Clarke leaves by mutual consent

Sunderland and former Republic of Ireland defender Clive Clarke has left the Premier League club by mutual consent over fears about his health.

The 28-year-old, who won two caps for the Republic of Ireland, suffered a heart attack while on loan at Leicester City in August, collapsing in the dressingroom at half-time in Leicester's League Cup meeting with Nottingham Forest.

Clarke, who has also played for Stoke City and West Ham United among other clubs, was fitted with a pacemaker after the scare and it has been decided to terminate his contract at the Stadium of Light.

A statement on the club's website said: "Clive Clarke has left the club following the termination of his employment contract by mutual agreement following medical advice."

Meanwhile, Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie has revealed that Benjani Mwaruwari's transfer to Manchester City failed to take place on transfer deadline day because the player fell asleep when he was supposed to be catching an aeroplane to the north-west of England.

The protracted deal, which City claimed had fallen through just after the January window closed at midnight last Thursday, was finally completed on Tuesday after the Zimbabwe international signed a two-and-a-half-year deal.

City will pay an initial €5 million up front, with the remaining half of the €10.5 million fee due to be paid in three instalments when the 29-year-old makes 25, 50 and 75 starts for Sven-Goran Eriksson's team.

Storrie claimed the whole "fiasco" could have been avoided had Benjani not taken a nap as he attempted to make his way to Manchester to complete the formalities of the switch.

"In his own inevitable, wonderful way - and we all love Benji so much - he falls asleep at the airport and misses two planes," Storrie said. "You couldn't write the script."