Five Players For the Next SWNT U23 Squad.
It’s not unfair to say that the spontaneous nature in which the U23 Scotland Women’s National Team returned for the first time since the 2008 Nordic Cup caused some confusion.
SWNT would pick up a 2–0 victory over Panama thanks to goals from Abi Harrison (one of five over age players eligible to play in that game) and Jenna Clark. On the pitch this new phase for the national team was a success but there will be a need for clarity on how the squad will be made up in the future, who will lead them and the competition they can find if it is be viewed as a clear implementation of a new strategy designed to bridge the chasm that currently exists between U19 and senior national sides.
The positive is now that the genie is out the bottle concentrated focus has to be pointed towards this project as fans look for a reversal of the fortunes that has see us miss out on two major tournament final’s on the bounce. These U23 squads of the future should present fresh opportunities for players left in the international wilderness following their graduation from the U19s and so, with that in mind and with one eye on that next wave, here’s five players who could directly benefit from a call up to a Scotland U23 side next time out.
One note before we dive in, both Colette Cavanagh and Amy Gallacher would have been in contention for this list but both will celebrate their 24th birthday in the next few weeks and so I have focused on players who could get at least a full season under the belts at a new age grade.
Also any player that has played in a youth squad this calendar year, or already has a senior cap, hasn’t been considered as they at the time of writing are within the national team system (there is an exception below, but I’ll get to that).
Eilidh Shore |Club: Aberdeen | Age: 20 | Position: CM
Eilidh Shore is a name that has long been on the tips of tongues for those embedded in the Scottish women’s game, but outside of that bubble her qualities can often go unheralded. One of five Aberdeen players to be offered a semi-professional contract in May 2022, Shore is the cornerstone of a youthful Aberdeen side.
Comfortable on the ball and combatitive in the tackle she also has an eye for an exquisite pass, particularly from range. Her ball-playing abilities the perfect compliment to her ability to shine in amongst the trenches of midfield battle. Ranking in the top three in the SWPL this season for Aerial Duels (per 90), Defensive Duels (per 90) and Defensive Recoveries (per 90), those engagments come with a success rate that add quality to the quantity of her numbers.
She also reads the game superbly and her 9.86 Interceptions (per 90) is a league leader this term. Watch her closely and she already has the attributes to become a complete deep-lying midfielder with numbers that continue to back that up. A player who would benefit from new surroundings whilst still developing from the comfort of home domestically.
Michaela McAlonie | Club: Hibernian | Age: 20 | Position: ACM/LW/RW/WB
Michaela McAlonie might not put up big numbers. She has yet to score in the SWPL this season but there is perhaps no player that has the intangible ability to improve a team quite like McAlonie does when playing for a Hibernian side that at times have struggled.
Signed from Spartans in June of 2021 she scored on her debut against her former club before injuries led to a frustrating first season in green. On her return to full fitness towards the end of last season she brought an energy and tenacity that made her stand out against the league’s leading lights even as her side would often drift towards defeat.
Her best performance of the current campaign came against Glasgow City as Hibernian defeated their old rivals to progress to the SWPL Cup Final, the 20-year-old hustling and harrying the City midfield from first minute to last whilst simultaneously keeping Amy Muir, a starter against Panama, quiet on the right hand side.
She is much more than a midfield scrapper as she is also an intelligent runner from deep and the former U19's captain is another player primed to see if she can step up to another level internationally, just as she has done in her club career to date.
Georgia Hunter | Club: Hearts | Age: 21 | Position: CB
One of the areas where Scotland may need some rapid regeneration in the upcoming campaigns is at centre back. Captain Rachel Corsie (33) and Jen Beattie (31) were the foundations of the Scottish defence that qualified for the 2019 World Cup but both are entering the latter stages of their careers, with Corsie also transitioning to a defensive midfield role for her club side Aston Villa at the start of this season.
29-year-old Sophie Howard perhaps emerged as Scotland’s best centre back over the World Cup Qualifying campaign and the emergence of duo Jenna Clark (one of the scorers’ against Panama) and Leah Eddie suggest options are coming but expanding the search would be no bad thing.
Hearts captain Georgia Hunter, who has overcome back issues which have hampered her progress, has this term established herself as one of the SWPL’s most reliable defenders. Usually deployed at the centre of a back three alongside the experienced Vyan Sampson and Emma Brownlie; she is amongst the top ten in the league for Defensive Recoveries (per 90) and Interceptions (per 90) and can couple her reading of the game with confidence on the ball and the physical attributes required for the role.
Despite her young age she has also grown into a leadership role on the pitch under Hearts coach Eva Olid developing a presence that is missed when unavailable while Hunter has also benefitted from Hearts increased focus on the women’s arm of their football operations. If that progress continues she is another former youth international that should view the U23’s as a viable next step in her pursuit of caps for her country.
Kirsty MacLean | Club: Rangers | Age: 17 | Position: CM
Despite the caveats I detailed at the top of this list sometimes the numbers and the eye test dictate that a player is ready to jump a level. Of the trio of hugely promising youngsters at Rangers it is midfield metronome Kirsty MacLean that has emerged as the current leading light, firmly establishing herself as a first team regular for the defending champions this term.
Diminutive in stature her nimbleness in tight spaces can both get her out of trouble and be key in breaking down oppositon defences. She has three assists and two second assists in the league this season and has already been accelerated to the U19 squad despite still being eligible for the age group below, making her debut during a difficult Euro 2023 qualifying campaign on home soil.
MacLean is at her most threatening when pointing towards goal and her ability to pick up a ball and quickly transition onto the half turn made her stand out in those qualifiers despite the run of defeats experienced.At club level her confidence grows week on week enabled by the trust shown in her by manager Malky Thomson.
As a nation we sometimes hold back our most exciting prospects because of their tender years, a habit we seem to be slowly breaking. At a time when we are looking to accelerate our game perhaps the best way is to get those that are most precocious in nice and early. Kirsty MacLean would certainly be a worthy candidate to try as proof of concept.
Jamie-Lee Napier | Club: London City Lionesses | Age: 22 | Position: LWB/LW/CF
The last two seasons have been one of rehabilitation for the player most had earmarked in 2019 as a stick-on for Scotland squads for years to come. A rapier like forward/winger/wing-back for Hibernian where, as well as claiming multiple cup successes, she earned individual awards; crowned the SWPL Player of the Year in 2019 and also being named as one of UEFA’s ten stars for the future in the January of the following year.
She has been called up once, but is yet to be capped and is now starting to rediscover the kind of form that saw Chelsea boss Emma Hayes take a punt on the youngster following her award winning season in Edinburgh.
She struggled for game time at Kingsmeadow, as the London side supercharged their pursuit for success with the signings of Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder and she would spend the 2020/21 season on loan at Birmingham City, gaining regular experience at an WSL side, often deployed as a left sided wing back, with a focus on working hard as opposed to breaking games, the Midlands side would ultimately escape relegation.
She would eventually move to Women’s Championship London City Lionesses, and while the step down a division may seem a backwards step, it has perhaps allowed Napier to find exactly who she is as a player. In many ways her versatility has been her biggest weakness and while she can still be found leading the line for her current club on occasion she has settled into a role on the left hand flank matching industry with attacking instincts.
She leads the Championship in second assists, with three to her name as well as featuring in the league’s top ten in dribbling, progressive runs and offensive duel stats. Napier’s biggest challenge may not just be the quality ahead of her in the current “A” set-up but also the fact that playing in the Championship could leave a player out of sight and out of mind (Bristol City’s Abi Harrison and Crystal Palace’s Chloe Arthur both played against Panama but have had recent spells in the WSL to call upon).
Had an U23 side existed come the time Napier had ended her time with the U19’s then there is an argument to be made that perhaps she would already have a number of caps to her name. Sometimes all you need is another chance and if Napier’s form continues she will surely be in contention for future squads.
So that’s my five. Who would you get involved in an U23 Scotland squad for future internationals? And are you into the prospect of a bridge from U19 to the senior international side.
For a little bit of bonus content here is a look at the make up of the current squad and all the players called up by Pedro Martinez Losa is 2022.
