Can Rangers deliver 'something special' in Bilbao?
Former Rangers defender Maurice Ross hopes progression to the Europa League semi-finals is "written in the stars" for Barry Ferguson's side as they look to make it past Athletic Bilbao tonight after battling to a goalless draw with 10 men in the first leg.Listen to more build-up on the Scottish football podcast
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Scotsman
35 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scotland squad announced as Hibs hitman gets shock call, teens keep place plus notable Hearts and Celtic omissions
Clarke selects group for friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs striker Kieron Bowie has been called into the Scotland squad for the first time after national team head coach Steve Clarke picked 25 players for next month's friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein. Clarke was at Easter Road to watch Bowie score for Hibs against Rangers and was no doubt impressed by the 22-year-old, who has previously been a mainstay for the under-21 squad. The former Raith and Fulham hitman joined Hibs last summer and despite suffering a serious hamstring issue, has helped the Easter Road side finish third in the Premiership. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bowie is one of five forwards named in the squad alongside Torino's Che Adams, Middlesbrough hitman Tommy Conway, Ipswich's George Hirst and Hearts teenager James Wilson, who won his first cap for Scotland back in March. Scotland manager Steve Clarke has named his latest Scotland squad. | SNS Group Wilson's club teammate Craig Gordon misses out, however, with the 42-year-old having been sidelined by injury for Hearts' last three leagues matches. Angus Gunn, who is a free agent after leaving Norwich this summer, Kilmarnock's Robby McCrorie and Ipswich's Cieran Slicker are the three goalkeepers in the squad. Uncapped left-sided defender Josh Doig returns to set-up after helping Sassuolo wing Serie B, while Everton's Nathan Patterson is back after more than a year's absence due to hamstring issues. Grant Hanley (Birmingham), Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq), Max Johnston (Sturm Graz), Scott McKenna (Las Palmas), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), captain Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers) and Celtic-bound Kieran Tierney make up the defenders. Miller keeps his place Teenager Lennon Miller, fresh from winning the young player of the year awards, keeps his place after a stellar season with Motherwell in midfield. Rangers' Connor Barron is included alongside regular call-ups Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay (both Napoli), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna) and John McGinn (Aston Villa). Ryan Christie of Bournemouth and Kenny McLean of Norwich are both injured. West Ham's Andy Irving keeps his spot in the midfield ranks. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Other notable omissions include Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and Aberdeen hitman Kevin Nisbet, while Birmingham's Lyndon Dykes and Brentford right-back Aaron Hickey remain short of match fitness. Celtic left-back Greg Taylor has also been left out. Scotland welcome Iceland to Hampden on Friday, June 6 before heading to Vaduz to face Liechtenstein on Monday, June 9. The two friendlies are Scotland's last warm-up matches before World Cup qualifying begins later this year. Scotland squad in full Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn (Norwich), Robby McCrorie (Kilmarnock), Cieran Slicker (Ipswich). Defenders: Josh Doig (Sassuolo), Grant Hanley (Birmingham), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Max Johnston (Sturm Graz), Scott McKenna (Las Palmas), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Midfielders: Connor Barron (Rangers), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Andy Irving (West Ham), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Lennon Miller (Motherwell).
Scotsman
36 minutes ago
- Scotsman
'I felt like...' - Iceland goalkeeper reveals what surprised him most about Scotland at Hampden
A poor Scotland performance was punished by Iceland as they lost 3-1 at Hampden on Friday. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Goalkeeper Cieran Slicker will want to start for Scotland against Liechtenstein on Monday after his nightmare debut in the 3-1 friendly defeat to Iceland at Hampden on Friday night, according to to his opposite number Elias Rafn Olafsson. The 22-year-old debutant was thrown into the action after just six minutes at the national stadium when goalkeeper Angus Gunn appeared to injure his ankle when he came to collect a cross, while fellow stopper Robby McCrorie suffered a thigh injury in the warm-up. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, in the opposite goal, Olafsson was hailed as one of Iceland's top performers after making a series of excellent saves to deny George Hirst and, latterly John McGinn, as Scotland pushed to get back into the game, leading the FC Midtjylland man to admit the line between hero and villain is marginal when it comes to being a 'lonely' goalkeeper. Cieran Slicker had a nightmare debut for Scotland and was at fault for all three of Iceland's goals in the 3-1 defeat at Hampden. | Getty Images 'Of course, it's always tough,' said the Icelandic goalkeeper. 'Especially when you come into the game cold off the bench. Then when you come in and make some mistakes, it's hard to get back into the game. I feel empathy for him. It's not the preparation you want for your debut, to not know you're coming in this early in the game as well. It's difficult. It's not going to be the most fun of nights, but it's about keeping your head up. It's just about now going to the hotel, forget about this and move on.' Asked if he'd ever had a similar experience himself, the 25-year-old was quick to recall his own error in the Europa League clash against FCSB last November, where he gifted the Romanian outfit a goal just three seconds into the second-half of the game when his clearance was charged down by Daniel Bîrligea. Explaining what he did to get over the mistake that saw his side fall to a 2-0 defeat, Olafsson believes Slicker must simply get back on the horse as quickly as possible, and backed him to start for Steve Clarke's side against Liechtenstein on Monday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It probably is [the best thing for him to play again on Monday] to be honest,' said the Iceland international. 'To come into the game and know you're going to play. That's 100% the best thing, in my opinion. I had one in the Europa League game. I don't know if you've seen it. It's a pretty big mistake from kick-off, but that's how it is. Elias Rafn Olafsson in action for FC Midtjylland in the Europa League. | Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima 'People see the mistakes. You have to be strong mentally for that. You just have to be honest. It's a mistake by you. You just have to be honest and forget about it. It's a part of the game. When we make mistakes, it's very obvious — it leads to a goal. It's a bit of a different position to the outfield players. You hope you make them in training, not in the games. But you can't always. It was not his day today. It was a hard game to come into. I feel it's hard making any debut, coming in when you don't expect to come in as a goalkeeper off the bench.' His country's first ever victory on Scottish soil, the imposing 6ft 7in goalkeeper admits the win was vitally important to Iceland as he reflected on his own performance in Mount Florida and explained what surprised him most about Scotland's display. 'It's a really big one, especially with the new things we're trying to build,' said Olafsson. 'It worked out pretty well. Apart from the last 20 minutes where we fell back a little bit trying to keep the ball a little bit, it went well. It was really nice to play in front of the Scottish fans as well. It was a nice experience. It was definitely one of the most fun ones. It really was. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scotsman
36 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Two Serie A Scotland stars tipped for moves as £12m price-tag slapped on title winner
Uncapped defender fits system desired under new Juve manager Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Two of Scottish football's Italian contingent could be set for moves this summer in what could be a busy transfer window for Scots abroad. It was a hugely successful season for a number of Scottish players in Italy, with Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour winning Serie A with Napoli and Lewis Ferguson lifting the Coppa Italia with Bologna. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, down in the second tier of Italian football, there was another Scottish success story - with left-back Josh Doig playing a big part in Sassuolo winning Serie B and earning immediate promotion back to the top flight. Josh Doig helped Sassuolo win promotion back to Serie A this season. | Getty Images Doig has been a regular for Sassuolo this season after joining them from Hellas Verona 18 months ago, and now the 23-year-old is being linked with a move to Juventus. According to reports in Italy, new Juve manager Igor Tudor's transfer priority is new wing-backs and the Croatian coach has been impressed by Doig's development since moving to Italy from Hibs three years ago. Doig is currently with the Scotland squad ahead of their friendly away to Liechtenstein on Monday night and could win his first cap if selected in Vaduz. But his form with Sassuolo, where he has been one of their chief attacking outlets down the left flank, has caught the eye of Tudor, who is expected to play a 3-5-2 formation at Juventus next season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Doig's price-tag He has also been linked with Bologna wing-back Dan Ddoye, who is also on international duty right now with Switzerland. And if Tudor was to launch a bid for Doig, it could cost Juventus upwards of £12 million to land him, as he contracted to Sassuolo until 2028. Doig came through the youth ranks at Hibs and was part of the team under Jack Ross that finished third in the Premiership during the 2020/21 campaign. He was sold to Verona in the summer of 2022 and then moved on Sassuolo, although he nearly signed for Marseille in France before the transfer fell apart at the last minute. Another former Hibs player could be on the move in Italy, with midfielder Liam Henderson weighing up his future after his contract at Empoli expired last month. A Celtic academy graduate, Henderson was part of the Hibs team that won the Scottish Cup in 2016. He made the move to Italy in 2018 with Bari and has remained there ever since, playing for Verona, Lecce, Palermo and Empoli. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Liam Henderson was relegated with Empoli. | Getty Images The Tuscan side were relegated to Serie B on the final day of last season, a sad end to Henderson's four years at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. It now appears, though, that the 29-year-old could be on his way back to British football. It has been reported that English Championship side Bristol City are weighing up a move for the out-of-contract deep-lying midfielder. Swansea City had also been suggested as a potential suitor, but cold water has been poured on that link by Welsh media outlets.
