A SCOT RAVES ABOUT FLETCHER

Last updated : 11 November 2005 By Ed

Scotland's coach, Tommy Burns:

"There's always people wanting to be negative and they are always the people who shout the loudest and can get the biggest headlines for a moment or 25 minutes.

"But Fletcher has handled it the right way.

"He scored the winning goal against the champions so that's the best way to answer that.

"Responsibility is something good players take on themselves and Fletcher has taken that from day one.

"I don't think there's any doubt he can become a big star for Scotland.

"About 16 or 18 months ago he got a horrific injury which caused him a great deal of distress.

"He is pushing himself further and further every day to get back to a top level of fitness.

"Then he got thrown into the Celtic team and then it dawned on him how difficult it was going to be and he definitely struggled to cope.

"He had the disappointment of being left out again so he had all the different fears and phantoms going on in his mind having come back from an injury like that.

"He has conquered that and he has come in this season and looks a different person entirely.

"Mentally he is much stronger and physically he's as fit and strong as he's ever likely to be."