Clarke: Billy can handle it. He’s from Ardrossan!
Scotland boss, Steve Clarke, believes Billy Gilmour’s loan move to Norwich City can be the making of him.
The 20-year-old, who was Man of the Match against England at Wembley in the Euros, has switched to the Canaries for the season.
Linking up with international team-mates Kenny Mclean and Grant Hanley, he will hope to gain the regular first-team football he might have struggled to get at his parent club, Chelsea.
“We had a little chat over the course of the summer when we were together. Billy was driving it, and he was saying he needed to play,” said clarke.
“Now he has got a great move with Norwich, but it is going to be interesting because he is going to have to adapt his game, and play in a different way.
“And through doing so, he will learn a little bit more about football this year.”
The Scotland manager explained that the change was just down to simple football economics.
“Playing in the best team every week – and playing with the best players every week – you are going to improve yourself,” he said.
“But Billy is now going to be playing at a team that’s not going to dominate the ball, and that’s not going to have the best players on the pitch every week.
“That is good for Billy because sometimes in football, the challenge is to play against a team that’s better than you.
“Norwich have already come across that in the games against Liverpool and Manchester City, and will do so a few times this season.
“He got a bit of abuse (from a section of the opposition support) at the Liverpool game, which is something we don’t need.
“But he’s from Ardrossan, he’s a tough lad and he’ll deal with it.
“I would imagine Norwich have brought him in on loan because they want to improve the amount of possession they enjoy in games. But, even so, Billy is likely to see less of the ball.
“He will learn from it, though, and hopefully it will benefit us as well.
“Just now will be an adjustment for Norwich. But once they settle into the league, their results and performances will improve.
“It will be a good learning experience for Billy, and with the qualities he’s got, I’m sure he’ll quickly adapt and do well.”
As a former Chelsea player and assistant manager to Jose Mourinho, Clarke is well acquainted with the Champions League winners’ strategies for dealing with their young players.
He insists Gilmour being allowed to go out on loan is neither a slight on the player, nor a sign he is down the packing order at Stamford Bridge.
“Chelsea put them out all the time,” Clarke continued. “I think it is credit to Billy’s abilities that they didn’t loan him out when he was 17 or 18. They kept him in the squad, and kept working with him.
“I spoke to Frank Lampard a number of times about Billy when he was the manager, and Frank loved him.
“Billy has not had the same opportunities since Thomas Tuchel took over, but I am not knocking Thomas because he has gone in there and done a great job.”
Dealing with changes at the top at the leading clubs is part of life for all national managers.
Some, such as the introduction of Tuchel at Chelsea, can lead to a potential issue. In Gilmour’s case – a lack of game time – others can actually make their job easier.
With Celtic imploding last season, it was a source of concern to all Scotland supporters that the leading contributor of players to the national side was in such turmoil.
This season, by contrast, the resurgence under Ange Postecoglou gives fans reassurance that the likes of Callum Mcgregor, David Turnbull, James Forrest, Ryan Christie and Greg Taylor should all have reason to be feeling good about themselves.
“If they are in a good frame of mind with their clubs, it can only benefit us when they come away with us,” said Clarke.
“I have got to be fair to the Celtic boys. When they came in last year, they were always positive, and they could separate the club and the international team.
“Callum Mcgregor’s performances for Scotland, for example, have been really good.
“When they came into the squad last year, it was maybe a little bit of relief for them, to get away from the troubles they had at Celtic.
“This year, on the other hand, they’ll come in full of themselves.”