Marc Leonard is not among the players from the Hearts or Motherwell teams dominating this season’s PFA Team of the Season picks. Should his excellent performances since joining Hearts mid-season though, merit him a World Cup call up for the Scotland Men’s National Team (SMNT)?
| Name | Marc Leonard |
| Age | 24 |
| Club | Heart of Midlothian (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| SMNT caps | 0 |
| Age group caps | 22 |
Marc Leonard and his journey to Tynecastle
Leonard spent time as a youngster on the books at Rangers, Hearts & then Brighton. He then played 2 seasons on loan for Northampton Town, where he was a Kieron Bowie team mate. Leonard won promotion from England’s 4th tier in his 1st season there. In his 2nd season there he was Player of the Season.
He then also impressed regularly as Birmingham City stormed away to win the English 3rd tier title in 2024-25. Promoted to the 2nd tier this season, Leonard became a Birmingham City squad player. That is when Hearts stepped in, making him a loan offer in the mid-Winter transfer window. Given the opportunity to showcase his talents with a top of the table club in a World Cup year, Leonard keenly inked the Tynecastle contract.
His numbers at Hearts
Leonard’s performances in his half-season back North of the border have been insufficient to earn him a place in the team of the season. His numbers for Hearts to date though are very impressive.
| Matches played | 11 |
| Position | Central-midfield |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Highest Flashscore rating | 8.8 |
| Lowest Flashscore rating | 7.0 |
| Average Flashscore rating | 7.9 |
| Club’s division | Scots 1st tier |
| Club’s division Opta rating | 75.1 (39th globally) |
Critics may argue that he hasn’t yet delivered in one of the highest standard of divisions. A player can only though play against whoever lines up against him. An average 7.9 rating is tremendous, a rating any player would aspire to. His only Hearts goal so far, was a right foot rocket from 17 yards away to Rangers in the league. And while he prefers his right foot, his thundering cannon of a drive hitting the Hibs crossbar on Sunday, exhibited his left foot is also very useful.
Marc Leonard as a Scotland prospect
With the stakes so high for Steve Clarke, the 2026 World Cup likely comes too soon for him to try Marc Leonard. Post World Cup though and with potentially (and potentially not) a new Scotland boss in place, squad places will open up. 34 year old Kenny McLean for example, can’t be expected to continue for much longer. That potentially opens up a squad place for the UEFA Nations League games in the Autumn.
In addition to current Scotland squad members, Leonard faces competition from the likes of Elliot Watt. Watt is another to have had a great season, earning a PFA Team of the Season place. Watt has an excellent Flashscore rating of 7.5; lower than Leonard but from a full season of games. 26 year old Watt though, may be seen as having a little less room to develop than 24 year old Leonard. Josh Mulligan & Jordan Holsgrove are other uncapped contenders for the Scotland midfield. Another is 19 year old Tyler Fletcher who has recently made Manchester United 1st team squads, and a brief 1st team debut. There’s also the teenage prodigy that is Jack McGrath.
Leonard has shown that he is a genuine cap prospect. And at 24, he has plenty of room to develop further and looks ready for a full debut. Realistically though, only injury to established Scotland squad midfielders will open the 2026 World Cup door for him.
