McGinn’s words point to bright new future for Clarke to pick players from
Scotland’s rising stars provide plenty of hope for qualification at future major competitions Doak looks
THE final whistle inside the Diyarbakir Stadium on Wednesday night placed international football, for Scotland, at least, into hibernation for the next four months.
Plenty are choosing to turn away from Qatar 2022 when it kicks into gear in just a few days’ time, but on these shores we’ve been boycotting World Cups for 24 years and counting.
Skipping another global football gathering means that next on the Hampden agenda is Euro 2024 qualification.
Nations League success moved Scotland up to Pot 2 for the group draw; something which was, in theory, supposed to make negotiating a path to Germany in two years that bit easier.
Instead, Spain and a certain Erling Haaland’s Norway await, not to mention an improving Georgia plus a potential banana- skin in Cyprus.
Even with nothing on the line against Turkiye, manager Steve Clarke deviated little from the tried and tested players who have been largely ever- present in his tenure to date.
But that’s not to say he doesn’t have an eye on the future. John McGinn certainly does.
The midfielder made a point of referencing the next generation in his post- match interview, revealing he expects to the squad to be challenged and improved by those waiting in line.
Calvin Ramsay, handed a second- half debut at rightback, is the most obvious example. Signed by Liverpool from Aberdeen in the summer, the 19- year- old has already made his Champions League debut despite injury disrupting his early Anfield months.
Scotland and the current conveyor belt of full- backs has become a running joke, with Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Nathan Patterson, Aaron Hickey, Greg Taylor and Anthony Ralston joining Ramsay in vying for just two positions.
And that is before you even consider Josh Doig at Hellas Verona. The former Hibs leftback is surely knocking on Clarke’s door as he begins to establish himself in Serie A.
Down the road in Bologna, Lewis Ferguson’s exploits appear to have placed him very much in the manager’s thoughts.
destined for senior caps before too long but March may come too soon
But who could follow them, preferably in attacking areas where Scotland don’t quite have so many options?
The name on everyone’s lips, including Jurgen Klopp’s, is Ben Doak.
Prised away from Celtic by the lure of Liverpool and the Premier League, the recently turned 17- year- old wasted no time in tearing up this season’s UEFA Youth League, as Rangers can attest.
A series of prodigious displays caught Klopp’s attention and he was handed a first- team debut against Derby in the Carabao Cup earlier this month.
“That’s Ben,” Klopp said after Doak handled the step up with poise and confidence. “His instructions were easy: do what you do all the time. He’s really a lively boy, a smart player, good dribbler, fast, can use both legs. He’s good! It was nice to watch, eh?
“It was really nice to watch, him coming in and immediately a lot of things are obviously natural to him, which is really helpful.”
You would imagine the Anfield boss is not an easy man to impress, so there is certainly something to be savoured in hearing him speak in such glowing terms of a teenager from Dalry.
Playing off the right flank, there is a wonderfully old school, reverse Arjen Robbie look about his favourite trick – dropping a shoulder inside before darting for the byline for a cut- back, one of those where defenders know what’s coming yet still can’t do much about it.
Doak looks destined for senior caps before too long but the March campaign may just come too soon for him. Exciting as he may be, he remains light on first- team experience and seems very much at home in the U21 setup for the time being.
McGinn referenced two others post- Turkiye in Aston Villa pair Rory Wilson and Ewan Simpson.
Wilson, a former Rangers academy player, joined Villa in the summer and has been described as “potentially one of the best strikers at his age in Europe” by Scottish FA Performance School manager Brian Mclaughlin.
Just a few weeks after signing Wilson, Villa paid Hearts a six- figure fee for Simpson, who has become a regular in their U18 side.
With both players just 16, however, perhaps McGinn was looking a little further down the line on that count, but the general thrust of his point looks accurate.
Ramsay was blooded this week, while it was Ryan Porteous’ turn during the last camp.
And Clarke will hope Newcastle’s England- eligible Elliot Anderson will land north of the border when he makes a definitive decision on his international future, with the 20- year- old highly rated at St James’ Park by Eddie Howe.
The Scotland manager declared himself satisfied with his squad depth this week.
Before long, he will likely have even greater options to choose from.