Burley thinks outside the box for latest squad

THE headlines created by Scotland manager George Burley's latest Scotland squad have been dominated by the inclusion of three players. The recruitment of Derby County's Kris Commons, Falkirk's Darren Barr and Callum Davidson of Preston North End sends out the message that Burley's regime will operate without prejudice.

The manager has proved himself to be receptive to the claims of those who may have felt they were performing far outwith the Scotland radar. No matter the club, no matter the length of international exile and no matter the slender ties to Scotland, there is always hope.

Darren Barr has overcome a traditional barrier to international football by being called-up from what some might consider an unfashionable club. However, these are people who have not seen Falkirk play in the past few seasons. Under John Hughes the side have become one of the most stylish in the country, and Barr's promotion has recognised this. The centre-half becomes the first Falkirk player to feature in a full Scotland international squad since John White, nearly 50 years ago.

Barr graduated from the impressive Falkirk Academy, and has been capped at Scotland B level. Like Barry Robson, his soon-to-be Scotland team-mate, he benefited from a spell on loan at Forfar Athletic. Barr played for the Station Park side during the first-half of the 2005-2006 season. He established himself in the first-team at Falkirk in the following season, and the versatile player – he can also play in midfield – has not looked back. He received a player-of-the-month award last season having played a significant part in a defence which provided Falkirk with a solid base on which to construct their flowing brand of football.

His inclusion provoked a familiar reaction from Barr himself. Like every player catapulted into an international squad in surprising circumstances, Barr presumed it was a "wind-up". The 23-year-old had been told to his see his manager by the club physio, and thought a dressing-down awaited him. "I was waiting for a caning, so I was delighted when he told me," said Barr.

Someone with genuine reason to be taken aback is Kris Commons, the English-born Derby County player who joins Barr in the squad. He qualifies through a grandfather who is from Dundee, and becomes the latest in a long line of Anglo-Scots. He has been described as an "enigma" by Steve Claridge, the man-of-many-clubs who now compiles a weekly scouting report for the Guardian newspaper. In one he filed in 2006, when Commons was still a Nottingham Forest player, Claridge praised his skills on the ball, but expressed concern about his lack of fitness and defensive discipline.

"There are aspects which need improving if he is to flourish at a higher level than League One, though his natural ability is not in doubt," wrote Claridge. "He is excellent on the ball, with an impeccable first touch. His team-mates trust him to retain possession and create, and his delivery from dead-balls is superb."

Commons moved to Derby in the summer on freedom of contract, after scoring 32 goals in 112 games for Forest. He started his career at Stock City, to whom Forest paid a £300,000 fee for his services in 2004. Commons' departure for Forest's nearest rivals did not go down well with the club's fans, and he attempted to placate them in the summer. He accused Colin Calderwood, the Forest manager and former Scotland international defender, of waiting too long to offer him another contract, and said he grew "unsettled". His first competitive game for Derby came in the surprise 1-0 home defeat to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, but manager Paul Jewell has described Commons as having the "X factor". The manager also called him a "genuine match-winner".

Commons will come against Davidson in the months ahead in the Championship, but next week will call the Preston North End veteran his team-mate. Davidson is the other significant addition to Burley's squad, and perhaps has created the most stir. The last of his 17 caps was earned as far back as 2002 and most had drawn a line under his Scotland career. But not Burley, who has been alert to Davidson's return to form and fitness at Preston. The former St Johnstone player featured 43 times for the club last season. Craig Brown, who handed Davidson his Scotland debut in 1998, is ideally placed to comment on the player's recall.

"I'm delighted for Callum" said Brown. "I live in Preston and people are always talking about him. He would have become a regular for Scotland if it hadn't been for injury. Many people might not remember, but he played for Scotland in the last game that we played against England, in the European Championship play-off in 1999. Paul Ritchie did a man-marking job in the first game at Hampden, but we lost 2-0 and so had to go for it at Wembley. We wanted to be more offensive so I played Callum at left-back. He was up against David Beckham and had an outstanding game on the night.

"He's a versatile player and had a great season for Preston last season, often playing in midfield. He's still a fit boy at 32."