Scotland Under-21 boss pleased to see players move up to senior side
Scotland Under-21 manager Billy Stark says that he is delighted to see several young players making the step up from the youth side to achieve recognition at full international level.
He was speaking after three of the members of the Under-21 side which narrowly failed to qualify for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship — Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan, Liverpool defender Danny Wilson and Dundee United striker David
Goodwillie — all made their debuts for Craig Levein's senior side in the 3-0 win over Faroe Islands on Tuesday 16 November, with Wilson scoring the opening goal.
Those three players were named in the original squad and were later joined by Motherwell defender Steven Saunders — who also made his debut in the match — after a string of players withdrew from the squad.
That has led Stark to highlight the importance of national teams at youth levels, and he insisted that they were crucial in helping to develop youngsters into players who were capable of winning caps with the full national team.
He told reporters that: "If they can go to the full squad then it's a good feeling. That's the purpose of the Under-21s. Circumstances, certainly in Steven's case, have prevailed to give him an opportunity but Bannan, Goodwillie and Wilson were picked in the
original squad, which is great. That is an indication that Craig feels there are young boys who are coming through who can play or supplement his squad and that's what we're aiming for.
"In order to produce players who can do well at international level, having a reasonably successful time at under-21 level helps them as they have been used to winning the majority of games.”
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