Scotland coach George Burley has confirmed he will be closely monitoring Barnsley skipper Brian Howard for the remainder of the season.Howard has been in fine form for the Tykes and scored a memorable winner at Anfield in the FA Cup, but it was feared his Scotland chances had been scuppered by several appearances for England Under-20s earlier in his career.

Burley, who names his squad shortly for the Hampden Park clash with Croatia on March 25, said: "As far as we're concerned the games Brian played for England's Under-20s were all non-competitive, so I'll continue to keep tabs on him because he's a very talented player.

"We're strong in the midfield department at the moment, so it's up to Brian to show he's worth a place in the squad.

"I knew of him when he was with Southampton and Chelsea as a youngster and things did not work out for him at either of those, but sometimes players develop and blossom later in their careers and that's been the case with Brian."

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