Source: Daily_Mail
Barry Bannan stakes his claim with a dynamic debut in the dark blue
Craig Levein last night hailed debut boy Barry Bannan as the future of Scottish football. Following a comfortable 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands at Pittodrie, which saw Bannan's fellow debutant Danny Wilson score the opener, a thrilled Levein picked out Aston Villa's 20-year-old as a potential star. [LNB]And the Scotland coach insisted that, if Bannan keeps performing at club level, he would be 'silly' not to keep him in the squad. [LNB] Staking his claim: Barry Bannan (left) impressed on his Scotland debut [LNB]Levein, who also saw Kris Commons and Jamie Mackie score their first international goals on a night when a total of seven players were eventually handed Scotland bows, said: 'People don't understand how difficult it is to make your international debut, no matter who you're playing against.[LNB]'I felt that young Bannan in particular, after a shaky first five minutes, really settled down and showed glimpses of what the future is for Scottish football. 'I've been banging the drum this week about us having a group of players who are technically pretty good. [LNB]'I include him in that, I include Danny Wilson in that. 'I have found the one or two I was looking for. This group I'm trying to assemble is good and there have been some fantastic performances in recent games from guys who weren't here tonight. [LNB]'They are around the same age, so there are signs we're getting a decent squad together. 'I want to give them good experiences, for them to enjoy being here and to go away looking forward to the next international match. 'There are a lot of happy players in the dressing room.[LNB]'Overall, I know the cynics thought (this match) wasn't a worthwhile exercise. 'Probably they still think that. But we got to see what I believe is the future of Scottish football tonight.' [LNB]Asked if the diminutive Bannan - compared to Paul Scholes, Xavi and Andres Iniesta by Scotland captain Darren Fletcher - could become a core squad member by the time our Euro 2012 campaign resumes next September, Levein said: 'If he keeps playing the way he is, I'd be silly not to include him.' [LNB]Levein also reserved praise for Charlie Adam, withdrawn through injury in the second half, saying: 'A couple of years ago he wasn't even on the scene but I thought he was fantastic. His range of passing is just delightful and he did the defensive part of the game very well.'[LNB] Scotland 3 Faroe Islands 0: Craig Levein's babes fit the bill as next generation shineGame on boys! Levein remains upbeat ahead of Faroe Islands despite call-offs galore Explore more:People: Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Danny Wilson, Craig Levein, Andres Iniesta, Charlie Adam Places: Scotland
