I JILTED SCOTS FOR MY BIG DAY
But Mulgrew is relishing a second chance
IT wasn’t the usual prewedding j i tters that afflicted Charlie Mulgrew as he prepared for his big day.
Amid all the planning of venues, guests and associated hassles, the Celtic stalwart realised he had another significant problem. His long-scheduled date with wife-tobe Alana just happened to be the very day after Scotland were due to face Croatia i n Zagreb on the evening of Friday, June 7.
A tentative phone call to Gordon Strachan to explain the dilemma caused sweat to form on his brow. But, with hopes of reaching the World Cup f i nals already extinguished, Mulgrew was duly excused f rom the squad that eventually achieved an outstanding 1-0 win over a side then ranked fourth in the world.
As he arrived at the Scotland team hotel yesterday, the 27-yearold admitted he was grateful for the understanding shown towards his unusual request not to be called up for his country. Now Mulgrew hopes to repay Strachan by continuing his happy union with Scott Brown at the heart of Scotland’s midfield when the Croats visit Glasgow on Tuesday night for the final Group A qualifier.
‘The manager was good about it,’ said Mulgrew, reflecting on his clash of dates. ‘He didn’t say I would definitely be in the next squad, I don’t think any manager would say that. As a player, you know you have to work hard to get in any Scotland squad.
‘But he was very understanding. It was worrying at the time and I wasn’t looking forward to the phone call to tell him, to be honest. I just went for it one day and got it out of the way.
‘The game was on the night before I got married. But I saw the game, it was a great performance. Nobody really gave us a chance that night, so that made it even better.
‘ You can’t really think that missing a game like that will make it more difficult for you to get into the next Scotland squad. You have to stay positive and believe you can get into the next one.’
Mulgrew duly returned to the fold and has since established himself in a revised role for both club and country. The former Aberdeen player has been a man of many positions i n recent seasons — operating at centre-half, left-back and in left midfield — but now seems settled alongside Brown.
The pair f ormed a central partnership i n the 2- 0 defeat against Belgium at Hampden last month before helping Scotland to a 2-1 win over Macedonia in Skopje.
At club level, it is a combination favoured by Celtic manager Neil Lennon in the Champions League.
‘I’ve been enjoying it,’ continued Mulgrew. ‘It suits me in many ways to get on the ball and play in there — and it helps to play next to somebody like Broonie, who’s such a good player.
‘Broonie makes it easier for me. He’s a really good leader and he drives the team forward, whether it be with a tackle or a run. He’s really powerful in the midfield and he brings a lot to the team.
‘It really helps when a manager has confidence in you, it creates belief within yourself.
‘I have played a few positions now and I am used to different things. I have said a million times before that I am happy to play wherever I’m needed. Right now, I am in central midfield and I’m really enjoying it, so long may that continue.’
Being tested by the best has become something of a theme of Mulgrew’s adaptation. Having previously faced up to the brilliant Belgians on Scotland duty, his head was last week left spinning by the Barcelona possession machine.
‘They have been tough games,’ admitted Mulgrew. ‘It was hard to get a touch against Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta, but these are the types of games you want to be involved in and the type of players you want to measure yourself against. That’s why we are in football.
‘We knew what was coming against Barcelona because we played them last year. They are fantastic technical players who keep the ball so well.
‘But it’s not just that — the way Barcelona work when they don’t have it is incredible. You don’t even get a chance to get your head up. But coming through it is something that gives you confidence.’
That is a trait Scotland have not been able to exhibit much at Hampden in recent times. Just two points have been taken from the previous four home games, with Mulgrew anxious to rectify that record against the Croats and breed fresh belief into the squad ahead of the Euro 2016 qualifiers beginning in September of next year.
‘We want to finish this campaign on a high,’ he insisted. ‘Every game for Scotland is important. After beating Croatia away from home, we are looking to carry that forward and get a good result against them at Hampden.
‘ To qualif y f or any major tournament you need to have good home form. Even though it was a good performance last time at Hampden against Belgium — with a bit of luck we could have got something out of that match — we need a home win to give us confidence going into the next campaign.’