Kieron Bowie is expected to play for Hellas Verona in Serie A. If indeed he does, he’ll be the 4th Scotsman to do so for the club, since the Italian Football Championship 1929 re-brand to Serie A. Further, 4 will be a new cumulative record for Scots playing at one club in Serie A. 3 of those 4 Scots are not just still playing professionally, but still playing in Italy. It is the retired member of that quartet though, who is the most celebrated to date. Thus, each distinguished in their own way, this is the rundown on previous Scots at Hellas Verona.
Joe Jordan
| Joined | Summer 1983 from Milan |
| Left | 1984 to Southampton |
| Serie A appearances | 12 |
| Serie A goals | 1 |
| Coppa Italia appearances | 9 |
| Coppa Italia goals | 1 |
| UEFA competition appearances | 3 |
| UEFA competition goals | 0 |
| Total Verona appearances | 24 |
| Total Verona goals | 2 |
‘Lo squalo’
Joe Jordan experienced relegation then promotion from and to Serie A in his 2 seasons at Milan. Then joining Hellas Verona in 1983, he is fondly remembered as a cult figure there. And not just for the example he set for raw-boned aggression and passion, earning him in Italy the nickname, lo squalo; the shark.
Subbing on in the UEFA Cup 1st round v Red Star Belgrade, Jordan became the 1st Scot to play for an Italian club in UEFA competition. Furthermore, in the Coppa Italia semi-final, Jordan scored the opener when winning 2-1 in the 1st leg away to Bari. He subsequently played in both legs of the final 2-1 aggregate loss to AS Roma. Supplementing his early season UEFA Cup milestone, he was thus also the 1st Scotsman to play in a Coppa Italia final.
His other Verona goal was decisive, winning 1-0 v the Sampdoria team then emerging as a force in European football. Jordan finished 6th in Serie A in his 1 season at Verona.
Jordan the mentor
Additionally. Jordan is also credited with passing on know-how at Verona, developing younger players learning from his wisdom and experience. Among them, forwards, Maurizio Iorio and Giuseppe Galderisi consequently hit 34 goals between them that season.
Iorio and Galderisi were in undroppable form. Thus that combined with Jordan’s injuries restricted him to only 24 Verona league and cup appearances, often as sub. Yet the fearless, fearsome Jordan was massively popular in the Verona fan-base. So much so, Verona fans displayed a large Scottish flag in the Curva Sud.
Subsequently, the season after Jordan left in 1984, Verona won the Italian Football Championship for the only time in their history. The blossoming squad Jordan helped develop were supplemented immaculately with Jordan’s replacement. Namely, that replacement was Verona all-time great, Denmark’s Preben Elkjaer, at the peak of his very considerable powers.
Jordan won 52 Scotland caps and scored at 3 different World Cups among many other achievements for his country. A Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee, he is of course a Scotland legend.
Liam Henderson
| Joined | Summer 2018 from Bari |
| Left | January 2020 to Empoli |
| Serie A appearances | 4 |
| Serie A goals | 0 |
| Coppa Italia appearances | 3 |
| Coppa Italia goals | 0 |
| Serie B appearances | 23 + 5 in play offs |
| Serie B goals | 3 |
| Total Verona appearances | 35 |
| Total Verona goals | 3 |
In 2018 like he had for their previous club Bari, Fabio Grosso, signed Henderson for Verona. It was Liam Henderson to deliver a successful promotion to Serie A in his 1st season there. For example. he played as a midfield linchpin in all 5 Verona games in their successful end of season play-off campaign. Also, he is the first of the 3 Scots signed by Verona this century, who in a minor irony are all ex-Hibernian players.
His arguably finest career goal to date, happened in that Verona promotion season. Specifically, given a free kick to take from near 30 yards v Perugia, he arced a peach of a strike into the top right corner; a beautiful strike by any standard.
Consequently, that promotion spring-boarded Henderson’s Serie A debut the season after. He thus became the 4th Scotsman to play Serie A football after Denis Law, Jordan and Graeme Souness.
However, Sofyan Amrabat and Miguel Veloso arrived in that summer of 2019, relegating Henderson to the 1st team fringes. He thus departed Verona in January 2020 after a season and a 1/2 there. He left with 35 Verona 1st team appearances and 3 goals to his name. All 3 were scored in Serie B. Following his 100 Empoli Serie A appearances, he plays now for another club in Serie B, Sampdoria.
Josh Doig
| Joined | Summer 2022 from Hibs |
| Left | January 2024 to Sassuolo |
| Serie A appearances | 34 |
| Serie A goals | 2 |
| Coppa Italia appearances | 2 |
| Coppa Italia goals | 0 |
| Total Verona appearances | 36 |
| Total Verona goals | 2 |
Doig joined Verona from Hibs in the summer of 2022. His best remembered Verona moment is likely his superb volleyed goal v Udinese. When a cross was deflected into his path, his technique was perfect; he hit the ball with the outside of his left foot, low into the far corner. That was his 2nd goal for the club, meaning the left-back has scored more Verona Serie A goals, than no less a figure than Joe Jordan.
Doig stayed for a season and a 1/2 at Verona, before in his case transferring in the January window to Sassuolo. As well as his 2 goals, Doig left Verona with 34 Serie A and 2 Coppa Italia appearances to his name. Like Jordan at Milan, Doig at Sassuolo tasted relegation and promotion in successive seasons in Italy. Doig and Sassuolo are currently 11th of the 20 teams in Serie A. Like Jordan and Bowie, Doig is a full Scotland internationalist.
Kieron Bowie
| Joined | January 2026 from Hibs |
| Left | TBC |
| League appearances | TBC |
| League goals | TBC |
| Cup appearances | TBC |
| Cup goals | TBC |
| Total Verona appearances | TBC |
| Total Verona goals | TBC |
Bowie became the latest of the Scots at Hellas Verona, signing in January 2026 for a 6.5 million fee. His Verona career goals and appearances? To be confirmed.
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