Scotland manager Gordon Strachan hopes some of Derby County’s potent Championship attacking threat can make the step up to the international stage.
A day after Derby sealed their place in the play-off final with a 4-1 win against Brighton, Strachan called up Suffolk-born forward Chris Martin for the first time, alongside Rams captain Craig Bryson.
Derby left back Craig Forsyth has also won a debut call for the London friendly against Nigeria on May 28.
Former Norwich player Martin qualifies for Scotland through his father and has worked his way in after scoring 25 goals in his debut season at Pride Park.
Strachan said: “He’s got a physical presence but he’s a footballer. He’s not the quickest but he has a quick mind.
“He sees people in, he scores goals himself, and when the ball comes up to him it very rarely comes back the other way. Players can make runs from midfield knowing he’ll look after it. If you look at the link-up between him and Craig Bryson, it’s 40-odd goals this season between them and assists take them far above that.
“So that’s a smashing partnership and they have given us something to think about in terms of the way they play, and can we use that in the national side? When I’ve watched Craig Bryson and people such as Scott Brown, who can do things that other people can’t, we will have to see if we can introduce that.”
Forsyth, like Martin also 25, left Dundee in 2011 for Watford and moved to Derby last year.
Strachan said: “I think he has played every game this year. If you get picked by Steve McClaren every game then there should be a chance you get picked by me. He has done very well, like Andy Robertson, to go away and discover himself and find out exactly what he can do and take a few knocks along the way and come back a very good player for a very good side.”
Strachan brushed off ongoing police, Scottish Football Association and club investigations into allegations of racist chanting by Celtic attacker Leigh Griffiths to keep him in the squad. And he appeared to compare the furore Griffiths caused with alleged chants about former Hearts player Rudi Skacel with the pressure facing singer Gary Barlow after he was ordered to pay back millions of pounds of unpaid tax.
Strachan revealed injuries to Norwich pair Russell Martin and Robert Snodgrass had opened the door to bring back Wigan pair Gary Caldwell and Shaun Maloney following lengthy lay-offs.
“They’ve been sensational for Scotland and it’s up to them now to prove they can get back to the standard they set before they were beset by injury,” Strachan said.
“The reports we are getting is that they are looking good.”
Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam has been left out to allow Strachan to look at the likes of the recalled Graham Dorrans, James McArthur and George Boyd.
Rangers player Cammy Bell is among four goalkeepers in the squad. There is no place for Aberdeen’s Jamie Langfield, along with Hull’s Allan McGregor, who has just recovered from a serious blow to the kidney.