Morgan’s goal is to play on world stage
LEWIS MORGAN believes the integration of a second wave of younger Celtic stars into the Scotland set-up will surely strengthen the country’s chances of ending the 20-year wait for a return to a major finals.
By the end of last term’s failed World Cup campaign, no fewer than seven Parkhead-based players were around the squad and in the team and, although Scott Brown has since returned to international retirement, new national coach Alex McLeish has given Morgan, Jack Hendry, Scott Bain and Ryan Christie chances to impress during his short tenure.
All four have plenty to prove at the Ladbrokes Premiership champions when the action gets back underway next month but Morgan believes that, should they earn the trust of boss Brendan Rodgers, adding them to a nucleus of players already operating together at club level can only be of benefit — as the SFA look towards the next European Championships and the World Cup finals of 2022.
‘Celtic have a good core of Scottish talent and they’ve proven over the last few years why they are the biggest team in the country,’ he said.
‘It’s important for the national team to take these kind of players and build their team around that. These are players that you train with every day and you know them inside-out, so that can only be an advantage to the national team. With how they have performed domestically, you can’t turn down the opportunity to play these players.
‘You see some of the countries that are participating in the World Cup. Match Scotland up with them and we’d fancy ourselves. There are plenty of national teams that have missed out that are bigger than us, too, so it’s a tough environment, but it’s certainly given me the appetite to be involved in a successful campaign.
‘I’ve never even seen Scotland at a major finals. It would be new to me, but that’s where you want to be.’
Certainly, there is a group of younger players at the moment whose potential excites ahead of Euro 2020 and that Qatar World Cup, in particular.
Morgan is just 21 along with Celtic team-mate Kieran Tierney, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Scott McKenna of Aberdeen, who captained the national side in the friendly loss to Mexico.
Hendry is 23. As is John McGinn at Hibs, another Celtic transfer target. Andy Robertson at Liverpool is still only 24 along with fellow Premier League regular Ryan Fraser of Bournemouth and Callum McGregor at Celtic is 25.
Of the Under-21 side which reached the last four of the Toulon Tournament, Oliver Burke still suggests there is something there that could blossom with greater discipline, while Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour, just turned 17, has most observers who witnessed his displays in Provence salivating.
‘There is definitely a nucleus of young players that are ready to break through,’ stated Morgan. ‘I didn’t play with Scott McTominay at Under-21 level, but he’s a great player with a really good attitude. It was a great coup for Scotland that we managed to persuade him to play for us.
‘Oli McBurnie and Scott McKenna are guys that I’ve been playing with for the Under-21s. I know what they are capable of and they are certainly strong enough.
‘Scott (McKenna) had the captain’s armband for one game, which is great for him. Indeed, it’s great the manager is giving youth a chance and giving us the podium to go and impress and to stake a claim to stay in the set-up.’
Of course, Tierney is established at international level — even if it looks like he will have to give up his favoured left-back position to Robertson.
Morgan is nine months older than him, but admits he is looking at the defender as someone to learn from.
‘Kieran has done brilliantly and he’s always linked with moves away, but he’s playing with one of the biggest clubs there is,’ said the ex-St Mirren man. ‘It’s players like him that I want to go and play alongside. That can help me take my game to the next level.
‘We sometimes forget how young he is. He has captained Scotland. That’s great to see and gives me a bit of extra motivation too.
‘I’m not sure exactly what his mentality is, but I’m sure we’ll be similar characters.
‘He has progressed loads over the last few years and I’m trying to progress to that stage now. I feel that I can go on and try to improve at Celtic.
‘The manager (at Celtic) has told me what he wants from me and that’s something that’s probably going to remain behind closed doors.
‘He’s going to give me the platform to impress and now it’s up to me.
‘Last year, I started the season at Stranraer and ended up playing at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, so you can’t really map out a plan.’