Kieron Bowie seizes Scotland chance after being overlooked for World Cup
October 4, 2026 10:40
WHAT HAPPENED
Bowie scored his first Scotland goal with a whipped finish in the 2-0 Nations League win over North Macedonia in Skopje, starting up front in a new 3-4-1-2 alongside Oli McBurnie. In that game he registered more shots than any team‑mate (seven), the most on target (four), the most shots in the box (five) and the most touches inside the opposition box (11).
His first international start at Hampden, however, was cut short to just 13 minutes when Jack Hendry received a red card in the loss to Switzerland.
Bowie said he had been told by Clarke that he was not in the World Cup squad and added: "these things happen and it's just about how you bounce back from it to be honest." He also reflected on scoring "in a struggling Verona team" and described his current spell under Pocognoli as "a fresh start with a new coach and different ideas."
KEY CONTEXT
The forward has previous spells with Raith Rovers and Hibernian and had featured and scored for Hellas Verona, a side the source describes as heading for relegation from Serie A. The article also refers to Bowie as a player "on loan at Sassuolo." Scotland managed just one goal at the World Cup in the USA, scored by John McGinn.
Pocognoli is attempting to implement a different system and mindset from his predecessor; players and the coach have repeatedly used the word "process" to describe the early phase of his tenure.