Win can make half century extra special for Glenn

GLENN MIDDLETON is in line to win his 50th age-grade cap for Scotland tonight. And the St Johnstone star, currently on loan from Rangers, is aiming to mark the occasion with a win over Denmark at Tynecastle. Scot Gemmill’s Under-21s head into tonight’s match buoyed by an impressive away draw against Turkey in their group opener for the Euro 2023 qualifiers. Middleton (right), who fondly recalls his first call-up to a Scotland squad as a 15-year-old schoolboy, insists his half century will ‘genuinely mean a lot’. He said: ‘I’m very grateful to be in that position and to do that sort of thing. It also comes back to being very grateful to Scot (head coach Gemmill), who has always been brilliant with me since the first time I came away. ‘I’ve been called up quite a lot and, when you’re younger especially, it seems like you have about five games in a week at younger age tournaments. But that is something I’m genuinely quite proud of — and it means a lot every time. ‘International experience has helped me so much, especially getting to know the boys in the teams they come from. It’s not something you can take for granted because not everyone gets to do this as regularly as it’s happened for me.’ The winger, back for a second loan spell at Saints following a successful six-month stint last season, recalled the thrill of his first outing with the Under-16s. ‘We played Poland at Hamilton’s ground — and I remember I was genuinely so excited,’ he added. ‘My dad drove me up from Northampton for it. I remember meeting everyone at the hotel. ‘Charlie Gilmour was there and he’s at St Johnstone with me now. It seems quite a while ago now but I still remember it. ‘You always make mates when you’re away, especially with the Under-17s when we had a great team. That was when we reached the Euro finals. There are a lot of similar boys in this group, so hopefully we can do the same.’ Looking ahead to a run of four home games on the bounce, with Kazakhstan, Belgium and Turkey all to come between now and next March, Middleton — who has 16 caps at Under-21 level alone — continued: ‘It’s a real opportunity to build momentum. ‘We are at the same training pitch every day; the same hotel. We know the routine we need to get into. With it being the second or third time we have come away as a team, it’s all starting to come together in terms of how Scot wants the team to play. ‘We are seeing the details day by day and it makes a difference when you pull together as one team.’ Kick-off: 7.05pm, Tynecastle. LIVE on BBC Scotland/BBC iPlayer/BBC Sport website.