Chairman’s delight as Pars kid gets U21s call-up:

Fife full-back picked for European Championships double-header

Dunfermline’s superb start to the Championship season has been rewarded with an international call-up for Ryan Williamson.

The Pars full-back has been picked by Scotland under-21 coach Scot Gemmill for next month’s European Championship double-header against England and Latvia.

Williamson had previously been selected for training camps at under-17 and under-19 level, and was called up to the 19s squad in 2014.

Now the 21-year-old Fifer has a chance to represent his country in the October 6 game against the English at Middlesbrough and the trip to Liepaja four days later.

Also called up was St Johnstone’s Jason Kerr, who is currently on loan to Queen of the South, as well as former Dundee United defender John Souttar and Raith Rovers loanee Ryan Hardie.

Pars chairman Ross McArthur insists Williamson’s under-21s call-up is proof that the Championship leaders nurture the nation’s best young talent.

He is thrilled at the right-back’s – and the Fifers’ – international recognition.

He said: “Everyone at Dunfermline is delighted for Ryan. He has had to work really hard to come back from two really difficult injuries.

“It would have been easy for him to be down in the dumps, but he’s kept working hard and he did a lot of work over preseason and seems to be getting better every week.

“He’s a special talent, there’s very few players like him in an attacking sense, and he’s a lovely and very respectful lad apart from everything else.

“You’re always pleased when someone like Ryan gets his just rewards. He was the first to tell me the news and you could see it was a big boost for him.

“It’s also a boost for the club. We have Callum Smith in the under-19s, Ryan in the under-21s, Stuart Morrison was in the last under-19s squad and Lewis Martin is there or thereabouts for the under-21s.

“It shows that if you’re playing in a team that’s playing attacking football at the right end of the Championship then you can get international recognition.”

Gemmill, meanwhile, reckons it is too early to say if Rangers defender Ross McCrorie will become a Tartan Army hero but believes he is ready for a firstteam run at Ibrox.

The 19-year-old was handed a baptism of fire as he made his first start during Saturday’s Old Firm clash.

While his side sank to a 2-0 defeat to Celtic, Gemmill was left impressed by the way the teenager handled both Hoops frontman Leigh Griffiths and the white-hot derby atmosphere. Fulton (Hamilton, Doohan (Celtic), Ruddy (Wolverhampton Wanderers); Kerr (St Johnstone), McCrorie (Rangers), McKenna (Aberdeen), Miller (Celtic), Smith (Hearts), Souttar (Hearts), Taylor (Kilmarnock), Williamson (Dunfermline); Archibald (Brentford), Cadden (Motherwell), Campbell (Motherwell), Docherty (Hamilton), Johnston (Celtic), Mallan (Barnsley), Morgan (St Mirren), Thomas (Kilmarnock). Burke (West Bromwich Albion), Hardie (Rangers), McBurnie (Swansea City), Wright (Aberdeen).

Light Blues boss Pedro Caixinha has already declared his belief that his youngster can become “one of the best centre-halves in history” for club and country.

Gemmill was not prepared to go as far as that after naming McCrorie in his squad but he will not rule it out either.

“Ross has played for us at under-16s through to the 21s. Anyone who’s seen him through that period would have been in no doubt he could handle the Old Firm game,” said Gemmill.

“The fact his manager trusted him to play in such a big game will hopefully give Ross that extra confidence. He didn’t let his manager down, that’s for sure.

Gemmill will have to do without Celtic defender Anthony Ralston after being informed by Parkhead chiefs he was “unavailable.”

But Hamilton’s Greg Docherty has been given a recall after the Accies man admitted he would have to consider switching allegiances to Ireland if he continued to be overlooked.

Scotland got their Group 4 bid off to a stunning start by beating Holland 2-0.

Ryan Williamson has been called into Scotland U21 squad.