News Focus
- Goalkeeper Liam Kelly regularly shaves defender Grant Hanley’s back during team camps
- Vice-captain John McGinn brought a European plug adapter to the United States by mistake
- Striker Lyndon Dykes follows midfielder Ryan Christie around “like a dog” according to teammates
- Manchester United star Scott McTominay voted the “biggest poser” in the squad
- The team are preparing in Fort Lauderdale for their first World Cup appearance in 28 years
The Scotland national team are staying in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Manager Steve Clarke brought his players to this hot and humid location to prepare for the 2026 World Cup. The team will face Haiti and Morocco in Boston, plus Brazil in Miami.
On Tuesday, the squad spent time at a FIFA media day. Players posed for photos and performed goal celebrations in front of green screens. The heat seemed to make them talkative. They shared funny stories about each other’s strange habits and secrets.
The players discussed their luggage during interviews with BBC Scotland. Young defender Findlay Curtis brought a massage gun. Kenny McLean could not think of anything unusual in his bag. Ryan Christie packed a special sleep-tracking ring and nose tape to help him rest better. He is not sharing a room with anyone.
Goalkeeper Liam Kelly brought red-light sunglasses. He also admitted he acts as the team’s hype-man. However, John McGinn made a funny error. The Aston Villa captain packed European plug adapters instead of American ones. He has since bought the correct equipment.
The players also talked about flight seating. The journey from Glasgow to Miami is very long. Grant Hanley takes up too much space for Christie’s liking. Curtis has too much energy, so McGinn avoids sitting next to him. Instead, McGinn sat with Kelly and played card games like Uno and Traitors.
Many funny facts came out during the day. Kelly often shaves Hanley’s back because the defender’s hair grows quickly. Dykes stays very close to Christie at all times. Andy Robertson eats a strange chicken sandwich before matches, which confuses Christie. John Souttar makes coffee for McGinn.
The younger players show great humour. They call the older players “experienced” instead of old. Ben Gannon-Doak talks too much, according to Curtis. Tyler Fletcher, the son of former player Darren Fletcher, joined the group late.
When asked who loves the camera most, opinions differed. Christie and Kelly both chose McTominay. McLean mentioned Anthony Ralston uses lots of hair product. McGinn selected George Hirst as “the diva”.
The squad will fly to New York soon. They face Bolivia in their final friendly match on Saturday. The team spirit looks strong ahead of their first World Cup in 28 years.