Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand signed a one-year contract on Thursday to stay with the Premier League champions for a 12th season. The 34-year-old would have been out of contract this summer after helping his club to a 20th league title but will now be part of new manager David Moyes’s set-up following the retirement of Alex Ferguson.

“I am delighted to have signed a new contract,” Ferdinand said in a statement. “Who wouldn’t want to play in this fantastic team in front of 75,000 fans each week, it has been an incredible journey and I am glad it will continue. I can now fully concentrate on my club career, which has worked well for me over the past few years.”

Former England defender Ferdinand retired from international football last week. Ferdinand has made 432 United appearances since his debut in 2002 and Moyes, who starts his new job on July 1, is pleased he is staying on.

“It is clear for everyone to see that Rio has had one of his best seasons with the club and I think even from the outside you can see what a big character Rio is around the dressing room,” Moyes said in a statement.

“So I am delighted he has signed a new contract and I am looking forward to working with him.”

Robbie Keane will be available to lead out the Republic of Ireland against England at Wembley next week after negotiations with LA Galaxy. The MLS club initially declined to release him for the fixtures, which fall outside the FIFA international window. However, after further discussions, the Football Association of Ireland has confirmed that Keane will now be able to meet up with his team-mates in London.

Keane commented “I would like to thank LA Galaxy for reconsidering their decision after further conversations between us which really means a lot,” Keane said in a statement. “We have reached an agreement that will enable me to make it to the games and I look forward to playing my part.”

This weekend the fabled Monaco Grand Prix is set to entertain us. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, a close runner-up to Vatican City which has a very different outlook on life. The Monaco Principality does win the bragging rights as the most densely populated country on earth however. It’s 2.05 sq-km contains an estimated population of 36,371.

With 515 armed police and burley private security guards prowling the marina protecting it’s yachts, understandably the country also clams the lowest crime rate on the globe.

But, having spent a fair amount of time in this particular pin-prick on the world’s map, I‘m duty bound to point out a few anomalies. Firstly I’d estimat that 36,000 of that 36,371 population use Monaco in the same way unscrupulous businesses use PO Boxes as their contact address.

Walk those safe streets any night and you will see firsthand that just a handful of the apartments which make up the scores of tower blocks are illuminated. Between the hours of 7pm and 10am the streets can best be described as morgue-like and finding signs of life anywhere might be easier on the Moon.

Admittedly the daily occurrence of a cruise liner disembarking her anxious load sees the streets bustling. But once this throng of tourists have taken their pictures, bought their postcards, enviously peered through boutique windows and inspect restaurant menus – which spellbound and then astonish (when looking at the prices) – they eagerly return to their boat and the evening sitting of the ‘eat as much as you like buffet’ like a retreating army. It leaves the Western Front morbidly quiet once more.

Of course the public persona of Monaco is of Lamborghinis and Bugatti Veyron’s parked opposite the casino or moored multi-million pound yachts which have harems of stunningly tanned scantly clad vestal virgins.

That reminds me. I once, before poker was kind enough to take me to this shallow, silly and sometimes ugly concrete tundra with no centre or soul, considered paying Eddie Irvine a fortune to watch the GP on TV with the luxury of hearing the live screams of passing cars whilst sat on the back of his yacht. It took a while but I ultimately declined when realising my ego was not that big or my penis that small.

It’s guaranteed come Sunday afternoon television producers will be whipping up their viewers into a homogenised frenzy of envy and jealousy with pictures of all that is extravagant to the point of futility and stupidity. 200mph sports cars which have never had third gear engaged on the streets of their home town; uncorked bottles of Champaign left to waste. Neither are a sign of wealth instead medical proof of a very small brain.

Monaco’s pair of beaches, at first glance in pristine condition, epitomize the place. They may appear as perfect as Holly Willoughby’s cleavage but, in fact, their sand is fake. It is not even sand, it is something that resembles sand from a distance but is actually a substance which is closely related to cat litter.

You see beyond the façade, far away from the madding TV cameras, Monaco hides a fake morally grubby side that’s not wearing any underwear and it wants to show you. That’s because the most overwhelming statistic of them all is Monaco has the highest infestation of prostitutes per square 2.05 km than any place on earth.

We are not talking those who habitually carry around a bottle of KY, a nasty case of the clap, and the scornful attitude which accompanies $100-a-trick working girls found in downtown Vegas.

Here the hoards of ‘ladies for hire’ are draped in designer clothes, they wear enough top-end jewellery to decorate a Christmas tree and find their clientele at the bars of five-star hotels.

They have names like Genevieve, Francesca and Evelina. But no, they really do. And, if you look like you have a few disposable million in your Coutts & Co. current account, they may discreetly slip you a business card promoting their free iPhone app offering easy ordering and payment options.

You see sex in Monaco is primarily of the commercial variety. True love is thin on the ground. In neighbouring San Remo and St Tropez the jewels may be fake but the orgasms are real. In Monaco the jewels are real and the orgasms unquestionably fake.

It’s a sad parade of events. Elderly filthy rich men, or just rich filthy men, parting with a sum of money for a 30 minute service which would, in the real world, clear the national debt of a small South American country for weeks. Little wonder squeaky clean Monaco is overrun with wealthy businesswomen.

As well as offering an insurmountably superior moral backdrop Vatican City could probably offer a better racetrack than Monaco. 1996 was the last time Monaco delivered anything other than a tragically boring race.

Drivers, teams and punters all know Monaco is not the bedrock-scraping examination of man and machine an F1 race is supposed to be. Instead it is a showground for an exhibition and normally a mindless procession.

Unsurprisingly eight of the last nine pole starters have won here because on-track overtaking is more impossible than unlikely. Bookmakers are all too aware of the correlation between pole-setting and the likelihood of winning and naturally they are not offering get-rich-quick prices about the pole-setter making a penalty-kick style conversion. As for a ‘safety car’, they are generally offering odds of 1/5 (equates to 83.3%) about it being deployed.

Five of the last six Monaco F1 Grand Prix have been won by four seconds or less but, with the line hovering around three seconds the men with satchels – based in Gibraltar this modern low-tax online offshore day and age – have clearly done their homework.

Ah, Gibraltar. Another workable F1 venue? Population: 29,750. Area: 2.6 sq-miles. Sounds so ridiculous it fits in nicely alongside Monaco as a sensible street circuit for my two-penneth.

Speaking as someone who skilfully identified Felipe Massa was going to take a late set of tyres in Barcelona and would re-emerge with an empty track before him. And speaking as someone who backed his judgement at 8/1 in-running with Betvictor.com about him claiming ‘fastest lap’ – only to see Esteban Gutiérrez take an even later pitstop and claim the accolade – I feel like I have a score to settle.

This week, with stakes kept to a minimum, ‘fastest lap’ is the primary market to play. There is method to my madness. In addition to Gutierrez, Sergio Perez in that slow-as-a-boat McLaren is on the list of unlikely ‘fastest lap’ claimers this season. The winning scenario is always the same. A change of boots 90 percent into the race and an empty track before them with a car running on empty. Job done.

I’ve visions of a 12 car snail-trail backed up behind a leading car/driver and, amidst this monotony of cars featuring tyres with more blisters than an obese burns victim, a lowly team/driver combination sat at the back of this M25-esqu procession decides they are so board a late pop into the pits will brighten everyone’s day.

Elsewhere, in the Royal Enclosure to be precise, maybe bookmakers should follow their own Royal Ascot example and offer a market on the thing the average attendee is primarily interested in… the colour of Princess Charlene’s hat. Finally some excitement.

This week’s selections (prices courtesy of Betvictor.com):

V. Botas 40/1 15 points

P. Maldonado 40/1 15 points

D. Ricciardo 33/1 20 points

N. Hulkenberg 33/1 20 points

J.E. Vergne 33/1 20 points

E. Gutierrez 33/1 20 points

S. Perez 25/1 25 points

P. Di Resta 25/1 25 points

A. Sutil 25/1 25 points

R. Grosjean 20/1 30 points

This week’s investment: 215 points

Current profit/loss: +615 points.

Jose Mourinho will quit Real Madrid at the end of the season after coming to a mutual accord with the Spanish club that brings to an end a disappointing three-year stint by his high standards.

The Portuguese’s imminent departure, three years before his contract expires, will add fuel to widespread expectations he is poised to return to former club Chelsea.

While Real have yet to name a successor, president Florentino Perez confirmed the club had approached Paris St Germain to ask about the availability of Carlo Ancelotti.

“After the talks with our coach Jose Mourinho we have reached the agreement to end the contractual relationship at the end of this season,” Perez told a news conference at Real’s Bernabeu stadium after a board meeting on Monday.

“Both the club and the coach agree that it is the right moment to end this relationship,” the construction magnate said, adding Mourinho would not receive a payoff. The club have two La Liga games left to play this season and Mourinho’s final match in charge will be at home to Osasuna the weekend after next.

Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 on Sunday. The crowd sitting in the sunshine at Rome’s Foro Italico watched Nadal race to victory in 69 minutes on the red clay.

The Spaniard, back in his best form after last year’s long injury layoff, spent less time on court than Serena Williams who won her fourth consecutive tour title when she thrashed former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-3 to take the women’s title earlier on Sunday.

Nadal, seeded fifth, dominated the first set, winning 20 of 25 points at one stage, as the Swiss second seed produced a string of unforced errors.

Federer raised his game in the second set, breaking a nine-game losing streak to go 1-3, but Nadal was in no mood to slow down. Despite being broken as he served for the match at 5-1, Nadal went on to complete his 36th win in 38 matches this year.

“It’s a very important day, a very happy day for me after a difficult year last year,” Nadal, speaking in Italian, told the crowd after the trophy presentation. “It is really emotional for me to win a tournament with such a long history as Rome. See you next year.”

Munster and Ireland fly-half Ronan O’Gara has reportedly agreed to join Racing Metro’s backroom staff on a two-year deal.

According to reports on RMC Sport, O’Gara met Racing Metro owner Jacky Lorenzetti on Friday and has signed a deal to join the Top 14 side as a kicking coach with L’Equipe claiming he will also have a role within the youth setup.

If the rumours are true, the move will see him work alongside incoming coaches Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers. And he will also work with current Ireland No.10 Jonathan Sexton who will join the Parisians next term.

Howlett, 34, has been forced to quit because of a shoulder injury suffered earlier this season. Howlett, Munster’s squad captain this term, underwent surgery in an attempt to rectify the problem but he has now decided to act on medical advice and retire.

The former Auckland wing scored a record 49 tries for New Zealand in 62 Tests.

He joined Munster in early 2008, helping them secure the Heineken Cup that season, and went on to make more than 100 appearances, scoring 35 tries.

Munster said on their official website that Howlett has intimated he will remain in Cork, where he lives with his wife and three children, for the immediate future.

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has had his first injury scare before his squad for Australia has even assembled but said he was confident former captain Brian O’Driscoll would recover quickly from a back spasm.

O’Driscoll left the field early in his Leinster team’s victory over Glasgow on Saturday and the 34-year-old centre was unable to travel to London for the squad’s first get-together in London on Monday.

“Brian has been told to stay off his feet for 48 hours. It’s a back problem that comes and goes,” said Gatland, seemingly unfazed by the issue.

“It normally takes a few days to relieve the pain. We will keep our fingers crossed he is able to play in the two Leinster games that are coming up.”

Leinster face Stade Francais in the Amlin Challenge Cup final in Dublin on Friday before facing Ulster in the RaboDirectPro 12 final on May 25.

O’Driscoll is the only survivor from the Lions’ last tour of Australia in 2001, when he scored a memorable try in the first test of the 2-1 series defeat.

He would be devastated to miss this final shot at victory with the combined team having had his 2005 New Zealand tour, when he was captain, cruelly cut short by injury after being spear-tackled in the opening minutes of the first test and also ending on the losing side in 2009 in South Africa.

O’Driscoll was well advised to steer clear of Monday’s kitting out session as even the healthiest of backs would be put under strain by the mountain of gear, in every combination of colours, issued to the squad at the historic Syon Park House in west London.

Alex Ferguson’s last home match in charge of Manchester United ended in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Swansea City as the Old Trafford crowd gave their long-serving manager a warm and emotional send-off on Sunday.

Defender Rio Ferdinand struck the winner for the champions three minutes from time, yet another one of the late goals which have been a feature of Ferguson’s trophy-laden 26-year reign at the club. Ferguson, in his 1,499th game at the helm, received a rapturous reception from the fans and a Guard of Honour from the players of both teams as he walked out in heavy rain at Old Trafford.

He returned to the pitch with a microphone after the match. “Everyone at the club and you the fans have been the most fantastic experience of my life,” a clearly emotional Ferguson told the crowd.

“Thank you. I have been very fortunate to manage some of the greatest players in the country. These players have won the championship in fantastic fashion. Well done to them.

“When we had bad times here, everyone stood by me and your job now is to stand by your new manager (David Moyes).”

Ferguson, 71, left the field to deafening applause before returning with his players to collect their medals and the Premier League Trophy, Ferguson’s 13th and the 20th top-flight crown in the club’s history. United captain Nemanja Vidic was handed the silverware but he passed it on to Ferguson who gleefully held it aloft.

“I think it is a special day,” Vidic said. “In one way we are happy to get the trophy but in another we are sad the manager is not here another year.”

Ferguson proved before the game he was still prepared to make tough decisions by leaving striker Wayne Rooney out of the squad and the manager confirmed after the match that the England international had asked for a transfer.

Everton chairman Bill Kenwright cut a resigned figure after meeting manager David Moyes late on Wednesday, admitting he could do little to prevent the Scot from making the seemingly inevitable move to Manchester United.

Moyes was quickly installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Alex Ferguson, British football’s most successful manager, who announced he was quitting the Old Trafford hot-seat on Wednesday after more than 26 trophy-laden years in charge.

The odds on the Everton boss tumbled quickly throughout the day with one British bookmaker making the Scot 1-25 odds-on favourite, while others closed the market as money was instead spent on trying to predict his replacement at Goodison Park.

Some British media reported that the deal for Moyes could be announced as early as Thursday morning.

“I don’t know about a deal being done. David had a meeting scheduled with me and it was a good meeting,” Kenwright told Sky Sports News after leaving his office just before 23.00.

“At the end of the day David’s contract is up in six weeks time and he has a right to make his own decisions.

“He has served this club wonderfully well and he has a right to make his decision.”