ALEX McLeish will confidently name Allan McGregor in his Scotland squad next week – putting an end to fears that the Rangers goalkeeper could take his recent brush with the SFA’s disciplinary department out on the national team.
The Ibrox side hit out at the ‘flawed’ compliance and disciplinary system in this country after the goalkeeper served a two-match ban for catching Lewis Ferguson on the shin with his studs in a league match at Pittodrie last month. The 37-year-old, once banned from international football indefinitely for the aftermath of the ‘Boozegate’ affair under George Burley, has beaten off the challenge of Celtic’s Craig Gordon to become an important for his country yet again and McLeish says there is no question of McGregor making himself unavailable for the national team in the wake of the row.
“Are there any concerns about Allan?" said the Scotland manager. "No, I don’t think so. The SFA are the governing body and we are all part of it but no, I don’t think so. That would be like me back in the day going up for one of my disciplinary hearings and shouting ‘Jock, Mr Stein – that’s it, I’m not playing for Scotland any more’. That won’t be an issue with Allan, he is bigger than that.”
On the subject of goalkeepers, McLeish was keeping his cards close to his chest when it came to whether the vastly-experienced Gordon, who hasn’t played any first team football since the Old Firm derby at Ibrox at the end of last year, continued to merit a place in his selection for the opening World Cup qualifying double header against Kazakhstan and San Marino. At least in the form of Scott Bain, Gordon’s replacement in the Scotland team is also Scottish.
“I am in a close dialogue with Woodsy [Scotland and Celtic goalkeeper coach Stevie Woods] and we will make decisions when the time comes,” said McLeish. “We have had Bainy on the Central America trip and we know what his capabilities are. He has come in and done well for Celtic. There is a good fight between two fantastic goalkeepers there so we are in luck.”
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