OLIVER BURKE has been named as Scotland captain for their first appearance at the Toulon Tournament for 20 years and insists he is determined to shrug off the disappointment of being dropped for the World Cup qualifier against England by leading the young Scots to glory.
Scotland’s most expensive player was a surprise omission from Gordon Strachan’s squad for the crunch World Cup showdown with the Auld Enemy next week.
Strachan justified his decision to relegate the £13 million Red Bull Leipzig winger to the Under-20s in France by saying he ‘wanted to take the pressure off him’.
But instead of stewing, the four-time-capped former Nottingham Forest youngster has vowed to use the prestigious tournament – which has been a breeding ground for stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane in the past – to show he’s ready for international football and he wants to lead by example after coach Scot Gemmill named him as skipper ahead of today’s opener with Czech Republic in Salon-de-Provence.
Burke said: “I’m not going to say I wasn’t gutted at first to be left out of the squad for the England game, but that’s part of football and you have to pick yourself up and go again. It’s not just the fact it’s a big game – it could have been any team. I would still have been gutted. It’s about being involved with the squad but I need to get over it.
“I spoke to Gordon Strachan on the phone and we talked about what he wants from me and trying to relieve me of some of the pressure. I won’t be downhearted about it and say I won’t show up again.
“I want to take this opportunity and be in the next squad. This is a great chance for me to get games, play football and enjoy myself. I want the team to do well, I want us to win the tournament.”
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