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BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What's wrong with wanting to be best?
Nations League play-off, first leg: Greece v ScotlandVenue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds; live text coverage & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website & app Scotland head coach Steve Clarke says it is wrong to criticise Lennon Miller after the 18-year-old Motherwell midfielder stated he wants to become the best player in the national squad. Miller said last week he was is on achieving that goal in "a couple of months" despite taking part in his first senior camp as Scotland prepare to face Greece in Thursday's first leg of their Nations League play-off, live on the BBC. The teenager's comments have sparked discussion, with Scotland assistant John Carver suggesting Miller might benefit from a "little bit of guidance".Fellow midfielder John McGinn empathised with Miller's youthful confidence but suggested he might come to regret such a bold Clarke told BBC Scotland: "I think that it's wrong that he's criticised for wanting to improve. He wants to be the best, what's wrong with that?"Hopefully Lennon comes into this camp and sees how difficult it is to be the best and that should drive him on. "I'm amazed there has been two or three days headlines about it because, for me, it is not a headline story. It a young boy who wants to improve. "What's wrong with that? I'm coming up to 62 and I still want to improve." Dad winds up Miller about 'word vomit' Miller's father Lee - a former Scotland striker - thinks "respectful and confident" Lennon gave an "excellent" account of himself when speaking to the speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he said his boy was struck by a bout of "word vomit"."I spoke to him when I came home from work and I said, 'I listened to your interview, it was excellent... two months and you're going to be the best player,' and he just laughed and thought, 'Oh I know, I know, I messed up'. "And I said 'No, you've got belief in yourself'. Obviously the words didn't come out right, but that's word vomit."When you're put in front of that camera, when you're asked so many questions, you feel as if you have to say something and he's just blurted that out. "He probably never thought about it at the time, but when I was winding him up about it he just kind of laughed and thought 'Aw naw'."
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Robertson eyes Dalglish's Scotland cap record
Nations League play-offs: Greece v ScotlandVenue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Time: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds; live text coverage & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website & app Not only has Andy Robertson given no consideration to international retirement, but the Scotland captain has also been teasing Sir Kenny Dalglish that he is chasing down his caps Liverpool left-back, 31, will move third in the all-time list should he make his 81st appearance in the first leg of the Nations League play-off in Greece on Thursday - live on BBC out the national team for that game will take him past Darren Fletcher, leaving just Jim Leighton (91) and Dalglish (102) ahead of him."I actually said to Kenny the other week, 'I'm coming for you'," Robertson told BBC Scotland of the Liverpool legend. "His reply was plenty of players have said that before and he's still the main man."Robertson made his Scotland debut under Gordon Strachan in 2014 while at Dundee United and was first made captain by Alex McLeish four years later."I love playing for Scotland, showing up for every camp, and I want to get as many caps as I can," he said. "Wherever that takes me, it takes me. I'm incredibly proud to get to 80."You just deal with what's in front of you. There's so much going on, you can't look too far ahead."You need a bit of luck with injuries but I do everything I can to make sure I'm in the best possible shape for Liverpool and Scotland." Robertson's fourth international goal came in stoppage-time against Poland in November, earning a 2-1 victory in Warsaw to clinch third place in Nations League Group Scotland must prevail against Greece to remain in the tournament's top to the captain, the team made "huge strides" in their debut Group A campaign, amassing seven points from the final three games after losing the first three."The Nations League has been important for us and the aim was always to get to Group A," said Robertson. "We then saw the rewards when we held our own against Portugal and Croatia."There was a lot of negativity after the Euros and rightly so. We believed we could get out of the group and we didn't perform to the levels we know we can. "There was a lot of talk around 'is this the end for this squad?' But I think we have bounced back really well."Greece finished runners-up behind England on goal difference in their B-level group and, at 39th, are six places above Scotland in the world rankings."They're a really good team at home and don't concede many goals," said Robertson. "It will be difficult but we believe we can given anyone a game."Having not faced Greece since the road to Euro 96, Scotland will meet them again later this year in World Cup and the defeated side in the Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark are the other opponents, with matches beginning in September and concluding in have not been at the World Cup since 1998, when Robertson was aged said: "You look at the group and think 'can we compete?' Yes, that's a definite, but it's going to be tough."Hopefully, we have everyone fit and we can give it a right good shot. Playing at a World Cup would be the ultimate." Robertson was promoting the Chase Football Programme, which is helping people from low-income backgrounds get into coaching by fully funding their qualifications, after being reunited with former Queen's Park coach David McCallum.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hirst backed by England-cap dad for Scotland switch
Nations League play-off, first leg: Greece v ScotlandVenue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds; live text coverage & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website & app New Scotland call-up George Hirst says he has the full backing of his England-capped father to make his "dream" switch to Steve Clarke's striker David Hirst, now 57, made three times England appearances while playing for Sheffield son George represented England from under-17 to under-20 level but has now accepted the call to join Clarke's squad for the Nations League play-off double header against Greece."His first words were 'go and do it. Your grandad would be very proud of you for going to play for Scotland'," Ipswich Town striker Hirst said of his call to inform his dad. "He said the greatest honour in his career was playing international football. He said give it your best shot and see where it takes you. "It's a bit of a dream come true. It is a chance to play international football and my grandad was sort of Scottish and it's an opportunity to go and make him proud."Clarke need a similar target man with Lyndon Dykes missing through injury, but Hirst has known for some time about Scotland's interest."It's always been a big aim of mine," he said. "I've been asked about it by the media at Ipswich over the last year and I've tried to bat it off as I was just going to focus on Ipswich, but if I'm brutally honest, it's always been on the back of my mind."He dropped me a text and asked for a phone call and we spoke for five or 10 minutes saying he wanted to know if I was interested in playing for Scotland."I went to speak to my partner and my family about it, but straight away I said yeh. It is an opportunity I can't turn down."Hirst has made 20 appearances for his Premier League club this season, only three of them starts, but he timed his third goal of the season perfectly when Clarke scouted him in their FA Cup penalty shoot-out defeat by Nottingham Forest two weeks ago.A fourth goal followed in the weekend 4-2 league defeat by the same opponents."Obviously I saw little bits on Twitter after the game about who was there to watch and I knew it was myself," Hirst said. "I tried to keep a little bit hush about that."I knew he was going to be there. Obviously it was good timing to get the goal."Asked what kind of player "the loudest fans in the world" would see, he suggested: "Intense. I like to get after people. I like to press. "I think the one thing I can guarantee is that, if my touch isn't there, if my finishing isn't there for whatever reason, the worst you are going to get is a seven out of 10. Hopefully there will be plenty of goals along with that."
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Greeks summon legend of King Otto before Scotland tie
Nations League play-off, first leg: Greece v ScotlandVenue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Time: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds; live text coverage & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website & app "As Greek history tells us, the gods always have their own plans."The words, not of a philosopher, but of a German football coach by the name of Otto is not a king, or indeed royalty, but in Athens' folklore, he might as well took over as Greece national football coach in 2001 and was immediately on the receiving end of a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Finland in Helskini in his opening game in less than three years, he turned them into European champions. This was no Greek mythology but reality in what seemed like a parallel 2004 was Greek football's utopia. Sixteen teams took part in the tournament staged in Portugal - and Greece were 15th favourites to win it given they were taking part in their first Euros in 24 years and just a second ever. Only minnows Latvia were seen as less likely winners of the Henri Delaunay trophy in followed was akin to a footballing years earlier, Denmark, who had not even qualified for Euro 92, upset the odds to capitalise on their late reprieve courtesy of Yugoslavia's expulsion and, as celebrated a success as that was, it was an eight-team tournament in those was different. Defending champions France with Zidane and Henry, Germany with Ballack and Klose, Spain with Xavi and Raul, and England with Beckham and Rooney were all is not to mention the Greeks' first opponents and hosts, who were much fancied to win on home soil with Ronaldo, Figo and Costa in meant nothing to Renhagel. Greece stunned the locals with a 2-1 win in Porto on the opening night and, while they had to make do with second spot behind them at the end of the group stage, their party was only just did not exactly excite the neutrals with the style in which they went about it, but France and Czech Republic were dispatched in their quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, before a rematch against the Portuguese in Lisbon in the showpiece. Surely lightning wouldn't strike twice?Step forward Angelos Charisteas, who wrote his name into history with the only goal to inspire scenes of jubilation, not least amongst the 100,000 who spilled on to Athens' Omonia Square that ex-pats across the world stopped traffic and partied long into the night and Renhagel was the mastermind behind it. He was a German, but he was also now a Greek won each of their knock-out games 1-0, including the only ever use of the "silver goal" rule, when they beat the Czechs in that semi."The Greeks have made football history. It's a sensation," Renhagel said. And it was."King Otto's" reign continued until 2010 and it has been a rollercoaster for Greece ever since as they prepare to welcome Steve Clarke's Scotland to Pireaus for the first leg of their Nations League play-off on Thursday. Greek renaissance before Scotland tie Greece have been to two European Championships since winning it and two World Cups as well, but they have also suffered the ignominy of two defeats by Faroe Islands during a botched bid to reach Euro 2016 and a plummet down the results suggest there could be a Greek was epitomised by a superb yet emotional victory in London over England during their Nations League group, coming just days after the death of English-born full-back and 12-times capped Greece international George striker Vangelis Pavlidis scored both goals at Wembley and proudly held aloft up a shirt with his team-mate's name in tribute. Pavlidis will be a man Clarke will be wary of before this week's first won that group by virtue of a 3-0 win in Athens, where two late goals turned the head-to-head in their Greece's 15 points would have been enough to win any other section in League B and now they will look to beat Scotland and move into League A for the first week's hosts have only lost twice on home soil in four years - that reverse against England and a Euro 2024 qualifier against the Netherlands, so they are the threat of Pavlidis, they have Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis, Panathinikos striker Fotis Ioannidis and highly sought-after young midfielders Giannis Konstantelias, of PAOK, and Olympiakos' 18-year-old Christos are already some huge clubs interested in Konstantinos Karetsas. At 17, the Genk attacker has received his maiden senior call-up after switching allegiance from Belgium and the league leaders will do well to retain the teenager beyond this season given apparent interest from Manchester City and ArsenalThese will be just the third and fourth meetings between the nations at this level, with another two to come in World Cup qualifying later this year."King Otto" is unlikely to be matched, but it will not stop them trying to overcome the odds again.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'He's probably thinking, why did I say that?'
Nations League play-off, first leg: Greece v ScotlandVenue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Thursday, 20 March Time: 19:45 GMTCoverage: Watch on BBC One Scotland & iPlayer; listen on BBC Radio Scotland & Sounds; live text coverage & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website & app John McGinn believes Lennon Miller might regret saying he could soon become Scotland's best player but has backed the Motherwell 18-year-old to come through a nerve-wracking squad debut with flying colours - just like he did nine years hearing that he had been called up for the Nations League play-off double header against Greece, fellow midfielder Lennon had said: "I'm obviously not going to go in and be the best player there, but I believe I could maybe in a couple of months be the best player there."Scotland assistant coach John Carver said the comment showed Miller needed "a little bit of guidance", while McGinn, 30, suggested: "He's probably thinking - why did I say that? But I said plenty of stupid things when I was coming through at St Mirren."The Aston Villa captain recalled that his own first call-up came while he was 21 and playing in Scotland's second tier with Hibernian - a decision that earned criticism from a more seasoned international midfielder. "I remember Charlie Adam did an interview on my first day from Stoke's training ground asking why there were Scottish Championship players getting called up, which wasn't too helpful at the time," McGinn said."I don't think he was aiming it at me individually or personally. Just the timing of it was a bit of a disaster as I was already a bit nervous and star struck. So, at my first lunch at Mar Hall, all the experienced boys were getting right on me, like, 'you shouldn't be in the squad'."My session 30 minutes later wasn't great. It was nerve wracking. Shaun Maloney made me feel that small, turning me inside out and I remember going back to my room and thinking to myself, 'I can't compete at this level, they were too good'."But, as the sessions go on, as you get more experience, you get more comfortable and you start to express yourself more."McGinn recalled that Adam was not the only one who thought a player from his club level should not be playing for Scotland."I will always be grateful to Gordon Strachan for giving me that opportunity and he flung me right in for my debut that week," he said."There was a lot of pressure on me and I felt it a little bit, but I remember that first game next to Broony [Scott Brown]. Little nuggets of wisdom during the game, support before the game, and you start to feel at home."Indeed, McGinn played the full 90 minutes of that 1-0 friendly victory over Denmark, was named man of the match and has gone on to earn 73 he is looking forward to playing alongside a "confident" player he has watched develop in action alongside his brother, Paul McGinn, at Fir Park, as well as another 18-year-old squad debutant - Heart of Midlothian striker James Wilson."They are not here to make the numbers up," McGinn added. "They are here to take our places if they, eventually, are better than the ones who are here. He definitely has the ability to do so and so does James."
