Alex Neil believes Ross Stewart will get a Scotland chance - even though he has yet to receive a call-up. Sunderland striker Stewart is League One's top scorer with 22 goals this season, but has so far been overlooked at international level.
He was not included in the squad for the friendly against Poland at Hampden Park next Thursday, with Scotland coach Steve Clarke instead picking Southampton's Che Adams, Stoke's Jacob Brown, Bournemouth's Ryan Christie, and QPR's Lyndon Dykes, as his strikers - none of which have reached double figures in their respective leagues this season. Stewart is being monitored by Scotland, and Black Cats boss Neil says Clarke's assistant John Carver was at a game recently to to keep an eye on the 25-year-old.
But while the former Ross County man has yet to receive the call, Neil is convinced that his time will come. "I'm sure Scotland will be keeping tabs on all the Scottish players," he said.
"I think John Carver was at one of our recent matches, and I'm sure he was taking a look at Ross and any other players on the day. Steve [Clarke] has a lot to choose from and he will make his best choice, but Ross has done himself no harm whatsoever this season with the amount of goals he has scored and how well he has played.
"I can foresee, going forward, Ross getting an opportunity but that will be Steve's decision."
While Stewart is still waiting for a call-up, defender Trai Hume was this week brought into the senior Northern Ireland set-up for the first time. January signing Hume, who turned 20 yesterday, was included in Ian Baraclough's squad for the friendlies against Luxembourg and Hungary later this month.
Neil said: "Trai started some of the games when I first came in, he's been on the bench of late but he has been training well and I've been pleased with him. We've kept three clean sheets in four games, and that was something we needed to improve on and it has improved, so Trai just needs to continue doing what he is doing because he is progressing well.
"That call-up is a good thing for Trai, and I'm really pleased for him."
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