When things go wrong in Scottish football, there's a running joke among supporters about what comes next: Another think tank, another summit, another grand plan. The cynicism is understandable. For more than 15 years, Scottish football has been openly and publicly asking itself what it could be doing better. In particular, how it can produce more elite players and help the national team not just qualify for major tournaments, but compete at them.

Now, the game is preparing for another attempt. On Friday, all 42 SPFL clubs will gather in St Andrews for what the Scottish FA describes as a "critically important" forum on the future of the national game. Leading the discussion will be the governing body's new chief football officer, Craig Mulholland, whose brief is to shape and deliver Scottish football's long-term development strategy. Top of the agenda is talent development - and there are few within the game who dispute that there is a problem.

Too few young Scottish players are making the grade at elite level in Scotland. Too many find their path to first-team football blocked. And increasing numbers are leaving altogether. These concerns are not new - the same issues have come up in four major reviews and in countless recommendations since 2010. The challenge is agreeing on a solution. Increasingly, some of Scotland's brightest prospects are deciding not to wait around to find out.

This summer alone, Scotland under-16 internationals Kai Hutchison, Keir Mc Meekin and Boyd Fraser left Dundee United and Hearts for Everton, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest respectively. Two of Celtic's most highly-rated academy talents, Erskine Rennie and Dara Jakiemi, have also headed south, joining Fulham and Liverpool. A recent report by The Athletic found the number of teenage players moving from Scotland to England increased from 35 between 2012 and 2020 to 66 between 2020 and 2026.