Three Scotland players who boosted their World Cup chances against Japan and Ivory Coast - and two who did not

International friendlies have rarely warmed the cockles, with these tests often interrupted by a series of substitutions as managers begin to test out new players and fresh formations. A World Cup ‘pre-season’, if you will, with the sole purpose being for Clarke to cast eyes over who should make the 26-man squad when the tournament opener against Haiti rolls around in June.

But which of the players made the most of their opportunities - and who struggled to make an impression? Here, we look at three players who boosted their chances of a World Cup call-up, and two who didn’t, against Japan and the Ivory Coast.

George Hirst

Having drawn blanks in both games, it may seem a little odd to include a striker on this list. However, Hirst’s impressive cameo against Japan was definitely one of the brighter moments from an otherwise dull game, giving the head coach some food for thought.

Sure, his end product wasn’t great, but there’s an argument to say that he put himself in better positions than the other forwards did to try and score. Both Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams had no chances of note during either game, compared to Hirst’s six attempts at goal across the two games.

He also looked a more imposing option than Dykes did in his time on the pitch, holding the ball well and winning the bulk of his aerial duels against a physical Ivory Coast outfit. Prior to the international break, Hirst’s position in the squad was far from certain, but he improved his chances of going to North America this summer with some encouraging moments.

Jack Hendry

It’s easy to forget that the 30-year-old is one of the national team’s most experienced centre-backs with 35 caps. A starter at the last two European Championships, Hendry has shown he is a versatile option that can successfully play in a back four or a back three for Clarke.

Despite the Saturday evening clash having a few positives, Hendry’s strong performance against Japan was perhaps forgotten amid the dullness of the display. As shown just a few days later with their 1-0 win over England at Wembley, Hajime Moriyasu’s side is ranked 19th in the world for a reason, and the Al-Ettifaq defender was just six minutes away from shutting them out at Hampden.

He offers more pace than his Scotland compatriots John Souttar, Scott McKenna, Grant Hanley, and Dom Hyam. He has more tournament experience than most of the aforementioned names and better passing ability. Playing his club football in the Saudi Pro League, he is often a victim of being ‘out of sight, out of mind’ with a section of the Tartan Army support, but his performance against Japan will have put him ahead of some of his competitors when it comes to bagging a place in the squad for the World Cup.

Tommy Conway

The Middlesbrough attacker gave an impressive interview last week ahead of the international double header, and is clearly desperate to make an impact at international level after proving his worth to his club side in several different positions. The 23-year-old was thrown into his first Scotland squad as a late injury replacement during Euro 2024 as a central striker, but has shown his versatility since then, playing in several different positions across the frontline on Teesside.

Reintroduced to the fold by Steve Clarke after a nine-month absence, he was deployed on the left wing against Japan. With Ben Gannon-Doak’s injury problems severely disrupting his season, Conway had an opportunity to show he was a viable alternative in the squad, with his pace and directness something Scotland lacks without the Bournemouth star. However, Conway really struggled to make any sort of impact.

Against Japan, he had 0 touches in the opposition box and made just one pass into the final third across his 81 minutes on the pitch. Introduced as a late substitute against the Ivory Coast, a late collision in the penalty area saw him go down a little eagerly in the box, perhaps showing his desperation to impress.

Angus Gunn

The Scotland goalkeeper has endured a difficult season at club level, barely featuring for Nottingham Forest after joining the club on a Bosman free transfer in the summer. Onto his fourth manager (yes, fourth!) of the season at the City Ground, Gunn will have been pleased to return to the stability of the national team camp this last week under a manager who knows him all too well.

Looking back to the crucial moments that helped Scotland secure their qualification to this summer’s World Cup, his outstanding save against Greece in October, which prevented two points being dropped, is perhaps forgotten a little amongst the chaos of that famous win against Denmark just one month later.

It is quite clear that the number one battle at the World Cup will be between him and veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon, both of whom have provided valuable contributions to Steve Clarke’s squad during the qualifying campaign. Handed the role in the first of Scotland’s two friendly games against Japan with the Hearts stopper out injured, he performed admirably. Making six saves in the game, he looked as assured and confident as he has been for a number of months.

Liam Kelly

Included as a backup option at Scotland’s last two major tournaments, he has been praised for his impact on the squad off the pitch in trusted circles. Handed just his second Scotland cap in the 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, though, the Rangers goalkeeper was left looking flat-footed when Nicolas Pepe scored the game’s only goal after 12 minutes at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

His inclusion in the most recent squad raised eyebrows due to his severe lack of game time at club level, with the 30-year-old having not played a league game for Rangers in over 10 months. Offered the opportunity to impress in the first 45 minutes against the Ivory Coast, he looked extremely rusty. Replaced by his counterpart Scott Bain at the break, the Falkirk stopper looked match-ready and pulled off an excellent save from Manchester United’s Amad Diallo.

Kelly’s game time is at a premium at Ibrox. Craig Gordon’s return to fitness could now see him move below Bain in the pecking order in the months ahead. And if he doesn’t, Dundee’s Jon McCracken and Esbjerg’s Robby McCrorie are playing regularly at club level and pushing for that third goalkeeper spot. His place in the squad is under threat.

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