Christophe Berra recalled to the Scotland squad
Christophe Berra
Ipswich Town centre-half Christophe Berra has been recalled to the Scotland squad.
The 28-year-old was a regular international player for a number of years, earning 27 caps. However he was dropped last season when he lost his place in the Wolves team after making it clear he wanted to leave in the summer.
Now, following 11 appearances for the Blues, he’s won his place back in Gordon Strachan’s squad for their friendlies against the USA at Hampden Park (Friday, November 15) and in Norway on the following Tuesday.
Speaking last month, the Edinburgh-born defender said: “When I was at Wolves I played 16 or 17 games in a row for Scotland but I wasn’t involved in the squads at Wolves for my last two or three months there so I wasn’t being picked for Scotland.
“If you’re not playing regularly at club level you don’t deserve to be in the squad.
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“Imagine if I wasn’t playing regularly and starting for Scotland. There would be people who were playing every week saying ‘how come he’s playing?’ That’s the way it works.”
He added: “I haven’t given up hope of playing again. I was in the team for Gordon Strachan’s first game, which we won. We kept a clean sheet and I did well but then after that I wasn’t playing for Wolves.
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“I’ve been involved in international football since I was about 20 and this is the first time for a long time when I’ve actually had days off instead of being away in a hotel for 10 days, bored out of my nut and missing my family and friends.
“I don’t know if it’s me personally or if I’ve done anything wrong. Maybe he (Strachan) just wants me to play more games for Ipswich. We’ll just have to give it time and wait and see.”
If he is involved in either game, Berra will be the first Town player to represent Scotland for exactly 30 years when John Wark played in a 2-1 defeat to East Germany in a European Championships qualifier.
He faces competition for a place from Brighton’s Gordon Greer, Blackburn’s Grant Hanley and Celtic’s Charlie Mulgrew.
Meanwhile, Jack Marriott scored both goals as Ipswich Town’s Under-21 side drew 2-2 at Swansea this afternoon.
All the goals came in the first half as twice the Welsh hosts took the lead in the first half, only for Marriott to level things up. The 19-year-old striker prodded home his first after a goalmouth scramble, his second a sublime 20-yard effort.
