Scotland’s provisional Euro 2024 squad listed five players as forwards among a 28-man pool. Southampton’s Ché Adams, Queens Park Rangers’ Lyndon Dykes and Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland are the principal strikers, the traditional centre-forwards whose primary task is to score goals. Wingers Ben Doak and and James Forrest are also included in the ‘forwards’ section but are unlikely to play through the middle.
National coach Steve Clarke is expected to choose between Adams, Dykes and Shankland for the No.9 role when Scotland open the tournament against hosts Germany in Munich on 14 June. It is a choice on which many people across the country have a strong opinion, but the only person with the final say is Clarke.
He will assess all his attackers in training and in pre-tournament friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland before making a final decision. Clarke knows all three can score for club and country, although their statistics show a slight surprise regarding who is the most in-form of the triumvirate as things stand:
1. Lyndon Dykes (Queens Park Rangers):
Centre-forward, 28 years old. Scored seven goals in 49 appearances in all competitions for QPR and Scotland this season. His overall ratio for 2023/24 is 0.14 goals per game. Scored two goals in his last 10 games of the season - a ratio of 0.2 goals per game. | SNS Group
2. James Forrest (Celtic):
Winger, 32 years old. Scored seven goals in 27 appearances in all competitions for Celtic this season. His overall ratio for 2023/24 is 0.26 goals per game. Scored five goals in his last 10 games of the season - a ratio of 0.5 goals per game. | SNS Group
3. Ben Doak (Liverpool):
Winger, 18 years old. Has not scored in six appearances for Liverpool this season. Injured since December but now back training and could be an unknown quantity at Euro 2024. | SNS Group
4. Lawrence Shankland (Hearts):
Centre-forward, 28 years old. Scored 32 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions for Hearts and Scotland this season. His overall ratio for 2023/24 is 0.63 goals per game. Scored four goals in his last 10 games of the season - a ratio of 0.4 goals per game. | SNS Group