Source: Northern_Echo
Carroll considers Scotland
ANDY CARROLL is ready to set his international sights on the Scotland squad, despite a string of impressive performances for England Under-21s.[LNB] The Newcastle striker has become a regular in Stuart Pearce's representative side, but despite scoring 12 goals this season, he remains well down the pecking order when it comes to selection for Fabio Capello's senior squad.[LNB] That has alerted officials at the Scottish Football Association, who are aware that Carroll qualifies to play for the Tartan Army thanks to a Scottish grandmother.[LNB] SFA chief scout Michael Oliver has identified 21-yearold Carroll as one of a number of English-based players who could bolster Craig Levein's squad ahead of the European Championships qualifying campaign.[LNB] While the Gateshead-born marksman continues to regard himself as English, he is considering a switch of allegiance that would fast-track him towards a full international cap.[LNB] I've heard I am wanted by Scotland, said Carroll, whose 82nd-minute equaliser earned Newcastle a valuable point in Saturday's Tees-Tyne derby.[LNB] I'm obviously doing well with the England Under-21s and I'll see what's happening there, but I'd be lying if I said the Scotland thing wasn't in the back of my mind.[LNB] It's nice to know I'm wanted.[LNB] But England is where I'm from, and that's who I want to play for really.[LNB] A few of the backroom staff at Newcastle are Scottish (most notably assistant manager Colin Calderwood and physio Davey Henderson) and they are getting on at me about playing for Scotland.[LNB] They keep telling me to get up there, and you never know, that might be what ends up happening. We'll just have to see how it goes.[LNB] Scotland fielded Rangers duo Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd when they beat Czech Republic in a friendly this month, but the presence of Bristol City loanee Chris Iwelumo on the bench underlines the limited nature of their attacking options.[LNB] Carroll has developed into a regular Championship goalscorer this season, and his strike rate of almost a goal every other game has been a major factor in Newcastle's rise to the top of the table.[LNB] It was a good result, he said. Forest getting beat helps, but we just need to concentrate on what we are doing.[LNB] I always thought we had the quality to get the equaliser.[LNB] It looked like it was slipping away, but it just shows our resilience to dig out a result.[LNB] It wasn't the best performance we have turned in from the whole team, and I thought I was poor too, but we all stuck together and worked hard.[LNB]
