Scotland Men's Football Team

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Celtic captain Callum McGregor has described his 63-cap Scotland career as a "huge honour" after retiring from international football.

The 31-year-old made his debut against the Netherlands in 2017 and bows out having played at two major tournaments - Euro 2020 and 2024.

McGregor, who started all three games in Germany at this summer's finals, said: "I have made a decision which was very difficult, of course, but a decision which I feel is the right one at the right time.

"It was very important I spoke to [Scotland manager] Steve [Clarke] and I did that this week to make him aware of my intentions. As I said to Steve, I just felt the time is right for me to move on from international football.

"It has been a huge honour to achieve 63 caps for my country, as appearing just once would have been a dream come true, so to achieve 63 and be inducted into the Roll of Honour at 50 caps is something I could only have dreamed of as a young kid."

McGregor's goal against Croatia at Hampden in June 2021 made him the first Scotland men's player to score at a major tournament in 23 years.

His two other Scotland goals came against Ukraine in a World Cup play-off and against Georgia during the successful Euro 2024 qualification campaign.

"Playing for Scotland always meant so much to me and reaching two major tournaments will always be a source of real pride, and scoring at Hampden in the Euros in front of our fantastic supporters will always be a special highlight for me," added the midfielder.

"Of course, like many others I wish we could have gone further in these competitions but, nonetheless, it has been a privilege to have played for my country on such a stage and to have represented my country for such a long period."

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Scotland centre-half Scott McKenna has joined La Liga side Las Palmas on a three-year deal.

McKenna, 27, left Nottingham Forest this summer following the expiry of his contract and now makes the move to Gran Canaria.

The former Aberdeen defender becomes the second Scotland international to sign for Las Palmas this summer after striker Oli McBurnie.

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A little extra fire power for Steve Clarke's profligate Scots? I see you sit up...

Harvey Barnes is the name doing the rounds... again.

Yep, we've been here before.

Barnes qualifies to play for Scotland through his grandparents, but has been capped once by England - in a 2020 friendly versus Wales - though he was rumoured to be a potential call-up for this summer's Euros.

Of course, that didn't happen, though the hen in the squad announcement video is still on some of our minds.

So too is Barnes recent comments. Speaking to The Athletic, Barnes admitted "there's been one or two conversations" regarding the switch of allegiance.

Ryan Cryle, joint sports editor of the Press and Journal and Evening Express, told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast that Barnes' indecision is a "turn off."

"He's probably thinking 'I could still get called up for England' so you don't want to commit yourself too much. But at the same time, that lack of ‘I really want to play for Scotland, call me up Steve Clarke’ is a little bit of a turn off for me.

"It feels like in those American sitcoms... if we get to 30 and we're not married, we can marry each other because we haven't found anyone else. It's a little bit like that.

"But Harvey Barnes has got 40 Premier League goals, and if we've seen anything from Scotland over the last few years, it's that up-front we need more goals in the team. We need players that are capable of scoring regularly.

"There's two sides to it for me. I'm not quite sure, because you want players to be desperate to pull on the international shirt and represent their country."

Some are less conflicted by the situation, however.

And former Scotland international Cammy Bell is one of them.

He's eager to bring in the Newcastle United attacker as soon as possible.

"Any £40m player, bring them to Scotland, get them in the squad," he gushed.

"I just think he would bring so much to the Scotland squad, something we've not got. He's a goalscorer, with a huge amount of assists as well, at the top level of football.

"Bring me a £40m player and put him in the Scotland squad, no problem."

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Fulham remain in contact with Manchester United over a potential deal for 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool's Scotland Under-21 winger Ben Doak, 18, will be allowed to leave Anfield on loan this summer. (Football Scotland), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Ex-Scotland player Dominic Matteo says Leeds United youngster Harry Gray, 15, could be a future star for his former national team. (Scotsman - subscription), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

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Scotland defender Scott McKenna has been linked with a move to UD Las Palmas, according to Spanish newspaper La Provincia, external.

The former Nottingham Forest centre-back could join as a free agent, after the Premier League club announced he would be leaving when his contract expired earlier this season.

McKenna, 27, has spent the first half of 2024 on loan at FC Copenhagen, and featured in all three of Scotland’s games at the Euros in Germany.

He has been linked with moves to both sides of the Old Firm, as well as Hull City, but now could join up with former Scotland teammate Oli McBurnie, who moved to Gran Canaria after he left Sheffield United earlier in the summer.

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Scotland centre-half Ryan Porteous says his dismissal in Scotland's Euro 2024 opener against Germany is "probably the hardest thing I've had to go through personally".

The Watford 25-year-old was shown a straight red card in the opening 45 minutes after a challenge on Ilkay Gundogan, with the game ultimately finishing 5-1.

Speaking publicly for the first time since then, Porteous backs himself to put the sending off - and Scotland's early exit - behind him.

"It was obviously really tough," he told Sky Sports., external "When we were away at the Euros, you couldn’t really think of yourself that much because you’ve still got a pretty big job to do for the team in and around the place.

"You can't be sulking or feeling sorry for yourself. You have to help the boys. I thought I tried to do that to the best I could, but when you leave the camp, it hits you.

"But I have a lot of good people around me and they looked after me well. I feel like I am in a much better place now."

Porteous returned to Easter Road to start in the Watford side that beat Hibs 3-2 in Wednesday's pre-season friendly.

"I wanted to come right back to Watford straight away and get back to work because you are not going to feel better by sulking or feeling sorry for yourself," he added.

"You are going to get back by reacting and I think I've shown I can bounce back from adversity a lot before, so I’m back myself to do that again."

Sheffield United have made Oli McBurnie, who became a free agent in June, another contract offer in a bid to end the Scotland striker’s state of summer limbo after the 28-year-old returned to pre-season training with the Championship club. (The Star), external

Stuart Armstrong could be in line for a Brentford contract after manager Thomas Franks hailed the Scotland midfielder as a "great player" as the 32-year-old arrived on trial with the Premier League club after leaving Southampton. (Herald - subscription), external

Standard Liege are close to completing the signing of 27-year-old Scotland capped centre-half David Bates for £630,000 from Belgian top-flight rivals Mechelen. (The National), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Manchester United place a £30m price tag on Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay, 27. (Football Insider), external

Scotland midfield man Stuart Armstrong, 32, is on trial with Brentford following his exit from Southampton. (Daily Echo), external

Kenny McLean, 32, wants to remain with Norwich City, despite the Scotland midfielder being linked with Rangers. (Norwich Evening News), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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Napoli are preparing a bid for Brighton's Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour, 23. (Telegraph - subscription), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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After a season of success at Kilmarnock, is there a growing concern manager Derek McInnes could follow the same path as the last man to guide them into Europe?

It's certainly a fear for fan podcaster Paul Montgomery, who feels he is potentially watching a "re-run" of Steve Clarke's exit.

Having guided the Rugby Park side to a third-placed finish, Clarke left Ayrshire to take the Scotland job.

The former Kilmarnock boss remains in post at Hampden despite a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, and Montgomery hopes that means at least "another couple of seasons" of McInnes.

"McInnes is still ambitious," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "He's a brilliant manager, especially at this level, and I'm sure he'll have already had offers.

"My concern about McInnes in terms of staying with Killie would probably be the Scotland job. It feels like it's a kind of re-run of the Clarke stuff.

"He seems settled, but I'm not naive enough to think he's going to be here for another 10 years. If we get another couple of seasons of stability, then he can go to Scotland or Real Madrid or something like that."

Former Kilmarnock goalkeeper Cammy Bell added: "I'm pretty sure he is an ambitious guy and I'm pretty sure he will have one eye on the Scotland job at some point in his managerial career.

"Whether that's within the next two, three, five, 10 years, I don't know. But I don't really see him going to any other club in Scotland."

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Lewis Ferguson says he is "in a better place now" after the initial disappointment of picking up a serious knee injury that ruled him out of Bologna's Serie A run-in and Scotland's Euro 2024 finals campaign.

"It's been difficult of course," the 24-year-old midfielder told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "There's been ups and downs, but I'm positive. I'm happy with the way I'm progressing.

"I'm beginning to feel more and more like myself again physically. I'm looking forward to being outside again - that's the next stage, getting outside and on to the grass."

Ferguson admits that keeping himself positive mentally is "half the battle".

"Initially, it is tough physically - you can't move much and do the things you normally do," he said.

"Then, mentally, it is difficult too. There is never a good time to suffer an injury like this, but I just felt the timing was really bad with the Euros just round the corner.

"That was my thoughts as soon as I got the results back from my scan. When the doctors were explaining my results, it was my first question before they even told me I had done my ACL. But I am in a much better place now."

Ferguson still expects not to play again until close to the end of this year, meaning he will miss the start of Scotland's Nations League campaign.

"It depends on the body and how it reacts," he added. "They said it was going to be at least six months from surgery and I think that will be late October-November time, so if everything goes to plan, I'll be back by the end of the year.

"But I don't want to put pressure on myself."

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Lewis Ferguson was disappointed to see his Scotland team-mates fail to do themselves justice at Euro 2024 but backs them to "bounce back" when the Nations League starts in September.

The Bologna midfielder, 24, missed out on Steve Clarke's squad for the finals in Germany after picking up a serious knee injury in April.

"It was difficult having being part of the squad all through qualification," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. "We started qualification really well and built up some great momentum and were playing some really good stuff.

"Then, watching the Euros, it was disappointing obviously from being a fan. And, when you see your team-mates struggling, you just want to help and obviously I wasn't able to do that."

Scotland opened the group stage at the finals with a 5-1 thrashing by the hosts and Ferguson said: "I don't think anyone expected us to get anything out of the first game, but we still didn't show what we're capable of and that was disappointing.

"But I think the Switzerland game [1-1 draw] was a massive improvement. Drawing with them was not a bad result considering how good they have been and they are into the latter stages of the competition.

"I think it was the last game [losing 1-0 to Hungary] that was the most disappointing because I felt confident in the build-up to that; I'm thinking, if we win, we're through, and thinking we have a better squad than Hungary, better players, better individuals and I would like to think we were better as a team.

"Obviously it never worked out quite like that. They've received a bit of criticism and it'll take a bit of time to get over, but I know them and the staff and they'll be ready to bounce back."

Heart of Midlothian head coach Steven Naismith, who is assistant to Steve Clarke with Scotland, says quitting as national team boss would not have entered the 60-year-old's mind despite the failure to qualify from their Euro 2024 group as he has a long-term plan. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Scott Brown hopes Steve Clarke will remain as Scotland head coach, insisting he has done a "fantastic job" since taking the reins.

Despite the disappointing group-stage exit from Euro 2024, the former Scotland midfielder backed Clarke - who is under contract for two more years - to stay in position and stressed he must do whatever it takes to be "the best we can".

Clarke has guided the national team to back-to-back Euros, something Brown wishes he could have experienced as a player.

"I can't say anything, I've never got to a Euros, so the lads did extremely well getting there and Steve's done a fantastic job over the last couple of campaigns getting there," the Celtic legend and current Ayr United manager said.

"It was an extremely hard start having the hosts [Germany] and the way they're playing as well, they just hit forward at the right time, so it was always going to be hard after that game.

"That next level is very, very hard to get to.

"I hope he does [still have the appetite for the job] because it was a long time since France 98 and Steve's managed to do it a couple of times on the bounce.

"We are a small country, but we'll have to be ambitious, we have to try and fight.

"We have to be the best we possibly can be and if that means Steve nicking a few other players from somewhere else then by all means do that."

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The Scottish FA has been fined €3,375 (£2,865) for the "throwing of objects" by Scotland fans during the 1-1 draw with Switzerland at Euro 2024.

It comes after a fine of €5,625 (£4,753) for the same offence in the 5-1 defeat by Germany which opened the tournament.

Switzerland were also sanctioned to the tune of €24,250 (£20,580) by Uefa for fans throwing objects during the Scotland game.

And Hungary were fined a total of €55,000 (£46,684) for the throwing of objects and "transmitting a message not fit for a sports event" during their win over Scotland in the final group match.