How does jordan rhodes qualify for scotland

U21 Squad 8. A Squad Matches. Debut Match cyprus 1 - 2 scotland. Last Match scotland 1 - 1 canada. View More Players. Going by recent history, he will also be the only one, which should not fill the Sunderland player with anticipation. Like governments, football managers shouldn't be entirely exempt from probing or criticism simply on the grounds of what trouble may have come before. In Scotland, it has become media commonplace to batter certain managers of the international team — see George Burley — while adopting a "king is dead, long live the king" approach to others.

Strachan falls into the latter category and is, indeed, due respect on account of his achievements at Celtic. Still, despite Strachan continually referring to a lack of "concentration" causing Scotland's friendly defeat to England at Wembley, the reality appeared closer to players simply not knowing who to mark at set-plays. It is now legitimate to press Strachan on his attitude towards Rhodes, a player who routinely displays one regular commodity which Scotland so dismally lack.

The matter is especially pertinent given the proven scoring ability at club level of not only Rhodes but Leigh Griffiths. The latter, who excelled last season at Hibernian and has started this season with similarly impressive touch at Wolves, was so isolated during Scotland's loss to Belgium on Friday that it was impossible not to feel sympathy. The Belgium goalkeeper, it should be noted, did not have a single save to make during Scotland's latest bleak Hampden encounter. Rhodes has scored 13 goals for League One Huddersfield and has also hit five goals in his last two games for Scotland Unders.

The senior side's friendly at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium was arranged to coincide with the Euro play-offs after Scotland's failure to make that stage of the tournament. Oldham-born year-old Rhodes qualifies for Scotland because he attended school in the country for more than five years while his English father, Andy, played in Scottish football.

The in-form forward is in line for his senior debut in a friendly against Cyprus on Friday 11 November. Rhodes has been in blistering form for both club and country, with 13 goals for Huddersfield in League One and another five in his last two games for Scotland Unders. That form has earned him a first call-up to Craig Levein's squad for the friendly in Lanarca before rejoining the Unders as they prepare for a crucial European Championship qualifier away to the Netherlands on Monday 14 November.