Dylan won’t be given the cold shoulder
CHARLIE MULGREW insists playing in England’s third tier won’t hurt Dylan McGeouch’s international hopes – after he skippered Scotland during life in the same league.
Many eyebrows were raised this summer when the Hibs midfielder signed for League One Sunderland.
Mulgrew was stunned a Championship club didn’t swoop for the 25-year-old, who earned the first of two caps on an end-of-season transatlantic trip.
But the defender, who led his country out against Costa Rica in March before helping Blackburn get promoted, reckons the Black Cats will turn out to be a good move.
Mulgrew said: “Sunderland are a massive club and their ambition is to bounce straight back up.
“I can fully understand why Dylan has gone to Sunderland.
“I genuinely thought a lot of bigger clubs in the Championship might have taken him on.
“Dylan will be a big player in League One and I am sure playing at that level won’t hinder his chances of playing for Scotland.
“The manager will still be keeping an eye on him and watching what he is doing. I am sure Dylan will do well and stay in and around the Scotland squads.
“There are still a lot of good clubs in League One so there is no reason for him not to be considered and involved for Scotland.”
● Mulgrew was at the launch of McDonald’s football sponsorship programme, which will provide more than five million hours of fun football for kids UK-wide by 2022.