While the door will never be shut completely on the fast bowler, it is highly unlikely that one of the 2005 Ashes heroes will ever recover from this latest setback.

It has been a remarkable downward spiral for Harmison in the last three years or so.

And he is one of the best examples you could ever have of the fragility so many of the top sportsmen suffer from.

He is clearly not alone.

Top strikers in football, fly halfs in rugby union, there are many at the top of their game one minute and by the wayside the next.

I refer, of course to Michael Owen and Jonny Wilkinson who are going through their own crises at the moment.

While Harmison's bowling has gone completely to pot, Owen cannot buy a goal and Jonny seems incapable of making a pass.

It is a sad state of affairs for the trio, but perhaps a signal that the new order is about to take over.

There could be another explanation, however, and it is a geographical link.

Despite Harmison being at the other side of the world, his heart is clearly at home with his family.

That would be Newcastle - the home clubs of both Owen and Wilkinson.

Given the state Newcastle United are in at the moment, someone should have had a word in Kevin Keegan's ear before he agreed to return as manager of the ailing outfit.

NEWS at the weekend that Sven Goran Eriksson wants to take Thierry Henry to the City of Manchester Stadium made me chuckle.

I admire the former England coach's ambition for his club and I understand owner Thaksin Shinawatra has - or will have when they are unfrozen - the funds to back the Swede's spending plans.

But why would Henry want to go there?

He left Arsenal after 10 magnificent years with the north London club and is now with possibly the biggest club in Europe at Barcelona - regular Champions League qualifiers, always in contention for the domestic title.

City are a club with promise but without any realistic chance of silverware and certainly not a place in the Champions League.

Sven asked the question: did City want to be first class or second class?

It is a good question, but I am not sure Henry is the answer.

I DON'T know much about rugby union, but I do know that Shaun Edwards should have been given a job in the England set up.

The former Great Britain rugby league player has helped turn Wales from a bunch of World Cup no hopers into Grand Slam winners.

Over the same period, England appear to have stumbled through the Six Nations with problems on and off the pitch.

What a pity they did not try harder to get Edwards.

They did offer him a job, but rather than hands on with the senior side, he was asked if he would like to coach, but not select, the seconds on a part time basis.

I wonder why he turned them down?