PAUL Ince is not on his way to Ewood Park, despite speculation in today's national Press that the England midfielder is about to become Blackburn Rovers' first close-season signing.

Former Manchester United star Ince, who has been told he is surplus to requirements at Liverpool, is well known to Rovers boss Brian Kidd and was previously linked with a move to Ewood.

But Rovers chief executive John Williams said today: "There is absolutely nothing in this story."

When Roy Hodgson was in charge, he expressed an interest in the midfielder who had worked with him at Inter Milan.

He also pointed out that it was unlikely Ince would come to Blackburn, preferring a move to a big city club like Liverpool.

That situation might well have changed following Anfield boss Gerard Houllier's surprise decision to tell Ince he was no longer wanted.

But Rovers are unlikely to be interested in a player once labelled "a big-time Charlie" by Kidd's former boss Alex Ferguson.

I have no doubt that Ince's name was mentioned in discussions as to who might, or might not, be available this summer.

But it was probably discarded almost as quickly.

The 31-year-old midfielder is available at a cut-price £1 million, though he is said to earn a massive £30,000 a week at Anfield.

Money is not a problem at Ewood, but they would not be likely to hand those kind of terms out even if they wanted Ince which they say they don't.

Last season was not the happiest of times for the player who is expected to try to stay in the North West where his family are settled.

West Ham boss Harry Redknapp has already said he will not be trying to take him back to Upton Park and Rovers have made their situation clear.

In another of today's national newspapers, Aston Villa are said to be keen.

Rovers fans, looking for any news about possible signings in what has been the one of the quietest summers for years, are likely to have to continue to be patient.

Kidd might decide he needs new blood once he has seen the team in action in the pre-season friendlies starting against IFK Gothenburg next week.

But it does not look as though anything wll happen on the incoming front before then at the earliest.

A thousand Premiership and Football League players will be subject to random drugs tests next season - double the number tested during the last campaign.

The Football Association are cracking down on drug abuse by players after revealing that two young stars tested positive for class A drugs last season.

Reading have sacked their 20-year-old first team midfielder Byron Glasgow after he tested positive for cocaine and cannabis.

The other was recorded by a 17-year-old Premiership youth trainee who tested positive for class A substance, morphine, and subsequently admitted to suffering from a "serious heroin addiction".

But figures show a downward trend. Last season's two positives came from 544 tests. In 1994-95, there were 12 positives from 272 tests; in 95-96, seven from 272; in 96-97, five from 500 and in 97-98, three from 500.

Glasgow tested positive when sampling officers carried out a random training ground test and has subsequently been charged with misconduct.

The product of Arsenal's youth training scheme is expected to appear before an FA disciplinary committee within the next week and will almost certainly face a lengthy suspension.

The Premiership player who tested positive for heroin cannot be named because of his age. But he has been suspended indefinitely and is receiving treatment and counselling.

It is the first recorded case of a British player admitting addiction to the class A substance. "We are talking about a very serious heroin problem in this case," said the FA's head of medicine Alan Hodson.

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