Would Scotland have beaten Croatia if Billy Gilmour had been available?
Probably not.
The quality gap between Steve Clarke’s team and the 2018 World Cup finalists was revealed in brutally clear terms in Hampden, as the shots of Euro 2020 dreams were extinguished along with the illusion that Luka Modric is over the hill.
But would they have had a better chance to at least make a play with Gilmour on the side?
Absolutely.
After the heroic performance at Wembley that saw Scotland match Auld Enemy and restore some hope, Clarke chose to make just one change for Croatia’s trip to Glasgow. That’s what it seemed: COVID-positive Gilmour went out and Stuart Armstrong came in.
First of all, you would not have thought that the decline in quality would have been too much to handle. After all, Armstrong is a Premier League regular with Southampton, and outside the elite sides of this summer’s euro, he would be a fixture in most squads.
But after winning the midfield battle against England and limiting Mason Mount and Phil Foden to scrap, the shots found themselves overwhelmed against Croatia, who cut through the middle of the park like a hot knife through butter.
Billy Gilmour starts against England! ???????
We have profiled the midfielder in Scotland as part of the series “Our 21”. A great game for the 20-year-old … pic.twitter.com/mSEJlymyGU
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) June 18, 2021
Much of it can be attributed to the unplayable Modric, who, let’s face it, is still miles better than anything England has in the engine room. He was out with a point to prove and barely put a foot wrong when his side went into the quarterfinals.
But also, the absence of Gilmour’s calm and control of the ball meant that Wembley’s repetition was almost impossible.
The 20-year-old has only played 115 minutes for his country in total, but the 76 of those who arrived in London on Friday night have claimed him as one of the first names on the team magazine when his country returns to action against Denmark on 1 September.
??????? Congratulations, Billy Gilmour! The star of the match on his first start in Scotland ??? # EUROSOTM | @Heineken | # EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/jNTdIah8iN
– UEFA EURO 2020 (@ EURO2020) 18 June 2021
It’s not easy to do in midfield in Scotland. With Callum McGregor, John McGinn and Ryan Jack seemingly guaranteed to start when everyone is fit and well, younger players usually have to wait in line. But in just one start at Euro 2020, Gilmour took the initiative, made his mark and gave Clarke one of the headaches that managers love to have.
A month ago, it seemed like Gilmour could not even get 26. But it is now a case of how to build around him, rather than how to fit him.
Apparently it was a tournament with mixed feelings for the Chelsea star. He experienced one of the peaks of his career at Wembley, before being grounded just as it seemed as if he was going to take off in the stratosphere.
⦿ 20 years old. ⦿ First start for Scotland. ⦿ Run the show.
Billy Gilmour is special. ??????? pic.twitter.com/xKpnZqOQe9
– 90min (@ 90min_Football) June 18, 2021
But when the dust settles, we see that Gilmour’s experience at Euro 2020 was another step on the ladder to greatness that he seems destined to climb.
He is already a Champions League winner and he has already played for his country in a major tournament. If a proposed loan to Norwich goes through, he will be a Premier League regular next season.
Age only 20, there is much more where it came from.
