Football: Magpie Hamann in frame to face Leeds
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.NEWCASTLE HAVE successfully appealed to the German authorities to allow Dietmar Hamann to miss international duty and play instead in Saturday's Premiership match against Leeds. The 25-year-old was due to fly to the United States with his national side for two friendly matches. Newcastle will still be without Alan Shearer and Nikos Dabizas because of suspension.
Hamann, the former Bayern Munich player, signed by Kenny Dalglish for pounds 4.5m during the summer, appears to have resolved his differences with Newcastle's manager, Ruud Gullit, and has been a regular alongside Gary Speed in central midfield in the absence of the injured skipper Rob Lee.
"He's very eager to get back into the international squad, but he earns his money here," Gullit said. "He has to adapt to English football first and his chances with the national team will come from there."
Hamann is seen as a future German captain, but he recently expressed his disquiet at his lack of first-team chances at Newcastle, hinting that he could leave Tyneside at the end of the season.
The player insists that an interview he gave to a German magazine, in which he is said to have spoken of a dressing-room split, was taken out of context. "They wrote in England that I said something against the English players, that the English players were in one part of the bus or the dressing room and the foreigners in the other," he said in an interview in the Aston Villa programme.
"But I said that is normal because of the language, and the fact that we live with some of them at the hotel. I was taken out of context. But I have talked to the manager and told him there was never a problem with the other players. There has never been a problem - and there will not be in the future."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments