Billy Gilmour has better days beyond Norwich says former Rangers manager Ally McCoist

Billy Gilmour can banish his Norwich City loan demons and is destined to dine at European football’s top table, reckons Ally McCoist.

The 20-year-old star of Scotland and Chelsea has endured a torrid time since his summer switch to Carrow Road as the Canaries sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table.

But Gilmour has continued to star in a Scotland shirt for Steve Clarke’s in-form side, impressing in last week’s 1-1 draw against Poland including one spectacular goal line clearance.

The precocious midfielder has become a key lynchpin in the Scotland midfield and McCoist insists his future will be brighter away from Dean Smith’s strugglers south of the border.

The 59-year-old, who racked up 61 Scotland caps, said: “I’m a massive Billy Gilmour fan.

“I’ve known Billy for a long, long time - I’ve just been delighted to watch his progress.

“He’s going to be a top player, he really is. There was a little period when he went to Norwich and people thought the move wasn’t beneficial to him or Norwich.

“He wasn’t playing for a period, but he’s absolutely top-class.

Billy Gilmour of Scotland has a bright future ahead says Ally McCoist, despite struggles this season at Norwich. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“He’s got a great football brain, and his clearance off the line against Poland was fantastic.

“The way he also dispossessed one of the boys in the middle of the park and played a brilliant pass to John McGinn shows his talent.

“He’s synonymous with where Scotland are just now – we’ve got a far better group of players coming through, Billy Gilmour is one of them.”

Gilmour has racked up 11 caps since his Scotland debut last year and become a vital cog in Clarke’s well-oiled international machine.

Ally McCoist (Picture: Simon Bruty/Allsport)

He started all five World Cup qualifiers against Denmark, Moldova, Austria, Israel and the Faroe Islands and looks poised to play a key role in the postponed play-off clash against Ukraine.

Gilmour has struggled for game time at Norwich this season, however, being largely overlooked by former boss Daniel Farke and featuring intermittently under Smith in the Canaries’ desperate dash for survival.

But McCoist, speaking in support of The National Lottery Football Weekends campaign, added: “Of course, Norwich are struggling but the Premier League is the best league in the world.

“The fact of the matter is that Billy is competing in the best league in the world and playing against the best players.”

Chelsea's head coach Thomas Tuchel (R) and midfielder Billy Gilmour (Photo by LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The National Lottery Football Weekends campaign will make over 100,000 tickets available on a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ basis for National Lottery players for selected matches as a ‘thank you’ for over £12.5million of funding they helped provide to community football clubs during the Covid pandemic. To find out more visit www.thenationallotteryfootballweekends.co.uk

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