A comprehensive review was recently commissioned by the Scottish FA to examine, quantify and make recommendations to improve the development and progression of young Scottish talent, players between the ages of 16-21.
There is so much scope for the topflight of Scottish football to give younger players an opportunity to start first-team games and hopefully develop through constant exposure but for a whole host of reasons, we just don’t see enough of them getting an opportunity.
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Young Scottish Talent Stagnating
Low Number of Scots Playing at Top Level Alarming
At the start of October this year, I thought I would take a snapshot of how many Scots were getting an opportunity in the Scottish Premiership. Starting Scots of any age amongst the top 12 teams was alarming, with just 40 being stripped for action. Even more disturbing was the number of Scots aged 21 or under who started across the weekend of games. A total of five was the meagre amount.
If the top flight of Scottish football continues like this, our national team will soon plummet down the rankings. The harsh reality for the current group of young Scots in various academies across the country is that it is so tough to get a chance to play, progress and develop.
History Suggests Youth Is The Way to Go
As a young man making my way in the game at Motherwell, I was in a group of young players who were all given a chance to impress under the guidance of Tommy McLean. All of us were desperate to succeed. My teammates at that time were Gary McAllister, Tom Boyd, Fraser Wishart and Chris McCart who, among others, served the club really well before moving on to bigger and better things.
Without the chance to develop at Motherwell, I certainly wouldn’t have gone on to play for Celtic, Gary McAllister learned so much at Fir Park before going on to star with Leicester City, Leeds Utd and Liverpool. Fraser Wishart was signed by Walter Smith for Rangers and also had a spell at Hearts while Chris McCart is one of those who will always be associated with Motherwell when he played in the excellent 1991 Scottish Cup-winning side.
I’m not sure any of us would be given the same opportunity to succeed today.
Excuses, Excuses
The reasons for the current predicament are all too clear and it takes a strong manager to agree with his board that familiar practices aren’t always the best route. Experienced players don’t always get better results; does every manager think their job is constantly under pressure so won’t take a chance on someone unproven? I always hear the league is too competitive and younger players won’t cope with the speed, strength and physicality of it.
Recruitment From Lower Leagues in England
Putting the financial might of Celtic and Rangers to one side, I see every team in the Scottish Premiership recruiting from League One and League Two in England, sometimes they even pluck players from the National League in England to play in the first team and the chances for young Scots to play is diminishing with every passing month.
All Kids Have the Same Desire but Pathway Has to Be There
I have heard a million stories as to why we have a dwindling number of young players coming through the ranks at various clubs. We don’t have the facilities in our harsh climate; the younger ones just aren’t committed enough; they drink too much; the league is too small with every manager under pressure to get results; kids spend too much time on social media and not enough time practicing.
While I agree we could have better indoor facilities up and down the country, I fail to see the difference in the young lad aged ten-sixteen who dreams of being a footballer whether he was born in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Rome or any other major European city. In the end, there has to be a pathway and almost every Scottish top-tier club look elsewhere for reliability and trust.
Results for Scottish Team With Few Scots
Celtic, Rangers and Hearts have all shown up well in their European Matchday 3 competitions this week, with Celtic getting an excellent 0-0 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League, Rangers thumping Steau Bucharest 4-0 in the Europa League and Hearts being very impressive in beating the Cypriots Omonia Nicosia 2-0 in Edinburgh.
Interestingly, Celtic had one Scot in their starting eleven, Rangers had two and Hearts had five, all of whom were aged 28 or over.
Hope for the Future
We all recognise that the football world has changed, the movement of players has never been so open but it’s also important to recognise the talent on your own doorstep.
Kilmarnock and Motherwell are leading the way with a clear pathway to the first team. Kilmarnock’s 19-year-old David Watson was voted the Young Player of the Year last season; 18-year-old Lennon Miller has been a standout for Motherwell in the last couple of seasons. With around a total of 50 appearances to date, he will undoubtedly move on to bigger and better things.
Exceptional Examples of Developed Talent
There are, of course, exceptional young talents that take your breath away and offer a shining example of the innocence of youth. Lamine Yamal just turned 17 before starring for Spain in their victorious triumph over England in the European Championship final in July. Gavi and Ansu Fati have also established themselves as huge talents with Barcelona at the age of 20 and 21 respectively. All of us will enjoy their talents for years to come. All three are exceptional examples of how youth can develop.
In Scotland, we have produced excellent players recently. Andy Robertson, Kieran Tierney, John McGinn and Billy Gilmour all started in Scottish football. If we don’t change our ways quickly in Scotland, talents like those just mentioned will be lost.
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