Scot Gemmill has welcomed Athletic Bilbao’s Ewan Urain into his new-look Scotland Under-21 squad for next month’s friendly fixtures against Northern Ireland.
The 21-year-old forward was born in Spain and plays for the Basque club’s B team but qualifies for Scotland through his mother.
Gemmill named a 24-player squad for the matches, with only Brian Kinnear, Lewis Mayo and Glenn Middleton remaining from the previous squad named in October 2020.
Asked how long Urain had been on Scotland’s radar ahead of his first call-up, Gemmill said: “In the last 12 months, his eligibility needed to be confirmed and then again it is down to his performances.
“He is playing at a very good level, at a club which historically is very strong at academy level.
“I have spoken to him, he is in the process of signing a new long-term contract and that gives real confidence to select him and we are looking forward to working with him and giving him the opportunity to come and get involved with the team.”
Among others called up were Hibernian left-back Josh Doig, Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh and Liverpool defender Tom Clayton.
The matches will take place behind closed doors in Dumbarton on Wednesday, June 2, and Saturday, June 5.
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
