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Football: Walter's Sounding Up Beatt

Posted on: Sunday, 21 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

WALTER SMITH will name his squad for the crucial World Cup clash against Italy on Tuesday and Celtic starlet Craig Beattie looks certain to be in it.

And it will cap an amazing leap into international football for the 21-year-old, who is struggling to reach the Parkhead first team.

But Smith has been impressed by the attitude and application of Beattie in the Under-21 side, for whom he scored twice on Tuesday, as the Scots defeated Austria 3-1.

It will be the second time that Smith has given Beattie his big break, for as a kid he was the last player the Scotland boss signed for Rangers - as a right back in the spring of 1998.

But defending did not turn out to be his forte and after being released by the Ibrox club, it was bitter rivals Celtic who found the key to his game and the goals have been flowing ever since.

Smith said: "Craig did well for the Under-21 team on Tuesday and I brought him into the full squad to give him a feel for the group.

"I could have given him 15 minutes but that would have been unfair on Celtic but there's a bit about the lad and he's confident."

All the big guns will be back for the big one at Hampden on Saturday week - Barry Ferguson, David Weir, Darren Fletcher and James McFadden - but Smith was delighted with the display in Graz.

He added: "There's obvious disappointment in not winning the match and if it had been a competitive game, then we would not have made the changes we made at half time.

"But if we had to play the friendly it was only fair that we gave players their opportunity, I said to them before the game that we would and I wasn't going back on my word.

"It's no use constantly asking guys to join up with us and then not playing them so it was good to get so many involved.

"We've asked for a better standard of performance and more consistency and I can't praise them enough for the response we've had.

"But now we have to ask then to rise up to another level again against Italy, who are getting their act together after a bit of tinkering by their coach."

Source: Sunday Mirror; London

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