George Burley has come through various minor squalls in his eight months as
Scotland manager but he remains quietly sure-footed, as evidenced again
yesterday by his bold decision to call up Chris Iwelumo, the Wolverhampton
Wanderers striker, for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Norway at
Hampden Park in eight days' time.
There were raised eyebrows around Scotland yesterday at Iwelumo's inclusion,
until Burley proceeded to make a convincing case for the 30-year-old
player's belated introduction to the international scene. Just to be even
more bold, Burley recalled Jamie McAllister, the Bristol City full-back,
whose one and only previous Scotland appearance was under Berti Vogts more
than four years ago.
Iwelumo has caught the Scotland manager's eye on a recent scoring streak for
Mick McCarthy's Wolves but it is the striker's itinerant and faintly
intriguing career so far which makes him a fascinating case. A tall,
aggressive striker, whose mother is Scottish and father is Nigerian, Iwelumo
began his career 12 years ago with St Mirren, followed by spells in Danish
and German football, before he started doing the rounds of Stoke City,
Colchester United, Charlton Athletic and Wolves in the midriff of the
English game.
Burley knew of Iwelumo's growing prowess when he was the manager of
Southampton and the striker began firing in goals for Colchester, and has
kept an eye on him. The striker scored a hat-trick two weeks ago for Wolves
in a controversial game against Preston North End, following which he got
sent off for an alleged head-butt, despite even some Preston players
protesting Iwelumo's innocence to the referee.
“I've known about Chris for quite a while and have seen his game develop,”
Burley said. “He is in the squad because of his current form and also
because he gives us another option.
“Chris is not only a big target man but he has added goals to his game. I've
known about him for years, from his time at Colchester, and he's scored
something like eight goals in his last seven games, so that's impressive
stuff. He's also improved as a player - he is now more athletic and is
getting goals.
“As I say, because he's different, he will give us options. We've got elusive
players who can take people on but Chris is something else. I spoke to Mick
McCarthy about him and he told me that he has been tremendous recently for
Wolves.”
Iwelumo himself was thrilled as well as surprised at his call-up. “I was
having a look at the last squad and there were probably four players over 30
in there,” he said. “It's good to have that experience but this is a first
for me. There are some great players in the squad and, hopefully, I'll be
able to show what I'm about.
“It has been a long time coming but I'm just delighted it has happened. It's
every player's dream to represent their country - or at least be involved -
and, hopefully, I'll get a chance.”
Iwelumo will fight for a starting place against Norway alongside Kris Boyd,
Kenny Miller and Jams McFadden. Burley has also called up Steven Fletcher,
of Hibernian.
McAllister's inclusion also caused a minor stir yesterday. The 30-year-old
full-back bears the dubious distinction of having won his only previous
Scotland cap four years ago against Trinidad and Tobago at Easter Road, a
match where, in a fit of false optimism, the Tartan Army repeatedly chanted
Berti Vogts's name during a 4-1 win. It has taken McAllister's international
career the intervening period to recover.
“I knew Jamie at Hearts, where he was more of a midfield player, but he's now
a regular full-back at Bristol City and playing very well,” Burley said. “We
needed another left-back, with Callum Davidson not playing much football at
the moment, so that's why Jamie is in. I know him pretty well, he is a top
professional.”
Burley has also kept faith with Allan McGregor, the Rangers goalkeeper,
despite his current demotion at Ibrox, and has recalled David Weir to the
squad. With Stephen McManus suspended, Weir, now 38, is a certain starter
against Norway.
Burley, having been buffeted by rash headlines following Scotland's loss to
Macedonia last month, is savouring the visit of the Scandinavians, where
victory for Scotland would suddenly place them in a healthy position in the
five-team group nine. Norway, having drawn their opener 2-2 against Iceland
at home, will need to take something away with them from Glasgow,
guaranteeing the match a taut edge.
“It will be a British-type game,” Burley said. “Norway have a lot of height
and strength, with guys like John Carew, but we're used to that. That won't
worry us, we've got defenders who are used to coping with that sort of
style.
“It is a tight group, a very competitive one, and every game is very
important. We've had our two away games and now we are at home. If we can
get to six points, thus leaving Norway with one, it would be a big ask of
Norway for the rest of the campaign. They will feel they need to take
something from our game, so it is big for both countries.”
Iwelumo's life and times
1978: Born on August 1 in Coatbridge to a Scottish mother and Nigerian
father.
1996: Joins St Mirren as a trainee and makes his debut while still at
school.
1998: Signs for Aarhus in Denmark.
1999: Released from Aarhus in December.
2000: Trials for Preston North End where David Moyes, the manager,
watches him score two goals but it is Stoke City who buy the striker for
£25,000 and give him a four-year contract. November: Goes on loan to York
City, where he plays 16 games finding the net three times.
2001: Joins Cheltenham Town on loan from Stoke in February and plays
four games, scoring once.
2002: March: Extends his contract with Stoke for two years. He goes on
to play 81 more games for the club, scoring 19 times. May: Called up to the
Scotland B squad for a tour to South Korea but has to return to Stoke for
the League play-offs.
2004: March: Signs for Brighton & Hove Albion until the end of the
season and helps them to win promotion. July: Stoke officially release
Iwelumo, who then rejects the offer of a two-year contract with Brighton. He
is lured on a free transfer to the Bundesliga side Alemannia Aachen hoping
for Uefa Cup football. Aachen release him after only six months.
2005: July: Eventually signs for Colchester United. Iwelumo starts
every league game and finds the net 17 times as United win promotion to the
Championship.
2006: Scores four goals as Colchester thrash Hull City 5-1. United
finish in their highest ever place in the football league - tenth in their
first season in the second tier.
2007: May: Iwelumo rejects a new contract with Colchester and signs for
Charlton Athletic on a free transfer. He plays in every league game for the
third season in a row, wins November's player of the month award and
finishes his most successful term as the club's top scorer with ten goals.
November: Plays for the Scotland B team in a friendly against Ireland. He
does not score.
2008: July: Charlton announce that they will have to sell players to
cut costs and Iwelumo signs for Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed
fee. September: Scores a hat-trick including an acrobatic overhead kick and
then gets sent off for an alleged headbutt on Sean Ledger, of Preston, as
Wolves win 3-1 at Deepdale. October: Earns maiden call-up to the senior
Scotland squad ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Norway.
Scotland squad
Goalkeepers: C Gordon (Sunderland), A McGregor (Rangers), D Marshall
(Norwich City). Defenders: G Alexander (Burnley), D Barr (Falkirk), C
Berra (Heart of Midlothian), K Broadfoot (Rangers), G Caldwell (Celtic), J
McAllister (Bristol City), G Naysmith (Sheffield United), D Weir (Rangers). Midfielders:
S Brown (Celtic), K Commons (Derby County), D Fletcher (Manchester United),
P Hartley (Celtic), S Maloney (Celtic), J Morrison (West Bromwich Albion), B
Robson (Celtic), K Thomson (Rangers). Forwards: K Boyd (Rangers), D
Clarkson (Motherwell), S Fletcher (Hibernian), C Iwelumo (Wolverhampton
Wanderers), J McFadden (Birmingham City), K Miller (Rangers).
