ROY Keane's facial hair was compared unflatteringly last week to that of Saddam Hussein but as far as Alan Hutton is concerned he is a benign dictator.

The outspoken Irishman, whose pre-shave shaggy appearance was likened to that of the Iraqi despot by his nemesis Alf-Inge Haaland, has had his say on most matters in the last seven days or so. However, one topic that has yet to be raised with the Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland assistant manager is the fact Scotland will be going head-to-head with his Irish side in qualifying for Euro 2016. That is likely to change as the minutes count down to next month's showdown between the two nations at his old stomping ground of Celtic Park.

"We have had some banter about it," said former Rangers defender Hutton, who twice played against Keane in Old Firm encounters. "But I'm sure as the game comes up, there will be a bit more.

"I think Roy's looking forward to the game against us up here and I'm looking forward to it as well. I always loved playing at Parkhead so to be playing Ireland there, I think the atmosphere will be unbelievable. He makes wee comments, like asking who we think is better. As time goes on he'll try to fish a wee bit but I won't be giving too much away."

Whatever is said or left unsaid, the former Manchester United midfielder's arrival in the Midlands - shortly after declining the chance to manage Celtic - has coincided with a remarkable reversal in Hutton's fortunes.

All may be sweetness and light at Villa Park now, but for two seasons, as the club's American owner Randy Lerner sought to reduce the wage bill, the Scot was judged too expensive to play, and was left training with the reserves by Paul Lambert.

Yet something remarkable happened. Somehow, during this period he retained the faith of Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, maintaining remarkable consistency in the 17 appearances he racked up for his country during that spell, with last season's tally standing at eight for his country and eight on a loan spell at Bolton Wanderers.

These kind of spats between clubs and players frequently become messy and personal but it is a credit to all involved in this case that it never did.

Although Alan Irvine at West Bromwich Albion offered Hutton an escape route via a three-year deal at the Hawthorns this summer, Lambert was true to his word by including the player in his plans as soon as the wage constraints at the club had relaxed, and before long he was signing a new long-term deal.

Keane's role in all this has been minimal, but the Irishman's passion and drive has helped take Villa to 10th in the Barclays Premier League, their early-season form illuminated by a win at Anfield.

"He [Keane] has definitely got high standards," said the 29-year-old. "If it's not at the level he wants he'll let you know but you need that. Sometimes you can think 'I trained all right there' but really you didn't. It's good to have that because if you are slipping a wee bit he's there quick to tell you. He's not slow in coming forward.

"The manager's more relaxed, more tactical, and if Roy has something to add after that he'll let the boys know. There's a bit of 'good cop, bad cop' but they do work really well together.

"We've had a great start; some of the games we've had have been unreal. Everyone's pulling in the right direction and we're on the way up."

As strained as things might have got, Hutton takes solace in the fact that no-one ever misled anybody over his exile at Villa. Even those fans who originally cursed him for being the Scottish equivalent of Winston Bogarde have come to look at him in a new light.

"It wasn't as though anyone was lying to me - I'd been informed from the start," Hutton said. "I just had to get on with it and deal with it.

"At the end of the season we had a meeting and he [Lambert] just said that I'd be back in for pre-season. I just took that as an opportunity to work hard, come back in fit and try to be involved. That was my main aim.

"From the first day I was back in at normal training and I went on pre-season to the States. I'd never hold a grudge. I had a lot to prove to a lot of people, the supporters, myself, all of you. I can see it from the fans' point of view and I had that in the back of my mind. I don't want to sit somewhere and not do anything. I want to play all the time."

Hutton swears he never took it for granted, but the player's enthusiasm for international duty has only increased during his wilderness years. The further 10 or so caps he needs to break his half century, the chance to atone for the near miss in Euro 2008 and take the nation back to a major finals - there is plenty of glory to be aimed for and next up in that quest is the visit to Warsaw on Tuesday night to take on Poland.

A repeat of the result in March, when Hutton helped Scotland to a 1-0 friendly win, courtesy of Scott Brown's late strike, would of course be the ideal scenario. While Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski missed that game and is set to return for the serious business, Hutton is not one for talking down Scotland's chances.

"I know they were missing a couple of big players but we played well on the night and caused them problems," he said. "It was a great stadium to play in and the atmosphere will be great.

"He [Gordon Strachan] has been unbelievable if I'm being honest. It was the one thing that kept me sane. I was able to look ahead, see there was a big qualifying game coming up the following month or whenever and it gave me something to work towards. Scotland gave me something to look forward to."