Brian’s youngsters aim to make a name for themselves at Euros
Scotland Under-17 boss Brian Mclaughlin insists his kids will play without fear, and prove they belong among the best young talent in the world, ahead of this week’s Euro Finals in Israel.
The young Scots are the only British nation to qualify for the European Championships and will face Portugal on Tuesday in Lod, followed by two matches against Denmark on Friday and Sweden a week tomorrow.
The young Scots were dealt a massive blow when incoming Liverpool superkid Ben Doak withdrew with a groin strain.
But Rangers’ in-demand striker, Rory Wilson, will be Scotland’s main danger man after netting 40 goals for the Ibrox kids this season, which has attracted strong English Premier League interest.
Scotland could hardly have asked for a tougher start to the tournament, with their opening game against a Portuguese side whose last match saw them demolish Finland 9-1.
But Mclaughlin insists his youngsters will enjoy the experience, and is quietly confident of a good showing from his players, who got through a qualifying round and the Elite round to get to Israel.
He said: “All the boys can’t wait. It will be a fantastic experience.
“It’s a massive, prestigious tournament – by far the biggest these young players can play in at their age group – and Scotland have qualified for it.
“We’re there to make a name for ourselves.
“We will be the youngest squad in this tournament, but that was our decision because I know we have a lot of good young players.
“And, once they get on that pitch, they just need to believe.
“Yes, Portugal won their las game 9-1, and they hav six players from Benfica who just won th UEFA Youth League beating Salzburg 6-0 in the Final.
“So they are coming here with a very strong team, with big players. If you look at their results over the last six months, they are strong.
“But, listen, that’s why we are here. We want to face that kind of competition.
“I’ve always tried to get matches that will take the players out of their comfort zone, and play against the best in Europe.
“There’s nothing to fear.
“We have just got to go and try to play our way, trust each other and trust the tactics we play. We’ll then see how we get on.
“There are certain things in every game we try to achieve. We always want to have the three best players on the pitch, whether it’s in a final or a friendly.
“People say to me we should just try to get that first point on the board. But, for
me, it’s more important o have the three best players on the pitch.
“If we do that, we’ll have a chance.
“This whole tournament is about these young players becoming better, and we’ll do that by playing against this level of opposition.
“But we will play with no fear.” Scotland, who had to replace Aberdeen’s Liam Harvey with Kilmarnock’s Bobby Wales from the original squad, have players from big clubs, including two from Manchester United and three each from the Old Firm.
And Mclaughlin insists they can compete with the best at the tournament, with big guns Germany, Spain, France and Italy all there.
He pointed out: “We have a lot of good young players. One of the things we are proud of is the number of clubs we have represented here, and that’s credit to the clubs and the academies.
“We have players from Celtic, Rangers and Manchester United. Those three clubs are up there with any team in Europe.
“Obviously, one of our key players, Ben Doak, is not here and I am convinced all three of our opponents would have been looking out for him.
“We’ve done our homework. But it won’t change the way we prepare.
“I’ve done most of my studying on the first game, but I’d be naive not to look at Denmark and Sweden too.
“I’ve watched all three teams and I have an idea of what we need to be successful.”