Top 5 best soccer apps for iPhone and iPad

The soccer -- or football to those of us on the proper side of the pond -- season is starting again, so what better time to look at the best soccer apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. With these apps you can get all the latest transfer news, big stories, results, match highlights and even live games.

Sky Sports Live Football Score Centre is a great app that covers all the action from the main European leagues. It has all the scores updated as they happen as well as offering a host of other features.

There is live game commentary, league tables, match stats, results, video highlights and even team line ups prior to kick-off. Backed up by the fantastic Sky Sports team, this app is one of the best for soccer fans. You can even personalize the app by selecting your favorite teams. News and results are then brought to you on a dedicated my teams page.

Unfortunately this app is only available in the UK due to the link up with the televised games.

[Free - App Store link]

Fox Soccer lets you watch live Premier League and UEFA Champions League games on your iPhone or iPod touch. The app will allow you to follow every English Premier League game as well as provide the latest breaking news, in-match video clips, highlights and more.

The app starts off as a free version which offers news, fixtures, live scores and team line ups. In order to view the live games, you will need to subscribe. Access to the premium section is currently priced at $7.99 for a single month's access, $22.90 for 3 months access and $79.90 for 12 months access. You then will get access to live video streams of the games.

[Free – App Store link]

LiveScore is a fantastic free app that provides real time scores from many sporting events around the world; with a particular emphasis on soccer scores.

Every match in the UK league is covered along with most other countries. With this app you will know about goals, yellow cards, red cards, substitutions, you name it, seconds after they happen.

There are no push notifications, which is a shame however the app does auto-refresh when open. The application comes directly from LiveScore Ltd., the inventors of real-time delivery of live sport data and owners of the no.1 ranked football / soccer web site globally. No country restrictions either! Fast access and my app of choice!

[Free - App Store link]

Eurosport has put together a very smart app for keeping an eye on all things sporting. Soccer is covered all across Europe with the results and latest scores from all the major leagues.

The app also covers other major sports including Tennis, Formula One, Basketball, Cycling to name a few. The layout and design is very clear and can be customized to match your interests. Eurosport also has a seperate app specifically for the iPad. Not sure why it can't just make a universal app!

[Free - App Store link iPhone]

[Free - App Store link iPad]

The final app is not a news app but to finish off we have chosen a game. With this game, you can pretend that you are the manager of your club and guide them to the top of the league to wipe out the disappointment of your real teams underachievement.

Football Manager Handheld is a highly detailed management style game where you take control of your team, including transfers, tactics and training. The app covers 34 leagues across 11 countries. The game is highly addictive; so make sure you have plenty of free time before picking this one up.

[$9.99 – App Store link]

So there you have them, our top 5 best Soccer apps to get you going. Be sure to check out our Picks of the Week and iPhone App and Games Forum for more recommendations, and if we missed any of your favorites, leave them in the comments below!