SCOTLAND manager Gordon Strachan was yesterday urged to keep faith with Charlie Mulgrew at centre-half - and recall Darren Fletcher from the international wilderness.

The national boss raised eyebrows when he selected Mulgrew in the heart of his backline in the friendly international against Qatar at Easter Road last Friday night.

The versatile Celtic star has normally been deployed as a deep-lying central midfielder when he has turned out for his country in the past.

He certainly teamed up with his Hoops team-mate Scott Brown to devastating effect there against the Republic of Ireland in a Group D match last year.

Mulgrew was named Man of the Match as Scotland recorded a 1-0 triumph in a bruising encounter with Martin O'Neill's side at Celtic Park back in November.

Strachan is a huge admirer of the 29-year-old and is keen to have him involved in the Group D match at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

But former SFWA and SPFA Player of the Year Mulgrew has been sidelined for the majority of the 2015/16 campaign with a hamstring tendon injury.

The 17-times capped internationalist only returned as a substitute in Celtic's last two games against St Johnstone and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

It looks as if he could, due to his lack of game time, be selected alongside Russell Martin in the middle of the Scotland rearguard.

That would allow his manager to play one of his other midfielders - Charlie Adam, Fletcher, James McArthur or James Morrison - in the 4-2-3-1 formation he usually favours.

Jimmy Calderwood rescued Mulgrew from the obscurity of Southend United reserves when he signed him for Aberdeen for a nominal fee back in 2008.

And he then watched as he resurrected his playing career at Pittodrie before sealing a dream move back to his boyhood heroes at Parkhead two years later.

The hugely experienced manager mainly utilised the player at left-back in the 2008/09 campaign - but he also selected him at centre-half as well.

CALDERWOOD reckons picking him there against the Republic in Dublin would be a masterstroke by Scotland gaffer Strachan.

"I wouldn't try to second guess a guy like wee Gordon, but Charlie could certainly play at centre-half for Scotland against Ireland and do a great job," he said.

"It looks as if Robbie Keane will be starting up front for Ireland. He's a wonderful player, but he's not got the pace he used to have. That could work in Scotland's favour.

"Charlie is a wonderful lad. Tactically, he is very aware. He reads the game so well. That is why he can play in so many positions. It is an absolute dream to have a guy like that, as a manager. He has had a horrendous season which has been a shame. But he has come back and he breezed through the Qatar match. Okay, it wasn't a high-tempo game, but it shows he is ready."

Calderwood added: "No disrespect to big Gordon Greer, but, for me, playing Charlie at centre-half is a no-brainer. The Norwich lad, Russell Martin, is a very good defender and will work well next to him.

"Charlie is very good in the air. He has a wand of a left foot and his right foot is not bad either. His build-up play from the back is good. He can ping pinpoint passes from 80 yards on a sixpence. I actually think he is more effective when he is coming from the back and has more space to work with.

"He can put players through on goal with the perfect weight of pass. The midfielders and strikers ahead of him will know the weight and angle of the pass will be right with Charlie.

"He is a great trainer. That dead-ball ability isn't natural. That is the result of loads of practice. He would drive to training himself with a bag of balls so he could stay behind and do extra work.

"If he is just back after a long spell out, he will be fresh. He just loves the game and will be desperate to be involved. Playing him there allows Gordon to pick one of the talented central midfielders he has alongside Broony. It makes the team stronger."

Strachan has, since succeeding Craig Levein as Scotland man-ager two-and-a-half years ago, never been able to pick a fully fit Darren Fletcher.

The Dalkeith man suffers from ulcerative colitis and has spent long spells out of the game altogether due to his debilitating condition.

However, the 31-year-old moved from Manchester United to their Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion this season and has played his most competitive football for four years in the last four months.

He started in the friendly against Northern Ireland at Hampden back in March and is pushing hard for inclusion in the Scotland first team.

Calderwood, who had a spell in charge of De Graafschap in the Dutch Eredivisie earlier this season, would like to see Fletcher return to the starting line-up.

He said: "Gordon is a good football man. He's got an abundance of very good players in midfield and now has a fully-fit Darren Fletcher.

"I would say you could prob-ably punch in around eight or nine of the players. It depends on how everyone has done in training and what system he wants to play. But Darren is another shoo-in.

"The most important thing for Scotland is that they don't lose the game. I would expect Darren and Scotty to be sitting in midfield in those deep-lying roles with Charlie in defence next to Russell.

"With the game being away from home the manager will go for experience. It would be fantastic if we could win this."