The City star could have done little more to force his way into Clarke’s plans
Oli McBurnie’s World Cup dreams look to be over(Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)
Oli McBurnie has not made Scotland’s final squad for this summer’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico despite bagging 17 goals for Hull City this season.
McBurnie has been one of Scotland’s in-form marksmen this season, with his goals in the Championship spearheading City’s surge to the play-off final this weekend, and just one game away from the Premier League.
The 29-year-old forward was given renewed hope of a late call-up after Middlesbrough forward Tommy Conway sustained an ankle injury in their play-off second-leg defeat to Southampton last Tuesday.
Despite Conway’s injury, McBurnie has again been overlooked with Southampton forward Ross Stewart getting the call to join Lyndon Dykes, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland in Clarke’s squad.
Stewart, who is the same age as McBurnie, has scored 10 goals this term and has played just twice for Scotland, while McBurnie’s last appearance came in 2021.
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McBurnie had been named on Scotland’s reserve list in recent months, but believed it would be unlikely that he would get a call-up from Clarke.
“I don’t really sit anywhere,” McBurnie told Hull Live recently when asked about the situation with the Tartan Army. “I rang the manager when his last squad was getting announced, just to kind of see his feelings on things. He said to me that he builds his squads on loyalty, and that Che (Adams) and Dikesy (Dikes) have done really well for him, so he sees them two ahead of me.
“He doesn’t see me as a third or fourth-choice striker, so he’s comparing me against Che and Dikesy, and he sees them ahead of me. Listen, I’d do anything to get back into that Scotland squad. I feel like I’m playing as well as I have done in however long, and all I can do is keep performing for Hull and see where it gets me.”
Scotland kick off their campaign against Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 14, before taking on Morocco in Foxborough the following Friday. Their final Group C match sees Clarke’s side tackle Brazil in Miami on June 24. Before then, Scotland will play Curacao in a warm-up at Hampden Park on May 30, and their final friendly will come against Bolivia in New Jersey on June 6. The Tartan Army will be based at Inter Miami’s training complex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Scotland’s squad in full: Goalkeepers: Craig Gordon (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers)
Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Finlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli)
Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ross Stewart (Southampton)
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