Steven Naismith hits out at what BBC host said as John Souttar wows away from Rangers
Rangers defender John Souttar started for his country as Scotland won 1-0 away at Greece in the UEFA Nations League.
Souttar started at centre-back alongside Birmingham City defender Grant Hanley, whilst Celtic’s Anthony Ralston was at right-back.
Ralston was an unused substitute for Celtic as they lost at home to Rangers in the most recent Old Firm, whilst Souttar played the entire 90 minutes, but they were able to put rivalries aside to deliver for Scotland.
Former Rangers forward Steven Naismith had a lot to say about the Scotland National side and Souttar after their victory against Greece, and he strongly refuted any suggestion of luck in this victory.
Steven Naismith praises Rangers star John Souttar after Scotland win
Speaking on BBC One Scotland (21:42, 20 March) after Scotland’s win against Greece, BBC presenter Jonathan Sunderland suggested that Steve Clarke’s side were lucky to come away with three points, but Naismith rejected this out of hand.
“I’m not happy with you saying we rode our luck, because we didn’t,” he rebutted.
“The chance they got off the post, Ralston does enough, so defensively, that was brilliant. I think Souttar and Hanley had a fantastic second-half performance.”
| Stat | John Souttar vs Greece |
| Minutes | 90 |
| Passes | 28/31 |
| Blocks | 2 |
| Clearances | 13 |
Scotland took the lead through a first-half penalty, which was converted by Napoli star Scott McTominay, and held on to keep a clean sheet with Souttar at the heart of the defence.
John Souttar’s key influence for Rangers and Scotland
It has been a busy but brilliant few weeks for Souttar for club and country. The defender played every minute as Rangers beat Fenerbahce on penalties over two legs in the Europa League round of 16, and capped off a sensational week with a victory in the Old Firm.
Souttar clearly carried his confidence over to his national team, with the 28-year-old putting in a superb display against Greece, and he will hope this continues as Scotland return to Hampden Park in the reverse fixture this week.
Although Greece had a late penalty call overturned, the visitors held on against heavy Greek pressure to seal a vital win and a clean sheet.
Whilst Scotland were heavily out-shot, they deserve credit for keeping the hosts at bay over 90 minutes, with Souttar a rock at the back for Clarke’s side.