AS BEFITS the elder statesman of the Scotland squad, David Weir was diplomacy personified yesterday when the issue of the Scotland captaincy for Saturday's crucial World Cup qualifier against Norway was raised.
To many, including his Rangers team-mate and currently injured international skipper Barry Ferguson, Weir was the leading candidate to wear the armband at Hampden in the absence of the suspended Stephen McManus.
Shortly before Scotland manager Ge
orge Burley revealed on Tuesday that Darren Fletcher would instead be given the honour, Ferguson had offered the view that Weir's experience and organisational skills made him an "automatic choice".
Ever since Burley took charge of the national team, however, Weir has not even been an automatic choice for a place in the squad. So it came as no great shock to the 38-year-old that he would not be adding to the four previous occasions he led his country, as much as he would have relished that prospect.
"I would love it to be me, I don't deny that," said Weir. "But I've got absolutely no problem with it being Darren. I've enjoyed it when I captained my country in the past. It's probably the highest honour you can get, to lead your team out for a game at Hampden. I'm delighted for Darren first and foremost.
"I'm neither surprised or disappointed, to be honest. I think Darren will be a great captain. I can see Darren eventually becoming the captain for many years to come. He has done it in the past and done it well. It's a good opportunity to give him the captaincy again and I genuinely don't have a problem with it."
With Burley making it clear that the Celtic central defensive pairing of McManus and Gary Caldwell are his first-choice duo for Scotland, Weir has been left in the curious position of only being named in the squad when it is more than likely he will be required for the starting line-up.
That is certainly the case this weekend when he is expected to win his 63rd cap, taking him ahead of Danny McGrain to become the eighth most capped player in Scotland's 136-year international history.
If Weir does harbour any resentment over Burley's piecemeal selection policy towards him, he again disguised it skilfully under media interrogation. "That's just the nature of it," he shrugged. "You can't expect to play in every game for every manager, that not how football operates. All I can do is play as well as I can for my club and try and change that, but I can't make decisions for other people.
"The manager told me there was no point bringing me into the squad if I wasn't going to play. I understand that, I've got no problem with it. I do want to play and if I'm selected I'll be happy. But I'm not going to fall out with anyone if I'm not picked.
"If everyone was honest, it would be the case for any player that they would only want to come along if they were going to play. Being away from home for a long time and not playing in the matches is very difficult. I think most players go through that in their international careers. Very few come in, go into the starting line-up straight away and stay in the team. You have to serve your apprenticeship a wee bit.
"I'm slightly different in that I've been around a wee bit longer, but I can understand the manager's decision and appreciate it."
As Weir continues to defy football's accepted verities with the longevity of his top-level career, with exemplary recent form for Rangers, he refuses to give up on the possibility of playing for Scotland in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, when he will be 40.
"I don't see why I should put a ceiling or an end point on playing," he said. "I just love doing it and I know whatever I do after this isn't going to be as good.
"The World Cup in 2010 would be a great target. I would love to get there, of course I would. Why put barriers up? I just want to progress wherever I can. But I genuinely don't think that far ahead.
"I never expected to still be involved for club and country this season, but I always wanted to be. I've always said I want to play for as long as I can. I will make myself available as long as I can. As long as someone keeps picking me, I'll keep turning up.
"Everyone keeps telling me how old I am, that I've not got long left, but I just take it from week to week rather than thinking about what might happen next season or whatever."
Facing Norway evokes pleasant memories for Weir, who played against the Scandinavians on the biggest stage of all in Bordeaux back in 1998, when Scotland last took part in a major tournament finals.
Then an international novice, Weir won his sixth cap as a 60th-minute replacement for Colin Calderwood and just six minutes later set up Scotland's equalising goal for Craig Burley in the 1-1 draw.
"It was nice to play a part in the goal and I'll always remember that day fondly," he said. "It was a wee bonus, because I wasn't expecting to play.
"I was on the bench and Colin got injured. Craig Brown told Matt Elliott and myself to go and warm up. We were both hoping to get on and fortunately for me, I got the nod. I got on and also played in the next game against Morocco, while big Matt never played in the World Cup.
"I just felt fortunate, because there were other lads in the squad who never got the chance. Hopefully the current squad will get the opportunity to play in the World Cup finals in a couple of years.
"We are now at the stage where we have a fairly settled squad, most of whom are playing regularly at a high level for their clubs, so there are no excuses. It's sort of now or never, I would say."
The full article contains 1041 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
