Scottish Football Writers' International Player of the Year - Allan McGregor

[ian1964 10,447]

HE'S Craig Levein's bit of bling... the 24 carat jewel in Scotland's crown.

 

Allan McGregor has certainly come a long way since Bevvygate.

 

On Sunday night he was named the Scottish Football Writers' International Player of the Year.

 

And Scotland boss Levein hailed the Rangers keeper as his DIAMOND geezer.

 

Levein insists Gregs, 29, is now a model pro who sets an example to the rest of the Scotland squad.

 

He said: "You form an impression of people when you don't know them. Everybody does that.

 

"I'd never worked with Alan before and you form an impression of what you see and from what people's perceptions are.

 

"From the moment I met Allan - I went down to Murray Park to speak to him about this Bevvygate stuff and all the rest of it - he was desperate to get back involved with the squad.

 

"We were toiling when I'd left a lot of the Rangers lads out of the Faroes game and Craig Gordon had a little problem with his thigh and we were struggling for keepers.

 

"Allan was desperate to come up. He drove up that night when I phoned him. He has been a delight to deal with. His training has been fantastic, his attitude has been great around the rest of the players.

 

"You have to remember as well that he's maturing.

 

"He's now at an age where I think he understands that football is everything for him, because he's at this stage in his development where he should be concentrating on making his career.

 

"He has reached a certain level and he should now be concentrating on maintaining or improving on that for as long as he can.

 

"I think he has got a new-found maturity.

 

"I'm trying to explain that, when I looked at Allan from outside, I didn't understand him because I didn't know him.

 

"But since I've been involved he's been an absolute diamond.

 

"Allan deserves all of the recognition for his performances this year and him getting back into the international squad has been good for him and Rangers.

 

"Allan is improving and is at a level where people will talk about him.

 

"When you are playing at the same level every week, and Allan is an eight out of ten every game, that is the level I look for.

 

"He is achieving that and somebody at some point will make an offer for him.

 

"I'm sure Craig Gordon will be determined to oust Allan and it's brilliant for me.

 

"I just wish I had two players in every position who are of that quality. Everything Allan does, he does with such enthusiasm.

 

"In training and anything we want to do within the group, he is always at the forefront, setting an example to younger players."

 

Levein has named his 24-man squad for next week's Carling Nations Cup clashes with both Wales and the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

 

Celtic's James Forrest has been picked for the first time along with Norwich City right-back Russell Martin. Levein added: "If you look back at the squads recently I've tried to bring in players who will be international players in time.

 

"What I don't want to do on the eve of an important competitive match is get a couple of injuries and have to call on a younger player to come in who hasn't experienced the whole situation.

 

"So that's one of the reasons I've got Grant Hanley and Danny Wilson in this squad, because I feel they will both play international football. It might even be in this tournament.

 

"It's about getting young players used to international gatherings and training with the senior players.

 

"For me, we don't have an awful lot of players like Forrest. He's direct, he has real pace and is a goal threat.

 

"In games you need people to be able to create things and to be able to do things in one-on-one situations.

 

"Forrest is one of those who can do that and he's one I'm thinking about for the future.

 

"Russell Martin is one we've been keeping tabs on. He's technically very good and he's a good age, 25.

 

"And he's now getting a move into the Premiership with Norwich so that is another major plus."

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/3586278/Gregg-isnt-a-bad-boy-now-hes-a-model-pro.html#ixzz1MesVxXDL

[Super_Ally 0]

Are the headline and story connected?

[Danny 0]

3rd sentence suggests something I know nothing of, which is that he won the award on Sunday. I didn't hear about it.

[Super_Ally 0]

3rd sentence suggests something I know nothing of, which is that he won the award on Sunday. I didn't hear about it.

 

Lol, missed that skim reading it. Yet the award barely seems to talk about his award or his season but mroe just Levein talking about his character and maturity. Odd.

[Zappa 0]

Are the headline and story connected?

 

Ian just used his own title for the thread S_A. The article headline is actually - 'Gregg isn’t a bad-boy now.. he’s a model pro'.

[54andcounting 0]

Ian just used his own title for the thread S_A. The article headline is actually - 'Gregg isn’t a bad-boy now.. he’s a model pro'.

 

How about he now shags only FOUR burdz a night?