Why James was a bit shirty over his jersey

From the archive

9 Jun 1997

U-21s: Belarus 1, Scotland 0 KEVIN James yesterday shrugged off a losing start to his international career and then explained why he won't be parting with his first Scotland shirt.

The 6ft 7in Falkirk defender made his bow for Scotland's under-21s in a 1-0 defeat by European Championship group leaders Belarus in Minsk on Saturday.

James acquitted himself well at a new level, but was frank in his admission his first cap could well be his last.

''I enjoyed my international debut and it was a special moment to stand there with the national anthem being played and to be representing Scotland, but I will be too old when the next campaign starts and you only have a couple of games left in this one.

''That's why when the Belarus opponent wanted to swap shirts I said 'no'.

''I am keeping my Scotland jersey and even if I am never capped again nobody will be able to take this away from me.'' James had words of sympathy for skipper Gary Locke, of Hearts, who gifted Belarus victory when his seventieth minute back-pass presented substitute Nikolai Rynduk with a chance he gratefully accepted.

''Gary shouldn't be hard on himself.

We all make mistakes and sometimes you get away with it and sometimes you don't, it's all part of it being a team game,'' said James.

In truth, Scotland would barely have deserved a draw and instead slumped to their fifth defeat so far in eight games which has seen them win only twice - against Estonia.

Coach Tommy Craig has shuffled his pack so often that almost 40 players have been used since August but the clubs that feature in his squad list betray the lack of talent on offer.

Lower division outfits such as Clyde, Hamilton, Clydebank and Carlisle are represented while Rangers, Celtic and Dundee United - the top three in the premier division - didn't have any players in the squad in Minsk.

Scotland reached the last four in Europe at this level only a year ago, but, alarmingly, the latest crop looks desperately short of quality players able to repeat that showing.

Craig criticised his side's tendency to gift goals to the opposition - a tendency they also showed in losing to Sweden in April.

''That is three goals in the last two games which have been down to Scotland rather than the opposition,'' he said.

Craig highlighted as successes goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie, of Hearts, central defensive pair James and Darren Dods, of Hibernian, and Callum Davidson, of St Johnstone.

Taken from the Herald