STEVE Clarke faces a "tricky dilemma" as he ponders whether to make a Scotland approach for Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes, says Gordon Strachan.

Strachan has had his say on the situation with Barnes and his Newcastle teammate Elliot Anderson, who are both eligible to play for Scotland.

Barnes is said to be considering a switch to Scotland three years on from winning his only England cap in a friendly against Wales, but Gareth Southgate this week stressed that the Newcastle winger is a "player we like a lot".

Clarke has spoken to Barnes about the situation but the conversation didn't take place recently and the Scotland boss said he won't be approaching the Newcastle winger, who he'll leave to make a decision.

Former Scotland boss Strachan says he'd welcome a player of Barnes' quality making the switch, but only if he's wholly committed to the cause.

He said: "We don’t know what the conversations have been like between him and Steve. We also don’t know if he has been asked before, it doesn’t feel like he has.

"I think that’s really important. You want players that want to come in and play for you, but they also have to have that connection to Scotland and want to be part of the group. They need to feel Scottish. You should only be asked a certain number of times. If you don’t feel Scottish, then don’t play.

"I would want to know what the history is there. Has Barnes turned down the offer before? If he has been asked in the past and said no, then you have to think why does he want to play for Scotland now. If the player hasn’t done that and Steve likes what he’s heard from him, then great."

Clarke must also consider the unity in his Scotland camp when making the Barnes decision, says Strachan.

He told Gambling Zone: "The other side to this is squad harmony. Does Steve leave one of his players out, players who have created a wonderful squad and connection with each other?

"That’s the tricky dilemma that all international managers face. Harvey plays as a left winger. Scotland aren’t playing with wingers at the moment. There are a lot of factors to consider before you make a decision like this.

"Steve will also want to remain loyal to the players that have done incredibly well for him. There are a number of players in any international squad that make huge sacrifices with a clear understanding that they will only ever feature for ten minutes – guys that give up their summer holidays or time off because they want to be part of the set-up. Will Steve feel comfortable about potentially replacing one of those players with Barnes? That’s a very difficult decision for a manager to make."

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Anderson's situation is slightly different. The 20-year-old was called-up by Scotland for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus and last night's friendly against England, but withdrew due to injury after a couple of days in the camp.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson has played for Scotland at youth level but is still eligible to play for England.

Strachan said: "What I would say about Elliot Anderson and anyone else for that matter, is that there are always players that do want to play for you.

"In club management, if you miss out on a player, there will always be another one that will pop up who will be better. There is always somebody. The most important thing is being committed. If you don’t feel that connection to Scotland. If you don’t have that pride to wear the jersey, please do not come. Go and find yourself a country that you're proud of playing for."