Come and go as you please Broony .. even if you get me axed SAYS DARREN FLETCHER

He might be the man to take his shirt. Maybe even his captain’s armband.

But you can count Darren Fletcher out of the camp who thinks Scott Brown shouldn’t get to pick and choose his Scotland games

The national team skipper is, and always has been, a believer in the greater good.

So when a campaign gets down to the nitty gritty, when a game is labelled “must-win”, he wants the best we’ve got to offer beside him in the trenches.

The Celtic captain’s postretirement inclusion for last year’s England game and his subsequent ret icence to commit to future games has prompted criticism of the player and manager Gordon Strachan ahead of Sunday’s vital qualifier with Slovenia.

But 77- cap stalwart Fletch, who played his 82nd-straight game for West Brom against Arsenal yesterday, said: “Without a doubt I’m in the camp that says let him play. Everyone has to be realistic and look at the predicament he found himself in.

“He’d be playing Scotland games into the middle of June, maybe getting a week’s holiday then having to come back for pre-season and European qualifiers at the start of July.

“He did that for a run of four or five years – and that’s hard. People have to realise that.

“So he made a decision for himself. But his form was good, his fitness came back and his relationship with the manager was a special one, so he’s back.

“He’s a great player and we need our best. His form has been second to none this year.

“He’s a great character, well liked by the squad, and it was a smooth transition for him to come back.

“That’s because of how highly everyone regards him. He has no problems from anyone in the squad, trust me. Certainly not me, and he’s someone who plays in my position.

“At the end of the day it’s what’s best for Scotland and not what’s best for individuals.

“If he’s available again, great. This is a must-win game. He’s one of our best players.

“It’s hard for him because he’s had to answer a lot of questions on the subject and sometimes things don’t come across the way you mean.

“He’s trying to keep everyone happy – Celtic and Scotland – and you can’t please everyone.

“That’s why he has people trying to say he’s picking and choosing his games when he says he’ l l take each game as it comes. At the end of the day he’s been a great servant for Scotland.

“I see the bigger picture. I see the toll the game took on him and understand why he felt the way he did when he had a couple of games that he felt weren’t up to his standards.

“All of a sudden you think you can do with a rest.”

The squad have now had four months to come to terms with the 3- 0 loss to England that left a bitter taste and Scotland’s hopes of making it to the World Cup in Russia teetering on the brink.

But Fletcher said: “There’s also sti ll a lingering memory of how well we actually did in the game.

“Anyone just looking at the scoreline now will think ‘comfortable victory’ – but it was anything but.

“We had chances and a good game plan but they were clinical. First chance? Cross, header, goal. Second chance? Cross, header, goal.

“But we had better chances and the hardest part of the game was the last 15 minutes when we ended up playing to keep the score down.

“That’s not a thing a player ever wants to say but that was the reality.

“We didn’t want to walk out of the stadium on the end of a five or a six-goal defeat.

“Sometimes you just have to take your medicine and make sure it’s not going to be more than three – because they didn’t deserve more.

“We should look back at that game at all the good things we did but also rea l i se why we got punished.

“It ’ s international football and teams are clinical. It’s been the story of the group for us . Teams have literally taken their first chance of the game and scored.

“We’ve been beaten by

Scotty has no problems in the squad. He’s a great player – and we need our best