Driver is backed to be fit for Euros.

Byline: Alan Marshall

HEARTS boss Csaba Laszlo last night insisted midfielder Andrew Driver will overcome injury to be an England star.

Driver, who played for Scotland at schoolboy level, has been picked for the 23-man England squad for the European Under-21 Championship finals in Sweden this summer.

The 21-year-old has been watched several times this season by Stuart Pearce, coach of the England Under-21s.

The pounds 2million-rated player has expressed a desire to play for the Scots but as regulations stand he is eligible to turn out only for England.

Despite Driver not having kicked a ball since May 7, Pearce has included him in his squad with the likes of Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa.

The winger missed the last three games of the season with a nerve problem in his back and continues to receive intensive treatment at the Jambos' Riccarton training base.

Treatment But Laszlo is confident Driver can join up with his international colleagues next week as he seeks to fulfil a dream by playing in the glamour eight-team tournament.

The Hungarian said: "Driver is going for treatment every day and we hope he will be okay.

"At the moment he has good development but we don't like to push a player in a situation where he could be injured.

"We don't want to bring him into a risk situation."

England leave for a training camp in Spain next week before a friendly against Azerbaijan in Milton Keynes on June 8. They face Finland, Spain and Germany in their group at the finals.