Boyd's retiral reflects a monumental delusion

FROM whatever angle it is approached, it is difficult to view Kris Boyd's decision to withdraw from international football as anything other than an exercise in monumental self-delusion.

Implicit in the Rangers striker's disdain for George Burley is not only a heightened, extremely dubious sense of his own worth, but the twin assumptions that he will have the support of the country's fans and the opportunity to re-enter the arena when the present Scotland manager's tenure is at an end.

Boyd's hyper-sensitivity to non-selection suggests a conceit that may have been at least partly swollen by his paying too much attention to the clamour for his inclusion in the Scotland team by certain sections of the public and the media. But he should surely have been disabused of that notion by his experiences at his own club. Even at Ibrox, he is what may be called an occasional series, with a considerable time lapse between each instalment.

Indeed, it is Walter Smith's mute declaration of his distrust of Boyd as a regular first- team choice that makes the player's behaviour towards Burley the more insulting.

He is saying it is all right for his club manager not to pick him, but unforgivable of the national team manager to follow suit. It amounts, in effect, to an insistence that Burley be sacked before he will reconsider wearing the dark blue shirt, monstrous conduct by any player.

If Boyd is acting on principle, as opposed to petulance inspired by a failure to see himself as his managers see him, why not extend it to walking out on Smith and Rangers? Well, that would mean breach of contract, no job and no wages, enough to send even the boldest and strongest of principles scurrying back into the undergrowth.

Boyd's misjudgment of his action and its probable consequences betrays a staggering (but unsurprising) lack of proper thought and insight into the demands – simple but unwavering – made of those who represent their country by the majority of Scotland supporters.

On Saturday afternoon, as the Scots struggled towards their scoreless draw with Norway, Boyd, rightly or wrongly, was widely perceived as a maltreated hero, his status rising in tandem with the groundswell of opprobrium which was growing around Burley.

Within 24 hours, when first reports appeared of his intention to quit, the great bulk of those members of the Tartan Army who had acclaimed him would be falling over themselves to subscribe to his court martial, the charge desertion, the verdict guilty, the sentence a dishonourable discharge.

Evidence of this collective disillusionment and instant condemnation was to be seen as early as yesterday morning in sports section of The Scotsman, where a spokesman for the West of Scotland Tartan Army (perhaps significantly, the region where Rangers reside) assured readers that he and his fellows are interested only in players who want to play for Scotland and that Boyd had already been found guilty of unacceptable disloyalty. He ended with the damning: "Boyd is yesterday's man. We move on".

Burley clearly responded similarly to the intimation from the player of his intention to quit and it will be something of a shock if the Scottish Football Association does not follow up later in the week with a curt "Resignation Accepted" and, of more importance, a promise that neither Boyd nor any other player will be allowed to pick and choose when – and under which manager – he deigns to pull on the jersey.

To claim that David Weir established a precedent when he walked out on Berti Vogts in 2002 and returned under Walter Smith three years later is not to compare like with like. The veteran defender, then with Everton, was, in essence, slandered in public by Vogts, who held him responsible for the 2-2 draw with the Faroe Islands in Toftir – a much more ignominious result than 0-0 with Norway – when that disgrace had clearly been the result of a team effort. Weir's case for his withdrawal of labour was immeasurably more arguable than simply not being picked.

Boyd's huffiness may also be regarded as offensive to many of his former international colleagues. Every time Burley, or any other Scotland manager, announces a 25-man squad, at least 10, but more likely 12, of the nominees will be resigned to the certainty that they will not start the forthcoming match, beginning with two of the three goalkeepers, Allan McGregor and David Marshall.

Were all of them to adopt Boyd's pathetic attitude, the national team, at the age of 136, would have to be retired.

A game-by-game guide to the striker's international career

KRIS Boyd has made 15 appearances for Scotland, scoring seven goals. His supporters point out that those 15 appearances include only six starts, while his critics highlight the quality of the opposition he scores against.

Here we look at his game- by-game record for Scotland.

• Bulgaria 1 Scotland 5 11 May 2006

Boyd made his debut as part of a raft of new players blooded by Walter Smith at the Kirin Cup in Japan. He played from the start against Bulgaria, scoring twice before the interval. Boyd was replaced five minutes after the break by James McFadden.

• Japan 0 Scotland 0 13 May 2006

Boyd started on the bench in the second game of the series against the host nation. He replaced McFadden in the 59th minute in the draw, which saw Scotland lift the trophy.

• Scotland 6 Faroe Islands 0 2 September 2006

Fielded from the start as part of a three-pronged strikeforce with McFadden and Kenny Miller at Celtic Park. Boyd played the full 90 minutes and hit with two goals inside the first 38 minutes.

• Lithuania 1 Scotland 2 6 September 2006

Started on the bench but introduced three minutes before the interval. Did not get on the scoresheet as Christian Dailly and Miller scored.

• Scotland 1 France 0 7 October 2006 Unused sub.

Ukraine 2 Scotland 0 11 October 2006

Introduced in the 73rd minute for McFadden but unable to change the course of the game.

• Scotland 2 Georgia 1 24 March 2007

Sets the ball rolling on the Alex McLeish era with a headed goal after ten minutes. Strikes the crossbar in the second half but is withdrawn 14 minutes from time in favour of Craig Beattie, who scores a late winner.

• Italy 2 Scotland 0 28 March 2007

Left on the bench for the game against the world champions in Bari as McLeish focuses on containment. Comes on in the 80th minute for Lee McCulloch.

• Austria 0 Scotland 1 30 May 2007

Plays full 90 minutes in an impressive display in which he sets up O'Connor for the only goal of the game in Vienna.

• Faroe Islands 0 Scotland 2 6 June 2007

On from the start but Garry O'Connor and Shaun Maloney score before Boyd makes way for Steven Naismith's debut eight minutes from time.

• Scotland 1 South Africa 0 22 August 2007

Sits on the bench at Pittodrie until the 68th minute when he replaces Miller. McLeish is rewarded three minutes later when Boyd scores the only goal of the friendly after connecting with a Darren Fletcher chip.

• Scotland 3 Lithuania 1 8 September 2007

Opens the scoring after 30 minutes before playing the whole game at Hampden.

• France 0 Scotland 1 12 September 2007 Unused sub.

• Georgia 2 Scotland 0 17 October 2007

Introduced for midfielder Stephen Pearson but unable to prevent costly defeat in Tbilisi as McLeish's tactics backfire.

• Scotland 1 Italy 2 17 November 2007

Brought on for McCulloch in injury time seconds after Italy score their winning goal.

• Scotland 1 Croatia 1 26 March 2008

Comes on for Maloney in the 72nd minute at Hampden during George Burley's first game in charge of the national side. Boyd is the only Rangers player in the squad after a number of withdrawals ahead of the Old Firm derby.

• Scotland 0 Northern Ireland 0 20 August 2008 Unused sub.

• Macedonia 1 Scotland 0 6 September 2008

Forced to wait until the 80th minute before being brought on as a substitute for Maloney in a defeat in Skopje.

• Iceland 1 Scotland 2 10 September 2008 Unused sub.

• Scotland 0 Norway 0 11 October 2008

Remains on the bench for the whole game, with Burley opting for the double introduction of Steven Fletcher and Chris Iwelumo – who misses an open goal – in the second half.

Starts: 6
Substitute appearances: 9
Goals: 7