Snippets: Bognor Player Trial...Leacock Interest? ...No QPR Inquiries for Halmosi and Timar...Ex-QPRs: Murray Breaks Rib...Zadkovich Joins Derby

-
Noon UPDATE:

Joe Oastler - Chichester Observer "...[Bognor's ex-Portsmouth] Teenage defender Joe Oastler is having trials with QPR but is set to be available again on Saturday. " Chichester Observer

Mirror - Mac back in for £1m Leacock
picturesMick McCARTHY has lined up a £1million summer bid for Derby defender Dean Leacock.
Wolves boss McCarthy is ready to slug it out with QPR and Coventry in a battle for Leacock's signature. McCarthy failed with a £750,000 bid for ex-Fulham star Leacock (above) in January. Leacock, 23, has a year left on his Pride Park contract. Mirror


Plymouth Herald - STURROCK KEEN TO EXTEND DUO'S DEALS
Paul Sturrock has confirmed he hopes to tie up Hungarian internationals Peter Halmosi and Krisztian Timar to new long-term contracts with Argyle.
In an exclusive story in The Herald on Wednesday, the English-based agent for Halmosi and Timar revealed Argyle wanted to open negotiations.
It followed a report in one national newspaper that Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers could make a £2.5 million double swoop for Halmosi and Timar in the summer.
The players' agent, Sam Stapleton, said: "Plymouth have asked to discuss the possibility of new contracts for the pair of them.
"Peter and Krisztian are an integral part of the squad and, obviously, they (Argyle) want to keep them."
Halmosi signed a contract with Argyle until June 2010 when he made a £400,000 move from Hungarian club Debrecen last May.
And, at the same time, Timar completed a £75,000 transfer from Ferencvaros, another Hungarian club, on a two-year deal.
Halmosi and Timar are strong contenders for Argyle player of the year honours this season and their English agent believes they should be rewarded for their fine form.
Stapleton added: "Both Peter and Krisztian's profiles as players have dramatically increased since (former Argyle manager) Ian Holloway brought them to England and they both deserve to have new contracts that reflect this."
Sturrock admitted he was keen to talk about new deals for the pair, not only to improve their wages but also to increase the length of their contracts.
He wants to make sure the club stays on top of the contract situations of their leading players, rather than risk them leaving on a Bosman transfer, as left-back Tony Capaldi did last summer, for example, when he moved to Cardiff City after letting his agreement with the Pilgrims run out.
Sturrock said: "We don't want to get caught out with some of the scenarios that have happened in the past at this football club.
"So it makes sense for us to go into discussions with some of our players who, I feel, have performed to pleasing standards.
"I have mooted to my board that I would be interested in discussing upgrading the contracts for those two (Halmosi and Timar), and that's as far as it has gone so far.
"But an upgrade of contract also means the length of contract is upgraded as well."
Sturrock is set to be told his budget for the 2008/09 season at a board meeting next Thursday, and will then make decisions about the future of the players who are out of contract this summer.
At the same time, he wants to make sure he rewards some of the other squad members, such as Halmosi and Timar, with improved deals.
He added: "It would be nice to know what kind of figures we were into for some of the ones I would like to extend their contracts. That would then enable me to know what the size of the pie is for the rest."
Sturrock insisted there had been no inquiries from QPR - who are being bankrolled by Formula One tycoons Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore - for Halmosi and Timar.
"None at all," he said. "And I wouldn't expect anything at this juncture of the season.
"But, at the end of the day, I don't think a club that has any thoughts about selling players would be discussing about putting them on to more money and extending the length of their contracts." Plymouth Herald


Ex-QPR Paul Murray Breaks Rib
Gretna, Scotland (Sports Network) - Gretna captain Paul Murray could miss the rest of the club's troubled campaign due to a rib injury.
The 31-year-old has scored once in 33 games since joining the SPL outfit last summer, but suffered a broken rib in a scoreless draw with St Mirren over a week ago.
Director of football Mick Wadsworth told the News & Star: "It's disappointing for Paul and ourselves and it's a nasty break.
"He will be out for two to three weeks at least, but we hope to get him back before the end of the season.
"It's unfortunate for him and us because he has been terrific on and off the pitch. He will still be in the dressing room on Saturday playing his part."
(Courtesy of sportbox.tv) Sportsnetwork


The West Australian Zadkovich Derby-bound as clouds surround Neill’s future
Olyroos star Ruben Zadkovich will swap A-League football for the English Championship next season after snubbing the Newcastle Jets to sign a two-year deal with Derby County today.
The 21-year-old former Sydney FC midfielder is set to join fellow Australian Mile Sterjovski at the relegation-bound Premier League club after impressing at a recent trial....
Derby beat out the A-League champion Jets and Championship outfit Crystal Palace for the signature of Australian under-23 Zadkovich after he trialled at both Derby and Palace in recent weeks.
“Ruben impressed us enormously in training,” Rams manager Paul Jewell told reporters.
“A number of clubs have been interested in him, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss out on a fantastic talent.”
Zadkovich received an early release from the the final few months of his contract with Sydney FC to trial in England, but appeared set to stay with the local competition after reportedly agreeing to terms with the club last month.
The chance to have a second crack in England - where he spent two years with QPR and Notts County as a teenager - however, was too good to pass up.
“I was very young then, and very inexperienced, but things have changed,” he told Derby’s website.
“Since then I have played a lot of international football with my age group, and I’ve been called up to the national side, so I’m ready to play.
“There are points to prove, especially to some people, but I love a challenge and I’m ready for that.”
Palace manager Neil Warnock was believed to have tabled a two-year deal for Zadkovich recently, but the Australian reportedly turned down the offer.
While Derby are certain for relegation from the top flight, Palace may yet be headed in the opposite direction.
The club is currently sixth in the Championship with three games remaining, and will qualify for the four-team promotion playoff if they at least keep their position.
Zadkovich revealed the chance to play alongside Sterjovski, who signed with Derby in January, influenced his decision.
“Mile has been such a big help and he is one of the reasons why I wanted to come here,” he said.
“He is such a nice person off the field and such a good player on it that I can only learn from him.
“To have a mate like that here, a fellow Australian, will be good for me.
“Obviously the facilities here are great, I saw that for myself, but Mile also spoke very highly of the club and gave me a lot of positive feedback.
“This is such a massive club and we can only expect bigger and better things.” The West Australian

Derby Official Site - ZADKOVICH: THE FIRST INTERVIEW
Ruben Zadkovich is ready for another crack at English football - and says he wants to be part of a bright future at Derby County.
The versatile Australian will join Derby on a two-year deal this summer as a free agent having left his hometown team Sydney FC.
But his football education took in a scholarship at Queens Park Rangers and an 18-month spell at Notts County as a teenager.
Things didn't work out at Meadow Lane, though two years down the line he is back in England a more grown up figure and ready to prove himself again.
"I was very young then, and very inexperienced, but things have changed," he revealed in his first interview with RamsWorld - to be screened later this morning.
"Since then I have played a lot of international football with my age group, and I've been called up to the national side, so I'm ready to play.
"There are points to prove, especially to some peopole, but I love a challenge and I'm ready for that......" Derby

From a couple of weeks ago: QPR Report - Ex-QPR Ruben Zadkovich Reportedly Set to Return From Australia and Join Crystal Palace