COUNTRY BFFORE CLUB.

Byline: CRAIG SWAN 

STEPHEN HUGHES revealed Paul Lambert has drummed home the importance of Scotland's clash in Yokohama - because it was a "meaningless"Asian trip that put him on the road to the World Cup finals.

Norwich star Hughes came straight from the Johnstone's Paint Trophy to Japan and admits he dreamed of getting a call-up from George Burley.

The Canaries midfielder watched as a list of international regulars dropped their sick notes on Burley's desk and pulled out of the journey.

With every cancellation came an increased furore about the merits of a friendly halfway across the globe at a crucial stage of the club season.

But Hughes is thrilled to be here, having taken heed of some advice from his manager at Carrow Road. Ex-Scotland hero Lambert pulled Hughes aside before Tuesday's game at Gillingham to tell him of his call-up and explain the potential value of the match in the Nissan Stadium.

Lambert made his debut for Scotland in the 1995 Kirin Cup in Japan and this was the launch pad to 40 caps and an appearance at the World Cup finals in France 11 years ago.

With this in mind, Hughes, at the age of 26, is genuinely overjoyed to get his crack at the international scene and says he and the rest of the patched-up squad are relishing the encounter against the Japanese tomorrow.

He said: "Paul spoke to me about how he made his Scotland debut in Japan and had to come off at one stage after John Spencer had been sent off.

"He told me to try to take my chance out here because he had a great Scotland career and it shows you what can happen for someone who plays in a friendly.

"I just hope I can play some part on Saturday and we'll see what happens thereafter. There's about half the squad here who are looking to grab this chance.

"I played for the B team earlier this year at Broadwood and hoped it would be a passport to the full squad one day and now it has happened.

Frantic

"Some lads here are simply trying to get a foot in the door with Scotland and we've spoken among ourselves about it on the flight over.

"It is an important game. It's your national team and a real honour to play for Scotland. Every single guy here feels like that and we're all dying to play.

"The call-offs were great from my point of view.

If some of the full squad were here then I wouldn't be - that's obvious. But I'd never given up hope of playing for Scotland.

"I've not been involved for eight years and I've been called up before and been injured which forced me to miss out. I did play in the B game against Northern Ireland in May and it was good to be involved in that."

Hughes needed to make a frantic dash to hook up with Burley and his squad after his club match in Kent. The player said: "Before the match at Gillingham the gaffer pulled me aside and told me I was needed in Japan.

"I was delighted with that and in some ways it was a case of getting through the game and then thinking about international duty.

"We drove back to Norwich after the game and then I was up early on Wednesday to drive to Heathrow and link up with the lads.

"I only really had a few hours' kip on the Tuesday night and then it was on to the flight overnight on Wednesday. And here I am.

"I was buzzing in the game and it felt good knowing I was part of the Scotland squad.

"The Norwich team has been winning recently and I was out at one stage with an injury, so it was good to get the 90 minutes and I'm delighted to be here. This is a chance I want to take and I was delighted when I was told. It's strange to be playing in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy - which is a small tournament to be perfectly honest - one minute and then representing your country the next."

Hughes' elevation to the senior squad is another shot in the arm for the growing brigade of players who escaped the Old Firm to further their careers.

The midfielder quit Rangers to go to Leicester and returned to the SPL for a spell at Motherwell before moving to League One side Norwich in the summer.

Hughes is well aware of the cynics who said his career was over when he left Ibrox but his subsequent career has disproved such a theory.

Joining him in Japan are guys like Charlie Adam, Ross Wallace and Derek Riordan, who have also blossomed since their exits from Glasgow.

Hughes admits it was a slight concern to be dropping to the third tier of English football following Norwich's relegation last season from the Championship.

But the fears have proved unfounded and he is playing a key role in trying to help Lambert take the Canaries back up in his debut season at Carrow Road.

Hughes said:"There is life after the Old Firm and there are three or four people here in Japan in the same boat as me in that respect.

"Guys such as Derek, Ross and Charlie - we've all moved away but it doesn't mean your career is over.

"You can play a bit part at Rangers or Celtic or you can move on and try to actually make a name for yourself by playing week in, week out.That is what makes the difference.

"I'm in League One now but it's still a competitive division and there are some very big clubs there.

"We're getting 25,000 crowds at Norwich which people in Scotland perhaps don't fully appreciate. It's a big club and we've got Leeds away in our next game which will probably draw around 30,000.

"When I left Rangers I was at the stage where I had to play more. I knew I had to make the break.

"Everybody's situation is different so I'm not going to advise any current Old Firm players one way or the other. Each individual will know what is best for him.

"Maybe I could have had this call before in my career but you just keep hoping that days like this one will arrive. Thankfully that's what has happened for me."

CAPTION(S):

PATRIOT GAMES: Steven Fletcher will always be released by Burnley to play for Scotland DREAM CALL-UP: Stephen Hughes never gave up on his ambition to represent Scotland