LIDS GAFFER 'ASTONISHED'

Last updated : 03 July 2002 By Editor

The Bookies have stopped taking money on Martin O'Neill moving to Elland Road, but Ridsdale said no approach has been made yet: "We have still not made any official approach to any club. There will be no announcement on Wednesday, and I would expect an approach to be made within 48 hours and certainly by the end of the week."

"The members of the board agreed on Sunday to take a couple of days to reflect on our discussions and make sure we'd made the right choice before proceeding. Since then I have been very pleasantly surprised to have received at least three calls from candidates we had not even considered. The quality of some of these candidates is such that we did not think they would be remotely interested in the vacancy," he told Leeds' Clubcall.

O'Neill a Celtic web site that he is not thinking about leaving Glasgow:

"I have just come back from Japan amidst much speculation about my future. I have had a chat with our chief executive, Ian McLeod, about a number of things, as you would expect, and I understand from him that there has been no approach from Leeds, or any other club for that matter, so the speculation continues to be simply that. We are all looking forward to the start of the season and our Champions League qualification tie."

Robbie Keane yesterday rejected a £10m move to Sunderland, which the press says leaves the way open for United to launch a firm bid for Rio Ferdinand.

Explaining his decision Keane said: "I am happy at Leeds and am confident that I can impress any new manager with my ability and commitment,"

'Leeds had hoped to sell Keane, along with the transfer-listed Lee Bowyer and unsettled Olivier Dacourt, to raise about £35m to eat into their spiralling debts which already total about £77m. With the Republic of Ireland striker scuppering that hope and with no bids received as yet for the two midfielders, the chairman Peter Ridsdale may now have to resort to his unfavoured Plan B and listen to offers for his England centre-half,' reports the Guardian.

Meanwhile all the 'Parma Ham' jokes can be put to one side because O'Leary will not be taking over at Parma as had been previously reported. The Italian club have appointed Venezia's Cesare Prandelli as coach.

Parma spokesman Giorgio Bottaro said: "We recently acquired a new coach, Cesare Prandelli, who was presented a month ago and has signed a two-year deal with us. It is absolutely unfounded. We are not looking for a coach, we already have one."