Scotland Men's Football Team

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United's academy director Stephen Torpey has spoken of the immense pride felt at Old Trafford over Tyler Fletcher's shock World Cup call.

Fletcher was picked in the Scotland squad by coach Steve Clarke despite having just 17 minutes' experience of senior football prior to making his international bow in the friendly victory over Curacao at Hampden Park on 30 May.

Regardless of whether he plays at all in the United States, it means the 19-year-old will get this major tournament experience his dad, Darren, missed out on despite winning 80 caps for his country.

Fletcher elected to play for Scotland, while twin brother Jack has plumped for England, where the pair were born.

It means instead of going to the World Cup as a fan, Tyler will be among the United contingent playing in it – and Torpey couldn't be more delighted.

"There is an obvious pride there," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "As a parent myself, anytime your children do something they desire, you feel immense pride.

"But I am sure the family are as proud of Tyler today as they were before this opportunity came around because he is a lovely young person and great to have around our training ground, which is a credit to the family.

"Of course, it is not something you take for granted. It is a fantastic opportunity for him but hopefully, it is not the last one.

"How he conducts himself is really important but how he represents his family, his nation and his football club is something we are very confident about.

"Hopefully he gets a chance to show what he is about."

Hear more of BBC Radio Manchester's interview with Torpey below or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Coping with the searing heat and maintaining squad harmony will be two key ingredients for Scotland to enjoy a successful World Cup, reckons Graeme Sharp.

The 65-year-old played at the 1986 tournament in Mexico as Sir Alex Ferguson's side exited at the group stage after taking just one point from games against Denmark, West Germany and Uruguay.

"The conditions were really, really tough and the lads will find that again," said Sharp as he promoted the friendly between his former club Everton and Newcastle at Murrayfield on 12 August.

"That was the one thing that we found really tough, acclimatising to the conditions in Mexico. Sports science has moved on now, so they'll be better equipped than we were."

Sharp featured in a frustrating 0-0 draw against Uruguay after he was left out of the defeats by West Germany and Denmark.

"I think the most important thing is to keep everybody happy," he said. "Even in our time, Sir Alex was great. He made sure that, for instance, six players went with this coach, went out for a meal, six went with that coach, six went out with him, just to try and get a bond together.

"You look at the Scotland team now and they are bonded, I think they're very tight. You see their reactions when they qualified and the way the team are very close, so I think that stands them in good stead.

"In our time, it was a little bit different. It was a kind of 'them and us' situation, between the Anglos and the boys who played up in Scotland, and there wasn't really that mix together.

"I'm not saying that was the reason why we didn't qualify, but I found that quite strange, coming from a club atmosphere where everybody was all in it together."

Scotland begin their Group C campaign against Haiti and Morocco in Boston before meeting Brazil in Miami.

"The group could have been kinder but four points may be enough to see us through," said Sharp, who scored one international goal in 12 appearances.

"Brazil in the last game is going to be tough, so I think [head coach] Steve Clarke will be looking to do the job in the first two games and go into the Brazil game with the points already on the board."

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Scotland have been warned.

Haiti - the opening World Cup opponents for Steve Clarke's side on 14 June - served notice they will be no pushovers with a 4-0 friendly thrashing of New Zealand.

Stephen McGowan, football writer for The Herald, was at the game in Miami and left impressed by the Caribbean nation.

"Haiti are a fast, powerful, very direct attacking team. They play off-the-cuff, flamboyant football, they don't really do conservatism, they don't sit in," said McGowan on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"That might be a good thing for Scotland because if you remember the Hungary game at the Euros, we didn't really cope very well with having to go on the front foot and attack and have a go.

"There will be space to run into, but defending against this team will be difficult because they have lots of attacking options.

"Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, Duckens Nazon was up front with him. And then they brought on a guy who played for Ferencvaros under Robbie Keane last season, actually scored a lot of goals, called Lenny Joseph, who scored the third goal. They've got real good attacking flair and options."

While McGowan described New Zealand - who featured Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood and Motherwell midfielder Elijah Just - as "terrible", he said Haiti's performance reinforced Steve Clarke's assertion that the side ranked 82 in the world are "not really a pot-four team".

"The elaborately named Ruben Providence, who scored a very good opening goal, is a former French Under-19 international and I think quite a few of their players fit into that category, including Isidor," McGowan added.

"They have drafted and assimilated lots of French players into their squad. They've managed to persuade a few players from the English Premier League. Thankfully, they didn't manage to get their hands on [former Celtic striker] Odsonne Edouard, who decided he would rather remain a Frenchman.

"But they have managed to strengthen their squad quite a bit. There was a watching Scotland contingent there tonight. There was Stephen Naismith, Alan Irvine, Scot Gemmill. Some of the analysts left 10 minutes from the end, but I think they had seen enough to tell them that this is not going to be an easy game.

"Haiti flowed with real attacking intensity. I think it's the only way they know how to play. And the key for Scotland will be can they exploit the defensive frailties in a way New Zealand simply couldn't."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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It's one of the most important parts of any international camp.

No, not day one, rest day or even match day. It's golf day.

After arriving in Florida on Sunday, the Scotland squad had a light session on Monday in the blistering heat and humidity to loosen up the muscles and recover following their flight from Glasgow.

While that was key, it wasn't anywhere near as important as heading to one of the best courses around - the PGA National - for a round.

Highly anticipated, highly competitive and an ultimately highly disappointing end made for an interesting afternoon.

Play was well under way, and going fairly well for most - not Findlay Curtis and partner George Hirst, the less said on that the better it appears - before the fluctuating Florida weather wreaked havoc.

The players were on, off, on and off again for good as an almighty thunderstorm - which actually diverted our flight into Miami on Monday - brought proceedings to an abrupt end.

For some, it was a get out of free jail card - looking at you, Findlay and George - while seasoned campaigner and assistant coach Steven Naismith was not so pleased, apparently.

Jack Hendry was partnered with Andrew Smith, one of the team's masseurs, and the defender admitted he would "have a sore back from carrying me".

"I didn't turn up and as I was just getting warm the thunderstorm struck so that was a bit of a shame," the 31-year said.

"He'll have a sore back from carrying me! We did well and I think when we got cut short we were one up so it was a good performance... from him.

"These things are very important for the group, the camaraderie, to come out here and enjoy ourselves, to relax a little bit, not get caught too much up in what's around the corner and create that really good team environment which has always been there.

"The manager's been great with us, letting us do these kind of things."

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Scotland's group opponents Morocco continued their World Cup preparations with a convincing 4-0 victory over Madagascar.

PSV forward Ismael Saibari, who scored 19 goals for his club last season, netted a first-half double before Soufiane Rahimi came off the bench to slot home a penalty.

Olympiacos' Ayoub El Kaabi completed the scoring to seal the 4-0 win.

Morocco, Fifa's eighth-best-ranked nation, face Norway on Sunday in New Jersey before opening their World Cup campaign against Brazil on Saturday, 13 June.

The Africa Cup of Nations winners will face Scotland in their second group game in Boston and conclude their group stage against Haiti.

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Former Scotland goalkeeper Cammy Bell says he would choose Craig Gordon "all day long" to start the opening World Cup match against Haiti despite the 43-year-old's age and lack of game time this season.

Gordon had not featured for Hearts since January when he played the opening 45 minutes of Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over Curacao at Hampden.

But Bell, who is four years younger than Gordon and retired six years ago, feels "the experience he's got" is something Scotland will need "going on such a big stage" at the finals in the United States.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, Bell said: "There's going to be a huge amount of pressure on the team and the players to go and get a result in that first game," he said.

"Yes, Gordon has not played a lot this season, but we could have said that in previous games for Scotland where he's had to step in, he's had to come in cold and perform and he manages to do that. He makes big moments, he makes big saves.

"I just think the experience will get him through it, I really do."

Rangers' Liam Kelly played his third game since January when taking over from Gordon for the second half against Curacao, while Angus Gunn has played once for Nottingham Forest this year and his only other outing was in Scotland's friendly defeat by Japan in March.

"That probably plays in the favour of Craig Gordon that the other two that he's competing against haven't had a lot of game time this season either," Bell suggested.

"So, for me, it would be Craig Gordon purely going by his experience and certainly as well you've got to mention he's still a top, top goalkeeper as well.

"If you've not played a lot of games, you're relying on your experience. And that's why I've got to sway towards Craig Gordon.

"He's got so much experience, over 80 caps for Scotland. That's a huge amount of experience on his shoulders and he'll walk into this no problem for me."

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Paul Lambert believes Scotland "100%" need a victory in their opening World Cup fixture against Haiti as "three points can take you through".

Steve Clarke's side have travelled to the US and will play one more warm-up match against Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday before taking on Haiti in their Group C opener on 14 June in Massachusetts.

Games against Morocco and Brazil follow.

"It'll depend on what system Stevie goes with, whether he goes with the two lads up front or he changes it," Lambert told BBC Radio Scotland.

"Whatever system is going to get a result for us, we 100% need that result, regardless of how we do it, because the second and third games are going to be a little bit more difficult. He's going to have to get it right.

"The way the format is and the way the draw's favoured us, three points can take you through. That might just be enough depending on what happens in other groups. Four points will definitely get you through.

"If we can just win that first game, I think that's the key to it. You could score in the last minute and just get that win and that sets you up for everything else."

Teenage midfielder Tyler Fletcher has been called up to replace the injured Billy Gilmour, who picked up a knee knock in Saturday's 4-1 win over Curacao at Hampden.

"Somebody else's loss is somebody else's gain and Stevie's obviously thought the lad Fletcher's better than anybody to put him in at the minute," said Lambert, a midfielder who played in Scotland's last World Cup finals campaign in 1998.

"I just don't think it'll be his ability, I think it'll be what he's like off the field and how he interacts with people and how he holds himself in front of the more experienced lads. Doesn't really surprise me, that.

"I'm not sure Gilmour would've been a starter. He's done well in certain games he's been in but I don't know if he would've been a starter, even though he's a really good player.

"Stevie will know exactly what he's going to do. He'll know his team for that first game. I'm pretty sure he'll know his team that's going to start."

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"Letdowns" have been the theme of a "strange career" for Billy Gilmour, but Pat Nevin expects the Scotland midfielder to respond after being ruled out of the World Cup.

The Napoli player picked up a knee injury in Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over 10-man Curacao, which led to the 24-year-old being replaced by Manchester United teenager Tyler Fletcher in Steve Clarke's squad.

"It's going to be painful [for Gilmour]," fellow former Chelsea man Nevin told BBC Scotland.

"I've been there a couple of times myself. You feel as if everyone's had the biggest party in the world, you're not invited, and all your mates have gone."

On the setbacks Gilmour has suffered throughout his career, Nevin said: "He has to get used to all these negatives that have happened.

"He's a brilliant, brilliant player, but look at his career. They loved him at Chelsea, but he had Jorginho in front of him.

"Norwich, it didn't go well for him... Brighton, it didn't go well even though he was playing well. At Napoli, Stanislav Lobotka is playing every week ahead of him, but they still love him there.

"He is having a strange career, lots and lots of letdowns. The nice thing is he has a great, strong personality."

On the surprise news that teenager Fletcher will replace Gilmour, Nevin said it was "really tough" on the players Clarke has left out but added: "You don't get on the bench time after time for Manchester United if you're useless."

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Tyler Fletcher's surprise call-up to Scotland's World Cup squad has "split opinion" but has "dispelled the myth" that head coach Steve Clarke is unwilling to give youth a chance, according to former striker Rory Loy.

The Manchester United 19-year-old was chosen to replace the injured Billy Gilmour instead of Udinese's Lennon Miller, Rangers' Connor Barron, or Sparta Prague's Andy Irving.

Fletcher, who has played twice for his club, earned his first cap as a substitute in Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over Curacao having initially been among a group of under-21 players invited to train with the senior squad.

"I think young Tyler Fletcher being right under Steve Clark's nose this week has definitely helped," former Falkirk and Dundee forward Loy suggested on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "And, credit to him, because he's obviously stepped up in training.

"From the things I'm reading, he's done very, very well and made a good impression. He was given 45 minutes at Hampden. I thought he was excellent, really good.

"So Andy Irving, Connor Barron, Lennon Miller, they'll be disappointed, but ultimately Tyler Fletcher was there, run right under the manager's nose and was so good that they couldn't ignore him obviously in training and in the game at the weekend.

"Steve Clarke's been criticised quite a lot about not bringing in fresh face faces and not having younger players in the squad.

"I think there's enough now that have been exposed to it and bloodied in and that are part of the squad to really point to the fact that I think that myth's got to be dispelled a little bit now."

Former Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson suggested: "If he's half as good as his dad [former Manchester United midfielder Darren], we're on to a right winner."

As for those who missed out, Thomson backed them to respond, adding: "You don't get to this level and down tools and spit the dummy out."

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A good World Cup for Scotland winger Findlay Curtis would have "big clubs circling", according to Kevin Thomson, who was his coach at Rangers from the age of 12.

The 19-year-old burst into Steve Clarke's squad for the finals after a blistering end to the season on loan to Kilmarnock - and then by scoring in Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over Curacao.

Thomson admits that Curtis was "probably a wee bit of a bronze-silver medal mentality as a young Rangers player" and his progress shows what you can achieve through hard work and dedication.

"Great boy," the former Rangers and Scotland midfielder told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "Was never probably one that was at the top of the group. Never really one of the diamonds as such, but a humble, real hard-working lad.

"A lot of people probably thought he's maybe not going to go to Kilmarnock, he's maybe not going to play, but he was brave enough to go out on loan and take his chance.

"He's probably propelled himself up the ladder to the degree where, if he's not going to start, he'll certainly be one of the ones, when Steve Clark looks over his shoulder, he's not there just filling up the numbers now."

Thomson pondered whether Curtis might not add to his six starts so far for Rangers after he returns from the United States.

"Obviously I want to see him do really well for Rangers - and he certainly wouldn't be moving unless it was for big bucks - but if he has a good World Cup, it wouldn't surprise me if the big clubs start circling," he added.

"He's a breath of fresh air. I think sometimes a lot of young players, when they're at the big clubs, get a bit of comfort in staying there, but Finn's been brave enough to go and play.

"An unbelievable kid to work with, a coach's dream. And he's now reaping the rewards of that."

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Starting Lawrence Shankland at this summer's World Cup gives Scotland their "biggest chance of coming back with zero regrets", says former striker Rory Loy.

The Rangers forward started and scored twice with two clinical finishes in Saturday's 4-1 friendly victory over 10-man Curacao.

That performance has intensified the clamour for the former Hearts captain to feature in Steve Clarke's starting line-up in the US.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, ex-Scotland youth international Loy said: "If Clarke goes with a front two, I think he will definitely pick Shankland.

"But if he goes with one, I think it remains open for debate whether he goes with Che Adams or Shankland.

"I personally would go with Shankland. Given it's Haiti first, I just don't think you want to leave America with any regrets.

"And starting Shankland is our biggest chance of coming back with zero regrets because he can put a half-chance away.

"That instinctive finishing in the box is something we've been crying out for as a nation for a while and Shankland's been right under our nose. I think it's his time to shine."

Former Scotland and Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson added: "It might be slim chances, so if they fall for Shankland, you will back him to put the ball in the back of the net.

"I would be surprised if, after the performance he put in on Saturday - albeit against 10 men - he hasn't put himself right in pole position to get that starting slot."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Scotland defender Scott McKenna admits it is only now starting to hit home that he is going to be part of the biggest football show on earth.

The Dinamo Zagreb centre-back says the World Cup has "always been at the back of my mind" since qualifying in November, but now that club commitments are out of the way, he is fully focused on helping Scotland deliver on the world stage.

"Because we've stayed in the same hotel [ahead of the Curacao game] and we've been training at Lesser Hampden as we do in normal camps, when we get to America, things will start to ramp up and feel more real.

"I think we've shown that in the qualifying campaign. If we get it right on the night and this group sticks together and plays the way it can, then we can definitely try to progress to places we've not been before."

Saturday's friendly against Curacao saw McKenna win his 50th cap for Scotland, a special milestone he "never expected to reach".

He will be hoping to add to his international appearances this summer as Scotland strive to do something they have never managed to achieve at any major finals and reach the knockout stages.

It is an ambition this squad seems desperate to realise, and McKenna believes head coach Steve Clarke has played a key role in instilling that belief.

After Clarke agreed to extend his contract, McKenna says "everyone in the dressing room was pleased".

"I think he's been so loyal to us and everything we've achieved is largely down to him," McKenna added.

"I think everyone's just absolutely buzzing that he's going to be here for a few more years."