They build them tough up in Queensland, but there will probably always be a part of Lyndon Dykes which will never get over the cruellest of hands the football Gods dealt him two years ago.
Going for the ball in a bounce game at Lesser Hampden ahead of Euro 2024, he rolled an ankle and immediately knew something was wrong.
A scan provided confirmation that he’d torn his ankle ligaments and would play no part in Germany.
From being on top of the world to wanting to climb into a hole in the ground in a matter of minutes. Football can break your heart at times. Don’t we just know that this morning following the desperate news about Billy Gilmour.
It took Dykes until the middle of August to kick a ball again for Queens Park Rangers. He signed for Birmingham on a two-year deal before moving on loan to struggling Charlton this January.
He scored four goals in his first year after missing the Euros and five in the season just ended. As has often been pointed out since the World Cup squad was announced, Oli McBurnie managed to find the net 19 times for Hull City in 2025-26.
Lyndon Dykes strengthened his case to start for Scotland in the friendly win over Curacao
Dykes is going to the World Cup. McBurnie isn’t. You can understand why that situation has caused a bit of disquiet. Purely in terms of goals — a striker’s currency — Steve Clarke’s preference for Dykes over McBurnie makes little sense.
As half-time approached on Saturday, with Scotland labouring badly against Curacao, even the biggest advocate of Clarke would have questioned the wisdom of the decision.
Lawrence Shankland just couldn’t get into the game. George Hirst, his strike partner in an enterprising 4-4-2, struggled to keep a hold of the ball.
Even though Jurgen Locadia was sent off for a ridiculous elbow on Aaron Hickey and Findlay Curtis, the replacement for the unfortunate Gilmour, scored a fine equaliser, Scotland were huffing and puffing. The great Hampden farewell was threatening to turn into a miserable occasion.
Scotland played with far more urgency in the second period. Curtis was a threat whenever he got the ball. He invariably made good decisions on when to take on his man and when to recycle the ball.
Dykes battles for the ball during Scotland’s 4-1 win over Curacao on Saturday
Tyler Fletcher, who was only meant to be training with the squad this week, looked completely at ease on the international stage, his range of passing and dig suggesting he can emulate his father Darren in having a long and distinguished career.
But no alteration to the line-up was more pivotal than that of Dykes. He didn’t score but he secured possession and brought his side up the park, ensuring that Curaçao’s 10-men had no respite. His pass to allow Shankland to claim his second and Scotland’s third was superb.
Those who point to his modest goals tally since his Euros heartache and claim there’s been an element of sympathy in the manager selecting him don’t know football and don’t know Clarke. A forward doesn’t necessarily have to score goals to justify their selection provided others are finding the back of the net.
Thankfully, in Shankland, Clarke has a striker who he can depend on to do just that. Five minutes before firing in off the post from Dykes’ lay-off, he effortlessly flashed Ryan Christie’s cross home.
This time around, there’s no debate to be had; Fresh from signing for Rangers, Shankland starts against Haiti.
Whichever formation the manager deploys, you’d expect him to have a partner in a game Scotland would like to win well but certainly must win.
Ross Stewart and Che Adams both joined the squad too late to be involved on Saturday and you’d expect they’ll get a chance to show what they can do against Bolivia in New Jersey.
Scotland striker Dykes heads the ball towards goal at Hampden on Saturday
They’ll need to perform to their optimum levels to stand a chance of staying in the team, though. If you’d a spare tenner right now, you’d stick it on Dykes and Shankland walking out for the opener in Boston.
This game was always more than a chance for the supporters – all 44,433 of them – to wish the side well before departing for the first World Cup since 1998.
Notwithstanding that Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Lewis Ferguson and Kieran Tierney were also unavailable, Clarke will be the wiser for it.
Truthfully, Craig Gordon didn’t have a great deal to do, but there were no red flags in the display of a 43-year-old who hadn’t played with Hearts since January 25.
Liam Kelly, seen as the third-choice keeper, made a couple of fine stops after replacing the veteran. Unless Angus Gunn – one appearance for Nottingham Forest this season – knows something we don’t, Gordon looks set to start out in the USA.
While Aaron Hickey and Andy Robertson represent quality in the full-back roles, it’s hardly breaking news that central defence is a concern.
Neither Scott McKenna nor John Souttar looked too clever as Tahith Chong outsmarted and outpaced them for Curaçao’s opener. If Scotland set-up with such an attacking formation against Haiti, as you suspect they will, it goes without saying that they cannot be ripped apart with a simple counterattack as they were in that instance.
The side was more assured when Grant Hanley came on for Souttar and Dom Hyam replaced McKenna. Jack Hendry will surely feature against Bolivia.
We know Clarke trusts Hanley implicitly. If the veteran, who can play left or right, is to be given the nod, it’s up to one of the other contenders to put down a marker on Saturday in New Jersey.
Lawrence Shankland showed his potency with two goals against Curacao
Ben Gannon-Doak had a difficult afternoon. The Bournemouth winger’s pace is extraordinary. Too often, though, he arrived in promising positions and lacked the guile and subtlety to make it count.
His lack of composure contrasted sharply with that of Fletcher, the man who replaced him. If you didn’t know better, you’d say the teenager was winning his 20th cap, not his first.
On his 57th appearance, Kenny McLean scarcely put a foot wrong. It was rare to see the Norwich man complete 90 minutes.
With Gilmour now sadly out of the running, McLean’s ability to keep the ball under pressure becomes even more valuable.
There’s a possibility that McLean and Ryan Christie might be the two holding midfielders for at least part of the games against Morocco and Brazil, which, presumably, will see Clarke revert to one striker.
Christie was among the side’s best performers again in a more advanced role, his efforts rewarded with a penalty conversion.
Findlay, the player who won it for cleverly drawing a foul from Jurien Gaari, could scarcely have done more to make a case to his manager.
From a fringe player with Rangers to a hero of Kilmarnock’s successful survival operation and now on the flight to the World Cup. Who says dreams can’t come true?
A first home friendly win in 10 years and just a fourth victory in 16 matches for Clarke in non-competitive matches was eventually deserved and was a welcome fillip as squad prepared to back its bags for the flight to the first training camp in Florida. The fervent hope, as ever, is that they don’t come home too soon.
