Billy Gilmour: Chelsea midfielder ready for Scotland call-up - Pat Nevin
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FA Cup: Chelsea starlet Billy Gilmour draws praise from Match of the Day pundits
Billy Gilmour is ready for a first senior cap call-up because his style is "nailed-on perfect for international football", says former Scotland and Chelsea winger Pat Nevin.
The 18-year-old sparkled on just his third Chelsea start in the FA Cup win over Liverpool on Tuesday.
He could now be added to Steve Clarke's Scotland squad for this month's Euro 2020 play-off semi against Israel.
"Clarke has watched Billy come through all the youth levels," Nevin said.
"So it's not a shock to him - he's been waiting for it, almost wishing it would happen quicker because he wants top-class players.
"Some do well domestically then find it's a technical step up to international football. But I have a suspicion that Billy will be even better at international level than the domestic stage.
"When you look at a player who has those technical abilities, a field of vision and 360 awareness that he's got, the confidence and comfort on the ball that he's got, that's international player writ large."
Having been moved up to the first-team Chelsea squad by manager Frank Lampard just three weeks ago, former Rangers youth player Gilmour has been quick to make an impact.
He was deservedly named man of the match on his first top-team start in four months as champions-elect Liverpool were swept aside, with Lampard hailing him "huge in talent and personality".
Nevin echoed that praise as he said: "He was absolutely superb - a 10 out of 10 performance. He seemed born to it.
"I've been talking to a few people, including Frank, over the past couple of months about him. And they've just been waiting for the opportunity to give him a chance. They really believed in him.
"I expected this to happen with Billy - I've watched a bit of him - just not this quickly."