It has been difficult at Norwich but I’ll work hard and make sure I am first name on the team sheet ..there is still half a season left and March is a big incentive for me
Gilmour vows to be top pick for boss Smith
Billy Gilmour aims to be an automatic pick for new Norwich boss Dean Smith so he’s at the peak of his powers for the World Cup play-offs.
The midfielder overcame a dearth of club action to star once again for Scotland as they secured seeded status for the playoffs after finishing second in Group F.
The 20-year-old was a standout in the 2- 0 win in Moldova then helped Steve Clarke’s men shock Denmark at Hampden,
But Gilmour didn’t feature in the final six matches of Daniel Farke’s Carrow Road reign. His baffling absence from a toi l ing team was a major talking point back home.
Pundit A l ly McCoist quipped “must be some team, that Norwich” after watching the Chelsea loanee’s stunning show last
Monday in the 2- 0 victory over the Danes.
Gilmour admits match sharpness issues and fatigue took a toll on him late on.
Now he’s on a mission to ensure his Canaries loan takes f l ight under new gaf fer
Smith, who started Gilmour yesterday in his f irst game in charge against Southampton. A major motivation in Gilmour’s mind is the March play-offs and a shot at reaching the 2022 World Cup. He said: “It has been di f f icult at Norwich so far. I need to go back, work hard and make sure I am the first name on the team-sheet.
“That’s what I plan to do. To come here (with Scotland) and not only get game time but to start is brilliant. “You can see that I’m a bit tired and not fully fit. But that will come.
“There’s still half the season to go and a lot can change.
“March is definitely a big incentive for me. I will be ready. I will make sure I am fit and see how it goes back at Norwich.
“Of course at this high standard of game your legs
are going to go with all the side-to- side movement all game. But I feel good and I’m enjoying my football.”
Gilmour’s first World Cup memories were watching the 2010 South Africa show piece whi le on holiday in Florida. Spain beat Holland in extra-time in the Johannesburg final.
Now, only six months after a senior Scotland debut, he’s two games away from reaching the second major tournament of his career.
Gilmour, who earned his 10th cap as Scotland trashed Denmark’s 100 per cent qualifying record, said: “I’m 20 and to have fulfilled one of my dreams so young is just amazing.
“I’m so proud to represent my country and nights like Monday are what it’s all about so far.
“My family were in the stands among all the fans so it was the stuff of dreams.
“You grow up watching the World Cup and Scotland are not there. Now there’s a good chance for this squad to go to the World Cup. Hopefully we do it.
“The first World Cup I remember is the one (Andres) Iniesta scored in the final, 2010. I was in America with my family watching it. I was nine!”
Scotland will discover in Friday’s draw which one of Poland, North Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, Austria or Czech Republic will travel to Hampden for the one-off semi-final.
Gilmour insists none of these strong sides hold any fears for Scotland after defeating the Danes – a performance he claimed had been brewing for a while.
He said: “We felt something like this was going to happen, that we’d play a top team and really take it to them.
“It felt like one of these results was going to come. You saw how many times we got around them and played some nice football.
“We defended well, attacked well and controlled the game.
“That’s a top result. I enjoyed the game. I was playing with a smile, I loved every minute of it.
“If we do get another big team in the play-offs, we will take it. We must show we are good enough to be at the World Cup.
“We’ve won our last six games, which is great, but need to take that forward and hopefully it progresses us to the World Cup.
“The seeding is important. We’ll need the fans’ backing again, cheering us on and motivating us through the full game. We are a top team. We will be ready and motivated for whoever we draw.” Gilmour believes momentum from f inishing Group F so strongly, plus a growing squad strength and harmony, are all in Scotland’s favour. He reckons there is only more to come from Clarke’s heroes. “It’s a real squad in there,” said Gilmour. “Total togetherness. Everyone fighting for each other. And you can see it on the pitch where the emotion and the pure passion comes out. “We know we will only get better. The gaffer is on at us all the time, telling us to get on the ball and play our style.
“It’s all coming together. We have a good squad and even th e bench i s solid.”
I’m 20 .. to have fulfilled my dreams so young is amazing