 Hearts could have another international player on their books as Craig Levein follows up his interest in picking Andy Driver for his squad to play Sweden in August. A rule change has been agreed by FIFA' Executive Committee which allows the two months Driver spent in education in Scotland after secondary school counts towards his eligibility for the national side. The rule change takes into account further education, beyond the secondary school stage, and that factor carries Driver over the five-year mark. Driver said: "I am thrilled to finally get the all-clear to play for the country I have pledged allegiance to. Although I was disappointed when it turned out I didn't qualify through the original criteria, I never gave up hope. Craig Levein has kept in constant contact since then and I was encouraged when he told me there was a chance the wording would change and that I might yet play for Scotland. I am going on holiday now and this will make the summer all the more enjoyable. It has given me extra motivation to get back to my best form at Hearts next season and if I can show the manager that I am back to my best, it would be tremendous to be chosen to play a part in the qualifiers for Euro 2012." Levein was glad to at last get his man. He said: "Obviously I am delighted with the final outcome from FIFA. When Andrew's name was first thought to be eligible to represent Scotland, it flagged up an anomaly in the original wording of the ruling. The Scottish FA - and the other Home Nations - all agreed that the wording needed to be looked at and this is why we pursued the change. It is great news that as a result of this necessary change, Andrew is now eligible under the new criteria and hopefully if he can get back to the form he showed the season before last, he is a player we can look to introduce to the squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers." A statement from the SFA said: "The Scottish FA has received confirmation from FIFA that it has approved an amendment to eligibility ruling 15 (d) of the agreement between the four British associations. The amendment was submitted by the four home associations to FIFA's executive committee, who met in Johannesburg, principally to correct an anomaly in the original wording. The amendment has now been implemented with immediate effect. Under Article 15 of the FIFA regulations, a player who is eligible to represent more than one association on account of British nationality shall now be assessed according to the following criteria: a) He was born on the territory of the relevant association; b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant association; c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant association. The original Rule d) read: 'the player has undertaken primary and/or secondary education for a minimum of five years in the territory of the relevant association.' The reworded Rule d) now reads: 'd) He has engaged in a minimum of five years education under the age of 18 within the territory of the relevant association." |