Steven Fletcher's exile from the Scotland squad appears to be at an end after Craig Levein recalled him to the national team.
Craig Levein recalls Steven Fletcher to Scotland squad
The Sunderland striker and boss Craig Levein appear to have put their feud behind them for the greater good.
Stu Forster - Getty Images
Fletcher has not played for the national team since he informed the Scottish FA that he did not wish to be called up by Levein in February 2011. Since then, Scotland have struggled for an effective presence up front, while Fletcher has progressed to become a hugely effective striker in the Premier League.
With Fletcher's big-money move to Sunderland and excellent start to the 2012-13 season - he has scored all of the Black Cats' goals - the pressure began to build. With even people like novelist Irvine Welsh joining the outcry to demand his return to the team, and Fletcher himself tweeting that he would be open to a return, it appears that both parties have seen sense.
Speaking about the matter, Levein said: “It’s a big plus for me and the rest of the team for him to be involved.
"I got a phone call through a third party during the week and that was an indication from that person that Steven was desperate to come back and play. Things progressed between myself, this third party, his agent and the boy himself.
"I got a text saying he was willing to have a chat about it so I called him last night and, as he said to that person, he was desperate to come back and play. For me, then, it's a no-brainer."
Levein has also taken the opportunity to call up Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who has returned from a 10-month absence due to a virus.
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