O'Connor wants to return for Scots
Striker Garry O’Connor admits he owes the Scottish Football Association a full apology for his absence from the Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine.
The Lokomotiv Moscow striker insists his contrition is genuine and admits the reason he has not been involved with either Scotland or the Scotland B team this week is his non-appearance in October.
O’Connor opted out of the match without informing the SFA, to attend to domestic issues as his wife struggled to settle in Moscow.
He told Russian newspaper Sport Express: “I don’t deny my guilt. I really should have called Walter Smith myself and told him about my family problems before my no-show became public knowledge.
“In the near future I will offer my apologies to the leadership of the Scottish FA without fail, and hope that for the next match I will be invited.”
The 23-year-old former Hibernian frontman is convinced he is worth a place in the squad Alex McLeish inherited from Smith last month.
He said: “It may not sound modest, but at the end of the day I am one of the best Scottish strikers and I have the right to play for the national team.”
O’Connor appeared close to a move back to Britain last month, having stated that his wife is unhappy in Russia.
However he now believes there is a chance of staying with Lokomotiv on a long-term basis.
“I had talks with the club manager Sergei Lipatov and the new president [Yuri] Syomin,” he said.
“They immediately let me know that they wanted me to stay at the club and are prepared to improve the living conditions for me and my wife Lisa.
“Most probably we will move to a house out of town. Also the club management have promised us a driver, a nanny for our son and a Russian teacher for me.”
O’Connor remains unsure how his family circumstances will be affected.
“It’s too early to say, we need to wait until the summer at least,” he said.
“If everything turns out okay, I will see out my contract with Lokomotiv with pleasure.
“I have said on more than one occasion that I personally have no problem here.”
O’Connor claims two clubs from the Barclays Premiership, Wigan and Aston Villa, were keen to sign him in January.
“All negotiations with the Loko leadership and potential buyers were conducted by my agent Gary Mackay, so therefore I don’t know all the details,” he said.
“I only heard that Wigan, Aston Villa, Norwich, Birmingham and West Brom were interested in my services.
“It’s true that the last three options I would have turned down since these clubs do not play in the Premier League.”
