Three Scotland Players Drop Down to Under-21s, and Docherty Is Pleased

Scotland Under-21 coach Tony Docherty says he is delighted with how three players who dropped down from the senior squad have taken to the idea. He made the comments on 4 November, as he prepared his group for two friendly matches in Spain.

The three are Colby Donovan of Celtic, Lennon Miller of Udinese and James Wilson of Heart of Midlothian. All three were in the first full Scotland senior squad picked by Sebastian Pocognoli, the senior head coach, before being named in the Under-21 squad. A friendly is a match that does not count towards any league table or tournament, so it is a chance to try people out and build a team.

Docherty said he had talks with Miller and Donovan over the past couple of days to explain where they fit in the plan. He described a particularly long conversation with Miller about the move down to the younger side. Donovan, Docherty said, told him he wants to play for the Under-21s and make an impression, rather than simply being sent there to fill a place.

The reasoning is simple. Docherty said that if players are not going to get minutes with the senior squad during a camp, it matters that they join the Under-21s and play. He said the Under-21 set-up is built to mirror the senior one in structure and basic principles, so that the step between the two is not a shock. Minutes on the pitch are what young players need to grow.

Docherty also spoke about the value of experience. He said players who have trained and travelled with the senior squad can become the leaders of the younger group. In his view, those players help set standards and shape how the team thinks and behaves.

Some of the squad have a bigger story behind them. Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher went to the World Cup before joining Docherty's group in September. That means the Under-21 squad now includes players who have been close to the top of the national team this year, as well as those hoping to get there.

Miller joined Udinese from Motherwell last summer, and he is one of the most closely watched names in the group. Scotland's Under-21s will play their two friendlies in Pinatar, Spain, against Ukraine and the United States. The squad was named on 2 November, and Docherty's remarks two days later show how keen he is to make the most of the time they have together.