STEVEN FLETCHER MADE a surprise return to the Scotland squad announced today for this month’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers, following months of international exile.
The Sunderland striker has not featured for the national side since he texted the Scottish Football Association to say he did not want to be selected for a match against Northern Ireland in February 2011.
But the 25-year-old made a dramatic comeback to the squad after a third party told Scotland manager Craig Levein he was desperate to play for the national side again.
He was swiftly included in Levein’s 25-man squad for the matches against Wales in Cardiff on 12 October and Belgium in Brussels on 16 October.
“It’s a big plus for me and the rest of the team for him to be involved,” Levein said. ”I got a phone call through a third party during the week and that was an indication from that person that Steven was desperate to come back and play.
“I got a text saying he was willing to have a chat about it so I called him last night and, as he said to that person, he was desperate to come back and play. For me, then, it’s a no-brainer. The longer I thought about it, I thought we were in a situation where nobody was winning. So I bit the bullet, phoned him and had a chat and everything is resolved.”
Fletcher has scored five goals in his last four outings for Sunderland, while Scotland endured a stuttering start to their campaign with two points from home games against Serbia and Macedonia.
“Things happen and there is no point in looking back on what might have been,” Levein said. ”Steven has indicated his willingness to play, we have resolved any issues we had and he will be in the squad the same as everybody else.”
Levein has also been handed a major boost with the return of his captain Darren Fletcher of Manchester United following a chronic bowel complaint.
Scotland squad:
Goalkeepers: Matt Gilks (Blackpool/ENG), Allan McGregor (Besiktas/TUR), David Marshall (Cardiff/WAL)
Defenders: Christophe Berra (Wolverhampton/ENG), Gary Caldwell (Wigan/ENG), Daniel Fox (Southampton/ENG), Grant Hanley (Blackburn/ENG), Alan Hutton (Aston Villa/ENG), Russell Martin (Norwich/ENG), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Andy Webster (Hearts)
Midfielders: Charlie Adam (Stoke/ENG), Scott Brown (Celtic), Darren Fletcher (Manchester Utd/ENG), James Forrest (Celtic), James McArthur (Wigan/ENG), Shaun Maloney (Wigan/ENG), James Morrison (West Bromwich/ENG), Robert Snodgrass (Norwich/ENG)
Forwards: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland/ENG), Jamie Mackie (QPR/ENG), Kenny Miller (Vancouver/CAN), Steven Naismith (Everton/ENG), Matt Phillips (Blackpool/ENG), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn/ENG)
