Gillespie hoping to stay

Keith Gillespie remains confident his contract wrangle with Sheffield United will be resolved and that he will remain at Bramall Lane.

The 31-year-old Northern Ireland winger slapped in a transfer request – which was turned down – because he was disappointed at the way negotiations for a new deal stalled.

Gillespie, set to take part in his country’s friendly against Wales tomorrow, was hoping the matter would have been sorted out by now – because he is out of contract in the summer.

He has already indicated to manager Neil Warnock he wants to stay in the long-term.

Gillespie – who has worn the colours of Manchester United, Newcastle and Blackburn – is enjoying a good second season with the Blades after being freed by Coca-Cola Championship side Leicester.

He said: “I put in the transfer request, because I felt I had no option. I was disappointed there was no dialogue with my agent. But that has now opened up. The manager knows I want to stay – I told him that.

“We have had a good time this season when people expected us to go straight back down, but I have got to look after myself and I would be disappointed if things didn’t work out and I had to leave.”

Gillespie will put contract matters to the back of his mind tomorrow when he returns to international duty.

He looks certain to win his 74th cap for the province at Windsor Park. Northern Ireland are looking for pointers for their Euro 2008 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Sweden next month.

But they will be without leading scorer David Healy, who is sidelined with a broken arm.

Gillespie said: “David is a big miss, but his absence does give other people a chance to come in and show what they can do.

“Kyle (Lafferty) has done well recently, and it is up to others as well to contribute. The only positive about David being absent is that this is a friendly. We hope he will be back in time for the qualifiers.”

N Ireland (probable): Taylor (Birmingham), Duff (Burnley), Craigan (Motherwell), Hughes (Aston Villa), Capaldi (Plymouth), Gillespie (Sheff Utd), Johnson (Birmingham), Davis (Aston Villa), Brunt (Sheff Wed), Lafferty (Burnley), Sproule (Hibernian).