GORDON Strachan, the Scotland manager, has admitted the emergence of Tom Cairney and Ryan Fraser has revived his spirits following the painful Russia 2018 qualifying defeat to England last year.
Strachan survived calls to be sacked from many members of the Tartan Army following the disappointing 3-0 defeat at Wembley in November – a result which left the national second bottom in Group F.
But the 60-year-old, who yesterday named uncapped Fulham midfielder Cairney and Bournemouth winger Fraser in a 30-man squad for the double header against Canada and Slovenia next week, is looking forward to his side’s forthcoming fixtures.
READ MORE: John Kennedy: Rangers fright will have Celtic on guard in semi final
“You have to put that (the England defeat) behind you and look forward and get on with it,” he said. “We've not left the squad the same. New people have come to the fore, who were not leaving footprints before the England game, but they are leaving footprints. I would have no qualms about putting them in.
"I always look forward to meeting people in the football world and getting to know them better. There's nothing better than watching good players train. It's a wonderful feeling and to coach them is great. I'm really looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Strachan has stressed that Mark McGhee, the Scotland assistant, losing his job as Motherwell manager this month would have no impact on his involvement in the national set-up ahead of the Russia 2018 meeting with Slovenia at Hampden on Sunday week.
“It is fine,” he said. “Mark’s situation won’t change. It actually works out better for me because it means he sees more games. There were times before where I thought: ‘I’d better not give him a call. He is better off concentrating on that’. Once it settles down, he is back, he is bouncy, he is ready to go again.”
Elsewhere, Strachan stressed that he was unaware if Scott Brown, the Celtic captain who came out of international retirement to play at Wembley and who has been named in the latest Scotland squad, would be available for selection for the rematch with England at Hampden in June.
Brendan Rodgers, the Celtic manager, would like his central midfielder to sit out the meeting with Gareth Southgate’s team as he believes it will impact on his preparations for the Champions League qualifiers next season.
“I just pick a squad and get on with it and if anyone doesn’t want to come then fine,” said Strachan. We’re open minded. We want people who want to play for Scotland. I just pick the squad. It’s quite simple. If you don’t want to play, don’t play.
“You can tell in their voice when you speak to them that they really want to be there. And you want people that really, really want to be in there, that’s for sure. So we’ve got them, we’ve got people that really want to be here.”
READ MORE: John Kennedy: Rangers fright will have Celtic on guard in semi final
Scotland squad for the friendly against Canada and the Russia 2018 qualifier against Slovenia: Gordon (Celtic), Marshall (Hull), McGregor (Cardiff on loan from Hull; Berra (Ipswich), Mulgrew (Blackburn) Hanley (Newcastle), R Martin (Norwich), Wallace (Rangers); Tierney (Celtic), Robertson (Hull); Anya (Derby), Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday), Brown (Celtic), Armstrong (Celtic), Burke (Leipzig), D Fletcher (West Brom), Forrest (Celtic), Cairney (Fulham), Fraser (Bournemouth), McArthur (Crystal Palace), McGinn (Hibernian), Morrison (West Brom), Phillips (West Brom) Ritchie (Newcastle); Snodgrass (West Ham); S Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday), Griffiths (Celtic), Naismith (Norwich), C Martin (Fulham on loan from Derby) Jordan Rhodes (Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Middlesbrough).
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