MICK McCARTHY has pointed to Steven Fletcher as the man who can spearhead Scotland's attempts to get one over the Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park on Friday night.

The former Eire boss believes the Sunderland striker could have played for any of the top four clubs in the Premiership until he was struck by an injury jinx.

McCarthy signed the former Hibs man for the Molineux outfit and is a huge admirer of his abilities.

Fletcher has returned to the international fold under Gordon Strachan after falling out with previous boss Craig Levein.

And if he can find the form at international level he has shown throughout his domestic career, then McCarthy expects him to be a player who makes the difference.

"He could have played for any of the top four sides, I really believe that," said McCarthy. "If one of the top teams had taken him, I think he would have played and he would have scored goals for them."

McCarthy also believes that Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy will have no problem in sucking up the stick that comes their way on Friday night from the Tartan Army - but reckon that is an indicator of how highly thought of the duo are.

The Premiership-based pair were both raised in Glasgow, but opted to play for the Republic of Ireland, with Scotland ruing their loss.

McGeady and, to a lesser extent, McCarthy felt the wrath of fans when they were at Celtic and Hamilton Accies respectively, and the chances are they will be the pantomime villains on Friday.

"Players love that," said McCarthy. "I never once walked into an opposing stadium and expected anything less -and if you get a victory it makes it all the sweeter. It won't bother them. They're professionals."

McCarthy tried to sign McCarthy when the player was still with Accies and McCarthy was in charge at Wolves but the player opted for Wigan.

He said: "He was just a young lad, but we could see the potential that he had. He went to Wigan but you can see what a top player he developed into."

Ireland have had relative international success of late as Scotland stagnated before Strachan seized the reins at Hampden.

But McCarthy believes that having generations of players who are genuinely capable of making a difference is something that comes in cycles - and that Strachan's side are currently shaping up to the demands made on them.

He said: "If you look at the Ireland side over the last decade that had the likes of Shay Given, Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, it was a team that had players performing at the top level.

"But these things go in cycles. You can see it at club level too that you get a crop of players at youth level and then nothing.

"But even as an outsider looking in, I definitely think that you can see a difference in Scotland and the way they are performing now.

"The Scotland fans will think themselves favourites and that tells you something."