HEARTS keeper Henry Smith, who has been deposed from the first team by
Nicky Walker, is likely to find himself still a part of the Scotland
squad to face Malta in the World Cup qualifying game on February 17 at
Ibrox. Smith, who has been out of the Tynecastle side for the past seven
games, is not about to be discarded by the national manager, Andy
Roxburgh.
Roxburgh has to take a close look at the goalkeeping situation which
is not exactly buoyant at the moment. Other than Rangers man Andy Goram,
who is the No.1 and in great form, Scotland keepers have been having a
hard time of it.
Smith is not the only one to have lost his first team place. Gordon
Marshall, who made a remarkable journey from the Celtic reserves to the
top side and then the international pool, has been ousted by Pat Bonner
at Parkhead and has had to get used to reserve football again.
Another one of the unfortunate back-up brigade is Campbell Money, who
suffered a broken leg at the beginning of the year against Morton and is
out for the rest of the season. Smith, who last played against Falkirk
on December 2, Marshall and Money have been the mainstays behind Goram
for a long time but Roxburgh is not unduly concerned about the way
things have developed.
''It would be different if Henry had been out of the scene for many
months,'' he said ''but he is an experienced keeper and I am sure can
handle this situation. I played Ally McCoist for months when he was on
his backside on the Rangers bench and I don't really see any cause for
worry at this stage.''
He pointed out that Bryan Gunn, the Norwich City keeper is back to his
best form. ''That is a bonus in the circumstances. If anything happened
to Goram I might react differently and I suppose we'll have to wrap him
in cotton wool.''
Gunn suffered the tragic loss of his two-year-old daughter, Francesca,
through leukemia last October and has shown immense courage in returning
to his career, let alone recapturing top form and a place in the
Scotland pool would be a marvellous fillip for the former Aberdeen
keeper. He last played against Egypt in May, 1990, and his last
involvement in the squad was against San Marino in November, 1991.
Duncan Ferguson, the Dundee United striker whose name has been
ping-ponging across the headlines without his having scored a goal, may
be in the Tannadice reserves but there is every chance that he will be
included in the Under-21 squad which will play at his club ground
against Malta on February 16. Said Roxburgh: ''At the moment I can see
no reason why he should not be in the pool. We choose players for the
Under-21 squad who are not in the first teams at their clubs.''
The SFA offer to give free admission to youth groups for the game
against Malta at Ibrox has been seized upon in some style. Over a
thousand applications have been received.
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