Tommy Conway is determined to make the most of his Scotland recall and earn a place in Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad.
The 23-year-old Middlesbrough striker has six caps and was an unused member of Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad in Germany. He missed the quick-fire 2026 qualifiers last year, including the unforgettable 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park, which he watched at home.
“I was watching the game with my dad and we were bouncing around the living room and then that bit afterwards, seeing the celebrations, I wanted to be here. I wanted to be celebrating with everyone,” Conway said. “I think that gave me that fire in the belly to make sure I got here in March. I missed out on the last three camps and my determination, the focus was always to get back in the squad and I’m just glad that I’m back just before the World Cup. Hopefully I can fight for my place.”
Conway joined Middlesbrough from Bristol City in August 2024 for a reported £4.5m. He has scored eight times this season as Boro push for promotion under Kim Hellberg, sitting nine points behind Championship leaders Coventry. Conway admits being included in the March camp was essential if he was to have any realistic chance of going to the World Cup.
“If I’m being completely honest, I knew I had to be in this camp to have a real chance of going to the World Cup. I set myself targets and goals and I really did commit to the process since November, in terms of not getting in that camp and using it as fuel to make sure I got into this one. That’s like the first box ticked and obviously the next box ticked is to get to the World Cup and I’m doing everything I can to get there.”
Conway described playing for Scotland at a World Cup as the pinnacle. “I’ve said that all along and for any footballer to play for their nation at a World Cup is so special. This doesn’t come around often and this is the first World Cup in many years that Scotland will have been to, so to be able to say that I’ve been there is what I’m dreaming of. So hopefully I can make it.”
Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith has expressed optimism about the team’s chances of progressing from Group C for the first time at a men’s World Cup. Naismith, who joined Clarke’s coaching staff in 2021, said the squad can create more history after ending a 28-year wait for World Cup qualification.
“If I’m honest, if you looked at the teams involved and our squad and where it’s at, before the draw even came out, I had a feeling that was our aim,” Naismith told Sky Sports News. “The manager’s been very big on this way back to when we narrowly missed out in the Ukraine play-off, that we can’t not just get to the finals, we can definitely progress. The games are all going to be tough, the conditions are going to be tough, but that’s the same for everybody. You’re playing against a lot of different nations that you don’t come up as much against. They’ll be tough games, but I definitely feel we’ve got what it takes within the group to progress and be the first team to do that at the World Cup. What we’ve got is a squad of leaders who are at their prime, playing at big clubs to guide the potential younger guys in the squad as well.”
Scotland’s World Cup Group C games:
– Haiti vs Scotland — June 14, Boston, 2am (UK)
– Scotland vs Morocco — June 19, Boston, 11pm (UK)
– Scotland vs Brazil — June 24, Miami, 11pm (UK)
Scotland squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Scott Bain (Falkirk), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers).
Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Ross McCrorie (Bristol City), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).
Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Andy Irving (Sparta Prague), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Lennon Miller (Udinese).
Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough), Findlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich).