LIAM Cooper has told Steve Clarke he will be comfortable playing on the right side of a three man Scotland defence in the Euro 2020 finals next month despite being a left-footed player.
Kieran Tierney of Arsenal and Grant Hanley of Norwich City look set to start for the national team in their opening Group D match against the Czech Republic at Hampden on June 14 if fit.
They were given the nod by Clarke in the Qatar 2022 qualifiers against Austria, Israel and the Faroe Islands in March and performed well.
But who joins them in the rearguard is currently unclear.
Scott McTominay, who was deployed at the back in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final and final last year, is set to start in his favoured position in central midfield in the absence of the injured duo Ryan Jack and Kenny McLean.
Jack Hendry, the Celtic defender who spent last season at Oostende in Belgium, played against Austria and Israel and Scott McKenna of Nottingham Forest and Declan Gallagher of Motherwell both have international experience.
But Cooper, who missed the last triple header after contracting Covid-19, has performed consistently for Leeds United in the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign and is eager to feature.
Asked if he would be happy playing on the right, he said: “One hundred percent. I will play wherever I am asked and I will try and do a job wherever I am asked.
“Obviously it would not be as comfortable as I am on the left, but I would have the experience and the confidence to go in there and try to do the country and myself proud. I would play anywhere I am asked, that is the way I have been brought up.
“Lefties are more lefties than anything and the righties seem to be able to move over. I don’t how many of us there are who are left-footed, but everyone is well able to use their right. I am confident in my ability, confident of doing my job and confident my experience will come through.”
Cooper continued: “I always take that responsibility on anyway. I always try to bring the best out of the boys, try to integrate the boys. We have a few young boys in the group this time with the likes of Che Adams coming into the squad recently.
“I like to think they can bounce off me, that I can pass some knowledge on and that I can set an example around the place.
“We have plenty of leaders in this group, you see that every single day. The mood is the best it has felt since I have been in the set up and that is credit to all the boys integrating people in. It can be difficulty coming in, but as I said earlier on we are getting to that club mentality, it is really good to be part of.”
Cooper has squared up to Che Adams of Southampton twice in England this season and come out on the winning side on both occasions. However, the defender endured difficult afternoons against the Leicester-born forward and is delighted he has committed to playing for Scotland.
“I have known about Che for a long time,” he said. “He is a very good player and if he gets a chance 90 per cent of the time he puts it away. He has managed to score plenty of goals against us at Leeds in the past.
“It is great to have him on board. He is a lovely lad and he works hard. He is everything you need to be in this squad. It's brilliant for the morale.”
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