Scotland Under-21 manager Billy Stark has laughed off suggestions the ”Gaz Getaway” played any part in Gary Mackay-Steven’s call-up.
The young Dundee United winger was named in Stark’s squad for the match against the Netherlands at St Mirren park on February 29 along with clubmates Johnny Russell, Marc McCallum and Stuart Armstrong.
Mackay-Steven has garnered new-found fame courtesy of his trick during the club’s 5-1 win over St Johnstone, later named by him as the ”Gaz Getaway.”
The piece of skill was posted on YouTube and the clips have gained worldwide attention in the media.
However, while admiring the United’s man nifty footwork, Stark dismissed the notion that being a web star had helped Mackay-Steven’s case for inclusion. He insisted he had been watching Mackay-Steven for months before deciding to call him up for the first time.
”It was fantastic and for me the great part of that was the confidence to do that,” he said. ”Hopefully he can carry that confidence into a Scotland shirt, but I have watched Gary over the last three or four months and I made my mind up before the turn of the year.
“He is quick, positive and direct. Since then he has actually gone up a level in terms of his impact during a game. He has become a very important player for Dundee United and deserves to be in.”
Another new face is Bolton’s Michael O’Halloran, another striker who excites Stark.
”He was at Celtic as a boy until 15 or 16 and went to Bolton,” he said. ”We have kept an eye on him and had him in the under-19s once or twice. He is a quick striker who is well-rated down there.”
Scotland beat the Dutch 2-1 in Nijmegen in November and after four matches played they are one point behind in the race to lead Group 10.
Stark knows fans may expect a similar result in Paisley, but he insists the visitors will be favourites.
”I am not going to try to be a wet blanket,” he said. ”But I think people will recognise that it is fair for me to point out that Holland are still the favourites.
”They play the same way home or away. They will attack and try to dominate the ball and it will be difficult to repeat that (result) because we have lost the element of surprise.
”Good teams respond when they get a setback and I expect them to respond, so certainly anything below that level of performance in Holland from us will not be good enough.”