Charlie Mulgrew praised by Scotland manager for not saying a ‘peep’

The Celtic player would have played in November against Cyprus had it not been for injury. His performances have only got better since then and he has been an inspirational performer in a Celtic team who have put together an unbroken string of 17 league wins.

Mulgrew, Craig Levein noted yesterday, has not emitted a “peep” about being overlooked in the past, and this, you suspect, has helped him gain further favour with the Scotland manager. Levein has endured criticism from a variety of different players overlooked for one reason or another.

Leeds United’s Ross McCormack is one of the most recent to have had his say about being left out of the squad, although Levein has claimed to admire such spikiness in players since it underlines their hunger. “I feel sorry for Ross,” the manager said yesterday.

“Because we play with a lone striker, and look for runs into the channel, he has been a bit unfortunate. If you look at the strikers we have in the squad, guys like Kenny Miller, Craig Mackail-Smith, Jamie Mackie and David Goodwillie, that’s the way they play. If he [McCormack] is patient, then his time will come again.”

There is no doubt that Mulgrew has exhibited this quality. To date, he has represented Scotland at every level except senior. The wait to be recognised by the full team will end tonight at the Bonifika stadium in Koper, when the 25-year-old finally makes his international debut.

The versatile Mulgrew will be employed at left-back, with Levein keen to let the centre-half partnership between skipper Gary Caldwell and Christophe Berra develop further.

The manager stressed that he has not pigeon-holed Mulgrew as a full-back, however. It’s just that the need is greater in this area following call-offs by Alan Hutton and Phil Bardsley. Bristol City’s Ricky Foster has been drafted in as cover. “Charlie should have been in the group in November but he had a problem with injury and he didn’t make it,” explained Levein. “So he deserves his opportunity.

“He was gutted at missing out the last time but what I admire about him is that he desperately wants to play for us. He keeps his head down, focuses on his club football and keeps working away and believing in himself. You never hear a peep out of him.

“He could have been really disappointed about not getting in on previous occasions but you never hear him complain,” added Levein. “He just gets on with his job and knows, if he focuses on playing for Celtic, his form will get him into the Scotland set up. It’s a hard set up to get into.”

Mulgrew’s career has followed its own unique course, and has seen him become one of the few players to be re-signed by Celtic after orginally being permitted to leave. He also spent a spell on loan at Southend when at Wolves before returning to Scotland with Aberdeen.

“I defy anybody to say that Charlie Mulgrew is not ten times the player he was two years ago,” said Levein. “And that’s a fact. Two years ago, when I took this job, if you had asked me if Charlie Mulgrew would be one of the guys I would be considering to start an international football match, I would have said ‘no’.

“But such has been his improvement and his also his focus and concentration on doing a job for Celtic, that he is now in this position. I’m delighted to have him and delighted to start him because he has improved tremendously. Celtic deserve great credit – Neil Lennon in particular – for having great belief in him.”