Healy likely to leave Celtic for Leeds

Soccer Digest: Leeds United's embattled manager Terry Venables may give the club's frustrated fans something to cheer about by signing Celtic's Republic of Ireland international midfielder Colin Healy.

Venables is on the verge of stealing Healy from under the noses of Everton as they are prepared to offer £375,000 now while the Liverpool club want to wait till the end of the season when he becomes a free agent.

Meanwhile, Mark Viduka has appealed against the red card he received for violent conduct during Leeds' FA Cup fourth round draw with Gillingham.

The Australian international is adamant he did not intentionally elbow Gillingham player-manager Andy Hessenthaler and is hoping to avoid a three-match ban after the FA agreed to review a video of the incident.

LIVERPOOL: Czech midfielder Patrik Berger, Liverpool's longest-serving player, says he expects to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

"I should be fit to play 90 minutes by the end of March, but after that there are only six weeks until the end of the season," the former Czech international said yesterday. "I think that at the end of the season I'll be going."

The 29-year-old joined Liverpool for £3.25 million from Borussia Dortmund in 1996, but has only been involved in three games this season.

TOTTENHAM: Spurs midfielder Tim Sherwood yesterday signed for first division leaders Portsmouth until the end of the season.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has been chasing the 33-year-old former England international since the start of the season and has fought off competition from Premiership strugglers West Brom.

CHELSEA: Chelsea's Mikael Forssell will join German first division side Borussia Moenchengladbach on a four-month loan following the Finnish striker's lay-off through injury, the player said yesterday.

"I chose Moenchengladbach from many candidates that wanted me," Forssell said. "We have agreed on things with (Chelsea) manager Claudio Ranieri. After the loan period I will move back to Chelsea."

SUNDERLAND: Slovakian international Stanislav Varga has left Sunderland after agreeing to have his contract terminated.

Varga joined Sunderland for £875,000 from Slovan Bratislava in July 2000 but the 30-year-old central defender made just 33 appearances for the club.

BOLTON: Premiership side Bolton have been linked with a swoop for young Swedish prospect Ndiwa Lord-Kangana of Djurgarden.

And manager Sam Allardyce is ready to shut the door on any bids for £6 million-rated striker.

CHINA: A Beijing court yesterday sentenced a Chinese international football referee to 10 years in jail for accepting bribes.

The sentence handed to Gong Jianping was considered lenient because he had confessed to the charge. The court found the referee had accepted 370,000 yuan (€41,300) to officiate in favour of one team over others in the Chinese premier division championships in 2000 and 2001.