I WAS delighted to see my old teammate Anthony Pilkington receive a Republic of Ireland call-up.

He’s in Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad for the friendly against Poland in Dublin a week on Wednesday, February 6.

That’s the same night England play Brazil at Wembley and Scotland take on Estonia in Gordon Strachan’s first match as manager at his old stomping ground of Aberdeen.

Lee Clark did a great bit of business for Town when he signed Pilks from Stockport County four years ago.

I was struggling with a back injury at that time, so I only played a few games with him.

I wish it had been more, because I reckon I’d have got a few more goals.

Pilks is a very good winger and a very good crosser of the ball with either foot – perfect for a striker like myself.

Throw in the fact that he also gets a few goals himself and you can see why he’s such a useful asset to any team.

He certainly gave our club good service, and we made a good profit when he moved on to Norwich the summer before last.

It was a disappointment when he departed, but you could understand why he wanted to have a crack at the Premier League with Norwich when the chance arose.

They took a little bit of a gamble, because Pilks hadn’t fully recovered from that horrible injury (broken left leg and ankle dislocation) he sustained when playing against Rochdale at our place in March 2011.

I was a little worried that the injury might take the edge off him, but he seems to have kept all his skills – and his pace.

He’s a very dedicated trainer and a great bloke who keeps his feet on the ground, so it’s nice to see him doing well.

At 24, he still has time on his side, so hopefully he’s be a fixture in both the Premier League and the Republic of Ireland side for many more years to come.