Levein wants Ferguson back in Scotland squad

Scotland manager Craig Levein is aiming to convince former captain Barry Ferguson to return to international duty along with Allan McGregor and Kris Boyd.

Levein, whose first game in charge is an international friendly against the Czech Republic on March 3, has confirmed Boyd and McGregor are in his thoughts after discussions with the Rangers duo.

Now he hopes he can have a similar conversation with former Rangers midfielder Ferguson, now playing under former Gers boss Alex McLeish at English Premier League Birmingham City.

“I very much want him to be part of the international set-up, I think he’s one of our best players,” Levein told BBC Radio Scotland on Monday.

Ferguson and Rangers goalkeeper McGregor were banned for life for their behaviour before and during a World Cup qualifier against Iceland in April.

The pair were dropped after an all-night drinking session and then made V signs at photographers from the bench.

Boyd withdrew when former manager George Burley was in charge after being overlooked repeatedly.

Meanwhile former Dundee United manager Levein will look to expand Scotland’s player pool by compiling an extensive dossier of eligible players.

Levein and scout Michael Oliver plan to contact every agent in the UK in a bid to assess who could qualify for the country, either through established bloodline or the new five-year school rule.

“What we are trying to do is establish everybody – in the UK first and foremost – who is eligible to play for Scotland,” Levein told www.scottishfa.co.uk.

“In the past, we’ve relied on word of mouth or maybe speaking to managers, coaches and, sometimes, even physios down in England who say ‘Do you know so-and-so has a Scottish grandmother?’.

“In the past we’ve had some fantastic players for Scotland who were born in England but qualified through parentage or grandparents.

“The rules are there and every other country in the world uses them.

“My main aim is to help Scotland qualify for the European Championships in 2012 and, in order to achieve that, I think that the player database is a fairly sensible idea.

“I want the best players available and, to get the best players available, we need to know who they are and where they are.”

Scotland have not qualified for the finals of a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France.