'This is mental': Scotland teen details Rangers loan benefit after ending six-year Kilmarnock wait
The on-loan Kilmarnock winger was a headline inclusion in Clarke’s Scotland squad
Findlay Curtis says he is “bursting with pride” after being included in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the upcoming friendly games with Japan and Ivory Coast later this month.
The 19-year-old Rangers winger, who is currently on loan at Kilmarnock, was the surprise name in Clarke’s 26-man squad for the pre-World Cup warm-up matches after producing some eye-catching performances following his deadline-day arrival at Rugby Park last month.
The first Kilmarnock outfield player to be called-up to the national team since Stephen O’Donnell back in October 2019, Curtis admitted that his family were brought to tears when the announcement was made and detailed the reasons why his loan move to the club has been so beneficial to his progression.
“I got a call yesterday from the gaffer [Neil McCann] here,” Curtis told KillieTV. “He said 'you are in consideration for the [Scotland] set-up'. I was sitting thinking to myself: 'This is mental'. He then phoned me and told me I was in the squad and I was just bursting with pride. I told my mum and dad and my mum started crying. It's huge.
“Getting out and playing football has been massive for me and that's a factor in getting this call-up. I will keep working hard and see what else can come. It's unbelievable. I didn't expect it at such a young age but it's a dream come true and I can't wait to get going.
The call-up comes off the back of Curtis’ excellent display in Kilmarnock’s 1-0 win over table-topping Hearts last weekend, a performance which head coach McCann described as an “electric”.
“Finn played tonight, probably the first time in his proper position off the wide position,” said the Killie boss. “Especially in that first 20 minutes, he was absolutely electric. The eye-catching stuff’s good, but all the dirty stuff I love as well. For a young boy, his understanding of the game is impressive. He dropped in as a four at times and stopped switches and stopped Hearts getting into positions to cross it in".
It caps off an impressive breakthrough year for the teenager, who made his senior debut for Rangers just 14 months ago in a 2-1 Europa League defeat against Manchester United. Having impressed in pre-season, Curtis began the current campaign by scoring his first Rangers goal in a 2-0 win over Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifiers in July.
Called up to the Scotland under-21 squad for the first time in October, Curtis featured 21 times for Rangers in all competitions before he was allowed to join Kilmarnock on a deal until the end of the season in February, where he has become a regular in the starting XI at Rugby Park.
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