Steve Clarke has announced his March 2026 Scotland squad, his 1st since qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Specifically using Opta and other metrics as per 17 March 2026 and continuing from part 3; this is the 4th and final part of the analysis of that squad. This time we look at strikers.
Ché Adams
| Age | 29 |
| Full caps | 45 |
| Club | Torino |
| Club’s division | Italian 1st |
| Opta rating of club’s division | 84.7 |
| Opta global ranking of club’s division | 3rd |
The 5th and last of the Serie A Scots in the squad (no Josh Doig on this occasion). A point often missed amid the success of Scott McTominay last season, is that Adams made the EA Sports Serie A 23-man squad of the season. A hard-working, rarely prolific striker, Adams has 3 goals (plus an assist), in his last 8 Torino games. However, Adams has missed a couple of games in the last 6 weeks with minor injuries.
Adams is the 1st non-white player to represent the Scotland Men’s National Team at a major tournament finals. Additionally, can he become the 1st non-white player to score for the Scotland Men’s National Team at a major tournament finals?
Tommy Conway
| Age | 23 |
| Full caps | 7 |
| Club | Middlesbrough |
| Club’s division | English 2nd |
| Opta rating of club’s division | 79.8 |
| Opta global ranking of club’s division | 9th |
Conway was prolific in his breakthrough 1st ½ season or so when at Bristol City. However, since then he has joined the ranks of hard-working Scots forwards who are infrequent goalscorers. A lengthy barren run in-front of goals this season though, came to an end in a January 21st 2-1 win at Stoke City. Additionally, he has since supplemented that goal, meaning he encouragingly has 5 goals and 2 assists in his last 11 Middlesbrough games.
Also, even when not scoring, Boro boss Kim Hellberg has said Conway is the 1st or 2nd player on the team sheet. Furthermore, Hellberg has expressed his gratitude to Conway who “always works tirelessly for the team” and for his willingness to play on the left, rather than his preferred central role.
Finlay Curtis
| Age | 19 |
| Full caps | 0 |
| Club | Kilmarnock (on loan from Rangers) |
| Club’s division | Scottish 1st |
| Opta rating of club’s division | 74.0 |
| Opta global ranking of club’s division | 39th |
19 year-old Curtis is the call up not many predicted, just as many incorrectly predicted an Oli McBurnie recall. Curtis is being given the opportunity to fill the gap left by the injury Ben Gannon-Doak picked up v Denmark in November. Since being loaned to Killie in the January window, Curtis averages 7.4 in the 6 games he has played. That includes an 8.5 rating in the 1-0 win at the weekend v top of the table, Hearts.
Lyndon Dykes
| Age | 30 |
| Full caps | 48 |
| Club | Charlton Athletic |
| Club’s division | English 2nd |
| Opta rating of club’s division | 79.8 |
| Opta global ranking of club’s division | 9th |
Dykes is another in the squad whose career was given an injection of life by transferring in the January window; 2 goals and 2 assists in his 1st 6 Charlton games. In the 3 games since though, he has subbed off, subbed on and most recently, been left out of the squad.
George Hirst
| Age | 27 |
| Full caps | 6 |
| Club | Ipswich Town |
| Club’s division | English 2nd |
| Opta rating of club’s division | 79.8 |
| Opta global ranking of club’s division | 9th |
Hirst like Conway, hasn’t been given much of an opportunity so far to show what he can do in a Scotland jersey; Clarke usually favours Adams or Dykes who share 93 full caps between them. Hirst is yet another hardworking, team focused forward who hasn’t so far in his career been a prolific goal-grabber. He though seems in a current mini upswing; 3 goals in his last 6 games, averaging a goal every 75 minutes; just the sort of strike rate Scotland could do with.
