Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Hartley backing Armstrong and McKay for Scotland
DUNDEE boss Paul Hartley reckons the inclusion of Celtic midfielder Stuart Armstrong could add a new dimension to Scotland as they look to turn around their faltering World Cup bid.
Former Scotland midfielder Hartley has echoed the words of Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who claims Armstrong is now ready to make the grade at international level.
National team boss Gordon Strachan is desperate to breathe fresh life into the Scots’ Russia 2018 qualifying campaign after a dire start which has seen his side collect just four points from as many games.
And Hartley believes Armstrong, along with Rangers winger Barrie McKay and West Brom’s Matt Phillips, could provide the spark Strachan is looking for ahead of March’s Hampden clash with Slovenia.
He said: “Stuart is playing well. He’s had a fantastic season and having someone like Brendan Rodgers at the club has obviously helped him.
“It has given him confidence and probably changed how he plays a little bit, too. He is a player who will, hopefully, be in the reckoning for Slovakia.
“Barrie McKay is another one, as is Matt Philips at West Brom, so we have good players chapping on the door.
“It’s up to the manager to pick the players but I’ll never tell him what to do, that’s not my job. He knows better than anybody else and we just need to get right behind him.
“But these guys would bring a bit of pace to the team. If you look at the way Armstrong and McKay have played this season, they have been outstanding.
“There is a lot to be optimistic about there, so if we can get that result against Slovenia, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”