AT the time of writing I still don't know if David Ginola was poncing around at Christie Park on Tuesday night - nor do I care.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Morecambe is playing host to

Premiership players this winter, and I hope the initiative is a great success.

But somehow I can't see Ginola's full box of tricks coming out when the TV cameras and L'oreal advertising executives are nowhere to be seen.

Far more exciting is the prospect of seeing some magical home grown wingplay on the same pitch.

Morecambe having a player named Ryan-Zico Black is probably as amusing to the outsider as seeing that Swindon's goals have been scored by a player called Invincible.

But, while he is never likely to match the achievements of his Brazilian namesake, I firmly expect to see the name of Ryan-Zico Black in the full Northern Ireland squad in not too many years.

On the other wing, it's unfortunate to see Andy Lyons suffering with injury for most of the season.

Lyons is a winger in the classic mould. He beats his defender, crosses accurately, puts in an occasional long range pile-driver and, err, that's it. What more can you ask for from a player?

The good old fashioned winger is steadily being driven out of the game by something called a wing-back.

These glorified full backs generally have pace and 'a good engine' but - especially if they are British - very often little else.

These aren't players who can take your breath away, but it's alright because you'll never see them standing on the touchline in long sleeves with their shirt hanging out and their hand in the air asking for the ball.

Now, call me an old bore, but I'd gladly see one or two players in every team not playing a huge role in the rough and tumble of the game in return for an occasional flash of poor genius.

And I'm sure I'm not the only person who doesn't want to explain to some wide eyed young soccer fan a few years down the line exactly what a winger used to be.