FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Alex McLeish believes his Scotland side will take a huge confidence boost from their 1-0 friendly win over Hungary in Budapest on Tuesday night, with Matt Phillips scoring his first international goal to secure the first victory of the manager’s second spell in charge. (Daily Mail)
West Brom striker Phillips was “absolutely buzzing” after netting his first Scotland goal and has set his sights on establishing himself in McLeish’s side during the summer trip to face Mexico and Peru. (Scottish Sun)
Former Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson, who scored his first goal for Italian side Bari last month, wants McLeish to come and watch him in action after making an impressive start to his career in Serie B. (Scotsman)
Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke insists he is happy at Rugby Park as he played down speculation linking him with a summer move to Rangers. (Daily Record)
And Killie goalkeeper coach Billy Thomson is convinced Clarke should be named manager of the year after turning round the fortunes of the Ayrshire outfit. (Scottish Sun)
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has his summer recruitment plans in place, and says a positive end to the season will help him replace the players leaving Pittodrie with quality. (Daily Record)
Frank McGarvey says it is no surprise that Manchester United are interested in Celtic defender left back as he is the “best in Britain” – and the former Hoops striker reckons Manchester City could also launch a bid for the 20-year-old. (Scottish Sun)
Former Rangers winger Peter Lovenkrands reckons the Ibrox side are narrowing the gap on rivals Celtic, but insists they need to win some silverware to prove it. (Daily Record)
Joachim Bjorklund, who played alongside Derek McInnes at Rangers, says the Aberdeen manager must have felt the Pittodrie men were in a better state than the Ibrox outfit when he turned down a move to Glasgow. (Scotsman)
Celtic’s Costa Rican defender Cristian Gamboa has hired a personal trainer from Spain as he bids to be in the best possible shape for the summer World Cup in Russia, with his playing time limited at Parkhead. (Herald)
Former Partick Thistle manager Jackie McNamara has left his role as chief executive of York City after a boardroom shake-up. (Scotsman)
Versatile Rangers youngster Ross McCrorie has returned to first-team training, having been sidelined since January when he picked up an injury during the club’s trip to Florida. (Scottish Sun)
OTHER GOSSIP
Scottish diver Grace Reid hopes her move to London to train will pay dividends when the Commonwealth Games get started. (Herald)
Carly Booth wants Scottish Golf’s new women and young people development manager to come up with something “short, fun and exciting” in her bid to deliver a membership boost for struggling clubs. (Herald)
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
