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By STEPHEN HALLIDAY Published: 09: 30 AEDT, 12 March 2025 | Updated: 09: 30 AEDT, 12 March 2025 View comments The clock may be ticking on Steve Clarke’s reign as Scotland manager but that won’t diminish his desire to ensure a bright future for the national team long after he has departed the scene. In handing maiden call-ups to 18-year-old duo Lennon Miller and James Wilson for the UEFA Nations League play-off matches against Greece this month, Clarke has indicated a willingness to leave a positive legacy for his successor. After six years in the job, Clarke remains of the view his current contract with the Scottish FA is more than likely to be his last. Having guided his country out of the international wilderness, ending more than two decades without an appearance at a major finals with qualification for Euro 2020 and backing it up by reaching Euro 2024, the 61-year-old would love to sign off by leading Scotland to next year’s World Cup Finals. For Clarke, though, his short-term ambitions can still be compatible with longer term planning. Highly-rated Motherwell midfielder Miller and Hearts striker Wilson, who has enjoyed a fine breakout season at Tynecastle, will have the opportunity to stake a claim for a place in Clarke’s World Cup qualifying plans while also potentially emerging as Scotland regulars for years to come. Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller, 18,   has won his first call-up to senior Scotland squad  Hearts kid James Wilson, far left, has also been called up despite still being a schoolboy Scotland manager Steve Clarke says it is important that he builds for the future ‘I think my job as head coach is to make sure Scotland are progressing, ’ said Clarke. ‘Whether they progress with me as head coach or not, it is really important we see a little glimpse of what the future might be. ‘That is why you have to bring in these young players to let them feel the squad and let them see how difficult it is to play at the top level of international football. ‘Hopefully they can take up the challenge and be the ones to go forward, no matter who is sitting in this chair. That is not really that important. ‘What is important is we have a good production line of young players coming through to help us be competitive. ‘What we don’t want is to have this little spell where we have qualified for a few tournaments and then suddenly we go another twenty years without qualifying. That would be a disaster for the country. ‘When I first came into the job, I looked at the squad and felt we were quite inexperienced. I tried to give them caps and make them more seasoned international players and we have done that. ‘Now you get to the stage where, and I have been in the job for coming up to six years, even though it feels longer than that, you have to cast your eye to the future. ‘Some of these players will, by a natural wastage, go over the top and won’t be available for the next campaigns for whoever is in charge afterwards. Lennon Miller has already impressed with his club and while playing for Scotland Under-21s Miller is already one of the hottest properties in Scottish football at the tender age of 18 Wilson, also 18, hasn't yet played for Scotland Under-21s but is drafted right in to senior squad ‘You have to look at who you can bring through. We have some younger ones already in the squad. Billy Gilmour obviously, Ben Doak has come into the squad and done really well, but is obviously not available for this camp because of injury. It is just a matter of trying to get the balance right so we can move forward with a balanced squad. ‘Obviously there have been a lot of call-offs, a lot of injuries, especially in the sort of middle to forward areas for this squad. So I just felt it was a chance to have a look at two young boys who have caught the eye, Lennon over the last 18 months and James over the last six months. ‘It is a chance to have a look at them in the squad, see how they fit in. They are two for the future, but they can also help us just now. ’ Miller’s inclusion is no great surprise, given his fine form as captain of Motherwell which has attracted the interest of other clubs from near and far. The Fir Park club have previously resisted overtures from Celtic, Udinese and Union Saint-Gilloise, all of whom are believed to remain keen on Miller, and value him at around £6million. Clarke is another who very much likes what he sees. ‘He plays with maturity beyond his years, he captains his club, which is a big thing at such a young age, ’ added Clarke. ‘He has good qualities, he can play deep in midfield or he can play higher in midfield. He has a good delivery, box-to-box he has good energy. Now we have to see if he can fit in among the group. I am sure he has got a big big future in front of him and it is our job to look after him and try and bring him along. Hopefully, this will be the start of it. ’ Wilson’s rise to prominence has been more recent but no less impressive. Still a pupil at Balerno High School, he only turned 18 last week. Midfielder Lewis Ferguson has earned a recall after being sidelined with long-term injury Kieran Tierney, pictured with skipper Andy Robertson, is also back in the Scotland squad Ferguson had started to impress for Scots, above, before picking up injury at his club Bologna  ‘He is somebody who catches your eye, ’ said Clarke. ‘He runs in behind, he looks to score goals. That is a great trait, we are always looking for goalscorers. He has got a few in the Premiership this year. ‘He has got in the Hearts team, he has stayed in the team. I actually brought him into one of the camps last year. We were short of bodies for training and we brought a couple of young ones in and James was one of them. ‘He caught our eye just in a short training session. He has obviously caught the eye of the people at Hearts. He is playing week in week out. He has got good pace about him, good enthusiasm. He is another one who I think can have a big future, but for now he has to come into the squad and see how he measures up. ’ Clarke welcomes back Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney and Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson after injury for the games in Piraeus on March 20 and at Hampden three days later which will determine whether Scotland retain League A status in the Nations League. The games against Greece will also be pointers for the World Cup qualifying campaign in which the nations have again been drawn together.

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