Scotland recall for Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson is back in the Scotland fold after a 20-month exile. Craig Brown yesterday named the in-form Everton striker in his squad for the opening World Cup qualifying match against Austria in Vienna on Saturday 31 August.

Ferguson won the last of his five Scotland caps back in December 1994 in Greece. There was also a promotion from last season's successful Under- 21 squad for the uncapped Jackie McNamara of Celtic. Missing through injury, though, were the Aberdeen pair of Stewart McKimmie and Scott Booth, Celtic's Paul McStay and Phil O'Donnell, and Alan McLaren of Rangers.

The other strikers named by Brown are John Spencer of Chelsea, Ally McCoist and Gordon Durie of Rangers, and Kevin Gallacher of Blackburn. "I've watched Duncan Ferguson in action twice recently and he's bang in form," said Brown, who witnessed the Everton striker's double against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday. "Ally McCoist is also in great scoring form at the moment. I just hope the two of them can keep their form going for another 10 days and save some goals for Vienna."

SCOTLAND SQUAD (World Cup Group Four v Austria, Ernst Happel stadium, Vienna, 31 August): Goram (Rangers), Walker (Aberdeen), Leighton (Hibernian); Boyd (Celtic), Burley (Chelsea), Calderwood (Tottenham Hotspur), Collins (Monaco), Durie (Rangers), D Ferguson (Everton), Gallacher (Blackburn Rovers), Gemmill (Nottingham Forest), Hendry (Blackburn Rovers), D Jackson (Hibernian), Jess (Coventry City), McAllister (Coventry City), McCall (Rangers), McCoist (Rangers), P McKinlay (Celtic), B McKinlay (Blackburn Rovers), McNamara (Celtic), Spencer (Chelsea), Whyte (Middlesbrough).

SCOTLAND UNDER-21 SQUAD (European Under-21 Championship Group Four v Austria, Amstetten stadium, Amstetten, 30 August): Bonnar (Raith Rovers), Browne (Raith Rovers), Germaine (West Bromwich Albion), Gillies (St Mirren), Glass (Aberdeen), Gray (Leeds United), Hamilton (Dundee), Harper (Hibernian), Hartley (Millwall), McConnell (Clyde), McKenzie (Heart of Midlothian), McMillan (Motherwell), Meldrum (Kilmarnock), Miller (Rangers), Renicks (Hamilton Academical), Ritchie (Heart of Midlothian), Shields (Rangers), Thomas (Heart of Midlothian).