The Scottish Mail on Sunday

Booth believes Saints keeper Clark deserves call-up for national service

- By Graham Swann

ST JOHNSTONE defender Callum Booth has tipped Zander Clark to earn a first call-up to the Scotland squad.

The Saints goalkeeper produced another excellent display on Thursday night as Callum Davidson’s men claimed a 1-1 draw against Austrian outfit LASK in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke watched the 29-year-old in action at McDiarmid Park in his team’s Premiershi­p match against Motherwell earlier this month. With David Marshall now third-choice keeper at Derby County, Booth believes a gap has opened for Clark to represent his country.

Ahead of the national team boss naming his squad on Tuesday for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Denmark, Moldova and Austria, Booth said: ‘Zander is brilliant. Touch wood, he rarely makes a mistake.

‘His kicking is very good as well and he is such a big presence in the goal.

‘A lot of us have played with him for a number of years now and he is a great goalie. Certainly, in the couple of years I have been here he has been brilliant.

‘Even in the first minute in Austria, he had a crucial save. He was unlucky with their penalty, too, because he went the right way and was close to getting it.

‘I think Zander is well within his rights to think he will get a call. You would imagine there might be an opening there and he has not put a foot wrong. For me, he is well worth a shout and hopefully he gets it.’

St Johnstone are set to bank £3million and European football until Christmas if they can overcome LASK at home on Thursday night.

Saints were roared on by a sell-out crowd at McDiarmid Park — and Booth hopes there will be a repeat of that atmosphere.

Speaking ahead of today’s Premiershi­p match at home to Dundee United, he said: ‘We can look forward to what will be one of the biggest games in St Johnstone’s history.

‘We are now 90 minutes away from getting through to the group stage of a European competitio­n, so it is massive.

‘Hopefully, we can sell out McDiarmid again and the fans can help give us that extra couple of per cent to get over the line. The atmosphere was terrific when we played Galatasara­y, so we will be looking for the same again. It was so good to play in and we need them all again.’

Meanwhile, United boss Tam Courts has expressed admiration for counterpar­t Callum Davidson.

Courts, himself a rookie boss after replacing Micky Mellon at Tannadice this summer, has nothing but praise for his rival but hopes to dampen the positivity in Perth today.

‘He’s been phenomenal,’

said Courts. ‘I was at the Galatasara­y game and they were a credit to Scottish football and each other. It was great to see McDiarmid Park full.

‘They have done a phenomenal job and for other similar sized clubs they have shown what can be achieved.

‘Naturally, we want to derail that on Sunday but I have respect for them.’

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? THUMBS UP: St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark could get Scotland squad call this week
THUMBS UP: St Johnstone keeper Zander Clark could get Scotland squad call this week

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom