BULGARIA v IRELAND NEWS:WAYNE HENDERSON yesterday described his sudden call up by Giovanni Trapattoni for Saturday's World Cup qualifying game against Bulgaria as "a dream come true," with the Italian providing him with the perfect way to end a season that got a good deal better as it went on.

“I was going on a family holiday the day of the game but cancelling it is a small sacrifice to make,” said the Dubliner, who struggled to make any sort of impression at Preston this year due to a back injury. “It’s a dream come true,” he continued.

The player was sidelined for several months until things took a significant turn for the better in late February when Mike Newell drafted him as emergency goalkeeping cover at Grimbsy Town after a couple of other proposed deals had fallen through.

The Irishman ended up playing more than a dozen times and was a key figure as the club successfully battled to avoid relegation from League Two.

“Mike Newell gave me the opportunity to prove I was fit again,” he said.

“I played 14 games in eight weeks and came through it feeling better than I thought.”

Henderson has only played a handful of games for Ireland with his last appearance coming in the 4-0 win over Denmark in August of 2007.

His most high-profile outings for the international senior team had been in the 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic when he had been selected after Paddy Kenny’s sudden departure from the squad in the wake of the 5-2 loss to Cyprus and the 2-1 win over San Marino when he shouldered a share of the blame for the home side’s goal.

Having been brought back in now, however, he is likely to be first in line to replace Shay Given while Birmingham City’s Colin Doyle will also travel so as to provide cover.

The pair benefit from Dean Kiely’s decision to walk out on the squad last week in protest at not even making the substitutes’ bench for Friday’s 1-1 draw against Nigeria and Keiren Westwood’s absence due to his impending marriage.