FORMER Hearts star Jamie McAllister has had to wait four long years for the chance to add to his solitary Scotland cap – but today he revealed he always believed he'd pull on a dark blue jersey again.
The 30-year-old Bristol City defender was a shock choice by national coach George Burley for tomorrow's vital World Cup qualifying clash with Norway at Hampden along with the uncapped Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo.
Having faced Trinidad and Tobago
at Easter Road in 2004, one of many players introduced to the international set-up during Berti Vogts' ill-fated spell as Scotland coach, McAllister appeared to have become the forgotten man.
It was a view strengthened as he was overlooked by Vogts' successors, Walter Smith and Alex McLeish, and, initially by Burley himself.
McAllister, though, never gave up hope. He said: "I have to admit each time the manager changed I wondered if they might give me a chance to be part of their plans, but it was not to be. However, I always believed I would get another chance. I'm very passionate about my country, where I was born, my nationality so I went out every Saturday striving to prove I was good enough to get back into the squad."
After spending most of his career in Scotland, playing for Queen of the South, Aberdeen and Livingston before moving to Tynecastle, McAllister took the bold decision to move south after learning he'd only be a squad player under Valdas Ivanauskas, many questioning his wisdom in opting for Bristol City who were then in League One.
Promotion followed and last season Gary Johnson's team missed out on stepping up to the Premier League itself, beaten in the final play-off by Hull City.
But he believes having to prove himself all over again to the West Country fans had been a factor in helping him regain international recognition.
He said: "We did well last season, we were only 90 minutes away from playing in the biggest league in the world but it was a great experience. We've started well this season, what we went through last year makes you a strong character and as a player you want to enjoy that kind of success again.
"Going to Bristol was a big move but I felt it was the right one for me after speaking to Gary Johnson and hearing his ambitions for the club. It was a big challenge for me, I'd spent nine or ten years in Scotland building up a reputation and then I had to start all over again. No-one really knew me down there, what kind of player I was and I had to prove I was good enough."
Although he was capped at Easter Road, McAllister admitted there would be something special about playing for his country at Hampden, the ground where he scored the second goal in Livingston's 2-0 League Cup win over Hibs that year.
He said: "Of course, I enjoyed playing for Scotland at Easter Road but to do so at Hampden is, I think, the pinnacle of anyone's career."
The full article contains 531 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
