsea are so far refusing to loan Barkley, with the club insistent he remains an important part of their plans.
But Moyes is holding out hope that his former charge could be willing to pursue the regular first-team starts that would put him into Gareth Southgate’s England thinking for Euro 2020.
Meanwhile,West Ham have re-signed goalkeeper Darren Randolph from Middlesbrough in a £4million deal.
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LIONESSES legend Eni Aluko has retired, saying: “I feel I’m ending on a high.”
The forward, 32, played at the top for 18 years and won 107 caps for England and GB. Aluko, right, who finished her career at Juventus, said: “There’s nothing that could motivate me to keep playing, aside from a love of the game, which I can express through other avenues.”
PEPE REINA has told Aston Villa’s struggling stars to get “ready to rumble” as he eyes Premier League survival and Carabao Cup glory.
The former Liverpool keeper, 37, has joined on loan from AC Milan until the end of the season and pledged to give his “heart and soul” to the cause.
The Spaniard is set to go straight into the side to replace Orjan Nyland after Villa’s 6-1 home loss to Manchester City on Sunday.
Reina will play a major role after No 1 Tom Heaton was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
He is lined up for his debut at Brighton on Saturday before Watford’s visit on Tuesday followed by the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at home to Leicester.
Reina, who kept 134 clean sheets in 285 Premier League matches for Liverpool between 2005-2014, said: “Let’s rumble. I can’t wait to be on the pitch giving a hand to the team.
“We want to achieve the target of staying up and to fight for every single ball from now on.
“I need to make sure we all know we are capable of maintaining the status in the Premier League.
“I want them to believe this from the bottom of our hearts. I want to give the team a strong mentality with my experience and soul. We need to play disciplined, together and remain determined.
These kind of things, they need to be our basics.
“Now we need to be ready for a good battle in the last games. We have three finals coming. They are against people fighting with us to avoid the relegation zone and also there is the League Cup semi-final.”
Reina was in the stands to see Villa trounced by champions City as skipper Jack Grealish admitted the hosts’ heads dropped.
Reina is anxious to play regularly after just one appearance this term for AC Milan, where he was behind Italian No1 Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Spaniard added: “I am very excited.When you feel there are few butterflies remaining in your tummy before the game, as there were in Milan, you look for something new.
“I am still hungry and humble enough to keep growing and learning. Mentally, I am ready for this challenge and physically I am grateful at 37. Let’s go – I can’t wait.”
Reina insists he has not returned to English football for a swansong at his old club Liverpool when Villa visit Anfield on April 11.
He said: “It was my home for many years. My kids have grown up there and I will enjoy going back there, but my focus right now is to keepVilla in the Premier League.”
Reina’s record of clean sheets since joining Liverpool in 2005. TEAM STARTS CS CS% Liverpool 285 134 47 Napoli 141 54 38.3 B Munich 3 2 66.7 AC Milan 3 1 33.3 Clean sheet only awarded when a player completes full 90 mins.
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