Scotland boss says he has been getting feedback from Chelsea about highly-regarded talent

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Scotland manager Steve Clarke has explained the inclusion of young midfielder Billy Gilmour in the squad for the Euro 2020 despite his struggling for minutes at Chelsea.

When Thomas Tuchel arrived at Stamford Bridge and established that Gilmour is his fourth-choice midfielder, things did not look good for the 19-year-old’s Euro 2020 hopes.

But on Wednesday, Gilmour must have been pleasantly surprised that he actually made the 26-man Scotland squad.

Speaking to the media, Scotland boss Clarke that the absences of Rangers’ Ryan Jack (calf injury) and Norwich City’s Kenny McLean (knee injury) helped pave the way for Gilmour.

But that was certainly not his only reason.

“I think the recent games Billy has played are quite important,” Clarke explained (via Glasgow Times).

“He has been back in that Chelsea team working hard, and obviously I get good feedback from people at Chelsea.

“I know how highly they regard him.

“He is a top talent, and he was in my thoughts going back to when all this kicked off.

“He was in the Chelsea team under Frank Lampard and doing really well, so he has always been in my thoughts, Billy.

“Now he has got a chance to show us in camp how good he is.”

Clarke also does not seem concerned about Gilmour’s lack of minutes at Chelsea. He clearly understands the fierce competition for spots at the club.

“He has played at a really high level in the English Premier League,” he added.

“I know how difficult it is to get into the Chelsea team. He is up against a lot of good competition there and any time he plays he does well.

“He doesn’t look out of place and now he has a chance to come with us and show us his talents on the training pitch up close.”

Chronicle view

Gilmour should be proud of himself that he has been able to showcase his ability in the limited number of games he has had.

Mateo Kovacic’s injury might also have played a part. It consequently provided Gilmour more game time, including the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win over Manchester City earlier this month.

Most Chelsea fans would not find it surprising that Clarke has been getting positive feedback from the club about the young midfielder. He has always been able to step up when needed.