News in Brief - Thurs 2nd Sep

Nemanja Vidic is loving the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband at Manchester United. After signing a new four-year contract, the Serbian has taken over from Patrice Evra as Sir Alex Ferguson's preferred choice as skipper in the continued absence of Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville. Vidic won his first silverware in the role last month when United beat Chelsea in the Community Shield at Wembley and on Saturday, the 29-year-old kept the job even though Ryan Giggs started the victory against West Ham at Old Trafford. "It is a big achievement for me," he said. "No-one is going to say they don't want to be the captain of Manchester United and I am very happy with it. It is a major responsibility but I have always liked responsibility. I am not a player who shies away from it. Nothing has really changed in that respect."

Premier League clubs submit squad lists - Manchester United - 25 squad players

Premier League Clubs agreed, from season 2010/11, to introduce the following rules governing squad numbers and Home Grown Players.

• Each Club must submit a squad by 5pm on 1st September containing no more than 17 players who do not fulfill the Home Grown Player criteria. The remainder of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be Home Grown.


• A Home Grown Player means a player who, irrespective of his nationality or age, has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21).

• Changes to the squad list of 25 may be made during the period of a Transfer Window.

• U21 players are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players/squad.

• For the 2010/11 campaign Under 21 players will have been born on or after 1st January 1989.

Each Club Squad List is attached below as well as an additional list of each Club's registered Under 21 players who are eligible over and above the squad limit of 25 players.

Manchester United - 25 squad players

Player Home Grown

1 Van Der Sar, Edwin No
2 Almedia Da Cunha, Luis Carlos No
3 Neville, Gary Alexander Yes
4 Evra, Patrice Latyr No
5 Evans, Jonathan Grant Yes
6 Ferdinand, Rio Gavin Yes
7 Brown, Wesley Michael Yes
8 De Abreu Oliveira, Anderson Luis No
9 Berbatov, Dimitar No
10 Rooney, Wayne Mark Yes
11 Giggs, Ryan Joseph Yes
12 Park, Ji-Sung No
13 Vidic, Nemanja No
14 Carrick, Michael Yes
15 Scholes, Paul Yes
16 O'Shea, John Francis Yes
17 Fletcher, Darren Barr Yes
18 Valencia Mosquera, Luis Antonio No
19 Gibson, Darron Thomas Daniel Yes
20 Kuszczak, Tomasz No
21 De Laet, Ritchie Ria Alfons Yes
22 Hernandez Balcazar, Javier No
23 Owen, Michael James Yes
24 Hargreaves, Owen No

Manchester United - Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Ajose, Nicholas
Amos, Benjamin Paul
Blackett, Tyler Nathan
Brady, Robert
Brown, Reece
Chester, James Grant
Cleverley, Thomas William
Cofie, John Erzuah
Cole, Larnell James
Coll, Joseph Aloysious
Devlin, Conor
Dias Correia, Tiago Manuel
Drinkwater, Daniel Noel
Dudgeon, Joseph Patrick
Eikrem, Magnus Wolff
Ekangamene, Charni
Evans, Corry John
Fornasier, Michele
Fryers, Ezekiel David
Gill, Oliver David
Hendrie, Luke John
Hussain, Etzaz Muzafar
Jacob, Liam David
James, Matthew
Johnstone, Samuel Luke
Keane, William David
King, Joshua Christian Kojo
Lawrence, Thomas Morris
Lingard, Jesse Ellis
Macheda, Federico
Massacci, Alberto
McCullough, Luke
McGinty, Sean Andrew
Morrison, Ravel Ryan
Norwood, Oliver James
Obertan, Gabriel Antoine
Pereira da Silva, Rafael
Pereira da Silva, Fabio
Petrucci, Davide
Pogba, Paul Labile
Smalling, Christopher
Stewart, Cameron Reece
Thorpe, Thomas Joseph
Tunnicliffe, Ryan
Vermijl, Marnick Danny
Welbeck, Daniel
Wootton, Scott James

News in Brief - Weds 1st Sep

Edwin van der Sar has given up worrying about how long his career will continue. The Manchester United goalkeeper will celebrate his 40th birthday in October, by which time he hopes to be well on the way to another fine season for the Old Trafford outfit. Age must catch up with Van der Sar eventually. But on recent evidence, there is plenty of life in the former Ajax man yet. And he certainly is not naming the day when he hangs up his gloves for the last time. "I don't worry about when that day arrives," he said. "I am now exceeding my own expectations so it doesn't bother me. When I was younger I thought maybe I would finish in my mid-30s. But that is a normal time to be thinking about it when you are younger and for players at this level. That would have been the obvious time to finish but I only came to United late in my career and maybe that is why I am still enjoying it. Coming to Old Trafford probably gave me a new lease of life."