Tartan Army cool on Craig Levein bid to rewrite Andrew Driver's credentials

SCOTLAND manager Craig Levein will continue his dogged pursuit of Andrew Driver and Andy Carroll despite unease among some fans over the prospect of the former England Under-21 players pulling on a dark blue jersey.

• Driver may yet get the chance to represent Scotland Pic: SNS

Levein is trying to initiate a re-wording of the recent five-year school rule to allow Hearts winger Driver to play for Scotland.

A spokesman for the Tartan Army, however, believes the fact Driver has already represented England makes the level of his desire to play for Scotland open to question.

Oldham-born Driver decided he would like to represent his adopted country after learning that the rule had been introduced, but subsequent checks revealed his Scottish education fell two months short of the criteria.

Levein has also continued to publicly court Newcastle striker Carroll, who qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents, but is keen to represent England.

There was criticism of the Scotland camp in some quarters that the initial pursuit of Driver was allowed to progress to headline-grabbing stage before a check of his school records revealed he did not qualify.

However Levein, who signed Driver for Hearts, appears undeterred by the ruling and said of the winger: "I still haven't given up on Andy. I'm hoping we can rewrite or reword the current agreement. It is a kind of gentleman's agreement between the four nations which then gets lodged with Fifa, so there is still a possibility and we are working on that."

Driver, who played for Scotland Schoolboys, said in Scotland on Sunday: "It all broke down last time but I would still love to be involved and I have been kept in touch with what is happening.

"It all comes down to a technicality and that's why we are hoping they will amend it to make it clear what they mean by a school year."

However, Hamish Husband, spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, feels Driver's past with England Under-21s makes him unsuitable and that in this case Levein should simply abide by the rules.

"There are instances where kids who weren't born in Scotland believe themselves to be Scottish," Husband said. "But Driver hasn't shown enough passion to play for Scotland. Don Hutchison was born in England but he became the last Scotland player to score at Wembley. He was very passionate about playing for Scotland. I don't think you have to be born in Scotland but I'm not convinced about Driver. I think he dug his heels in.

"I think once you have played for England Under-21s there's no going back. It doesn't matter whether it's England or Portugal, by that time you should know."

Levein's continued interest in Carroll is arguably more controversial, given the striker's desire to continue playing for England Under-21s.

Husband added: "Craig Levein is being paid to take us to the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine but I think most fans would like to see some semblance of Scottishness in the players."