Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane has pledged 100 per cent support to the Professional Footballers' Association over their proposed strike action.

Keane is desperately hoping that industrial action will be avoided, although with attitudes hardening over the cash dispute between the PFA and English soccer's governing bodies, a walk-out is looking increasingly likely.

And if the crunch comes, Keane, who is estimated to earn in excess of £60,000-a-week, will be fully behind the union. "It is important that we stick together," insisted Keane. "People have to know what the PFA is all about. Premiership players are well rewarded, but what about those in the lower leagues, past players and young kids who have their careers ended by injury?

"I spoke to a friend last week who had to finish early and the PFA have helped him with operations on the injury and courses to provide him with an alternative career."

An overhaul of the way football is sponsored will today be announced by the English FA an attempt to double income from endorsements to £40 million sterling a year.

Under the new plans, four leading companies will pay £10 million sterling a year over four years to sponsor every aspect of the FA, ranging from the FA Cup and the England team to the grassroots of the game.

Claudio Ranieri has revealed how he ignored pressure from some quarters to axe his young Chelsea stars who went on a drink-fuelled binge in the aftermath of the American terrorist attacks.

Frank Lampard, Eidur Gudjohnsen, John Terry and Jody Morris upset hotel residents in west London with their insensitive and unruly public behaviour whilst horrific scenes of devastation were being relayed on television from the USA a day after the terrorist attacks.

The four players were each fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea, a total of about £100,000, which went into the fund set up to help the Americans in the wake of the atrocities.

Scotland coach Craig Brown will discuss his future with the Scottish Football Association after the World Cup qualifier against Latvia on October 6th.

Brown is expected to step down from his post after the failure to qualify for the World Cup next year.

Ronaldo has suffered a thigh injury in the second appearance of his comeback after 17 months out after a knee operation his club Inter Milan said yesterday.