Nacho Nova

[Ship called Dignity]

Thoughts....

Likeable wee character but he is Spanish so shouldn't get a chance. Where do you think teams should draw the line?

Personally speaking I think at parents.

I'd jump at chance to play for Scotland, admits Spanish striker Nacho Novo

Oct 24 2008

NACHO NOVO last night revealed he would seriously consider playing for Scotland if George Burley asked him to switch his allegiances from Spain.

The Ibrox striker qualifies for a British passport after spending almost eight years in the country playing for Raith Rovers, Dundee and Rangers.

Should the British government grant Novo dual nationality status it would allow the uncapped Spaniard to play for any of the home nations.

It comes at a time when England boss Fabio Capello is considering drafting Arsenal’s Pamplona-born keeper Manuel Almunia into his squad for the World Cup qualification campaign.

Now Novo has expressed his willingness to sign up for national duty with Scotland if Burley requires his services to help us through Group 9 and all the way to the finals in South Africa 2010.

When the 29-year-old was asked if he would consider making the sensational switch he said: “If the SFA want to speak to me about it then of course I would be very interested in playing for Scotland.

“After all my time here I feel as if this is my home now.

“Obviously I know all about Almunia’s situation with England and I read somewhere that my old Rangers teammate Mikel Arteta is also supposed to be interesting Capello so it’s not as if this kind of thing does not happen elsewhere.

“It’s been going on all over Europe for years now.

“People have told me before that I could qualify for Scotland but no one from the SFA has spoken to me about it so it’s not something I’ve had to seriously consider.

“Maybe a few years ago it would have seemed a little strange but now after eight years in Scotland I feel as if I am part of the country.

“My kids are Scottish and everyone here has treated me so well throughout my time here that I consider myself to be at home
here.

“So if someone from the SFA was to ask me about the possibility of playing for Scotland then I would probably say yes.

“But obviously this is not my decision to make. Before I can say yes to Scotland I would need to be asked and I have no idea if they are interested in me or not.

“You don’t just demand to play for a country – that’s not the right way to do things and I would never dream of saying something like this.

“You wait until someone asks you to.

“If no one asks me then I’ll be perfectly happy just to concentrate on playing well for Rangers.”

Ironically, two of Novo’s Ibrox teammates, Kris Boyd and Lee McCulloch, have recently requested not to be considered for selection by Burley at a time when homegrown stars such as Celtic winger Aiden McGeady and Hamilton’s wonderkid James McCarthy have snubbed Scotland to play for the Republic of Ireland.

Novo has proved his credentials as a big-game specialist by netting 10 goals in European competition for Rangers – more than any other player in Walter Smith’s squad.

[abbey craig]

that would finish it off for me if nacho novo played, its bad enough with an englishmen in the Scottish coaching staff

[The modfather]

The irony of it all is he is wanting to repay the country where he gained his fame and fortune.


Unlike a couple of others who decide to turn their backs on the country they come from...


Aint that right aiden?

[peenkles21]

In a word,No.

[paulmcw]

The irony of it all is he is wanting to repay the country where he gained his fame and fortune.


Unlike a couple of others who decide to turn their backs on the country they come from...


Aint that right aiden?

This just about somes it up!!!

Yeah, that is right Aiden, and now he has a friend, James McCarthey that can look forward to the endless hate that will no doubt comes his way! for Mccarthey to endure that yesterday at 17 years old, just about shows how low some folk will go! why, becasue, in a footballing sense his allegiance is to the R.O.I, But the irony of it all is the endless , countless songs i hear of Ulster from the Rangers fans, where's that in Scotland???

Is Novo's situation not the same as Mccarthey's? Repaying the country who put a bit of faith in him, Well, we /scotland told him he wasn't good enough!?? Although, all i hear is alot of positve things about novo, seems alright for him,, can someone please tell me the difference here??? (or is it the R.O.I thing?,,, shhhh!)

Anyway, as Mr Burley says, he's not really interested in players who don't get a regular slot in the starting XI for their team,, so theres not much point is there!

Oh' how the tune changes!!!!!

[gizmo]

Nacho playing for Scotland would be wrong IMO.. He is Spanish FFS.. On the other hand it worked well for Charlton and Eire.. Nah still wrong.. Just a shame so many of our own players from both ends of Glasgow cant be bothered..

[A Horse called Juan Face]

If he can gain a passport, then legally he could play, but I wouldnt do it myself. Not convinced that hes that great anyway.

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

No one was to bothered when Richard Gough played.

Not saying that I want him to play, but it can't be rules for one and not another.

[sentrano]

But Stone Cold, Goughs dad was Scottish!! We have clutched at straws with a lot of players over the years, McCall, Sullivan, Goram, Quasie and a few aothers but at least they had some kind of Scottish blood in them. Anyway Novo is a poor mans Kenny Miller so wouldnt get into the team, O'Connor, McFadden, Iwelummmoiuwieuiwqweyiyiudyiuyr, Fletcher and Riordan are better strikers than him as well. Its the same with Almunia wanting to play fro England, he might want to but they will never play him as hes mince!!! Even worse than Calamity James!!

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Goughs dad was Scottish!!!

I but he's still not Scottish. You've just named a string of players there as well as Commons, Morrison - all of them. In this day and age you can't pick and choose the rules for some and not others.

[FACEMAN]

I thought Novo was scottish, when you hear him getting interviewed he says "jings crivens " and "help ma boab".O i, i forgot thats Only an Excuse

[Ship called Dignity]

Goughs dad was Scottish!!!

I but he's still not Scottish. You've just named a string of players there as well as Commons, Morrison - all of them. In this day and age you can't pick and choose the rules for some and not others.

It's not changing the rules. Anyone who has played for Scotland before either himself is born in Scotland or has a parent or grandparent who is born in Scotland. Nacho Nova doesn't.

I think it should go as far as your parents.

Richard Gough's father was Scottish so that is fine for me and that makes him 1/3 Scottish (he was born in South Africa to a Swedish mother). It would be crazy to suggest a Scottish couple who move for example have a child in a foreign land but regard their family Scottish through and through and the child can't represent their country.

Take Juan Face for example. It is sheer destiny that he will meet, fall in love and marry an Argentinian volleyball player while staying down under . His son will be born in Australia and name Juanmacdona and will grow up to be the greatest footballer the world has ever seen. Now I for one want to see him playing in Scotland colours at Hampden!

[Stone Cold aka Doags Bs]

Everyone gets really wound up about this!

If someone moves to America from Scotland and then becomes an American citizen they may say to people they are American. Are they wrong?

Personally I think Parents is fine as pointed out, but that's really it. It's like that English fla that played for Trinidad in the World Cup. Try and guess which one he is!

Although born in England, Birchall has represented Trinidad and Tobago at international level. He is eligible for that country because his mother was born in Port of Spain.

[Ship called Dignity]

"Everyone gets really wound up about this!

I think its a good debate.

If someone moves to America from Scotland and then becomes an American citizen they may say to people they are American. Are they wrong?

No but they shouldn't be able to play for America. (ps - You've taken that too far, imagine being Scottish and wanting to change to American! (only joking for all you Americans out there!)

Personally I think Parents is fine as pointed out, but that's really it. It's like that English fla that played for Trinidad in the World Cup. Try and guess which one he is!

Although born in England, Birchall has represented Trinidad and Tobago at international level. He is eligible for that country because his mother was born in Port of Spain.

Is it cause I is white?

See, I don't see anything wrong with that. His mother is from Trinidad and Tobago. I would hope if I had a child in Jamica for example he would play for Scotland. (would be might sore mind you!)

[hugh]

Thing about Nacho is that he'd have loved to play for his native country, but everybody, including himself, realises that's not going to happen. So if he says he'd be happy to play for the country where he lives, works, raises his family, pays his taxes then...why not? Why not take it as a compliment? It's obviously not a cynical career move 'cos he's probably gone as far as he can in the Scottish game and playing for Scotland doesn't open as many doors as it used to..I'm just being honest.

England are looking at Almunia, that's because they're too realistic to be picky (their own 'keepers are crap, changed days I know, but they are crap) so why can't Scotland be as hard headed? Has everything in Scottish football got to suffer the fallout of the world's loudest Punch and Judy show? We've already lost the services of one good and one very promising player to that nonsense, why should we spurn the offer of a helping hand from another? And if he's not that great then he won't look out out of place in the current Scottish team. Give him a game. He's got as much right to a Scottish jersey as McGeady and McCarthy have to an Irish one.