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Beckham says he's fit for England selection

LONDON: David Beckham has said he is fit and ready to play for England next week despite having no competitive action since November.

New coach Fabio Capello will name his first squad on Saturday for next Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland and Beckham hopes to have the chance to win his 100th cap.

"I'm as fit as I can be. I'm fit and sharp and I'm ready to be selected," the 32-year-old former England captain, now playing for the LA Galaxy, told the BBC.

Beckham has not played for the Galaxy since October and his last competitive game was when he came on as a substitute for England in its 3-2 loss to Croatia at Wembley on November 21.

However, he has been training with Arsenal and believes he is ready if selected.

"I have been training with one of the fittest teams in Europe, I've done everything possible to be fit and I am without doubt ready for it, but it's out of my hands now," he said.

Leeds appoints McAllister to replace Wise as manager

LONDON: Former Scotland international Gary McAllister returned to Leeds United as manager on Tuesday, the League One (third division) said.

McAllister, 43, has joined the club initially to the end of the season and replaces Dennis Wise, who quit to join Premier League Newcastle United as executive director for football.

McAllister, an accomplished midfielder, was part of Leeds United's 1992 title-winning side and made almost 300 appearances during a six-year spell at the club.

"When I was first approached I couldn't believe it," McAllister told the club's website (www.leedsunited.com).

"It's a great honor to be back at the club and I can't wait to get in and amongst it."

Leeds, one of the great names of English football, has fallen on hard times both on and off the pitch since reaching the Champions League semifinals under David O'Leary in 2001.

Browns reward Crennel with two-year contract extension

NEW YORK: Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel was rewarded for a surprisingly strong season with a two-year contract extension on Tuesday.

Crennel guided the Browns to a 10-6 record, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot, his 10 victories matching the number of wins from his first two seasons in charge.

The two-year extension will keep the 60-year-old Crennel in Cleveland through the 2011 season.

"We're pleased to get this two-year extension done with Romeo Crennel," Browns general manager Phil Savage said on the team's website (www.clevelandbrowns.com).

"Romeo has the respect of the players, gets along well with everyone in the organization and has proven that he can be a winning NFL head coach."

Crennel was hired as Browns head coach in 2005 after winning three Super Bowls in four years as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

Twins agree to trade Santana to Mets for four players

NEW YORK: The Minnesota Twins have agreed to trade starting pitcher Johan Santana to the New York Mets in exchange for four players, mlb.com reported on Tuesday.

The league's official website described the deal as a "conditional trade" and said that the Venezuela-born, two-time American League Cy Young Award winner was negotiating a contract in excess of $100 million.

The Mets, whose supporters would view such a trade as a major coup, have three days from Tuesday to reach an agreement with Santana who has a "no-trade" clause that allows him to veto a move if personal terms are not satisfactory.

The four young players who are heading in the opposite direction, according to the report, are outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

(China Daily 01/31/2008 page22)