Assault charge hanging over Goodwillie is news to Levein

CRAIG Levein had to confess yesterday that he was unaware striker David Goodwillie is due to stand trial on an assault charge, after explaining that he has left Barry Bannan out of his latest Scotland squad because the Aston Villa midfielder was recently arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Bannan was suspended by Villa last week, pending an investigation, and although he resumed training with his club yesterday, Levein had already made up his mind he should not be considered for international duty in the circumstances. It is consistent with previous decisions made by Levein this year to leave out Goodwillie and Garry O’Connor at times when those players were dealing with criminal charges. O’Connor still has to stand trial, and charges against Goodwillie were dropped. However, Blackburn Rovers player Goodwillie still has proceedings hanging over him regarding a separate matter. He is due to stand trial in January at Glasgow Sheriff Court after being accused of assault following an incident in the city in November last year.

Asked why Goodwillie was not excluded like Bannan from the squad for next week’s friendly match in Cyprus, Levein said: “To be honest, I wasn’t aware of that. The way I understood it the charges were dropped. You have told me something I didn’t know there.” The misunderstanding emerged as Levein revealed his determination to establish and uphold a code of conduct to which anyone representing the national team will be expected to adhere.

“We have had some situations, although I wouldn’t worry about it as I think it is sporadic,” said Levein. “I’ve tended to look at what has happened in individual cases. With Barry having been suspended by his club, it’s very difficult for me to include him in the group. International football is not like club football. At a club, you answer to your supporters. When I pick players for the international team, I feel like I’m answering to everybody in Scotland.

“It would be fantastic for me if we could see ourselves as role models. As people who want to behave in a manner which is representative of national team players. It has probably impacted on my squad on a few occasions now, but what do you do? With the national team, there are so many different interests in Scotland who would have objections to different things the players are getting up to. They feel ‘how could someone play for Scotland if this and that is happening?’.

“So there is more of a moral responsibility with the national team. I might be wrong about that, but I feel there is. I’m trying to be pretty consistent on what the message is.

“Loads of things happen in life that players get involved in, but being a club manager is different from being national team manager. Everybody in Scotland feels part of the Scotland national team.

“I think there is more of a moral onus on me to try and put people in the team who are behaving in a manner that befits playing for the national side. I have looked at the cases that have happened so far and just felt it’s best if those players were not involved.

“If I take a player away with me who is the subject of a lot of speculation, I also spend a lot of my time answering questions on stuff that is nothing to do with the game. It detracts from the match and takes the focus away. I don’t want to be sitting in Cyprus answering these questions and putting players up who have issues back home. This allows me to concentrate on the football.”

The expectations on players representing Scotland at any level will be laid down in a more formal basis by the SFA’s performance director Mark Wotte but, until then, the judgment calls will be Levein’s alone.

“When we have a proper code of conduct in place, I will be quite happy to let everyone understand it,” added Levein.

“I have made decisions on these cases, but, in future, it might be taken away from the manager if there are rules in black-and-white to be followed. It is part of a strategy with the younger age groups, to put a code of conduct in place as part of Mark’s remit. The sooner we get it in at the younger age groups and continue it through all of the groups, then I think it’s something we should be proud of. We are talking about something that is going to be put in place over a period of time. I don’t want to go into too much detail because, as yet, we don’t have too much detail. I’m just trying to stress that there is a responsibility for players who are included in the national team to act in a responsible manner. When we have established that everyone knows what their responsibilities are, it becomes much easier to perpetuate it.”

Although Levein joked that he may not feel as content to take such a hardline stance in the event of a key player being involved in an off-the-field issue ahead of a World Cup qualifying match, he insists every member of his squad must seek to avoid behaviour which could bring themselves or the national team into disrepute.

“Yes, it could involve players I really need,” he said, “but is that my problem or the players’ problem? Would that really diminish Scotland? There is a strength in everyone understanding their responsibilities and it can unify people.

“I don’t want to make too much of it right now, I just want to explain why Barry Bannan isn’t in the squad, the same as other guys haven’t been in previously. Barry will be back in the squad in the future. He’s a fantastic kid and a good player. He’ll probably be back in for our next game in February.”