AND SNODGRASS MAKES SIX ....

Five other players who have retired from international duty or have made themselves unavailable temporarily since Gordon Strachan departed the Hampden hot seat in October, 2017:

JAMES MCARTHUR

The Crystal Palace midfielder retired from Scotland duty in October, 2018, in order to play at the top level. Then aged 31 and with 32 games and four goals under his belt, he confirmed he would not be making himself available again to Strachan’s successor, Alex Mcleish. The former Hamilton and Wigan player said: “I have found it increasingly difficult over the last year to manage a number of physical issues. “I have debated long and hard about this decision and I feel the only way for me to be able to maintain my fitness in order to continue to play at the top level is to retire from international football.”

SCOTT BROWN

The Celtic and Scotland captain appeared 55 times and scored four goals before he called it a day at international level for the second time in February, 2018. The midfielder, then 32, initially ended his Scotland career in August, 2016 but returned under Strachan before finally stepping down when Mcleish took over. “In terms of looking after my own body and in the interests of my family, I felt now is the right time,” he said.

ALLAN MCGREGOR

The Rangers goalkeeper handed in his international notice in March, 2019, at the age of 37 after winning 42 caps. Mcgregor, who had last played for his country in a 3-2 Nations League victory over Israel the previous November which took the Scots into the play-offs, said: “It’s a sad day for me to bring an end to my international career, but unfortunately I feel it is a decision I have to make. I am playing over 50 games each season, but I know my body and at this stage of my career I need to use the international breaks to rest up to help ensure that I play at the top level for as long as possible.”

MATT RITCHIE

The 30-year-old Newcastle wide-man played in Alex Mcleish’s first game in his second stint in charge - a 1-0 friendly defeat by Costa Rica at Hampden Park on March

23, 2018 - and has not featured since, leaving him on 16 caps and three goals. In November, 2018, Mcleish revealed that Ritchie had asked to be excluded from international duty “for the foreseeable future” after turning down a request to be included in the squad for Nations League games against Albania and Israel.

“I wanted Matt to come in, but he has asked to be left out at the moment,” said Mcleish, who added that Ritchie’s reasons were “private” but “he has not retired”.

STEVEN FLETCHER

The 32-year-old Sheffield Wednesday striker has scored ten goals in 33 games for Scotland. The former Hibernian striker’s last game was the 3-2 Nations League win over Israel in November, 2018. In August, it was reported that he was considering his international future and was quoted as saying: “I need to look after myself, I am in my 30s and am injury-free for the first time in a long time. I don’t really want to put that in jeopardy. It’s a hard decision.”