Silly to chuck Billy into the pressure cooker of Scotland’s play-off
The rise and rise of Billy Gilmour has been something I’ve kept a particular eye on.
My twins went to the same school as him in Ayrshire and they think the world of him.
Humble, respectful but with a quiet air of self-confidence from someone who knows he’s a special talent and is proving that at Chelsea.
Predictably, there’s a clamour for Stevie Clarke to bring the 18-year-old into his Scotland squad for the Euro 2020 playoff semi-final this month and I admit I’m torn over the debate.
When I think with my head and not my heart then I don’t think it’s wise to expose him to senior international football just yet.
I don’t believe the playmaker would benefit from facing Israel.
At Stamford Bridge he’s learning his trade and it was another huge step up for him during the week when he started in the FA Cup win over Liverpool.
I understand why we are all so keen to get him playing for Scotland – you look at his talent, that undoubted natural ability and fearless nature he has.
But I’m conflicted over it. If it was the start of a qualifying campaign then there’s no doubt I would want the Chelsea kid brought in to be involved in things.
His quality would then tell if he’s good enough to be elevated into that level of football.
We’ve all seen that he’s good enough to play but the clamour from so many people is a bit too much and it’s a worry.
We’ve seen it all before when a young Scottish player emerges and there’s this rush to get him up on a pedestal, only for the kid in question to fail to live up to the hype and his potential.
That’s why being exposed to a huge Scotland game may have a negative effect on Gilmour.
This is a time where he needs to keep playing with freedom and enjoying football. There have been numerous times when we’ve jumped the gun on a young talent.
Ryan Gauld was maybe the last kid to experience the “next big thing” syndrome in Scottish football and we all saw how that worked out.
It’s only now that Ryan is starting to show himself again in Portugal after his highprofile, big-money move to Sporting Lisbon.
There was far too much hype around him and it’s good to see him getting some success on the pitch again with Farense.
Hopefully Scottish football has learned an important lesson or two since.
Gilmour has had a good grounding and I love the way he plays with a s smile on his face.
He’s levelh headed and it’s so pleasing to s see a boy like him e enjoying playing a at a club which will have patience w with him.
It’s similar to t the Phil Foden s scenario at Manchester City a as I don’t see him b o being allowed out on loan.
He is too in ingrained in City’s p plans and they w want him to be in involved in everything that they’re doing.
Foden has been dipped in and out of the first team in recent seasons and there will come a point where he becomes a regular and is handed a substantial role.
That’s why I don’t see Gilmour going out on loan in the way Chelsea do with the 30-odd other players they have on their books. He is that good and Frank Lampard realises that so they’ll be wary of exposing him to something which may not be beneficial to him.
The Scotland caps will come but let’s not heap too much pressure on such young and talented shoulders.
We’ve seen it all before when a Scottish player emerges and there’s this rush to get him up on a pedestal