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Hearts’ English-born winger Andrew Driver is to represent Scotland as a full international, national manager Craig Levein has confirmed. Driver, who has been capped for England Under-21s, qualifies for Scotland under recently-agreed residency criteria. He also played for Scotland schoolboys, once scoring against England. Levein has also confirmed that Rangers pair Kris Boyd and Allan McGregor will be included in the squad for March’s friendly with the Czech Republic. Boyd declared himself unavailable for Scotland under former manager George Burley while McGregor was banned for a breach of discipline. Former Rangers and Scotland captain Barry Ferguson, now at Birmingham, was also banned and doubts remain as to whether he will return to the Scotland fold. Levein has spoken to Ferguson and said the discussions were positive but the matter is not yet resolved. The four British home nations recently agreed to change the eligibility rules to include those with five years’ schooling in a country. That gave Driver, who had represented Scotland at schoolboy level, the opportunity to switch should he decide to do so. “Andy Driver gave me the nod yesterday that he is dead keen,” explained Levein. “I said ‘Do you want to go away and think about it?’ He said ‘No, my mind is made up, I want to play for Scotland’. “We need to find out he meets the criteria exactly, that it’s five years schooling and not four years, 11 months and 26 days.” Driver turned out for England at the U21 European Championship last summer but injury has restricted him to just 11 appearances for Hearts this season. Speaking after making his latest comeback in the weekend defeat to St Johnstone last Saturday, Driver said: “I hold Craig Levein in high regard. “He was the first manager I ever had in my Hearts career. Billy Mehmet’s superb curling drive gave St Mirren victory over Hearts to take the Paisley side into the Co-operative Insurance Cup final. The Buddies created the better of the first-half chances, but Mehmet and Michael Higdon were denied by Hearts goalkeeper Marian Kello. Mehmet found the net after 51 minutes to give St Mirren a deserved lead. Hearts were unable to respond and had Kello to thank for preventing Andy Dorman from increasing the lead. St Mirren now await the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final between St Johnstone and Rangers, who knocked the Paisley side out at the same stage of the Scottish Cup last season, after securing their first appearance in the League Cup final since 1955. It was the second time Hearts manager Jim Jefferies had suffered defeat to the Buddies in this season’s competition, his Kilmarnock side taking an exit before last week’s switch to Tynecastle. Andrew Driver had returned to the starting line-up along with Gordon Smith, while Lee Wallace and Ian Black had recovered from injury. Dawid Kucharski, David Obua and Gary Glen dropped out, while Rocky Visconte is now at Ayr on loan. Chris Innes and Dorman were back for St Mirren, with Steven Robb and Garry Brady dropping to the bench, as the Buddies lined up with five at the back and looked to play the ball long on a heavy pitch unsuited to passing football – and unworthy of a national cup semi-final. And the tactic brought them the best chances of the first half, with Mehmet forcing a save from a header after a Jack Ross cross. A Lee Mair header drifted wide from a corner by Dorman, who then set up Higdon. However, the striker got the ball caught underneath his feet and his weak effort was saved by Kello. The pitch was cutting up so badly that St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson came on to the field of play to replace some divots during a stoppage. Ross showed strength to hold off his marker before curling a shot a few feet wide from the edge of the box then a Mehmet shot found the side netting from 20 yards. Hearts’ under-pressure defence suffered another blow after 25 minutes when Ismael Bouzid pulled up with an injury to be replaced with Kucharski. Even so, the Edinburgh side settled and created their only half chance of the half when Smith found goalkeeper Paul Gallacher blocking from close range as he tried to fire home Christian Nade’s knockdown on the turn. A poor clearance from keeper Kello put Michael Higdon clear, but Zaliukas got back to intercept. However, the opening goal was not long in coming when Ross found Mehmet in the clear with a neat crossfield pass and the striker curled the ball home with great precision from 22 yards. Mehmet gave Dorman the chance to just about put the tie beyond Hearts minutes later by forcing a pass behind the maroon defence. However, Kello blocked with his chest the normally clinical midfielder’s drive from just inside of the box. A low cross-cum-shot from Driver was cleared in front of goal by John Potter as a desperate Hearts threw everything forward. However, Hearts failed to test goalkeeper Gallacher as St Mirren ensured a visit to Hampden. |
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