Veteran McAllister wants to play on at Liverpool

Gary McAllister wants to extend his swansong at Liverpool, but he is already looking beyond his retirement as a player by planning for a future as a manager.

The Scot, who will be 37 on Christmas Day, said yesterday: "I think I can play on a bit longer, but I am also looking to sorting out my coaching badge next summer. I know I can't go on for ever, but if I can still cut it in Champions' League games, it would be daft to walk away."

The Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld has been given permission to speak to the Spanish club Real Sociedad. The Dutchman has not featured in the first team since the 2-1 defeat away to Bolton on 27 August.

Wolves have completed the £3m transfer of the striker Kenny Miller from Rangers. The 21-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal.

Manchester City's manager Kevin Keegan has banned alcohol from the coach's rooms at Maine Road, even for visiting managers on match days, as he tries to combat the club's "drink culture".

The Bolton manager, Sam Allardyce, wants to sell Djibril Diawara following a row. The Frenchman, who is at the Reebok on loan for a year from Torino, sees himself as a centre-half while Allardyce has only used him in midfield.

Stockport County's manager, Carlton Palmer, will sign the striker Luke Beckett from Chesterfield in a £250,000 deal today.

John Fashanu's company Winners World Wide has made a bid for Northampton.

A group of Fiorentina fans, angered at the team's perilous situation on and off the field, occupied the club headquarters yesterday. Eight supporters entered the club's offices and hung a banner saying "Cecchi Gori Go Now!" – a reference to the club's owner Vittorio Cecchi Gori.

Rob Lee is urging his Newcastle team-mates to take a leaf out of Liverpool's book and learn how to win by playing ugly football. The Reds lead the Premiership by four points after developing a mean streak which has won them a few more critics but more league points. Bobby Robson's side have developed a greater resilience than they have shown in recent seasons and have propelled themselves into the top four.

Lee is delighted at the stronger backbone being shown by a team who have finished outside the top 10 in each of the last four seasons. Newcastle go into tomorrow's match with Blackburn at St James' Park knowing that a victory could see them climb even higher in the table, and that is motivation enough for a man who is desperate to crown his decade on Tyneside with some genuine success.

"We've got some very, very tough games coming up and it's important not to lose," he said. "We might have a couple of draws in there, but with the likes of Leeds and Arsenal away coming up and Blackburn at home, it's not going to be easy. They are tough games, but if we can get through the Christmas period and find ourselves roughly where we are in the league at the moment then I'll be very pleased with that."