Ex-Celtic man says Euro 2024 was 'step too far' for Scotland striker but hails 'next Billy Bremner'

Scotland have produced their most exciting talent best since the late, great Billy Bremner, according to one leading TV pundit.

With the dust settling on another disappointing early exit from a major tournament, former Celtic striker Alan McInally has hailed midfielder Billy Gilmour as the side’s biggest positive in Germany - and believes Steve Clarke’s side possess a generational talent.

“He's just as important as Scott McTominay,” McInally told Betfair. “I think he proved that with the Switzerland and Hungary performances when you look at the way we played against Germany. He's a great player, a really good player. We haven't had a player in Scotland like that since Billy Bremner.”

Despite being left out of the starting line-up for Scotland’s opening game against Germany, the Brighton midfielder proved to be a rare bright spark for his side at the tournament. His performance in the 1-1 draw against Switzerland earned him the player of the match award, with Gilmour heralded as an ‘extra special player’.

“He’s somebody who's prepared to get on the ball,” added McInally. “He can get it from the goalkeeper, play it wide, play with your back to goal, you know, facing your goalkeeper. I just think he's really important. McTominay scores goals. He scored seven in the qualifiers and he scored again in our only goal of the tournament, so he's not any more important than McTominay. If Gilmour scores seven goals or five goals in the qualifying and can bag one in a tournament, I'll change my mind. He's part of a very, very important machine in the middle of the park though.”

The 61-year-old former striker wasn’t quite as complimentary towards Scotland striker Che Adams though, admitting he remains unconvinced that the Southampton man has what it takes to play at the highest level. “Every striker has had a finger pointed at him,” claimed McInally. “Che Adams, by the way, in qualifying, was important for us. He really was important, genuinely. At the big tournament, it was just one step too much for Che Adams, unfortunately.

“I mean, as much as he tried his absolute best, and incidentally, he's going to be a Premier League player next year, people forget he's only just come out of the Championship. That was the level that he was playing at. That's just a reality for Scotland. We don't have someone that I would take right now in the Premier League. He gives what he can give you. He's an honest, professional football player. But international class, you can throw the finger at a few of them to say, they're not international class and that's why we're not still in an international tournament.

“There's no question that Lawrence Shankland is a better goal scorer than Che Adams and has proven that last season. But then people say, ‘Well, he only played in Scotland. It's easier in Scotland to score goals than it is in the Championship or the Premier League.’ Okay, if that's the case, fine. But he'll probably be disappointed he only got that amount of time.”