LITHUANIA v SCOTLAND - European Championship Qualifier
Venue: Darius Girenas Stadium, Kaunas Date: Friday, 3 September Kick-off: 1915 BST Coverage: BBC ONE Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sport website

Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks, called up to Craig Levein's Scotland squad, has revealed that he came close to quitting football.

"When I left Norwich and joined Blackpool I didn't adapt to the way the club ran," said Gilks, who is eligible through his Scottish grandmother.

"I walked off the training ground, threw my gloves down and said I've had enough. I told my parents it was over.

"But I got a few calls to stick at it and I did. It's a bit of a fairytale."

Gilks helped the Seasiders win promotion to the Premier League, his career having turned around with the arrival of manager Ian Holloway, who gave him first-team football after his return from a loan spell at Shrewsbury Town.

"I took it upon myself to give it one last shot and it paid off for me," said the 28-year-old.

"I'm a young lad from Rochdale who dreamed of being a footballer. That happened years ago, now anything else is a bonus."

He now finds himself the beneficiary of Levein's policy of spreading the net widely to discover players who are eligible to play for Scotland.

Asked if he felt Scottish, Gilks told reporters: "I do. My grandmother was born in Scotland and she was a massive influence on me growing up.

Scotland would be my first choice. I'm more than happy to be coming to Scotland Scotland squad goalkeeper Matt Gilks

"I have always leaned towards Scotland rather than England."

A friend of David Marshall's since their days together at Norwich, Gilks attended the Scotland v Macedonia game last September.

He said: "I never thought I'd be called up for the country, but at half-time I was listening to them all singing and I thought to be part of it must be amazing.

"It was an amazing atmosphere and to be a part of it now is going to be even better.

"I'm so proud to be here and I know what it means to my family and me."

Gilks bears no grudge with England's national team manager, Fabio Capello, that he has not been selected to represent the country of his birth.

"England have already got a set-up, Under-21s and downwards. There are keepers in the system - Scott Loach and Frankie Fielding," he said.

"I'm not disappointed that he has not come to me at Blackpool. He already has the keepers in the set-up to step up to the senior level.

"I've got no God-given right to be called up just because I'm now playing in the Premier League.

"Scotland would be my first choice. I'm more than happy to be coming to Scotland."

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