Charlie Adam has gone public with his criticism of Gordon Strachan days before Scotland play England at Wembley.
The 30-year-old has barely had a look in at international football over the last two years despite being one of the few Scots playing in the Premier League.
Adam has impressed in Stoke’s last two matches as Mark Hughes side starts to climb away from the bottom of the table.
Strachan’s midfield options were so limited that Scott Brown was talked out of international retirement for the match but there was still no place for the Stoke midfielder when the squad was announced.
“Obviously my face doesn’t fit at the moment,” Adam told listeners to 5live yesterday. “I am not saying the manager should call me. I am not saying I am the best player for Scotland but I feel I can add something different to what they have.
“I think it’s important to have a relationship with your players. We are not a nation blessed with 50 or 60 top players, playing at the highest level. We are not an England, where everyone is playing in the Premier League.
“He (Strachan) will say I’ve not played enough games – but I’d disagree with him. He’s given people opportunities who haven’t been playing for their clubs for a number of months.”
John McGinn of Hibs is in the squad which is clearly a decision that irks Adam even if he isn’t quite accurate about the level McGinn is playing at.
He added: “There are lads in there who are playing in League One in Scotland and, no disrespect to them, but when you are going in to big games you want to be looking around you at guys who have played at the top level and who have plenty of caps behind them.
“Surely you’d think about putting them on as well?
“You want the best players available for your country sat on the bench if you can. You want the best squad. I just don’t understand it at the minute.”
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