Gemmill relishing prospect of ‘exciting year ahead’

SCOTLAND Under-21 will be in the pot of fourth seeds along with Wales and the Republic of Ireland for today’s European Championships qualifying draw in Switzerland.

And manager Scot Gemmill believes 2017 could be a breakthrough year for his young charges.

Scotland will find out their opponents for the Euro 2019 qualifiers this morning, with the final being played in Italy in two years’ time.

The Scots were invited to play in the prestigious Toulon Tournament this summer for the first time in 20 years and Gemmill is excited at what lies ahead, with at least one under-21 friendly set to be announced.

“I’m really looking forward to the draw and discovering our opponents,” said Gemmill. “We can expect some tough fixtures as there are a number of very good teams taking part but they will relish that challenge.

“This is an important stage of their development and I’m confident they will make the most of their time with us. A number have already tasted football at this level and the campaign will provide them with more opportunities to learn and improve.

“We have an exciting year ahead with the Toulon Tournament in May and the start of the under-21 qualifying campaign, both of which will provide the players with the kind of experience that will help them in their bid to become full internationals.”

Scotland won’t face fellow Pot D countries Wales, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Moldova or Albania.

There will be nine qualification groups, each containing six teams, with the winners qualifying and four best runners-up competing in a play-off.