DANNY Wilson's international prospects took a dive the day that Czech Republic striker Jan Rezek threw himself to the Hampden pitch. Unjustly conceding the late spot kick for a spot of undetected Rezek simulation which Michal Kadlec blasted in to put an end to our hopes of reaching Euro 2012 was bad enough, but still having to pay the penalty for it six years later seems like incredibly rough justice. While Wilson remains a Scotland supporter and will tune into Sunday night's make-or-break match with Slovenia hoping to roar his team-mate Lee Wallace on to victory, he is honest enough to admit that he was largely in the squad under Craig Levein back then on the strength of his potential and must piece together a consistent run of games under Pedro Caixinha at Rangers before he can even think about returning to the international fold.
"I've not been an international since I was 19 and I'm 25 now so it's a long period of time," said Wilson, who had only entered the fray in an unfamiliar left back spot that day as a replacement for Phil Bardsley. "It's not a great one to end on! I don't think I've been seen at left-back since ... but it's not something I overthink that if this happened or that happened I'd still be in the Scotland squad. That's what happens in football but hopefully if I can put things right here I can get back in the reckoning.
"If I'm being honest I was getting into squads when I was at Liverpool and wasn't playing regularly," he added. "I was probably there more on potential rather than anything else. That was when I had to be playing regularly to get in and the penalty went against me. It's just one of those things that could be coincidental."
This has been a frustrating season for Wilson, who has shown up well at points, but generally had to play second fiddle to a first choice central defensive pairing of Rob Kiernan and Clint Hill. “I'm not sure [why it has been six years] but I think when you look at the squad, there are players who are perceived to be playing at a higher level such as the Championship and Premiership in England," he said. "That's maybe where they feel you have to be playing to play for the national team. I'm at Rangers just now and hopefully if I can play well here then I can force my way back in because this is a great club. It takes a certain type to play here. Hopefully if I keep playing well I can get back in the reckoning but I can't really tell you what the Scotland manager or coaching staff thinks, it's a question they'd have to answer.
"So my focus is here," he added. "If I look back over the course of my season, I've been in and out too much through niggling injuries, suspensions, maybe a loss of form of as well. If I get regular football here then maybe I can maybe think about the national team. But until I that I don't think I can.
“I will sit and watch the games. Obviously for us we've got Lee Wallace in there just now so you're hoping your mate does well when you're watching it. It didn't quite go to plan against Canada, but hopefully they can get it right on Sunday and we can have a bit of success in this qualifying campaign. We've not started great but hopefully we can finish well.
“It's one of the greatest honours you can get playing for your country. I think that term is used too much by people who don't quite mean it but I genuinely do mean it. It's a great thing to play for your country and hopefully I can get back in there. But if not I've got five caps and that's more than some people get so I'm very fortunate to have got them."
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