News

Scotland’s Midfield Future: Three young talents to look out for

Share

The key to Scotland’s successful Euro 2024 qualification campaign was arguably the strength of their midfield.

By Ross Kilvington

The lack of a proper out-and-out striker didn’t deter Steve Clarke as Scotland won five, drew two and lost just one of their eight fixtures in Group A, which included a famous victory over Spain at Hampden.

Scott McTominay was the hero that evening, scoring two superb goals as Clarke and his charges never looked back. A stunning late comeback win over Norway a few months later saw Kenny McLean score the winner with minutes to go, while Callum McGregor, Stuart Armstrong and John McGinn all managed to get on the scoresheet in the remaining ties.

Despite Lewis Ferguson suffering an injury which will keep him out of the tournament, Scotland will have the presence of Billy Gilmour, Ryan Christie and if fit, Ryan Jack, in Germany for their second successive appearance at the European Championships.

There is no doubt this is the strongest midfield contingent the nation has seen since the glory days of the 70s and 80s (when glory days consisted of actually qualifying for the World Cup).

Aside from Gilmour and Ferguson, the rest of the players mentioned are aged 27 or over, indicating a need for some fresh blood sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, Clarke won’t have to look very far, with three young sensations currently shining in the Premiership for their respective clubs this season.

Connor Barron – Aberdeen

The 21-year-old has already played 70 times for Aberdeen since making his debut two seasons ago, but it looks as though he could be on the move this summer.

The Dons wont even get a fee for one of their most promising talents as his contract expires in a few months, with plenty of clubs showing interest.

Barron could follow in Ferguson’s footsteps as Serie A sides Sassuolo and Cagliari are amongst those clubs rumoured to be tracking the midfielder.

The youngster tends to operate in the heart of the midfield, bursting forward from deep on a regular basis which has culminated in three goal contributions this season. 

The Dons starlet has created 19 big chances in the top flight throughout 2023/24 while showcasing his defensive abilities too, winning 1.68 tackles and 54.3% of his duels per 90, ranking him in the top 25% when compared to his positional peers.

Capped 11 times by the Scotland U21s, it surely wont be long before Clarke rewards him with a senior call up.

David Watson – Kilmarnock

Watson is another youngster who is making waves for their club this season, in this instance, Kilmarnock. The Ayrshire side look set to register their highest top flight finish since 2019 under the shrewd management of Derek McInnes.

The 19-year-old offers plenty of energy from midfield, which was on display during man of the match performances against Rangers and Celtic in the opening weeks of the current campaign, defeating both teams within 15 days.

Five goals and three assists across all competitions so far during his breakthrough season has seen the youngster outscore many of his more established teammates, yet it looks as though Watson is just getting started.

The teenager ranks in the top 8% when compared to his positional peers for goals scored this term, while the quality of these efforts makes him a real standout. 

He scored a last minute winner against Aberdeen, courtesy of a fine turn and volley before netting a sublime volley against St Johnstone, proving the youngster doesn’t do things in half measures.

Watson has featured eight times for the Scotland U19 side, scoring his first international goal against Italy recently. The Killie starlet demonstrated his strength to fend off an opposition player before creating enough space to curl a lovely effort into the Italian goal.

If he wasn’t on Clarke’s radar at the start of the season, he most certainly will be now. A big move could arrive in the next year or two if he maintains his current form.

Lennon Miller – Motherwell

Miller is the youngest of the trio, not turning 18 until the start of next season, although this clearly isn’t holding him back.

The 17-year-old has already featured three times for the Scotland U19s, incidentally, playing alongside Watson during the 3-1 defeat to Italy last month.

Whereas Barron excels at the defensive side of game and Watson is clearly fond of a goal or two as he makes regular bursts forward into the final third, Miller is already excelling at both aspects, ensuring he is already developing into solid well rounded player.

It is no wonder both Rangers and Celtic have reportedly shown interest in the teenager since he made his Motherwell debut last season, with the current campaign already yielding 27 appearances for the Steelmen.

Remarkably, Miller has won 120 duels this season, ranking him in the top 25% when compared to his peers and it shows a player who is strong enough to emerge as the victor in the vast majority of his one-on-one battles.

Combine this with winning 1.46 tackles and a 88.9% dribble success rate per 90 is yet further evidence of his multifaceted skillset, which sets him apart from other midfielders of the same age.

Of course, playing regularly in the top flight has allowed Miller to continue developing at the correct pace, something which may not have occurred had he moved to a team where opportunities are limited.

These three midfielders have not only enjoyed plenty of exposure in the starting XI of their current teams – enabling them to improve at a rapid rate – but also impressed in the national team setup, whether that is at U21 or U19 level.

Clarke has shown before that loyalty prevails when choosing his Scotland squad, but this golden era for the nation won’t last forever.

The goal should be making it to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time and with a midfield packed with quality, there is no reason as to why it can’t happen.

Make no bones about it however, the current midfielders on offer may only last another qualifying campaign, which could give Clarke the licence to promote a few youngsters in to the senior fold.

Who better to lead the next generation than Barron, Watson, and Miller.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the top four Scottish divisions on FotMob. Download the free app here.

Scotland’s Midfield Future: Three young talents to look out for

The key to Scotland’s successful Euro 2024 qualification campaign was arguably the strength of their midfield.

By Ross Kilvington

The lack of a proper out-and-out striker didn’t deter Steve Clarke as Scotland won five, drew two and lost just one of their eight fixtures in Group A, which included a famous victory over Spain at Hampden.

Scott McTominay was the hero that evening, scoring two superb goals as Clarke and his charges never looked back. A stunning late comeback win over Norway a few months later saw Kenny McLean score the winner with minutes to go, while Callum McGregor, Stuart Armstrong and John McGinn all managed to get on the scoresheet in the remaining ties.

Despite Lewis Ferguson suffering an injury which will keep him out of the tournament, Scotland will have the presence of Billy Gilmour, Ryan Christie and if fit, Ryan Jack, in Germany for their second successive appearance at the European Championships.

There is no doubt this is the strongest midfield contingent the nation has seen since the glory days of the 70s and 80s (when glory days consisted of actually qualifying for the World Cup).

Aside from Gilmour and Ferguson, the rest of the players mentioned are aged 27 or over, indicating a need for some fresh blood sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, Clarke won’t have to look very far, with three young sensations currently shining in the Premiership for their respective clubs this season.

Connor Barron – Aberdeen

The 21-year-old has already played 70 times for Aberdeen since making his debut two seasons ago, but it looks as though he could be on the move this summer.

The Dons wont even get a fee for one of their most promising talents as his contract expires in a few months, with plenty of clubs showing interest.

Barron could follow in Ferguson’s footsteps as Serie A sides Sassuolo and Cagliari are amongst those clubs rumoured to be tracking the midfielder.

The youngster tends to operate in the heart of the midfield, bursting forward from deep on a regular basis which has culminated in three goal contributions this season. 

The Dons starlet has created 19 big chances in the top flight throughout 2023/24 while showcasing his defensive abilities too, winning 1.68 tackles and 54.3% of his duels per 90, ranking him in the top 25% when compared to his positional peers.

Capped 11 times by the Scotland U21s, it surely wont be long before Clarke rewards him with a senior call up.

David Watson – Kilmarnock

Watson is another youngster who is making waves for their club this season, in this instance, Kilmarnock. The Ayrshire side look set to register their highest top flight finish since 2019 under the shrewd management of Derek McInnes.

The 19-year-old offers plenty of energy from midfield, which was on display during man of the match performances against Rangers and Celtic in the opening weeks of the current campaign, defeating both teams within 15 days.

Five goals and three assists across all competitions so far during his breakthrough season has seen the youngster outscore many of his more established teammates, yet it looks as though Watson is just getting started.

The teenager ranks in the top 8% when compared to his positional peers for goals scored this term, while the quality of these efforts makes him a real standout. 

He scored a last minute winner against Aberdeen, courtesy of a fine turn and volley before netting a sublime volley against St Johnstone, proving the youngster doesn’t do things in half measures.

Watson has featured eight times for the Scotland U19 side, scoring his first international goal against Italy recently. The Killie starlet demonstrated his strength to fend off an opposition player before creating enough space to curl a lovely effort into the Italian goal.

If he wasn’t on Clarke’s radar at the start of the season, he most certainly will be now. A big move could arrive in the next year or two if he maintains his current form.

Lennon Miller – Motherwell

Miller is the youngest of the trio, not turning 18 until the start of next season, although this clearly isn’t holding him back.

The 17-year-old has already featured three times for the Scotland U19s, incidentally, playing alongside Watson during the 3-1 defeat to Italy last month.

Whereas Barron excels at the defensive side of game and Watson is clearly fond of a goal or two as he makes regular bursts forward into the final third, Miller is already excelling at both aspects, ensuring he is already developing into solid well rounded player.

It is no wonder both Rangers and Celtic have reportedly shown interest in the teenager since he made his Motherwell debut last season, with the current campaign already yielding 27 appearances for the Steelmen.

Remarkably, Miller has won 120 duels this season, ranking him in the top 25% when compared to his peers and it shows a player who is strong enough to emerge as the victor in the vast majority of his one-on-one battles.

Combine this with winning 1.46 tackles and a 88.9% dribble success rate per 90 is yet further evidence of his multifaceted skillset, which sets him apart from other midfielders of the same age.

Of course, playing regularly in the top flight has allowed Miller to continue developing at the correct pace, something which may not have occurred had he moved to a team where opportunities are limited.

These three midfielders have not only enjoyed plenty of exposure in the starting XI of their current teams – enabling them to improve at a rapid rate – but also impressed in the national team setup, whether that is at U21 or U19 level.

Clarke has shown before that loyalty prevails when choosing his Scotland squad, but this golden era for the nation won’t last forever.

The goal should be making it to the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time and with a midfield packed with quality, there is no reason as to why it can’t happen.

Make no bones about it however, the current midfielders on offer may only last another qualifying campaign, which could give Clarke the licence to promote a few youngsters in to the senior fold.

Who better to lead the next generation than Barron, Watson, and Miller.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the top four Scottish divisions on FotMob. Download the free app here.