Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has described Rangers midfielder Findlay Curtis as a "special talent" who can be a "game changer" for the national team. The 20-year-old is not yet a regular starter at Ibrox but is an important part of Derek McInnes' squad, and Pocognoli believes he can make a difference at international level.
International Rise
Curtis, who was in Steve Clarke's World Cup squad in the summer, was included in Pocognoli's first selection in September. He then dropped down to join Tony Docherty's Under-21 set-up, where he recorded four assists in one game against Azerbaijan.
That prompted Pocognoli to promote him again, and Curtis came off the bench against Slovenia at Hampden. He is back involved for the upcoming Nations League matches with North Macedonia and Switzerland.
Manager's Praise
Pocognoli said: "Findlay is a special kid. I think he's a player who can make the difference and we do not have many in the squad. Sometimes I make some targets about the quality we need in the squad - and we need a game-changer.
"I'd like a bit more speed but we have a strong midfield and good wide players like Andy Robertson and Aaron Hickey. I try to target the specific qualities that a position needs and Findlay is one of those players who can impact from the bench. The moment he comes on for Rangers, he always brings something special and we need this."
Penrice Call-Up
Curtis' Ibrox team-mate James Penrice has earned his first call-up after strong displays for Rangers since joining on loan from AEK Athens. With Josh Doig out for Scotland, Pocognoli had no hesitation in calling on Penrice.
He said: "Josh is out and will need some rest in the next international window. We are proactive for each position, we have two, three or four names. And James is one we have followed closely, because of his qualities as a wing back. He has this offensive impulse and a good left foot for crossing. So I think he is a good option for us."
Striker Competition
Along with Scott McTominay and Kieran Tierney, Pocognoli will also work with Che Adams for the first time in this camp. The Torino striker was Clarke's first choice for a long spell, but Pocognoli says he now faces competition from Oli McBurnie, Robbie Ure and Kieron Bowie.
He said: "Che is scoring goals, which is good. Robbie is scoring goals also. He wasn't before the first camp but now he is. Kieron has had a little less compared to the first camp in terms of playing time (at Sassuolo). Oli is playing every week consistently and has scored his two first goals from set pieces (a pen and free-kick) for Hull in the Premier League. Now we have Che back and scoring goals. That is good competition for the two striker positions."
