"You were never involved in the game enough, and I think I was a bit of a glory hunter."Down the years numerous players have successfully made the switch, Chris Sutton and Dion Dublin being two notable recent examples, while back in the Fifties, Blackburn's Fred Pickering was converted from a left-back into a highly successful striker and sold on to Unsworth's club for a then exorbitant fee of pounds 85,000. But perhaps the most striking comparison, as Unsworth was once told by the former Everton manager Joe Royle, is Malcolm Macdonald. He, too, started off as a fairly anonymous left-back only to finish up in folklore as a centre-forward."I think he thought I had a similar frame - plus I'm reasonably quick and left-footed, too," said Unsworth. "I never ever got around to it, but if I'm involved in a testimonial match or something at the end of the season I'd love to have a go."IF ENGLAND'S hard-to-please fans show Kevin Keegan half the same degree of loyalty and respect that Newcastle fans still show their former manager, even two years after leaving the club, then he may end up lasting longer in the job than either of his two predecessors, Glenn Hoddle and Terry Venables, and certainly longer than the next four matches.

Anyone dropping in at York City's recent home match at Bootham Crescent, for instance, could be forgiven for thinking they were at St James' Park, so much in evidence were the black and white stripes. And it was all because the Geordie fans, with a Saturday to kill before their match against Arsenal, wanted to lend their support to Keegan's visiting Fulham side.Ruud Gullit, on the other hand, will never be taken to the Geordies' bosom in the same way as long he remains oblivious to the club's history. He made a great fuss recently about bestowing the No10 shirt (as vacated by John Barnes) on his new Croatian signing, Silvio Maric, without realising that the only number which matters a jot on Tyneside is the No 9 made famous by, among others, the above mentioned "Supermac", Malcolm Macdonald.DERBY COUNTY will no doubt be expecting another large crowd at Pride Park today for the visit of Liverpool. But whatever the reasons are for why they keep coming back - and the opportunity to qualify for Europe is not the least of them - the chance of witnessing a glut of goals isn't one of them.

Not once in 28 League games this season, plus five at the end of last season, have more than two goals been scored, either by Derby or the visiting team. And if Michael Owen cannot put that right then no one can.THAT STRIKER with the Italian-sounding name who was both loved and hated in the Steel City is back playing for Sheffield No, not Paolo Di Canio but Imre Varadi. Now in his 40th year, Varadi is turning out, appropriately, for Sheffield FC, allegedly the oldest football club in the world. The much-travelled Varadi, who, in fact, was born in Paddington, incurred the wrath of both Wednesday and United fans in the late early1980s by playing for both clubs, though not, of course, at the same time.. Breakfast Television presenter "I have been a Dundee United fan since 1987 (or 86), when my now husband took me on a first date to see them play Hearts United lost 3-0, and I've supported them ever since They had a brilliant team then. Classy and elegant, with players like Paul Sturrock, Maurice Malpas and Jim McInally When I was with TVAM I used to report on matches. I went to Borussia Monchengladbach where I saw them in the Uefa Cup I was so excited I could hardly do the interview afterwards I've also been to the Nou Camp to see them play Barcelona.

However I missed the 1994 Scottish Cup final under instructions from my doctor The final was in May and my baby was born in June If I had gone I would have had the baby there and then.". FOOTBALL'S WORLD governing body, Fifa, have threatened to ban clubs if they do not release players for the World Under-20 Championships in Nigeria next month, but the Football Association has insisted that Premiership clubs will not be weakened. The FA's technical director, Howard Wilkinson, has already stated that he will not be picking first-team regulars, and the FA's spokesman, Steve Double, confirmed that the tournament would be used to develop young players. "Tournaments like these are all about developing the internationals of the future," Double said. "We will be sending a strong team which will do their country proud and we have liaised with Fifa throughout."We have spoken to Fifa and have been assured that there is no question of action being taken against the FA."The FA added that the Liverpool striker Michael Owen, who is eligible for the tournament, was never going to be considered for selection. "Somebody has raised the question of Michael Owen but tournaments like these are all about developing the full internationals of the future and for somebody like Michael that would be a backward step," said Double.Originally, the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, had been angered by England not sending a full-strength squad to Nigeria and he threatened suspension against England and the FA. "They have to send the best teams otherwise it will not work," Blatter said.