Kenwyne Jones issues apology to Stoke team-mate Glenn Whelan

• News: Stoke investigate training ground ‘incident’

Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones has said sorry to team-mate Glenn Whelan after smashing his car windscreen with a brick in accusing him of leaving a pig’s head wrapped in his clothes in his locker at the training ground.

Jones, who says he now knows Whelan was not responsible for the prank, will pay for the damage to the Ireland international’s car.

Stoke are yet to make a statement as to whether any player will be punished for the incident, which came ahead of their final game at Southampton on Sunday.

Jones posted a series of tweets which read: “First off for all the people saying thIs had anything to with racism I’m not endorsing that. Secondly i’ve apologised to glen whelan for the destruction of his property, for all the ppl that think I did micheal Owen’s car I didn’t.

“I just posted the pics of it , I was never involved in any of the pranks in the dressing room. So for all the people that think that the pigs head wrapped in my clothes was banter great so is the broken window.

“As far as tension in the squad there’s nun myself and whelan had our thrash out and he said it wasnt him so I apologised n im paying for it. As for the person who did it no one has come fwd n apologised to me so I guess the joke was gd then.

“But as I said if you have the belly to take banter to that level be willing to accept the reaction. Thats final no more comments.”

Stoke midfielder Brek Shea tweeted a picture of himself with the pig’s head with the words “locker room banter gone wild”. The incident came just days after retiring striker Michael Owen had his car covered in eggs and flour by team-mates.

Jones was also involved on that occasion, tweeting a picture of Owen’s car to his followers with the explanation that it was a “leaving present” for the former England star.

Stoke opened an investigation into the matter on Friday. “The club takes seriously reports of an incident at our training ground this afternoon,” the club said in a statement. “A full internal investigation will be carried out and those responsible for any unacceptable behaviour will be dealt with in accordance with the club’s disciplinary procedures.”

What They Said: Rafael Benitez pleased with Chelsea send-off, Jamie Carragher emotional for Liverpoo

Benitez explains lap of honour snub

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Rafael Benitez believes he did a good job at Chelsea and feels the majority of the fans were pleased with his work at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard departs the club on the back of a 2-1 victory over Everton, and also winning the Europa League and guiding the Blues into next season’s Champions League with a third place finish in the Premier League.

Benitez’s appointment was a controversial one back in November as the Chelsea fans were reeling from the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo – who won the club’s maiden Champions League – and did not forget Benitez’s criticism towards Chelsea whilst in charge of Liverpool.

“I received a lot of messages. I was quite happy with the response of a lot of the fans. You can’t change the opinion of everyone but a lot of people realise what we’ve tried to do,” Benitez – who refused to go on Chelsea’s lap of honour – said to BBC Sport on Sunday.

“You prefer people supporting the team and you, but if it’s not the case you just try to do your job as well as you can. Winning finals and finishing third, with a team that finished sixth last year, is quite good.”

David Moyes managed his final game for Everton, and the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United hailed his side, who finished sixth in the table.

“We have had a fabulous season. I think if you’d asked the bookies at the start of the season where they’d have thought Everton would finish they’d have said somewhere around here but there are a lot of good teams below us as well.

Jamie Carragher brought the curtain down on his Liverpool career after 17 years as the Reds defeated Queens Park Rangers 1-0 at Anfield.

“It was very emotional, especially for my friends and family in the stands who have been there to watch me all the time, but that’s come to an end now unfortunately,” Carragher told Sky Sports.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Carragher after the game. “Jamie’s ambition was always when he left Liverpool to go out on top and you see in the guy today he did that,” he said.

QPR boss Harry Redknapp admitted returning to the Premier League from the Championship will be difficult.

“We’ve got no divine right to come straight back up. We’ll have to work hard,” Redknapp said, who was less than happy with some of the attitude of his players in the squad.

“I’ve inherited a group with some good professionals and also with people who are not so good. That has been the problem. Lots of them can’t get up early enough to get to training on time. One player’s picked up more fines than he earns and he earns enough.”

Manchester City ended the campaign on a low note after the former champions were beaten 3-2 at home by Norwich, and interim manager Brian Kidd was glad to see the supporters show their appreciation for the sacked Roberto Mancini.

“I understand the cheers for the boss, he would have been disappointed if there wasn’t for what he did here,” Kidd said.

Norwich boss Chris Hughton was pleased with the strong end his side made to the season as the Canaries sealed 11th place. “I’m absolutely delighted with that. It shows, irrespective of the anxiety at certain periods, it is really about where you finish at the end of the season. We are delighted to have done that,” he said.

Alan Pardew insists he will still be Newcastle boss come next season. “I’m pretty confident I’ll be the manager here,” he said after the 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

Paolo Di Canio was proud of his Sunderland players despite going down 1-0 at Tottenham to Gareth Bale’s late strike. “We’re obviously disappointed with the result but the lads have done a very good job. They gave everything in terms of commitment and desire but we’re still going back with zero points from the game,” the Italian said.

Mauricio Pochettino was left disappointed with the 1-1 draw against Stoke. “We wanted to win, but weren’t able to do so,” he said.

Michael Owen was another player to bow out on Sunday, and the former England international was amazed by the reception he received from the Stoke fans. “I have hardly contributed for Stoke and for them to chant my name, was something else,” Owen told BBC Sport. “I want to thank the Stoke and Southampton fans.”

Boss Tony Pulis paid tribute to the retiring striker, saying: “He has had a wonderful career and has been a top professional for this country.”

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup felt his side could have ended the season better after a 3-0 defeat at home to Fulham. “Everyone here says it is the best season ever for this club. I have only been here ten or 11 months so I will I trust their judgement,” the Dane said.

Martin Jol was delighted to see Fulham take the three points. “It’s a fantastic day for us and the club and now we have to plan for next season,” he said.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke feels it was a great feat for his side to come from 5-2 behind to draw 5-5 with champions United. “For a club of our size and the money we’ve spent, and the budget we’ve got, and the size of the stadium, it’s a fantastic achievement for this group of players,” Clarke told Sky Sports.

Michael Carrick, captain for United in Ferguson’s last game in charge, said: “We’ve thanked Sir Alex for everything he’s done and he’s thanked us. We’re ready to move on.”

Sam Allardyce has revealed West Ham are in talks with Liverpool over the signing of on-loan striker Andy Carroll. “There’s negotiation between the club and Liverpool,” he said after the Hammers’ 4-2 win over Reading. “It is our target to try and make it a permanent situation.”

Reading manager Nigel Adkins feels the side are in good spirits as they prepare to return to the Championship. “There is a good feel-good factor going forward for next season, which is important,” he said.

Roberto Martinez refused to say anything about his future at FA Cup winners and relegated Wigan. “That’s not the important thing,” he said. “We’ll sit down with the chairman and decide what’s best for Wigan.”

Paul Lambert insists he made the right call to pick Christian Benteke over Darren Bent as the main man for Aston Villa – who drew 2-2 with Wigan, with Bent scoring in a rare start.

“I started looking at the squad, what system was going to suit, and ended up playing one guy up front – and the best one for that was Christian Benteke. And seeing his form, you can see why,” he said.

Newcastle playing for £1 million bonus against Arsenal

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Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has vowed to give the club’s non-playing staff a £1 million bonus if his side beat Arsenal in Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash at St James’ Park.

The extraordinary gesture to the unsung heroes who work behind the scenes at Newcastle has added extra spice to a game that could book Arsene Wenger’s Gunners a spot in next season’s Champions League.

But Newcastle could secure an improbable top-ten finish if they beat Arsenal, in what would be an unlikely end to what has been a difficult season for Alan Pardew’s side.

And the intervention of their colourful owner should give them plenty to play for as they look to end the campaign on a high.

Ashley’s gesture comes after manager Pardew suggested he “didn’t care” whether his team won their final game of the season after securing their Premier League survival last weekend. However, the Newcastle boss has insisted his comments were exploited by the media.

“Reporters took my little joke suggesting we didn’t care about this game out of context,” Pardew said. “I can assure everyone that we are determined to be at our best against Arsenal, as we owe our supporters a strong display after our last two performances at St James’ Park fell a long way short of the standards we have set.”

A 10th-place finish for Newcastle could be worth as much as £5 million in additional prize money to the club compared to the cash on offer for ending the campaign just one place above the relegation positions.

Arsene Wenger ‘proud’ of Arsenal mentality

Arsenal earn Champions League spot

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Arsene Wenger has praised his Arsenal players after the Gunners sealed a place in the top four to qualify for the Champions League at the expense of North London rivals Tottenham.

Arsenal knew victory at Newcastle would clinch fourth spot, and Laurent Koscielny’s strike in the second half delivered Wenger maximum points in a 1-0 win. Tottenham defeated Sunderland by the same score line but Gareth Bale’s fine goal was not enough to topple the Gunners.

“I’m proud of the character and the spirit, especially with all we had to deal with during the season,” Wenger said to Sky Sports. “The players are special. I’ve told them many times and they’ve shown it. In the last two months they have been absolutely exceptional.

“It’s a good basis, as well, on a longer term to go into next season on such a strong run.”

Arsenal trailed Tottenham by seven points in March when they lost out in the North London derby at White Hart Lane. However, a run of eight wins from their last ten games ensured they secured the coveted Champions League position and reach the competition for a 16th successive season.

“I’m very proud. We were very far behind Tottenham and even after defeat there [at White Hart Lane] we’ve shown character and attitude to come back and make 73 points, which is three points better than last season,” the Frenchman said.

“I have had many groups in my life and the focus and the desire to do well was always exceptional. It’s one of the best groups I’ve had in my life on that front.

“The combination of quality and attitude has been great, and that’s why I always had faith that we would come back.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger criticises UEFA for "rewarding failure" by allowing Champions League s

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has criticised UEFA for “rewarding failure” after two Champions League exiles contested this season’s Europa League final.

Chelsea defeated Portuguese giants Benfica 2-1 in the showpiece event of Europe’s second tier competition, adding the Europa League crown to the Champions League title they won last year.

But after both Chelsea and Benfica started their European adventure in the Champions League, falling short in their attempts to qualify for the knockout stages, Wenger believes this shows how mediocre results can be turned into silverware.

“You have two teams in the final who were in the Champions League, their target at the start of the season was the Champions League, not to win the Europa League,” Wenger said.

“We raised that question many times at UEFA. Is it right to reward teams basically for failure?

“Every year now, in the Europa League, you have two teams who have been not failures, but who have been [first] in the Champions League.

“The teams who go through in the Champions League to the last 16 don’t have a chance after. If you go out in the last 16 [of the Champions League], you don’t drop into the Europa League. If you don’t qualify [from the group stage], you have a chance of winning the Europa League.

“If I had won the Europa League like Chelsea I would have been happy as well. It is a trophy, but, overall, it raises the question.”

Wenger said the rule that allowed teams who do not qualify from the Champions League group stage to stay alive in the Europe created an unfair balance in the Europa League.

“You can say that many teams who start the Europa League fight together, then, in the middle of the competition, some come in and suddenly they are all potential winners, but they didn’t start the competition, they were in another competition,” the Gunners boss said.

And despite acknowledging Chelsea’s success, the Frenchman believed the Blues were given a helping hand in claiming the title.

“Congratulations to Chelsea,” he said. “It looks even more fantastic because they have won the Champions League and the Europa League in two seasons, but usually that cannot happen.”

Paolo Di Canio blasts Sunderland players

Paolo Di Canio launched an astonishing attack on his Sunderland squad after their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, stating the entire discipline of the club needed to change and that it had consequently been a “miracle” to keep them in the Premier League.

The Italian embarked on a 24-minute tirade in his post-match press conference, stating that the attitude of some of his team “disgusted” him and was worse than the indiscipline he perceived at his previous club Swindon Town.

The mood was brought to a head by the pictures in a Sunday newspaper of Philip Bardsley on the floor of a casino covered in £50 notes. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning after Wigan’s defeat at Arsenal secured Sunderland’s survival, and the full-back was absent from their match-day party.

“He’s out of my squad,” Di Canio said. “It’s obvious. How I can play a player that probably is blurry for three, four days after what’s happened? More important I want to deliver a very clear message since the beginning that there is not excuse to behave like he did.

“That is something really wrong. It’s disgusting me even to see the image for the club. The day after I discovered what had happened and, obviously, I ring my player and I discovered it was a really, really bad situation.

“From now I will be more strict because I will judge you more carefully because now we have to improve our professionalism. We have to respect the dignity of the club, the fans and the rules of the sport.

“If we don’t punish this kind of behaviour, what are we talking about? If we don’t punish this kind of behaviour, how do [the academy players] grow up? Thinking they can laugh about what they saw on the website picture? Maybe they think it’s fantastic; to be like a gangster. But what mentality are we going to deliver?

“It’s not acceptable. I thought that at Swindon, League Two, arrogant, ignorant footballers in some way so they don’t know exactly because they’ve not had many chances to stay at the top level. I have to tell you unfortunately I found a worse environment in terms of discipline in this club. This Is what I’ve found in the last few weeks so we have to change completely.

“And this morning, and this morning, once again, even if they didn’t care about what is happening at the Academy of Light, one player who could have been involved in my squad for different reasons today, they decide ‘I don’t train today’.

“They make the diagnosis themselves. One player didn’t go to the academy of light because he said ‘yesterday I had a food poisoning.’ Sorry ‘are you the doctor?’ The doctor tried to contact him and three hours he switched off the telephone.

“This is the situation at Sunderland. This is why I tell you we made a miracle.

“We need to bring in six or seven players who know how to behave and have a professional ethic and then they can help each other. Otherwise, for me, it’s difficult.”

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is confident he will remain in charge at St James’ Park

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Alan Pardew is confident he will remain manager of Newcastle United despite a disastrous campaign which ended with the Magpies avoiding relegation with just a single game to spare.

Pardew admitted ahead of last weekend’s victory at already-relegated Queens Park Rangers that he was unsure if survival would guarantee him his job.

But the 51-year-old revealed he was confident of remaining in the St James’ Park hotseat when the new season starts in August.

Having been asked if he felt more secure following owner Mike Ashley’s visit to the club’s training ground on Friday, Pardew told The Journal: “Are you saying to me, do I expect to be manager? Yes, 100%.

“[Ashley] generally has a chat, says hello to everyone. He thanked all the players for their efforts this year. We all know it has not been our greatest season but you cannot say we have not given 100%. I don’t think that.”

And with another meeting with Ashley scheduled for next week, Pardew added: “We have to have a better scenario next year and we all have to pull together. I think that was basically his message.

“Like all clubs we will be sitting down and discussing plans for next year. The plans will include pre-season, recruitment and mistakes made this year and that’s it.”

Pardew also confirmed that no decision had yet been made on the future of want-away captain Fabricio Coloccini, who informed the club in January of his desire to return home to Argentina, citing personal reasons.

“Sometimes there is not a decision made until pre-season and I don’t think a lot of transfer activity will happen until we all return, which will be July 4,” Pardew said.

“I think it is very important the fans show him they love him. And they do genuinely love him. For me as a manager he is a fantastic captain, very important in the last period [of the season] in particular.

“When he did not play in those couple of games against Sunderland and Liverpool, I thought we really lacked a bit of leadership on the pitch. His situation is hard to discuss because it was a personal issue and it still is.”

But one player who is almost certain to leave the club this summer is defender Danny Simpson, who is out of contract this summer

“I think Danny has played his last game for us,” Pardew said. “His contract is up and I think we would have renewed it by now. He has been a great player for me and has always given me everything. I know he will find a Premier League club, but it will not be this one.”

Andre Villas-Boas: Very difficult to lure Gareth Bale from Spurs

Spurs win not enough for Champions League

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Andre Villas-Boas expects Gareth Bale to remain at Tottenham Hotspur next season despite the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Bale’s stunning late strike secured a 1-0 victory over Sunderland on the Premier League’s final day, but with Arsenal beating Newcastle by the same scoreline, Spurs once again missed out on a place in Europe’s premier club competition.

The Wales international has made no secret of his desire to take part in the Champions League again, and has indicated a willingness to move abroad to fulfil that ambition, but Villas-Boas remains confident of retaining the player.

Asked if the 23-year-old would stay at the club, he said: “Yes, that’s the information we have. It is very, very difficult to lure a player of this dimension away. You have to hold onto your best assets.”

Spurs will have to settle for a place in the Europa League, but Villas-Boas, who won that trophy during his time with Porto, maintains it is “a wonderful competition” and believes players will still want to move to White Hart Lane.

“Tottenham is a wonderful club who will continue to attract big players and will continue to push on,” he told the BBC. “It was a very good season. We pushed all the way for fourth and third spot and I think we can make it better next season.”

He added: “I think this season is a good reference for us in the future. To achieve 72 points and not make it shows that to compete at this level we will probably have to make more than that as other clubs have great, great squads.

“We will have to do it the Tottenham way. We have to scout properly and make good grabs in the transfer market this summer.”

The Portuguese has spoken of his desire to bring in a sporting director, but chairman Daniel Levy made no reference to the matter in his end-of-season statement.

Michael Dawson wants new Tottenham contract

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Michael Dawson has expressed a desire to extend his stay at Tottenham beyond the two years left on his current contract.

Dawson, 29, moved to Spurs in 2005 from Nottingham Forest and has gone on to establish himself as an integral part of the club’s success in recent seasons.

Manager Andre Villas-Boas came close to selling the England international to QPR last summer but he has since fought his way back into the first-team fold and made 33 appearances this season as Spurs chase a return to the Champions League.

And he would now like to commit his long-term future to the club, saying: “I’ve got two years left and I’d love to extend that.

“Hopefully if the manager and the chairman want me for that long, it would be great. I never gave leaving Spurs a thought last summer, having been here for eight years.”

Brian Kidd: Manchester City failed this season

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Manchester City caretaker manager Brian Kidd has admitted the club has not reached the standards they set as Premier League champions after succumbing to a final day 3-2 defeat to Norwich.

City twice rallied from going behind to their visitors but a stunning Jonny Howson goal midway through the second half claimed all three points for the Canaries.

And despite refusing to make excuses for the defeat, Kidd was quick to point out his squad had endured an emotional week leading up to the match.

City were still licking their wounds from the FA Cup final defeat to Wigan and the loss of their domestic crown when the club’s owners sacked manager Roberto Mancini. It was a culmination of events that caused much upheaval for both the club and its fans.

“It’s been a really emotional week,” Kidd told the club’s official website. “That’s not making an excuse. The defeat at Wembley [in the FA Cup final], the boss going … it’s been a tough week.

“I think we all seem a bit washed out at the moment. I think we’re drained, to be perfectly honest.”

City finished second in the league, 11 points off their arch-rivals Manchester United, but failed to live up to their billing as champions, failing to advance out of the group stages of the Champions League, before faltering in the league and the domestic cups.

And Kidd believes only a return to their championship-winning standards will propel City back to the top of the Premier League.

However, the 63-year-old emphasised the club’s first point of a call should be the hiring of a manager who could re-instil those standards.

“We’ve got to look at where we can improve because the standards we set last season, we haven’t reached this season,” Kidd observed. “The priority is to get a new manager first. That is the biggest priority. I’m pretty sure the club will scrutinise whoever they’ve got as candidates but the priority, for me, is the manager.”