GREAT SCOTS

The Championship flavour to Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad

THE EFL should think about sponsoring the Scotland team – getting on for half the squad are playing in the Championship!

After trouncing Malta 5-1 in their World Cup opener, the Scots are now preparing for a double header against Lithunia and Slovakia.

Scotland take on the Lithuanians at Hampden Park next Saturday before making the trip to Slovakia on the following Tuesday.

And Scotland boss Gordon Strachan, pictured below, has a plethora of Championship riches to choose from – in fact, he could pick a team of English second tier players.

Okay, we know, there isn’t a goalkeeper in the XI. Instead, we’ve handed the gloves to Norwich skipper Russell Martin.

Hopefully he can get some tips from Canaries team-mate and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern about life between the sticks.

Aston Villa’s Alan Hutton takes the rightback berth with Ipswich’s Christophe Berra and Blackburn’s Gordon Greer in the heart of the defence. Newcastle’s Grant Hanley moves to left-back from his more accustomed centre-back role. In an attacking 4-3-3 formation, we’ve got a defensively light midfield of Newcastle’s Matt Rithchie, Sheffield Wednesday creative spark Barry Bannan and Derby flier Ikechi Anya. Up top, we’re going with Sheffield Wednesday’s Steven Fletcher, Fulham striker Chris Martin (on loan from Derby) and Norwich’s Steven Naismith. These aren’t the only players with Championship links in the Scotland squad. Winger Oliver Burke was in superb form for Nottingham Forest at the start of this season before his big money move to RB Leipzig. Hull midfielder Robert Snodgrass, who was playing for the Tigers in the Championship last term, netted a hat-trick against Malta, with Martin and Fletcher joining him on the scoresheet. Former Coventry boss Strachan will be hoping for more of the same in the coming week.