Boyd hints at return for Scotland if Burley's successor wants him

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 19:39

KRIS Boyd said yesterday he would consider ending his self-imposed international exile if the new Scotland manager wants to select him.

Speaking after scoring in Rangers' 3-0 victory over Kilmarnock which restored the Ibrox side to the top of the Scottish Premier League, the striker said he would "definitely not rule out" playing for his country again.

Boyd, 26, scored seven goals in his 15 international appearances before announcing in October last year that he would not play again while George Burley was manager. The centre-forward made the decision after being left on the bench during the goalless World Cup qualifier against Norway at Hampden.

Burley's dismissal last week appears to open the door for a return for Boyd, although the player was careful yesterday about committing himself. "That's a decision I will have to make in the next couple of months," Boyd said. "At this moment in time I am enjoying my football with Rangers.

"There is no player bigger than the country but I wasn't playing (for Scotland last year] and I just felt at that time that it was better for me to come back and concentrate on club football and I feel I am reaping the benefits of that now. I'm definitely not ruling out coming back but not ruling out staying in retirement. Everything will come into my thinking but the new manager may come in and decide that he doesn't fancy me."

Asked about a possible international return for his Rangers team-mate Allan McGregor and former team-mate Barry Ferguson who were banned after a drinking session at the Scotland team hotel, Boyd said: "That's a totally different incident all together. They knew they were in the wrong and they have issued their apologies. Scotland have said they want them back so it's up to them if they want to go back and if they do I'm sure it will be of benefit to Scotland."

Gordon Smith, the Scottish Football Association chief executive, said last week that a decision on McGregor and Ferguson would be made by the new manager. Smith also spoke about rumours of cliques in the Scotland set-up and admitted that Burley's successor would have to work to unite the squad if the nation is to have a hope of qualifying for the 2012 European Championship.

"It's a chemistry thing in football," Smith said. "In a dressing room a certain player might say a manager is great, another may say he's hopeless. So there's a difference of opinion. It's a case of getting the majority to think someone is good but if you get a clique that doesn't take to a manager they can make it difficult for him. There were rumours of that with the last manager."

A lack of respect seemed evident throughout Burley's spell in the hot seat, with several players hinting that they were on the verge of following Boyd into international exile, while the number of withdrawals from squads also undermined the manager.