Steve Clarke insists Scotland will not give up hope of securing the services of Elliot Anderson in the future.
The national team boss has addressed the Newcastle midfielder's situation amid speculation the player has had second thoughts about representing Scotland rather than England.
Born in Whitley Bay, the 20-year-old qualifies for Scotland through the grandparent rule. He has turned out at youth level for both nations.
He was called up to Clarke's most recent squad but pulled out citing an injury as his reason.
🏴 "I get all the story around it because we're playing England..." Scotland manager Steve Clarke on the international futures of Elliot Anderson and Harvey Barnes 👇 pic.twitter.com/3gbxo533y2
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 11, 2023
Gareth Southgate is keen on the player, and while he has not represented either country in a competitive game, his international future remains up in the air.
Clarke also addressed reports suggesting Harvey Barnes could change his allegiances to Scotland.
"We want the best players we can possibly get," said Clarke. "If they are eligible for Scotland and got a chance to play for Scotland and improve the squad which I have got, which is not an easy thing to do.
I get the story around it because we are playing England, you want to speak about Elliot, you want to speak about Harvey, I quite like speaking about the boys we have got. They have put us in a really good position and deserve a lot of credit for that."
On Southgate's comments on Anderson, he added: "We like the player as well. Elliot will still have that choice to make.
"When I come out of this camp I will look at what we have done, what we've had, what's occurred over this camp. We will do a debrief and then we will shape what we do from there."
On the game itself, it will commemorate the oldest fixture in international football at the national stadium.
Clarke said: "It's been 150 years in the making. They are always good, competitive games. In the modern era, certainly in my lifetime, England has moved a little bit further in front. We're trying to close the gap on them and we'll find out tomorrow how much we've closed it.
"It will be a competitive friendly if you can have such a thing. I think both teams will want to win. The boys, from both sides, interact with each other at different clubs. They come across each other all season, so both sides will want the bragging rights."
