With the UEFA Euros 2024 set to kick off next month, all eyes are on Scotland.
Quite literally, because Scotland is first up against Germany in the Allianz Arena!
Seeing as Germany are three-time winners and three-time runners-up of the Euros, this might fill Scottish fans with a tinge of dread. But with Celtic’s Greg Taylor, Callum McGregor and Anthony Ralston involved in the pack, we can’t help but look forward to it anyway.
Celtic, of course, have been on a good run of late. We are Scottish Premiership champions, having secured 93 points. We ended strong. Five wins out of five secured the title, including those memorable wins against Hearts in a glorious 3-0 victory, the win against the Ibrox club and the league clinching night at Kilmarnock where they won 5-0.
When it comes to the Scotland national team games coming up in June, we think we’re going to witness something special.
In fact, we reckon something special is guaranteed for any team gaining a Celtic player. With confidence coursing through their blood and a clear winning know-how, they’re sure to make an impact and give their team that little extra oomph when the Euros finally gets started.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at these players and examine what exactly they can do when the first whistle blows.
Greg Taylor
Born in 1997, Greg Taylor currently plays as a left-back for Celtic. Throughout the 2010s, he played regularly for the Scotland Under-21 team, but finally made his full international debut in 2019. Since then, the lad has been flying.
At club level, he’s been a solid defensive option for Celtic, with a spark that has led to numerous magical moments – the winning goal against Heart of Midlothian in October 2022 immediately comes to mind.
At the international level, he’s been around the Scottish side for so long that he’s slipped easily into the top-level framework. Upon his UEFA Euro debut in 2020, manager Steve Clarke hailed him as ‘excellent’, giving the team a much-needed buzz despite an eventual loss of 3-0 against Belgium. We can see him doing great things come the summer, and we can’t wait to see it all play out!
Anthony Ralston
Anthony Ralston is another big figure in Scottish football. Born in 1998, he has been part of the youth system at Celtic since he was eight years old, making his full debut for the club in May 2016. While he has darted about the park since then – playing for Dundee and St Johnstone – he has recently signed a new four-year contract with Celtic, ensuring that he stays at the club until at least 2027.
In terms of his Scotland career, Ralston was called up to the senior squad in 2022, coming in as a late substitute for Kieran Tierney against Denmark in the World Cup qualifier. With Ralston currently in top form, we’d love to see him rocking the pitch in Germany. If he does, Scotland are sure to get that extra spark and push closer towards a victory.
Callum McGregor
The captain. The leader. The guy who both Celtic and Scotland cannot do without. He has been brilliant since returning to the side, and turned in virtuoso performances in all three of the big aforementioned games; Hearts, the Ibrox club and the championship clincher. Scotland will not function if he’s not in the team. Bottom line. He is critical.
Matt O’Riley
As we mentioned before, it’s not all about Scotland. Matt O’Riley is a passionate Celtic player – that’s right, O’Riley is not going anywhere! – who is set to represent his national team of Denmark when the UEFA Euros tournament kicks off.
Playing Slovenia first up, Matt O’Riley has that edge that could be the difference between a win and a loss. For his club, he masters the midfield, switching easily between an attacking and defending game, and ensuring that his team remains on the front foot as much as possible.
With defence issues plaguing Denmark over the last few years, this is something they’ll want to put right. As a midfielder, it’s not O’Riley’s job to strengthen the defence, but his sheer power and speed ensures that the ball stays on the right side of the field, and that could be very important against the harder teams. Once again, we can’t wait to see what he does.
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