CHARLIE Mulgrew channelled his inner Billy Bremner yesterday by stating categorically that only bad injury and old age could stop him reporting for Scotland duty – and that he wouldn't stand for a club manager ordering him to stay away.
Famously, legendary Leeds United captain Bremner told his club manager, the all-powerful Don Reevie, not to even think about asking his best player and on-field leader to ignore his country’s call, at a time when many at Elland Road would be kept at home during international week.
They were, ahem, injured you see,
Mulgrew is the just same as that great little man and, of course, it makes him different to Leigh Griffiths and one or two others. When the clarion sounds, the Blackburn Rovers man will always be there.
He said: “I’ve always turned up for Scotland. It would need to be proper injuries to have kept me away. It’s different if you’ve got an injury and you can’t actually play. That’s the only time I’ve not turned up.
"But I’ve always wanted to be here, I've always wanted to play for my country.
“I think when look back, when you’re older, you’ll be thinking: ‘Why did I just not go?’ Because you are a long time retired, a long time to sit back and think: 'I wish I’d gone. What would I give for a trip to Mexico now'. You know what I mean?
‘So, I just try to look forward and think along those lines. My missus isn’t too happy about it. We’ve had a couple of discussions! She’s getting worse than the managers now. I just like coming away. I look to when I’m older when I'll be looking back at my career and thinking what you would give for these opportunities."
Mulgrew’s club manager, Tony Mowbray, is as selfish as anyone else in his position but does understand that for this player, Scotland means a hell of a lot.
It would be interesting if one day a boss told the defender it would be best to sit out this international break. Oh to be a fly on the wall if that if ever happens.
Mulgrew revealed: “It’s never gone that far. It would be different if it had.
“This trip, I just came back from injury and played two games. If I hadn’t played those two games, it might have been the case of the manager asking: ‘Well, you’ve not played for us but you’re going to be all right for them?’
“There might have been a bit of a stand-off. But I’ve never got to that point. You know they’re always there, the managers, waiting for you to sneeze so they can say: ‘Right, you’re not well – you cannae go!’
"You just know that’s how club managers think. But it’s never got to an argument stage.
"Every club manager I have played under would rather you stayed at your club. That’s just the way it is. Tony is actually one of the better ones I have worked with in terms of this.
“You stub your toe and you pull out! I can understand it because from a selfish point of view they want their players ready to go and get some rest.
“I have said it before that I love playing for Scotland. You are a long time retired. As long as I can do it I will give it everything I’ve got. I can understand Tony. He wants my best form for my club but the discussion we had was about me enjoying it now and then we’ll see what happens.”
Mulgrew admitted that at 32 and with 38 caps he is at the veteran stage but retirement is far from his mind.
He said: “In football there is this thing when you get by 30, that you’re going to just go year by year, maybe reach 35 But, if you can get your mind thinking about 40, you never know. Your mind is strong. You might as well aim for that.
“Even if you don’t make it, at least you’ve given it a go. That has to be your mindset.”
Ah, but what if a choice was put in front of him? Club or country?
Mulgrew said: “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If he says to me that I’ll have to make that choice well…I don’t want to make that choice. We will see what happens.
“I feel fit and healthy and I also feel being away from Scotland helps me. I don’t like to take a lot of time off. Maybe as I get older and get into my late thirties I’ll think it’s better to have three or four days rest, but right now, as it stands, I am happy and desperate to be here.”
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