SCOTLAND manager Alex McLeish last night refused to rule out calling up Celtic new boy Lewis Morgan for the summer tour of Peru and Mexico – and admitted that he intends to monitor his progress closely at Parkhead.
Morgan has been showered with praise for his performances with St Mirren in the Ladbrokes Championship this season and was named PFA Scotland Championship Player of the Year on Sunday.
McLeish feels the winger, who has played five times for the national under-21 team, might not be quite ready to be involved in the friendlies in South America and Central America at the end of May and beginning of June.
But the 58-year-old, who has held talks with Brendan Rodgers about which Celtic players are available for selection, admitted that he may draft him in to his squad f others are unavailable to travel.
“I have heard a lot about Lewis,” he said. “People were pushing him for the last couple of games (against Costa Rica and Hungary in March). I need to have a really good look at him and see how he matures over the next year or so, but I have certainly heard great things about him.”
Asked if the Peru and Mexico games may come too soon, he said: “Possibly. But we are still looking at things. You never know, it might depend if we have casualties when I name the squad. We are sending letters to the guys. We will see what comes back to us.”
Meanwhile, McLeish has revealed he is hopeful that James McArthur, the former Hamilton midfielder who has helped Crystal Palace stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League in England this season, will travel.
McArthur was one of several experienced players who was left out of the national squad for the double header against Costa Rica and Hungary, but he has intimated he is keen to remain involved with his country going forward.
"I like him,” said McLeish. “I think he is a good player and he will certainly be in our plans. He has had some problems and played through things in the past few months. We had a good conversation with him and he is bursting to play for Scotland. We have not left him out deliberately.
“We had a chat about the last two games. He was fighting a relegation battle so there was a bit of goodwill as well.”
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