Tottenham Hotspur utility player Colin Calderwood, described last week as the ''model professional'' by the England No.2 John Gorman, and singled out for a measure of praise from the Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla after the weekend draw in New York, is emerging as a figure of some standing in the Scotland set-up.
The 32-year-old defender may have been a late starter at inter-national level but manager Craig Brown has handed him almost 30 caps during his reign in charge of the national side.
Yesterday, as teeming rain and a thunderstorm restricted the players' training, Calderwood accepted the praise from Asprilla and gave the former Newcastle United striker some in return.
''It is nice when someone of his stature in the game takes time out to say you played well against him,'' he smiled. ''He is one of the most difficult attackers you could ever be asked to mark. He is so quick and so unorthodox as well but I did think I did ok and the team played well, really well for more than an hour of the game on Saturday night.
''It was an ideal game to have just now when we are looking towards the Brazil game in France. The Colombian don't use the same tatical set up as Brazil but their individual skills are similar and so we were given an idea of what we shall come up against in Paris.
''Similarly, the match this weekend looks just right to get us ready for the match against Norway. The United States team have a more physical approach - like the Norwegians - and they employ a 3-6-1 formation, while Norway use a 4-5-1 and so we can maybe work out just how we are going to operate against that style of play.''
The Norwegian players are more familiar to Calderwood and his team-mates from the Premiership because so many of them operate in England. While their direct play upsets other continental and South American teams, the Spurs man believes that Scotland may be better equipped to handle that.
He claims: ''It is much more of a British style that they play and in that sense we should be able to cope with them a little better than others have done. It is not, after all, anything new for us but they have been impressive in their warm-up games and we have to take note of that.
''I believe that will be the key game in the group for us when we get to the finals. Ok, if we shock the world and get something out of the first game with the Brazilians, then we shall be in a very strong position. But if we lose the fist game then we must beat Norway. If we can do that, then I believe that we could go on into the second round of games. That match will be vital for us and I think we can do it.
''One of my team-mates at White Hart Lane, Alan Nielsen, who plays for Denmark, has warned me not to allow the Norwegians to get in front. He playd against them recently - Norway beat them 2-0 - and he said that once they got that first goal they simply pulled all their players back behind the ball and then, when they had the chance they just exploded into counter attacks, which can be very effective with all those big lads they have up front.
''So, it would seem that it will be important for us to prevent them getting in front. It will be a crucial match for us, more so than the others in my opinion.''
Calderwood was one of those players whose club situation worried Brown during the season. Howeever, he fought his way back into the first team, albeit in a central midfield role, and now says: ''Playing in the national team was something of a release for me from the troubles at White Hart Lane.
''It was good to get away at times and to be playing at the highest level of football and then, at the end of the season, things had changed again and we suffered just one defeat in the closing 10 games and picked up some very important results which won over the support.
''They were superb during that spell, really getting behind the team when we needed that.''
Calderwood is one of the diet devotees in the squad, though he admitted yesterday that he was desperate to have just one burger before returning home. When it was pointed out to him that the squad was unlike many other Scotland groups from previous times, as regards good behaviour, he grinned: ''One or two of us do enjoy the odd beer but there is a time and a place for everything and if we are here for 10 days and don't have a drink for eight of them that won't do us any harm at all.''
The Scots' next opponents, the USA, recorded a confidence boosting 2-0 World Cup warm-up win over Kuwait
Tab Ramos, back from his second serious knee operation, scored and continued to impress in his fight to get back in the starting line-up in time for France, with Ernie Stewart scoring the other goal.
''The US thoroughly outplayed Kuwait, but we failed to capitalise on our scoring opportunities,'' said their coach, Steve Sampson, after Sunday's game.
''It's nice that we converted two chances, but we had 14 in the first half alone. We need to do better in front of the goal.''
Midfielder Claudio Reyna added: ''If we would've played on a smooth field, we would've won 5-0. Hopefully, next week against Scotland we'll really be able to press and run.''
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