Lawrie McMenemy has turned to Norwich striker Adrian Coote for Northern Ireland's April 27th friendly against Canada as he steps up his search for a goalscorer.
McMenemy hinted he would turn to the under-21s in the wake of Northern Ireland's Euro 2000 qualifying defeat against Germany and has called up Coote and Blackburn Rovers winger Damien Johnson.
Coote, who has played in a B international against Wales, has scored three goals in seven under-21 appearances, and McMenemy is likely to blood him in the Windsor Park clash.
Celtic goalkeeper Jonathan Gould was yesterday coming to terms with the prospect that he might play no further part in the club's chase for a league and cup double.
The Scotland squad member damaged shoulder ligaments in the 4-2 victory against Hearts at Tynecastle and is expected to be out for six weeks.
It means he is almost certain to miss the remaining six league games of the campaign with Celtic making a desperate attempt to overtake Rangers at the top of the Premier League.
Jonas Thern is quitting Rangers and returning home to Sweden after failing to recover from a serious knee injury.
The 32-year-old former international midfielder hasn't played a match this season for the Premiership leaders following surgery.
Thern joined Rangers on a free transfer from Roma in the summer of 1997 and scored five goals in 22 matches in his first season.
Reformed drug addict Paul Merson has branded the punishment handed out by the English Football Association to Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler for pretending to snort cocaine as "a joke".
Aston Villa star Merson, who will come face to face with Fowler at Anfield in tomorrow's Premiership clash, admits he has gone to hell and back to battle back from his drug and alcohol problems.
But Merson still believes the fourmatch ban Fowler received from the FA for his antics against Everton is harsh.
Veteran striker Niall Quinn yesterday praised the normally sombre Peter Reid for making the Sunderland dressingroom one of the happiest places in football.
The Wearsiders' boss has been all smiles following his side's win at Bury on Tuesday which clinched promotion back to the Premiership after two seasons in the First Division.
And Republic of Ireland striker Quinn, who rattled in his 20th goal of the season in the 5-2 success at Gigg Lane, reckons it's because of Reid's influence. "There are lots of different attributes which make up a great manager, but to have the confidence of the whole squad like he has and to have them all aiming for the one target is testimony to what we all think of him," said Quinn.
