WALTER SMITH has urged Celtic and Rangers to raise the bar this season in European club competition because he feels that it will enhance Scotland’s prospects of qualifying for the finals of a leading international tournament.

The Scotland manager was too shrewd to state that Old Firm progress in the Champions League and Uefa Cup would automatically provide him with a passport to Euro 2008, but Smith insisted yesterday that exposure to high levels of competition will benefit the country’s best young players.

Celtic have claimed two wins in the Champions League group stages to leave them on the verge of qualification for the knockout phase and Rangers launched their Uefa Cup group campaign in impressive style last week when they defeated Livorno 3-2 in Italy.

Smith has already promoted young talent from Celtic and Rangers into the national side, with Gary Caldwell, the Celtic defender, and Kris Boyd, the Rangers striker, now established in his plans. However, there are now more young Scots at the Old Firm than at any time for a decade and with Stephen McManus, Shaun Maloney and David Marshall, at Celtic, and Steven Smith, Alan Hutton and Chris Burke, of Rangers, all playing for the Old Firm in Europe, the Scotland manager feels that he might profit from that club experience.

“Europe gives young players a bigger test and experience they might not gain otherwise,” Smith said yesterday in Glasgow. “The more experience they gain from playing top European sides, then that will benefit the national side and also benefits them as players.

“We hope Celtic and Rangers can have long runs in Europe and the Scottish players will get a boost from that. Hopefully, we will then see them at the top level in Europe and at international level.

“It is important for the likes of McManus, Boyd and Maloney to play well and play for their clubs.”

Smith has arranged a B international against Ireland next month and believes that such games are invaluable for the development of future Scotland players. “We have a group of players who have come out of the Under-21 side and they can find themselves in limbo before they get selected for the national side,” Smith said. “So the B international in Dublin will bridge that gap and give younger guys the experience of playing in an environment they are not used to.”

Smith was speaking as he took the search for Scotland’s emerging talent to an even younger level. He was at Hampden Park for the launch of an initiative between Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow Schools Football Association for a new Under-13 league in secondary schools.

He believes that such schemes are vital for future footballing stars. “Hopefully, it will bring back a level of interest in playing football,” the Scotland manager said. “That has been ignored for some time and it is important it starts at primary school level and works its way up to professional and, hopefully, international level.

“This is about giving youngsters an opportunity to participate in the sport. It is difficult in terms of facilities — we do not have street football any more and it is hard to find areas where kids can play. So initiatives which get them playing football are more than welcome.

“The structure has been ignored but we are starting to address that, although there is still a long way to go and, hopefully, we will see the benefits. It is important to get kids active.”