How Scotland can benefit from achievements of Italian-based stars as Steve Clarke hypes up key trio
Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson have been thriving in Serie A and tasted silverware last season
Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour have helped Napoli win the Serie A title. Lewis Ferguson captained Bologna to Coppa Italia glory. Josh Doig tasted promotion and a Serie B title with Sassuolo. And Che Adams bagged 10 goals in the Italian top-flight.
It has been a truly remarkable year for a quintet of Scots on the continent. All five players are part of Steve Clarke’s squad for international friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein over the coming days.
In addition, Andy Robertson got his hands on another English Premier League title winners medal, Grant Hanley was part of a Birmingham City squad that cruised to the EFL league one title and Max Johnston clinched the Austrian Bundesliga trophy with Sturm Graz.
For Clarke, having so many Scottish players winning silverware in their respective leagues across Europe can only help the national team grow.
“It's really good,” Clarke declared when asked to quantify the achievements of Scotland’s Italian-based players in recent weeks. “I thought the decision of the two boys to go to Napoli was really brave, as it was for Lewis back in the day to go to Bologna.
“Lewis has obviously been there a little bit longer, and to be the captain of the Bologna team that lifts the cup is something amazing. I was lucky enough to speak to his dad the other day at Lesser Hampden - he was there at the homeless World Cup squad, watching training. And his dad was so proud of him, and so he should be. It's a magnificent achievement.
“Lewis is one I've always spoken about, he will be a big player for Scotland, and I think we are at the stage now where he's ready to do that. I'm looking forward to working with Lewis in this camp and the camps going forward.
"The two boys going to Napoli, it's just like a dream, to make that decision to go abroad and to end up winning Serie A against a top Inter Milan team. I think the last month of the season, everybody in Scotland became a Napoli fan! We were all so desperate for them to win the title.
“They did, and it was nice of Scott to turn up on the last day of the season and score another goal. It was a decent finish! Billy played that game as well and was outstanding. So while Scott's been the one that's grabbed the headlines, that's not to forget Billy, who was there when they needed him when (Stanislav) Lobotka was out injured. He never let his side down. Well played both of them.”
Clarke reckons boasting a squad full of title winners on the continent can only bode well for the national team going forward as he highlighted the success of other players last term including Grant Hanley and ex-Hibs defender Josh Doig.
He added: “They've come into the squad with a lot more confidence. They feel good about themselves. I could mention Grant [Hanley] winning League One with Birmingham and winning that cup... I don't even know the name of that cup any more! They went to Wembley and won the cup.
“Josh [Doig] got promotion with Sassuolo. They came in a good shape, they've had a great season with their clubs. They feel good - and that goes into the squad, it feeds around the squad.
“Even the ones who are a little bit disappointed with the way their seasons went - George [Hirst] at Ipswich with relegation. Sometimes it's tough for them, but they come in and around a group of boys who are really happy and the squad's been in good fettle this week, to be honest.”