Hearts teenager named in Scotland squad with Celtic, Rangers, Liverpool and Napoli players to face Greece

Scotland coach Steve Clarke today named a 23-man squad for next week’s Nations League play-off against Greece. He called up two players from Hearts, plus others from Celtic, Rangers, Liverpool, Napoli and other major clubs. The headline new faces in the group are both teenagers - Hearts forward James Wilson and Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller, who are both 18.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon is in the squad but there is no place for his Hearts colleague Lawrence Shankland. Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney is back in after recovering from injury, and Aberdeen loanee Kevin Nisbet is also reinstated alongside the Torino forward Ché Adams. Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson is recalled for the first time since spending seven months sidelined last year due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Norwich City keeper Angus Gunn is not included due to a hamstring issue.

Scotland take on Greece in the hostile Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus next Thursday, 20 March, in the play-off first leg. The second leg comes at Hampden Park three days later, with the aggregate winner taking a place in League A of the 2026/27 Nations League. The loser will play in League B.

Wilson and Miller have both been in exceptional form at club level this season, although their promotion to the senior squad was not expected right at this moment. Wilson has been fast-tracked from the Scotland Under-19 squad having not won an Under-21 cap yet. With six goals in 24 Hearts appearances this term, he is considered one for the future.

Motherwell teenager is the hottest prospect in the Scottish Premiership as he steps up at Hampden Park

Miller is the hottest young prospect in the Scottish Premiership right now, with 30 appearances and four goals for Motherwell so far this term. His campaign was interrupted when he suffered a hairline ankle fracture in December, but he quickly resumed an influential role in the midfield at Fir Park after only six weeks out. He steps up to senior international football after five appearances for Scotland Under-21s.

Gordon explained the importance of the Greece tie after Scotland recovered from a difficult start in their Nations League section to earn a play-off place. “These are big games, huge games, trying to stay in Group A, which would be a fantastic achievement,” he said, speaking exclusively to the Edinburgh News. “It was brilliant to get there, firstly. Then, latterly, to get the points to get ourselves into the play-off to stay there was a fantastic achievement from where we were.

“We put in some really good performances and maybe didn't get the results that the performances quite deserved. We did get that towards the end of the campaign. That has given us this opportunity now, a two-legged game against Greece, to try and stay there. So, it's one for us to go and have a go and see if we can win that and stay in Group A.”

SCOTLAND SQUAD IN FULL:

GOALKEEPERS

Craig Gordon Heart of Midlothian

Liam Kelly Rangers

Cieran Slicker Ipswich Town

DEFENDERS

Grant Hanley Birmingham City

Jack Hendry Al-Ettifaq

Max Johnston Sturm Graz

Scott McKenna UD Las Palmas

Ryan Porteous Preston North End (on loan from Watford)

Anthony Ralston Celtic

Andy Robertson Liverpool

John Souttar Rangers

Kieran Tierney Arsenal

MIDFIELDERS

Ryan Christie AFC Bournemouth

Lewis Ferguson Bologna

Billy Gilmour SSC Napoli

John McGinn Aston Villa

Kenny McLean Norwich City

Scott McTominay SSC Napoli

Lennon Miller Motherwell

FORWARDS

Ché Adams Torino

Tommy Conway Middlesbrough

Kevin Nisbet Aberdeen (on loan from Millwall)

James Wilson Heart of Midlothian