I DON’T think Paul Lambert will mind if Grant Hanley plays for Scotland tonight.

With Grant being suspended for Saturday’s derby against Preston, the friendly gives him the chance to keep his match fitness up before returning to the Blackburn Rovers side.

And there is no doubt in my mind Grant will be back in the team come the trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

There were some people questioning whether Grant should have lost his place at the start of the season.

But I think it’s fair to say he has come on leaps and bounds since then.

I’ve battled the odds in this column over the years when Grant has come in for stick.

But, as I’ve always said, Grant is still a relatively young lad.

Now, though, he is one who is starting to mature and get an even better understanding of the game.

And I think the responsibility of being captain has been fantastic for him. He’s really shown his leadership qualities.

Sometimes having the skipper’s armband so young can be a hindrance but he is thriving on it.

He did have an up and down time of it last season but when he was paired with Matt Kilgallon it seemed to bring his game on again.

At the start of the season there were one or two question marks when the club put Grant and Shane Duffy back together.

But you’ve got to take your hat off to Grant and Shane for the way they have played and it’s easy to see why lots of clubs will be looking at them now.

All you can do as a player is develop the best you can and, if you do that, you’re going to attract attention.

And you certainly do that if you perform on the international stage, which Grant has been doing and which Shane did with his man-of-the-match display for Republic of Ireland.

If you can do it internationally, then you’ve got a great chance of doing it in the Premiership.

But they’re still young lads, they’re still only 24, and they still have a lot to learn.

But it’s a good sign they are developing the way they are.