Football: Country first for Davison

The Northern Ireland goalkeeper Aidan Davison has put country before club.

The Grimsby player was originally named in Bryan Hamilton's squad for tomorrow's Group Nine qualifier against Portugal in Lisbon, but had to withdraw because his club understudy, Jason Pearcey, has suffered a recurrence of his hernia trouble. But then the Manchester City goalkeeper Tommy Wright pulled out of the Northern Ireland party - and Davison answered Hamilton's request to rejoin them.

"It's nice to be involved again but it's a Catch 22 situation for me," Davison said. "I've been put in an impossible situation between playing for my club, who have no fit goalkeeper, and joining the Northern Ireland squad." Davison also said that he himself is not fully fit. "I've been playing with an elbow injury for the last three weeks," he said.