Oliver Burke may be the most expensive Scots player in history but that won’t guarantee him a place in the team that kicks off the World Cup qualifying campaign in Malta.
As Scotland prepare to take the first step on the road that will hopefully lead to Russia in 2018, the Kirkcaldy-born 19-year-old is suddenly the next great hope following his £13 million move from Nottingham Forest to RB Leipzig, which was completed on Sunday.
The dream is that he will be the superstar – a tartan Gareth Bale, if you like – that the country has craved once he learns and prospers in the Bundesliga with the ambitious east German club.
Every member of the Tartan Army will be eagerly taking their seats in the Ta’Qali Stadium or switching on their TVs back home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new boy wonder when the Scots take on the Maltese in the first Group F qualifying game on Sunday night.
However, while Burke may be the dearest player ever to have set foot in the Mar Hall training base that doesn’t necessarily book him a jersey, according to assistant national coach Mark McGhee.
Asked if manager Gordon Strachan was now under pressure to make Burke an automatic starter because of the price tag, McGhee said: “The transfer doesn’t change anything.
“He’s not in our squad because he joined Leipzig – he was already in our thoughts.
“As part of that squad, he was one of the options that we have discussed for being in the team.
“We have not discussed in detail what the team will be but he is certainly one of the runners and riders.
“He won’t start simply because he’s moved to Leipzig for however many millions.”
Meanwhile, McGhee defended Strachan’s decision not to include striker Ross McCormack in the squad that will fly out to the Mediterranean island on Saturday.
McCormack was the man supplanted by Burke as the most expensive Scots player, having joined Aston Villa from Fulham for £12 million early last month.
His name was left off the squad list, much to the puzzlement of many supporters.
However, McGhee said: “There is no bigger fan of Ross McCormack than me.
“From day one I have promoted Ross from when I first saw him at Motherwell but what Gordon has done is sit down in the summer and draw up a list of 45 or so players we made sure we would be looking at and scouting.
“Then, when it comes to the squad, Gordon picks 24.
“There are, therefore, another 20 or so players at home somewhere wondering why they are not here and Ross is one of them.
“But I would say that between now and the end of this campaign, which is 10 games, we will probably turn over all 45 players.
“Next time round there will be players here who are not here today and players here today who aren’t here next time.”
