Rowlands set for Millwall debut

SOCCER:REPUBLIC OF Ireland midfielder Martin Rowlands is likely to make his Championship debut for Millwall against Nottingham Forest this afternoon after joining the south London club on a month's loan from QPR.

The 32-year-old, whose career has been blighted by injuries in recent years, has played just four times for the Championship leaders this season and the intention is that he will get more opportunities to play first team football at the New Den. Rowlands earned the last of his five Ireland caps against Montenegro in October 2009, a game in which he sustained a cruciate ligament injury that ended his season.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is hoping the retention of star midfielder Cheick Tiote will form the basis of a bright new future for the team. The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international put pen to paper yesterday on a six-and-a-half-year deal just seven months after joining the club from Dutch side FC Twente.

Tiote’s superb form at St James’ Park has alerted a series of suitors and sparked speculation that Manchester United and Chelsea among others were preparing summer bids for him.

“I think the signing of Cheick underpins the message Mike (Ashley) wants to give, that we can build a young team here which can go forward and take the club forward,” Pardew said.