JOHN HERRON scored the goal which took the Scotland Under-19s into the European Championships elite round then revealed he was pioneering a new item on the checklist for Scotland players when they report for international duty.
Boots, shinpads, toiletries and a change of clothing are all straightforward enough, but the Celtic midfielder offered a glimpse into the modern football world when he arranged to have a 30-inch plasma television brought to the squad's base so he and his team-mates could while away the hours after training on a games console.
The Westerwood Hotel near Cumbernauld has served Scotland players perfectly well for decades, but apparently the televisions in the rooms are incompatible with some of the latest technology and Herron got his sister to get one from home.
"When we are not training, playing or doing anything with Jonesy, [Graeme Jones, the sports scientist] we get a game of Fifa, slag each other and everything," said Herron. "When we found out the tellies didn't work I phoned my sister, and said 'bring up the telly which is in the spare room'. She was raging because she missed the X Factor."
Scotland's players were given a celebratory day off yesterday by manager Ricky Sbragia, which included 10-pin bowling and watching the Wales-Scotland match after their 1-0 victory over Romania which allowed them to qualify with a game to spare. This makes tomorrow's final Group Nine match against Switzerland a chance to clinch top spot in the group and bolster their seedings ahead of December's elite round draw, which will determine the opposition for next March's mini-tournament ahead of an eventual eight-team finals to take place in Lithuania next July.
There is a serious point behind all the tomfoolery, as Herron feels such activities have helped foster a strong bond between a group of players drawn from clubs all over the country. Herron is one of a four-strong contingent from Celtic, Rangers' youngsters Barrie McKay and Lewis MacLeod are already playing first-team football, the likes of Islam Feruz, Jack Grimmer, Matthew Kennedy and Alex Davey are all at academies of clubs in the Barclays Premier League, while Aberdeen's Ryan Fraser, Dundee United's Darren Petrie, and young Hearts goalkeeper Jack Anderson are all building their reputations in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
"Even when we are away from Scotland, we all contact each other, we are all really close," said Herron. "When we are playing against each other we get torn right into each other, but when we are on the park together, we will do anything for each other, run that extra inch."
A draw against Switzerland tomorrow would see the Scots top the group, and Sbragia is likely to leave out Ryan Fraser, the Aberdeen winger, who is suffering from a recurring muscle strain. "We want the three wins," said Herron. "We don't want to go through in second."
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