By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 12:46 PM on 21st December 2011 England lock Courtney Lawes has signed a new deal with Northampton that will keep him at Franklin’s Gardens until 2015. Dressed to impress: Courtney Lawes Lawes, who has 13 England caps, helped Northampton win the European Challenge Cup in 2009 and last year’s LV= Cup after making his debut against Esher four years ago. Northampton finished runners-up in the Heineken Cup last season [...]

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 1:25 PM on 20th December 2011 Military personnel returning from Afghanistan will not lose their leave in order to protect the London 2012 Games, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has pledged. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last week that 13,500 military personnel, more than the 10,000 that were deployed to Afghanistan, will be part of the 23,700 security force for the Games. Service: 13,500 military personnel will be part of [...]

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 12:37 AM on 21st December 2011 Axed Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has said he would be interested in becoming the next coach of South Korea after being approached by officials from the country’s football association. Bruce was ousted from his role at the Stadium of Light last month but could be back in work by the new year with the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists. The former Manchester United defender [...]

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 1:03 AM on 20th December 2011 New Fed Cup captain Judy Murray believes great Britain have a good chance of making it into the World Group next year. Murray will lead the team for the first time in Israel in February, when Britain will be among 15 sides from Europe/Africa Zone Group I bidding for one of the two places available in World Group II. On the move: Murray [...]

By Jeff Powell Last updated at 10:30 PM on 19th December 2011 As Carl Froch joined a slew of his fighting compatriots on the Boardwalk of broken dreams here, the midwinter landscape looked bleak for British boxing. All is not lost, however. not according to the eighth home fighter to be defeated in a major world title bout on foreign soil this year. As he recoiled from his emphatic Super six final defeat here by [...]

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 12:48 AM on 20th December 2011 Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey has set his sights on becoming a regular in Liverpool’s first team after impressing on his Barclays Premier League breakthrough against Aston Villa on Sunday. Shelvey was handed his first league start by manager Kenny Dalglish and played a part in the build-up to thefirst goal from Craig Bellamy in Liverpool’s 2-0 win. Start: Shelvey (right) impressed in Liverpool’s win [...]

Last updated at 12:46 AM on 20th December 2011 Manager Alan Pardew has challenged his Newcastle players to keep punching above their weight to maintain contact with the Barclays Premier League’s big boys. The Magpies head into Wednesday night’s home clash with West Brom without a win in their last five games, but still sitting in seventh place in the table after an impressive start to the campaign. Injuries, suspensions and a fixture list which [...]

By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 4:03 PM on 19th December 2011 Roberto Mancini credited unsung hero Pablo Zabaleta with making the decisive contribution to Manchester City’s crucial Premier League win over Arsenal on Sunday. David Silva bagged the second-half match-winner that ensured City only need a point from Wednesday’s encounter with Stoke at the Etihad Stadium to claim top spot at Christmas for the first time since 1929. Along with record signing Sergio Aguero, [...]

By Matt Barlow Last updated at 8:48 PM on 19th December 2011 Boxing Day fixtures at Arsenal and Chelsea are under serious threat from the Tube strike with plans under consideration to postpone at least one of the games for 24 hours. Arsenal are due to host Wolves on Monday at 3pm and Chelsea are scheduled to kick off at home to Fulham at 1pm. Planned industrial action by Tube drivers, however, has thrown both [...]

By Ian Ladyman Last updated at 8:32 PM on 18th December 2011 Roy Keane has become a first-rate TV pundit, his forthright comments mirroring the robust and straightforward nature of his play. His presence in front of the TV cameras, though, still hints at melancholy simply because it’s a place one of the modern game’s truly great players never wanted to be. When Keane was hustled unceremoniously out of the door at old Trafford six [...]