Tommy Conway is focused on making the most of his Scotland recall and forcing his way into Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad.
The 23-year-old Middlesbrough striker has six caps and was part of Scotland’s Euro 2024 party in Germany, although he didn’t play. He missed the quick succession of 2026 qualifiers last year, including the famous 4-2 victory over Denmark at Hampden Park, a match he watched from 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. He added that watching those scenes gave him ‘a fire in the belly’ to return to the squad in March. Having missed three recent camps, his focus was always on getting back in time for the final preparations ahead of the World Cup.
Conway moved to Middlesbrough from Bristol City in August 2024 for a reported £4.5m. He has scored eight goals this season as Boro chase promotion under Kim Hellberg and sit nine points behind Championship leaders Coventry. Conway admits that being included in the March camp was essential if he wanted any realistic chance of making the World Cup roster.
‘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.’
For Conway, representing Scotland at a World Cup would be the pinnacle of his career. He said the tournament is a rare opportunity and, with this being Scotland’s first World Cup appearance in many years, it’s the dream to be part of it.
Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith has voiced optimism about the squad’s chances of progressing from Group C at a men’s World Cup for the first time. Naismith, who joined Clarke’s coaching team in 2021, believes the group can build on the achievement of ending a 28-year wait for World Cup qualification.
‘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. He emphasised Clarke’s belief, dating back to the narrow miss in the Ukraine play-off, that Scotland shouldn’t be content with simply reaching the finals but should aim to advance. He acknowledged the difficulty of the matches and conditions, but stressed that Scotland have experienced leaders playing at big clubs who can guide younger players.
Scotland’s World Cup Group C fixtures (UK times):
– 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).
Conway says he has used past omission as motivation and will do everything possible to secure a place in Scotland’s World Cup squad.