So impressive has the 36-year-old's form with the Anfield club this season that there are few Scotland supporters who would not welcome him back into the fold.

But it was a minority of fans who had propelled him into exile in the first place - those who booed his every touch during a Euro 2000 qualifier defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic - his "crime" believed to be a missed penalty against England in the previous tournament.

Brown is not short of midfielders and while he regularly struggles to find two strikers who are playing regularly for their clubs, can call upon Paul Lambert, Dominic Matteo, Barry Ferguson, Craig Burley and Don Hutchison for roles in the centre.

But injuries have regularly robbed him of key players throughout the campaign to qualify for Japan and Korea 2002 and should this happen again then McAllister would be uppermost in his mind.

Brown said: "All of these things would have to be discussed by the second week of August. By then I will have seen him and spoken to him."

The chances are that the request will be made as the Scots prepare for the most important week in their whole qualifying campaign.

They take on both of their main rivals in the space of a few days - first Croatia at Hampden and then Belgium in Brussels.

Brown said: "He is not long-term but we have a short-term objective - we must get to the World Cup. If at the start of the season he is worth a place I will speak to him."

The Scotland manager said he had received a number of letters from fans who now regretted having been a part of that earlier barracking of a player who had served his country with distinction 57 times.

He refused to believe they were regular watchers of the national team, the Tartan Army footsoldiers who regulalry export their rough and ready brand of ambassadorial goodwill around the globe.

He insisted: "It would never have happened in an away game."

A further injustice, Brown insisted, was the fact that McAllister had not been playing particularly badly; indeed his misplaced passes stood out merely because of the level of attempted penetration of the away defence was high, and so the level of difficulty was raised.

Brown said he regarded McAllister as a friend, having tracked his career when the player was a long way from turning professional, at Fir Park Boys Club in Motherwell.

That friendship could therefore be the key. Brown said: "I would like to think that if he would come back for anyone he would respond to the call. He knows the support he gets from our staff."