Scotland World Cup squad analysis: Defenders

With the sky-high stakes for Steve Clarke, he has announced his Scotland World Cup squad. Thus as we approach this momentous event in the history of Scottish sport, this is part 2 of our 4 part series analysing the Scotland World Cup squad. Specifically, we follow up our analysis of the goalkeepers in his squad, by next looking at defenders.

Aaron Hickey

Age	23
Full Scotland caps	19
Date of latest cap	November 2025 (v Denmark)
Club	Brentford
Club division	English 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	91.9 (1st globally)

Hickey is regrettably another Scotsman who hasn’t had injury woes to seek. For example, he had 6 months out injured from November 2023 with a hamstring injury. Hickey has yet to return to the heights at which he played before then, through other injuries & Brentford trying to manage his minutes.

That is a great shame. There is a solid case for arguing that up until that point, he had at the age of only 21 ascended to the point of being Scotland’s best FB. He is both a potent weapon driving forward with the ball, and difficult to get past defensively. Also, completely at ease with the ball at either foot, he offers the luxury of being able to play on either flank. Further, Hickey’s 2 footedness is also great for getting out of trouble in tight spaces.

Scotland has high quality cover at LB with Andy Robertson & Kieran Tierney. However, there is a gulf in standard when looking beyond Hickey at other Scottish FBs who have a capable right foot.

In what has been a start-stop season for Hickey, he has played only 988 mins in 25 games for Brentford. He has largely been used from the bench. He missed the March internationals through injury. If he is fit enough to start games at the World Cup, possibly he will be subbed off to manage his minutes.

Nathan Patterson

Age	24
Full Scotland caps	25
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Côte d’Ivoire)
Club	Everton
Club division	English 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	91.9 (1st globally)

Patterson seemed a genuine prospect when he transferred from Rangers to Everton. So much that he even suggested himself that he & Hickey could contest the Scotland RB position in the years ahead, in the way Robertson & Tierney had at LB. However, he is yet another whose career has been stalled by lengthy injury.

Patterson is another with little progress to report since we profiled him as part of the March international squad. He has largely been available for Everton this year. However, Everton boss Davie Moyes, hasn’t trusted him with regular minutes this season. Consequently, Patterson has played only 446 mins in only 9 Everton 1st team appearances. He also has been unused from Everton bench on 22 occasions this season.

Patterson hasn’t reached the level Hickey has, especially defensively. However, Patterson when fit & firing, is a step up in standard from the next in line RBs down the pecking order.

Tony Ralston

Age	27
Full Scotland caps	25
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Japan)
Club	Celtic
Club division	Scots 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	75.9 (39th globally)

While the 2 players mentioned above are superior footballers to Tony Ralston, Ralston in contrast isn’t injury prone like the 2 above seem to be. Further, that also is an area in which Ralston has a better record (this year at least), than another RB, Max Johnston of Derby County.

Tony Ralston dropped to 3rd choice Celtic right-back this season. Specifically, Julián Araujo was signed on loan to cover Alistair Johnston’s injury. Teenage Scot, Colby Donovan, is emerging to also contend.

Hence with Ralston’s current contract at Celtic Park expiring next year, that could be his last there. However, he still has over 2,000 Celtic 1st team minutes from his 35 appearances this season.

Ralston was unlucky at Euro 2024 in that a mistake he made v Switzerland was immediately & spectacularly punished in 1 touch with a tremendous goal by Xherdan Shaqiri. However, some people seem to overlook the pressure Ralston was put under by his teammates, leading to his stray pass that led to the goal. Andy Robertson defended him as 1 of Scotland’s better performers at the Euros. Also, that view was supported by Adam Cleary of Four Four Two. With whatever limitations Ralston has, Steve Clarke knows what he gets with him & trusts him.

Andy Robertson

Age	32
Full Scotland caps	92
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Côte d’Ivoire)
Club	Liverpool
Club division	English 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	91.9 (1st globally)

Robertson has been told he is leaving Liverpool in the Summer. Given the unconvincing form of Milos Kerkez signed last summer to replace him, it remains to be seen who they sign as a new LB. Further, it remains to be seen if it is Kerkez or someone else who holds down Liverpool’s LB spot next season. Whoever it is, they face the prospect of succeeding Liverpool’s greatest ever LB. Robertson’s last game this coming weekend as a Liverpool player will be an emotional one for player & fans.

Even with shared LB duties with Kerkez, Robertson has this season so far, played 1,918 of Liverpool 1st team minutes in 35 appearances. Fascinating to see where he goes next season. Atlético Madrid, Celtic & Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with him in the last year. Time will tell where he ends up.

As opined in this website in March, Robertson’s reduced club playing time this season could potentially work out well for Scotland at WC 2026. Specifically, whatever else happens to Robertson in America, he won’t be worn out from over-exertions in the club season. That point applies to many in the squad who haven’t been 1st team regulars in the season just past. It applies perhaps more to Robertson than others, given the high intensity of his game, bombing up & down the wing. As José Mourinho said in 2019 after watching from the touchline as Manchester United boss:

“I am still tired, just look[ing] at Robertson. He makes, I think, 100-metre sprints every minute. Absolutely incredible, and these are qualities.”

Given the disappointments at Euro 2020 & 2024, will WC 2026 be the finals at which a fit & fresh Andy Robertson shines?

Making into the Scotland World Cup squad adds to Robertson’s already lengthy list of honours & achievements as a genuine football legend. Barring injury, Robertson in USA will add not just to his caps, but also to his record as the player to have captained the Scotland’s Men’s National Team on the most occasions. Also, with 2 pre-WC games & at least 3 games at the finals, Robertson could by the end of June be only 5 short of equalling the record 102 Scotland men’s caps of all time great, Kenny Dalglish.

Robertson’s involvement isn’t just about cap collection. See the tactical analysis of a potential weak spot of the Brazil team, listed in this article under the section on Findlay Curtis.

Kieran Tierney

Age	28
Full Scotland caps	55
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Côte d’Ivoire)
Current club	Celtic
Club division	Scots 1st
Club division Opta rating	75.9 (39th globally)

In contrast to recent seasons, Tierney has been largely injury free, in what has been not a bad season for him at Celtic. A league winner’s medal already in his pocket & a Scottish Cup Final to follow. He has good numbers for the season, currently averaging 7.5 in Flashscore. Of course the standard he faces in Scotland is much lower compared to when he played for Arsenal & Real Sociedad, and what he will face versus Morocco & Brazil.

Scotland were a better team when he played at Euro 2024, before he went off injured v Switzerland, consequently missing the defeat to Hungary. Will Clarke again play Tierney at LCB, to accommodate him & Robertson in the same team? Or in the expected heat & humidity in America & 3 games in a short time span, will Clarke share LB duties between the 2 of them?

Grant Hanley

Age	34
Full Scotland caps	66
Date of latest cap	November 2025 (v Denmark)
Club	Hibernian
Club division	Scots 1st
Club division Opta rating	75.9 (39th globally)

Hanley’s 1st season just past at Hibs wasn’t his best, troubled by injury & inconsistent form. He played 2,112 mins in his 26 Hibs appearances. This World Cup likely represents his last opportunity of appearing in a major tournament finals. Accurately self-described as a no-nonsense centre-back, Hanley is limited in possession and starting attacks from defence. Additionally, his critics argue 34-year-old Hanley is no longer sharp enough.

However, Clarke doesn’t care, instead admiring Hanley’s vast experience & attitude as the embodiment of over-my-dead-body penalty box defending. Hanley may miss out versus Haiti in which Scotland are expected to carry the attack to their opponents. However, against the formidable attacking threat that Morocco & Brazil will pose, Clarke will likely favour Hanley in the starting line-up. Hanley was one of the few Scots at Euro 2024 to emerge with credit.

Jack Hendry

Age	31
Full Scotland caps	37
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Japan)
Club	Al-Ettifaq
Club division	Saudi 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	75.6 (40th globally)

As stated previously, In some regards Hendry is ‘out of sight, out of mind’, playing in Saudi. He has 30 appearances in all competitions this season for his club. Opta rank the Saudi league 1 place lower than the Scots top tier. Hendry is another defensive staple of the Steve Clarke Scotland era. The World Cup is a possible shop window for Hendry, out of contract this summer.

Dom Hyam

Age	30
Full Scotland caps	2
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Côte d’Ivoire)
Club	Wrexham
Club division	English 2nd tier
Club division Opta rating	81.4 (9th globally)

Hyam’s late Summer transfer window signing is credited as transforming the FC Hollywood of Wales from relegation to promotion candidates. Such was his impact, he took over as club captain. Indeed, if setting the right example is the most important aspect of leadership, then Hyam’s captaincy appointment was a sensible move. The battling Hyam has a long-held reputation for consistency and rarely being injured.

Hyam was reported as, “acquitted himself really well” when given his opportunity in March to show if he is up to the job, making his 1st start for Scotland. That he has subsequently been picked for the Scotland World Cup squad, suggests Clarke agrees. Hyam’s aforementioned durability against injury, may be needed in a centre-back group that contains Souttar, Hanley & possibly Tierney. Souttar & Hanley have a lengthy injury prone career history. While Hanley has historically been more anatomically resilient, he has been much less so this season just ended.

The season just ended is Hyam’s 3rd in 4 seasons, finishing 1 place outside the play-off spots in England’s 2nd tier. 30 years old and with plenty of experience at club level, Hyam is profiled in detail here.

Scott McKenna

Age	29
Full Scotland caps	49
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Japan)
Club	Dinamo Zagreb
Club division	Croat 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	79.3 (13th globally)

A solid season for McKenna in Croatia in which his club somewhat predictably, romped away to win their 19th league title in the last 21 seasons. The quiet centre-back from Kirriemuir had a ball, playing as a 1st team regular. He is only 1 cap from the 50 appearance threshold, to join the Scottish FA International Roll of Honour.

John Souttar

Age	29
Full Scotland caps	22
Date of latest cap	March 2026 (v Côte d’Ivoire)
Club	Rangers
Club division	Scots 1st tier
Club division Opta rating	75.9 (39th globally)

Souttar is now 29 and perhaps surprisingly, given how highly Clarke trusts him, he has only 22 caps. However, Souttar is another whose career has been injury impacted. Perhaps also surprisingly given how much time he seemed to be benched, Souttar played 3,184 mins in 38 Rangers appearances in the season just ended.