Come in No40... Steven Pienaar Confirms His Move To Spurs Personally. You read it here first, two months ago

Steven Pienaar is all set to play for new club Tottenham against Newcastle on Saturday – and will wear No40 on the famous white jersey at St James’s Park

Twittering frantically, the wizard from Westbury near Johannesburg said: “To end speculation I am going to Spurs. I've had brilliant years at Everton and it will always be a special place in my heart.

“And I can also confirm I will be jersey No40.”

A relieved Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who has pursued Pienaar ruthlessly through his unsettled months at Everton, admits he nearly lost out to Chelsea at the final hurdle when the January transfer window opened.

Both clubs were eager to swoop despite the fact that Pienaar would have been available on a free transfer at the end of the season. Pienaar and astute agent Rob Moore is believed to have agreed a deal of around £70,000-a-week with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

With the 28-year-old only a medical away from signing after Spurs upped their bid to match Chelsea’s £3m price tag, Redknapp told Sky Sports News: "I think we've done it - I think it's done. I think everything's agreed and he's going to join us, we're pretty sure.

"He's a good signing. He's a good footballer, I think he'll fit into the way we play great and I've always liked him.

"He has a good attitude, a good trainer, a good player. I know David Moyes loved him at Everton and it was unfortunate he decided not to stay

"But in the end I think it is a fair deal - Everton got a decent fee in the end for him, Chelsea were in for him, and I think he spoke to Chelsea and he came and spoke to us and he's decided to come here."

Redknapp added: "He should be available to face Newcastle - hopefully we will get him sorted in time and if everything goes through, it shouldn't be a problem. I think he'll be in the squad for Saturday."

If all goes well today, Pienaar will join David Beckham and recently signed-compatriot Bongani Khumalo, 23, at Tottenham’s Chigwell training facility.

Kevin Pietersen: F&%* Twit Shoves Pakistan Out of The Headlines

It was only there for a couple of moments, but it’s the Twitter which will finally knock Pakistan’s corrupt cricketers off the front pages.

Amid reports in The Sun that he had been dropped for the one-dayers and Twenty20 clashes against the now infamous spot-fixers, the great Kevin Pietersen confirmed to viewers of his Twitter account: "Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too. Its a f**k up!!."

It flashed up on his account kevinpp24 – recognised by many other cricketers as the genuine, slightly high-pitched voice of KP – where there was also mention of a move to Surrey and an annoying parking fine after a quick twitter to South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Pietersen, who has scored just one half-century all summer – an extremely fortunate 80 in the second Test against Pakistan (and who’s to say that wasn’t just the visitors deciding he’d make a great betting coup? He was dropped three times) – said last week his confidence is shot.

And he said he had never really recovered 18 months after losing the England captaincy in the farce over the departure of coach Peter Moores.

Resting KP from a now-discredited series is hardly a major shock. But his brief response – punctuated by a profanity - will send shock waves reverberating through the England dressing room, a fragile place held together tenuously by coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, hardly the two most stirring characters in cricket.

On his official website, Pietersen says: "My confidence has been hit hard over the last 18 months, what with having to give up the captaincy and then getting injured. I've just had to work hard and keep going. I've had to fight for every run.”

Watch this space. For confirmation of deleted Twitter, see http://twitpic.com/2jxpgd