Andrew Driver has been given permission to seek international recognition with Scotland.
Hearts ace hoping to receive call from Burley
Andrew Driver has been given permission to seek international recognition with Scotland.
The Scottish Football Association, led by chief executive Gordon Smith, have been pushing for an alteration to the selection criteria for British players.
They wanted a change to the rules which would allow players to represent a country providing they have attended school there for five years.
That situation applies to Hearts winger Driver, who was deemed ineligible for Scotland despite having lived there most of his life.
He had turned out for his adopted home in the schoolboy ranks, but having been born in Lancashire was snapped up by England at U21 level.
The 21-year-old has previously admitted, though, that he would welcome the opportunity to turn out for George Burley's men, should he be cleared to do so.
Proposal
That door has now been opened, with Smith delighted to see common sense prevail.
He said in the
Sunday Mail: "The change of criteria for selection has been approved. We now have an agreement with England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
"I thought it unfair to ignore kids who may live here and be educated here after moving to Scotland with their parents.
"I put a proposal forward that if a kid had a minimum of five years of schooling here and a British passport he can play for that particular association.
"The Fifa committee approved it in Rio last week for our four home nations.
"It now means Driver qualifies to play for Scotland."
