Pocognoli puts McTominay in Scotland's five-man leadership group
Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli has named Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay as one of the five players in his captain group. Speaking on 10 November, Pocognoli said that group would be relied on to make sure his instructions are carried out on the pitch. BBC Sport
McTominay, 29, had missed Pocognoli's first four games in charge, all part of the UEFA Nations League. The competition pits European national teams against each other in groups, and results decide who plays whom next. In those four games Scotland drew with Slovenia, lost to Switzerland, beat North Macedonia, then lost at home to Slovenia.
Pocognoli was clear about the midfielder's value. "I don't have to paint a picture of how important a player he is for us," he said. He called McTominay "exciting" and said the player "had a smile on his face from the minute he arrived at the camp."
McTominay is back playing after a minor heart procedure. He had treatment to correct an irregular heartbeat, meaning a heart rhythm that is out of step, two days before Scotland's World Cup win over Haiti in June.
Leadership was a theme of Pocognoli's remarks. "Without leaders, you can't win anything," he said. He added that having strong leaders committed to Scotland was one of the reasons he felt comfortable taking the job. Pocognoli has a track record of his own, having guided Union Saint-Gilloise to their first Belgian title in 90 years.
The results have left Scotland with work to do. They sit third in Nations League Group B1, behind Switzerland and Slovenia. They need at least four points from their final two games to have a chance of a promotion play-off place, a one-off route into the group above.
Captain Andy Robertson is set to equal Kenny Dalglish's Scotland record of 102 caps, meaning appearances for the national team. The Tottenham Hotspur left-back has been a fixture of the side for years, and the next match will be a landmark for him.
Scotland's next match is at Hampden Park, where they face North Macedonia on Friday. Pocognoli's captain group will be expected to help set the tone from the first whistle.
