Manchester United defender Chris Smalling signs new deal and Smalling made 33 appearances in his first season at Old Trafford

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has signed a new five-year deal at Old Trafford and he is a 21-year-old, who arrived from Fulham in the summer of 2010, played 16 league games last season as United were crowned champions for the 19th time.

He has new deal will keep him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2015/16 campaign and is a strong display of faith by manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has already brought in Blackburn defender Phil Jones this summer.

Ferguson added for i am delighted Chris has signed a new contract and Chris has been outstanding since joining us from Fulham last year and he is an extremely talented young defender he's quick, strong and reads the game well and he is a great asset to the team and Smalling, Jones and Jonny Evans will provide back up and competition for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the United defence next season, with fellow defenders Wes Brown and John O'Shea having both completed moves to Sunderland on Thursday.

Manchester United secure deal for Blackburn's Phil Jones for five-year contract for Blackburn

Manchester United secure deal for Blackburn's Phil Jones have sealed a five-year contract for Blackburn defender Phil Jones in a deal believed to be worth up to £17m.

The England Under-21 centre-half had a medical with the Premier League champions on 8 June before a late hitch delayed the completion of the move and Despite offers from Arsenal and Liverpool, the 19-year-old insisted he only wanted a move to Old Trafford.

A United statement said the club were "delighted" to conclude the transfer and "The player passed a medical in Manchester last week and has agreed a five-year contract," the statement added.

Phil Jones only made his Premier League debut in 2010 March last year but has made a big impact in a first full season and featured of a England U-21s in the 1-1 draw with Spain U-21s on Sunday.

The teenager will face a battle to immediately break into a United's first team with Rio Ferdinand and the Nemanja Vidic of a clear first choice for the centre-half spots.

United striker Wayne Rooney said last week for Phil Jones is a good young English player and One of the toughest defenders I played against last season and Can play midfield too.

New Manchester United deal for Vidic

Nemanja Vidic has signed a four-year agreement lean-to with Manchester United.

The statement puts an end to the strong debate surrounding the Serbian for over 18 months, with his expectations seemingly intended to be away from Old Trafford. Though, Vidic has now dedicated himself to the Red Devils and boss is Sir Alex Ferguson delighted to have the protector around until 2014.

"We are pleased Nemanja has committed his future to the club. This kills all the stupid conjecture over the past few months," said Ferguson.

"Nemanja has urbanized into one of the best centre-halves in Europe and we are satisfied he will be here for many years to come."

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2010 FIFA World Cup: Stars set to light up South Africa

2010 FIFA World Cup: Every great meal relies as much on the appreciation of its guests as on the generosity of its host. In four days’ time, the world will take its seat in Johannesburg, South Africa for football’s greatest banquet, the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010, and it takes a mere glance at the menu on offer to whet the appetite for what is to come.

The tournament will be a showcase for the world’s finest talents, and from amongst the 32 teams and 736 players registered, there is something to cater for everyone’s palate.

For more news visit:

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1230169/index.html#stars+light+south+africa