Defender Glen Johnson appears resigned to leaving Liverpool at the end of the season after insisting he will not “go crawling” to the club for a new contract.
Talks to extend his current deal, which expires in the summer, ground to a halt in the close season when the two parties reached an impasse over terms.
Read more: Liverpool win shadows real problems at Anfield, writes Richard Jolly
It is understood the Reds wanted Johnson, who turned 30 in August, to sign a reduced-terms contract to reflect his age but he is unwilling to accept that.
“I have enjoyed the majority of the six years; I’ve had some good times and some bad times, but if I haven’t got a contract then I can’t stay,” said the England defender.
“Of course it plays on your mind but that is when you have to be professional and try to do a job for your team, and I respect my team-mates and I want to put in a performance for them.
“I want to play for a club that wants me - I am not going to go crawling to anybody. The club know where I am and they know the situation.
“There were minor talks at the end of last season but nothing I could accept or reject.”
Asked whether he was surprised Liverpool had not made more effort to extend his contract, Johnson added: “I have not really thought of it like that.
“Whether it is football or business I don’t really worry about things I can’t control.
“All I can do is try to keep doing my job every weekend and whatever will unfold will unfold.”
As he enters the last six months of his contract the right-back is entitled to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs, but is remaining focused on his immediate future.
“It is not my business to talk to other clubs at the moment,” he said.
“I want to play my football, keep winning for Liverpool and I want to respect my contract, and that is what I am willing to do.”
Johnson’s first goal since December 2012, stooping to convert a low header after Rickie Lambert’s header had come back off the crossbar, gave his side a 1-0 victory over Stoke.
Having ended a three-match losing run in the league the defender believes a top-four finish is still very much within their grasp.
“You enjoy winning games, scoring goals and being involved in assists - they are the great parts of football so on a personal level I am very happy,” he added.
“Nothing has changed from last year. The backroom staff, the playing staff are fighting for the same cause and the objective is still the same, but in football you go through some sticky patches.
“The quality is not in doubt, it is about confidence and trying to put a run of performances together.”
English Premier League fixtures
Tuesday (in UAE time)
Burnley v Newcastle United, 11.45pm
Leicester City v Liverpool, 11.45pm
Manchester United v Stoke City, 11.45pm
Swansea City v Queens Park Rangers, 11.45pm
West Bromwich Albion v West Ham United, midnight
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa, midnight
Wednesday
Arsenal v Southampton, 11.45pm
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm
Everton v Hull City, 11.45pm
Sunderland v Manchester City, 11.45pm
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
North Pole stats
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South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
THURSDAY'S FIXTURES
4pm Maratha Arabians v Northern Warriors
6.15pm Deccan Gladiators v Pune Devils
8.30pm Delhi Bulls v Bangla Tigers
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
