Nacho Novo I didn’t play for Scotland, but my son certainly will

Regrets? Morton’s new recruit has had a few.

And he is all too happy to mention that high among them is the fact he never got to play for Scotland.

For the nationality row that has grown up around Manchester United prodigy Adnan Januzaj now, think Nacho Novo back in October, 2008. Then, 29 years old, the little Spaniard had hit 16 goals for Rangers the previous season, including three against Old Firm rivals Celtic. Having lived in Scotland for eight years by then, he was eligible for a British passport. And with Spain’s embarrassment of riches effectively ruling out the chance of playing for his country of birth, Novo was happy to go along with the idea.

As, initially anyway, were the Scottish Football Association.

“It was an idea I really liked,” says Novo, with a grin at the hypothetical suggestion he could have been running out against Croatia in the dark blue of Scotland at Hampden this week instead of the blue-and-white hoops of Morton. As a footballer, you always have to try and look up and the international competitions are right there at the top of the tree.

“My country is very strong, so there was never much chance for me there. We had won the Euros in 2008 with a squad that included Fernando Torres, David Villa, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas. These were among the best strikers anywhere in the world and we had them all.

“I once got to play for my region, Galicia, but the national team would just not have been possible. Scotland had become my home. It was somewhere I loved from the start. So when it was suggested I might play for the country, I was flattered.

“I was doing well for Rangers, who were very strong at the time. To get in that team you had to be doing something right. So I thought about it and decided: ‘Why not?’

“I spoke to my Spanish family and friends about playing for Scotland. They all wanted what was best for me so they told me to go for it. Of course, some people did not think that would be right. They wanted the team to be for Scots only.”

As Novo recalls, though, that was not the majority view.

“A big poll of fans was conducted, and 68% of those asked said they would like me to play for Scotland that result made me very happy,” he admits. “It meant almost three in every in four people were in favour, which is not too bad.”

Then, as now, nationality eligibility was a hot topic. The debate was fierce.

“It was talked and talked about for three weeks, I think,” says the striker. “It became a big topic, one which a lot of people seemed to want to discuss. However, in the end the politics meant it was impossible for me.”

The sticking point was a deal, previously struck between the Home Nations, by which any player selected by England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland had to either have a blood tie to that country, or have had five years compulsory education there.

Novo qualified on neither count, so the plan was dead.

“I am Spanish, with no Scottish bloodline, so I was told I couldn’t play for Scotland,” Novo continues. “There were rules and they had to be followed.

“It is a shame because it would have been nice to run out at Hampden, maybe to have even played in the games AGAINST Spain in the Euro 2012 qualifiers!

“I wasn’t the only one who was affected by the situation. Mikel Arteta, who was my good friend when I was at Raith and he was with Rangers, was unable to play for England for the same reason. Manuel Almunia was another Spaniard in the same position.”

“I suppose the other side of it is that if we had played, then someone else would have missed out. But it is sport, and not everyone can get what they want all the time.”

It is a pragmatic position that helped get him through the tricky time that led up to the job offer from Morton.

Novo had previously trained at Rangers and Kilmarnock, but in both cases without being asked to stick around. That had him wondering whether he would have to take premature retirement at the age of 34. However, as he said, if the worst had come to the worst, he would still have had some serious career highlights he will be able to take away with him.

“Football has given me many great times and for that I will always be very grateful,” says Novo. “I scored the winner in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final for Rangers against Falkirk which was fantastic.

“I scored too, against Hibs on Helicopter Sunday when Scott McDonald did us such a big favour by helping Motherwell pull off a shock win against Celtic. And, of course, there was Manchester and the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.

“Although we eventually lost to Zenit St Petersburg, it was a tremendous run with wins over great clubs such as Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina. No-one can take those memories away from me, but now I have an exciting new challenge with Morton.”

He rounded off by stressing to the Tartan Army that they may yet end up chanting the name Novo! “I have a wee boy, Javier, who was born here,” says his dad.

“He WILL play for Scotland!”