The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Swanson not giving up on his Scotland dream
St Johnstone’s Danny Swanson will watch Scotland’s match against England in his father’s pub rather than be at Wembley himself.
However, he has not yet given up on his international dream.
Swanson was Saints’ star man once again as he scored his 10th goal of the season – his greatest-ever tally – in the dramatic 2-2 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday.
He had to look on forlornly as his opponent and pal, Jam Tarts defender Callum Paterson, got ready to join up with Gordon Strachan’s squad for the big one in London on Friday night.
While Paterson has a great chance of being in the line-up to face the English, Swanson will be in Swanny’s Bar in Leith watching the game on TV, with – and it was hard to tell if he was joking or not – the full Scotland kit on.
He said it would be the strip he almost wore for his country five years ago.
Swanson, then at Dundee United, was called up in October 2011 by Craig Levein for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Spain.
He didn’t feature, but was in line to face Cyprus in a friendly the following month. However, a medial ligament injury scuppered his chances of representing his country.
Despite not getting a sniff of a call-up under Strachan, he thinks he can still do a job for the Scots and, given his form for Saints this season, it is hard to disagree.
Swanson said: “I do think about it but if you look at the squad, even though we are not doing great, it’s still a strong squad.
“I just hope he (Strachan) is thinking about it, maybe? I am probably not on the fringes of the squad but I like to think I am because I want to be positive.
“I loved it when I got called up before. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I never even played.
“I just feel I am doing all the right things and maybe one day he will come and see me, you never know,” he said.
“Callum (Paterson) is going away with Scotland and he’s a great lad and I’m so happy for him. He must be loving it and I’m a bit jealous, to be honest.
“That’s what you want to do – play for your country. Hopefully, I will one day.
“I will probably watch it in my dad’s pub with my Scotland strip on – the one I never got to wear. I’ve still got it so I will be getting it out the bag.”