BBC pundit delivers rousing defence of Anthony Ralston as Celtic defender answers Scotland critics

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Anthony Ralston has not had much in the way of game time at Celtic this season but has been relied upon by Steve Clarke and Scotland.

The Celtic defender has been one of Steve Clarke’s mainstays due to injury issues the Scotland boss has had to negotiate over the last two international breaks and it’s fair to say, Ralston hasn’t let his country down.

The Celtic fullback was impressive for Scotland in the 2-1 win over Poland last night and Ralston was also pivotal in the 1-0 win over Croatia.

And speaking of the Hoops defender’s performance in last night’s win at the National Stadium in Warsaw, BBC pundit Lee Miller believes Ralston has answered his critics with his ‘standout’ appearances for Scotland over the last ten days.

Celtic’s Anthony Ralston a ‘standout’ for Steve Clarke’s Scotland

Miller told The Scottish Football Podcast [9m], “I actually thought at one point it was Nicky Devlin that scored because the camera panned him and he celebrated as if he had scored the goal. So, no, it was great to see. But you like to see Nicky Devlin coming into that fold as well.

“He’s kind of sneaked his way into that squad and he’s done tremendously well when he’s been called upon.

“And you can get through the full team. Ralston has been a standout for me as well, who came under a lot of criticism recently and doesn’t play a lot of football at Celtic.

“So, no, I think we’ve got a real togetherness there and it’s good to see for the country.”

Anthony Ralston proving to be reliable for Celtic and Scotland

One thing fans will always know they will get from Ralston is an honest, hard-working performance from the Celtic defender.

Throughout this Nations League campaign, the Celtic star has played six, lost three, won two and drawn one.

But when you take into account the calibre of opposition Ralston has been up against and the lack of first-team football he has had at Celtic, it could be argued that the defender has probably over-achieved against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Martin Baturina and Roma’s Nicola Zalewski.

One thing is for sure though, Ralston is doing one thing for Scotland which he has had to do throughout most of his career at Celtic. Prove people wrong.

And long may that continue.