Sheffield Wednesday are a team in crisis and it is understandable that they need their best players on the pitch - but it is taking the biscuit that they want the Ireland u21 set-up to release Alan Quinn to play for them against West Brom on Sunday, smack in the middle of two internationals.

Quinn is currently in Portugal with the Irish u21 side and looks like a definite starter in the game on Friday night.

He then returns to Ireland for a game against Estonia on Tuesday night in Kilkenny's Buckley Park - but Owls manager Paul Jewell also wants him to play a league match on Sunday.

If Irish boss Don Givens has any sense he will tell the Sheffield Wednesday manager where to get off. If Quinn was English and was in the same predicament there would be no such approach from Jewell.