Charlie Mulgrew isn’t ready to turn his back on Scotland – despite a number of the country’s more senior players not making themselves available.

Mulgrew won cap number 40 as Scotland secured a last gasp-win over Cyprus at Hamden Park on Saturday. It was a first appearance since April 6 for Mulgrew who missed Rovers’ final six matches, first through injury and then having lost his place to Derrick Williams.

Injury ruled him out of the March qualifiers, but the 33-year-old continues to make himself available for selection, playing under his third different boss since signing for Rovers in the summer of 2016.

He looks set to feature again tomorrow night as the Tartan Army face Belgium, less than a year on from a 4-0 humbling in a friendly.

Set-piece specialist Mulgrew, who went close to scoring from a free-kick against Cyprus, has adopted a mostly-vegan diet in a bid to play on for as long as possible.

“I don’t want to look back when I’m older and not playing any more and think ‘I’d love a game for Scotland’,” the 33-year-old said.

“As long as I am getting called up, I’ll always be here. I’ll never retire off my own back, I’ll be here until the country needs me. That’s the way I’ve always thought about it and the way I want to do it.”

Mulgrew has spent time in the off season in Dubai, seen training with team-mate Corry Evans, as well as in New York where he took a different approach.

“I would run in the mornings and chase the (kids) round the pool in the afternoon,” he added.

This latest round of international fixtures, a month after the Championship season finished, is often seen as an inconvenience.

Mulgrew’s involvement could see him miss the week-long fitness camp in Austria later this month, as he did last year, with Rovers returning to pre-season on Monday, June 24.

But while Mulgrew is more than happy to cut short his break, he can understand the position of others.

“It’s not my business to worry about what everybody else does,” he told the national press in Scotland.

“I’m sure everybody has got their reasons. Club football nowadays is non-stop, three games a week.

“I was speaking to some of the Celtic players there and they played 69 games this season (including pre-season friendlies). It’s a lot.

“The Championship is non-stop, the Premier League now, it’s constant and picking up knocks is part of it. If it comes at a point in the season where that’s a chance to get a rest then it’s a hard one.

“It’s not for me to comment on it, I’m just hopeful we can get our best players available for the squad and get results.”

Mulgrew has struggled with muscle injuries at times during his Rovers career, starting 28 of their 46 Championship matches last season.

The former Celtic man has two years left to run on the deal he signed in November, which would take him to 35 and to five seasons at the club.

On trying to prolong his career, having previously spoken of his ambition to play until he’s 40, he added: “I’m trying to be as close to vegan as I can as often as I can. It has helped, I’ve lost two or three kilos of my normal weight and I feel good for it.

“I probably feel fitter now than I ever have. I don’t know if that’s because I never lived my life as well when I was younger as I do now, but I feel the fittest I’ve ever been.

“Age is only a number to be honest with you, and if you keep thinking you are getting old then you will.

“You just need to keep your head on what you are doing, keep running hard and keep yourself fit.”