I’D NEVER SHUN THE DARK BLUE

SCOTLAND SPECIAL Snodgrass reveals how mother’s ill health was the real reason behind his Scotland no-shows

IRENE Snodgrass sounds like such a typically brilliant Scottish mammy. The kind who always puts her family first. Come hell, high water or extended stay in the hospital.

So, when son Robert was slipping in and out of the Scotland squad to be with her as she recovered from a stroke, mum had just one request for her laddie.

‘I was going to the hospital and she was saying that I had to be with the boys because we had big games,’ said the West Ham attacker.

‘They are patriotic, my family. She’s got a duty as a mum and she’s always trying to make sure her boys are all right, even when you are trying to make sure that she is all right.

‘My mum’s patriotic and, when you have people like that behind you, they’re always pushing you forward and always wanting the country to do well. That’s the way we were brought up.

‘Mothers are mothers and she is of the old school, as well. She just wants to make sure everyone is all right.’

Mum is on the mend now. Which made her boy’s exclusion from the initial squad to face Belgium and Albania, named last week, something of a surprise.

Alex McLeish was only trying to protect the privacy of a senior player when he lumped Snodgrass in alongside others who have requested to be left out.

‘But his talk about ‘mentality’ inadvertently threw Snodgrass under the team bus, mistakenly giving the impression that he was some sort of international refusenik.

The truth is more nuanced, marrying together one major family crisis with a professional blip that saw him cast out on loan to Aston Villa.

The former Livingston, Leeds United, Norwich and Hull City player, eventually called up after weekend withdrawals, was one of several established players who missed out on the summer trip to Mexico and Peru.

But he insisted: ‘I hadn’t chucked it. The best way to clear it up is by telling you the truth. The last time I was in the squad, my mum was in the hospital — and I was in and out of the squad to visit her.

‘I always said to Gordon Strachan that I’d be there. It was a difficult one but I spoke to Alex and he told me he wanted me to be part of it but there were some lads that he was giving a chance to (in the summer).

‘He said I had a long, hard season because I was travelling from Birmingham back to London where my family was and had to balance that with making sure my family back home was all right.

‘To be straight, he was always talking to me and was really good.

‘It was a decision for me that was quite easy. I wanted to see what my mum’s health was like and I wanted to see what was happening at West Ham, because if I was going to go, then I would have to be travelling again back and forward to my family.

‘It was always a case of working with him and seeing what the best solution was between my mum and my family going forward.

‘The hardest thing for me was not being there constantly because I’m plying my trade down south.

‘I had long discussions with my mum and dad and they said: “Listen, you want to play for Scotland and that’s the most important thing”.

‘I told them I would cross that bridge when I came to it and, when the manager named his team, I wanted to be part of it.

‘It’s quite hard when people ask why I’m not in the squad — and then the manager came out and spoke about mentality.

‘But it wasn’t about mentality. It was the timing more than anything that was quite difficult.

‘Some things you can keep in-house but, when the manager speaks about mentality, then I think you have to explain it.

‘He didn’t want to say about my family situation, his thinking was that it’s up to me to say that, so he’s trying to protect all parties. He’s got a duty of care as a manager to his players and I appreciate that.

‘But I want to clear it up now. It’s one of those situations where, if I could have kept it in-house, I would have. But you need to tell the truth because it’s the whole reason behind it.

‘Watching the last few games, I’ve missed it. You miss playing for Scotland. I’ve been playing with Scotland since I was 15 — and I do it because I love it.’

Snodgrass brushes aside the idea that his commitment to the cause is something special, declaring: ‘Listen, everybody’s mentality should always be like that.

‘I’m the same as you guys. If I’m not involved with Scotland then I’m a fan of Scotland. That will never change. I was a fan before I played with Scotland and I’m a fan when I’m watching them.

‘I was sitting on holiday and watching the (Peru and Mexico) games and my missus said: “What are you doing?” But I had a party for my 30th and my missus invited all the Scotland staff. She knew I am close with the guys who have been here throughout the years and that hit me.

‘I’ve been at it since I was 15 and they have looked after me since then. So, to say I turned my back on them, that’s never been the case. Ever.’