Billy Stark wants Scotland’s rising stars to become risk takers.
The Under-21 boss is delighted that club managers are increasingly prepared to take a gamble on youth.
That helps him assemble a squad packed with players getting first-team experience at an early age.
The Scots take on Georgia at St Mirren Park on Thursday and Stark admits he’s heartened by the emergence of young defenders playing top-team football.
The performances of others meant he didn’t select highly-rated Dundee United stopper John Souttar.
He said: “There was a temptation to bring him in.
“I saw him at Celtic Park last Saturday and he was exceptional
“He’s a confident boy, a real football-playing centre-half.
“But with Jordan McGhee of Hearts and Stuart Findlay of Celtic in our team just now, it augurs well for us in a position where we’ve not being particularly well off recently.
“I’m grateful for managers giving these lads a chance.
“Jackie McNamara has thrown kids in at Dundee United when he maybe didn’t need to.
“Experience is invaluable and there’s no shortcut to it.”
Stark is delighted that young Celtic striker Callum McGregor took the chance to go on loan to Notts County.
He went on: “Look at Callum McGregor on loan at Notts County.
“I’ve gone down to look at him a couple of times and he was absolutely outstanding.
“He’s got nine goals but he’s not a centre-forward.
“Celtic, I think, do rate him highly and wanted to get him out on loan.
“So full marks to McGregor and people like Stevie May who go on loan and make a real go of it.
“They enhance their reputation.”
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