Anthony Hudson claims that he is happy with the performances of the team in recent matches, and he is hoping to utilise the two-week camp in order to claim success in the Oceania Nations Cup.

This camp will be of massive importance especially considering that New Zealand do not have any matches scheduled in the month of March. As a result, there is a danger of the team being short of match fitness. The tournament will start in Papua New Guinea towards the end of May. One of the disadvantages for New Zealand comes about in this regard since their opponents do not have any shortage of matches in the next few months.

This is largely because they are involved in World Cup qualification. New Zealand have been on a brilliant run of form for the last few months. This has raised expectations of the national team, but Anthony Hudson is yet to prove himself in a major tournament. New Zealand have not been involved in a competitive match for almost 7 months. The lack of a proper match experience cannot be replaced easily with just a two-week training camp learning Yacht Charter Croatia. Even then, Hudson remains confident of doing well in this tournament.

“We’ve only qualified, I think, at three out of the last seven or eight [Nations Cups]. That just goes to show.We have no divine right to just turn up and qualify. It is going to be very tough.I believe we have enough [to win the tournament] and I believe we’ve got the ability, the quality and the mentality, but the key is the preparation.In all of this, the biggest bit of hope for me is we have a really good group of players that are committed and honest.The last Nations Cup is still really fresh in everyone’s mind and the players want to make sure we put that right,” said Hudson.

Ever since Siniša Mihajlović was appointed as the head coach of Ac.Milan back in June of 2015, Nigel de Jong has been getting less time on the playing grounds and it has reached a point where the Dutch midfielder is simply not happy being in the Italian club and this is mainly due to his lack of playing time.

Seeing Nigel de Jong on the sidelines of Ac.Milan is a huge surprise as the Dutch midfielder was a huge star a few seasons ago when he was a constant starter in San Siro. Nigel de Jong has made a huge impact in the Italian club with his tireless work rate and no fear of tackling down an opponent, there was a point in time when he was being labeled as: ‘’The New Gennaro Gattuso’’

Nigel de Jong wants to get more playing time in the pitch but it doesn’t seem like its going to happen as Siniša Mihajlović has other things in mind and the Dutchman is not expected to renew his contract with the Italian side. This is the opportunity that Leicester City to sign Nigel de Jong.

Leicester City has already shown interest in signing Nigel de Jong and now that the Dutch player is not satisfied in his current club, this the moment for the Premier League club to swipe in and secure the services of their target which might happen in the winter transfer window.

Claudio Ranieri will face competition from Manchester City as Manuel Pellegrini is believed to also be interested in signing Nigel de Jong as he has displayed some impressive capabilities in the pitch. Having Nigel de Jong in your squad is like having an extra layer of defence who isn’t afraid to go down and steal the ball away from the opposition and this is what Ranieri as well as Pellegrini both want to add into their respective squads.

Manchester United are reportedly preparing an offer forInternacional star Rodrigo Dourado.

They appear to have inside knowledge on the player after one of their former name – Anderson – has spoken highly of the 21-year-old. United have not had much success comes to signing Brazilian players over the last few years. Anderson was amongst the recent arrivals, but he did not have much better after a couple of seasons of good form. Rafael Da Silva and Fabio Da Silva also have failed to shine at Old Trafford. Yet, the scouts for the Premier League team are keen on completing a deal forDourado.

It is reported that the 21-year-old will cost around £ 20 million, which would make him an expensive proposition. However, Anderson believes that he is fully with this exorbitant figure since he has shown excellent qualities in his short spell as a teammate atInternacional. After starting out his career with the Brazilian outfit, the midfielder has gone on to represent the team in 25 appearances to date. He has been extremely promising and this has earned him a call up to the Brazil under 17 team. He has not featured for the under 20 or the senior team in recent years.

“Dourado will at some time play for the national team. He’s a quick player, outstanding. He plays it simple but allows players such as myself to attack. He’s a new kid, but soon will leave Inter. He is a European player,” said Anderson, who recently completed a permanent move away from United following years of poor form. Since moving to the Brazilian club, he has been a first-team regular, although most of his appearances have come in other competitions. Anderson has featured in only four league outings forInternacional until now. The 27-year-old once cost United close to £ 20 million.

One of the summer targets of Manchester United was the Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong and unfortunately for the Premier League club, they will not be able to sign him as the experienced player decided to sign a contract extension with Ac.Milan which will be keeping him in San Siro at least until 2018.

Ac.Milan is going through a very difficult period of time as the Italian club has had 4 different managers taking over the squad since 2014. MassimilianoAllegri was sacked back in January of 2014, Mauro Tassotti turned into the interim manager before Clarence Seedorf emerged as the new coach but was replaced soon after.

Following the sacking of Seedorf, Milan appointed FilippoInzaghi but was also sacked after a number of disappointing results and now the current manager SinisaMihajovic has the task of bringing back the glory days of Ac.Milan.

Due to all these changes with managers and mediocre results, it was rumored that Nigel de Jong was going to leave Ac.Milan and join a club where his chances of competing in the Champions League are better but it did not happen as the Dutch midfielder decided to continue playing with the Italian side despite their recent slump.

Nigel De Jong’s contract extension with Ac.Milan is hugely important for the Italian club as they need a player with the capabilities as the Dutch midfielder who can provide support to the defence which has been struggling so much in the past few seasons. Jong is a player who isn’t afraid of delivering harsh tackles whenever it may be needed.

The veteran Dutchman was signed as a player who can succeed and follow the footsteps of GennaroGattuso who also used to be an absolute beast in the midfield with endless runs and tackles which helped out Ac.Milan in so many matches and Nigel de Jonh has turned out to be an excellent signing that can continue helping out the Italian club especially now in these difficult times that Ac.Milan is going through.

Manchester United could make a move for former Manchester City star Nigel de Jong in the summer, as the Dutch midfielder is currently locked in a contract deadlock with AC Milan.

The 30-year-old encountered some controversial moments during his time at City. He was at the club for three years from 2009 to 2012.

During this period, he was part of the Manchester City team that finally ended the league title drought by lifting the Premier League while also managing to become successful in the FA Cup. Since the move to Milan,de Jong has failed to win any major trophy.

More importantly, his contract comes to an end in the summer and Milan are not ready to offer him the same £ 70,000 per week wages that he earns now. This has led to an impasse in the contract negotiations and United are looking to take advantage of it by offering him a new deal. Even though the club have signed a defensive midfielder in the form of Daley Blind only in the summer, it is understood that Louis Van Gaal is left concerned about the club’s defensive players amidst poor form this season. After strengthening the attack significantly, the club will be focusing on reinforcing the defence with signings like de Jong.

United are not the only club looking to sign the Dutch midfielder, as it is believed that Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri also wants a reunion with the player who he brought from City when he was the Milan manager. Van Gaal knowsde Jong extremely well from his time at the Dutch national team.De Jong is understood to be looking at only around £ 50,000 per week in wages and a three-year contract. This should prove attractive for a top club like United with massive financial power.

Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel, who is on loan at AC Milan until the end of the season, says that he is inspired by the fact that he is playing alongside Nigel de Jong.

The Dutch midfielder has played in high-profile matches like the World Cup 2010 final. After leaving Manchester City, he moved to Italian football with Milan. Even though his arrival has coincided with a great time for Milan, the Dutchman is one of the last remaining quality players in the team. Milan have sold a number of stars like Mario Balotelli in the last few years.

Van Ginkel is one of the stopgap solutions for the club, as they attempt to provide some quality into the team without spending a huge amount of money. The Chelsea midfielder failed to get a first-team spot at West London after missing most of last season with the major knee injury. Realising that he may not be back to his best without regular football for the time being, Van Ginkel made the tough decision of going out on loan. The 22-year-old has featured in only two Italian Serie A matches so far. Players likede Jong, with 11 appearances so far, continue to hold the ground in the first-team.

“I was happy with my performance against Udinese.It was a bit frustrating when I wasn’t playing. I did good things, but the important thing is that the team got back to winning ways.We needed the three points and it was a good game for me and the team.I’m happy when I play. I’m a box-to-box midfielder who can both attack and defend.My teammates complimented me after Sunday, it was good for my confidence.De Jong is an inspiration for me, its wonderful to play with him,” said Van Ginkel.

According to Gael Clichy, the Sky Blues (Manchester City) can form two high quality league sides with the personnel that they have got.
The Premier League Champions, who are one of the wealthiest football clubs not only in England, but, in whole world, have been making their squad stronger and stronger every summer.
This time around also, they have signed the likes of Bacary Sagna, Eliaquim Mangala and a few more and they seem to be well on course as far as the defence of their league crown is concerned.
They had a couple of rather comfortable victories to start with. Their last weekend’s win i.e. a 3-1 thumping of the previous season’s runners up Liverpool was a sign of their strength. They are looking heavyweights to say the least.
Speaking about the City squad the other day, Clichy said, “Incredible is the word that I would like to use. We have got so much of quality in the squad that it’s possible for us to form two top league level sides.”
When asked what he thinks about City’s performance in the first two games, the left back said, “It has been alright. We are only going to get better. Currently, we have been having a few fitness issues as well. Once we have all our players available, we will be more clinical.”
A tough little period is awaiting City as they are scheduled to face Chelsea and Arsenal in successive weeks in September.
They also have to play against the German club Bayern Munich in the European Cup.
Clichy reckons that fitness is very important for his team considering the hectic schedule.
In the words of the Frenchman, “To stay fit both physically and mentally is a necessity in football. Of course, skills matter, but, fitness is as much important.”

Nigel de Jong missed out from a few key matches of Netherlands as he picked up a groin injury which forced him to remain out of playing grounds on some games but the Dutch midfielder and his presence at the middle of the was still felt by Lionel Messi as the Argentinean was locked down by Nigel de Jong until the Dutchman was replaced at the 61 minutes mark.

Another figure that acknowledged the performances that Nigel de Jong displayed during his limited time at the 2014 World Cup was Louis van Gaal who is being constantly linked with the Ac.Milan player.

Louis van Gaal has already signed the midfielder Ander Herrera who displayed his abilities by providing 3 assists in Manchester United’s recent friendly match against LA Galaxy. Herrera is going to be used as a creative midfielder for the English club and taking into consideration the departure of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, Van Gaal wants to find a player who can not only contribute in the midfield with a solid presence but also someone that can serve as a makeshift defender which is what Nigel de Jong occasionally did during the recently concluded World Cup.

The player of Ac.Milan, Nigel de Jong is a combative figure who can give Manchester United a solid presence in the middle of the pitch while Ander Herrera and the other attacking crew go upfront trying to find goals. Ac.Milan is interested in signing the Portuguese winger Luis Nani, who has fallen behind the pecking order of Manchester United after only managing to make 11 league appearances.

If Louis van Gaal is indeed interested in signing a player that can provide the midfield department of the squad with a potent defensive midfielder that the team can rely on as not only reinforcement for the middle of the pitch but also as a late minute defender, Nigel de Jong is a viable option and the Dutch tactician could use Luis Nani as bait in order to sign his target.

AC Milan midfielder Nigel de Jong has come to the defence of his international teammate Arjen Robben, who has been criticised by many as being on the decline. He says that the former Real Madrid and Chelsea star is still playing at the top level and that the 31-year-old can help the Dutch national team in the World Cup 2014. Robben has had an up-and-down year in the last few seasons. Last year, it was a very excellent campaign as he helped Bayern Munich lift three major titles. He also scored in the Champions League final to finally shake off the image as a loser.

However, he has also failed to take crucial chances in important matters like the World Cup 2010 final. Ahead of the World Cup 2014, pressure is on the Dutch star, who was certainly not at his best in the final few months of the campaign with Bayern Munich. Despite having a lot of the ball against Real Madrid, he did not create much over the course of 180 minutes. He was one of the players who received a lot of blame for the 5-0 aggregate defeat against the Los Blancos.
De Jong, who has played with Robben for several years, says that the player still has it in him.

“Robben is at the highest peak of his career, his last two years were astonishing, and he seems to be perfectly fit. Van Persie is our skipper, our leader, he didn’t play his best season but this was due to the transition at Manchester United. But I recently heard from him and he’s ready, he’s recovering a good shape. We weren’t a group, there was no cohesion between us and nothing really worked well. Somebody said that if we won against Denmark, then the rest of our tournament could have been different,” said the midfielder.