Capello moves to keep Newcastle striker Carroll for England

Scotland and England are battling for the services of Newcastle United striker Andy Carroll.

The Evening Chronicle says England coach Fabio Capello dispatched his assistant Stuart Pearce to Tyneside to seek reassurances from Carroll on his international ambitions.

The response from England Under-21 international Carroll has been a positive one from a Three Lions point of view.

Carroll is eligible to play for Scotland due to the origin of his grandparents, even though he is a fully-fledged England under-21 international.

With boss Craig Levein desperate to lure the big Geordie north of the border to fulfil his international promise, the news will come as a blow to the Scots.