For most, the pinnacle of their footballing career comes from winning a trophy, but for those without a silverware-winning pedigree, a Scotland call-up is top of the list.
With the final two Nations League games taking place later this month, are there some fresh faces we could see in the Scotland squad, as well as some familiar ones vying for a return to the side?
Scotland will face North Macedonia on 13th November at Hampden, as Pocognoli’s side search for their first home win of his tenure, before travelling to Switzerland for their final tie.
With two wins a must, who could we see joining up with the squad?
Before his injury at the weekend, I would have pegged Calvin Miller as a shoo-in for the squad. He’s been outstanding for Hearts so far this season. The attributes he offers in the attacking department are dynamic and difficult for defenders to contend with.
He’s yet to miss a game for Hearts this season, at least until now, and has been pivotal to their success so far. Across 22 games, he’s scored eight goals and assisted with two others, making his one of the best statistical records among the attacking options for the Scotland squad just now.
Alas, he has succumbed to an injury, so unless he has a miracle worker on his side, it looks increasingly unlikely that he will feature this time around.
Much like Miller, apart from the injury concern, Rangers left-back James Penrice has yet to miss a game and has gone from strength to strength.
Since joining the Glasgow side on loan from AEK Athens in the summer, he has become a formidable force in the defensive areas for Rangers and a catalyst for their stellar defensive record, with only nine goals conceded this season — the lowest in the Premiership.
Across the 14 games he’s featured in, he’s scored one goal and fashioned three assists. He’s also one of the players with the highest successive pass rate within the Rangers side, but his all-round play has ensured he doesn’t lose his spot in the squad.
A former teammate of Penrice will also be eyeing a first call-up for Scotland, with regular game time affording him the confidence necessary to play in the squad. Since his loan move to Dundee United, Lyall Cameron has become an integral part of one of the strongest midfield trios in Scotland.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed regular minutes with the Terrors and has looked very comfortable going forward, a trait that Pocognoli is keen to build on within the Scotland squad.
As well as being slick in possession, the midfielder also knows where the net is, with two goals and two assists to his name so far this season.
Straying away from those hoping to secure their first call-up, there are also those desperate to return to the fold for Scotland, having not featured for the national side since the Steve Clarke days.
Che Adams was a regular feature in the front three for Steve Clarke throughout his time in charge, but since the change in manager, Adams has fallen out of favour. However, the change in management wasn’t the only factor behind his fall from favour; his form, both at international and club level, had also begun to decline.
Since Steve Clarke’s departure, Adams has made the move to Serie A, where he now regularly features for Torino. Having played nine games this season, he’s netted four goals and has shown his versatility by playing in any position across the front three.
With his form picking up and his skill shining through, will he be among the names returning to the Scotland squad? Adams isn’t the only striker hoping he’s caught the eye of the manager, Tommy Conway is also aiming for a spectacular return to the squad.
Despite injury concerns at the beginning of the season, Conway has hit the ground running, with the striker netting one goal and contributing to four goals so far. Those numbers may not sound remarkable; however, they represent more goal contributions than any other striker selected last time around.
The striker is currently oozing confidence, given that his Middlesbrough side have been unbeaten in the league since the end of August. Everyone knows that this level of performance breeds ambition and courage in a player. At a time when Scotland are hungry for ambition, could he be the key to unlocking that door?
Players have done all they can to earn that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feature for the national side, and with the squad announcement looming, only tomorrow will reveal all.
Watch Squad Video- Tik Tok
