Other soccer news in brief

Ince returns to MK Dons helm

PAUL INCE has returned to MK Dons for his second spell as manager little more than a year after leaving for Blackburn, the club have announced.

The former Manchester United and England midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the club and he will be hoping he repeat the success of his previous one-year spell where he led them to the League Two title as well as the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The 41-year-old then moved to Blackburn where he experienced a turbulent six months in charge of the Premier League club and he was sacked after winning just six games to be replaced by Sam Allardyce.

Ince will replace Roberto Di Matteo who left to join West Brom earlier this week and he will be looking to guide the side into the Championship after they lost in the play-offs last season.

Chairman Pete Winkelman said: “We always felt he had unfinished business here and it feels absolutely right that he should return to the club.”

Shevchenko ponders Kiev 

CHELSEA STRIKER Andriy Shevchenko is considering an offer to return to Dynamo Kiev, according to the president of the Ukrainian champions. The 32-year-old moved to London from AC Milan in 2006 before returning to the Serie A side on loan last season.

Dynamo president Ihor Surkis said: Weve made a proposal to Andriy to return to Dynamo as a player and then, after his retirement, to become part of the coaching staff.”

City continue Terry pursuit

MANCHESTER CITY are to persist in their attempts to sign John Terry amid a growing sense within the club that the Chelsea captain is seriously considering his future and could be tempted by a salary that would almost double his current pay.

Mark Hughes, the City manager, has been encouraged by messages from associates of the player, the most prominent being one of Terry’s international team-mates. Several players inside the City dressing room are on good terms with Terry and Hughes has spent months putting together enough background information to be confident that a deal most Chelsea fans would like to believe was fantasy is, indeed, a possibility.

That manifested itself in the City executive chairman, Garry Cook, making a verbal bid of around €35m during a meeting with his Chelsea counterpart, Peter Kenyon, on Thursday and following it up with a faxed offer stating they would also pull out of the tribunal to set the fee for Daniel Sturridge, the teenage striker who has just moved in the other direction.

The City hierarchy were braced for Chelsea’s reaction, namely an aggressively worded statement that the offer was “completely rejected” and “[Chelsea] would like to make clear, and will not do so again, that John is not for sale”.

There is, however, also a sense that Chelsea’s decision to publicise the Terry bid, when they could have kept it quiet, is the opening move of a PR operation to make it public knowledge that they are opposed to losing the player.

Dalglish to take up Liverpool role

KENNY DALGLISH is returning to Liverpool to take up a senior role in their academy and as a global ambassador for the club.

As well as nurturing Liverpool’s talented youngsters, Dalglish will also work with the commercial side of the business around the world.

Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez was keen to have Dalglish on board and believes his input will help Liverpool in the long-term.

Managing director Christian Purslow said: “In our very first meeting Rafa and I agreed that we wanted to try and bring Kenny back to the club.

“That would help Rafa really drive forward our academy, which is at the heart of our plans.”

Birmingham keen on Barton loan

BIRMINGHAM CITY’S manager Alex McLeish is keen to take Joey Barton off Newcastle’s hands on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent transfer.

Barton had been suspended indefinitely by Alan Shearer at the end of last season but, with Newcastle still without a full manager, the midfielder has been allowed to resume pre-season training.

However, if Shearer finally takes charge, his first act will be to move Barton on. Birmingham could offer a mutually satisfactory escape route but the midfielder’s wages of around €76,000 a week may be a stumbling block. Newcastle would prefer a clean break.

Much depends on whether Mike Ashley manages to sell the club next week.

A Malaysian consortium reportedly submitted an €93 million bid for the club yesterday. The Malaysians were shown round St James’ Park on Thursday.