ALL JOKING ASIDE, COULD KENNY DO A TURN FOR SCOTS?
NEWS that Stuart Armstrong is destined for a full Scotland cap must be welcomed by anyone who marvelled at his poise, precision and in-game intellect during those formative years he spent at Dundee United. Almost lost in the shadows for much of his time at Celtic, Armstrong finally looks like the footballer we all thought he could be. Assured, energetic, inventive and absolutely ready for the jump to the international game. It’s also heartening to think that the next Scotland squad might include another player drawn from the ranks of our own domestic leagues. Even if Armstrong’s addition is likely to be offset by the loss of longterm injury victim Callum Paterson, who enters 2017 with the sympathy of a Tartan Army just warming to his talents. Last time out, Gordon Strachan’s initial 25-man squad to face England at Wembley contained seven players — two of them goalkeepers — earning their corn north of the Border. That’s fine. We understand that Gordon views England’s Championship, maybe even the top end of League One, as a more reliable recruiting ground for international-class — or international-size, at least — players. However, in the spirit of radicalism that occasional grips folk early in a new year, how about something absolutely out there? A new look at an old striker still banging them in at a fair rate? Yes, he’s 37. But Kenny Miller has often been Rangers’ best player this year. In a pinch, given Strachan’s lack of forward options, would you really feel all that uncomfortable about calling on the veteran for a closing 20 minutes of chaos-inducing line leading against Slovenia in March? Assuming he remains unwearied by age and fit enough to lace up his boots, Gordon could do worse than at least sound out a player who scored 18 goals for Scotland. If Scott Brown can come out of retirement for one or two nights only…