After missing out on the 2022 World Cup, Scotland bounced back grandly, securing a spot in Euro 2024 thanks to Spain's 1-0 victory against Norway last October.
With five victories out of eight games in the group stage, the Scots finished in second position, just four points behind first-placed Spain and seven points clear of third-placed Norway, ensuring that they will advance to the prestigious competition in Germany this year.
We’re still four months out until the Euro 2024 group stage commences, as Steve Clarke and co. are preparing for an intense opening game against the competition hosts Germany. They were also drawn against Hungary and Switzerland, which completed the Group A draw.
Squad selections aren’t likely to be made for another 2-3 months, but that isn’t going to stop our speculation. Join us as we dive deeper into Scotland’s potential Euro 2024 squad and who might be on Clarke’s radar.
Scotland’s Euro 2024 Strikers
Guaranteed to be in the squad: Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes (barring injury).
Possibilities: Ryan Hardie, Lawrence Shankland, Jacob Brown, Kevin Nesbit.
Similar to how Robert Lewandowski and Gareth Bale catapulted Poland and Wales, respectively, an outstanding striker would do wonders for this squad. On the other hand, the Scot's primary attacking choices are limited, as Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes are the only certain.
Dykes has a top-notch work ethic and attitude, and he out-links Adams in link-up play, but Adams is much better at finishing.
Scotland’s Euro 2024 Midfielders
Guaranteed to be in the squad: Scott McTominay, Callum McGregor, John McGinn, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, Ryan Christie, Stuart Armstrong. (barring injury).
Possibilities: Kenny McLean, Ryan Jack, Siriki Dembele, Ben Doak, Ryan Fraser, Elliot Anderson, Hayden Hackney.
Clarke will use either a formation consisting of four central midfielders, whereby McTominay and John McGinn will be positioned higher up the pitch with Callum McGregor and, most likely, Billy Gilmour, or he will choose the same trio of midfielders but replace one of them with a player who is more focused on attacking.
Gilmour excels in matches when we have control of the ball, which may not occur much in the finals. Lewis Ferguson has shown exceptional performance at the club level, particularly in a position resembling that of a number ten. It is not difficult to see Clarke using him in that capacity if he maintains his present progress.
If we were to use Gambling.com best UK sports operators to predict Clarke’s midfield selection, it would be hard not to wager on the four-man system being implemented with minimal wingers up high, simply because the Scot’s midfield is one of their strongest positions.
Attacking midfielder options aren’t as strong, but the tireless efforts of Stuart Armstrong still have a shot at starting the game or at least becoming a first-string substitute. While Ryan Christie has not been as effective for the national team as he was for Bournemouth, he is still our greatest option for carrying the ball up the field. Unless someone finds form or is seen as a spark plug as a replacement, it's hard to justify choosing any of the other players on the list since Clarke may not start any of them and doesn't employ a system with wingers.
Scotland’s Euro 2024 Defenders
Guaranteed to be in the squad: Andrew Robertson, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson, Kieran Tierney, Jack Hendry, and Ryan Porteous. (barring injury).
Possibilities: Scott McKenna, John Souttar, Grant Hanley, Liam Lindsay, Dominic Hyam, Liam Cooper, Ross McCrorie, Greg Taylor, Calvin Ramsay, Max Johnston, Josh Doig, Anthony Ralston.
Captain Andy Robertson will assume the left wing-back position, while Aaron Hickey will take up the position on the right. Nathan Patterson will serve as a substitute for Hickey unless Tino Livramento decides to represent Scotland. In that scenario, Livramento and Hickey will compete directly for a starting position.
Kieran Tierney's continued importance stems from his exceptional ball control and adeptness at overlapping or underlapping with Andy Robertson. Additionally, there is a significant decline in quality when considering the next most skilled left-footed centre-back, Liam Cooper.
Jack Hendry is often the most suitable choice for the right position since he has excellent distributing skills and is tall. Meanwhile, Ryan Porteous now holds the central position. Scott McKenna is the designated replacement if the first three choices are unavailable. However, he has not been receiving playing time at Nottingham Forest lately.
Scotland’s Euro 2024 Goalkeepers
Guaranteed to be in the squad: Angus Gunn (barring injury).
Possibilities: Zander Clark, Liam Kelly, Robby McCrorie, Craig Gordon, Ross Laidlaw.
Steve Clarke will be preying on Angus Gunn’s fitness based on Zander Clark’s previous performances against Georgia and Norway. This position has limited depth, as the likes of Kelly and McCrorie are often viewed as options because they’re the only other Scottish choices available.
When is the Euro 2024 Tournament?
Starting on June 14, 2024, the European Championships will run for a full month, culminating in the final on July 14, 2024.
So, a little over six months after the November 2023 qualifying stages conclusion, the official tournament is set to start.
This will be Germany's third time hosting the Euro, as games will be held in venues in ten different cities, such as Dortmund, Berlin, and Munich.