Kieron Bowie one of seven uncapped players in Steve Clarke's Scotland squad
Scotland head coach Steve Clarke has handed Kieron Bowie a first call-up as he casts his net wider in a bid to increase his player pool and ensure competition for places.
Hibernian forward Bowie and West Ham midfielder Andy Irving are among seven uncapped players in Clarke's squad for friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Josh Doig, fresh from winning a Serie B title with Sassuolo, Rangers midfielder Connor Barron and 18-year-old Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller are also looking for their debuts when Iceland visit Hampden on June 6.
Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn returns from injury, with the uncapped Robby McCrorie and Cieran Slicker also vying for the gloves.
🏴 This is Steve Clarke's June squad for our upcoming friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein.
➡️ Read more here: https://t.co/xdDxk4pgsW 🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://t.co/lf8X0AQezX pic.twitter.com/NIzVAOONkM
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 19, 2025
Clarke also selected Sturm Graz right-back Max Johnston, Hearts forward James Wilson and Ipswich striker George Hirst, who have four caps between them.
Bowie, 22, is the only newcomer in the squad after netting six goals in 22 appearances for Hibs.
Clarke said: 'He's had a good season, injury affected at certain times, but Kieron's one that I've always had my eye on from the Under-21s. Any time I watched the 21s, he always stood out. Big, physical, strong, good attributes to his game.
'You've obviously got people like Lawrence Shankland, Kevin Nisbet, who I know what they can bring to the squad or what they can give to me. We just need to have a look at something a little bit different, see if we can expand the pool of players.
A new face in Steve Clarke's Scotland squad 🏴
Congratulations, @bowie_kieron! pic.twitter.com/XU3TmP6UvT
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 19, 2025
'I keep talking about trying to get a bigger overall pool of players that we can select from. These games are probably a chance to have a look at one or two.
'You're looking for somebody to catch your eye. You want competition between them.
'That's why sometimes you bring in some of the younger boys and the older boys are suddenly looking over their shoulder, thinking 'aye, aye, he's thinking of something different'. It keeps them on their toes as well.'
Clarke also signalled he would experiment with formations after reverting to a back four after the Euro 2024 disappointment.
'We're pretty set our my ways, or I'm pretty set in my ways, as everyone keeps telling me,' he said.
Another reward for his excellent season 🏴
Lennon Miller has been named in the Scotland squad. https://t.co/JmUWhfc7wP pic.twitter.com/4qKAH5JdzB
— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC) May 19, 2025
'We started with back four and realised you've got to transition to a back five.
'I tried my best to make Scott McTominay a centre-half and eventually decided he was quite good at attacking midfield as well. And on the back of that going back to a back four in the Nations League games worked well for us.
'Hopefully there will be two systems we can use. Maybe across the two games I'll use both systems and see and decide how we approach the World Cup games in the autumn.
'But we also want to try and improve our record in friendlies because it's not very good.'
Gunn makes a welcome return from injury after Craig Gordon, Liam Kelly and Zander Clark all experiencing fitness issues. But Clarke admits they are 'a little bit light in the goalkeeping department'.
'Robbie McCrorie has had a little bit of and in-and-out season. Cieran Slicker's not playing regular football,' he added.
'It's an area of the pitch that does concern me. We do need to find one or two goalkeepers.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Italy beat Moldova as Spalletti bids farewell
Italy claimed a 2-0 win over Moldova in Luciano Spalletti's final game as the men's national team said at a news conference on Sunday that Monday's World Cup qualifier would be his last match in 66-year-old had been told after Friday's 3-0 loss to Norway that he would be relieved of his duties and the Azzurri ensured he bowed out with a forward Giacomo Raspadori and Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso scored either side of half-time in Reggio Emilia to give Italy their first points in the was appointed in August 2023 and, although Italy went into Euro 2024 as reigning champions, they were knocked out by Switzerland in the last game was Spalletti's 24th as Italy coach and brought his 12th victory, giving him a win ratio of exactly 50% - the lowest of any permanent boss since Cesare Prandelli, who led the team from 2010 to 2014."When you're the national team coach you have no excuses, it's you who selects the squad," Spalletti told public broadcaster Rai."It's the coach who has to make the difference and unfortunately I wasn't able to do that."Monday's game was played in a flat atmosphere and Spalletti, who coached Napoli, Inter Milan and Roma in Serie A, said tiredness was a factor behind Italy's uninspiring winning display."I maintained this group, but I found them really fatigued at this stage of the season," he added."Perhaps seeking someone in better physical shape might've helped, but the fact we have 25 players all a bit like this means the campaign really took it out on everyone."This will be a very different team in much better shape come September."Italy's next qualifiers are against Estonia and Israel on 5 and 8 September.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Luciano Spalletti bemoans 'bad luck' as his Italy reign ends with 2-0 win over Moldova just 24 hours after manager revealed he had been sacked
It ended not with a bang but a whimper. Luciano Spalletti had asked his Italy side to deliver a rousing win to end his reign as manager and was delivered a 2-0 victory over Moldova he described as a 'struggle'. The 66-year-old stunned a press conference on Sunday when he revealed that he had been sacked after his side lost 3-0 to Norway in a World Cup qualifier on Friday. The Italian, who eventually stormed out of the news conference, has been in charge since 2023 and led the team at Euro 2024 where Italy were knocked out in the last 16 by Switzerland. Italy have failed to qualify for the past two World Cups and, believing something had to change before it was too late, the Italian FA ended Spalletti's tenure. After goals from Giacomo Raspadori and Andrea Cambiaso won Italy's first points of the qualification campaign (albeit only two games in), Spalletti admitted that he 'did not make the difference' as national boss but insisted bad luck was partly to blame. 'It's true, we struggled tonight too,' Spalletti told RAI Sport. 'I maintained this group, but I found them really fatigued at this stage of the season. Perhaps seeking someone in better physical shape might've helped, but the fact we have 25 players all a bit like this means the campaign really took it out on everyone. 'One of the biggest problems was playing the very first game, the most difficult of the group in Oslo, right at the end of the season. It's bad luck with the draw. 'This will be a very different team in much better shape come September, so the timing didn't help us.' The Italian FA now have three months to get a new coach in place before September's qualifiers against Estonia and Israel. Claudio Ranieri, the man who masterminded Leicester's Premier League triumph in 2016, and 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro are among the early favourites to take over. But Spalletti warned that his successor would not have any easy task. 'We certainly are not leaving my successor a sense of enthusiasm, despite the positive response from the fans. The coach has to make the difference, the players have to make the difference, and unfortunately I did not make the difference,' he added. Italy and PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma expressed his sadness at Spalletti's departure Cambiaso, who scored Italy's second goal in Reggio Emilia and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma both expressed their sadness at the departure of their manager. 'We all wanted a good performance. We are the first to know it wasn't a great game, we wanted to give the coach a better send-off,' Cambiaso said. 'We are professionals, unfortunately these things happen in sport. Spalletti is a great coach, has such passion for the sport, and every time a coach is fired, it hurts the players. We feel really sad.'
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Reuters
Italy not in a good place for successor, says sacked Spalletti
June 9 (Reuters) - Luciano Spalletti took charge of Italy one last time on Monday, and while his side sent him off with a win, the sacked manager accepted that he isn't leaving the team in a great place for his replacement and has failed to improve them. Spalletti paid the ultimate price for a 3-0 drubbing in Norway on Friday as Italy's World Cup qualifying campaign was already compromised in their opening game, and an uninspired 2-0 home win over Moldova was not how he wished to bow out. "I'm disappointed with the result," Spalletti said at his final press conference. "I don't give back to those who come after me a great national team because we didn't play a great match tonight either. I was given the opportunity to work, I tried, I made mistakes and I even tried some experiments. "I try to learn everything in whatever I approach, I'm not convinced I'm the smartest one. I haven't been able to get the best out of these players and I have to take note of that." Spalletti announced his own dismissal on the eve of the Moldova match, which comes after less than two years in the role and included a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign. While he never thought of resigning, he conceded he has failed to improve things. "If you agree to coach the national team like I did, then you have to find the solution. You can't hide behind the fact that you have few players, you start to find alibis," Spalletti said. "I did badly and in some ways it is right that I go home. But I didn't resign, because I think I can do better. But, if I am told that I am no longer the one, then I sign the resolution (of the contract). "I left the national team as when I found it, just as it is." Italy have yet to name his replacement, with Claudio Ranieri reported to be the first choice, and Spalletti was asked if he had any advice for his eventual successor. "I tried to shake things up when I arrived but then maybe it was worse from what we saw," he said. "You realise whether you did right or wrong only later, I tried some things and worked hard. "I wish all the best to the federation and to the new coach who will arrive."
