Payne back for Hoops

Shamrock Rovers’ new goalkeeper returns to the Brandywell tonight (7.30pm) attempting to halt his former club’s climb away from the relegation zone.

American keeper Russell Payne played more than 60 games for Derry City following spells with the Colorado Rapids in the United States’ Major League Soccer and Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.

He left after a player registration wrangle and ended up in Germany with regional side SV Elversberg.

Now Payne is back in the eircom League, having signed a two-year deal with the Hoops and he will fight for the goalkeepers’ shirt with former Cork City number one Noel Mooney.

Aside from long-term injury victims striker Liam Kelly and midfielders Paul Caffrey and Derek Tracey, Shamrock Rovers will be without suspended defender Jason McGuinness while central midfielder Mark O’Brien faces a fitness test on an injured ankle.

Home side Derry City go in search of their fifth game without defeat and Peter Hutton welcomes back central defender Clive Delaney from a one-match ban, leaving the caretaker manager to decide whether or not to keep himself in a successful side which earned a 0-0 draw with leaders Shelbourne last week.