Sunderland's Scottish star Steven Fletcher could be playing for England!

Fletcher - this week brought back in from the international cold by boss Craig Levein - was born in Shrewsbury.

And his parents' marital split when he was a kid almost led to him returning south.

Bobby Williamson was the Hibs boss who gave Fletcher, then 17, his first-team debut.

But the Uganda manager recalled to the Scottish Sun: "I remember at the time there was some family matter which nearly made him go back to England.

"He'd been born there and his late father had been English. He obviously still had family down south.

"He was in the Hibs youth system but there was a suggestion he and his family were going to move back.

"I don't know if there were clubs interested in him but I do know there was a lot of talking - both from myself and the youth coaches at Hibs - to get him to commit to staying.

"I basically promised him he'd be playing first-team football very quickly if he stayed."