Steve Clarke thrilled to have so many English Premier League Scots in his squad

Manager hoping quality of Robertson, Tierney, McGinn et al can rub off on the rest of the players

Steve Clarke's Scotland are in Nations League action against Israel on Friday. Picture: Tim Goode/PA Wire.

The tides may just be turning in Steve Clarke’s favour. The squad announced for the Nations League ties at home to Israel on Friday and in the Czech Republic three days later contained a host of players who haven’t just reached the English Premier League shores. A host of these performers have made such an impact in a set-up lauded above all others that it might finally be surf’s up for the national side.

If Clarke so desired, he could practically field an entire team composed of players from the English top flight. Not since Craig Brown more than two decades ago has that luxury been available to a Scotland manager. Clarke, even without Chelsea’s injured wunderkind Billy Gilmour, has a host of players proving integral performers in Europe’s pre-eminent league. Captain Andy Robertson is a Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool, Kieran Tierney lifted the FA Cup with Arsenal to cap a powerful end to his first campaign down south and Scott McTominay played his part in Manchester United finishing third. Oli McBurnie and John Fleck were central to Sheffield United implausibly earning a spot in the top half of the table, while without the contributions of Stuart Armstrong and John McGinn it could be questioned whether Southampton and Aston Villa, respectively, would have remained in the division.

Meanwhile, Leeds United reached England’s promised land under the leadership of captain and centre-back Liam Cooper. Indeed, with Fulham also earning promotion, if not for Tom Cairney’s seeming reluctance to represent Scotland, and Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur, West Ham attacker Robert Snodgrass and Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie deciding to absence themselves from the international scene, Clarke could have even more English top-flight performers from which to select.

John McGinn's performances for Aston Villa helped the Birmingham club retain their Premier League status. Picture: Tim Keeton/Pool via Getty Images

Ahead of the country’s most important game in 16 years that arrives with the Euro 2020 play-off
semi-final against Israel at Hampden on 8 October, the Scotland manager doesn’t downplay the potential importance of having so many eligible players plying their trade at the summit of club football. Especially when it seemed across the early 2000s that Scotland internationals were practically heading towards extinction in this domain.

“It’s great,” he said. “It’s a very positive sign for Scottish football that our players are starting to show their talent and get the chance to show their talent in the English Premier League. We are very quick to knock ourselves and put ourselves down but those lads are down there and everyone knows it is a very high standard.

“The lads are down there competing well and that can only be good for the national squad going forward. International is another step and a different step. Some of them only have ten to 15 caps and that’s not really a lot of experience at international level, so the more experience they get at that level the better they become and the more they play in the English Premier League, the better they become.

“Hopefully, if we have players playing at that level, the top level, it can help the rest of the players playing around them. They can bring an attitude and quality to the training camp that makes everyone better. That’s what we have to do if we want to be competitive, if we want to qualify for major tournaments then we do have to step up. Hopefully in the coming weeks and months, the matches coming up, you can see that they are improving and can get to that level.”

Cooper has had to graft and push his game on to win his opportunity. Now 28, the experience of facing world-class strikers on a regular basis under the tutelage of wily coach Marcelo Bielsa could have a major spin-off for Scotland, which the Englishman qualifies to play for through the grandparent rule. Indeed, pairing him with Tierney in central defence must now be under consideration by Clarke.

“Liam played in a couple of games for me last year where we didn’t get great results against difficult opponents. After that, he was injured but he got back into the Leeds team towards the end of last season and was captain of a Leeds team that was very strong in the Championship and I am sure will be strong in the Premier League,” said the Scotland manager. “It’s a big club, so to be captain of that club is great and hopefully Liam can come in and bring a bit of experience, bring a bit of the Bielsa magic into the camp.”

Scotland’s Premier League options could be further boosted during the last month of the summer transfer window. Oli Burke is nominally a West Brom player, but has spent the past two years on loan, enjoying game time last season with Alaves in La Liga. The 23-year-old attacker has now been linked with a switch to Sheffield United.

“Oli has been good for me,” said Clarke. “He has always come into the squads with a good attitude and a good work ethic. He scored the winner in the last minute against Cyprus at Hampden in my first game [in June 2019] so I am very grateful to him for that because I wouldn’t have liked to start with a draw.

“Listen, he had a good spell out in Spain last year. He didn’t play all the games, but he played a lot of the games and picked up more experience. He is getting older, hopefully he is getting wiser. I think what Oli needs to do is to find a home. He has been drifting around from club to club and going here 
and there. He needs to find a manager who loves him and he needs to find a club he can call home. When he gets that he will improve, he will get better.”

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