Scotland Women's Football Team

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Pinatar

From self-acclaimed "gallus Alice" to 100 club member. It's been quite the 14 years in a Scotland jersey for Lisa Evans.

As proud as the 31-year-old Bristol City winger is at reaching that milestone, her full focus is on the next 100, which she hopes will include appearances at next summer's European Championships.

Having missed out on the last two major tournaments, after previously appearing at the 2017 Euros and the 2019 World Cup, Evans is hungrier than ever to be back on the big stage.

"I regard us as one of the best teams in Europe, so we need to be there, we deserve to be there," the former Arsenal and Bayern Munich star told BBC Scotland.

"It's important we are on the main stage and competing against the teams that we have been in the Nations League – they're the teams that we want to be playing and to do that, we need to be at major tournaments."

To get there, Scotland will need to successively negotiate their way through the qualifying campaign, which begins in April. Evans cannot wait, as that means more time with the squad she loves.

“Pedro and the staff feel like they don’t get enough time with us and we’re the same, we’d all love to have more time together," she added.

"It is invaluable that when we do come away, we get together and gel as quickly as possible.

“Our biggest strength is the environment that we create for each other. You guys were lucky enough to see us on a good day, but the vibes are always very good, very positive and I feel as though it is an environment you can thrive in."

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Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland in Pinatar

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Pedro Martinez Losa caught up with BBC Sport out in Spain to preview Scotland's Pinatar Cup final against Finland on Tuesday.

Here are the key lines:

• Squad produced "one of the best training sessions in terms of energy" today, in their final run-out of this camp.

• He said "Finland are going to expose us to other standards," and stressed it will be "a difficult game against a good team, particularly in possession".

• Martinez Losa believed Slovenia were the better side in their semi-final against Finland, something that "wouldn't have been thought of two or three years ago" which shows the "evolution" of the women's game.

• The head coach believes he has a "proper squad" not just a team.

• Martinez Losa said this is "the best scenario" Scotland could be in heading into April's Euro qualifiers.

BBC Scotland's Amy Canavan looks ahead to Scotland's Pinatar Cup final against Finland from Spain.

Image source, Amy Canavan

Amy Canavan, BBC Sport Scotland in Pinatar

I know I'm going on about it, but they really are crazy conditions out here in Spain. I can hear the irony, I know...

But ask most players, and they'll say the forecast they least like to play in is wind. Give them rain, sleet or snow any day.

Goalscorer Martha Thomas admitted as much post-match, although the way she took her two goals, you wouldn't have noticed.

Lost hats and broken seats. Here was me thinking I might come home with a bit of a tan... Feel like I'm at Gayfield.

Away to look around local shops for thermals for Tuesday's final against Finland...

Image source, Amy Canavan

Image source, SNS

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa: "Reconnecting with winning is great, and I just want to really congratulate the girls because it has been a long time since they've had that feeling.

"Not conceding any goals for us is critical. In the second half, the players can be given a lot of credit for keeping the standards, not losing their concentration with the incredible winds we had and staying in the game without making a mistake. We could have had more goals, but I am happy with the application and energy from everyone.

"We belong to the high performance level so winning is the life. The pride to play for our country, inspiring thousands and millions of young girls and winning games - building this success, hopefully we can inspire everyone.

"We followed the plan. Philippines were trying to create tactical chaos a lot, and it is very difficult to stay for 90 minutes in a game not making a mistake. The players recognised that very well, very rarely did Philippines surprise us and if they did, we dealt with it effectively."

On Martha Thomas scoring again he added, "It was important. We had a discussion with both Jane [Ross] and Martha and agreed they would get a half each. They both bring different things to the team and Martha needed that feeling of scoring goals, so I am really pleased for her.

"For Jane, I am also so pleased. She might not have scored any goals but after an injury, it's a great credit to a top professional player's mentality."

Martha Thomas waited seven months for her next Scotland goal, then another came 13 minutes later. She only featured in the first half, but managed to deliver the win and cause a bit of bother in the Philippines box outwith her goals.

Image source, Scottish FA

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Amy Canavan, BBC Sport Scotland in Pinatar

After 17 months out with an ACL injury, Jane Ross is keen to make up for lost time.

Scotland's second-highest goalscorer of all time is back in her first international camp in 21 months, and the striker is champing at the bit to get back out there in dark blue... and to do so again at a major tournament.

First up are two games in their warm-weather training camp in Pinatar, but the two games that will take place this week, starting with Philippines on Saturday, are in preparation of Euro 2025 qualifying, which begins in April.

Having been there and done that, the 34-year-old knows what it takes to get Scotland back into the big time and the Rangers forward is adamant this crop of players can do just that.

“We have a very talented group of players," Ross said.

"It was small margins in the last few games that have gone from being a loss to a win. We have a very talented squad, Euro 2025 is our goal for now and I am sure we are going to give everything we can to qualify.

“When we are on our day we are a very tough team to play against so there is definitely the belief and confidence there that we can go and qualify for 2025."

Amy Canavan, BBC Sport Scotland in Pinatar

Scotland head coach Pedro Martinez Losa caught up with us out in the Spanish sun as his team prepare for their first game of 2024 against the Philippines on Saturday afternoon.

Here are the key points he made:

• He said the squad and staff have "deeply reflected" on their Nations League campaign in a "honest and ruthless way" in order to progress to the next level.

• The head coach said his side "have to get used to dealing with the frustration and using every single aspect, positive and negative, to continue growing and build our mentality".

• Highlighted that one of the biggest strengths of this group are the "humans they are," adding, "that togetherness, that unity, that ambition to want to compete, that pride to play for Scotland".

• Martinez Losa stressed that "we cannot forget that the Philippines played in the World Cup," when preparing for Saturday's game.

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German-born Scotland and Leicester City centre-back Sophie Howard discusses fitting into the national squad on the Behind the Goals podcast.

• Listen and subscribe here.

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Celtic midfielder Jenny Smith has been called into the Scotland squad for the Pinatar Cup, replacing AC Milan's Christy Grimshaw.

Smith made her only international appearance in October last year, coming off the bench against the Netherlands at Hampden in the Nations League.

Pedro Martinez Losa's side face the Philippines on Saturday, 24 February, before taking on either Slovenia or Finland the following Tuesday in the invitaional friendly tournament.

16-time capped Grimshaw was on the end of a nasty challenge at the weekend in the Milan derby.

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Amy Canavan, BBC Sport Scotland at Hampden

Head coach Pedro Martinez Losa announced his Pinatar Cup squad earlier today and addressed the media afterwards.

He touched on a few subjects including the Nations League disappointment, the need to bounce back and the recall of Jane Ross.

On reflection of the last campaign:

“At the end of a campaign, there is always a period of reflection for us. There is a period of trying to improve things, reflect internally and try to bring things together for the new campaign.

“There are a lot of areas for improvement in terms of football, in terms of internally the structure and the resources that we have – it is a little bit of everything – but also the progression of the players that we have been trusting.

“For us, we are looking forward to reconnecting with the good things that we have done before and give that energy to the group that we are starting a new campaign with the objective of qualifying for the Euros."

On scrutiny he has faced for England result:

“I accept criticism, that is part of my job, I understand the disappointment, we have already apologised to our fans after a very difficult result but we have an obligation to analyse internally where we can improve. The top nations are flying in terms of level of investment, resources and level of football so we have to look at every single area with our limited resources what we can do to take some competitive advantages to make sure those distances are being reduced.

“The two scenarios against England are good examples of on a good day we can match and compete with England, on a bad day, the level we showed in the last game was not what we expected."

On SWNT's next steps:

“I have a role here that I am privileged to have every day and I have an opportunity to deliver a message to the players and to help them get to the next level. Exciting and challenging times are coming up, I never expected this to be a rosy journey.

"Hopefully, with the media, we can work together, we all want Scotland to qualify so the narrative sometimes we describe has a lot of influence on how we perceive things. We are a team developing and a team to be excited about.

“We also have become a team who can be world class in many contexts. That has already now given us the capability to compete. Losing players like Emma Watson and Caroline Weir they were the two players, plus others, that were helping us to link the final third connections."

On the young players being the future of the side:

“There is a challenge now. What we have done is create a platform of safety and good atmosphere in training but this needs more requirement that should be there, that wasn’t there on my arrival but we have built it in now for two years and now we to continue giving that to give them the chance. Some of them have got to the level very quick, others it has taken a little more time, for me, I will always be on their side, my specialism is in developing young players.

“They have to be the answer because that is what we have and that is what we are producing now."

On Jane Ross' return to the international squad:

"She is one of the best professionals I have ever met in my career. She has gone through a process of injuries, but now she is looking in good form. We have had continuous conversations with Jane, Rangers and the manager to know if she was in the best position, so we all agreed that now she was ready, which Is good news for us. She is a player who knows the game very well and we are aware of what she can bring to the team.

“She knows the role she needs to play in every moment on and off the pitch for the team and it is always a pleasure to work with her."

Image source, SNS

Pedro Martinez Losa has confirmed his Scotland squad for the upcoming Pinatar Cup in Spain.

The most notable addition is Rangers striker Jane Ross, who returns to the squad after a 21 months after earning her 146th cap.

Rangers' Chelsea Cornet, Hibs' Leah Eddie and Glasgow City's Hayley Lauder also return whilst Amy Gallacher, Abi Harrison, Kirsty Maclean, Emma Mukandi and Rachel McLauchlan drop out.

Martinez Losa’s side kick off their 2024 fixture calendar against the Philippines on 24 February.