16 Scots to watch in the EPL this season - Celtic, Rangers and Hearts alumni, allegiance switcher and £10m striker

The English Premier League returns this weekend and plenty Scottish football fans will be tuning into the action. Not only to watch their favourite English team (everyone has one, right?) but also to keep an eye on their fellow countrymen who will be plying their trade in the self-proclaimed ‘best league in the world’. Celtic, Rangers and Hearts will look on their former players with a mixture of pride and envy, while a number of Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad will be getting back into competitive action for the first time since the disappointing group stage exit in Germany. There are also a number of potential Scotland call-ups for Steve Clarke to cast an eye over ahead of naming his next squad for the Nations League double header against Poland and Portugal at the start of September.

Here are 16 Scots to watch in the Premier League this season...

Ryan Christie - Bournemouth

The Scotland midfielder has become an integral figure for the Cherries since making the move from Celtic in 2021. Started all but three of the club's 38 Premier League matches last season under Andoni Iraola compared to just 22 starts the previous campaign under Gary O'Neill. Iraola has converted Christie into a number six and the 28-year-old has flourished in the deeper role. Bournemouth start their campaign at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Kieran Tierney - Arsenal

Will start the season as an Arsenal player but appears to have no future at the Gunners. Spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad but injury curtailed his appearances. He then picked up a hamstring injury with Scotland at Euro 2024 which has ruled the former Celtic left-back out of the start of the new campaign. His injury record is becoming a concern so the main focus for Tierney will be proving his fitness in order to fight for his place at Arsenal or, more likely, earn another loan move or permanent transfer. Arsenal start their season at home to Wolves on Saturday.

John McGinn - Aston Villa

The Scotland midfielder will wear the captain's armband again this season as he embarks upon his seventh campaign with the Villains. A much-loved character among the Villa fans, the 29-year-old has amassed 236 appearances for the club and contributed 28 goals. He is the heartbeat of Unai Emery's midfield and will make his Champions League debut this term after leading the side to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season. Villa start their campaign away to West Ham in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday.

Brentford's Aaron Hickey is expected to return from long-term injury in the opening weeks of the Premier League season. | Getty Images

Aaron Hickey - Brentford

The Scotland full-back was a standout for the Bees following his £18m move from Bologna until picking up a serious hamstring injury against Chelsea in October. Setbacks in his recovery ensured he played no further part last season and also ruled him out of Euro 2024. Now finally returning to fitness, the 22-year-old will be introduced to the first-team gradually in the opening weeks of the season and he could be in line for a return to the international fold for Scotland's Nations League double-header against Poland and Portugal in September. Brenftord start at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Billy Gilmour - Brighton

The Scotland midfielder could be plying his trade in Serie A in the not too distant future with reports of a £15m move to Napoli to team up with his former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte close to completion. Given the advanced transfer talks, the 23-year-old is unlikely to feature in Brighton's opening match of the season at Everton on Saturday after sitting out the most recent pre-season fixtures. Gilmour became a key figure for the Seagulls last season making 41 appearances despite a two-month injury lay-off compared to 17 the previous campaign.

Nathan Patterson - Everton

The 22-year-old Scotland full-back has had a mixed time of it at Goodison Park since making an £11m move from Rangers in January 2022 with spells of regular starts followed by periods of sitting on the bench. Injuries have also curtailed his appearances with a torn hamstring in a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea in April bringing a premature end to his 2023-24 season and also ruling him out of Scotland's Euro 2024 campaign. It followed a lengthy spell of inactivity as Patterson fell out of favour under Sean Dyche. The injury will keep him sidelined into the new season with a possible return to training at the end of the month mooted but he will need time to build fitness.

Tom Cairney - Fulham

The veteran midfielder will wear the captain's armband as he enters his ninth season with the Cottagers. Capped twice by Scotland seven years ago, Cairney is something of a forgotten man on the international scene but he remains an important figure at Craven Cottage. No longer a guaranteed starter every week, the 33-year-old is a dressing room leader. He started 14 matches in the Premier League last season and will expect similar minutes this term. Fulham kick-off the new season away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday night.

Cameron Burgess - Ipswich

The Scottish centre-back is one who slipped through the international net. Born in Aberdeen, his family emigrated to Australia when he was 11-years-old and he switched allegiance to the Socceroos in 2014 after earning caps for Scotland at youth level. The 28-year-old was a key figure as the Tractor Boys earned back-to-back promotions to reach the Premier League. If Burgess plays for Ipswich this season, he will join a select band of players who have featured in the National League, League Two, League One and the Championship before finally playing in the English top flight.

Ipswich Town striker George Hirst qualifies to represent Scotland. | Getty Images

George Hirst - Ipswich

A player Steve Clarke may be keeping an eye on this season as the England-born striker qualifies to represent Scotland through a grandfather. The 25-year-old scored seven goals in 26 appearances in the Championship last season despite missing four months through a hamstring injury. The former England youth international is the son of David Hirst, who played three times for England and is a legend at Sheffield Wednesday, where he hit more than 100 goals. Reports last month suggested that Hirst would be open to switching allegiance to Scotland. Ipswich start life back in the Premier League at home to Liverpool in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.

Andy Robertson - Liverpool

The Scotland captain enters his eighth season with Liverpool and his first under Arne Slot following the departure of Jurgen Klopp, who signed him from Hull City in 2017. The 30-year-old has had little time to adapt to the new manager's style having missed the majority of pre-season with an injury issue. Slot claimed Robertson "took a small injury into the Euros and afterwards he had to recover from that." The former Dundee United man has now returned to training in time for the start of the new season and looks set to take up his customary position on the left of the Reds defence for the league opener at Ipswich.

Ben Doak in action for Liverpool during a pre-season friendly against Las Palmas. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Ben Doak - Liverpool

The wonderkid winger has been given opportunities to impress in pre-season, and has done himself no harm with some bright displays. Now back at full fitness after missing the second half of last season with a knee injury which also forced him to withdraw from Scotland's Euro 2024 squad, it promises to be an intriguing season for Doak as he looks to build upon the first-team minutes he received under Jurgen Klopp prior to his injury last season. Whether he gets this at Liverpool or elsewhere remains to be seen with reports the 18-year-old could be made available for loan.

Scott McTominay - Manchester United

The Scotland midfielder has been the subject of transfer speculation over the summer but he remains a Man Utd player as he heads into the final year of his contract. Appearing off the bench in last week's Community Shield defeat to Man City, the 27-year-old will be hoping to earn more starts than the 18 he made in the Premier League last season. McTominay scored 10 goals for the Red Devils last term and manager Erik Ten Hag insists that he remains an important part of his squad, if not an automatic starter. Napoli are the latest club to be linked with a move but United will happily keep McTominay if they do not receive a satisfactory offer.

Ryan Fraser - Newcastle United

The Scotland forward is back at the Magpies after a successful loan spell at Southampton last season where he helped the club back to the Premier League at the first attempt via the Championship play-offs. He is out of the first-team picture under Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and has one year left on a bumper five-year contract. Southampton boss Russell Martin is keen to take him back to St Mary's but admitted the deal is proving difficult to do. If Fraser fails to find a route out of St James Park before the window shuts, he will likely be spending the first half of the season on the sidelines, further diminishing his prospects of a Scotland recall.

Elliot Anderson - Nottingham Forest

The attacking midfielder will begin a new chapter of his career after making a £35million summer switch from Newcastle United to Nottingham Forest. Called up by Scotland coach Steve Clarke last year, Anderson then withdrew in order to keep his international options open. Whether or not the 21-year-old returns to the Scotland fold remains to be seen, but the Tartan Army will no doubt be keeping tabs on his progress at the City Ground. Forest kick off the season at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Ross Stewart - Southampton

The big striker is still working his way back to full fitness after an injury plagued couple of years. The 28-year-old only featured four times for Saints last season following his £10million move from Sunderland but is hoping to get back on the pitch in time for the club's return to the Premier League. Stewart is a proven goalscorer having netted 40 times in 81 appearances for Sunderland following his move from Ross County in January 2021. Has two Scotland caps to his name and a return to the international scene is possible if the striker can prove his fitness and hit the goal trail in England's top flight.

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Andy Irving - West Ham

The former Hearts midfielder completed his surprise move to West Ham this summer after signing an agreement in January that allowed him to remain with Austrian side Klagenfurt for the remainder of last season. The Hammers paid a reported £1.5million for the 24-year-old Scot as part of a feeder club partnership and it remains to be seen whether he will play much part in the Premier League this season. Irving made several appearances off the bench for Julen Lopetegui's side throughout pre-season and scored the only goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Dagenham & Redbridge. West Ham start their season at home to Aston Villa at 5.30pm on Saturday.