WIDNES VIKINGS sporting director Terry O’Connor has moved swiftly to dispel talk of injured stand-off Lee Paterson being removed from the playing staff.

Paterson, 27, had major surgery this week to fix anterior cruciate ligament damage to his knee, sustained while playing for Widnes coach Steve McCormack’s Scotland in the recent World Cup.

Rumours suggested that the club would replace him with another player – possibly an import.

The former Batley star will be out for up to six months but O’Connor says he expects Paterson to come back ‘fitter and stronger’ than ever and is definitely a part of Widnes’s plans.

O’Connor, who has been on World Cup duty himself with Ireland assisting Andy Kelly, said: "Lee is part of our plans this year and talk of him being removed from our staff is wide of the mark. There is no truth in that and if we look at the detail Lee could be back for the regular Co-operative Championship season.

"He will probably miss a few games of the season and then be back in April or May – it will be like getting a new player in."

O’Connor says the injury to Paterson is unfortunate but it will give someone else a chance to take the shirt.

He said: "Losing Lee is a blow but the way the players will have to see it is ‘Lee’s loss is my gain’. We have plenty of strength in depth there."; Tim Hartley, Matty Strong and Richard Fletcher can all play there. There is no way I’m going to bring in an over seas player when we have young talent here who can do the job."

Meanwhile, O’Connor says the Vikings pre-season training is going well and he has been ‘amazed’ by the size and strength of some of Widnes’ home grown stars who will get a chance in the Northern Rail Cup after Christmas.

He said: "The likes of Anthony Mullaly, Scott Yates, Josh Simm and Matty Strong have been working extra hard in the gym and they are in really good shape and that is great to see as we want to bring through Widnes players.

"All the young lads here will get a go and that is the way it has to be if we want to progress as a club churning out local talent."

*  WIDNES Vikings will be the talk of the city in 2009 as they join forces with Liverpool radio station, City Talk 105.9 The club has signed a one-year deal with the radio station and will work in partnership with them to advertise and promote the Vikings across Merseyside, the North West and North Wales.