News:Clive Clarke, the former Republic of Ireland defender who collapsed at half-time in the English League Cup game between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, was, said a spokesman for the hospital yesterday, in a stable condition at Nottingham's Queens Medical Centre after a suspected cardiac arrest.

The 27-year-old from Wicklow, who is on a three-month loan from Sunderland at Leicester, had to be revived in the dressingroom after his heart "stopped twice", according to his agent, Gary Mellor. "Mouth-to-mouth didn't work, so the paramedics had to use a defibrillator."

"We have got quite good news," said Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric, "Clive is stabilising. The situation is improving, the doctors are pretty pleased with the progress he is making."

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn praised the efforts of the medical staff of both clubs, saying they had "reacted magnificently in the circumstances."

"He's one of our players and fingers crossed, please God, he will be okay," said manager Roy Keane, "we wish him well."

Keane, meanwhile, marked his first year as manager of Sunderland yesterday by signing former international team-mate Ian Harte on a one-year deal. Harte (29) was released by Spanish club Levante by mutual consent at the end of last season.

"I've played alongside Ian and I know the qualities he can bring to our club, you need a big squad in the Premier League and he will add strength to ours," said Keane of the left-back, whose signing brings to eight the number of Republic of Ireland players in his first-team squad - Paul McShane, Graham Kavanagh, Daryl Murphy, Liam Miller, David Connolly, Anthony Stokes and Roy O'Donovan being the others.

Keane also signed Trinidad and Tobago striker Kenwyne Jones from Southampton yesterday, for €8.8 million, as well as Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham (€4.4 million), the sixth former Manchester United team-mate he has brought to the club (after McShane, Miller, Kieran Richardson, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole).

The frantic transfer activity by Sunderland follows confirmation that captain Dean Whitehead will be out for at least six months with a cruciate knee ligament injury, sustained in training a fortnight ago, and Tuesday's woeful performance, by a near full-strength side, at League Two side Luton when they lost 3-0. Sunderland beat Luton 5-0 at Kenilworth Road on the final day of last season, a result that clinched them the Championship title.