HARTLEPOOL United's history-making season has taken on a new chapter, with the club's first international call in 40 years.

Pool's bid to reach the First Division through the play-offs was boosted when Eifion Williams was named in Mark Hughes' Wales squad.

The Bangor-born striker has netted 32 goals in 88 league starts for Pool since his £30,000 move from Torquay in March 2002.

And, after bagging 13 this season as Pool aim for back to back promotions, Williams has been rewarded with a place in the squad for friendlies with Norway and Canada.

However, if Pool beat Bristol City and progress to the Millennium Stadium Final on Sunday, May 30, Williams will be forced to pull out of the international squad.

The games clash with the play-offs as Wales go to Norway on May 27 and meet Canada at Wrexham on May 30.

Williams admitted: "I knew Wales were watching me because I spoke to a scout just before the last squad was announced and he told me he'd be keeping an eye on my performances.

"The squad was announced and I wasn't in it and if I'm being honest, I though maybe that was my chance gone."

Pool's only international honour is the single cap won by Ambrose Fogarty for the Republic of Ireland in 1964.

Williams' call follows injuries to John Hartson and Craig Bellamy and Hughes said: "I have picked a squad which assumes that we will not be involved in the Euro 2004 finals.

"That is the case at the moment until we go to Lausanne on Wednesday for our hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"If the situation changes, I will have to make changes in the squad, but I want to see several younger lads who could be very important to our future development."

Meanwhile, Ritchie Humphreys believes Pool's spirit has never waned this season.

And it was the camaradarie which carried them through at Swindon to secure the draw they needed on Saturday.

He said: " At the start of the season when we looked at the fixtures, we would have taken a point at Swindon, never mind in those circumstances.

"They scored early on and it could have knocked the stuffing out of us, but as ever we came back. We were 3-1 down at Peterborough on the first day and we won 4-3.

"There's been the odd time when we have looked down and out, but we always come back and on Saturday we looked like the home team in the second-half.

"Even though we were behind, I never thought it was going to be one of those days where things don't go right and we would miss out. And we got our goal and from then on, we were never going to go kamikaze and leave things wide open at the back.

"When they did attack, Michael Nelson and Chris Westwood snuffed them out well - they were immense.''

Pool's player of the year awards take place tonight at the Borough Hall.

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