FOR two players who at this moment in time exist in different footballing worlds there is an awful lot of common ground shared between Charlie Mulgrew and Gary Cahill.

Both are now 31, so a good age, as they say, for the positions they fill for their respective teams. They have won all there is to win on their own domestic scenes, can boast some memorable Champions League nights and also so happen to be their own country’s best central defender.

Mulgrew has been a fine player for his national side over recent seasons, is a former Scottish Player of the year with eight winners’ medals, including five league titles, from his time at Celtic. He is currently with Blackburn Rovers, who a few weeks ago were relegated out of the English Championship into League One.

Cahill has won rather a lot as well, including the Champions League no less, and over the past 18 months has emerged as England’s most reliable centre-half. 

He is currently captain of Chelsea who only a few weeks ago ran away with the Premier League title.

Folks, this is where the Auld Enemy clash is in 2017. Surely never before has one player lined up on one side in this fixture, and it was always going to be a Scot, who was two leagues beneath their direct counterpart.

And to think there are some who will approach Hampden on Saturday evening with the same dread and fear Theresa May feels when forced to speak to a member of the public.

IT’S BEEN hard on Mulgrew, a damn fine player, who finds himself at Blackburn, a real mess of a football club, not through a dramatic loss in form but because the last two years have seen him struggle with a series of injuries. But the gap is a fact and Scotland’s hope is we see the best of the former Celtic man in the World Cup qualifier.

And at the other end of the park there is Cahill, who has been in superb form for quite some time, and an off-day for him would come in handy.
Owen Coyle just so happens to be Mulgrew’s current manager and a former manager of Cahill, when they worked together at Bolton Wanderers before Chelsea came calling.

Coyle began by heaping praise on the Scot who he trusts to play a key role in a Scotland win; a result the man of many goals and clubs did not rule out.

“Charlie was outstanding last season,” said Coyle. “As a matter of fact, in both games when we beat Newcastle, Charlie scored the goals. There is no question about his quality. He’s an outstanding man, a real team player who gets in among the players.

“If Charlie is selected, he always does his best – and he undoubtedly has quality. He is a top player. The only issue he has had in the last couple of years is picking up a wee injury here and there. If Charlie can stay injury free, he can play in the Premier League in England. That’s the quality he’s got.”

Aside from his defending abilities, Mulgrew can strike a football better than almost every team-mate who will play in front of him. Celtic supporters grew to love watching him at free-kicks and when lining up a shot.

“Charlie is a real threat at set-plays both with his delivery and getting on the end of them with headers,” said Coyle. “He scored the winner against Newcastle from a free-kick. He’s a bit like Gary in attacking the ball – and Gary was someone I had at Bolton and now he’s expected to captain England.

“There will be loads of match-ups in both boxes and it will be physical. Sometimes that can be the difference – a set-play. You have to focus and concentrate and make sure it’s not your opponent who gets on end of it.”

SO what of Cahill? Much of the attention has been on Harry Kane and the other talented English attackers who could run riot if they arrive in Glasgow in a good mood; however, Scotland need to score, a draw isn’t much use, and that means Leigh Griffiths and the rest somehow must get past a back four shepherded by the captain of England’s champions.

“We didn’t want to lose Gary at Bolton but he had six months to go on his deal and he moved for £7m to Chelsea,” recalled Coyle. 

“It was a bargain and I felt we’d have been better keeping him for the season so that we could progress but the club were looking to recoup money from the day we went in there.

“Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool all wanted him and it’s no surprise. He’s a lovely guy and a real team player. He has the feet of a centre-forward in the box and he scored a number of goals for me.

“To tell you about his character, we had agreed for him to join Chelsea but he still wanted to play for us on the Tuesday night against Everton.

“He could have sat it out and said he wouldn’t risk anything but he wanted to help his team-mates.”