Hearts star offers timely reminder of his talents with brace as Scotland under-21s cruise past Ukraine
The Hearts youngster struck twice as Tony Docherty's side recorded an emphatic win in Spain
Hearts striker James Wilson scored twice as Scotland Under-21s secured an emphatic 4-0 friendly win over Ukraine at the Pinatar Arena in Spain.
Tony Docherty's side delivered an excellent attacking performance, with teenage forward Wilson notching a double as the young Scots secured a dominant victory in their first of two scheduled friendlies during this international break.
Udinese midfielder Lennon Miller and Alfie Stewart were also on target to get their Spanish double-header off to the perfect start as preparations were stepped up for the next UEFA Under-21 Championship qualification campaign.
The clash in Murcia represented a changing of the guard and the beginning of a new chapter for Scotland, with former Dundee manager Docherty selecting a refreshed squad following their third-place finish in the previous qualifying campaign, which saw them narrowly miss out on a play-off position.
There was plenty of encouragement for the new head coach and his assistant Steven Naismith to reflect on, with several players earning debuts and given the opportunity to stake their claim for more regular involvement in the months ahead. Off those who have already been part of the senior set-up, Miller and Wilson both added experience in addition to Manchester United prospect Tyler Fletcher, who captained the side against Ukraine.
Scotland made a bright start and were rewarded for their early efforts when Miller opened the scoring after 23 minutes. The ex-Motherwell starlet capitalised on a defensive mistake before producing a clinical finish to put his side in front.
The Scots continued to look dangerous as the first half progressed and their lead was doubled shortly before the interval from a well-worked set-piece. Fletcher delivered a dangerous free-kick into the penalty area, allowing Wilson to rise and head home to make it 2-0.
Wilson continued his impressive afternoon shortly after the break, finding the net again to put the result beyond doubt. Miller turned provider this time, setting up the Jambos striker, who showed his quality by clipping the ball beyond the Ukrainian goalkeeper.
Scotland were firmly in control and continued to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. The fourth goal arrived with 19 minutes remaining, as Aberdeen youngster Stewart, currently on loan at Scottish Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle, got in on the scoring act to complete a productive workout for Docherty's men.
The result offered plenty of encouragement and an early indication of the direction Docherty wants his team to take. Attention will now turn to Sunday's second bounce match against the United States, also taking place at the same venue, where Scotland will attempt to carry their positive momentum into another challenging test.
Docherty spoke positively about the atmosphere within the camp before kick-off, particularly the way the new arrivals had settled into the squad.
He stated: "It's been a great camp here in Spain so far, with all the new boys settling in well as we start to work towards to the next campaign. We have expectations of the boys as we're continuing to build our identity as a side.
“We thank the players that have departed the previous squad for their efforts and hard work, a number of them set the tone for the final two games, and I was delighted with the work they put in for the squad and we'll be looking to continue that into the next campaign."