Who to watch out for in Premier Sports Cup group stage

Simon Murray (right) has returned to Dundee from Ross County

Twenty-four hours before England will bid to beat Spain in Sunday's Euro 2024 final in Berlin, football is coming home in Scotland as the domestic season kicks off with the Scottish League Cup group stage.

Seven Premiership teams who failed to qualify for European competition - and all clubs in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 - are joined by the top two from the Highland League and Lowland League champions East Kilbride as the journey begins to emulate last season's winners, Rangers.

The spotlight will be on the group stage like never before, with five games being shown live on TV - and 25 others streamed live - as the newly branded Premier Sports Cup offers record prize money.

It has been a busy close season in preparation, with many squads being rebuilt ahead of the new campaign, so who are the new faces we should be looking out for on Saturday and for the next few weeks?

Peter Ambrose (Aberdeen)

Aberdeen make the long trip south to Dumfries for their first competitive game under new manager Jimmy Thelin.

Thursday's arrival of Sivert Heltne Nilsen from Brann could prove to be their best bit of business once the league campaign kicks in considering the Swede regards him as a born "leader", but the midfielder might not be thrown straight into the action.

Playing third-tier Queen of the South could give Peter Ambrose an early chance to show he could be the successor to Bojan Miovski should the North Macedonia striker be sold this summer.

With Miovski posted missing in Wednesday’s 4-0 friendly win over neighbours Peterhead, Ester Sokler pitched in with two goals, but when competitive action begins, the 22-year-old Enfield-born Nigerian will hope to prove why Aberdeen paid a fee for him after his 10 goals in 45 games as Ujpest finished 10th in the Hungarian top flight.

Kristijan Trapanovski (Dundee United)

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin knows he has to improve the quality of a squad that struggled to shake off Raith Rovers before winning the Championship and promotion.

Having inherited Miovski during his time leading Aberdeen, he will be hoping another Macedonian, Kristijan Trapanovski, has a similar impact in Scotland as the 24-year-old winger arrives having helped Shkupi finish first, second then third in his domestic top flight in the last three seasons.

Hosts Falkirk, the League 1 champions, should provide a stern opening test.

Krisztian Hegyi (Motherwell)

Krisztian Hegyi in on loan to Motherwell from West Ham United

With nine new faces replacing 11 departures, Stuart Kettlewell has been the busiest Premiership manager this summer so far as he looks to reshape Motherwell into a side that can challenge for the top six this time out.

Amid the mixture of journeymen and players yet to live up to their potential from home and abroad, the most intriguing question is who will replace Scotland squad goalkeeper Liam Kelly after the club captain’s move to Rangers’ bench.

Parent club West Ham United have high hopes for 21-year-old Krisztian Hegyi, who has arrived on loan fresh from spending last season gaining experience in the Dutch second tier with Den Bosch.

However, the Hungary Under-21 cap has been rotating during pre-season with Aston Oxborough, the 26-year-old former Norwich City youth who will be hoping to play more than the two League Cup games he managed last season. Who will start at home to Edinburgh City?

Marvin Ekpiteta (Hibernian)

Hibernian have been slow to bring in new faces, but, with the departure of club stalwart Paul Hanlon and on-loan Will Fish, head coach David Gray has moved to solve what many regard as their Achilles heel in central defence.

Irishman Warren O’Hora missed out on promotion from League Two with MK Dons after finishing fourth, while Marvin Ekpiteta has been a regular starter for four seasons with Blackpool, who ended last season eighth in League One.

Standing at 6ft, 4in, the latter is a former Nigeria Under-20 cap and was club player of the season in 2021-22 when The Seasiders finished 16th in the Championship, while both of the new arrivals had spells as captain at the teams they have just left.

Following clean sheets in all three pre-season friendlies, former full-back Gray will be looking for another away to fourth-tier Elgin City.

Clark Robertson (Dundee)

Clark Robertson is back in Scottish football after a nine-year gap

The return of prodigal son Simon Murray to Dundee from Ross County has captured the headlines this week, but Clark Robertson is no stranger to Scottish football either, having started his career with Aberdeen.

The 30-year-old centre-half was released before he could establish himself as a first-team regular but heads back home after his return to Ashdod’s starting line-up coincided with their escape from relegation in Israel’s top flight.

In between, he amassed plenty of experience, including in the Championship, with Blackpool, Rotherham United and Portsmouth, and will hope to put that to good use away to Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic on Saturday.

Kyle Cameron (St Johnstone)

Given this week's confirmation of the takeover of St Johnstone by a group of American investors led by lawyer Adam Webb, the most significant signings at McDiarmid Park could yet be to come.

Most notably a replacement is needed for striker Uche Ikpeazu, who was reunited with his former Heart of Midlothian manager, Craig Levein, only to suffer a serious injury shortly after his switch from League One club Port Vale.

Kyle Cameron, meanwhile, arrives in Perth having lost the captaincy at Notts County despite leading them to promotion from the National League and with head coach Stuart Maynard having recruited a couple of centre-backs this summer already.

However, Levein thinks so highly of the Hexham-born former Scotland Under-21 international's leadership qualities that he has handed the 27-year-old the armband - even though he is only on loan - and the first test of that could come away to Brechin City on Saturday.

Ronan Hale (Ross County)

With last season’s play-off hero Murray sold to Dundee, the eyes of Dingwall will be on Ronan Hale after the 25-year-old striker’s move from Cliftonville.

The Belfast-born former Republic of Ireland Under-21 cap has spent the whole of his career on either side of the Irish border since coming through Birmingham City’s youth ranks.

However, newly confirmed permanent County manager Don Cowie obviously believes someone who scored 22 goals in 31 appearances, including a double in their Irish Cup final win over Linfield, and who helped Cliftonville finish third in Northern Ireland’s Premiership, can also do damage in Scotland’s top flight.

Starting at Stranraer could have him feeling close to home at least.

Ben Wilson (Airdrieonians)

Like County-bound Hale, former strike partner Ben Wilson makes the switch to Scottish football after a prolific season with Cliftonville.

The 22-year-old will hope to continue where he left off after scoring 18 goals in his first season of senior football after leaving Brighton & Hove Albion's youth ranks, although in the Northern Ireland youth cap's case, he will have to wait until second-tier Airdrieonians' first match at home to East Kilbride on Wednesday.

Jordan Davies (Greenock Morton)

Jordan Davies scored the only goal in Saturday's friendly win over Annan Athletic

Greenock Morton, who are away to East Fife, have had to wait since Jordan Davies signed a pre-contract deal in January for the 28-year-old's arrival.

They will hope it was worth it and that the striker can repeat the form in Scotland that led to 26 goals last season as Connah’s Quay Nomads won the Welsh Cup and finished runners-up in the Cymru Premier.