Kal's pal Al keeping cap dream alive
KAL NAISMITH has pledged never to quit on his international dream and is desperate to follow friend Allan Campbell into the Scotland squad.
Luton Town midfielder Campbell, 23, capped a brilliant first campaign in English football with a debut as a late sub in Armenia on Tuesday.
Centre half Naismith starred alongside his fellow Scot as Luton made a shock run to the Championship play-offs.
But the 30-year-old failed to land a call-up for World Cup and Nations League duty.
The ex-Rangers kid signed for Bristol City last month after landing three big individual prizes at Luton’s end-of-season awards.
And he wants that move to be a launchpad to a late-blossoming Scotland career.
Naismith said: “No matter how old I get, I hope it happens!
“I will keep believing. Andrew Considine got in and got his first cap, played for Scotland a few times at 33 a couple of years ago. I’m looking at that thinking: ‘It must have been brilliant for him to experience that.’
“It must have felt so good getting in so late in his career. Now, I’m not at that stage yet.
“But I feel I’m playing as well as I have ever done so it’s something I hope for. It’s a squad of very talented players but I believe that I’m good enough to get in and play if the call-up ever comes.
“Allan is a lot younger than me and a very talented player. His work ethic is tremendous.
“He’s got such an experienced head on those young shoulders of his. He has had a brilliant season.”
Naismith confesses he’s making up for lost time after a bad attitude blew his hopes of making it at boyhood heroes Rangers.
He admitted: “It would be mean more to me to get to play for Scotland because when I left Rangers, I might have had a bad reputation.
“I’ve done a lot of work on myself to come away from that and be a better person, a good professional, and grow.
“I’d love to get in the Scotland squad so that, from a selfish point of view, would be the point to say: ‘You turned it around and did it.’”