LET ME PLAY
Forster urges Roy to grant Parkhead wish
FRASER FORSTER has pleaded with England boss Roy Hodgson to help him realise his ‘dream’ of making a dramatic return to Celtic Park against Scotland tomorrow night.
The Southampton goalkeeper is vying with Ben Foster for a starting place against Gordon Strachan’s side after No 1 Joe Hart was sent home for a break after the weekend victory over Slovenia.
Hodgson indicated last night that Forster has ‘a good chance’ of winning his third cap and that could mean an intriguing match-up with the man who replaced him at Parkhead — with Craig Gordon set to make his first Scotland appearance in four years after David Marshall suffered a groin strain in the 1-0 victory over Republic of Ireland.
Stressing his desire to replace Hart at a venue with such emotional ties, Forster said: ‘To play in a Scotland-England game would be a dream come true. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere (at Celtic Park).
‘The Barcelona players said it was the best
they’d ever played in. That tells you how unique it is. It’s a fantastic stadium and quite tight, so it will be really loud. They gave me the chance to play Champions League football and it will be good to go back.’ Forster has played a commanding role in Southampton’s rise to second place in the Premiership following his £10million transfer from Celtic in August. Asked if tomorrow could potentially be a big night for the 26-year-old, Hodgson said: ‘If he plays, yes. I agree it would mean a lot to him going back to Celtic. I can’t really give you a steer because, even if I have made my mind up who’s going to play, I’ll have to tell the goalkeepers first, and they don’t know that. ‘But you do know about Joe going home, so you do know he has a good chance, as has Ben. ‘Coming to Southampton and taking part in such a successful start to the season, we saw I think with Nathaniel Clyne as well, it does give confidence. ‘I’m sure if Fraser gets his chance he won’t let us down. ‘His strengths are his maturity really. He showed that maturity at Celtic. ‘For a young man he’s had plenty of games and plenty of Champions League games.’ Meanwhile, rival Foster of West Brom insisted England’s players are bracing themselves for a bruising encounter as they travel to play in Scotland for the first time in 15 years. Hodgson’s squad arrive in Glasgow today to face a resurgent Scottish side and
Foster anticipates a physical battle and a hostile reception at Celtic Park after watching Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier on television. ‘They were kicking lumps out of each other weren’t they?’ he said. ‘It was a good watch, very high tempo. ‘I could feel the atmosphere sitting on my bed watching it. It’s almost like they were getting more up for a good tackle, than they were for good passes. I’m sure we can expect the same atmosphere and same sort of game.’ In public, Hodgson has tried to quell the traditional rivalry but has warned his squad about the intensity of the fixture and Jack Wilshere is relishing the idea of a derby atmosphere. ‘It’s not going to be very friendly, we’ve got to be ready for that,’ said Wilshere. ‘It’ll be a bit like Arsenal-Tottenham, LiverpoolUnited, but we’re used to that. ‘We played them at Wembley last year and it wasn’t the friendliest then, so we know what we’re in for. ‘For me, it’s going to be a bit tougher. They’ll be a bit more up for it on their home ground, so we’ll be ready. ‘We’ve got a manager who has been around for a few years and knows what it means. ‘He’s already given us a speech about England-Scotland and told us that back in the day it was the highlight of the season. He said don’t expect an easy game. ‘We know what we’re walking into and we’ll be ready. We’ll definitely be up for it.’ Like Strachan, Hodgson has hinted at making changes but Wilshere, having started the last six England internationals, is desperate to keep his place. ‘I’m desperate to play,’ said the Arsenal midfielder. ‘These are the games every England player wants to be playing in. ‘Ask any member of my family or anyone who knows what it’s like, and they’d never forgive me if I didn’t play. It’s going to be a great atmosphere and I want to play in that.’
CELTIC are sweating over a new hamstring injury to defender Mikael Lustig. The full-back was taken off during Sweden’s 1-1 draw in Montenegro on Saturday after appearing to be in some distress. Lustig said: ‘I will go back to Glasgow and see what the damage is. I’m hoping it’s just a small tear, but I can’t be certain until it is checked.’