Football: Ace Steve pits Whitts for call-up

STEVEN WHITTAKER may have cost Rangers pounds 3million when he moved from Hibs last month, but the big-money midfielder has yet to make a splash on the international scene.

Yet the 23-year-old, converted from full-back by Ibrox gaffer Walter Smith, aims to put that right by using the Light Blues' Champions League ties as an audition for a place at Euro 2008.

Stuttgart visit Ibrox on Wednesday and Whittaker said: "My first aim is to stay in the Rangers team.

"If I continue to do that you never know what the future will hold at international level.

"Everyone wants to play for their country, but Scotland are top of Group B and doing fantastically well, so it might be hard for people to break into the squad.

"However, if you're capable of performing against the top clubs in the Champions League then you can also play against the best countries, so it'll do no harm to do well in these games."

Whittaker also argues that Celtic and Rangers can follow in Scotland's footsteps and find inspiration in the achievements of Alex McLeish's side when they take on the big guns.

He added: "We can take plenty of confidence from that. With Scotland sitting above Italy, France and the Ukraine then why can't Rangers finish above the teams in our group?

"No one would have thought Scotland would be in the position they're in so hopefully we can do something similar.

"Barcelona and Lyon, our other group opponents, are the two most established clubs at that level.

There's no doubt we have a tough task on our hands. "Stuttgart will be looking at that the same way as we are and so they'll be looking to take maximum points from us.

"I'm sure it'll be a good game on Wednesday."

GROUP H

Arsenal, Sevilla, Slavia Prague, Steaua Bucuresti

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