Second time lucky for cap pick Ralston

SCOTLAND boss Steve Clarke last night revealed that Tony Ralston’s first full international call-up had arrived at the second attempt.

The Celtic full-back has been drafted in to the squad for tomorrow night’s World Cup qualifier against Denmark in place of Nathan Patterson.

The Rangers defender is suspended due to picking up his second booking of the campaign after opening the scoring in Friday’s 2-0 win in Moldova.

Ralston, 23, was promoted from the outer fringes of the Celtic squad as new manager Ange Postecoglou commenced his rebuild at Parkhead in the summer. Despite showing the best form of his career, Ralston

(right) found himself behind

Patterson and Stephen

O’Donnell when the latest squad was chosen.

But Clarke revealed he would have been involved sooner had it not been for a ‘Covid issue’ that arose around the time of

Scotland’s qualifiers against Moldova and Austria in September.

‘Tony was given a chance by a manager who obviously trusts him a lot and has stuck by him,’ said Clarke. ‘Credit to the player because he has taken his chance. He has probably been sitting there waiting on that chance for a long time.

‘Any time I have seen him this year he has been impressive. Nathan Patterson and Stephen O’Donnell have done well for us in the right wing-back position.

‘I did try to call Tony up to one of the previous squads but a Covid issue put paid to that. It’s nice to have him here in the squad now.’

Ralston has been one of Celtic’s big successes this term, thriving in a new system in which Postecoglou likes his full-backs to join in as auxiliary midfielders.

Encouraged to get forward regularly, he has scored four goals this term and, although Clarke’s 3-5-2 requires a slightly different approach, the coach sees the right qualities in Ralston.

‘Celtic play slightly differently but Tony has attributes that I think could make him a good right wing-back, too.

‘It will be good to have him in the camp and look at him over a couple of training sessions.’