Doubts over £500,000 Hart windfall

Shrewsbury Town's hopes of pocketing a £500,000 windfall after goalkeeper Joe Hart made his England debut were today thrown in doubt.Town were hoping to receive the cash as part of the transfer contract that took the 21-year-old to Manchester City for an initial £600,000 in May 2006.

The League Two club negotiated a clause which would see the extra money forthcoming once the former Meole Brace School pupil made his international bow.

That happened when he came on as a second half substitute against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday evening.

But it is believed that Shrewsbury are in negotiations with the Premier League club over the details of that clause and are yet to receive any money.

The club put out a statement declaring: "The club are in discussion with Manchester City Football Club regarding Joe Hart's international debut, and whilst these discussions are on-going it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage."

Managing director Rob Bickerton, who is on his way to the Football League conference in Portugal, was unavailable for comment.

But speaking on Monday, just hours after Hart had made his debut, he clearly had no inkling there may be a problem, declaring: "The deal that was done when Joe went to Man City had an element which would be triggered when Joe got his full cap for England. That happened last night and I'm sure we will be sending Man City an invoice for that today.

"While the club has earned some money from this, I think the news is something of great pride for Joe Hart and Shrewsbury."

But a similar case has already been reported, with Norwich City missing out on a smaller windfall of their own in relation to the sale of striker Dean Ashton - who made his England debut in the same game - to West Ham.

The Canaries are due £125,000 as a clause of his £7.25m move to the Hammers in 2006 - but have missed out because the agreement applies only to a competitive fixture, not to friendlies.

* Hart is still believed to be the first Shropshire-born England international since Billy Wright.

There had been claims that Paul Bracewell was the last man from the county to achieve the feat, having won three caps in 1985.

But, despite having been brought up in Newport, Bracewell was actually born in Heswall, on The Wirrall.

By Chris Hudson