Southgate coy on Cairney

England manager Gareth Southgate has tried to play down reports that he is interested in persuading Tom Cairney to switch allegiance from Scotland.

The Fulham midfielder, who was born in England and has a Scottish father, has only represented Scotland in friendlies to date and is not tied to one country until he plays a competitive match.

“Yeah, it’s not a situation that I’m really aware of,” Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live. “So, I’ve read the stories the same as you have, but I read lots of stories about myself that sometimes have an element of truth and sometimes have very little.

“I was aware that Tom Cairney is born in England, but I’ve always assumed that his association with Scotland has been for quite a while.

“So, it’s not something that we’ve considered particularly at the moment.”