Walker ‘sure to earn cap’
HEARTS boss Ian Cathro last night insisted it is only a matter of time before Jamie Walker earns a maiden Scotland call-up. And, after watching him torment Rangers with a two-goal contribution in Wednesday’s 4-1 win at Tynecastle, Cathro claimed he would not swap the
talented 23-year-old for any other winger in the Premiership. Walker has been touted for a place in Gordon Strachan’s squad for next month’s games with Canada and Slovenia, and his club coach is in no doubt he will eventually force his way into the senior side. ‘Jamie will play for Scotland, there’s no doubt about that,’ said Cathro. ‘It will just be when they put him in. That will happen. Nature will take care of that. ‘When? It maybe depends on how well the team goes, maybe the team has to become more solid or have the ball a bit more. ‘It might come down to the opinion of who’s in charge and all those things. But eventually you can’t stop that level of talent. I see him every day. I see talent. ‘He feels the game, he understands it. He just knows. He feels when somebody is coming in or this space opens or closes.’ Asked how he compares to fellow wingers James Forrest at Celtic, Barrie McKay at Rangers and Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes, Cathro added: ‘Jamie is the only one I want out of them. Fortunately he’s here. I wouldn’t swap him for any of them.’ Anticipating that Walker will eventually end up in England, Cathro added: ‘I’m sure that will also happen but I think he’s going to improve quite a bit with me.’ The Hearts boss, meanwhile, admitted he was delighted for Arnaud Djoum after he helped Cameroon set up an Africa Cup of Nations Final against Egypt tomorrow. ‘I’m really pleased for him,’ said Cathro. ‘We’ll have him back in the middle of next week and hopefully he wins.’ The midweek victory over Rangers shifted the pressure from Cathro on to Mark Warburton and he admitted he has sympathy for his Ibrox counterpart. ‘We live in insane extremities but that’s why it remains so important that it (pressure) just can’t come in,’ said Cathro ahead of today’s Premiership trip to Motherwell. ‘That’s the make-up of the game and how important it is and how we need stories and information and debate, and that’s just because we love the game so much.’