Town striker Shefki Kuqi and other high profile Finnish players could see their careers in football interrupted by six months of military service.

A law which came into effect in 2003 means naturalised Finnish men will receive military call-ups before their 30th birthdays in the same way as native-born Finns.

Kuqi is currently 28-years-old and as the law stands will have to spend 180 days in the Finnish Defence Forces prior to his 30th birthday, which falls on November 10th, 2006.

Reports in Finland claim that Kuqi is willing to serve his six months, but preferably once his football career is over.

Other Finnish players, including Kuqi's younger brother Njazi and his Birmingham City team-mate Mikael Forssell, will also face call-ups. The penalties for those refusing to take military service can be severe in Finland.

A Finnish football journalist told TWTD: "This really is a problem and I don't know how they will solve it. Normally you need a medical or a mental reasons to get an exemption.

"Six months in the army could ruin Shefki's career in England at a time when he's playing the best football of his life. The Finnish football authorities should do something to solve this problem but I'm not sure if they are doing anything as yet."

Kuqi's current deal with the Blues is up at the end of the season and the prospect of him being away for six months within the next two years may have a bearing on a future contract.

Kosovo-born, Kuqi moved to Finland as a 13-year-old during the Balkan conflict, later taking Finnish citizenship.

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