Scotland national squad announcements have become something of a damp squib of late.
Not for the players themselves, of course, but it’s hard to imagine many punters across the country woke up with a flutter of excitement in their bellies on Tuesday morning in anticipation of finding out who got the nod from Steve Clarke.
Mind you, that’s to be expected when they can pretty much put their house on naming 95 per cent of those who will make the cut. As he’s demonstrated throughout his time in charge, Clarke is nothing if not consistent.
So it was something of a surprise this week to see him fielding questions about the inclusion of two new faces in his squad for the Nations League double header against Greece.
In Lennon Miller and James Wilson, Clarke has two of the country’s most exciting young talents at his disposal. Now seems as good a time as any to get a close-up look at the pair.
Miller will have been on his radar long before now. The 18-year-old has made more than 60 appearances at the heart of Motherwell’s midfield and it’s simply a matter of time before he moves on to bigger and better things.
18-year-old Hearts forward James Wilson this week received a shock Scotland call-up
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has named his side for the upcoming Nations league fixtures
Lennon Miller has been rewarded for his fine performances for Motherwell this season
It says much about him that he has already set his sights on establishing himself as the team’s best player in the not-too-distant future. One step at a time, but you have to admire the confidence.
Hearts forward Wilson — who rose to prominence with a double against today’s opponents Ross County in December — is some way off those heights, but his breakthrough at Tynecastle this season has been impressive all the same.
Sure, his numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page — although five league goals is more than decent — but he certainly has something about him. Clarke clearly shares the sentiment.
The manager has spoken this week about planning for the future, so the inclusions of both Miller and Wilson should be a big shot in the arm for a few other talented young Scots looking to catch his eye.
Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes has been banging the drum over David Watson and Bobby Wales for quite some time now. The former picked up a host of awards last season and has been a mainstay in the middle of the park.
His biggest issue will be forcing his way into a stacked Scotland midfield which boasts Champions League quarter-finalist John McGinn, Napoli star Scott McTominay, and now Miller. Aged just 20, he has time on his side.
The emergence of 19-year-old Wales has been a rare bright spark in what has been a largely disappointing season for the Ayrshire side.
McInnes has made no secret of his desire to hold on to the frontman, whose contract is up in the summer.
Bobby Wales has caught the eye at Kilmarnock this season under Derek McInnes
Regular football at Rugby Park for at least another season would surely get him into contention to make the step up from Scotland Under-21 level. It would be a shame if he were to move south of the border so soon.
Ewan Wilson — a team-mate of Miller at Fir Park — is another who should take encouragement from the latest squad.
It wasn’t so long ago that the 20-year-old left-back was plying his trade in the Juniors. Over the first half of this season, he was arguably Motherwell’s top performer.
With Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey ahead of him in Clarke’s pecking order, he’ll have his work cut out to get near the international set-up any time soon.
He’ll also have to win over his new manager Michael Wimmer, but he has the raw materials in place and will only get better. Plus he’s already demonstrated that he rather enjoys proving people wrong.
Whether Scotland’s two newest squad members get a kick against the Greeks remains to be seen. In all honesty, it’s unlikely.
At the very least, they are proof that the top young players in the country are being noticed. And that’s good news for everyone.
It’s D-Day for these ailing Dark Blues
It’s been great having the Dundee derby back this season, hasn’t it? The latest instalment takes place at Tannadice tomorrow afternoon, and there’s plenty at stake.
Jim Goodwin’s side have surpassed all expectations following their return to the top flight and, with just nine games remaining, qualification for Europe is a realistic target.
Dundee boss Tony Docherty could do with a big derby win at Tannadice this weekend
How they would love to stick the boot into their neighbours in the process.
Dundee halted a five-game Premiership losing run last time out with a nervy draw against bottom-placed St Johnstone.
Some progress, at least, but they could go into the derby bottom of the pile if other results go against them today. Bleak times, indeed.
Manager Tony Docherty worked wonders getting the club into the top half of the table last year. However, that success has raised expectations.
In truth, Premiership survival should be the main aim at the start of every campaign for a club like Dundee.
At the moment, that looks like a tall order.
