Why care if Celts move is helping Jack to cap call
A NEW Scotland manager but the same old story.
Stick a Celtic or Rangers strip on a player and it’s a quick passport to the national team.
Jack Hendry is just in the door at Parkhead and he’s straight on the bus to Hampden.
Where was the nod for these guys when he was at Dundee/Aberdeen/ Motherwell or whoever?
Hold on a wee minute though. Fans outside the Old Firm bubble have done their nut over the decision to call up the Hoops defender and blasted the move as the same old story.
They take the hump as they reckon their star men get ignored until they get hoovered up by one of the Glasgow sides.
There may be times when their ire is justified.
But there are also times when these kinds of call-ups are merited.
Look at the bigger picture. If Hendry is playing well enough for Dundee to earn a £1.5million to the champions of Scotland – surely that in itself means he has enough about him to represent the country?
If the lad had the talent to convince Brendan Rodgers to stump up – and then have the faith to lob him into the cauldron of an Old Firm game – then it would be bonkers to ignore him for the Scotland set-up.
It’s the same with most of these players who make the quick leap from signing for Celtic or Rangers to the Scotland squad. They have to be decent to make those moves in the first place.
The same rule probably applies to moving to England.
It’s about a progression. These kids are on a career path and when they take a step towards Parkhead or the Premier League then the natural progression is a leap to the national side.
Even more so when the lad plays in a position where we have been crying out for some competition.
Hendry is 22 and few will argue against the suggestion he has a bright future. He has settled in at Celtic with little fuss and now is exactly the right time to give these guys a go.
There’s a few noses out of joint at Christophe Berra’s omission from the group – and it’s understandable.
He’s another left-sided centre-half when there’s a dearth of right footers but we know what Berra can do.
Alex McLeish doesn’t need to see him against Costa Rica to know what he’s all about.
If Berra keeps playing the way he has this term there’s every chance he’ll
They have to be decent to make the move to Old Firm in first place
be back for the proper games when the Nations League kicks off in September.
He’ll be edging towards 34 by then but no one has any doubt he’ll be able to do a job.
McLeish has to use these bounce games to find out something new.
That means take a good look at Scott McKenna. Have a sniff at Hendry in the international area. Let John McGinn loose and get Scott McTominay bedded in to the midfield. Jason Cummings is in the same boat as Hendry.
Non Old Firm fans can whinge all they like about whether Celtic or Rangers jerseys count more but all that matters is what they do in a Scotland shirt.