Hertsscot Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Just a quick thread and would be interested in replies. There's often discussion about players born outwith Scotland and whether we're getting other people's cast offs. How many players do you reckon have opted for us but would have actually been good enough to play for the country of their birth? I can think of a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Bongo Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 We are taking on cast offs due to not producing enough quality ourselves and that lies at the feet of the custodians of the Scottish game The English academy seems to produce a conveyor belt of talent recently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 For starters, Dykes would definitely be good enough to play for Australia. Hell, I'm good enough to play for Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 (edited) I can’t think of any others other than Dykes. Unless we’re including Tierney being good enough to play for Isle of Man. Edited July 8, 2023 by Marky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 I think Mctominay would've made the odd England squad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Pete Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 58 minutes ago, Marky said: I can’t think of any others other than Dykes. Unless we’re including Tierney being good enough to play for Isle of Man. I’m sure Shaun Maloney would have got a game for Malaysia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottincarlisle Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Matt Elliott surely would have been a star for England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Pete Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Richard Gough was definitely good enough to play for Sweden although he might have struggled to get into their starting 11 in the mid 90s. England would have killed for a keeper as good as Goram at various times during his career. Most other England born players would have struggled to get into the England team except maybe for the odd cap hence the reason most of them played for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Pete Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 2 minutes ago, scottincarlisle said: Matt Elliott surely would have been a star for England. It’s a shame for him that he wasn’t born in Brazil or he’d definitely have won a couple of world cups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Joe Baker actually did play for England. Very unfortunate that he couldn't link up with his great pal Denis Law in a Scotland team 😕 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceudmilefailte Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 33 minutes ago, Texas Pete said: Richard Gough was definitely good enough to play for Sweden although he might have struggled to get into their starting 11 in the mid 90s. England would have killed for a keeper as good as Goram at various times during his career. Most other England born players would have struggled to get into the England team except maybe for the odd cap hence the reason most of them played for us. You'll be saying the same about Angus Gunn as you did about Goram in 5 years time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 (edited) 25 minutes ago, Toepoke said: Joe Baker actually did play for England. Very unfortunate that he couldn't link up with his great pal Denis Law in a Scotland team 😕 Forgot to add Joe's brother Gerry played for the USA (although he probably wasn't good enough to win Scottish caps at the time). Bruce Rioch would surely have got at least one game for England. David Harvey too, given that he was part of the great Leeds team of the 70s. Edited July 8, 2023 by Toepoke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Stuart McCall another who knocked back England for us, literally as he was warming up to come on as a sub for us. I'm not sure whether Trevor Steven was eligible for Scotland caps, depends whereabouts in Berwick he was born (apparently north of the Tweed counts as Scotland!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertsscot Posted July 8, 2023 Author Share Posted July 8, 2023 3 hours ago, todd said: For starters, Dykes would definitely be good enough to play for Australia. Hell, I'm good enough to play for Australia. Dykes was on my list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertsscot Posted July 8, 2023 Author Share Posted July 8, 2023 1 hour ago, Texas Pete said: Richard Gough was definitely good enough to play for Sweden although he might have struggled to get into their starting 11 in the mid 90s. England would have killed for a keeper as good as Goram at various times during his career. Most other England born players would have struggled to get into the England team except maybe for the odd cap hence the reason most of them played for us. Both Goram and Gough were in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 1 hour ago, ceudmilefailte said: You'll be saying the same about Angus Gunn as you did about Goram in 5 years time.. You could well be right mate. Has any Scotland keeper had such an incredible start to their international career? Bizarrely, he hasn't had a huge amount to do but I must say he does seem to ooze confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 19 minutes ago, todd said: Has any Scotland keeper had such an incredible start to their international career? Ronnie Simpson's debut wasn't bad, beat the world champions at Wembley (he was 36 at the time too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotlad Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Makes me wonder how many players we "lost" to other countries would have been good enough to earn caps for us. Harry Souttar is an obvious recent example, so are McCarthy and McGeady. Further back Ray Houghton surely would (and probably should) have won dozens of Scotland caps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Pete Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 12 minutes ago, scotlad said: Makes me wonder how many players we "lost" to other countries would have been good enough to earn caps for us. Harry Souttar is an obvious recent example, so are McCarthy and McGeady. Further back Ray Houghton surely would (and probably should) have won dozens of Scotland caps. I don’t think McGrady ever had any intention of playing for Scotland and McCarthy went with Ireland very early on so Ireland were welcome to them both as far as I’m concerned. Houghton was another one of Roxburgh’s balls ups. Scott Arfield should definitely have been capped when he was at Burnley I think but I wouldn’t say he was a massive loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 (edited) 40 minutes ago, Texas Pete said: I don’t think McGrady ever had any intention of playing for Scotland and McCarthy went with Ireland very early on so Ireland were welcome to them both as far as I’m concerned. Houghton was another one of Roxburgh’s balls ups. Scott Arfield should definitely have been capped when he was at Burnley I think but I wouldn’t say he was a massive loss. Accurate assessment, as I remember it, I'd say. Especially that arsehole 'McGrady' 😄 Edited July 8, 2023 by todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hertsscot Posted July 8, 2023 Author Share Posted July 8, 2023 3 hours ago, Toepoke said: Forgot to add Joe's brother Gerry played for the USA (although he probably wasn't good enough to win Scottish caps at the time). Bruce Rioch would surely have got at least one game for England. David Harvey too, given that he was part of the great Leeds team of the 70s. Interesting shouts on Rioch and Harvey. I'd not really considered either of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 11 minutes ago, Hertsscot said: Interesting shouts on Rioch and Harvey. I'd not really considered either of those. Mind in my childhood my brother was a mad Leeds fan and I'd always reference David Harvey as an extra for Planet of the Apes. Used to end up in brotherly fisticuffs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 1 hour ago, Texas Pete said: Houghton was another one of Roxburgh’s balls ups. Won his first Irish caps when Alex Ferguson was manager, so Roxy's off the hook there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toepoke Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 2 hours ago, Toepoke said: Stuart McCall another who knocked back England for us, literally as he was warming up to come on as a sub for them! Noticed a typo there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose97 Posted July 8, 2023 Share Posted July 8, 2023 Rod Stewart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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