Snodgrass opens up on Scottish hurt

In August 2018, Hammer Robert Snodgrass asked former boss Alex McLeish to be left out of the Scotland squad for games against Belgium and Albania.

His mum Irene had been ill after suffering a stroke and his priority was to be at home. Yet when Matt Phillips pulled out through injury, Snodgrass agreed to be drafted in as a replacement. The following month, before the Nations League game in Israel, he was engulfed in grief after two deaths in his family within three days so was reluctant to report for international duty.

But given assurances that he would play in Haifa, he turned up. When he wasn’t even picked for the 2-1 loss, it infuriated him. With emotions running high, Snodgrass began to question his worth to Scotland and wondered if he had an international future. He was nowhere near any of McLeish’s squads thereafter.

When new Scottish gaffer Steve Clarke was appointed in May, he didn’t include him because he was unsure whether Snodgrass was available for selection.

Snodgrass has now told the Daily Mail of his disappointment by saying “A lot of stuff that happened in the past with Scotland was mentally scarring. Certain things – in terms of the way I was treated – were incredible. It really hurt me when there was this perception that I didn’t want to play for Scotland. I was fuming, absolutely gutted. Those were the emotions running through me.

“I had to listen to pundits, ex-team-mates, trying to dig me up about it. Things went on behind the scenes but it wasn’t for me to come out and speak about it.

“It has never been about me. That’s not the way I am. With Scotland, it has always been about the squad, the lads who were trying to get some big results to start the Euro 2020 campaign, rather than lads who were away from it, who people didn’t know the truth about.

“People have questioned my commitment to Scotland but it’s actually the opposite. My problem is I can NEVER say no.

“When I had other things to deal with in my personal life, people were telling me to come and play for Scotland. So I’d come but then not play.

“I’d prefer people just to be honest with me and say whether they really want me there or just as a back-up.

“Just give me the truth, not lies.

“I’m very open to being back in the squad. Steve Clarke has spoken to me and he’s a top guy.

“He’s made it very easy for me to get into the mindset of coming back to the Scotland squad.

“If the manager wants me back in then I’ll be there.”

 

 

About Sean Whetstone

I am Season Ticket Holder in West stand lower at the London Stadium and before that, I used to stand in the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower Row R seat 159 in the Boleyn Ground and in the Eighties I stood on the terraces of the old South Bank. I am a presenter on the West Ham Podcast called MooreThanJustaPodcast.co.uk. A Blogger on WestHamTillIdie.com a member of the West Ham Supporters Advisory Board (SAB), Founder of a Youtube channel called Mr West Ham Football at http://www.youtube.com/MrWestHamFootball, I am also the associate editor here at Claret and Hugh. Life Long singer of bubbles! Come on you Irons! Follow me at @Westhamfootball on twitter