Third Choice Right-Backs? Scotland’s World Cup Squad Through A Celtic Lens… It’s Not Pretty Reading…
Aodhán Ó Conchobhair There’s something slightly surreal about looking at Scotland’s World Cup squad… and once you gather your thoughts on where we’re actually going, realising we’ve only got two actual first-team representatives going.
Kieran Tierney.
Anthony Ralston.
That’s it.
And in Ralston’s case, he’s probably travelling as Scotland’s third-choice right-back behind Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson anyway.
Which feels slightly ridiculous when you consider the season we’ve just watched unfold.
Especially for a side that won the league largely through mentality, structure and hard-running players who know how to survive pressure.
You’d think that would be invaluable for an underdog nation like Scotland
You’d think there’d be more than two.
Technically, there are still plenty of familiar names in there.
Craig Gordon.
Jack Hendry.
Andy Robertson.
Ryan Christie.
John McGinn.
Ben Gannon-Doak.
All players with some form of connection through the academy, first team, or simply growing up around the club.
Tierney On Route, And Ralston’s International Survival Story Continues. Not Good Reading For Celtic Fans.
Tierney going was never in doubt.
He still gives Scotland balance and aggression and can play left-back, centre-back and, recently, left-wing.
If he hadn’t had severe injuries throughout the years, he would have been the best fullback in Britain; I have no doubt.
Then there’s Anthony Ralston.
A footballer who continues to survive every squad rebuild known to mankind, club and country.
Managers change.
Systems change.
Players arrive.
Rumours appear every summer.
And somehow Ralston still ends up standing there.
Honestly, there’s something admirable about it at this stage.
He’s the third-choice right-back.
But he’s trusted.
Reliable.
And Steve Clarke clearly values him.
Even if the majority of Scotland’s fanbase reacts to his inclusion every 3 months we play international football in disarray.
I still have not forgiven him for that pass back against Switzerland a few years back.
The Ones That Could’ve Had A Chance From A Celtic Perspective.
I did think James Forrest had an outside chance.
Especially with Scotland lacking genuine game-changers in wide areas.
Because regardless of age, Forrest still gives you unpredictability late in matches.
So that one surprised me slightly.
Ross Doohan was always unlikely but at least entered the wider conversation at he end of last season internationally.
Luke McCowan’s name gets mentioned constantly in Scotland discussions.
But honestly, I just don’t think he’s shown enough consistency yet.
Not at that level.
Not right now anyway.
Stephen Welsh probably deserved more attention after his performances at Motherwell too.
Especially considering some of the defensive options Clarke continues to trust regardless of form… Hanley.
And then there’s Lennon Miller.
Our long-standing transfer target is still somehow not fully inside the senior setup conversation yet.
One to look out for this summer…
The McGregor Scotland/Celtic Situation Still Feels Strange
There’s also part of me that still finds it unfortunate Callum McGregor never pushed himself back into the international picture one more time.
Because Scotland still lacks calmness in certain moments.
And McGregor gives you exactly that.
Control.
Leadership.
Tempo.
The ability to make a match slow down when everything becomes frantic.
You can completely understand why he stepped away internationally.
Especially with workload and injuries.
But there’s definitely a small part of me that would’ve loved seeing him at a World Cup.
One last tournament.
A Very Familiar-Looking Scotland Squad For A Celtic Fan
And maybe that’s the funniest part overall.
Even when we have 2 players in the Scotland Squad, somehow looking at it, it still feels heavily green-and-white adjacent.
Former academy players.
Former fan favourites.
Supporters.
Youth products.
Scotland World Cup Squad With Celtic Notes
Goalkeepers
Angus Gunn
Liam Kelly
Craig Gordon – Former Player
Defenders
Grant Hanley
Dominic Hyam
Andy Robertson – Former Youth Product And Celtic Fan
Jack Hendry – Former Youth Product and First-Team Player
Nathan Patterson
Anthony Ralston – Current Celtic Player
Kieran Tierney – Current Celtic Player
Scott McKenna – Linked with Celtic For A Move
John Souttar
Aaron Hickey – Former Youth Product
Midfielders
Billy Gilmour
Scott McTominay
Lewis Ferguson
John McGinn – Celtic Fan and Long-Standing Transfer Target
Kenny McLean
Ryan Christie – Former First-Team Player
Findlay Curtis
Ben Gannon-Doak – Former Youth Product and First-Team Player
Strikers
Lyndon Dykes
Ross Stewart
Lawrence Shankland
George Hirst
Key Takeaways
- Scotland’s World Cup squad features only two first-team players: Kieran Tierney and Anthony Ralston, which feels surprising considering their strong season.
- Tierney remains a reliable figure in the squad, while Ralston continues to thrive despite frequent squad changes.
- Some players, like Callum McGregor and James Forrest, could have made a difference but are absent for various reasons, leaving the squad with an interesting mix.
- Despite the scarcity of direct contributions, many familiar names populate the squad, creating a sense of nostalgia and continuity.
- Scotland will face teams like Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil in upcoming matches, raising questions about their performance against tough opponents.
Eric Knott 
Who gives a flying fuck ???
The only news I wanna hear is that both our players come back uninjured !
I never have and never will support the SFA’s works team !
It will be interesting to see the reception Ralston & Tierney get from that good Celtic mhan Craig Gordon, Shankland and the rest of the huns on board for the 8 or do days allocated for them to play their 3 games and come back to a blame culture even if they don’t play !
These bastards, to a man,despise us, yet still,Celtic supporters in their droves shout for them.
Long past the time they had a reality check.
Btw,McTominay is a Hoops fans, if that meets your criteria.
Belated comment but I agree entirely with BHB.
There is no way i would support a team with any connection to the SFA, SPFL or any group associated with them
I remember how players like Billy McNeill, Jimmy Johnstone, Stevie Chalmers, Bertie Auld and even Jimmy McGrory were treated both by the SFA and supporters.
I remember as well, Bertie Vogts being shocked at the Scotland squad cheering a Porto victory against Celtic
in Saville. The bigoted Christian (???) Dailly evidently lead the cheering.
Any Celtic fan who supports that bigoted lot is only a crawling 6*****d.
I hope they get hoofed out early.