Scottish Players in action 25/26

[er yir macaroon]

5 hours ago, Diamond Scot said:

Wilson was a strange choice for a call up imo. Ive not seen him week in week out so stand to be corrected but from what ive seen he has been nothing special. Id firmly put him in the potential group.

Normally call ups for youngsters only happen when they have been brilliant or break through at a huge club. Ie if a youngster got 2 or 3 games in the EPL for Liverpool or Man City I could see us calling them up. A few decent games for Hearts was all Wilson did.

I hope im wrong but it looks like he has some way to go to become a top established Scottish Prem player far less a Scotland player.

Wilson is a natural in front of goal in terms of composure and quality of his touches. Numerous ex-players on Sportscene have commented on it. I think Clarke just wants to see where it goes with him as the potential is there (even if not the stats). 

[scotlad]

Dundee United start tonight with no Scots in their starting lineup; Hibs started with only three. I mind these clubs used to pride themselves on their youth systems - what happened??

[bdgsct]

The general quality of SPL player has probably never been lower in the last 35 years, yet there are fewer Scots and even fewer Scottish youngsters coming through. This tells me that the coaching/development set up is broken. You could argue that many prospects are going to england at an earlier stage due to brexit but we are not really seeing any of theses make it at any decent level(yet) either.

[csinclair]

5 hours ago, BryanBlessed said:

He's nowhere near the level of Shankland (who is still our best actual goalscoring striker in my opinion) and it was a strange one to call up someone who hadn't particularly stood out for Hearts.  His dad is from Northern Ireland so that may explain the early call up.

 

Oli Burke could maybe be in for his pace but I get the feeling he might go back to being his old self at his new club. None of the other current crop are oustanding. Adams might be the best on paper but I sometimes struggle to see what he actually brings.

I think Adams does a good job of running the channels and pulling defenders away. I think the stuff he does off the ball helps the likes of McTominay and McGinn get the goals they do from midfield. The problem is there’s too many games where he’s working with scraps and shite balls

Edited July 24, 2025 by csinclair

[Toepoke]

3 hours ago, bdgsct said:

The general quality of SPL player has probably never been lower in the last 35 years, yet there are fewer Scots and even fewer Scottish youngsters coming through. This tells me that the coaching/development set up is broken. You could argue that many prospects are going to england at an earlier stage due to brexit but we are not really seeing any of theses make it at any decent level(yet) either.

It's easier (and probably cheaper) for clubs to bring players in from other countries rather than spend time and money developing youngsters.

We desperately need a mandate for a minimum number of homegrown players in our squads.

 

[mccaughey85]

4 hours ago, scotlad said:

Dundee United start tonight with no Scots in their starting lineup; Hibs started with only three. I mind these clubs used to pride themselves on their youth systems - what happened??

There needs to be homegrown quota rule brought in before it's too late. Should be mandatory to have at least 1 u21 scottish player in every teams starting lineup and a couple on the bench.

[Hertsscot]

10 hours ago, scotlad said:

Dundee United start tonight with no Scots in their starting lineup; Hibs started with only three. I mind these clubs used to pride themselves on their youth systems - what happened??

Little bit unfair on Hibs. They had Cadden, Mulligan, and Bowie plus Boyle. The fact that he is now 'Australian' shouldn't override the fact he was born in Scotland and grew up here. It's a shame he was overlooked by the SFA, as I'm sure he would have won several caps over the years.

As for Dundee Utd, it's just really poor. 

I do think, national concerns apart, having some 'local' players is good for the team itself e.g. they're not just a bunch of foreign mercenaries who are only there for the money but have some sort of affinity with the team.

Edited July 25, 2025 by Hertsscot

[immcinto]

14 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:

Little bit unfair on Hibs. They had Cadden, Mulligan, and Bowie plus Boyle. The fact that he is now 'Australian' shouldn't override the fact he was born in Scotland and grew up here. It's a shame he was overlooked by the SFA, as I'm sure he would have won several caps over the years.

As for Dundee Utd, it's just really poor. 

I do think, national concerns apart, having some 'local' players is good for the team itself e.g. they're not just a bunch of foreign mercenaries who are only there for the money but have some sort of affinity with the team.

And yet they struggled to beat the second best team in Luxembourg. Scottish players are too expensive according to United.

[Hertsscot]

49 minutes ago, immcinto said:

And yet they struggled to beat the second best team in Luxembourg. Scottish players are too expensive according to United.

It's early days, particularly when they've bought so many players but the poor performance last night was hardly a ringing endorsement for their signing policy.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, csinclair said:

I think Adams does a good job of running the channels and pulling defenders away. I think the stuff he does off the ball helps the likes of McTominay and McGinn get the goals they do from midfield. The problem is there’s too many games where he’s working with scraps and shite balls

As I always said about Dykes, if you get one or two chances in a game, you don't want them falling to Adams (or Dykes) Despite his other work that is certainly better than the likes of Shankland, he's not a natural goalscorer.

There seems to be a dearth of number 9's all over the world now. 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, bdgsct said:

The general quality of SPL player has probably never been lower in the last 35 years, yet there are fewer Scots and even fewer Scottish youngsters coming through. This tells me that the coaching/development set up is broken. You could argue that many prospects are going to england at an earlier stage due to brexit but we are not really seeing any of theses make it at any decent level(yet) either.

It might also be that anybody half decent is getting snapped up by English clubs at a relatively young age. I can see why players do it as they'll probably have better coaching and a lot more money even if they never really make it.

Imagine they chose to stay in Scotland in order to get a better chance of first-team football then got a career-ending injiury.

[0Neils40yarder]

13 hours ago, scotlad said:

Dundee United start tonight with no Scots in their starting lineup; Hibs started with only three. I mind these clubs used to pride themselves on their youth systems - what happened??

It's absolutely ridiculous..

Rangers had 2 the other night, Souttar and Curtis. 

Then I look at my own teams signings, this Summer and it's almost inevitable that we will play with a non-scots XI at some stage this season.

Some sort of ruling is required...and pronto

[scotlad]

4 hours ago, Hertsscot said:

Little bit unfair on Hibs. They had Cadden, Mulligan, and Bowie plus Boyle. The fact that he is now 'Australian' shouldn't override the fact he was born in Scotland and grew up here. It's a shame he was overlooked by the SFA, as I'm sure he would have won several caps over the years.

Not really. With the exception of Martin Boyle, none of those players came through the ranks at Hibs.

[ThistleWhistle]

4 hours ago, Hertsscot said:

Little bit unfair on Hibs. They had Cadden, Mulligan, and Bowie plus Boyle. The fact that he is now 'Australian' shouldn't override the fact he was born in Scotland and grew up here. It's a shame he was overlooked by the SFA, as I'm sure he would have won several caps over the years.

As for Dundee Utd, it's just really poor. 

I do think, national concerns apart, having some 'local' players is good for the team itself e.g. they're not just a bunch of foreign mercenaries who are only there for the money but have some sort of affinity with the team.

It's early days but was at United last night and the center back middle of the three is class - he'll be in the running for team of the season.  Rest were varying degrees of unconvincing to genuinely shocking - the number 8 in midfield looked like his feet and brain communicate in differing languages.  The keeper looks a decent shot stopper but he's going flog a good few this season as he just charges out at anything!!

Stirton in his 20 minute cameo looked a more accomplished player, technically and tactically, than the majority of the field but he's third choice and apparently still looking for another striker - if he was first choice he'd get 10 already I reckon.  On the other hand Sapsford is going to get nowhere near Dalby's numbers, Watter was an absolute fanny going off with a knock in 2 minutes and in midfield nobody is anywhere near Stephenson's ability from last year.  

To me it makes no sense pissing money up the wall on loans and one year deals flooding the squad blocking slots for academy talent.  Selling our own is the only real way of making money and progressing.  

[Hertsscot]

17 minutes ago, scotlad said:

Not really. With the exception of Martin Boyle, none of those players came through the ranks at Hibs.

Yes but they have come up through Scottish football, that's the point I was trying to make 

[Hertsscot]

14 minutes ago, ThistleWhistle said:

It's early days but was at United last night and the center back middle of the three is class - he'll be in the running for team of the season.  Rest were varying degrees of unconvincing to genuinely shocking - the number 8 in midfield looked like his feet and brain communicate in differing languages.  The keeper looks a decent shot stopper but he's going flog a good few this season as he just charges out at anything!!

Stirton in his 20 minute cameo looked a more accomplished player, technically and tactically, than the majority of the field but he's third choice and apparently still looking for another striker - if he was first choice he'd get 10 already I reckon.  On the other hand Sapsford is going to get nowhere near Dalby's numbers, Watter was an absolute fanny going off with a knock in 2 minutes and in midfield nobody is anywhere near Stephenson's ability from last year.  

To me it makes no sense pissing money up the wall on loans and one year deals flooding the squad blocking slots for academy talent.  Selling our own is the only real way of making money and progressing.  

Loans seem to be a prime example of short term thinking. You're just developing players for other teams. If they're any good you probably won't be able to afford them. If they're not better than average they're stopping a youth team player progressing who could actually make you some money. Doesn't make sense.

[ThistleWhistle]

2 hours ago, Hertsscot said:

Loans seem to be a prime example of short term thinking. You're just developing players for other teams. If they're any good you probably won't be able to afford them. If they're not better than average they're stopping a youth team player progressing who could actually make you some money. Doesn't make sense.

Another aspect of it too is if they can be recalled - Stoke basically put all their eggs in one basket with Tom Cannon and he got called back in January so he could be sold to Sheff U totally fucking us.  In turn we recalled Nathan Lowe from Walsall who'd scored something like 15 in 23 with them top of the league only to fall short of promotion at the play off final.  

[Scots_Wha_Hae]

I absolutely agree with all those saying we should have quotas for Scottish qualified players in the league; as frequently pointed out here we are one of the few remaining European nations who do not have some kind of rule to promote national player development.

I can almost understand why we don’t have one in the league as the purpose of the clubs (arguably) is not to develop players but to win; the league belongs to them and they can have whatever rules they like. It is not my opinion that stacking your team with shite foreign players is a good strategy but it is ultimately up to them. The Scottish cup though, that’s a competition owned and run by a national body with only one purpose, to promote and develop players for the national team. Why on earth are there no rules for participation in the Scottish cup mandating use of national team qualified players?

[Super Gran]

12 hours ago, Hertsscot said:

Little bit unfair on Hibs. They had Cadden, Mulligan, and Bowie plus Boyle. The fact that he is now 'Australian' shouldn't override the fact he was born in Scotland and grew up here. It's a shame he was overlooked by the SFA, as I'm sure he would have won several caps over the years.

As for Dundee Utd, it's just really poor. 

I do think, national concerns apart, having some 'local' players is good for the team itself e.g. they're not just a bunch of foreign mercenaries who are only there for the money but have some sort of affinity with the team.

Hibs also started with Iredale.

[Goozay]

45 minutes ago, todd said:

Cos not 'right on' agenda and Scotland are all over that shite

That's an interesting perspective. Can you provide any other examples of the SFA's 'right on' agenda. 

[bdgsct]

On 7/25/2025 at 12:34 AM, Toepoke said:

It's easier (and probably cheaper) for clubs to bring players in from other countries rather than spend time and money developing youngsters.

We desperately need a mandate for a minimum number of homegrown players in our squads.

 

True. You would think clubs would acknowledge the financially benefits if bringing through a Miller or a mcginn. and also that fan connection created by local youngsters playing. Both create lasting £££. Esp with sell on clauses

[immcinto]

17 minutes ago, bdgsct said:

True. You would think clubs would acknowledge the financially benefits if bringing through a Miller or a mcginn. and also that fan connection created by local youngsters playing. Both create lasting £££. Esp with sell on clauses

Yes, but it's not going to get you 3 points in next weekend's game though

[bigfingers]

Aaron Hickey played 45 minutes last night for Brentford in a friendly. Fans were saying he looked good. Hopefully he starts the first few games of the season before our games. 

[ger intae them]

Brentford have signed a rb who will challenge hickey……. interesting to see how it pans out. Maybe even switch him over to the left…… to compound our probs!

[mccaughey85]

18 minutes ago, ger intae them said:

Brentford have signed a rb who will challenge hickey……. interesting to see how it pans out. Maybe even switch him over to the left…… to compound our probs!

Probably a smart move considering hickey might not return to being the player he was.