McLeish’s call-up for McBurnie

OLI McBURNIE and Barry Douglas will today be named in the first squad of Alex McLeish’s second spell in charge of Scotland. On loan at Barnsley from parent club Swansea, Leeds-born McBurnie’s run of five goals in six matches for the Championship side will see him handed a chance to prove he can make the step up from the Under-21 squad. At 28, international football appeared to have passed Douglas by but the former Dundee United left-back, who now plies his trade with high-flying Wolves, looks set to be included in the

squad to face Costa Rica and Hungary later this month. Aberdeen defender Scott McKenna, Hearts goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin and Hibs midfielder Dylan McGeouch are also believed to be in McLeish’s thoughts, while Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay will be named after choosing to represent Scotland ahead of England. McLeish last night confirmed that James McFadden and Peter Grant will be his coaches, with Celtic goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods also part of the new regime. The three have been handed two-year contracts ahead of McLeish’s first match in charge against Costa Rica on March 23. Former Celtic and Scotland midfielder Grant, who will continue working as a youth coach at Fulham, has worked with McLeish at the likes of Birmingham, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest. Woods was among McLeish’s first signings as a manager when he took over at Motherwell in 1994, while McFadden was also on the Fir Park books as a young player during his future Scotland manager’s spell in charge. The 34-year-old, whose winning goal against France in Paris under McLeish was the highlight of an impressive 48-cap international career, was Motherwell assistant manager last season before embarking on a short playing stint with Queen of the South. ‘I am delighted to be in a position to welcome Peter, James and Stevie to the Scotland coaching staff and I’m relishing the prospect of working with them on the training ground,’ said McLeish. ‘The three offer a blend of experience, enthusiasm and success — both as players and as coaches — and are fully aware of the responsibility that comes with being part of the national team staff. ‘Peter has enjoyed a distinguished coaching career and is already familiar with the set-up in the Scottish FA’s performance department, having worked with our Under-21 team last year. ‘James brings a youthful enthusiasm to the coaching team and offers a relatable figure for the players to look up to. ‘Stevie is a highly-respected figure as a goalkeeping coach and is well known to many of the players. His experience will be invaluable.’