The Swansea City striker will come face to face with former manager Coyle in the televised fixture looking to help propel the Swans to their first win in ten – after a football league equalling eight successive draws.
Scotland played under Coyle at St Johnstone before making the switch to the Liberty a little over 18 months ago and he almost helped them into the Scottish Premier League – just missing out at the final hurdle.
Fast forward eighteen months and Scotland is the Swans top scorer again on the back of 29 goals last term with a League One winners medal and golden boot to go with it and Scotland will be looking to remind Coyle what he once had in the tea-time kick off on Sky Sports.
Speaking to the Western Mail ahead of the game, Scotland said “I obviously know him very well
“I liked him and he must have liked me because he didn’t want me to leave when I did and wanted me to stay in Scotland.
“That didn’t happen, but he was really good for me and was a good man, somebody you could always talk to – I respect him for that.
“He was definitely a people’s manager, a manager who you wouldn’t think twice about knocking on his door to have a word with him – and then he would listen to everything you had to say.
“He’s a real people’s guy and I never had a problem with him and I don’t think anyone else there had a bad word to say about him.
“He would always listen to what the players had to say, but he would still do things his way. He would just make people feel comfortable around him and working with him.
“And I think that’s probably the main factor why he’s done so well, because by doing that he gets players at the top of their game.
“To be honest, I still thought it would be tough for him first of all because the Championship is a tough league and it’s about results straight away,” he continued.
“But he’s come in and got the results he’s deserved which is a bit of a surprise because he hadn’t done a lot of coaching before – St Johnstone was his first job before he went to Burnley.
“But he’s obviously doing very well. If players want to play for you and give their all for you then it’s job done for me, that’s the key
“And he must be doing that at Burnley for them to beat Arsenal and Chelsea, but also beating them by playing in the way he wants.
“The energy he’s given them shows people want to play for them like I did in Scotland. I’m pleased for him.”
Scotland didn’t play in the reverse fixture at the Liberty back in September where a Ferrie Bodde strike earned the Swans a late point and he added “We had a big game against Cardiff a few days later so perhaps that was in the gaffer’s mind a little bit
“He (Coyle) came up to me and said he was surprised I didn’t start – and I was disappointed, but I understood the reasons.
“But it will be different this time. We have the FA Cup game on the Tuesday, but we know the league is more important and I think I will get the nod and hopefully I will get the chance to get one over on him by starting and scoring.
“It’s not about proving points because he knows what I can do, it’s more about putting one over on him for old time’s sake.”
