Count on Callum to sharpen up his act
Cardiff man not just ‘Swiss army knife’ for Scots
SELECTED to start as Scotland’s centre-forward against San Marino, Callum Paterson harboured realistic expectations that Serravalle would play host to the childhood dream of scoring for his country. After little over half an hour, an awkward fall and buckled ankle destroyed those hopes and brought his first Premier League season with Cardiff City to a painful and premature end.
Twelve months on from that subdued 2-0 success last March, Scotland will face Israel in the second-chance saloon that could open up to Euro 2020 entry. Paterson has lowered his sights from an international goal to a mere mention.
The former Hearts man was still in rehab when Steve Clarke selected his squad for June internationals against Cyprus and Belgium as the new manager’s era began.
But being fit and involved for Cardiff since the second weekend of the season wasn’t enough to warrant interest from Scotland for any of the six Euro 2020 group games of the autumn.
The 25-year-old is no less determined for the chance to be involved than when he led the line and licked his lips at the prospect of a Scotland goal in what turned out to be Alex McLeish’s final game in charge last spring.
So far, Paterson has got no further than rattling off reminders of that state of
mind to the SFA’s player liaison officer Frank Reilly. He hopes those efforts and his club form will have penetrated the thinking of Clarke and his staff, leading to a recall for the play-off squad in March.
‘It was a real disappointment for me not to get involved in the last couple of qualifying games and try and help the boys,’ said Paterson.
‘I’d worked really hard in the summer, I got injured for Scotland and I only missed the first game of the season through injury.
‘It wasn’t to be. They picked the squad that was picked, people did well and I watched all the games back in Scotland with a couple of mates during the international break.
‘It was great to see big Stuart Findlay get a goal against San Marino, I couldn’t believe it. I was delighted for him and Lawrence (Shankland) to get his chance.’
When asked if Clarke had been in touch since taking over, Paterson explained: ‘No, I’ve never spoken to him before. It’s probably not his way of doing things. Pretty old school, as I’ve heard.
‘I hope to get back in the squad, see what it’s all about and see if I can impress him. I speak to big Frank, he’s always talking to me. I was in touch with him a couple of times and mentioned to the physios how my rehab was going.
‘But that’s the only contact I’ve had. So I’m hoping word gets through that I am desperate to get back in.
‘Hopefully come March I can get some more game time and that will put me in a better position.
‘I’ve always wanted to be there. Always wanted to play for Scotland and, if the opportunity comes my way again, I will grab it with both hands. But I am always available to play up front, I’m always here, always playing games, always doing things behind closed doors to try and be better.
‘From a personal point of view, I feel fit and ready to play whenever I am called upon.’
Both McLeish and Clarke invested time chasing answers and unravelling riddles surrounding the availability and international intentions of several high-profile Scotland players past and, perhaps, present.
In multiple cases, a preference was detected for body management rather than collecting Scotland caps.
A glance at one of Paterson’s social media profiles leaves no one in any doubt as to his purpose.
The ‘pinned Tweet’ at the top of his
Twitter page is the one he posted on
September 4,
2016 — the night he started the 5-1 victory over
Malta for
Gordon Strachan.
‘Buzzing to make my competitive international debut! Good start to the campaign’ is the entry. His enthusiasm and desire for Scotland has not dimmed.
‘That message will always be there,’ he said. ‘Probably because I am really patriotic and love having the opportunity to play for my country, represent my country at any level.
‘I liked it at 19s, 21s, 23s, B team. Whatever team I played for, to pull the dark blue jersey on was a massive feeling for me and for my family and all my friends.
‘We’ve got a big game to look forward to now and this is a massive opportunity for the country with hopefully the big tournament at the end of the season. ‘Even just getting back involved in the 25-man squad would be massive and a start for me. It’s been a while, so I’d like to get back in the set-up. That’s my main ambition.
‘There I was starting for Scotland, playing up front and I would have loved to have got my first goal against San Marino.
‘I got injured and I haven’t been selected since. That’s probably due to the lack of game time. So it’s back in the Cardiff team first and foremost then back in the Scotland squad.’
Not starting every week at club level doesn’t exactly make Paterson a rare species in the striker department for Scotland.
When he’s not goading Cardiff fans, Oli McBurnie has been doing most of his good work off the bench for Sheffield United since the last international break.
Opportunities for Oliver Burke and Leigh Griffiths have been severely restricted at Alaves and Celtic while Johnny Russell is resting up in the MLS close season.
Steven Naismith has been injured for most of the season and even if Steven Fletcher had deigned to make himself available, the Sheffield Wednesday striker is out for two months with a knee injury.
Shankland is, naturally, an automatic choice for Dundee United at Ladbrokes Championship level but hasn’t played a top-flight match since 15 substitute appearances as a teenager for Aberdeen in 2014/15.
All of which makes the striker slot the problem position for Scotland.
For all that he was a right-back for the bulk of his Hearts career and cannot claim a prolific record up front, that is the Clarke role Paterson is targeting.
He led the line in midweek for Cardiff as they won a replay thriller at Carlisle 4-3 to book an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Reading.
Paterson could yet continue being a Swiss army knife type of player for club and country, capable of filling a variety of roles.
‘It’s a curse and a positive thing,’ he admitted. ‘I’m not really in one position, the jack of all trades is not really the level that I want.
‘As long as I am pulling that national jersey on — or a Cardiff jersey on — then I’ll play anywhere and I will give my heart and soul.
‘I got in at right-back in the wins over Albania and Israel. I’d played there before and I’m sure I can do that. But up front is definitely where I’d want to play. The new manager here sees me up there.
‘He always knows there’s my versatility, that I can play in a number of positions. But I would like to lock down one position and try to bring my best to it. It’s up to me to bully my way into the team.’
‘BEING A JACKOF-ALL TRADES IS NOT REALLY IDEAL. BUT I’LL PLAY ANYWHERE AND GIVE MY HEART AND SOUL’
I hope word gets through that I am desperate to get back in