Fraser willing to go the extra mile and climb Scots ladder on merit
RYAN FRASER may be considered in possession of a critical edge over rivals for a place in the Scotland team. His agent, who helped smooth through that rather clever idea of signing for League One club Bournemouth six years ago, is Jon McLeish. Son of the national team manager.
Typically, the hard-grafting winger has a better idea. Work so relentlessly, play so well, be so single-minded in pursuit of a Scotland start that it is simply impossible for either McLeish to become embroiled in any favouritism issue.
Fraser is off to a great start. He’s gone the extra mile for his new manager, featuring in the unfamiliar territory of right-back against Hungary. And if that shift was tricky, then Fraser has even more hard yards in mind between now and the summer on his mission to persuade McLeish he’s the man to be unleashed in an attacking role against Peru and Mexico.
‘The next step for me now is we’ve got two games in the summer and I want to start both,’ stated the 24-year-old. ‘And, hopefully, I can play in a position that I want, to get some goals. I feel like I’ve got some good goals this season — while playing in a top three — so hopefully I can force my way in to that position.’
Fraser was a little bit surprised by the scale of the negativity surrounding Scotland’s next challenge under McLeish, which became clear when talk of boycotts emerged shortly after the announcement of the postseason trip to South and Central America.
Celtic, with huge Champions League qualifiers looming at the height of summer, were obviously concerned by the 14,000-mile trek. Andrew Robertson voiced his scepticism last week. As far as fully embracing the challenge, which could include a June 2 game 7,200 miles above sea level at Estadio Azteca, no colleague sounds quite up to Fraser’s pace.
‘Thankfully, we have altitude training down in Bournemouth,’ he explained. ‘The bikes, treadmills in a hot condensed room. It gets you fit. I will be doing that for a couple of weeks before I go away.
‘On the Monday after training, we go into the altitude room and have to do max sprints on the bike. It’s one of the worst things you have to do.
‘You feel like you’re going to be good. Then ten minutes in you’ll be like: “Oh my God. I can’t feel my legs”. You can’t breathe. You come out and can’t walk, you can’t stand. Normally I am sick after it, if I’m honest with you. But I will do it.
‘It’s summer and I don’t know if they really wanted the two games to be so far away. You want to see your family. But I’m sure the lads will turn up and you just want to do your best.’
Fraser called on his bank of stamina as he earned his third cap — and made his first Scotland start — in Budapest as a Matt Phillips goal sent spirits soaring following the low-key home defeat to Costa Rica. The diminutive forward was irked by not being used at all at Hampden.
‘If I hadn’t started against Hungary, then I’d have been annoyed,’ he admits. ‘I was disappointed not to play any bit of the first game.
‘I feel like I want to play every game. I understand, as well, there’s 27 players that came away. I just needed to keep my head down and, if I got my shot, then take it. Hopefully I’ve done that.’
When Fraser spoke earlier of being placed in a difficult position by McLeish’s appointment, he didn’t mean right-back. But that’s where he filled in last Tuesday as the lack of right-sided defenders was tackled by taking a leaf out of one of Eddie Howe’s back-up playbooks.
‘It’s a position I’ve played a few times for Bournemouth, so he knows I can play there — but he also knows it’s not my position,’ stated Fraser. ‘Eddie Howe puts me there, not as a starter, but if the right-back is injured. You take it on the chin and try to express yourself.
‘It’s one where I can’t say I’m not happy to be play there. Because I need to be careful with my words. If you want to play every game, it doesn’t matter where you play.
‘Defensively, there were always going to be ups and downs. The heading, against a big physical team, isn’t great. There was one I mistimed and he nearly got in. It’s always going to happen as I’m not a defender. You want to play in your position but the position was taken. So I will try to take that one back.’
In winning the penalty which Charlie Mulgrew failed to
convert and setting up the Phillips goal, Fraser was still able to do what he loves — create attacking mischief. Thanks to the excellence of his nurturing on the south coast, Fraser has long since cast off his reliance on blistering pace alone to get the job done.
‘Sometimes I think it kills some players when they can only play one position,’ he said. Eddie Howe really tests me. I’ve played striker, No 10, winger, right-back, right wing-back, leftback, left wing-back for Bournemouth. I think of it as a positive that can help me in the future.’
And to think that so many decried Fraser for fleeing Aberdeen in January 2013 after only 23 first-team games. The switch to England’s third tier was perceived to be a step down and money-motivated. Fans were riled by his swift exit.
McLeish jnr, of course, had like his client noted the progressive nature of Bournemouth and their splendid young manager. The opportunity could not be turned down.
During their work together, Fraser revealed, he’d only bumped into his agent’s dad once. Now he is determined to hook up with McLeish six or seven times a year in order to become a key player on the road to Scotland’s major tournament comeback.
‘When he got the job, everyone said: “Oh that’ll be good for you”, revealed Fraser. ‘I wasn’t sure because if there’s ever a problem that I do have with the manager now, then I don’t know what I can do. I’m not going to play just because my agent is his son.
‘Jon has helped me through my career but he knows what it will be like now. He’d get some players not in the squad going: “Why am I not in it? Can you ask your dad?”
‘So he’s going to have to keep his distance but, at the same time, you’re going to support your dad, aren’t you? Hopefully it can work for me positively. But if I keep doing my talking on the pitch, then I’m going to force my way into the team anyway.’
If I hadn’t started against Hungary, then I would have been annoyed