I OWE GORD
From Back Page a miserable seven-month spell in London where he made just eight starts and failed to score.
Slaven Bilic shelled out £10million to sign him from Hull City but Snoddy hit out at the Croat after his Villa unveiling and insisted he played him out of position.
Strachan started Snodgrass in World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and England during his miserable time at the Irons and named him in his squad for the crucial Baltics trip.
And asked if he would love to repay his gaffer – criticised for leaving out Celtic’s in-form Callum McGregor, below, who has been playing regularly – Snodgrass said: “Of course, if you aren’t playing it’s something you’ve got in your mind. “He’s one of the guys I phoned. “I told Gordon Strachan I respected his decision because he’s a good man who will tell me the truth.
“I asked him if I was making the right decision. He told me I couldn’t be happy not playing games and that I had to get back to the level I was showing in the first part of the season in the Premier League.
“Even when I wasn’t fit he wanted me to come along and be around the squad and be with all the lads, wishing them well, because that is the person I am.
“People are quick to think if you’re not playing you’re a bad player and it’s not that at all.”
Snodgrass insists he is fit and raring to go despite not playing this season and is in the right frame of mind now his club situation is sorted.
He said: “It was a relief to get it all sorted before joining up with the Scotland squad.
“I asked the manager for some advice and told him I didn’t want to disrupt his plans. I’m glad not to be going into a crazy, manic week with things up in the air.
“You need match fitness and I’ve not had any games apart from pre-season. But I’m fit in myself, up there with the fittest I’ve ever been.
“Because I knew I was coming back, it was a challenge and I was ready for that challenge. I need to be ready for a new one.
“We can’t afford any more slip ups in the campaign, we need to win. We need to try to win every game to give ourselves the best possible chance.
“Any game you get through you will be ready, but I won’t be able to know until I play. I haven’t played any game in three weeks or something.”