Title race to aid national team for McFadden

SCOTLAND’S 2020 European Championship hopes can only be boosted by the competitive nature of this season’s Ladbrokes Premiership, according to assistant coach James McFadden.

Rangers’ 1-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox before the top flight closed for the winter break took the Light Blues level with the reigning champions at the top of the table, with Kilmarnock one point behind and Aberdeen a further two back.

Scotland begin their Euro qualification campaign in March with an away double-header against Kazakhstan and San Marino, with Belgium, Russia and Cyprus also in the group.

McFadden, 35, believes the domestic battle among clubs who provide a chunk of the national team squad will be beneficial to Scotland boss Alex McLeish.

“When you have teams who are capable of beating each other up in the top half of the table, not just the top four, it is great,” said McFadden, who will star for Scotland at the Glasgow edition of Star Sixes, a six-a-side tournament for former internationals being held at the SSE Hydro today, tomorrow and Sunday.

“It is competition. There are no games that are a given. Okay, we know Celtic are the best team but as Rangers showed they are human, they can be beaten.

“But Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, even down to Hibs [eighth], are all competitive and it is brilliant for the national team.

“I really have so much belief in the squad and there will be one or two who will be added. I am looking forward to the nitty-gritty of the qualifiers and we will go in there with real confidence and belief.”