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Today's other stories in brief

Ireland, Ipswich call on Murphy

BOHEMIANS GOALKEEPER Brian Murphy had two reasons to celebrate yesterday when an 18-month deal was confirmed with Ipswich Town and he was called into the Republic of Ireland squad for the World Cup play-off matches against France.

Murphy, who will not be eligible to play for Roy Keane’s Championship side until the January transfer window opens, replaces Keiren Westwood in the Ireland squad. The Coventry City goalkeeper has withdrawn from the squad through injury.

Murphy joins Scunthorpe United’s Joe Murphy as back-up to Shay Given in Croke Park on November 14th and Paris on November 18th.

Redknapp has no regrets over Bent

TOTTENHAM BOSS Harry Redknapp insists he has no regrets about selling Darren Bent, despite the striker’s barnstorming start to the season with Sunderland.

Bent will return to White Hart Lane today for the first time since his acrimonious departure from Spurs in August looking to add to his tally of eight goals.

Redknapp said: “It will never haunt me, whatever he does at Sunderland.

“It’s a game of opinion. People move on and prove other people wrong. Who knows, he may not have scored any goals here at Tottenham.

“What he has to do is let his football do the talking. He’s scoring goals so just get on with it. He has to keep scoring goals all year and get in the World Cup squad.”

Shawcross to stay at Stoke

STOKE ARE close to securing the long-term future of defender Ryan Shawcross, the club announced yesterday.

Manager Tony Pulis confirmed talks are at an advanced stage with the 22-year-old central defender and hoped an agreement would be sealed within the next few days.

Shawcross has become a pivotal figure for the club since his move from Manchester United last year and his emergence has been watched closely by a number of clubs.

“I have had long discussions with Ryan over his future and I am delighted that he sees his future here,” Pulis told the club’s website.

“There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Ryan, but we have made it quite clear that he is going nowhere and we are delighted to be in a position now where we can secure his future.

“He is an exceptionally talented young lad who had an important part to play at this football club.”

Spanish tax strike called off

SPAIN’S PROFESSIONAL soccer league (LFP) has decided not to strike over a planned tax hike for top-earning foreigners and has instead set up a commission and called for dialogue with the government.

After a meeting of officials from the 42 clubs in Spain’s top two divisions in Madrid, the LFP said it had agreed not to take any action for the time being and to create a commission including Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, the LFP president and three other club bosses.

The new measure, which modifies the so-called “Beckham Law” needs parliamentary approval and is due to take effect at the beginning of next year, would raise taxes for foreigners who earn above €600,000 a year to 43 per cent from 24 per cent.

Kenny has Sheffield contract extended despite drug ban

SHEFFIELD UNITED have agreed to extend goalkeeper Paddy Kenny’s contract by another year.

The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland international, whose contract at Bramall Lane is due to expire next summer, is currently serving a nine-month ban after failing a drugs test in May.

Kenny’s suspension rules him out until the last few weeks of this season and he had feared the club would refuse to offer him a new deal.

Manager Kevin Blackwell said: “We’re delighted, both for the club and for Paddy, that the situation has been resolved.

“Paddy has had his contract extended for 12 months and he will now have the chance to prove that he’s still one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship.

Kenny was banned by the FA in the summer after he had tested positive for the banned substance ephedrine following the Championship play-off semi-final against Preston.

Kenny, suspended immediately by United, has always maintained the ephedrine had been taken in a cough remedy bought over the counter at a chemists.

But although his explanation was accepted by both his club and disciplinary chiefs, the FA still imposed a nine-month ban and rejected his appeal against the severity of the sentence last month.

Smith fears European ban for Rangers

THE RANGERS manager, Walter Smith, has admitted he fears the club could be banned from competing in Europe because of the latest misdemeanours of their supporters.

Trouble flared at half-time during Rangers’ Champions League draw with Unirea Urziceni in Romania on Wednesday night and the Scottish club will be hauled before Uefa next Thursday.

Fines already issued since 2006 because of the conduct of the Rangers support in Europe mean a more severe penalty is possible this time around; the manager has contemplated the impact of a ban.

Smith said. “It is a situation Rangers have been in before and we can’t run away from the fact. If the consequences mean we do have to miss European games then that would be an enormous blow.”

Uefa have begun disciplinary proceedings against Unirea over a “lack of organisation” regarding the entry procedure for spectators.