John Carver has challenged in-form Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland to use his late call-up to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against Georgia and Norway to stake his claim for a seat on the plane to Germany next summer. It was announced on Monday that the 28-year-old Jambos captain had been drafted in by Steve Clarke after Southampton forward Che Adams became the latest high-profile absentee for this week’s campaign-concluding double-header. Shankland won the last of his five caps in the home win over Spain in March and was left out of the last two squads. However, after taking his tally for the season to 10 goals with five strikes in his last five matches – including a double in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Motherwell – the former Dundee United forward has been rewarded with a recall. Carver believes Shankland should look towards Watford centre-back Ryan Porteous – now a regular starter – for inspiration as he comes in from the periphery. “We got a call yesterday regarding Che having an issue with his groin,” said the Scotland assistant manager. “The good news for us is Lawrence popped up with a couple of goals at the weekend against Motherwell so he’s a player in form. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for him. In the past, we’ve had players who have stepped in at the last moment and taken their opportunity. I can use Ryan Porteous as one. “We went to Ukraine having to get a point in the Nations League, Ryan stepped in (for his debut) and was outstanding, and he’s never looked back since. That happened for him and there’s an opportunity for Lawrence. “He’s in good form, scoring goals for Hearts, which is important. He’ll want to be on that plane in the 23-man squad. It’s a competitive squad. We know what he can do, but this is an extra opportunity for him over the next seven days because he didn’t expect to be here.” Lewis Ferguson has joined the squad on the back of a strong start to the campaign in Serie A, recently equalling Denis Law as the highest-scoring Scot in the Italian top flight, and Carver feels the 24-year-old has a chance of asserting himself as a regular starter for the national team by the time the Euros begins. “It’s great,” he said of Ferguson’s form. “We have some young players pushing their way through and, in particular, Lewis had an extremely good game in Lille (against France last month). “He’s one who is really developing, he’s playing in a physical league and he’s dealing with it really well. He could be one of the players who forces his way forward and gives Steve an even more difficult decision to make in terms of the opportunity to start (at the Euros).” Scotland have generally had a fairly settled squad during Clarke’s reign, but Carver explained that no player should view themselves as either guaranteed to be in the squad or out of the picture for the Euros as there is still time for circumstances to change. In the current squad, for instance, the absence of Adams means Scotland are effectively without five regular starters, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn and defenders Andrew Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey also out injured. “I’m sure Steve will have some sleepless nights from now until picking the squad but that’s what he wants, that’s why we’re in the game, we want to make difficult decisions,” said Carver. “We want players to force the issue and make it even harder for us. There’s going to be disappointment at the end of it, but there is a long way to go from now until the championships. “A lot of time will pass so players will get injured, players will come into form, but the decision will be made in the best interest of the team.” Scotland sealed their place at the Euros last month but after losing their last three matches – friendlies against England and France either side of a qualifier away to Spain – Carver is adamant they will not be short of motivation. “The desire’s there because we’ve lost three games in a row against top-quality opposition,” he said. “It was three of the top 10 sides in Europe so it’s been a great learning curve, but we want to get back to winning ways. “We have to now press the reset button and go again. It’s great being in the position we’re in but the Euros is in the future, we have to attack the situation now and that is by getting six points in the next two games and making sure that just in case Spain slip up in their last two games, we are ready to take advantage.” Read More How has Mauricio Pochettino got Chelsea firing after early-season slump? Ben Davies keen to prove doubters wrong as Wales target another major tournament Britain’s Katie Boulter eager to build on her successful season in 2024 On this day in 2006: Gold Cup winning Desert Orchid dies at the age of 27 The sporting weekend in pictures San Francisco 49ers return to winning ways against Jacksonville Jaguars

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Comic genius often comes with a dark side, as Matthew Perry knew all too well. The Friends star, who died on Saturday, aged 54, battled against addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol for decades. And yet, he was known as a funny man – whose biting wit and mastery of sarcasm made him an icon in the eyes of millions. These two distinct, yet intrinsically linked, sides of his character no doubt helped him empathise with another legend of the big and silver screens: Batman. Indeed, Perry’s last Instagram post, shared just five days before his death referenced the comic book character – with the 54-year-old dubbing himself “Mattman”. Mourning fans were also quick to point out that the accompanying photo of Matty (as his friends called him) showed him relaxing in his outdoor hot tub at home in LA. On 28 October, that same jacuzzi would become the scene of his death, according to law enforcement sources. But this final post wasn’t the only indicator of the 17 Again actor’s fixation with Batman – his previous six were all allusions to the caped crusader. The first of the series, shared a week before his death, showed a home cinema room, with three screens set up to show the latest film in the franchise: The Batman. Others showed the iconic bat symbol in various settings, including carved into a Halloween pumpkin, with Perry repeatedly referring to himself as Mattman. The American-Canadian actor had long, and openly, celebrated his love of the comic book character. In a 2022 interview with GQ, he admitted that he once bought a 10,400-square-foot LA penthouse simply because it resembled the home of Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight. Perry’s reasoning at the time was apparently: “Bruce Wayne had a penthouse – I’m going to have one.” During the interview, he also revealed that he was building a dedicated Batman room in his new house (which he branded “a Matt cave”), with a pool table, large TV, and black sofa surrounded by shelves of his Batman paraphernalia. Probed on the reason for his obsession, Perry replied: “I am Batman.” He then explained: “Well, he’s a rich loner. We both drive black, cool cars.” He then conceded: “I don’t solve crime. But I’ve saved people’s lives.” In one of GQ’s ‘10 things I can’t live without’ segments, Perry shared further insight into his batty mania, saying that it began with the Christopher Nolan movies but extended to the latest instalment, staring Robert Pattinson. During the deadpan runthrough, he admitted that he had “too much Batman stuff”, but then ended the video by joking that after seeing all his essential items, viewers “should probably know by now that I'm Batman.” 10 Things Matthew Perry Can't Live Without | GQ www.youtube.com Perry’s fans and many of his 8.1 million Instagram followers speculated whether his most recent run of themed posts was more than just another outpouring of adoration for the franchise. They thought it was a hint that he’d been cast in a new Batman role, particularly given that one of the captions penned by Perry read: “Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?” Still, all we know for sure is that Perry saw a lot of himself in Batman – or should that be, he saw a lot of Batman in himself? Regardless, the similarities are striking, especially when you consider what Perry once responded when asked what he’d like his legacy to be. “I would like to be remembered as somebody who lived well, loved well, was a seeker and his paramount thing is that he wants to help people,” he replied. The sentiment is an undeniable echo of one of Batman’s most famous quotes: “It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” And what Perry did was make people laugh and cry and, ultimately, save lives. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

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