It often comes in waves on the Scottish football front. There are generations of talent that not only make their way domestically but go on to play for some of the bigger clubs in Scotland, England and even abroad. But on the international scene too. Right now, there's a growing pool of talent, and we've listed the best of them below.
Aaron Hickey
Aaron Hickey is an interesting case when it comes to Scottish footballing talent because after making the breakthrough in the Scottish Premier League with Hearts, he decided to up sticks and head to the Serie A with Bologna. The left-back, who is also comfortable at right-back, has recently been linked with a move to the English Premier League. And at just twenty years old, he’s the type of player who could go on to become a superstar further down the line.
Alex Lowry
Alex Lowry is a player who we will suggest is one for the future. The eighteen-year-old winger is one of those you can see starring at a World Cup for the Tartan Army in years to come. Scottish fans will love for this young talent to reach his full potential. This is because there is no arguing that local residents have a strong affiliation with gambling, especially online gaming brands, considering the increasing dominance of the internet. The inexplicable desire of backing their country, together with their love of football, makes it a certainty that Alex’s fortunes could be linked to many of his countrymen. Lowry's next target is to force himself into the Ranger's first team as a regular and to kick on from there.
Billy Gilmour (pictured)
There are high hopes surrounding Billy Gilmour, and for a good reason. He's a player Chelsea paid a lot of money for as a fifteen-year-old to lure him away from Rangers, and he's already begun to establish himself in English football. What the twenty-one-year-old lacks in height and physical size, he makes up for in the middle of the park as a number six who wants to get on the ball and dictate the action. He's very much in the mould of Barry Bannan in this respect. The challenge now is for Gilmour to keep improving and adding to not only his senior appearances domestically but also on the international scene.
Nathan Patterson
Nathan Patterson recently decided to bring his time at Rangers to an end to take up a new opportunity with Everton in the Premier League. The Toffees, who see Patterson as the long-term replacement for club stalwart Seamus Coleman, paid £12.5 million for the twenty-year-old and are eager to see him have a similar impact to that of Kieran Tierney when he swapped Celtic for Arsenal. He has the attributes – pace and awareness – so now the challenge for the Scotland international is to work his way into Frank Lampard's thinking.
We’ve only listed four young Scottish footballers here, but there is a plethora of talent hailing from Scotland right now. And the future will undoubtedly be bright on the international front. It will be interesting to see how quickly some young Scottish players can establish themselves within first-team environments, as this is often the key to success.