ANYONE WILL DO FOR WEB

ANDY WEBSTER didn't care whether the Scotland B team were playing in Ireland or Iraq. He just wanted to be on that plane.

Mind you, after being ostracised by Vladimir Romanov and made to pound the streets of Edinburgh on his own for months, he would have gone anywhere for a game of football.

Webster, rather understandably, didn't want to dwell on the way his Hearts career ended.

So the central defender will lead out the Scots in Dublin tonight a happy and relieved man that he is now a Premiership star with highflying Wigan and not that former footballer who used to jog around parks on his own in an attempt to stay fit.

Webster said: "It's nice to be back for Scotland in any shape or form. I spoke to the manager a couple of weeks ago and he told me there was a game coming up.

"I didn't even ask where it was or who it was against. I just wanted to back involved again.

"It has been difficult. It's in the past now and I'm back playing football again and don't have to worry about anything else.

"I haven't played a lot of games over the past seven months so hopefully this is a stepping stone to getting back to full fitness and getting match sharpness. Any game of importance is nice.

"I wouldn't say I was unfit but there is nothing like competitive matches.

"When everything was going on at Hearts I had to train myself. Circumstances dictated that. I was on my own, away from Riccarton, away from the club. I made a conscious decision to do that.

"Generally, footballers have to be mentally tough. I think what I went through is different. I've learned a lot over the past few months, which had nothing to do with football.

"I'd like to think I've come out of this a wee bit more aware and a bit tougher as well.

"But that's in the past. It's finished. I just want to play Premiership football and be with the Scotland squad again."

Taken from the Daily Record