Archive June 2, 2025

Scotland vs. Iceland: friendly international

When: Friday, June 6th, When: Hampden Park Kick-off: 19:45 BST

As Scotland manager, Steve Clarke is no stranger to changing and evolving.

He has frequently changed his squad and won two major championships while serving the national team for six years.

After 27 years, Clarke’s Scotland’s last appearance at the world’s largest event was in 1998, and they now have a place there.

As they prepare for their World Cup qualifying campaign, which kicks off in September, the 61-year-old has selected seven uncapped players for the month’s friendly games against Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Along with West Ham United’s Andy Irving, Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig, and Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie and Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig, are also included in the Motherwell lineup: Lennon Miller, Connor Barron of Rangers, and Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig from Motherwell.

The other two players have yet to make their full international debuts, besides goalkeepers Robby McCrorie and Cieran Slicker.

The number of younger faces is one thing that stands out in addition to the numerous uncapped players.

12 members of the 25-man squad are 25 or younger and have their best years in store.

One of them is Lewis Ferguson. The Bologna captain struggled for regular starts in his country despite winning the Coppa Italia last year and continuing his excellent story on the continent.

Ryan Christie is recovering from an injury and Kenny McLean is missing, giving him a chance to make his first appearance in midfield alongside Billy Gilmour.

With Anthony Ralston, the other right-back in the squad, second choice at Celtic, Max Johnston, 21, and Nathan Patterson, 23, could have second-choice opportunities to impress.

Bowie and James Wilson of Heart of Midlothian are the other young, striking options, along with Tommy Conway from Middlesbrough.

However, the squad’s familiarity persists throughout.

Scotland was well-equipped with a lot of top-notch goalkeeping talent not long ago.

Any of David Marshall, Allan McGregor, or Craig Gordon were well-known abroad.

The resources between the sticks are less plentiful these days.

Due to injury, Gordon, now 42, is not a member of this squad. Even a man of his caliber and resilience might not be able to compete in the 2026 World Cup if Scotland were to qualify.

Despite making numerous high-profile errors for both the club and country during Euro 2024, Angus Gunn is now a free agent after being let go by Norwich City.

The uncapped Slicker and McCrorie have only passing club experience, respectively.

Miller unquestionably has the most buzz around him among the uncapped players.

Since making his senior club debut at the age of 16, the 18-year-old midfielder from Motherwell has improved tremendously.

After a season in which he scored four goals and added seven assists in 36 games, he won the PFA Scotland young player of the year award last month.

Miller is expected to leave Fir Park for a sizable transfer fee, which Miller could increase with his Scotland bow against Iceland or Liechtenstein.

After receiving his first call-up for Scotland in March, Miller said, “I could possibly be the best player there in a few months.”

He later made amends to his comments, stating that the pace of the claim was a “mistake” but reiterating his desire to be the best player he can be.

He lacks confidence, not at all.

If the chance comes up, Bowie will want to have an impact.

He recovered from a hamstring injury while playing for Scotland Under-21s and scored six goals in his first season for Hibs.

When Clarke named his squad, “he always stood out whenever I watched the Under-21s.” He has good qualities for his game, including being big, strong, and physically strong.

You have Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Nisbet coming in the summer, so I knew what they could bring. So, it was only interesting to see if we could expand the player pool.

Despite La Liga’s stringent financial controls, Barcelona sporting director Deco claims that the organization does not need to sell players and that it does not.

Since taking over Barcelona in 2023, Deco, 47, has seen a revival that led to a domestic treble and Champions League semifinal appearances.

In response to a dispute with La Liga, the Catalans renewed the contracts of superstar teenagers Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and manager Hansi Flick. They also received a registration clearance from Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD).

When Deco was asked whether Barcelona should be recognized as a well-run club in 2025, he responded, “Barcelona is my club, I love Barcelona. I was a witness to what transpired outside, and I always believed I could contribute to elevating Barca.

Although it is not a financial issue, the financial fair play regulations in Spain surpass those in the Premier League and other nations, which I knew would be challenging.

You only hear about Barca because we are a sizable club because it is a problem for many clubs. You must work with it, look at how you can strengthen the team, and consider how the combination of La Masia [academy] players and more experienced players is crucial.

The former Portugal midfielder, who played for both Chelsea and Porto, says Barcelona are content playing La Liga but that the rules will keep getting better as they age.

Even if they don’t, Barcelona are excited to sign “one of the biggest contracts in history” with Nike, and the newly renovated 100, 000-seat Nou Camp will increase revenues and increase capacity.

He adds that the team can “grow with many of the same players” because they won’t “sell our best players” and that Barcelona won’t “sell our best players.” However, he claims that because of the team’s stability, they are looking for “two, three, or four signings” without having to “like crazy” enter the market.

When asked if the contract option includes signing Liverpool’s Luis Diaz or Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, he replied, “We have been focusing on renewing contracts, and we will discuss players coming.

We won’t speak because it’s unfair because these two players, as you mentioned, are good but have contracts with their clubs. However, we will undoubtedly discover some names when you decide to visit the market. We don’t need to bring many players, in my opinion.

Everyone wants to come or stay, he added, according to him when I speak with the players’ agents. This is crucial, therefore. The club’s reputation is still strong. We are proud that Barcelona is still a sizable club and that its players are interested in joining because of it.

Real Madrid, who are constantly under new coach Xabi Alonso, are a real threat, Deco is aware of.

Additionally, they have reached deals with Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will depart. Alvaro Carreras, a left-back for Benfica, is reportedly the player on the shortlist.

Because I know that the first Real Madrid team has a lot of top players, he said, “Next season is not going to be easy.” They appear to be a sizable team. They have many outstanding players. They do, of course, want to get better.

“A strong Madrid is very important. Strong players, top players, and players that the people want to see are very important. Similar to us, I believe Madrid has these players.

Yamal made his club debut at the age of 15 and has already made 106 appearances. He was a key player in Barcelona’s four El Clasico victories this season and was a member of Spain’s winning team that won the European Championship. He is the reigning Golden Boy and Kopa winner, which are awards given to the best young player in the world.

He is now compared to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in history.

Deco continued, “Lamine is Lamine. Leo is the same. For me, Leo was the best player in club history, and he was also the best player ever.

Everyone goes crazy when they see Lamine playing football because he believes in the project, and you can’t help but watch him because he’s unique. He deserves a higher wage.

He will be one of the world’s best players, he said. He must be respected as a player, but we must remember that he is only 17 years old.

Deco continued, “Lamine can make history like Leo, but it’s not easy to compare.” However, he must have a strong team of his own to make history.

Barcelona would have been able to manage Messimania and provide Yamal with the level of protection he requires.

Because, as you know, sometimes the sponsors and everyone wants his shirt or time, “Deco continued,” we make an effort not to let him do everything. People see his magic, both on and off the pitch, but sometimes we can’t control everything.