UEFA Under 21 Championship Qualifiers
SCOTLAND v France
Saturday 10th October 2015, kick-off 3 pm
Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
SCOTLAND v Iceland
Tuesday 13th October 2015, kick-off 5.45 pm
Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Ricky Sbragia has announced a 23-player squad for Scotland’s forthcoming UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches against France and Iceland at Pittodrie Stadium next month.
The squad includes two Hibs’ players, John McGinn and Jason Cummings (pictured) and five Hearts’ players, Jack Hamilton, Jordan McGhee, Callum Paterson, Billy King and Sam Nicholson.
Sbragia said:”I thought it’d be unfair to change things around too much. Over in Northern Ireland they were excellent so it’d be a bit hard done if anyone was left out.
“It’s a difficult group. Everyone talks about France and Iceland but Ukraine and Macedonia are difficult teams to play too. We’ve got to have a belief we can get something from it. I think we go in there wholeheartedly. How the first 4 games go should give us an idea of how the group is panning out and what we need.
“France are exceptional but we’ve got to go into the game with belief and think we have a good chance.”
Scotland squad to play France and Iceland
Ryan Fulton (Liverpool)
Jack Hamilton (Heart of Midlothian)
Jonathan Henly (Ipswich Town)
Stuart Findlay (Celtic – on loan at Kilmarnock)
Stephen Hendrie (West Ham United)
Dominic Hyam (Reading)
Donald Love (Manchester United)
Callum McFadzean (Sheffield United)
Jordan McGhee (Heart of Midlothian)
Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian)
Jay Fulton (Swansea City – on loan at Oldham Athletic)
John McGinn (Hibernian)
Craig Slater (Kilmarnock)
John Souttar (Dundee United)
Charlie Telfer (Dundee United)
Ryan Christie (Celtic – on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle)
Jason Cummings (Hibernian)
Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth – on loan at Ipswich Town)
Ryan Gauld (Sporting Clube de Portugal)
Billy King (Heart of Midlothian)
Declan McManus (Fleetwood Town)
Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian)
Lawrence Shankland (Aberdeen – on loan at St Mirren)
Both of Scotland’s matches will be held at Pittodrie Stadium and pre-sale tickets are priced at just £5 adults and £2 for kids.
Supporters can also take advantage of a youth group offer enabling 5 adults and 20 kids entry for only £30 (offer ends Friday, 2 October at 5pm).
Photo by John Preece
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
