Rumour Mill: England | Fraser Forster

The Southampton keeper had some "fantastic" nights for Celtic and none were bigger than the game against Barcelona in the Champions League. Picture: TSPL

Ben Foster claims Scotland aim to ‘kick lumps’ out of England

Ben Foster has warned his England team-mates that they’re in for a kicking at Parkhead. He said: “From watching the game the other night hey were kicking lumps out of each other. It was very high-tempo. I could feel the atmosphere sitting watching it. It’s almost like they were getting more up for a good tackle, than they were for good passes. I’m sure we can expect the same atmosphere and same sort of game. It will be a good one to be involved in.” (Record)

Harry Redknapp say Scottish footballers are a gamble

Harry Redknapp admits Scottish football became a mug’s bet for English managers the moment Rangers were lost from the top-flight.

The QPR boss was polite but straight to the point when he claimed the poor standard of our game has made it a gamble too far for bosses in the shopping market.

Such is his apathy for recruiting north of the border, the great survivor of the the Premiership struggled to name members of Gordon Strachan’s squad and even enquired if one-time transfer target and international skipper Scott Brown was back playing.

He said: “Since Rangers went out the top league it’s been difficult. Even coming up here to look at Scottish players isn’t so easy as the competition isn’t so great. It’s hard to judge players when you come up to watch them in the Scottish League as you can’t compare it to the EPL due the quality of opposition. Scottish football has dropped off the radar an awful lot for English managers. Players such as Steven Naismith who has come down and done really well at Everton, there are lots of others who have come down and done very well but it’s a bigger gamble now.

You are taking a player from a league where the competition isn’t all that high. I have lots of mates in Scotland who tell me there are lots of good young players coming through. But one or two of the guys who are catching our eye aren’t even Scottish. The centre-half at Celtic van Dijk has English clubs looking at him just now and he’s a player that someone will look to make a move on at some stage.

“Who knows? He could come down and be a massive hit in England, you just don’t know.” (Record)

Jack Wilshere claims the game tomorrow will be like as a north London derby

Jack Wilshere claims the game tomorrow will be every bit as tasty as a north London derby. But the Arsenal midfielder has vowed to meet fire with fire when England clash with the ‘Auld Enemy’ at a sold-out Celtic Park. Wilshere is expecting the Tartan Army to make it an intimidating local derby atmosphere – and insists it will be anything but friendly.

He said: “It’s not going to be very friendly, but we’re going to be ready for that. It’s going to be a bit like Arsenal vs Tottenham or Liverpool vs Manchester United, but we’re used to that as players. We played them here a couple of years ago and it wasn’t friendly then! “It’s probably going to be a little bit tougher this time because they’ll be even more up for it in their home ground. But we’ll be ready for it. It’s a game that everyone’s going to be desperate to play in. These are the games that every England player wants to be involved with. If you ask any member of my family, they’ll always say, ‘England vs Scotland – that’s going to be a massive game with a great atmosphere’.” (Daily Star)

Fraser Forster urges Roy Hodgson to grant his Parkhead wish by playing him

England boss Roy Hodgson is preparing to give ex-Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster a dream return to his former club for tomorrow’s battle against arch-rivals Scotland. Hodgson, who has sent first-choice Joe Hart home to Manchester City to give the Three Lions’ back-up keepers a run-out, says Forster has the “experience and maturity” for what is sure to be a red-hot atmosphere in Glasgow. Forster said: “It would be a fantastic opportunity if I do get to play. It will be a fantastic atmosphere and to play in a Scotland-England game would be a dream come true. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere. I’ve only sampled it at club level, but the Barcelona players came out and said it was the best atmosphere they’d ever played in, when we played them in the Champions League. With the calibre of players they’ve got, they’ve played in some big games and to hear them come out and say it was the best, tells you how unique it is. My best memory was probably beating Barcelona. That was a fantastic night, but I’ve lots of special memories there, winning leagues, European games. It will be great to go back for the first time since I left. It’s a fantastic stadium. It’s quite tight, so it will be really loud and will make for a fantastic game. It will be good to go back to Celtic Park. I’ve got fantastic memories of being there. It will be good to go back. I know a few of the lads on their team and it will be a special night.” (Mirror)

Russell Martin claims English fans prefer to watch Scotland

Russell Martin has claimed England fans much prefer watching Scotland than England. The Brighton born defender admitted many of his friends are staunch England fans but they get more excitement from watching Gordon Stachan’s men than Roy Hodgson’s. He said: “To be honest, I have had so many texts from friends and fellow players who say they genuinely enjoy watching Scotland more than England at the minute. That’s a massive compliment. That is true. They really like how we play.” (Express)

Football fans will take part in a minute’s applause

Football fans will take part in a minute’s applause ahead of tomorrow night’s Scotland v England match in tribute to the supporter who died after a fall at Celtic Park on Friday.

Scotland fan Nathan McSeveney died after falling down a stairwell at Parkhead having watched his team beat Republic of Ireland 1-0 in a European Qualifier.

It’s understood the 20 year old, from Cumnock in Ayrshire, plunged three floors down a stairwell at Exit 33 as the crowd was leaving the stadium in Glasgow’s east end. (Various)

Blow for Celtic as Mikael Lustig is crocked on international duty

Celtic are sweating over the fitness of Mikael Lustig. The full-back limped off in Sweden’s weekend 1-1 draw in Montenegro with a hamstring problem and has since returned to Scotland to have the injury assessed but now looks a doubt for Celtic’s weekend clash against Dundee.

“It was not cramp,” he said. “I tried to stretch, but knew immediately that it was something else.”

It is the latest in a long list of injuries for the Swede. He had a double hip operation last year and was then out for six weeks with a groin problem after the Champions League play-off games with Maribor. (Express)

Danny Welbeck cannot wait to play at Celtic Park

Danny Welbeck cannot wait to play in the “unbelievable” Celtic Park atmosphere when England meet Scotland for the 112th time tomorrow night.

“Obviously it is only a friendly but we want to win every single game,” he said. “We can’t go in thinking we are going to do anything else than that.

“It is going to be a great atmosphere. I watched their game against the Republic of Ireland the other night and the atmosphere sounded unbelievable. I just can’t wait to get out there and taste it.” (Scotsman)

News in brief:

• Steven Fletcher is set to miss tomorrow’s night showdown with England with an ankle injury. (Express)

• Daley Blind has joined David De Gea on the sidelines and may be out for Manchester United for six weeks. (Express)

• Willie Collum is set to referee the Austria v Brazil game tomorrow. (Various)

• Glasgow City beat Spartans 5-0 to lift the Scottish Cup and will now look forward to the Women’s Champions League draw on Wednesday. (Record)

• Spurs are eyeing up Colombian World Cup striker Teo Gutierrez. (Mirror)

Rumour Mill: England | Fraser Forster | Harry Redknapp