Euro 2024: Scotland call up Doak, McCrorie and Forrest
The surprise entry of uncapped teenager from Liverpool, Ben Doak, has been listed in Steve Clarke's temporary Scotland squad for the forthcoming Euro 2024.
The young adult who is 18 years old hasn't kicked off a Premier League game just yet. They have recently returned to practicing after going through knee surgery in the month of December.
James Forrest, who plays for Celtic, has been chosen to represent his country once again, after almost three years since his last appearance on the international stage. Additionally, Ross McCrorie, who plays for Bristol City, has also been selected to join the team, despite never having played for his country before.
The list of 28 people needs to be reduced to 26 people before 7 June.
The chief trainer, Clarke, has decided to keep four goalies, comprising of the experienced Craig Gordon. However, one of them will most probably be excluded from the team.
Scotland will prepare for the upcoming tournament by playing friendly matches against Gibraltar and Finland. Their first game in the tournament will be against Germany on 14 June.
Switzerland and Hungary are also part of Group A alongside Scotland.
Clarke Trusts Core Team For Success
Out of the selected individuals for the postponed Euro 2020 tournament, Clarke handpicked 17 members.
The player named McCrorie, aged 26, has previously been part of more experienced teams and has played for both Rangers and Aberdeen. He was a regular member at the Under-21 level and participated in 20 matches, spanning over four years. McCrorie is versatile and can play in multiple positions.
Due to an injury, he was unable to participate in the first half of the campaign. Nevertheless, he has been playing regularly for Bristol City in various positions such as right-back, wing-back and central defence.
During his time representing his country in the Under-21 category, Doak has managed to score two goals in six matches.
At the start of the season, he participated in three Europa League games, one in the EFL Cup, and made a brief appearance on the first day of the Premier League campaign.
The Scottish team has suffered injuries to Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, and Lewis Ferguson, and there are worries about the health of Doak, Grant Hanley, Stuart Armstrong, and Ryan Jack.
Armstrong, who plays as a midfielder for Southampton, is currently on the mend from a hamstring injury that happened last month. Meanwhile, Hanley, a defender, was present on the bench but did not play in either leg of Norwich City's play-off defeat. This is because he had an Achilles problem that had kept him off pitches for the majority of the season.
It's been a while since Jack last played for the Rangers, specifically since the beginning of March.
The manner in which the Scotland team was revealed
Not Enough Time?
There are other players who haven't had much time on the field this season besides Doak, Hanley, and Jack.
Due to the fact that Hickey and Patterson are not available, Anthony Ralston has now become the preferred right-back player.
Despite having eight international appearances, the individual who is 25 years old has only been part of the starting lineup in eight matches for Celtic across multiple competitions.
Even though Liam Cooper is a significant presence in the locker room for Leeds and Scotland, he has only been a part of the starting lineup for eight league matches.
Gordon, who was picked as the backup goalkeeper in the recent European Championship, is now 41 years old. However, he has only played seven games since he suffered a leg injury in December of 2022.
Before April, Forrest had only started three times for Celtic. But for the four matches in the Premiership that followed, he was chosen again, and he did really well! In these four games, he scored three goals and helped with a fourth. In addition, he made a goal and an assist during the semi-final match of the Scottish Cup.
On the opposite side, John McGinn, captain of Aston Villa, has participated in a total of 61 games when combining both his club and national team appearances.
Where Do The Goals Originate?
McGinn's tally of 18 goals in 64 appearances for Scotland is quite impressive, which has put him on the fifth spot in the list of Scotland's all-time highest goal scorers.
Scott McTominay was an outstanding player in the qualifying matches, achieving a remarkable seven goals. Only four players, specifically Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane, scored more goals than him. The sturdy midfielder also accomplished the impressive milestone of scoring ten goals for Manchester United.
Che Adams may not have scored in 10 international matches, but his impressive 18 goals have been pivotal in Southampton making it to the final of the Premier League playoffs.
Next up, let's not forget about Lawrence Shankland. He's probably feeling incredibly self-assured after scoring 31 goals for Hearts and being awarded the PFA Scotland player of the year title.
Analysis: Doak Is A Surprise Addition To Clarke's Squad
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The leading sports writer of BBC Scotland
When it comes to being predictable, Clarke could compete with a domestic feline.
The gossip that he was close to selecting Aberdeen's Connor Barron always appeared unrealistic, but the same could be said for the idea of Doak being added to the list.
Doak has not participated in any games for Liverpool since December, but it's evident that Clarke is interested in giving him a chance. He has exceptional speed and brings a unique skill set to the team.
He needs to have a reasonable fitness level, regardless of the fact that he hasn't been appearing for Jurgen Klopp's team. Doak is the surprise choice.
There will be two players who won't make it to the squad after it's reduced from 28 to 26. The coach, Doak, still has many tasks to complete, but it's thrilling that he chose to include the goalkeeper.
The situation almost distracts you from the reality that Hickey, Ferguson and Patterson are not around. The concern over the right-back or right wing-back position is causing anxiety for the Tartan Army.
Clarke is taking a risk by trusting Hanley, Armstrong, and Jack despite concerns about their rustiness. He is hoping that they will be able to overcome this and perform well.
Forrest has made a strong comeback with Celtic, and due to injuries in other areas of the team, he has been given an opportunity. Just a few weeks ago, he was not getting much playing time and was only sitting on the bench, but now he has proven himself.
If Scotland can exhibit the same indomitable attitude as Forrest, the famous character from the film 'Forrest Gump', during the championships in Germany, it will certainly be a delightful experience.
Scotland Squad Named For Upcoming Games
The goalkeepers selected for the squad are Zander Clark from Heart of Midlothian, Craig Gordon also from Heart of Midlothian, Angus Gunn from Norwich City, and Liam Kelly from Motherwell.
The team's defenders are composed of Liam Cooper from Leeds United, Grant Hanley from Norwich City, Jack Hendry from Al-Ettifaq, Bristol City's Ross McCrorie, Scott McKenna from Nottingham Forrest, Watford's Ryan Porteous, Anthony Ralston from Celtic, Liverpool's Andy Robertson, Rangers' John Souttar, Greg Taylor from Celtic, and Kieran Tierney from Arsenal.
The midfielders on the squad are Stuart Armstrong from Southampton, Ryan Christie from Bournemouth, Billy Gilmour from Brighton, John McGinn from Aston Villa, Callum McGregor from Celtic, Kenny McLean from Norwich City, and Scott McTominay from Manchester United.
Upcoming players Che Adams from Southampton, Ben Doak from Liverpool, Lyndon Dykes from QPR, James Forrest from Celtic, and Lawrence Shankland from Heart of Midlothian will lead the team forward.
