The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Shinnie will play game of patience for Scotland call
World Cup: Dons manager believes defender deserving of squad place
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes midfielder Graeme Shinnie has done enough to earn a return to the Scotland squad.
National team manager Gordon Strachan will announce his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Lithuania and Slovakia at Hampden this morning.
Uncapped Shinnie was first included in the Scotland squad last September when he was included for a doubleheader against Poland and Gibraltar.
He was an unused substitute in the 6-0 victory against Gibraltar, the final match of Scotland’s failed Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, but was overlooked for the summer friendlies against France and Italy as well as this month’s 5-1 victory in Malta in Scotland’s opening World Cup qualifier.
Shinnie, who has been deployed as a defensive midfielder by the Dons in recent weeks, has fallen behind Hull City’s Andy Robertson, Celtic’s Kieran Tierney and Rangers captain Lee Wallace in the competition to play left back in the Scotland team.
The former Caley Thistle player captained the Dons to three successive victories, against Dundee and Rangers in the league as well as a Betfred Cup quarter-final success against St Johnstone.
And Aberdeen manager McInnes feels the 25-yearold has done enough to be under serious consideration for a Scotland recall.
He said: “I am always hopeful. I care for my players and I want them to be recognised.
“I see the good work Graeme does and the good work a lot of my players do.
“I have the benefit of seeing that in training every day. But Gordon Strachan can only pick so many players.
“He is very loyal and stands by a lot of his players – and rightly so.
“If Graeme and others can show real consistency and improvement then I’m sure it is only a matter of time before they are involved in more squads.
“That is what I hope for all my players at Aberdeen.
“I see good work Graeme does and the good work a lot of my players do”
That they can get into their international set-ups on a regular basis.
“Shinnie is one I believe will – whether that is the next one or in the future – I still believe he will be a Scotland player.”