Scottish Gossip: Hibs' Jason Cummings in demand, Ross County

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

English Championship clubs Fulham, Derby County, Brighton, Cardiff City and Wolves will send representatives to Sunday's Scottish League Cup final at Hampden to watch Hibernian striker Jason Cummings in action against Ross County. (Daily Mail)

Cummings admits his teachers at Tynecastle High School would have pleased to see the back of him, having told some of them there was no point in him getting qualifications because he was going to make it as a professional footballer. However, he says he will never take his career for granted. (Daily Mail)

Should Ross County win the League Cup, their celebrations will be cut short because they are in important league action on Wednesday away to St Johnstone before hosting Inverness CT on Saturday. (Various)

Jason Cummings points out that not many jobs allow for a warm-weather break in Malaga, where he and his Hibs team-mates have been based this week

Staggies forward Michael Gardyne admits he cried after losing to Dundee United in the 2010 Scottish Cup final. (Various)

Hibs manager Alan Stubbs insists leading the team to a League Cup win would be better than winning the treble as a player with Celtic. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes predicts a "rollercoaster" run-in to end of the season and says his players must stay calm and focused after Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Partick Thistle put them within a point of Premiership leaders Celtic, who have a game in hand. (Various)

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton thinks that, with their current squad, Rangers would not be challenging Celtic for the title if they were in the Premiership. (Daily Express)

Tore Pedersen, the agent of Celtic midfielder Stefan Johansen, says the player believes his ankle would have been broken had his foot been planted on the turf when Morton's Michael Miller challenged him. (Daily Record)

Nottingham Forest could make a move in the summer for Celtic midfielder Scott Allan, who has been used sparingly by manager Ronny Deila. (Sun)

Allan's team-mate Tom Rogic, another of the club's midfielders, could be the target of MLS clubs if the 23-year-old Australian does not sign a new contract. Rogic's current deal runs until next summer. (Herald)

Former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson says Davie Weir will have an important role in keeping the Ibrox players calm in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. Ferguson believes the fixture "can send people over the edge". (Daily Record)

A return to the Scotland line-up to play France would go some way to easing Alex Dunbar's disappointment at missing the World Cup through injury

Stung by conceding the first goal in their last eight games, St Johnstone striker Steven MacLean warns that unenviable run has to end if they are to finish in the top six of the Premiership. The Saints host Inverness on Wednesday evening. (Daily Record)

Manager John Hughes is unhappy about his Inverness players having to play five consecutive away games but concedes it helps to develop "a great sense of siege mentality". (The National)

OTHER GOSSIP

Centre Alex Dunbar says he is feeling fresh and would jump at the chance to play for Scotland against France in the Six Nations this weekend. Dunbar missed the World Cup with a cruciate ligament injury and the first three games of this year's Six Nations with an injury to his thigh. (Various)

Scotland coach Nathan Hines urges the players to follow up the win over Italy with a first victory over France for 10 years. (Daily Mail)

Dunbar seemed more in favour than Hines in World Cup winner Dan Carter's suggestion that to encourage more attacking play the Six Nations should award four points for a win plus a bonus point for scoring four tries. Dunbar says "a bonus point here and there won't go amiss". (Scotsman)

A gold medal winner for Scotland at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, 100kg+ judoka Chris Sherrington has come out of retirement to try to qualify for this summer's Olympics in Rio. He needs to win two gold medals in the three Grand Prix events he has entered. (The National)