Deadly double act ready to 'cause carnage' with Scotland as 22 y/o sets sights on Steve Clarke's starting XI

Not every Scotland player will have such fond memories of 2024. Still, Tommy Conway will surely offer a toast to the year just gone this Hogmanay as he prepares, fitness and form permitting, to take on Hull City with Middlesbrough on New Year's Day.

The form requirement appears almost guaranteed. Conway has made a strong start to life at the Riverside Stadium since breaking the umbilical cord with Bristol City, the club he had been involved with since the age of seven.

Hampden might well become another home from home for him in time. Conway has made an international breakthrough in a year where he wasted little time to display his credentials. He struck Bristol City’s equaliser against West Ham United in the FA Cup on the first Saturday of 2024 before scoring the winner in the replay.

Tommy Conway earned his second Scotland cap as a late substitute in the 2-1 defeat in Portugal in September - now the Middlesbrough striker hopes to push for a starting spot. | SNS Group

“That was quite a big moment,” he says. “And then obviously you've got the summer when I went to the Euros and made my debut (against Finland, in a pre-tournament warm-up). Now I seem to be getting myself into squads more regularly. If you had asked me a year ago, that would have been my goal. I've managed to achieve that.”

He is hopeful of playing for the first time competitively at Hampden in this Friday’s Nations League clash against Croatia as Scotland seek a first competitive win of 2024. In contrast to Conway, this year has been largely one to forget for Scotland, on the pitch at least. A trip to face Poland next Monday wraps things up as Scotland seek to avoid relegation to League B. It’s another chance for Conway to get that elusive first start for his country.

“Obviously now you set yourself new targets, which would be to get more minutes at international level,” says Conway. “I think, as a whole, it's been a little bit disappointing on the international stage. I think there's so much more to come from us. It's so exciting. Obviously you've got the World Cup qualifiers coming, but we're not really thinking about that, we're just thinking about these next few games to improve and get ourselves ready for that.” 

Ben Doak, on loan from Liverpool at Middlesbrough, started Scotland's last two matches away to Croatia and home to Portugal. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Still only 22, there is plenty of scope for Conway to establish himself as the Scotland No.9, aided and abetted by Ben Doak, who has joined him at Middlesbrough. This arrangement – Doak has joined on loan from Liverpool – is set to be of great benefit to Steve Clarke.

Not only can the manager watch two players at once when scouting games in England, but their link-up play has already been in evidence in the recent 3-3 draw against Norwich City, when, for spells, they looked unplayable. Conway scored one of his two goals after a lightning break down the left from Doak. The pair displaying similar synergy in international colours is an appealing thought, with Conway the father-figure at the grand age of 22. Doak turns 19 on Monday.

“I've put my arm around him,” he says. “I've looked after him for a bit. But to be fair, he's taken to it like a duck to water. I can't say enough about him. He's like what he is on the pitch. He's electric, he's always at it, the boy! Hopefully we can take that on to the international stage and cause carnage there as well."

It's a good word. Doak has that quality that spooks players, with Croatia and Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol made to look uncomfortable when pitched against Doak on the youngster's full international debut last month. Conway is relishing having Doak on hand for club and country. 

“Especially dribbling with the ball, when he’s just going at someone, you just know something's going to happen," he says. "I think as a striker, that's what you want. He's going to chuck his step overs in and get to the byline, get a cross in, something's going to happen, which is good for me, because I know where I can plan my run or what I can do, show an option to him. But given his pace, if you give him some space, you know he's going to be in.”

Despite his tender years, Doak is clearly no shrinking violet off the pitch either. He has been in and around first-team dressing rooms since making his senior debut for Celtic in January 2022.

According to Conway, Doak "knows how to handle himself in a changing room”. He adds: “You know what confidence he has - he'll be going back to Liverpool thinking he should be starting every game and that's credit to him. Knowing him, when you have that mentality, when you think like that, that's the only thing that's going to happen. He's got it all and I highly expect him when he goes back to Liverpool to get himself in the team.”

Tommy Conway has netted five goals for Middlesbrough since his £4.5m summer move from Bristol City. | PA

The teenager has already made that step up with Scotland. Conway, who was injured for last month’s double-header against Croatia and Portugal, reports that Doak was “buzzing” on his return to Middlesbrough after starting both games. “He's full of confidence, as you can probably imagine,” he says. “That's one thing he's never lacked. He's going away thinking he should start every game, which is credit to him, I think, as a footballer. You've got to think like that - within reason, obviously!”

Conway is clearly cut from the same cloth. He reports that moving to Teesside in a big money move has been easier than might be expected for a young man uprooted from his family for the first time. The striker grew up in Somerset and qualifies for Scotland through his paternal grandfather, who is from Stirling.

“Everyone has welcomed me, and I felt settled from the first day, to be honest,” he says. “I think that's half the battle. Once you feel settled, you ultimately end up playing your best football. I've managed to take that onto the pitch. Like you said, I'm scoring goals.” 

Michael Carrick, Middlesbrough's much-admired manager, has been instrumental in this process. The former Manchester United midfielder likes to get involved in training. “He's still pinging balls about, it's good to watch,” smiles Conway.

Someone else is still pinging it around – Luka Modric. The Real Madrid midfielder will relish Friday’s return to Hampden, where he stamped his class all over a Euro 2020 group clash and scored a memorable winner with the outside of his right boot.

Conway is excited by keeping such company on the grandest stages. “I got to experience it when we played Portugal and I managed to come on and play against Ronaldo and players like that, Bruno Fernandes, these top players that you grew up watching,” he says. “It's a bit of a pinch-me moment, but it's what you dream of as a player.”