Vogts delivers the youth vote

Scotland v France: Crainey and company prepare for a daunting baptism as Scottish coach looks to the future

Springtime in Paris is everyone's idea of the prefect break. Berti Vogts, though, would take issue with anyone who thinks his first Scotland appointment this Wednesday was hand-picked for its wonderful scenery.

The only sightseeing Vogts is interested in is the Stade de France, not the Arc de Triomphe. "We don't play friendlies," Scotland's new manager bristled, "we play international matches, and the bigger the better."

They do not come any bigger than the world champions. More than 8,000 Scots will be in Paris for Vogts' opening night, a clear sign that the supporters take football as seriously as the man who led Ger- many to triumph at Euro 96.

Any notion Vogts might have wanted to ease himself in gently before hitting the European Championship qualifying trail in September – which includes a meeting with his native country – was dismissed after Vogts announced his first squad. France are followed by Nigeria, England's World Cup opponents this summer in April at Aberdeen.

But Vogts is willing to squeeze in another duel with a World Cup finalist, if they are willing. "No, I am not scared by it," insisted Vogts. "This is why you want to play international football. Individually the French team is the best team in world.

"However, I am happy to play the best teams, because it brings a lot of experience for my teams. That is good for the younger players, but also the more experienced ones such as Paul Lambert and Barry Ferguson.

"In fact, maybe we can have two other games in May. I am looking for offers from good teams. Perhaps, Saudi Arabia is a possibility. It's better that we play teams who have qualified for the World Cup, strong teams, than we play Luxembourg, Cyprus or Malta. It is better for the young players I want to bring in. I want them to play against the best in the world."

Vogts will deliver exactly that to Stephen Crainey, the Celtic defender, who at 20, is likely to be handed his first cap with barely 20 first-team games under his belt. Crainey was one of six young, uncapped players called up by Vogts, yet his new assistant, Tommy Burns, believes the Parkhead youngster has enough talent to pass his French examination.

"He is ready," said Burns, whose other role, as Celtic's head of youth development, permits him to analyse the kind of young shoots that Vogts wants to see pushing through and eventually blossoming in Scotland's colours.

"Stephen played for Celtic in the Uefa Cup in Valencia this season, which is a real hotbed, and was so composed in the recent Old Firm game against Rangers. But you have to assess the quality of young players when they are young, because things might have passed them by when they hit 26. I don't mean one or two games, but a long run."

Aberdeen's precocious full-back Kevin McNaughton, Rangers midfielder Stephen Hughes and Gary Caldwell, the Newcastle United centre- half on loan at Hibernian, all received their call-up papers from Vogts on Monday at the tender age of 19. It was in stark contrast to Craig Brown's final days, where the only conscripts were thirtysomethings.

It is a philosophy that the French adopted after Scotland qualified at their expense for the 1990 World Cup finals. A centralised youth system under the French federation's scrutiny provided the fertile ground from which today's team of world champions, as well as their eager understudies (France are current world under-17 champions) have emerged.

Eric Black, now manager of Motherwell, played for Metz and Scotland a dozen years ago as a certain Robert Pires came to view. "He was about 13 or 14 at the time," Black said. "He had great ability and when I went back a few years later, he had come through into the first team as a teenager. I remember him destroying Newcastle for Metz in the Uefa Cup a few years ago.

"I watched Stephen Crainey develop at Celtic [Black was youth coach and then assistant manager at Parkhead], and I have no doubts he has the ability and temperament to cope. So, let's try it with the younger kids – Scotland have nothing to lose."