THE SUN: Andrew Flintoff has pleaded with England's management to let him play in the first Test.

DAILY EXPRESS: David O'Leary ruled himself out of the running for the Republic of Ireland job last night, just hours after Mick McCarthy finally threw in the towel on his six-and-a-half-year reign.

DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mick McCarthy may have won the battle with Roy Keane but he lost the war when the simmering controversy surrounding his former captain forced the Republic of Ireland manager to resign.

THE GUARDIAN: The Welsh Football Association has been defeated in its attempt to invoke the four-day rule to force clubs to release players ahead of the country's European Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan on November 20.

DAILY MIRROR: John Aldridge will be offered the job as Republic of Ireland manager within the next 72 hours after Mick McCarthy's resignation yesterday.

DAILY STAR: David Beckham bravely skippered Manchester United last night after the torment of having his family threatened by kidnappers.

DAILY MAIL: England's cricketers have their biggest ever financial incentive to win the Ashes and World Cup this winter.

THE INDEPENDENT: A first-half goal from Neil Roberts gave Wigan one of the more notable victories of their history as Manchester City showed that it takes more than a side that merely looks good on paper to ensure against embarrassment in the Worthington Cup.

THE TIMES: Europe's top football clubs yesterday agreed to cap their spending on wages in the first serious move to address the spiralling inflation that has plunged the sport into financial crisis.