RYAN HAS TO PLAY HIS WAY TO A FULL CAP
SCOTLAND UNDER-21 boss Scot Gemmill has urged Hibs defender Ryan Porteous to play his way into Steve Clarke’s full international squad.
The national manager namechecked the rookie defender earlier this week and labelled him a “decent prospect”.
The ex-Kilmarnock boss revealed he had considered drafting Porteous alongside Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour, Celtic’s Mikey Johnston and Everton striker Fraser Hornby into the senior squad for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Russia and San Marino.
Porteous has instead been included in Gemmill’s side for the qualifying double-header against Lithuania at Tynecastle tonight and in the Czech Republic on Monday.
When asked if Porteous could make the step up to senior international level, Gemmill said: “That’s a question only Ryan can answer in his performances.
“I don’t care how experienced you are, and I’m talking as someone who has worked in youth football for years, you never know for certain until you put them in.
“Whichever players are lucky enough to progress have to take the opportunity.”
Porteous admits his BY ANTHONY HAGGERTY long-term goal is to make the breakthrough at full international level but for now his focus is his club and the Under-21s.
The 20-year-old, who recently returned to the Hibs side after a knee injury, said: “Obviously the long-term goal is getting into the senior squad. But I’m not too concerned with that right now. You never know what will happen in the future.
“For now my main focus is trying to get match sharpness back and trying to get fully fit and do a job for Hibs and the Scotland Under-21s.
“I think I’m 100 per cent match fit, I just need to get that sharpness.
“I don’t think I’m far away, I just need some more games.
“My main target was to get back playing for Hibs week in, week out and anything on top of that would be a bonus.”
The Scots have make a blistering start to their Group 4 campaign and have a maximum six points after two matches.
Porteous said: “We’ve been together for the last three or four years so everyone knows each other really well.
“The continuity in the camp is really good so we’re a confident bunch. But we need to take it game by game.”