Scotland: Is Oli McBurnie worth persevering with?

Oli McBurnie spurned a couple of presentable opportunities against Slovakia on Sunday

A useful option for Scotland at Euro 2020, or an overpriced striker who has commitment issues with international football?

Oli McBurnie is the £20m forward who, at a time when Scotland lack high-class options up front, could be a priceless commodity for his country.

However the Sheffield United striker has yet to convince Scotland fans he can prosper at international level - so the national team's supporters have been lukewarm at best to his contribution.

Not helping McBurnie as he tries to win over Scotland fans is the fact he withdrew from Steve Clarke's squad for Nations League matches against Israel and Czech Republic in August then played for his club two days later.

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A handful of underwhelming cameos since - most recently in the defeat in Slovakia on Sunday - have only hardened the opinions of those dubious about what he brings.

BBC Scotland examines whether the 24-year-old is a striker worth persevering with, or a player just not up to international football.

Thrown in at deep end

Born in Leeds but eligible through his grandparents, McBurnie made a low-key full Scotland debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Costa Rica at Hampden in March 2018.

His cap count now stands at 14, including seven starts, and he is yet to break his scoring duck. It's an inauspicious start by any standards.

As a raw, young striker pitched into a side struggling under Alex McLeish, three of McBurnie's first four appearances coincided with Scotland failing to score.

His game time totals just 702 minutes, with around a quarter of that coming in the tour defeats by World Cup-bound Peru and Mexico two years ago, as well as the disastrous 3-0 loss at Kazakhstan in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Scotland's paucity of threat in those matches left him isolated and frustrated up front.

McBurnie is not alone in having to wait to make a scoring breakthrough though. Steven Naismith took seven games to net for Scotland - scoring once in his first 12 - while Leigh Griffiths' first strike came on his 13th appearance.

Sharp for the Blades

McBurnie's record at domestic level - up until this term, at least - belies his faltering international start. His 24 goals for Championship side Swansea in 2018-19 convinced Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder to break the club's transfer record for him.

The fee may have seemed steep, but his trajectory didn't take a downturn. He was an effective part of a side that defied expectations by finishing ninth in their first top-flight campaign in 12 years.

Six goals from 36 league appearances made McBurnie the club's joint top scorer and his 50 shots, and 111 touches in the opposition box, were both more than any team-mate.

It isn't a startling scoring record, but his overall stats paint a picture of a well-rounded skill-set. Opta's data for combined quality of scoring chances and opportunities created show he was the Yorkshire club's biggest goal threat.

There's more to his game than finishing, though. McBurnie won possession 16 times in the final third, a figure only bettered at Sheffield United by midfielder John Lundstram's 17.

And McBurnie put his 6ft 2in frame to good use by winning 200 aerial duels - the second-highest tally of any Premier League striker, behind West Ham's Sebastien Haller on 218.

Granted, he is yet to score in eight Premier League appearances this season, but that is as part of a side struggling badly to replicate their form of last term.

Fan antipathy, but manager faith

Why has McBurnie not been taken to the hearts of the Tartan Army? The absence of goals hasn't helped, nor has his withdrawal from the squad in August, or an unfortunate incident when Sheffield United TV footage led to claims he was not keen on international duty.

Wilder batted those accusations away - saying his player is "proud" to play for Scotland.

Yet his August withdrawal was not a one-off. Last October, McBurnie pulled out of matches against Russia and San Marino, yet played for his club either side of that double header.

Pertinently, though, he still has the support of Clarke. After he slotted home an emphatic penalty in the seismic shootout win over Serbia, the striker was given the full 90 minutes against Slovakia and pleased the head coach with his performance.

"Oli left everything on the pitch against two tough centre-backs," Clarke said. "The lad Milan Skriniar plays at Inter Milan and gets a lot of good press but Oli gave him a hard time.

"His qualities are holding the ball up and bringing other people into the game, and you saw that. He had one good chance where he couldn't get the ball off quick enough, but I'm pleased with him."

Before the emergence of Lyndon Dykes, McBurnie was the leading candidate to fill the lone striker role. It is possible that the Australian-born striker flourishing instantly at international level has made McBurnie's travails all the more marked.

Dykes is available again for Wednesday's game in Israel and will surely start, so where does that leave McBurnie?

'With the right service, he's unplayable'

Former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo

I think he's quality. He ticks all boxes as a striker - mobility, presence, link-up play. He puts his head where it hurts and is an absolute pain for defenders.

With the right service, he can be unplayable. He gets a bit of stick, but doesn't shy away from it. Once he gets his first Scotland goal and that weight is off his shoulders, he can kick on.

He has pulled out a couple of squads but the public never really know what players are carrying - I once joined the Scotland squad with a hamstring injury that I'd just suffered and I couldn't walk. It's not prioritising club over country, it's just doing what's right for your body.