Outspoken former footballer turned journalist Joey Barton has criticised Scott McTominay’s decision to play for Scotland rather than England.
The Manchester United midfielder is eligible to play for both countries, and has decided to pledge his future to Scots following meetings with both Alex McLeish and Gareth Southgate.
Speaking on talkSport, Barton declared that the decision to play for Scotland who are ranked 31st in the world, rather than the country of his birth, lacked ambition.
He said: “He obviously wants his summers off. He has shown his ambition hasn’t he? He realises the weight of playing for England and working every summer – he doesn’t want that.
“Maybe Manchester United and Fergie have influenced it. Scotland have improved the last qualification campaign and if he feels more Scottish than English fair play to the kid.
“It would have been easy to go financially to the England side and, if you are in the Manchester United team, then there’s a good chance you get called up by England. That has been a route map for a long period if you look at Lingard and Rashford.
“Fair play to the boy, if he feels a passionate Scotsman then it can only be a good thing for Scotland, because he is a seriously talented individual.”
