Sebastien Pocognoli named a 28-man squad for UEFA Nations League ties

Sebastien Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad contains 28 players, seven uncapped, with 16 aged 26 or younger. It is the very definition of a new era for the national team. Mainstays like Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Kenny McLean are still included, but the new manager has largely taken a fresh and bold approach with his first selection.

Steve Clarke favourites like Lyndon Dykes and Grant Hanley are notable absentees, replaced by younger newcomers like Sevilla forward Robbie Ure and Brondby captain Luis Binks. Others hoping for a Scotland debut in forthcoming UEFA Nations League ties are goalkeeper Jon McCracken, defenders Colby Donovan, Luke Graham and Stephen Welsh, plus winger Josh McPake.

Most of the above will have felt a new adrenaline rush yesterday morning when the Scottish Football Association announced Pocognoli’s first squad. McCracken was called up under Clarke in 2024, but for the rest this is a different experience. A few may not have expected it, while others have waited patiently for some time.

Binks seemed an obvious choice as a 25-year-old, left-footed central defender who is composed on the ball, strong and versatile. He is a leading figure at Brondby and thriving in the Danish Superliga after spells playing in Italy’s Serie A, MLS in America and the English Championship. He played under Thierry Henry at Montreal Impact and Cesc Fabregas at Como. He was also a Bologna team-mate of his new international colleagues Aaron Hickey and Lewis Ferguson.

Binks represented Scotland at under-16 and under-18 level, and also played for England at under-16s, under-17s, under-18s and under-19s. He is now pledging his allegiance to the SFA. Born in Gillingham, Kent, he qualifies for Scotland through his maternal grandfather, Richard, from Dunbar near Edinburgh. Clarke overlooked him last season while remaining loyal to players who achieved World Cup qualification for the first time in 28 years with Scotland. Pocognoli is making a fresh start.

“Now that I've been picked, it's obviously a great honour for me and my family. I think it's different to any other sort of feeling you get within football,” said Binks. “You're not just representing a club or anything like that. You're representing a whole country. For me, it's a different feeling to anything I've had before. It's another level. I think any player that has been selected by their country would say the same thing. I spoke to a few boys today, and they just said how they've played for their country. They just said how special it is. As a kid, you grow up wanting to play international football for a country.”

Speaking to Flashscore, Binks had already declared his desire to play for Scotland before the World Cup. He understands why Clarke kept faith with established faces, though. “Obviously, it was a dream of mine to go, but I wasn't too disappointed not going to the World Cup because I knew that there were players in that squad that brought them to the World Cup,” added Binks.

“I'd never been called up before, so for me to have been called up just for the World Cup would have been probably unfair on the players that have put in all the hard work beforehand. It didn't happen, but I wasn't too disappointed because I knew it would have been difficult to be called up for the first time to go to a tournament, let alone a World Cup. But I'm obviously just buzzing with the fact that I've been called up now.”

Pocognoli tended to favour a three-man defensive system in previous managerial roles with Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise and French club Monaco. He has also used a back four and will doubtless have called up Binks for his adaptability. The player’s career has followed a steady upward trajectory since joining Brondby from Coventry City in 2025. New head coach Thomas Norgaard appointed him captain this summer. “I can't say it's been a bad choice because, since I've been here, I've been named the captain of Brondby and I've now been called up to Scotland,” he pointed out.

“Brondby has obviously helped me get this opportunity, but ultimately it's down to my performance and the help of my team-mates and the staff here that have helped me get there. I've always believed in myself. That's why I said: ‘I'll go to another country again. I'll experience another culture because I'm not scared to do that. I believe that I can go there and I can make a difference.’

Self-belief and confidence are evident in the imposing defender, who credits Ben Godfrey for helping him develop and become a more rounded centre-back. Godfrey, on loan at Rangers from Atalanta this season, spent five months on loan at Brondby playing as Binks’ partner between January and June this year.

“I think we had a difficult spell after the winter period as a team. I think I shone in that moment because we still kept quite a lot of clean sheets. We couldn't score, or we didn't win as many games as we liked, but I feel like the defensive performances were good. I definitely improved playing next to Ben Godfrey. I think we had a good relationship and that was good for me personally. I think this year, obviously being named captain, I've had to take on a different role to anything I've had before. Some people think you just wear an armband and that's that, but I'm learning day by day that it's not just that. There's a lot more that goes with it.”