We are now just days away from Scotland’s men stepping out at Hampden and playing in their first major tournament match since 1998!

The Tartan Army are quietly becoming more and more confident in our nation’s chances of finally qualifying for the next stage of a big competition.

Euro 2020 could really be the time Scotland thrive.

For me, I would like Scotland boss Steve Clarke being brave and give teenager Billy Gilmour a starting role within our midfield in our opening game against the Czech Republic on Monday afternoon.

Gilmour might only have two international caps to his name thus far but he has already made a big impression in a Scotland shirt, especially in his cameo against Luxembourg. In that fixture, before coming off with a knock, Billy was dictating play and even bursting forward with the ball. The opposition couldn’t get to grips with him and had to brutally take him out to stop him from bossing them into submission.

I would use the Chelsea man in a central midfield alongside Manchester United Scott McTominay, with talismanic figure John McGinn being given freedom to push forward. I feel that trio would give us an ideal balance in the all important midfield engine-room.

Gilmour has flourished whenever he’s made an appearance for Chelsea. He has handled the pressures of playing in the Premier League. He is already a master at keeping the ball and moving it away from opponents.

The youngster tasted Champions League success earlier in the summer and that will have only boosted his confidence even further.

His club boss Thomas Tuchel has stated that he likes the way the Adrossan native trains and that he’s comfortable playing him whenever his main midfield can’t start games:

“Hopefully, he does what he does in training,”

“He’s waited long, worked hard, and I don’t want him to overdo stuff. It’s pretty exciting for him and hopefully, he shows what he shows in training.”

Via Football.London

The young player has already caught the eye of rivals, such as England’s Phil Foden:

Phil Foden on Billy Gilmour:

"He's a great talent. He's still so young and has a lot to learn but I've played against him a few times and every time I've played against him I've been impressed."

— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) June 9, 2021

Billy coming into this European Championship fresh could also be vital, in my opinion. Callum McGregor has played a lot of minutes this term and that’s actually been the way of it for a few seasons now. Unfortunately this year, the Celtic man hasn’t been able to reach his usually dependable high standards. He looks like a player desperate to find his form and I’m not sure continually playing him is the way to get him back to his best, he might actually need a rest!

Now I seriously doubt Steve Clarke will share my opinion on this particular subject. I think he’ll stay loyal to McGregor and trust Callum to do his best for Scotland. He may also believe that it’s better for nineteen year old Gilmour to ease his way into the tournament and thrive when coming off the bench.

Given Clarke has finally got us back to a major tournament I won’t be in a rush to state my disapproval at any decisions he might make in the upcoming weeks. He’s the man that has allowed our team and nation to boogie after all!

That being said, I would really love to see us taking that wee risk and playing a player that our team could soon be built upon. Billy Gilmour is the player that gets the Tartan Army excited and I am hoping he can make a huge impact during Euro 2020 and help us get to that all illusive second round.

Posted on June 9th, 2021 by scott
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