Andrew Robertson merits Scotland call-up - McNamara

Jackie McNamara last night hailed Dundee United youngster Andrew Robertson as he celebrated his first Scotland call-up.

Andrew Robertson: Dazzling. Picture: SNS

Robertson has been promoted to Gordon Strachan’s full squad from the under-21s for next week’s friendly with ­Poland in Warsaw after dazzling United since ­making the move last summer from ­SPFL League 2 side Queen’s Park.

Tannadice manager McNamara, who won 33 caps for Scotland, handed teenager Robertson a dream move to Tannadice where the left-back has been a roaring success in his first foray into the top-flight. And McNamara insists the 19-year-old, who has been watched by English Premier League sides Everton and Swansea this season, has every right to have earned the accolade within a few months of Premiership football.

McNamara said: “This is brilliant news for him and for the club. Andy is still a teenager but he has already been through a lot in his career and deserves to be where he is now. It is great credit to him and his family that he has gone from being told by Celtic that they didn’t want him, on to amateur football with Queen’s Park, signed for us and now he is in the Scotland squad.

“That speaks volume for the progress he has continued to make. I would challenge anyone who has watched us play this season to be surprised by this though. It is not a great shock because of how he has been performing week in, week out.

“So we are all really happy for him, even though there has been a bit of banter and stick for him from the other boys at training – just as you would expect!”

United face high-flying Motherwell at Tannadice tomorrow when Robertson will have another chance to prove his worth.

And McNamara, whose side have returned to winning ways with back-to-back victories recently, reckons his troops can still surge up the table and fight for a European place.

He said: “Nothing is impossible. We went on a good run before and that is what we will look to do again. The other sides might not always be in the best of form but they are still ­winning and that’s what we need to do. It would help to take points off Motherwell.”