Reading v Sheffield Wednesday: I've got to do my stuff with Owls to earn Scotland call, says Barry Bannan
Bannan’s outstanding performances this term for Sheffield Wednesday – who have confirmed the signing of Gary Hooper on a three-and-a-half year deal for a fee of around £3m – have not gone unnoticed north of the border with a recall likely to guild a fine campaign for the 26-year-old.
Airdrie-born Bannan is keeping grounded with his priority being to keep the Owls in the play-off positions, but acknowledges that donning the Scottish jersey again would be welcome.
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Hide AdBannan, capped 20 times by his country – with the last one coming against England at Celtic Park in November 2014 – said: “I have spoken to them in the past couple of weeks and I have had emails and stuff about the games coming up.
“I don’t know the squad yet, but I have had contact from them and hopefully that’s a positive thing.
“I spoke to the gaffer, Gordon Strachan, as well a while back when we played at Rotherham and we also had a chat last season when I missed out on a squad.
“He told me I needed to score more goals and get in the box more as I was trying to make things happen rather than finish things off and he wants midfielders who are going to get into the box and score goals.
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Hide Ad“He said after the Rotherham game that I was doing that and to keep it up.
“I am enjoying my club football at the minute and I am playing every week and we are winning and I am just concentrating on that.
“Hopefully I am getting watched and can do enough to get back in there because when I was in there, I really enjoyed it.
“You are representing your country, no one wouldn’t. But I have got to do my stuff here every week and hopefully it will be good enough to get back in there.”
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Hide AdBannan and his team-mates travel to Reading today and head coach Carlos Carvalhal believes the hosts are better than their current league position suggests.
He said: “It will be a tough game. They are in a false position. They are trying to fight for the top-six positions.
“They won in the FA Cup, coming back from 2-0 down. They have good players who can make a difference.”