Stuart McCall impressed by the confidence of new Scotland call-ups

Published 26th Mar 2016

Coach Stuart McCall has welcomed the confidence of the new Scotland call-ups who are looking to claim a place in Gordon Strachan's side.

The national team boss named two squads for the challenge match against Czech Republic on Thursday night - where an Ikechi Anya goal gave the visitors a 1-0 win with Kenny McLean, Tony Watt and Paul Caddis making their debuts - and for the visit of Denmark to Hampden Park on Tuesday night.

There are six uncapped players in the squad to face the Danes, including Leeds centre-back Liam Cooper, Brighton winger Jamie Murphy, and wide man Oliver Burke of Nottingham Forest.

Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain, who was on the bench against the Czechs, remains with the squad, while Celtic's 18-year-old full-back Kieran Tierney and John McGinn of Hibernian could also make their first senior appearance.

Former Everton and Rangers midfielder McCall is glad the new faces are less diffident than he was when he broke into the Scotland team, winning the first of 40 caps in a 1-0 friendly win over Argentina in 1990.

He said: 'Matt Ritchie and Andrew Robertson came into the squad in the last campaign and we are hoping that there will be at least a couple who force their way not only into the squad but into the starting 11. But It is not just in the games, it is how they are around the place, in the hotels, in training, how they mix. I was 26 when I got my first cap and for the first three or four I was like a wee boy. I was quite experienced, but there were people like Roy Aitken, Willie Miller, Alex McLeish, Maurice Malpas and Gordon (Strachan) for a couple of games, they were an experienced bunch.'

'I wasn't that outgoing. Gary McAllister was running the length of the park wanting to take free-kicks and corners and I was wishing I had his confidence. I was happy to take a throw-in. But these lads have come into training and started to show what they do at their club, in the international ring as well, which is promising. When people meet up you don't want them to be in their shell and that certainly has not been the case with any of them. Young Burke, John McGinn, Kieran Tierney, 18 years old, they have all come in as if they have had five or six caps already - so that is good.'

Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall is out with pneumonia while Hull forward Shaun Maloney, not originally in either of the squads, has been called up.

Birmingham defender Caddis has also stayed with the second squad while Norwich defender Steven Whittaker is back in the squad after his wife had a baby.

Striker Steven Fletcher, who missed the trip to the Czech Republic with a chest infection, will join up with the squad later. McCall was encouraged by the win over the Czechs, who will be going to the Euros this summer.

He said: 'It was nice to get a clean sheet and to go to the Czech Republic and win 1-0 is terrific. There were some bright individual performances, Allan McGregor was outstanding on the night. Ross McCormack showed he can play there on his own if need be and Matt Phillips, when he came on, is a bit different to what we have - a lot of strength, pace. All in all there were a lot of good things came out of it. Other things that we have looked at already, things that we need to improve on, we will be able to show the second group what Gordon is really after.'