Steve Clarke told to ‘do everything’ he can to get talented £38m Newcastle United star to play for Scotland
A former England international could still change allegiances to Scotland
Former Manchester United striker Brian McClair has claimed that Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes would be the ideal player to help lift Steve Clarke’s Scotland side out of their recent slump.
Scotland have just one win in their last 14 matches under former Magpies assistant boss Clarke and are currently dealing with an avalanche of injury issues as they head into this month’s international break. McClair is adamant that Clarke is still the perfect man to turn results around but feels his team need a fresh injection of attacking quality and pace. Something which he feels Barnes would provide the Tartan Army.
He told SportBoom:"From a Scotland point of view, I think that they should be doing everything they can to persuade Harvey Barnes that his international future lies north of the border. Not even that far north, as he’s playing his football for Newcastle now. He’s one that I think would make a big difference, because of his pace and his attacking style.”
Barnes was born in Burnley and came through the academy system at Leicester City. He was a regular for England’s U20 and U21 team throughout his time with the Foxes and formed part of the team which won the 2017 Toulon Tournament. Barnes was the joint top scorer at that tournament with four goals - including two in the semi-final against Scotland.
After making a name for himself at Leicester, he was handed his first England call up in October 2020 and made his debut during a 3-0 Nations League victory over Wales at Wembley Stadium - appearing as a substitute for Jack Grealish in the last 14 minutes. But Barnes, who hasn’t appeared in an England squad for more than four years, is still eligible to represent Scotland due to his grandparents.
The winger told The Times back in August that there had been contact earlier in his career: “Well I’m still eligible to play for Scotland. There’s been one or two conversations, but there’s not been too much detail into that. To be honest, I haven’t really brought it in as part of my thought process yet. It’s not really been a serious conversation, so it’s not something I’ve really thought too much on. But I know I am still eligible to play for Scotland.”
Asked if an international career with England didn't occur, he added: “Then I’d still be eligible to play for Scotland.” The winger was then all smiles when asked if he liked the sound of 'Harvey McBarnes'.
He said: “It’s something I haven’t really thought about. And I especially have been out of the picture for England for a while now, the main focus is to get back, first of all playing for Newcastle, and then see what happens.”
Barnes has made a strong start to his second season on Tyneside and boasts a record of three goals and one assist in his opening seven league matches this year. In September, he was awarded Newcastle’s Player of the Month award after a string of solid displays.