Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths, Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie and West Ham’s Robert Snodgrass have been issued a damning warning about their international futures with Scotland by assistant manager Peter Grant.
All three of the attackers have asked to be exempt from being selected for national duty for their country due to various issues, and not one is named among the current squad for the upcoming international fixtures.
Speaking about players choosing not to make themselves available for reasons other than injury, Grant did not mince his words as he made it clear where those who were not committed stood in his and manager Alex McLeish’s book.
When asked about the missing trio and whether they were not welcome after their requests, he told the Evening Times: “I think that’s what you have seen. You will have noticed that with some of the selections we have had… that’s what has happened
“If you don’t want to play, no problem. We’re not going to force you, we’re not going to fight and ask you to come. If you don’t want to play for your national team, that’s it. You will be very, very fortunate if you get selected again.
“If you don’t want to play through injuries, that’s completely different. But if it’s down to the fact that you don’t want to play, I don’t think you will be back in.”
Opinion
Grant has given the missing trio both barrels with his stark response to their international futures, but the Scotland fans will be tearing their hair out. Why on earth would you slam the door on some of your top stars – Griffiths perhaps the most notable – simply because they have asked to not be considered? It might be due to fitness or personal reasons, and there surely has to be some leeway given by the manager. Otherwise he risks alienating large parts of his squad, who feel that his reign is more of a dictatorship than a democracy. Still, Celtic will be feeling pretty happy that Griffiths is being given the time to rest up, while Newcastle and West Ham will also have no issues with their wingers having a gap in fixtures, rather than playing for their country, as they look to push their way up the Premier League table. Still, for as long as McLeish is in charge, the players themselves might be left disappointed if they are expecting a phone call asking them to return.