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Scotland boss Strachan says line needs to be drawn
By Craig Turnbull

Scotland boss Gordon Strachan believes a line needs to be drawn with regards to the invasion of privacy.

Scotland captain Scott Brown was pictured slumped outside in the street eating a kebab after a night out drinking during the week of the Cup final.

And a video of England captain Wayne Rooney being knocked out by Scotland defender Phil Bardsley in a mock boxing fight was front page news days later.

Both players pulled off performances at the weekend for their respective clubs after the incidents but it has led to questioning about the responsibility of footballers in public life and when that becomes private.

“I think everybody is in the public realm 24 hours a day now,” Strachan said.

“That’s the way it is in football. I have been listening to relatives arguing about it on Facebook, talking about that. Get a life.

“I seen it last night (Rooney) and I wasn’t sure what it was until this morning. There is a line that should be drawn with everybody, not just footballers.

“Today’s media world is a great weapon to have a go at people. Social media, by cowards.”

Celtic boss Ronny Deila, who has called on his players to be ’24-hour athletes’, said Brown hadn’t done anything wrong but he needed to remember he is representing the club.

Controversy surrounded the national team under the infamous ‘boozegate’ scandal involving former captain Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Allan McGregor.

But Strachan, who was quick to say that the midweek issue with Brown didn’t involve Scotland, insisted there has been no problems with discipline during his tenure.

“You would need to take it up with Celtic. I am the Scotland manager and I haven’t made rules,” he continued.

“The only one is the alcohol thing, which is for everybody, not just the players and that hasn’t been broken in two and a half years.

“Nobody has broken anything, no one has affected anything in the two and half years so I don’t have to break rules.

“The players have been immaculate, absolutely fantastic.

“And when they are within my jurisdiction, when I have been responsible, they have been absolutely fantastic.”