Chance for Fletcher as Levein plans Wolves visit

OUTCAST Scotland striker Steven Fletcher will have a chance to put his international career back on track next month when national team manager Craig Levein checks out the player in action with his club.

Fletcher has not been involved in the international set-up since he contacted the SFA earlier this year to reject a call-up to the squad for a Carling Nations Cup match against Northern Ireland, after playing only 64 minutes of Levein’s first five games in charge.

With 16 goals in 23 starts for Wolves, Fletcher is, by a long distance, the most prolific Scottish marksman in the English Premier League.

Levein has refused to make any attempt to persuade Fletcher to return to the fold, continually preferring to say that it is up to the player to make himself available before he can be considered for selection again. With neither party making a move, the impasse continued throughout the rest of Scotland’s Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

But now an opportunity is opening up for Levein and Fletcher to meet up and discuss the matter – if both wish to – when the Scotland manager takes in a Wolves match during a tour of English clubs in January, his main reason for attendance being the chance to assess the form of Fletcher’s team-mate Christophe Berra, the Scotland defender.

Earlier this month, Wolves manager Mick McCarthy clearly indicated that Fletcher is ready to return.

“Steven wants to play for Scotland,” said McCarthy. “Playing for your country is the best thing you can do.

“Who knows? You might just end up in the finals of the European Championships or World Cups.

“He doesn’t want to miss that. He wants to play so it is up to everyone to sort that out. Not me.”