Paper Round: 'Too tired' Sterling parties until 3am

Sterling spotted out until the early hours: The Daily Mail and The Sun report that Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling was out partying at a London nightclub until 3am the day after he was "too tired" to play for England in their Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia. The 19-year-old was spotted at trendy Cirque le Soir in the capital's West End with Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain just 24 hours after being left on the bench by England boss Roy Hodgson. The player had complained of tiredness the day before. Sterling and his representatives last night declined to comment.

Paper Round's view: No photos of the night in question and no comments by anyone involved... can the Mail and Sun be trusted on this one? And even so, is this really an issue? It's unclear how rigorously Sterling likes to party, but it's a pretty good bet he doesn't expend the same amount of energy sat around in a nightclub as he would do during a 90-minute international football match. Give the boy a break. What's he supposed to do? Stay indoors and sleep for a week without surfacing because he had the temerity (or not) to ask for a break? This saga is getting rather tedious. Can we not just move on now?

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Monk fines Swansea players for diving: Swansea manager Garry Monk has revealed he sanctions his players for diving in training, according to the Daily Mirror. Monk has been charged by the FA after his criticism of referee Michael Oliver and calling Victor Moses a "cheat". Monk said: "We fine players for simulation, for surrounding refs, for questioning decisions given in training." The money raised from the fines is reinvested in the Liberty Stadium or donated to local charities and schools.

Paper Round's view: Good on Garry Monk for crusading against the stain on the game that is diving - the extra cash for good causes in the local area is commendable. But Swansea certainly won't win any more games if their players don't dive - perhaps they will even lose a few more - and the only hope is that such a stance inspires others to adopt a similar one. Otherwise, Swansea may have a clear conscience but their cause on the pitch will not be helped any.

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Sunderland fans to be reimbursed: Sunderland's embarrassed players have agreed to refund the cost of their fans' match tickets for the 8-0 humbling at Southampton. The Times reports that more than 2,500 fans will be able to claim back the cost of their £24 tickets or have the sum donated to Grace House, a children's hospice in the North East, after having made the long-trip to the South Coast at the weekend. Supporters have until 5pm tonight to lodge their claims with any the cost of any unclaimed tickets going to the hospice.

Paper Round's view: Thank goodness for that. Ever since Vito Mannone suggested the idea in the immediate aftermath of the shambolic outing at St. Mary's there really wasn't any way this could not have happened. It the plan had been vetoed after consultation with the rest of the squad, the outcry could justifiably have been far worse than that over the performance itself. And if a very worthy cause can now benefit, all the better. Well done, Sunderland players. (Just learn how to defend before next weekend.)

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Souness offered to fight Dyer and Bowyer: Kieron Dyer has revealed that his Newcastle manager Graeme Souness offered to fight both him and Lee Bowyer following the pair's on-field punch-up in 2005. The Daily Mail reports that angry scenes in the dressing room followed the famous bust-up, with captain Alan Shearer delivering a verbal volley and Jean-Alain Boumsong inviting them to settle their difference there and then. But it was Souness's offer of getting involved that put paid to that idea.

Paper Round's view: This was without doubt one of the most regrettable incidents of the Premier League era, but one can't help but think if hardman Souness had beaten them both up (presumably with one hand, while delivering his team talk and making the tea at the same time), some kind of sweet justice would have been served on the silly pair.

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