STEVEN Fletcher has made a dramatic return to the Scotland fold after telling boss Craig Levein he was desperate to play for the national team again.

He has been included in the squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Wales (next Friday at the Cardiff City Stadium) and Belgium, ending months of international exile.

The Sunderland striker has not featured since informing the Scottish Foot-ball Association by text message that he did not wish to be selected for a game against Northern Ireland in February 2011.

What followed was a stand-off between player and manager until Fletcher last month indicated on twitter that he was keen to return to the national fold.

Levein described the player’s return as a “no-brainer” following the involvement of an un-named third party.

He said: “It’s a big plus for me and the rest of the team for him to be involved.

“I got a phone call through a third party during the week and that was an indication from that person that Steven was desperate to come back and play.

“Things progressed bet-ween myself, this third party, his agent and the boy himself. I got a text saying he was willing to have a chat about it so I called him and, as he said to that person, he was desperate to come back and play. For me, then, it’s a no-brainer.”

Both men are set to meet face to face this week, with Levein adding: “We went through a number of things and I plan on making an appointment for us to see each other later this week as well so we will go into it a little bit further then.”

Scotland squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Wales on October 12 and Belgium on October 16: Adam (Stoke), Berra (Wolves), Brown (Celtic), Caldwell (Wigan), D Fletcher (Man Utd), S Fletcher (Sunderland), James Forrest (Celtic), Fox (Southampton), Gilks (Blackpool), Hanley (Blackburn), Hutton (Aston Villa), McArthur (Wigan), McGregor (Besiktas), Mackie (QPR), Maloney (Wigan), Marshall (Cardiff), Martin (Norwich), Miller (Vancouver Whitecaps),Morrison (West Brom), Mulgrew (Celtic), Naismith (Everton), Phillips (Blackpool), Rhodes (Blackburn), Snodgrass (Norwich), Webster (Hearts).