Ray tells tug-of-love McTominay to listen to his head and heart

RAY HOUGHTON swapped Argyll for the Emerald Isle and tried to conquer the world.

Although born in Castlemilk, Houghton chose to play for the Republic of Ireland, the country his father came from.

It was a decision he never regretted as the midfielder went on to score famous goals against Italy and England at World Cup and Euro finals in a glittering international career that saw him win 73 caps.

Now it’s Manchester United kid Scott McTominay who faces a big call over his international future as he weighs up whether to represent England or Scotland.

Record Sport exclusively revealed earlier this week that Alex McLeish will head to Old Trafford in a bid to persuade the midfielder he should choose the land of his dad’s birth and ignore the Three Lions.

Now Houghton has urged the 21-year-old to go with his gut feeling and commit to the nation that gives him the best chance to thrive.

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa star said: “Scott will need his family and best friends around him to give him the best advice.

“If I were Scott I wouldn’t be speaking to my agent as much. He’ll have to go with his gut feeling as well. Think about where you going to get the best opportunities, where you are going to thrive.

“Ultimately, you have to feel something for the country.

“It’s not even so much what you might win. It’s about the passion, the feeling you have for that country. That’s how you can produce the best performances.

“It’s a big decision and there’s a lot of pressure. I’ve seen too much pressure put on kids aged 16, 17 to choose a country and they’re too young to make that call. I hope Scotland and England aren’t putting too much pressure on Scott.

“He still has a lot of development ahead. Yes, he’s doing really well for United and has huge potential but he has a lot of learning to do.

“If I was working for Scotland or England I’d be desperate to get him on board. If he keeps performing at the level he has then there’s no doubt he’s going to be a huge player for one of the countries.

“Alex McLeish and Gareth Southgate will be talking to his representatives to find out exactly what his intentions are regarding international football.

“But Scott will have to think about his decision clearly. It’s not like choosing clubs. You can’t pick one country and if it doesn’t work out pick another. Once you make the decision it’s for life. My dad was