Congratulations to Stephen Craigan on earning his thirtieth cap for Northern Ireland on Wednesday when he lined up against the might of Liechtenstein. He was part of the winning team in Belfast as they gained a valuable three points in the European Championship qualifier.

He has been a fixture in Motherwell's central defence since he returned to Fir Park in 2003 after a three year spell at Partick Thistle. His no nonsense defensive technique has found favour from a string of managers and he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Our secret weapon!

We have benefited from his games in green as his exposure to some of the best international forwards has given him a depth of experience which few in the SPL can match. Among his successes in the last year have been wins against Sweden and Spain and a draw against Denmark.

The win sees Northern Ireland now in second spot in the seven team group F table. He'll have several trips to make before the end of the year as Northern Ireland have another five games scheduled to complete the group stages. Four of these are on the road and visits will be made to Riga, Reykjavik, Stockholm and Gran Canaria before the end of November.

Stephen is a highly regarded member of their squad - sometimes we don't appreciate the talent that we see week in and week out at Fir Park until someone else shows their appreciation!