ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SWEEP

GARY NAYSMITH was in hospital with a Hoover strapped to his infected ankle as Scotland's renaissance under Walter Smith gathered momentum.

Blundering Berti Vogts had already sucked the life from Scotland's qualifying campaign but the Everton defender was anxious to make his mark under the new regime.

But while Smith's new-look side were busy restoring morale and credibility with a draw against Italy and a superb victory in Norway, Naysmith was rigged up to BUPA's answer to the Dyson.

An infection, picked up during routine ankle surgery, forced Naysmith to watch last September's double header from his hospital bed and left his career in a vacuum for seven months.

After battling back to full fitness the 27-year-old, whose only competitive start under Smith came against Italy in Milan 18 months ago, is determined to launch Scotland's Euro 2008 qualifiers with a clean bill of health.

He said: "It was a frustrating time for me because I was in hospital for the two games against Italy and Norway. I had an infection on my ankle and was in there for 10 days.

That's when it really hit me how much I was missing it under Walter.

"After a tidy-up operation on my ankle it became infected. Apparently for every 100 operations two or three people will get an infection and I was one of them.

"I was out for seven months and half of that was due to the infection.

"I had a Hoover system on my ankle that sucked out all the infection and pumped in clean fluid. I had to take that machine with me everywhere I went.

"I watched games on TV but I couldn't move for a while and I even had to get help walking to the toilet.

"I knew when I got out I still had a long way to go before I could come back so that was a hard time.

"If you look back at my last four or five matches for Scotland under the pervious regime I don't think I had a win.

"But the boys were starting to pick up under Walter and were getting good results. You want to be part of a team that is progressing."

Naysmith finally returned to the fold in Japan where he impressed during the matches with Japan and Bulgaria as Scotland returned home with the Kirin Cup.

In the Far East, Naysmith was reunited in the Scotland defence with club colleague David Weir - his close friend, mentor and the man he reckons is largely responsible for the dramatic improvement in the national team's fortunes.

Weir, who came out of international retirement when Smith succeeded Vogts, will enter the Hall of Fame when he wins his 50th cap against Lithuania on Wednesday.

Naysmith said: "I can't speak highly enough of him. I've played with him for nine years at Hearts and Everton and he is a top-drawer player.

"Walter Smith says he was the best signing he made at Everton and the best value for money.

"He is a great pro and deserves to win 50 caps. We all know he had his problems with the previous manager. I know he wasn't happy about certain things and didn't feel it was in his best interests to keep playing.

"I think he did the right thing for himself and he is not the sort of guy to let something prey on his mind.

"But that's in the past. He's come back and hasn't put a foot wrong under Walter. If you look at the results since he came into the team they have really picked up.

"His experience has been invaluable to the younger boys and he has helped no end.

"I wasn't surprised Walter turned to him when he took charge and I wasn't surprised when he tried to bring Duncan Ferguson back as well."

Off the park Weir has also had a major influence on his younger team-mates revelling in his role as the squad's elder statesman.

Naysmith added: "I room with Davie at Everton and with Scotland and when I first moved down to Liverpool and was staying in a hotel he took me round to his house for Christmas dinner.

"He has always been there for me and if I need advice about something he is always the person I will go to first.

"I suppose you could say he is like a father figure but I don't think he will like me calling him that."

False starts in the previous two campaigns where Scotland dropped points to continental heavyweights Moldova and the Faroes wrecked Scotland's chances of qualification.

This time Naysmith knows full points must be taken against the group minnows if we are to have any hope of reaching our first major finals since France 98.

He said: "The first few games of the last campaign killed us so it's vital we get off to a good start. The big games against Italy, Ukraine and France take care of themselves. Our biggest thing will be keeping focused trying to get the job done against the Faroes, Lithuania and Georgia.

"If you can take the majority of points, home and away, against those three teams you will be in a good position.

"We have got a good chance in our first few games to get maximum points and that would set us up for the visit of France.

"But we are under no illusions as we have struggled against the Faroes in the past so it would be nice to put on a good show.

"We knew it was the hardest group when it was drawn and after watching the World Cup when three of them reached the last eight our worst fears were confirmed.

"I read the other day if you add up all the world rankings of the teams ours is by far the toughest section.

"It's a difficult task but the boys are confident. We have made a lot of progress since Walter took over, especially away from home, and we have to keep building on it."

Taken from the Daily Record