Scotland manager Steve Clarke hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with the Rangers support.
The former Kilmarnock manager famously said ‘bye-bye’ to the Gers when the Rugby Park club cut the Ibrox support’s allocation in 2019.
In his role as Scotland manager, plenty of a Rangers persuasion have also failed to get behind a coach or national team with whom they struggle to identify.
Throw in the situation with Ryan Jack – Clarke having several run-ins with Steven Gerrard over Scotland’s management of the midfielder – and it’s been an at times fractured relationship.
Now, another Rangers star with a questionable injury history finds himself on the Scotland periphery.
But as his form builds at Ibrox, and injury strikes in Spain, opportunity could be about to knock.
John Souttar made to wait on Scotland chance
There was a time when Scotland international defender John Souttar was tipped to go to the very top of the game.
Coming through at Dundee United, Souttar was a young talent with the world at his feet before the first Achilles injury of his career halted that development.
Another, on the opposite foot, would soon follow, whilst John Souttar’s time at Hearts was also badly impacted by injury problems.
Moving to Rangers in the summer of 2022, the first 18 months of his career at Ibrox weren’t much better.
But over the course of the last nine months and heading into this season, John Souttar has overcame his rotten run of injury luck and is beginning to recognise that potential at Rangers.
Now the club’s bonafide first-choice defender, Souttar has put in a series of commanding defensive performances under Philippe Clement.
Despite this, the Rangers defender continues to be snubbed by Steve Clarke who prefers the likes of Ryan Porteous, Scott McKenna or Grant Hanley at centre-back.
Chopped from Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad – admittedly after picking up a slight knock at the end of last season – Souttar was recalled during the last international break.
The Rangers defender, despite his impressive recent form at Ibrox, never even got off the bench as Scotland shipped five goals and lost two matches against Poland and Portugal.
But with the October international break looming large in the distance, injury could be about to hand the Rangers defender a starting chance with the national team.
Injury to hand Rangers star Scotland opportunity?
Rangers were being linked with a move for Scott McKenna this summer following his release from Nottingham Forest.
But it was Las Palmas in Spain that the Scotland defender would end up moving to instead as McKenna joined Oliver McBurnie in Gran Canaria.
One of Steve Clarke’s first-choice Scotland defenders, McKenna is now a major doubt for the upcoming internationals against Croatia (A) and Portugal (H).
That’s because Las Palmas have confirmed that the defender has suffered a ‘muscle injury in his left hamstring’ and that McKenna’s recovery time remains unclear.
It suggests that John Souttar will surely move up in the Scotland pecking order and the Rangers centre-back will hope for minutes in the upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes.
But will Steve Clarke recognise the Ibrox star’s fine recent form?
Rangers midfielder Connor Barron also received a late call-up to the Scotland squad after call-offs but is yet to make his full debut for the national side.
