Four Ayrshire men have been named in Steve Clarke's provisional Scotland squad for Euro 2024.
Though Billy Gilmour, Ben Doak, Ross McCrorie and James Forrest haven't quite earned their place in the full 26-man list which will be taking part in the tournament in Germany from next month.
Two players will still need to be cut from the 28 which were included on the provisional squad announced by the Scotland manager on Wednesday, May 22.
It would have been a shock to no one to see Ardrossan boy Billy Gilmour named amongst those vying for a place on the plane.
Gilmour has enjoyed another solid campaign in the middle of Brighton's midfield making 33 domestic appearances as well as eight run outs in the Europa League.
He made his Scotland debut under Clarke back in 2021 after being named in the delayed Euro 2020 squad and has made 25 national team appearances since then.
James Forrest will bring a plethora of experience to the table, despite not having been a regular feature in the Scotland squad for some time.
The Prestwick-born winger has not played for the national team since 2021, though was part of the squad that competed in the previous Euro competition.
He played a big part in helping Clarke's side qualify for that tournament, their first since 1998, as he scored a hat-trick against Israel in a 3-2 win which secure our play-off place.
Despite his absence in recent years, Forrest has featured 38 teams for his country in the past, notching five goals in the process.
No Scotland, No Party. pic.twitter.com/Y4rrtSvLwh
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 22, 2024
The attacker has had his struggles at club level over the past three season and had no made over 20 appearances for Celtic since the 2019/20 season - until this year.
An end of season resurgence has now not only made him a regular starter in Glasgow but has forced him back into Steve Clarke's national team thoughts.
A first Scotland appearance for Dailly man Ross McCrorie could be beckoning with the Bristol City defender/midfielder also making the 28-man squad.
Having started out in the Rangers Academy, making over 40 appearances for the club, the 26-year-old really started to shine after a move to Aberdeen.
He earned a transfer to Bristol City in 2023 after his showings up north and despite having his injury troubles, making only 22 appearances since, has done enough to be in Clarke's thoughts this summer.
It isn't the first time the Dailly man has been called up, having been in squads in 2020 and 2023, but could we finally see him take to the field for the senior side?
Meanwhile, Ben Doak is a name many may not have expected to make the cut.
The 18-year-old Dalry boy is one of the nation's hottest prospects having made his Celtic debut aged just 16 before moving to Liverpool for around £600,000 in 2022.
He was handed his Liverpool debut at the end of that year, however his progress has been halted by injury issues this year.
Doak has managed just seven appearances for the Reds in all competitions though Clarke has shown tremendous faith in his ability and potential to name him in the 28-man provisional squad.
While all the players might not make the cut, it is another example of the talent produced here in Ayrshire.
We will find out who has made the final 26-man list next month ahead of the tournament opener against Germany on June 14.
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