Scotland hope to snare Steven Caulker from England

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 13 November 2013

Assistant manager Mark McGhee admits that Scotland hope to persuade English-born Cardiff defender Steven Caulker to switch international allegiances.

Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee has confirmed that they are hoping to persuade Cardiff City defender Steven Caulker to switch his international allegiances.

English-born Caulker, who scored the winner in the Premier League's first ever South Wales derby 10 days ago, is eligible to play for Gordon Strachan's side as he has a Scottish grandmother.

He has already been capped by England, but his appearance against Sweden in November 2012 was in a friendly and would therefore not prevent him from representing the nation North of the border.

McGhee has confirmed that the former Tottenham Hotspur centre-back is somebody that Scotland have been monitoring for some time, and have hinted that they will invite him to represent the Tartan Army.

"He's someone who does fit the criteria as I understand it," McGhee told reporters.

"We know who the boy is, we knew about him before he was at Tottenham. We're interested in looking at all players who meet the criteria."

Caulker moved to Cardiff from White Hart Lane in an £8m switch this summer.