St Mirren pair receive cap calls – on opposite sides

Published on Monday 9 November 2009 21:28

ST MIRREN goalkeeper Paul Gallacher has been called into the Scotland squad for Saturday's friendly in Wales as a replacement for Craig Gordon, who has suffered a fractured arm.

Gallacher won the last of his seven caps in a 1-0 win in Estonia in May, 2004, when Berti Vogts was the Scotland manager. He also played in the non-cap match against a Hong Kong XI in 2002.

Current Scotland manager George Burley sent for the former Dundee United goalkeeper after first choice Gordon pulled out following a collision with Jermain Defoe during Tottenham's 2-0 win over Sunderland at White Hart Lane at the weekend.

David Marshall of Cardiff City is favourite to take over from Gordon this weekend, as he did against Norway and the Netherlands earlier this season when Gordon was injured. Gallacher will be third in the pecking order, behind Marshall and Jamie Langfield of Aberdeen.

So far, Gordon is the only withdrawal from the squad, although there will be a further update this morning when the squad meets up at Glasgow airport. Steven Whittaker of Rangers is doubtful after picking up a knock in Saturday's 2-1 league win over St Mirren at Ibrox.

The Paisley side is in the thick of the international team news at the moment, with Gallacher's team-mate Andy Dorman also called up yesterday – but for Wales.

Craig Bellamy, James Collins and Simon Davies all pulled out of the Welsh squad yesterday morning, and in their places are Dorman, Joe Allen, Adam Matthews, and, ominously, Robert Earnshaw, who hit a hat-tirck in a 4-0 win when Wales and Scotland last met in 2004.

Dorman becomes the first player to be named in a senior home nations squad under the new school rule.

The rule – ironically, promptd by lobbying from the Scottish Football Association – allows British passport holders to represent any of the home nations, provided they have been educated in that country for five years.

The midfielder admits he was shocked to be called into the Wales squad. There was much speculation that he would be named in last week's original squad, but didn't make it – until now.

Dorman has been one of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League's top performers since joining Saints from New England Revolution in January 2008.

Wales assistant manager Roy Evans watched Dorman score his 19th goal for the club during the recent 3-3 draw with Motherwell.

The 27-year-old player told St Mirren's website yesterday: "I'm really happy to get the call-up for Wales but it came as a bit of a shock.

"I was at training today and the manager came in and told me after training so it is brilliant. I join up with the Welsh squad tomorrow night and I'm really looking forward to it.

"A lot of the media attention last week was down to the change in the rule of qualification so for me it was just a case of getting on with things by playing for St Mirren and looking forward to the game against Rangers."

He added: "I've been in Scotland for a couple of years now and I'm enjoying it here so with the game being against Scotland on Saturday it gives me an added incentive to try and get into the squad.

"It was also really good that Paul (Gallacher] has been called up for Scotland as it shows that the club is going in the right direction."

St Mirren manager Gus McPherson is delighted to have two members of his first team earning international honours.

"Andy was obviously disappointed when the squad was initially announced on Friday, but it didn't show in his performance at the weekend" said McPherson. "I thought in the first half he played extremely well.

"I was delighted for him when the email came in this morning and I was able to tell him. He's excited."

McPherson added: "Paul Gallacher came out of the First Division and was desperate to prove what he was capable of still doing. He's had a fantastic start to the season. It's good for him he's back in that arena. He's still ambitious."

Meanwhile, Cardiff teenager Matthews could make a shock debut for Wales on Saturday on his home ground. The 17-year-old right-back, who has become a fixture in Cardiff's promotion-chasing side this season, has played nine times for Wales under-17s and twice for the under-19s but he has not even got an under-21 cap yet.

His rapid rise at the Coca-Cola Championship's third-placed club – having been rejected by his home-town club when he was nine – has caught Wales a little by surprise.

Matthews has previously been named in under-21 squads where he was ruled out by injury and he has been monitored by manager John Toshack's under-21 chief Brian Flynn.

He made his debut for Cardiff as a 15-year-old two years ago in a friendly at Haverfordwest County and a senior debut as a substitute last season against Charlton.