Christophe Berra: I'll win place in heart of Scotland defence

Gordon Waddell

CHRISTOPHE BERRA knows a green and white wall stands between him and a blue jersey.

But the Hearts skipper insists he'll never give up trying to prise Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell's Scotland partnership apart.

The Celtic defensive pair have been tagged this generation's Miller and McLeish, an iron curtain for club and country.

National boss George Burley has already declared them his dream team. But Berra, who earned his third cap in midweek with a 20-minute cameo against Argentina, sees their supremacy as a challenge.

He said: "I've always known they'll be the manager's top pairing. Stephen and Gary have a great partnership at Celtic and are league champions, which makes it difficult for me.

"I can only keep working hard and putting pressure on but while they continue to play to such a high standard at club level I'm going to have to bide my time.

"Celtic and Rangers are the biggest clubs in Scotland and also have the advantage of gaining European experience.

"That makes it even harder but I can't let my head go down. Hopefully my time will come. If I keep working hard?

"You never know. Just being part of the Scotland squad is a positive for me and training with all these guys raises your performance and confidence.

"When you go back to your club after an international meeting you always feel that bit better." Kris Boyd might not agree but Berra insists he always has something to take home with him, especially from one-time Jambo mentor Steven Pressley.

Christophe said: "I got 20 minutes against Argentina - it's another feather in my cap to play against some of the best players in the world and another great learning experience.

"It's difficult coming on at centre-half because it's not easy to adjust to the pace of the game. But you have quality players around you and quality staff.

"Just working alongside Terry Butcher and Elvis is such a huge thing for me.

"Both were top centre-halves and always give me tips.

"You've got to listen to people with their experience and learn from them."

Taken from the Sunday Mail