No Eck and call at back

Alex McLeish reckons Scotland should focus on nurturing the centre-halves they have, not wait for a world beater who may never come.

The 77-cap stopper – half of one of the best defensive partnerships Scotland has ever seen – admits he should have been behind Alan Hansen in the pecking order when it came to ability.

But his understanding with Aberdeen mate Willie Miller was key to their success – and he says that has to be Gordon Strachan’s priority with Grant Hanley and Russell Martin.

The former national boss said: “What you see with Hanley is he’s a real battler. He’s not the quality of say the German centre-halves but he has shown a reasonable level for Scotland.

“You have to walk before you can run, though, and there’s still nobody else on the horizon. They’re not exactly standing out, are they?

“I went to the training session before they played the friendly against Italy and Gordon Greer was still there at 35, then you had Hanley and Russell Martin. But is Russell an out-and-out centre-half? There seems to be a shortage.

“But in the absence of anyone else, they have a reasonable partnership and that’s important.”

McLeish played in an era when class acts like Hansen and Kenny Burns, along with Dundee United legends Dave Narey and Paul Hegarty, struggled to get a Scotland jersey.

And McLeish said: “Alan Hansen was a magnificent player. I wouldn’t say I was at the level he was at but I knew I could play and have a great understanding with Willie Miller.”