SHANKS IS UP TO RUSS JOB
STEVE CLARKE will have no qualms about giving Lawrence Shankland the chance to show he can cut it at the highest level.
The closest the striker has come to Moscow in recent seasons has been driving through the Ayrshire village en route to training with the Honest Men.
Now he’ll be on the flight to the Russian capital next week with Scotland after being handed a shock call-up for the Euro qualifier in the Luzhniki Stadium.
Shankland, 24, has scored 15 goals in 12 games for Dundee United since signing from Ayr in the summer.
His red-hot form and an absence of in-form frontmen has forced Clarke to look down the divisions, with Shankland the first secondtier player to be called up since John McGinn at Hibs in 2017.
Clarke admits he hasn’t seen him recently in the flesh but said: “If he deserves to start then he’ll start. We can’t ignore guys who score goals, regardless of the level.
“I’ve watched him on TV. If we want to gauge him at a better level we have to bring him into the squad and compare him with our defenders and the other BY GARY RALSTON strikers in the squad. It’s a win-win for everybody.
“Steven Naismith is still struggling with his injury and Matt Phillips will have an injection in his foot this weekend which will rule him out for at least 10 days.
“It is a difficult one with Steven Fletcher. He is in the last year of his contract and has some issues with a part of his body he has to look after. At this moment he’s not available for selection.
“I like Lawrence because he gets between the goals, in the six-yard box. He scores shots, headers, left foot, right foot, he is a good finisher. We have to see if he can step up to international football. Now’s the time to look at one or two different things.”
Scotland will use their remaining four Group I games as preparation for the two-legged play-off in March.
Clarke was motivated to make changes after losing to Belgium and the Russians at Hampden and called on Scotland to toughen up.
He added: “They have to start to produce what they show on the training pitch. I see the quality that’s there. We have to be more streetwise, more horrible.”