SECRETARY of State Chris Heaton-Harris has returned to his footballing roots as he officiated his first match in Northern Ireland.
A qualified referee, he oversaw a youth game at Downshire Young Men Football Club in Hillsborough, Co Down.
The 54-year-old Conservative MP, who was appointed when Liz Truss became prime minister last month, has spent more than 40 years as a football referee.
Following the Under 11s match last week, Mr Heaton-Harris said: "I’d like to thank all at Downshire Football Club for their kind invitation and hospitality.
"My greatest appreciation goes to the boys who participated in a highly skilled and competitive match, and for making my job of officiating extremely memorable."
Mr Heaton-Harris has spoke about how being a referee has kept him sane and helped with his political career.
"You go into the clubhouse afterwards, you get to talk and you get to know way more about what is going on than sometimes you would get from a piece of paper and briefings," he told BBC Sport.
"It has genuinely given me some really great insights, normally after they stop swearing at you in the bar. Football has done wonders for me throughout my life so I would recommend it to everybody."
