Brian McIver has "no problem" with Derry players representing their colleges in the McKenna Cup.

The subsidiary intercounty provincial competition up north has become embroiled in a colleges versus counties row which led to the withdrawal of Queen's but Derry boss McIver - whose trainer/selector Paddy Tally coaches St Mary's - told The Examiner that he is firmly on the side of the colleges:

"I have absolutely no problem with the lads playing for their universities. Look, the McKenna Cup was dead and buried and in came the universities and suddenly it got a new lease of life.

"All of a sudden you are going to say, 'let's go back to the way it was'? I'm 100% behind the universities and have no problem with letting lads play for them.

"The McKenna Cup is great at this time of year for getting boys football.

"Those lads playing for universities are probably going to get at least three full games and all the lads that I want to get a look at, I will get a look at. If I am really concerned about any of them, I would just send down a selector to watch some of them on a night that we are playing.

"As I say, all I want out of the McKenna Cup is to get lads' football and get everyone ready for the national league. That's what it allows you to do."

Derry will have Chrissy McKaigue and Emmett McGuckian on the UUJ team, while Emmett Bradley and Benny Herron will feature for St Mary's. James Kielt and Kevin Johnston had been cleared to play for Queen's. Tweet

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