5 Scottish Talents that should be considered for the Euros

There are many young Scottish players plying their trade all around the world who may not be in the squad at the moment but could easily find themselves there next summer for the nation's first major tournament in 23 years. Lets have a look at some possible options and the likelihood of these players making the final cut.

1. Lewis Morgan

Lewis began his career at St Mirren, and the winger had an impressive 4 seasons in the first team for the ‘buddies’, reaching almost 50 g/a in all competitions. This drew the attention of Celtic, who were the next destination with a move across to Celtic Park materializing in 2018. Sadly things didn’t work out in Glasgow for Morgan who only made 14 league appearances with only one assist to his name and after a couple of loan moves (one back home to St Mirren, and the other to Sunderland) he then headed off to the United States.

[Morgan in action for Inter Miami]

David Beckham’s Inter Miami were the destination, and so far he has had a very respectable 5 goals and 5 assists in 20 MLS appearances with a stunning effort against New York City being one of the high points. This season he has emerged as a bit of a cult hero for the newly formed side and I’m sure that if he keeps this up a move back to Scotland, or a Call-up to the national side could be in the offing.

Personally, while Morgan’s form across the Atlantic hasn’t gone unnoticed and he definitely should be considered, due to the formation Scotland have been playing and the options ahead of him, I Don’t really think Morgan should be cancelling his summer holiday too soon.

Chances of Making the Euro Squad 2021 - 4/10

2. Aaron Hickey

Young full-back Aaron Hickey had quite the season despite his side faltering over the course of the league year and hearts ending up with a controversial relegation. However, this didn’t stop a large amount of interest in the 18-year old's services, with a large spectrum of teams competing for his signature from reported interest from Bayern Munich to Celtic, but it was Italy where he has ended up, at Bologna.

The versatile defender has already made 7 appearances in the Serie A with Bologna maintaining a solid 10th place after 9 games. The Scottish defender has largely impressed so far in both his home country and abroad and should be considered a contender for a place in Steve Clarke’s Euro 2021 squad, especially as he can play both Left and Right back.

[Aaron on his 'impressive' Bologna debut]

Competition is rife on the left hand-side of the 'tartan armies' defense, with star players Robertson and Tierney, as well as Douglas and Taylor all arguable ahead of the 20 year old in the pecking order. However, to the benefit of Hickey, he can also slot into the right back position. Where the only players blocking his path to the first team would be Palmer and O'Donnell, meaning it is likely he could make Steve Clarke's squad.

Chances of Making the Euro Squad 2021 - 7/10

3. Billy Gilmour

The biggest name on this list and with the best chance of making it to the euros next summer must be Billy Gilmour. He is well accustomed with the Scotland set up already, playing at every age group from under 15-21s. Gilmour came through the Rangers Academy and was highly rated drawing attention from some of Europe’s elite, making the switch to London with Chelsea.

Billy broke into the Chelsea first team last season making 11 appearances across the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup, drawing plaudits from many fans who finally saw what the ‘wonderkid’ was made of. This season has had a rocky start missing most of it with a knee injury, however, Billy has recently returned to action and made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 4-0 rout of Sevilla.

[Billy playing for Chelsea]

Although Scotland are very strong in the midfield Gilmour certainly has the quality to break into the squad and is a player for Steve Clarke to keep a close eye on as the season wears on. If he can return to the level he was playing at last season this campaign he may as well be booking his place in Scotland’s first major tournament squad since before the 19 year old was even born.

Chances of Making the Euro Squad 2021 – 8/10

4. Fraser Hornby

Although Hornby was born in Northampton, the young forward has Scottish Citizenship meaning he is eligible to play for Scotland internationally and has done so at Under 17-21 levels. On the club stage the 6’4 striker came through the ranks of Everton, failing to make a single appearance for the first team. He experienced a decent loan spell at Belgian outfit KV Kortrijk in the 2019/20 season where he scored 3 goals in 12 league appearances in the Belgian Pro League.. Hornby has since moved onto pastures new and now lines out for French Ligue un side Stade De Reims, where he has so far only featured 3 times in the league, all of which off of the bench. Without scoring.

Despite his lack of cutting edge at club leve,l the ex-Everton man has been making positive headlines with the Scotland Under-21s. Recently breaking the goal scoring record of 8 netting an impressive 10 goals since his debut in May of 2018. This means that he is already familiar with the Scotland set up and Steve Clarke will surely be taking notice of his achievements. Scotland’s current lack of an out and out goal scorer could lead to Hornby being handed a call up. However, unless his club form improves it’s a no from me and I think the 2021 Euros will come to soon for the 21-year-old.

[Fraser Hornby playing for the Scotland under-21s]

Chances of Making the Euro Squad 2021 – 3/10

5. David Turnbull

David Turnbull made his name at Motherwell and rose through the youth academy until the starlet's debut in September 2018 at the tender age of 19. After 41 Premiership appearances for the ‘Steelmen’ the now 21-year-old was snapped up by Celtic in August 2020 for an unknown fee. Since signing for the ‘Bhoys’ Turnbull has played 11 times (all in the Scottish Premiership) recording 1 goal and 1 assist. Despite rarely playing a full 90 minutes and having a spell out on the sidelines with covid-19 he has still shown glimmers of quality and why he can be a major asset for the champions.

[David Turnbull with Mohamed Elyounoussi]

While Scotland do already have Ryan Christie, Stuart Armstrong and Kenny MacLean all operating in a similar role to Turnbull, if he could have put together a good run of games I think that he could definitely break into the reckoning for a call-up, as well as having experience with the national team having played 5 games for the under-21s. Steve Clarke and his team should be watching him throughout the season as he may prove to be a positive addition to the Scotland team.

Chances of Making the Euro Squad 2021 – 5/10

Overall, there were so many players to chose from and it was a tough call who to include. This shows that the future of Scottish football is looking as bright as it has in a long time. Send us a message on our socials or comment below with who you think is most likely to be in Steve Clarke's Euro 2021 squad and who else I should've included.

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Written by Sam

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