WORLD CUPPY DREAM!

Gilmour's schoolboy wish is now close to reality

- FRASER WILSON

THE trademark touch and control of a football was first mastered playing "World Cuppy" on a public park in Ayrshire.

Doing it on the big stage of the real World Cup was always a figment of schoolboy's wild imaginations for Billy Gilmour and his mates.

But now, 15 years on from those early days kicking around in Stevenston and having swapped North Ayrshire for Naples, the midfielder senses that dream might just be about to become a reality.

Gilmour won't allow himself to get too carried away, of course. But having already pocketed a Serie A winner's medal with Napoli this year, who could blame him for believing anything is possible?

Especially with Scotland positioned level top of the qualifying group at the halfway stage. The 24-year-old admits he was gutted to be left out of the starting XI for Thursday's 3-1 win over Greece. It's not the first time he's not started a game of huge significance.

But he made sure he was primed to affect the game when the call came.

When it did, with Scotland on the back foot after an hour, he proved why he is the go-to man when Scotland need to wrestle control of a match. The fightback for three massive points ensures Clarke's troops have their World Cup hopes very much in their own hands ahead of today's Belarus clash.