Rumour Mill: Virgil van Dijk | Scotland | Lennon

VIRGIL VAN DIJK is a reported transfer target of Arsenal, Gordon Strachan praises his players for the win against Georgia, and Neil Lennon is delighted to have accepted the manager’s job at Bolton.

Scotland's Martin (left) and Naismith (right) celebrate with Maloney after Saturday's goal. Picture: SNS

Arsenal interest in van Dijk

Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk could be the subject of an £8 million bid from Arsenal. The English Premier League club watched the Dutchman during Celtic’s 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb and they are ready to test the Glasgow giants’ determination with regard to holding onto their prized asset. Celtic have so far refuted any notion that the player would leave. (The Sun)

Scotland 1-0 Georgia | Poland v Scotland

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has hinted he’ll keep the same team that defeated Georgia when Scotland travel to Poland on Tuesday night. He went on to praise the performance of the team against Georgia, particularly the amount of possession enjoyed by the hosts, while centre backs Grant Hanley and Russell Martin were also noted for keeping their concentration throughout the match. (The Herald)

• Strachan was pleased with the display of Scott Brown after the captain returned to the squad following his recovery from injury. Having once managed the player at club level, the former Celtic boss insists that Brown is a more complete player now than he was in their days together at Celtic Park. (The Courier)

• Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny insists the pressure is on Poland when they meet Scotland in Tuesday night’s European Championship qualifier. The hosts are fresh off a 2-0 victory over world champions Germany, and many supporters will be expecting them to follow such success with a comfortable win over Scotland. However, Szczesny insists that Gordon Strachan’s team are a “top side” and will be a tough opponent.(The Scotsman)

• Scotland winger Ikechi Anya is looking forward to the Group D encounter after a frustrating evening against Georgia. Saturday’s visitors kept a deep defensive line for the entirety, stifling Anya’s ability to exploit the space in behind with his blistering speed. Poland are expected to pose a more attacking threat and Anya feels Scotland can use that to their advantage. (Daily Star)

• Steven Fletcher believes Saturday’s victory provided enough evidence that he and Steven Naismith can perform together as the team’s strike-force. The pair have played together before at under-21 level and Fletcher feels they have a good understanding of each other’s styles.(The Courier)

Neil Lennon excited by Bolton

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon said he is looking forward to the “challenge” of managing Bolton after taking over the reins at the crisis hit club. Wanderers are currently bottom of the English Championship with five points from 11 matches, but Lennon insists he’s exciting to be joining a club with such a proud history. (The Scotsman)

Hearts delighted to remain undefeated

Danny Wilson has admitted that Hearts “didn’t turn up” in Saturday’s match with Alloa, though the captain is “delighted” the league leaders managed to remain undefeated through the season’s first quarter. A tough encounter at the Indodrill Stadium was won thanks to a late Adam Eckersley free-kick which found the back of the net via the aid of a deflection. (The Scotsman)

Hibs stumble again

Hibs defender Jordon Forster insists it doesn’t matter how Hibs achieve promotion, so long as they’re back in the Scottish Premiership next season. The Easter Road side slipped 14 points behind rivals Hearts at the summit of the league, which Forster acknowledged to be a “massive gap”. (The Scotsman)

Darren Jamieson is Livingston’s hero

John McGlynn believes other clubs must be monitoring the play of goalkeeper Darren Jamieson after the stopper’s heroics helped Livingston reach the final of the Petrofac Training Cup. Jamieson repelled five of eight spot-kicks faced last season and his shoot-out stop from Anthony Marenghi was already his fourth of this campaign. That save proved decisive as The Lions won the shoot-out 5-4 after the game was tied at 1-1 after 120 minutes. (The Scotsman)McKinlay’s Watford shock

Former Dundee United midfielder Billy McKinlay has expressed his “surprise” and “disappointment” at losing his managerial job with Watford after only eight days in charge. (The Courier)