Ethan Laidlaw gets Scotland call as forward's impressive Hibs form earns him international chance

Ethan Laidlaw’s form for Hibs’ under-18s, reserve team, and in the UEFA Youth league has earned him a call-up to the Scotland under-18 squad for this month’s double-header against Wales.

The 18-year-old, who has been in prolific form in the CAS Elite Under-18 League as well as chipping in with goals for the club’s development side, netted during the European run, scoring a penalty at Easter Road as Hibs defeated Nantes in the first leg of the second knock-out round encounter.

Laidlaw was capped seven times by Scotland at under-17 level, and scored a hat-trick against Wales on his debut in September 2021 in a friendly that finished in a 4-3 defeat. He also featured in UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying and again in the Under-17 Euro tournament itself.

The Scots play the Welsh twice this month, first at The Globe ground, home of Buckley Town, on Thursday March 23 with a 6.30pm kick-off, and again at Colliers Park in Wrexham on Sunday March 26 at 1.30pm.

Hibs forward Ethan Laidlaw has been called into the Scotland Under-18 squad

Billy Stark’s team were last in action in a friendly tournament in Limoges last year but the double header in Wales will give the head coach a chance to run the rule over players ahead of the under-19s’ next European qualifying round which takes place in Bulgaria in November.

No Hearts players have been called up but Dylan Reid, who recently completed a move from St Mirren to Crystal Palace, is included. Aberdeen, Bolton Wanderers, Celtic, Crewe Alexandra, Fleetwood Town, Hamilton Accies, Ipswich Town, Lincoln City, Kilmarnock, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Queen’s Park, Queens Park Rangers, Rangers, and Southampton all have players in the squad.

Goalkeepers: Jack Dallimore (Bolton), Woody Williamson (Ipswich). Defenders: Cameron Bruce (Queen’s Park), Louis Jackson (Manchester United), Jack Kingdon (Manchester United), Noah McCann (Queens Park Rangers), Chris McGinn (Hamilton), Mitchell Robertson (Celtic). Midfielders: Julian Donnery (Barwell, on loan from Lincoln), Johnny Emerson (Newcastle), Daniel Kelly (Celtic), Benny-Jackson Luyeye (Celtic), Dylan Lobban (Aberdeen), Magnus Mackenzie (Celtic), George Morrison (Fleetwood Town), Dylan Reid (Crystal Palace), Joshua Squires (Southampton), Corey Thomson (Celtic). Forwards: Cameron Cooper (Rangers), Ethan Laidlaw (Hibs), Bobby Wales (Kilmarnock), Max Woodcock (Crewe Alexandra).