Thomson delight as Arnot one of five Rangers players in Scotland squad
Rangers striker nets a return to Scotland squad for Pinatar Cup in Spain
Lizzie Arnot’s return to the Scotland squad is well deserved said Rangers manager Malky Thomson, as the SWPL league leaders had five players called-up.
Team-mates Jenna Fife, Sam Kerr, Nicola Docherty and Jane Ross also made it into Pedro Martinez Losa’s 26-player squad for the Pinatar Cup in Spain next week.
Arnot, included for the first time since June last year, has been in outstanding form for Rangers this season and was player-of-the-match they romped to a 3-1 win over champions Glasgow City on Sunday.
“I’m really pleased for all the girls,” said Thomson, whose side could go five points clear at the top of SWPL 1 with victory over Hamilton Academical on Wednesday.
“I think as well we have other players like Chelsea Cornet just to name one that has been playing well, but credit to the five girls that have been selected and it’s really healthy for the club that we have representatives for the national side.
“But, really pleased Lizzie has been included again. She’s a player who can play in numerous positions - she can play on the left side, the right side, she can play as a 10 also, so I’m quite sure the Scotland manager will be able to utilise her strengths in the squad dependent on what moment he’s in.”
Scotland call-up ‘should not be taken for grant’
Celtic number one Chloe Logan joins the Scotland camp for the first time with Martinez Losa opting to include four goalkeepers in his squad. Logan ranks third for clean sheets in the SWPL 1 this season, only behind Scotland regulars Lee Alexander and Fife.
Amy Muir, Leah Eddie, Zoe Ness and Lauren Davidson drop out from recent squads while Lisa Evans, Rachel McLachlan and Rachael Boyle are absent from the camp due to injury.
And Martinez Losa, who side begin their campaign against Wales on 16 February, says the players who have been called up should feel “privileged” due to the talent he has at his disposal.
“We monitor a lot of players,” he said. “We will not discuss or mention players who are not in the squad.
“I understand there are different opinions and visions but at the end of the day I’m the national coach and it’s my job to select the players.
“The players who are attending I think it is a privilege for them. It should be an honour and it should not be taken for granted that all of them are going to be included all the time or not in the squad.
“I insisted a lot when we arrived that we want to work with a pool of players. All of them can be included. It’s about what they can bring to the national team.
“Not just about being in or out of the squad because at the end of day, it’s about performances.
“I think we want to balance the continuity of players and the confidence with the pride of playing for Scotland and the opportunities to feel that this is unique in every camp and not just something they can take for granted.”
We’re free this year
Anyone’s Game will be free this season with no paywall, but you can still subscribe for free to ensure you never miss any of our content during the campaign.
 | A guest post by
|