SCOTLAND manager Alex McLeish has been handed a massive boost after he won the tug of war with England counterpart Gareth Southgate for the allegiance of Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

The 21-year-old met with both national bosses and was believed to be impressed by Southgate’s pitch to cap him for England, but it is understood that a combination of greater opportunities to play and the emotional pull of representing the country where his father was born, led to him rejecting the chance to turn out for the country of his own birth.

It is a timely fillip for McLeish and Scotland after national team captain Scott Brown announced his retirement from international football last week,

McTominay has been winning rave reviews at the heart of the English giants’ midfield, and manager Jose Mourinho had publicly urged McLeish to make contact with his young player before England prised him away. And McLeish duly did enough at his meeting with McTominay at United’s Carrington training ground last Tuesday to persuade him to commit his future to Scotland.

McTominay, who has made 15 appearances for the Red Devils this season, was born in Lancaster, but qualifies for Scotland through his Glaswegian dad. He was recently selected ahead of United’s club record signing Paul Pogba for an away Champions League tie against Sevilla, and was praised by manager Mourinho after the match for his impressive contribution.

Scotland legend James McFadden was delighted with the news, and said that McTominay reminds him of his former teammate and ex-Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher.

“His stature, how he goes about his game, he reminds me of Darren Fletcher, and if we can get someone who has been as good for Scotland as Darren Fletcher it’s a great acquisition,” he told BBC Scotland.

“I’m sure he would have met with Alex and straight away got to see what kind of guy he is. That’s what struck me when I met him as a young player.”