Middlesbrough striker Tommy Conway on achieving Scotland World Cup dream – ‘I had to be in this camp’

Tommy Conway is determined to make the most of his Scotland recall and secure a place in Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad.

The 23-year-old Middlesbrough striker has been capped six times and was an unused member of the squad for the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

But he was left out of the quick-fire 2026 World Cup qualifiers by Steve Clarke last year, which ended with a never-to-be-forgotten 4-2 win over Denmark at Hampden Park.

“I was watching the game with my dad and we were bouncing around the living room and then that bit afterwards, seeing the celebrations, I wanted to be here.

“I wanted to be celebrating with everyone.

“I think that gave me that fire in the belly to make sure I got here in March.

“I missed out on the last three camps and my determination, the focus was always to get back in the squad and I’m just glad that I’m back just before the World Cup. Hopefully I can fight for my place.”

Conway signed from Bristol City in August 2024 for a reported fee of £4.5million and is his hoping to help Kim Hellberg’s side into the Premier League as they sit nine points behind Championship leaders Coventry.

However, the Boro attacker – who has notched eight times this season – admits he had to be included for Scotland’s March double-header against Japan and Ivory Coast to have any chance of playing a part in the summer.

“If I’m being completely honest, I knew I had to be in this camp to have a real chance of going to the World Cup.

“I set myself targets and goals and I really did commit to the process since November, in terms of not getting in that camp and using it as fuel to make sure I got into this one.

“That’s like the first box ticked and obviously the next box ticked is to get to the World Cup and I’m doing everything I can to get there.

“Playing for Scotland is the pinnacle for me.

“I’ve said that all along and for any footballer to play for their nation at a World Cup is so special.

“This doesn’t come around often and this is the first World Cup in many years that Scotland will have been to, so to be able to say that I’ve been there is what I’m dreaming of. So hopefully I can make it.”

Scotland squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Scott Bain (Falkirk), Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest), Liam Kelly (Rangers).

Defenders: Grant Hanley (Hibernian), Jack Hendry (Al Etiffaq), Dom Hyam (Wrexham), Ross McCrorie (Bristol City), Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Kieran Tierney (Celtic).

Midfielders: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Napoli), Andy Irving (Sparta Prague), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Lennon Miller (Udinese).

Forwards: Che Adams (Torino), Tommy Conway (Middlesbrough), Findlay Curtis (Kilmarnock), Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic), George Hirst (Ipswich).

Naismith ‘very optimistic’ Scotland can make World Cup knockout history

Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith is feeling “very optimistic” about his country’s chances of progressing beyond the group stages for the first time.

The 51-time capped forward, who played under Clarke before first joining his coaching staff in 2021, believes this current group of players can create even more history after ending the nation’s 28-year wait for World Cup qualification.

“If I’m honest, if you looked at the teams involved and our squad and where it’s at, before the draw even came out, I had a feeling that was our aim,” he told Sky Sports News.

“The manager’s been very big on this way back to when we narrowly missed out in the Ukraine play-off, that we can’t not just get to the finals, we can definitely progress.

“The games are all going to be tough, the conditions are going to be tough, but that’s the same for everybody.

“You’re playing against a lot of different nations that you don’t come up as much against. They’ll be tough games, but I definitely feel we’ve got what it takes within the group to progress and be the first team to do that at the World Cup.

“What we’ve got is a squad of leaders who are at their prime, playing at big clubs to guide the potential younger guys in the squad as well.

“So we are very optimistic. It’s going to be hard work, but we will definitely do all we can.

“This group have continuously excelled and made their own history. The next step, and what would be really nice for some of the guys, is to finish their career to be the ones that push through the group stage and into the knockout stages of a World Cup.”