Boyd quits national team whilst it remains under Burley's control

Scottish football fans were shocked this week by Kris Boyd’s announcement that he will not play for the national team whilst it is under the control of George Burley. Boyd issued the following statement at the weekend: “I will not be playing for George Burley again, but I hope to be back in a Scotland jersey again one day”.

The Scotland manager spoke publicly about Boyd’s form, a move which angered the Rangers striker who was controversially left on the bench during Saturday’s match against Norway. When Scottish star, James McFadden, was taken off the pitch, he was replaced by Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, Chris Iwelumo. The boss defended this decision by stating that the striker still needs to prove himself at club level before becoming a regular at international level.

In all fairness, Iwelumo has been in impressive form of late, scoring eight goals in six games for his club. However, the standard of football played by the Rangers team, one of the best sides in Scotland, is better than that seen at Championship level. As such, a player who plays even intermittently for the Scottish team is likely to be more skilful than one competing every week in the Championship.

Boyd’s anger is therefore understandable but his reaction seems extreme, particularly given the timing of his decision. Scotland are at, in Burley’s words, “a crucial time" in their World Cup campaign. The loss of Kris Boyd for the remaining Group 9 World Cup qualifying matches is serious, even if he has not been involved in the first team recently.

Boyd’s announcement is also particularly disappointing given the recent news concerning Lee McCulloch. The Rangers midfielder retired from international competition last month and although the Scottish Football Association has been quick to deny that the decision was partly a result of a rift between player and manager, these rumours have not subsided. The loss of another important player in the form of Kris Boyd will simply rub salt in these wounds.

The striker also informed the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, Gordon Smith, of his decision. Smith has since spoken of his sadness at the timing of the news and his belief that the decision may have been made on an impulse.

He stated that whilst “it’s his decision and we must always respect a player when they make that decision”, the striker may live to regret his choice, “it might have been the kind of thing that if Kris had spent a bit of time thinking about it he might have changed his mind - it’s maybe a quick reaction to how he feels”.

Whilst Smith believes that Boyd is still free to change his mind and return to the national team, whether or not the manager would allow this without a fight is debatable. Chris Iwelumo has also spoken publicly about Boyd’s decision. The Wolves striker believes that “it’s a big loss” and very “disappointing”. Furthermore, he described the Rangers striker as a “goal-machine” and “a good character to have around"

Written by Charlotte Cook