Ross Stewart walked out of Scotland's international setup in the summer of 2022 with just two caps to his name, and for four years he watched from the sidelines as his country competed without him. On Wednesday, head coach Steve Clarke called him back—a stunning redemption that speaks to both Stewart's persistence and Scotland's faith in his ability to deliver when it matters most.
The 29-year-old Southampton striker now has a place in Scotland's 23-player World Cup squad, a remarkable second act that arrives on the back of an impressive club season. He's scored 11 goals in 33 games for Southampton this year, including a crucial strike in the Championship play-off semi-final victory against Middlesbrough. Those numbers may not leap off the page—his Hull City teammate Oli McBurnie scored 18 times this season—but Clarke's selectors have chosen experience and form over raw goal tallies. "Every time Ross Stewart's played, he's been very good," noted BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English. "He's a realistic option to start."
The squad announcement brings other stories of breakthrough and heartbreak. Rangers teenager Findlay Curtis, at just 19 years old, makes the cut after impressing on loan at Kilmarnock, where he finished with five goals. Curtis made his Scotland debut as recently as March against Japan, marking a meteoric rise through the ranks. Yet for midfielder Lennon Miller—a 25-appearance regular at Udinese this season—there is no room. Miller won all four of his Scotland caps last year but missed March's defeats to Ivory Coast and Japan, and Clarke's decision to exclude him has already drawn sympathy from former players. "I'm gutted for him," said Andy Halliday, a former Hearts, Motherwell and Rangers player. "We are taking that fifth striker—and Ross Stewart deserves it."
Craig Gordon, 43, continues as one of three goalkeepers despite the fact that he and his fellow keepers have managed just 15 appearances between them this season. The Hearts stalwart's inclusion reflects Scotland's reliance on experience and continuity as they prepare for a daunting Group C campaign against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil.
The squad carries a distinctly veteran backbone. Eleven of Clarke's selections also featured in both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, a spine of experience anchored by captain Andy Robertson and midfielders like Billy Gilmour, Kenny McLean, Scott McTominay, and John McGinn, who has 20 Scotland goals to his name. Only Tommy Conway, the Middlesbrough winger who suffered an injury in the play-off semi-final's second leg, paid the price for the near-miss moments that have defined recent Scottish campaigns.
Scotland will face Curaçao in a friendly at Hampden on May 30th before a final warm-up in New Jersey against Bolivia on June 6th, giving Clarke just six weeks to blend Stewart's returning quality with Curtis's youthful energy. The squad leaves for the United States having drawn the tournament's toughest opening fixture: Haiti on June 14th in Massachusetts, followed by Morocco on June 19th, with Brazil awaiting in Miami on June 24th. It is a group where first impressions matter urgently.