John Collins insists Steven Fletcher must start for Scotland in Wales

Former Hibernian manager John Collins insists Steven Fletcher has to start against Wales if Scotland are to keep their fragile World Cup hopes alive. The in-form Sunderland striker’s two-year international exile was ended this week after Craig Levein named the 25-year-old in his squad for this month’s crucial trips to Cardiff and Brussels.

Collins, who managed Fletcher at Easter Road, said: “Steven Fletcher has got to start the game, the way he is scoring goals in the English Premier League. It’s great to have Steven back. I think it was a no-brainer for Craig and his staff and they had no choice but to pick him.

“The boy is scoring goals and he is the only striker we have that is scoring goals in the English top flight week-in, week-out. Hopefully he can score goals for Scotland as well as Sunderland.”

There was some bad news for Fletcher yesterday, however, as he was banned from driving for six months and fined £1,700 after being caught speeding. Fletcher was clocked on camera driving a Range Rover at 77mph at Curdworth, Warwickshire, on 20 January, when a 50mph variable speed limit was in force. He admitted the offence and was sentenced under the totting-up procedure at Nuneaton magistrates court.