Michael Owen has signed a new four-year deal with Liverpool. His new contract will keep him at the club until 2005. "I am delighted to sign this new contract," said the 21-year-old England international. "There's never been a thought in my mind about any club other than Liverpool."

Owen's current contract was due to expire in two years' time but he has been in discussion with Liverpool over a new deal since the end of last season.

Media reports have claimed his new deal is worth in excess of £50,000 a week, making him one of the highest-paid players in English football.

"I'm only 21 and yet this is the fourth professional contract I have signed with the club," added Owen, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring injury which is expected to keep him out of action for at least three weeks. "They have always been incredibly fair by reviewing contracts early and I think this is one of the many reasons there is such loyalty at Liverpool," Owen said.

He has scored 92 goals in 172 games for the club.

MIDDLESBROUGH chief executive Keith Lamb yesterday welcomed the English Premier League's decision to charge Liverpool and Christian Ziege over the German's move to Anfield.

"We are pleased that, after a very, very thorough and detailed investigation, the Premier League and its legal advisers share the same view as Middlesbrough Football Club that there was a serious breach of league regulations prior to the enforced transfer of Christian Ziege to Liverpool," he said. "Hopefully, these investigations will unearth the true facts and those responsible will be dealt with by the football authorities."

PAUL INCE (33) hopes to finish his playing career in Italy after Middlesbrough refused to give him a new contract at the end of the season.

Ince has been linked by his agent, Steve Kutner, with a return to Serie A after spending two years with Inter Milan in a career that has also seen him play for West Ham, Manchester United and Liverpool.

SOUTHAMPTON'S reported £4 million bid for Heerenveen's Swedish international striker Marcus Allback hinges on how ambitious the Dutch club are, it was revealed yesterday.

Heerenveen financial director Hank Hoekstra said that his club must decide whether to accept the offer - which would equal Southampton's record transfer fee, paid for Derby's Rory Delap in July - or keep 28-year-old Allback and have a better chance of European football.

CHELSEA club captain Gianfranco Zola has called for an end to public castigation of his team-mates who were accused of drunken and disrespectful behaviour on the day after the American terrorist tragedy.

The Chelsea quartet of Frank Lampard, John Terry, Jody Morris and Eidur Gudjohnsen upset hotel residents in west London with their unruly behaviour in public whilst horrific scenes of devastation were being relayed on television.

The four players were each fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea, a total of about £100,000 sterling, which went into the fund set up to help the Americans in the wake of the atrocities.

"It is in the past now," said Zola. "They realise what they have done and I am sure they did not mean to cause such offence."

Zola is hoping that he will not be forced to go on strike for the second time in his career. He was at Parma in 1996 when the Italian league took strike action for one match, during a row over pension payments. The Professional Footballers' Association in England are preparing to ballot their members about a strike in the row over its share of television revenue, and Zola is hoping the dispute can be settled before it gets that far.

"We don't know yet if we will have to go on strike, but hopefully this can be settled by talking," said Zola. "If it reaches a point - and hopefully it won't - then we'll decide what to do, but I don't think what we are doing is wrong." Olympique Marseille have axed financial director Pierre Dubiton. He had been publicly at odds with sports director Bernard Tapie for months, a source close to the club said yesterday. Former tycoon and politician Tapie was jailed for match-fixing after his previous spell as chairman of the club from 1986 to 1994. He was recalled to the club in April.