BILLY THE BID

Gers should swoop for Gilmour... it would help them, boost Scotland and be a huge step for kid too good for Brighton bench

- BARRY FERGUSON

I FEEL a little bit sorry for Billy Gilmour right now.

My biggest concern is the young man might be feeling every bit as sorry for himself.

That's because when I look at all the positives around Steve Clarke's Scotland squad at the moment and all there is to look forward to over the next few years - the sight of Gilmour sitting on the sidelines is probably the only thing the manager would like to change.

Unfortunately, the situation is out of Clarke's control for now. He couldn't possibly justify giving Gilmour a game against Cyprus or Spain because the boy has hardly had a sniff of firstteam action at Brighton.

And that will be killing Clarke as much as it's hurting the player himself.

Let's be in no doubt, Gilmour is something truly special.

I'd go as far as to say he could make a real difference between Scotland just appearing at Euro 2024 and actually making a memorable mark on the entire tournament.

Trust me, he's that good.

While Billy's talent is not in question, his luck is a different story. That's why I felt some sympathy for him on Tuesday in the aftermath of Scotland's landmark win over Spain.

Hampden Park was buzzing.

The players and manager were enjoying a massive moment in the team's progression.

But while some of them were on the trackside giving interviews, Billy was in the background, doing his running on an empty pitch after playing no part at all in the doubleheader. I started thinking, 'What must be going through his head right now?'.