A TARTAN ARMY STAR IS BORN
Anya catches eye with an impressive homecoming cameo role
YOU suspected that a tonne of gelignite would not have dislodged it from his grasp. Some 13 years after his family left the south side of Glasgow for the bright lights of London, the Dark Blue jersey tucked under Ikechi Anya’s arm symbolised the proudest of homecomings.
On a night when Scotland were outclassed, but by no means outplayed, by a bright red juggernaut from Belgium, the lively late appearance of the Watford winger was just one of a number of positives for Gordon Strachan.
Thrown on to the left wing with the game still in the balance, the 25yearold showed enough to suggest his first cap will be by no means the last. If only Shaun Maloney had got a little more purchase when he connected with his centre, the narrative of the entire game might have been different.
As it was, Scotland were again left to pick over crumbs of comfort. As after the defeat Wembley, however, the Tartan Army were not forced to delude themselves into thinking that there were tangible signs of progress.
The Group A table might not paint a pretty picture, but the impressive cameo performance of Anya gave rise to the belief that this most depressing of campaigns might yet end on a positive note.
‘I definitely think we can still be positive about things even though we lost,’ Anya (right) said.
‘At 10, I really felt we were going to make it 11. After the game, the gaffer gave us words of encouragement while also telling us where we went wrong. I think we can be proud of our display.
‘I really want to establish myself. That’s my big aim now. But it’s down to the gaffer. Just being here is massive for me. Getting on was the bonus I’ve been working hard for.
‘If the gaffer feels I can add to t he team, then I’m more than happy to do my bit. I just want to work hard and hopefully get more chances.’ Although Anya has been a familiar face to Watford fans for a year now, his inclusion in Strachan’s squad for this doubleheader caught most north of the border on the back foot.
Having been named in the party, there was a feeling that he was j oining an orderly queue f or actual game time — a theory shared by the man himself before he felt Strachan’s firm hand on his shoulder in the technical area.
‘It was definitely a bonus for me,’ he admitted. ‘We’ve got 27 players, so there were four in the stand. When I found out I was on the bench I was very happy. ‘After halftime, the manager told me to stay warm and then after 60 minutes he decided to put me on. It was an unbelievable experience for me.
‘It was a great moment for
me and I enjoyed the experience, apart from the result, obviously.
‘ It was definitely a positive reaction from the supporters and that’s been the case since it was announced I’d be in the squad.
‘I’ve been getting a lot of tweets of support, so I kind of sensed I’d get a good welcome if I came on. Luckily the fans did that for me. I’m so pleased.’
As for that jersey — let’s just say, in the interests of international relations, it’s a good job one of Belgium’s superstars didn’t have designs on a likeforlike swap come fulltime.
‘I’ve got it now,’ Anya said. ‘There was no chance of me swapping it, not even for Benteke’s!
‘It’s going to be framed. I’ve got a cap as well, so it was a great day for me, although I was a bit sad about the result.
‘I didn’t want my mum (Marianne) to come. She’s elderly and I didn’t want her driving all the way up. It was eight hours. We had big arguments about it. I didn’t want her on the roads. It was a bit of a family issue, but the bottom line is I’m sure she’ll be happy for me. But I think my godparents were in the stand.’
Those that made the short trek from Castlemilk had much to admire in the display of one of their own. Not only did Anya have to adapt to the demands of
“There was no chance of me swapping my first shirt
— not even for Benteke’s”
international football overnight — against an emerging powerhouse like Belgium too — but the system employed by the Scots was alien to the 353 favoured by Gianfranco Zola at Vicarage Road.
‘The gaffer just told me to be positive because he’d liked what I’d done in training. He told me to try to get at their defenders,’ Anya continued.
‘I felt at times I didn’t see enough of the ball. But when I did get it, I did some things good and some things bad. However, all in all, I think I’m happy with my debut.
‘There’s a few things the gaffer wasn’t happy about due to my wingback role at Watford and the fact I was playing more midfield. So I need to improve on that. But I’m more than willing to try to improve to get more minutes on the park for Scotland.
‘I think t hat’s one of my attributes, I’m a hard worker and I’ll listen to whatever the manager says and try to i mplement it in training and matches. Slowly, I think I can adapt to the system.’
There would be no finer time to make that adjustment than in Skopje tomorrow. For all the justifiable praise that’s come the way of the likes of Anya, there’s a wooden spoon with Scotland’s name on it unless points can be gathered from the penultimate qualifier i n the Macedonian capital.
The searing heat i s another pressing concern for the Scots, but less so for the Watford man. Prior t o appearing on t he thenChampionship club’s radar, he spent three years in Spain with Celta Vigo and Granada among his stopping points.
‘I’m OK with the hot weather because I was playing in Spain not that long ago, so I’m used to it,’ he said.
‘But we’re all fit lads here and the season’s just got started. We’ve all had preseason, so I don’t think the weather will be an excuse.
‘I think, as much as points, we’re playing for our pride and that’s just as important. We’re going to go to Macedonia and try to win the game.’