On the long flight from Glasgow to Miami, Scotland's football squad learned a cardinal rule: picking your plane partner is serious business. For captain John McGinn, the answer was clear—sit with Kieran Tierney and settle in for games of Traitors, Uno, and Wolf. For others, the decision proved far more complicated, and the revelations about their teammates were pure comedic gold.
Defender Hanley, affectionately nicknamed "Grizz" by goalkeeper Craig Gordon (who apparently maintains his back with meticulous shaving), became the squad's cautionary tale. "He takes up too much room," complained McGinn, while the 19-year-old Curtis—a Rangers youngster bursting with infectious energy—was deemed "me times 100" by the Villa captain. Curtis knows Scottish football's younger cohort well from the youth set-up, confidently proclaiming Tyler Fletcher "a loser" before promptly sitting next to Ben Gannon-Doak for the entire flight, despite calling him the worst travel companion imaginable. "He doesn't stop talking," Curtis laughed, apparently enjoying the contradiction. The same two planned to repeat the arrangement on the flight to New York for Scotland's final Copa América warm-up against Bolivia.
The squad's dynamics revealed themselves in delightful detail throughout their preparation. Christie and Dykes are inseparable travel buddies, though McGinn noted pointedly that "it's not Christie's choice." The midfielder is planning to catch the final episodes of Netflix's Legends on the journey, while Scott McTominay, perpetually working an invisible camera and crowned "the biggest poser" by multiple teammates, was sipping espresso between body scanner sessions during VAR protocol filming. "Cut toenails and breathe in, lads," he joked, having made the switch to Italian life so seamlessly that coffee is practically grafted to his hand.
The pre-match rituals proved equally revealing. Andy Robertson earns admiration as "leader, legend," but Christie remains baffled by his mysterious pre-game meal: "Some weird chicken sandwich thing." Christie himself opts for pancakes, while John Souttar takes on barista duties for McGinn. Anthony Ralston, according to McLean, deserves recognition for "a lot of product in his hair," while George Hirst earned the designation of "the diva" from McGinn, who deployed a distinctly coded vocabulary for other unnamed teammates—"moany, thick, halfway line and bald"—leaving the squad grinning at the mystery.
What emerges from this candid banter is a portrait of a tight-knit group preparing for Copa América with the kind of affection that only comes from genuine camaraderie. The younger players, respectfully dubbing their elders "experienced" rather than the word they really meant, have clearly earned their place alongside Craig Gordon and Hanley. "His energy's been infectious; he's a brilliant addition to the squad," McGinn said of Curtis, "A character, but I wouldn't like to sit next to him." That's Scottish football's version of a compliment—delivered with a laugh and a knowing shake of the head. As the squad heads toward their final friendlies, the chemistry built on those long flights and in those joking sessions will matter far more than any seating arrangement.