Simek/Turner earn national call-ups

Last updated : 15 March 2007 By Andy Parsons

Turner, currently on loan from Everton, has been called up by Scotland boss Alex McLeish on standby for the clashes with Georgia and Italy later this month.

Brian Laws wants to keep the on-form 'keeper at Hillsborough after impressing during his spell at the club and is currently in negotiations with The Toffees in regards to keeping the former Scotland U-21 star to stay in S6 until the end of the season - otherwise Saturday's game with Wolves will be his last.


Meanwhile, Simek will no doubt be beaming after been called into the US squad for games with Ecuador and Guatemala and new national team boss Bob Bradley is excited about the prospect of seeing the plucky full-back - who scored his first Hillsborough goal on Tuesday night.


Simek joins Watford's Jay DeMerit in the training camps in a squad of 24 players.


Bradley told the US Soccer Federation's website: "It's very important, in particular to take a look at players like Frank Simek and Jay DeMerit who have in fact never been involved with the national team at all and the opportunity to see them in a training camp and get to know them a little bit.

"Both Frank and Jay have played big roles with their respective clubs in England so I think we are all excited to get to know these players and see where they fit in."


Scouting Premiership players is easy for Bradley as English top-flight games are shown in the US although keeping tabs on Simek is a harder proposition.


He added: "Watching a player like Frank Simek can be more difficult where Sheffield Wednesday games are not on TV so I try to follow reports in terms of how he is doing but this camp is especially important to get a look at him.


"We try to use our different sources - from watching games to having as good an idea as possible about where players are at this point in time and use the camps to make final assessments."