Borders-born defender hoping for first senior cap ahead of this summer’s Football World Cup
Borders-born George Stanger is hoping doing his bit to help Kilmarnock avoid relegation from the William Hill Premiership will boost his chances of a call-up for New Zealand for this summer’s Football World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Though born in Melrose and brought up in Dunblane, the 25-year-old, son of former Scotland rugby international Tony Stanger, qualifies to play for the Kiwis via his mother Bid.
He’s yet to earn a senior cap but he has been called up by their under-20s and under-23s in years gone by and is now hoping a return to second-from-bottom Killie’s starting line-ups will put him in the frame to add senior selection to those age-grade appearances.
Defender Stanger ended three months out of action for his club with starts for their wins by 2-0 hosting basement side Livingston on Saturday and 1-0 at home to table-toppers Heart of Midlothian seven days earlier, taking them 12 points away from the foot of the table, but that quarter of a year on the sidelines led to him being overlooked by national team manager Darren Bazeley for their home games against Finland and Chile this month.
He’s now keeping his fingers crossed that his return to favour at Rugby Park has come in time to put him in the mix for a first cap this summer.
“After the Hearts game, I got a text from the New Zealand manager right away to congratulate me on being back in the team and, obviously, on a good result,” he said.
“I’ve had quite regular dialogue with him about things. He phoned me to let me know that I wouldn’t be in the squad this time, which I totally understand due to my lack of minutes and stuff, but it kind of proves that people are always watching.
“Obviously the world cup is something that, as a kid, you do always dream of that, but I think the main focus for me is Kilmarnock because that’s the only way I’m going to get myself involved in that – to be doing well here and to help Killie stay up this season.
“I got the opportunity to get back in the team and I do feel, in order have a chance to make the world cup, I need to be playing and doing well here.
“Of course, it would be an amazing experience to be involved in that but my full focus is on helping Kilmarnock stay up this season.
“It can be frustrating when you have a bit of time on the sidelines but, in all honesty, I never really felt out of it.
“I always felt part of it and all I can do, on a personal note, is just work away, work hard in training and try and get myself back in the team.
“It was always going to be tough but I’m delighted to be back out there.”
Next up for Kilmarnock is a trip to Hibernian on Saturday, April 4, with kick-off at Edinburgh’s Easter Road Stadium at 3pm.
They go into that game sitting 11th in the premiership, on 27 points from 31 fixtures, six places and 21 points worse off than their hosts.
Stanger has been at Killie since last July. His previous clubs include Hamilton Academical, Stirling Albion, Alloa Athletic and Ayr United.