Billy Gilmour has flown to Boston to lend his support to Scotland teammates ahead of the World Cup curtain raiser against Haiti.
The Napoli midfielder’s hopes of being part of Steve Clarke’s 26-man squad were cruelly curtailed by a knee injury sustained against Curacao hours before the squad travelled to the United States.
A key player during qualification, Gilmour marked his 25th birthday by meeting up with management and players as they arrived at their Boston hotel.
Speaking at the Charlotte training camp before the team moved north to finalise preparations for the Group C opener against Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning midfielder Kenny McLean said: “Billy just landed and is going to come and see the lads tonight, which is amazing.”
Laughing, he added: “It is his birthday as well, so happy birthday Billy. I think he has turned 17, I’m not sure, but he is going to be here, he obviously wants to experience things around the lads. Also around the city with fans, to soak in the atmosphere.
“He obviously deserves so much more for what he has given, but there is going to be more opportunity.
“There is going to be so much more opportunity for Billy. I know it’s not what he wants to hear right now but there will be. What an amazing talent, what an amazing young man and it will be good to see him later on.”
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McLean also addressed a late World Cup scare created when Gilmour’s Napoli club mate Scott McTominay missed training with a stomach upset.
A conspicuous absentee from a squad session in baking hot temperatures in North Carolina, the SFA have played down any concerns over a bug in the squad, with manager Steve Clarke set to clarify the state of play at the pre-match press conference on Friday evening.
While McTominay’s absence would enhance his own hopes of playing, McLean hopes and believes that the Napoli star will to be fit for kick-off in the Boston Stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“I am sure everybody has fingers crossed that Kenny will be fine and I’m sure he will be," he said. “Everybody knows what Scotty brings. It is quite apparent how big a player he is for us.
“For all that it has been a team effort, and always will be a real team effort, but we have special special players at the core. He is obviously desperate to play and his preparations have been amazing apart from maybe something he has eaten somewhere along the line.
“But he is up on a mural for a reason. He is a true talent, a special player, an amazing guy and an amazing part of the team. He is a big character around the place but it is a team effort and I’m sure Scotty would be the first to say that.”
