Scotland Under-21s head coach Tony Docherty is delighted with the buy-in from three players who have dropped down from the senior squad. Docherty said he wants those players to form a leadership group that drives standards and builds a clear identity for the team.
He pointed to the last camp as an example. Findlay Curtis returned from the A squad camp and then went back up again after his performance. Docherty has also held detailed talks with Lennon Miller and Colby Donovan to outline their pathways. If they are not getting minutes with the A squad, he said, they should come into his squad, which mirrors the senior setup in structure and fundamentals, and gain game time.
Miller had hoped last summer's move from Motherwell to Udinese would cement his place in the senior squad. The 20-year-old now finds himself in a position with the greatest depth of options. Docherty said he had a particularly long conversation with Miller and cited Barney Stewart, who scored three goals at a camp and then earned a place in West Brom's first team. Of Donovan, Docherty said the defender simply wants to play. "It's not us telling Colby, 'you're playing with the 21s', it's him in dialogue with us saying, 'I want to do that, I want to play and I want to impress'."
Meanwhile, St Mirren striker Eseosa Sule has been called up as Docherty prepares for a new European qualifying campaign. Sixteen of the 27 players in his first squad have gone beyond the age level. Rangers youth forward Kyle Glasgow drops to the Scotland Under-19 squad for three European qualifying games.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing