You don't win international tournaments with kids - Craig Brown's message to Gareth Southgate and Steve Clarke

England take on Scotland at Wembley on Friday – will Steve Clarke be bold and bring in Billy Gilmour?
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Former Scotland manager Craig Brown has backed Steve Clarke to keep picking experienced players despite the clamour for Billy Gilmour to start their Euro 2020 clash with England.

Gilmour was left on the bench as Scotland lost their Group D opener against Czech Republic at Hampden Park.

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Head coach Clarke opted for an experienced midfield of Scott McTominay, John McGinn and Stuart Armstrong, with Chelsea youngster Gilmour and Celtic’s David Marshall among the replacements.

Former Scotland manager Craig Brown led the Tartan Army into battle in Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup.Former Scotland manager Craig Brown led the Tartan Army into battle in Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup.
Former Scotland manager Craig Brown led the Tartan Army into battle in Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup.

The Tartan Army are calling for Gilmour, still just 20, to be given a starting role at Wembley on Friday despite the schemer only winning his first international caps in the warm-up games against Holland and Luxembourg.

However, Brown – who was manager the last time Scotland faced England at Wembley in an international tournament, back in 1996 – says experience is key at international level, in echoes of Alan Hansen’s infamous 1995 ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ comment about Manchester United.

That’s also a message for England boss Gareth Southgate, who has the third youngest squad at this year’s Euros with an average age of just 24.8, including the likes of Jude Bellingham (17), Bakayo Saka (19), Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho (both 21),

Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour fights for the ball with Luxembourger forward Maurice Deville.Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour fights for the ball with Luxembourger forward Maurice Deville.
Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour fights for the ball with Luxembourger forward Maurice Deville.
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"The easiest team to pick is somebody else's! You don't make a mistake as you don't have the responsibility to see it through,” Brown told NationalWorld’s podcast We Could Be Euros.

"It's totally inappropriate for me to pick a team. I can give you an example – I've never seen Che Adams play in the flesh, I've seen him play on the TV so how can I have a valid opinion? The same with young Gilmour. I saw him often playing with Rangers youth team up here but young Gilmour looks good as well. The one thing I wouldn't do is put his age against him.

“We played England in a play-off match (in 1999) when we were two down. The best player on the pitch was the youngest player on the pitch, and it was our midfield player Barry Ferguson. The English team had four top class, world class midfielders and the best one on the pitch was aged 20, and he strolled through it.

“There's an argument for the young boys but I wouldn't fault Steve Clarke because successful international teams are old teams. You don't win things with young players in the international arena.

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“The team that won Euro 96 was Germany, they were the oldest team in the tournament.

“I would be happy if he put the young fellas in but I think he [Clarke] will stick to the tried and trusted guys.”

One young player who Brown is banking on being fit, however, is Kieran Tierney. The 23-year-old missed the Czech Republic game with a calf injury and Clarke is sweating on the player being fully fit and resuming his partnership with captain Andy Robertson.

"I'm hoping and praying Kieran Tierney is available for the game at Wembley because he's tailored made for Wembley,” admitted Brown. “He does well down there every week with Arsenal – they're talking about him being a future captain.

“He's outstanding, and so is Robertson. With him on the left side and Tierney tucked in behind him as a left centre-back, Scotland are a better team.”