STEVEN PRESSLEY today urged Derek Riordan to show the hunger to win himself a recall to the Scotland set-up following his dramatic return to Hibs.
Pressley was in the national side as Riordan won his only cap to date more than three years ago, coming on as a second half substitute as Scotland drew 2-2 with Austria in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium in Graz.
At that point Riordan, now 25, a
ppeared poised to enjoy a lengthy international career but it has since stalled, the striker spending two years in the wilderness following his move to Celtic Park.
But now Pressley, a former team-mate at Celtic and now part of Scotland boss George Burley's management team, believes Riordan has to prove himself all over again if he is to pull on the dark blue jersey once more.
He said: "It's very much up to Derek, about how much he wants from his career. He was obviously keen to get back playing football and he now has that opportunity and he has to prove, not over the short-term but a longer period, he is capable of playing at that level.
"That must be his goal and we will see in the coming months how much he has the desire to get back to the very top level.
"He is a player of undoubted ability but the next few years are very important to his career."
The full article contains 245 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
