Who is Scotland’s greatest uncapped player of all-time? An age-old question that will see those asking it presented with a host of different responses, with Tartan Army supporters recalling that one special player they wish they’d seen in the famous navy jersey.
Steve Clarke named six uncapped players in his most recent squad for the Nations League, though only one of them made it onto the pitch. Nicky Devlin made his debut in the final throws of the 0-0 draw with Portugal on Tuesday and capped off a memorable night with a decisive block in the closing stages of the Nations League clash. The likes of Andy Irving, Robby McCrorie and Jack MacKenzie were forced to wait for their international debuts though, remaining on the bench as unused substitutes.
But who are the 20 best footballers never to be called up by Scotland? We asked our readers to choose the player who they felt was the best uncapped Scottish footballer of all time via our social media pages, and this is their top 20, in no particular order.
1. Andy Ritchie
Widely regarded as Greenock Morton's most talented ever player, Ritchie scored 118 goals for the club and was named Footballer of the Year in 1979. He is viewed as one of the the finest Scottish players never to win a full cap. Unpredictable as he was talented, Ritchie was an outside bet for the 1978 World Cup squad but, according to the man himself, was overlooked due to his status as a part-time player. | SNS Group
2. Kevin McAllister
Voted as Falkirk's player of the millennium, McAllister also featured over 100 times for Hibs and Chelsea. A dribbling genius, the winger was a player who got fans off their feet, 'Crunchie' had bags of talent but was never afforded the opportunity to showcase his talents on the international stage. | Getty Images
3. Bobby Russell
The Rangers ace was often lauded for his vision and creativity during his 10-year stint at Rangers, but Russell was only ever capped at under-21 level. Remembered fondly by Gers fans for his goal in a 3-2 victory over PSV Eindhoven in 1978, he moved to Motherwell in 1987 and was part of the side that won the 1990–91 Scottish Cup during his time at Fir Park. | SNS Group 0141 221 3602
4. John McGovern
Captaining Nottingham Forest to two European Cup wins under the management of Brian Clough, it feels inconceivable that McGovern never wore the famous navy jersey. Unbelievably, he was only capped by Scotland at under-23 level. | Getty Images