50-times capped Scotland international ‘optimistic’ about chances of history-making Group Stage campaign
Alan Hutton has been left convinced Manchester United starlet Tyler Fletcher will have a big role to play in Scotland’s World Cup campaign following his late call-up to the squad.
The former Rangers, Tottenham and Aston Villa defender is confident Steve Clarke’s side have the quality to create history by reaching the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time.
And he is backing 19-year-old midfielder Fletcher - son of former Scotland captain Darren - to justify his surprise inclusion in the squad after replacing the injured Billy Gilmour by showing exactly what he is capable of in the international spotlight.
Hutton was impressed by Fletcher’s substitute appearances against Curacao and Bolivia in the lead up to the tournament and insists he won’t be phased by what is to come.
Speaking to GlasgowWorldin association with Spreadex Sports, Hutton said: “Of course, I was devastated for Billy Gilmour. It's one of those situations in football you never want to find yourself in, where you're on the cusp of something absolutely brilliant, and then it gets taken away from you.
“But with that comes opportunity, and I think the training week before when Tyler was brought into the team, you're thinking it's solely about training with the senior team and giving them a taster of it, but it shows you what you can do, given the chance. If you go and impress, show the manager what you're capable of, you get an opportunity to actually play some minutes.
“I thought Tyler was very good, he looked very composed. He's a good size and build. He's got the makings of a real good top midfielder. So, he's grabbed with opportunity with both hands, and I think that's what you need. He's showing confidence. He believes in himself to be there.
“I feel he will feature at the World Cup, maybe not from the start, but I think he's got the ability to come on and hold his own within that environment. I'm really looking forward to seeing him, and I think he deserves this opportunity.”
Scots better prepared to handle pressure of tournament football
The Scots’ Euro 2024 campaign exposed a number of tactical and structural flaws, but Clarke has blooded younger talent since then and Hutton believes the squad are better prepared to handle the pressure that comes with performing on the big stage two years on.
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“I'm optimistic (about Scotland’s chances of reaching the knockout stage) but I know how things can work out as well,” Hutton added. “I tend to sit on the fence a little bit, but a big part of me is saying we can make it out of this group. If they do that, I think it'll be unbelievably good for the nation moving forward.
“You can feel the excitement in the country, especially after those last two warm-up games and everything we’ve seen. It's almost lifted the expectations again, because there were plenty of positives to take from those games. There's a lot of momentum building to take into the tournament, so it’s about expressing yourself, be brave and show the world that you're more than capable of competing against the top nations.
“They have that experience under their belt now,” he added. “I think the last couple of Euros has definitely helped them improve as a group in terms of building confidence going into big tournaments. There was a lot of hype going into the first game against Germany in Munich, and everybody thought we would get something, but when you play at this level, you can be punished easily, so you have to learn from all your mistakes.
“I just feel that you've done the hard work to get there. You've played a certain way and it’s worked. We’ve got a really good team at this moment in time, a strong unit that can go and put on good performances. The warm-up games have been excellent, but it's about taking that form into the World Cup now.”
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