'Proud and lucky' - Gilmour on reaching 50 caps for Scotland

Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour is set to earn his 50th Scotland cap in Tuesday night's Nations League game against Slovenia. The 25-year-old, who missed the World Cup through injury, has featured in all three games under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. "I'm always so proud to put on my national team jersey and go out there.

"We're very lucky as well, not everyone gets to represent their country in sports. "So for me, I'm always very proud to put it on and I give my all and try my best." It's nice to hear that he [Pocognoli] wants me to play a bit more advanced, higher up the pitch." I'm happy to play anywhere on the pitch. If he asks me to do a job, I'll do my best anywhere, if it's in defence or up front."

Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli believes the squad has reaped the benefits of the extended international break, but accepts there is plenty of work ahead." It's a long four weeks, to be fair, but it was needed for my timeline with the group.

"This first week in Spain was gold and it was my job with the staff to manage each second of the camp regarding what we want to produce as quickly as possible. "I'm very happy. I can imagine that some country who played the World Cup with the same coach, with the same group of players, it can be a long camp. "But for us it was fantastic.

It's just to find the windows through the camp to also have this mental reset because it can be long when you are together for each day and travelling so much."

Andy Robertson was determined to savour the “incredible” achievement of reaching 100 Scotland caps before he thinks about trying to overhaul Sir Kenny Dalglish at the top of his country’s appearance charts.

More than 12 years after his debut against Poland in 2014, the 32-year-old became only the second Scot to bring up his century in Saturday night’s dominant 2-0 Nations League victory over North Macedonia in Skopje.

Robertson had his name chanted before, during and after the match by the 2,500 travelling supporters inside the National Arena Todor Proeski, and the former Liverpool player’s emotions were clearly stirred by the magnitude of the latest accomplishment in his stellar career. “It feels unbelievable,” said the Tottenham left-back. “To hit the 100 mark is pretty special.

It’s something that I feel as if I’ve been chasing forever. “But since it kind of became close, I then really wanted to just get it over the line and make it happen. A hundred caps for your country is incredible. Not many people get to achieve that and I know how lucky I am to be able to be one of the ones to do that.”

If Robertson plays each of Scotland’s three remaining Nations League matches this calendar year, he will overtake fellow former Liverpool player Dalglish – currently on 102 – and become his country’s new record appearance-holder against Switzerland in St Gallen next month.

While that is clearly another of his ambitions, the former Queen’s Park, Dundee United and Hull player was intent on focusing on what he has just achieved. “I think it’s just about this one first,” he said. “Hopefully I can (catch Dalglish) because I want to keep playing and I want to be in a Scotland jersey for years to come, which obviously results in me hopefully taking over Kenny.

“But I’m only the second male player to get to 100 caps and I think I have to enjoy that. I think us footballers are a bit guilty of not enjoying it and not realising sometimes what you’ve achieved, so I’ve made a conscious effort to try to do that. “I know what I’ve achieved for me and my family and it was a really special night for us. “I’ve had lots of messages, more than normal.

A lot of ex-players, a lot of managers, a lot of family members and things like that, so it’s been pretty nice to be on the phone, and I’ll start getting back to them slowly but surely.”

Sebastien Pocognoli secured his first Scotland win at the third time of asking as captain Andy Robertson became just the second player to reach 100 caps.

Sebastien Pocognoli is optimistic Scotland can notch their first win of his reign in North Macedonia on Saturday but the Belgian dismissed any notion that there is extra pressure on his team to deliver a positive result.

The Scots have taken just one point – and failed to score – in their first two Nations League matches under the recently-appointed head coach after a 0-0 draw in Slovenia was followed by a 3-0 defeat at home to Switzerland on Tuesday. Asked if he felt pressure to get off the mark in Skopje, Pocognoli said on Friday night: “Pressure? No, because the challenge is longer than this camp. “We have to do it piece by piece.

For sure, we want to have a first really positive camp on the pitch. In terms of ranking, we want this, but I think it’s important for the players to have a first win so that everything makes sense because the win gives the freedom on the pitch to make decisions and accelerate the process. “If we had got the three points in Slovenia, which I think we deserved, we talk maybe a little bit differently.

“I hope tomorrow we can just show what we trained the last days in the camp, what we showed for 60 minutes in Slovenia and just try to have the first win.” Pocognoli indicated that he is unlikely to make wholesale changes to his team on Saturday because he felt the early red card for Jack Hendry deprived him of a proper chance to analyse the XI that started against the Swiss in midweek.

“The game against Switzerland is a dead game,” he said. “We didn’t see a lot, so probably we need to see again some aspects that we expected to see in the previous game. “There will be some changes, but not many. Maybe it was planned (to make more changes) before the camp because we wanted to have a good game with what we prepared for the two first games and to have a good confirmation.

“If you are logical in terms of what we want to build, and what we want to see, and the game that some players can express themselves, you want to confirm what we prepare.”

John McGinn said it has been “a privilege” to share in so much of Andy Robertson’s international journey as the “inspirational” captain prepares to become only the second Scotland player to win 100 caps. Tottenham left-back Robertson made his debut in 2014, became skipper in 2018 and then led the Scots to back-to-back European Championships and then this summer’s World Cup.

The 32-year-old is set to win his 100th cap – and move within two of record-holder Sir Kenny Dalglish – in Saturday night’s Nations League match away to North Macedonia. McGinn, who won the first of his own 91 caps two years after former Queen’s Park, Dundee United, Hull and Liverpool defender Robertson, paid a warm tribute to his long-time national team sidekick after the Scots arrived in Skopje on Friday evening.

“It’s been a privilege to be involved in so many of them with him,” said the Aston Villa captain. “The commitment, the desire to always be available, even when he was competing at the top of the European game, the top of the English game.

“(Former Liverpool boss) Jurgen Klopp was obviously a demanding manager, Robbo’s body would have been knackered at times, but even through the pain barrier, he was always available for Scotland, even when he was at 60 and 70 per cent. “He deserves everything that comes his way, but having spoken to him, he’s taking it in his stride. He wants to try and achieve more.

“He likes to talk things down, but he is an inspiration to every young player in Scotland at the moment facing some sort of rejection, feeling like going to part-time football is their dream of being a professional footballer over. “He is the shining example that that’s just not the case, and it’s been an absolute honour to stand beside him during this.”

Sky Sports' Luke Shanley: Scotland head to Skopje this weekend looking for their first win under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. We are still in the infancy of this new Scotland era, and it will take time for his ideas to bed in but a win against North Macedonia is required if we are to have any chance of promotion in the Nations League. It would also help build confidence and momentum.

The age-old question of who will score the goals persists. I felt sorry for Kieron Bowie midweek. He was the player sacrificed after the red card to allow Stephen Welsh to come on at the back. Bowie should get the nod in North Macedonia. He is playing in Serie A for Sassuolo and scored in a 3-2 win over Juventus recently.

Oli McBurnie put in a shift with Scotland down to 10-men on Tuesday, he is still waiting for his first goal for his country, this could be the perfect occasion to get it. There is a blend of old and new in the Scotland squad, but Pocognoli is yet to find the right blend. This extended international window will help him understand the task he has taken on.

Do Scotland have big structural issues that need fixed or is it merely getting used to a new approach? Time will tell. This game will make some history for one player, the captain. Andrew Robertson is on 99 caps and will become just the second player to reach the 100 in a Scotland jersey.

Sir Kenny Dalglish achieved it 40 years ago in March 1986, when Scotland beat Romania at Hampden Park and he received a golden cap from Franz Beckenbauer to commemorate the event. The fact Dalglish was Liverpool player/manager at the time and on the cusp of winning the title, thanks to his goal against Chelsea a month later, makes the achievement even more amazing.

The left back got his debut under Gordon Strachan in March 2014 while playing for Dundee United. His development, maturity, leadership and ability have all grown and been vital to this Scotland team. Robertson felt the pain of missing out on major tournaments early in his Scotland career before qualifying for 3 out of the last 4.

From moving to Hull then becoming a Premier League and European champion with Liverpool to now playing for Tottenham Hotspur, he is still playing at the top level and is a great example to all young Scots that want a career in football.

The fact he started his career at Hampden Park in the 4th tier with Queen’s Park and now plays at the same stadium for the Scotland national team highlights how great a journey it has been. Not that Robertson likes the narrative of his ‘journey’ being a ‘fairytale’. It is all down to his hard work. Robertson will no doubt overtake Dalglish Scotland caps record, but it is not about cap counting.

It is about what he still provides for this Scotland team. In the second half against Slovenia, we saw the captain at his best, getting balls into the box, putting in a shift on that left hand side and giving little away. This will be required through this Nations League campaign and the European Championship qualifiers.

Robertson wants to lead his country out at a fourth major tournament and will need to maintain a standard that is deserving of a starting berth. This weekend is not just about acknowledging a century of caps for Robertson, hopefully it will be the first of many wins under Pocognoli.

Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn insisted there was no blame game after their 3-0 Nations League defeat to Switzerland. Jack Hendry was sent off early in new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli's Hampden Park debut, leaving them third in Group B1 after two games. "He [Jack] tried to apologise to lads in there but the manager was like, that's football, that happens.

"That's why we're a team and that's why we stick together and no-one's got to apologise for anything." Unfortunately, we couldn't dig deep and get a result."" Hopefully, that's lessons learned, playing the majority of the game with 10 men. Hopefully, we can maybe use that in the future and come out on a positive side." That's two games down and we've got two more to finish this camp off.

"We've just got to go and react. It's Saturday night and we've got a good squad. Everyone's ready for their opportunity."

New Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli is relishing his Hampden Park debut. He will take charge at the National Stadium for the first time on Tuesday night against Switzerland in the Nations League." It will be a special moment, the first time at home. I've really been looking forward to that moment since I've been appointed as a new gaffer."

I think the fans will be a reflection of what we will be on the pitch. If we are brave, if we are trying, if we face the risk, if we face the opponent, I think the supporters will adapt to this and they will be behind us." The first reaction after the game in Slovenia was that reaction because we turned the game (around) and we faced the opponent."

I hope we can do it with a different level of opponent but I think we had a good test in Slovenia. It's never easy to go there." Sometimes you have a very good opponent and you just have to be smarter in your approach. But the idea will be always be, and certainly at home, to try to take control of the game as much as possible."

Scotland duo James Wilson and Findlay Curtis have left the Scotland senior squad in Spain to join up with the under-21s. Hearts striker Wilson and Rangers winger Curtis had both been training with new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli’s group in La Manga.

However, it is thought the pair would be given more game time with the U21 squad, as opposed to if they stayed with the senior group for the first two Nations League games against Slovenia away and Switzerland at home. Wilson and Curtis could yet feature in the last two Nations League games against North Macedonia away and Slovenia at Hampden, during the latter half of this international window.

It is thought more players will move between the youth squad and the senior squad in this new era for the national team, with U21 boss Tony Docherty among those out in Spain. Wilson made his Scotland debut last March, aged 18. Meanwhile, Curtis – who made his debut in March this year - was in the squad that went to the World Cup and featured against Haiti and Brazil.

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