Celtic Connections

With the Euros kicking off tomorrow, Andrew H looks at Scotland with a Celtic aspect

Scotland’s new strip will seem ill-fitting when they assume the role of first-footers as the provide the opposition for hosts Germany in Friday’s Euro 2024 opener at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

The commercial gurus of manufacturers Adidas describe the obligatory dark blue shirt as featuring “bold graphics [that] wrap around the front and back” and put “a traditional twist on the traditional national team look [with] a team crest and stylised national flag” evoking feelings of Scottish pride”. Nah, not digging it. Instead, to do justice to so many of those that will be wearing the kit at the finals, the “bold graphics” really ought to have amounted to shading patterns taking the form of hoops. It’s not as if Adidas don’t have form on that score…

As has become the norm in more recent times, the Celtic influence in the Scotland set-up is all persuasive. Okay, the squad may not boast the eight players from the club that filled out Craig Brown’s pool for France 98. This time around there are just the four: Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor. That number, though, means, just as 26 years ago - and indeed was true when Celtic supplied five of the Scotland squad for the last Euros the pandemic delayed until 2021 - Celtic are the club with the greatest representation as the country contests a major finals.

However, that isn’t even the half of it.