Steve Lomas will captain Northern Ireland for the first time in tonight's World Cup qualifier with Albania in Zurich - and manager Bryan Hamilton believes the West Ham midfielder will continue to do so for years to come. Hamilton's plan was to have the captain bedded in before next season when they begin their campaign to qualify for the next European Championship finals in Holland and Belgium.

Lomas and his Upton Park team-mate Ian Dowie return after suspension, while the experienced Tommy Wright comes in for the unlucky Aiden Davison and Keith Rowland is back in favour to win his 12th cap and make it a trio of West Ham players in the team.

Albania have had home advantage taken away from them by FIFA because of the civil unrest in the country.

Northern Ireland (v Albania, in Zurich): Wright (Man City); Gillespie (Newcastle), Rowland (West Ham), Hill (Trelleborg), McGibbon (Wigan), Griffin (St Johnstone), Horlock (Man City), Lomas (West Ham), Lennon (Leicester), Quinn (Blackpool), Dowie (West Ham). Subs: Davison (Grimsby), Mulryne (Man Utd), Jenkins (Chester), Sonner (Ipswich), A Hughes (Newcastle), Kennedy (Watford).