FORMER Northern Ireland international defender Mark Clyde has been handed a trial by Worcester City.

Clyde played 70 minutes of the commemorative match against AFC Liverpool at St George’s Lane yesterday which City won 3-0.

The 26-year-old, who played for Wolves in the Premiership in 2003/04, was forced to retire from the game in February 2007 following a series of injuries relating to reactive arthritis.

However, he has made tentative steps back into the game and could take part in the pre-season friendlies for Richard Dryden’s team.

Clyde made his debut for Northern Ireland in 2004 and collected three full caps. He played more than 50 games for Wolves.

The City manager said: “Graham Ward used to be with him at Wolves and gradually he has been doing a bit of five-a-side football and his ankle is OK. He wants to give it a go and see, so there’s no pressure on him.

“He played 70 minutes and we will see how it goes in pre-season. If we can get someone like that fit and he wants to come to the club, that would be great. It would be a big coup if we can get him.”

Clyde, who made a big impression during a loan spell with Kidderminster Harriers from Wolves in 2002, was joined by keeper Jake Meredith and midfielder Dan Dillon, who were with Team Bath but are moving to Loughborough University.

All three are in the frame for pre-season but, because of their location, any involvement is likely to hinge on whether City opt to move back to Blue Square North.

Dryden, though, knows they would bolster a team that failed to win any of their final 11 matches of the campaign.

He added: “Clyde and Dillon gave us something we didn’t really have last year, a presence on the field.”

Birmingham City striker Aaron Moses-Garvey, also on trial, started against AFC Liverpool and scored a late third goal, adding to Jordan Fitzpatrick’s 15th-minute header and Marco Adaggio’s 85th-minute penalty.

Moses-Garvey, 19, is yet to play for the Blues first team but has been capped at international level by St Kitts and Nevis.

Academy left-back Dale Williams made up the back four against the Merseysiders alongside Clyde, Kevin Spencer and assistant manager Carl Heeley.

Keeper Richard Mace, most recently with Cambridge United, replaced Meredith for the last nine minutes, while Stourbridge midfielder Aaron Drake featured from the bench.

Ex-City custodian Paul Moore, 48, came on for the visitors six minutes from time and conceded two goals in 60 seconds.

City: Meredith (Mace 81), Spencer, Williams, Heeley, Clyde (Ward 70), Fitzpatrick (Downing 59), Moses-Garvey, Dillon, Adaggio, Connolly (Drake 59), Dinsmore. Subs not used: Walker, Wilding, Dryden. Attendance: 758.