Call-up joy for Saints stopper Goalkeeper coach thrilled for Ross
Paul Mathers watches him in training every week and sees his obvious potential in the game.
And that is why St Johnstone’s goalkeeper coach was not surprised to see Ross Sinclair’s name in the latest Scotland under-19 squad list.
Scone-based Sinclair (18) is no stranger to the international set-up but this Euro qualifiers call ranks as the most prestigious to date.
He is mixing with young stars from clubs including Manchester City, West Ham, Watford and Norwich City.
Scotland are playing host across three venues with a 2-2 draw against Belarus at Morton’s Cappielow Park kicking-off the action on Wednesday.
That match will be followed up by facing off against Andorra on Saturday afternoon, before taking on Germany on Tuesday evening.
“It’s great for Ross,” Mathers said. “You get gatherings when they use goalkeepers, but the fact it’s a qualifiers is a better one for him.
“This won’t faze him. One of his strong points is that he’s strongminded and focused.
“He has been training with the first team for three years now and has made his first team debut in a friendly.
“If he plays a game at the qualifiers it will be a big plus, that would be massive for him. He played a friendly for the under-19s in Spain and handled it well. To get a qualifier would be another step up for him.”
Mathers, in his fifth season as a coach at Saints, was quick to praise the attitude and hard-working nature of the former Perth Academy student.
“His attitude is a big, big positive and he has bought in to how I like a goalkeeper to be,” Mathers explained to the Perthshire Advertiser.
“Everywhere I’ve been the young goalkeepers have always been the hardest workers. Ross and Jack Wills have continued that.
“They’ll do anything asked of them and are always looking for feedback and more information whether match analysis or at training.
“The two of them work their socks off in the gym as well. Ross has been here a little bit longer and his attitude is spot on. He even helps the kit man!
“The kit man had an injured knee and Ross went in to take all of the bags in for him. He’s a real worker and a joy to work with.
“Ross has been lucky, having Zander Clark for the three years and Alan Mannus for two of those years. He learned from two good guys.
“Elliott Parish has come in and he’s a different character - louder than the other two are - but Ross is always getting wee tips. We’ve had two or three groups of goalkeepers in my time and he’s fitted into them well. He wants to get better.”
Sinclair’s path to this stage has been a productive one having impressed on loan at Lowland League side BSC Glasgow last term. Now, despite picking up a recent injury which he has now recovered from, the towering shot-stopper is plying his trade with League Two Brechin City.
Mathers said: “We got him to Brechin this year and he played the first five or six games in the league. The results didn’t go well for the team unfortunately but in terms of his games - I’ve seen him live twice - he’s handling League Two which is good from our and his point of view.
“He hasn’t had a game since getting injured but once he’s back from Scotland he’ll be up for the challenge to try and get back in the team.
“For us, it will then be a decision whether he comes into the first team environment and cover at two or three. Ideally we would probably get him out for another season higher up in League One or the Championship.
“Hopefully, if all goes well, in the next two or three years he’ll be challenging Zander.”