Why have the Scots historically made great football players?

Why have the Scots historically made great football players?

Long before the money and influence of the English Premier League began luring many influential international players to the league, it was bonnie Scotland that was traditionally supplying players of quality and renown.

Talent scouts would typically keep an eye on up-and-coming Scottish players who might potentially bolster the ranks of English teams.

So, what was it that made Scotland such a rich hunting ground for football players?

A fighting heritage

The English were traditionally known for their dogged ‘stiff upper lip’ resilience in the face of adversity, but the Scots have a bold fighting heritage in their DNA.

The sense of competition progressively grew to make football the game of choice with both spectators and then online viewers and punters, as internet sports betting and gaming sites like the Lucky Nugget similarly rose to popularity.

Through the earlier decades of the 1960s to the 1980s, the plucky sense of Scots' fighting spirit that drove that competition was evident in the aggressive Scottish defenders and feisty midfielders who were contracted to play with a range of English teams, including Manchester United, Liverpool, Leeds, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Glenbuck – historical birthplace of professionals

Surprisingly few football fans know about the Ayrshire village of Glenbuck. This is perhaps unsurprising – as the local coal industry died a natural death, so too did the tiny village of Glenbuck.

Not known for natural beauty, the village has an unmatched history of producing no fewer than 50 professional footballers over a span of just four decades. Notable among them was the legendary Bill Shankly, who went on to become a Liverpool icon.

Shankly was perhaps the best known of the Glenbuck prodigy, which also included five Scottish international players and four FA Cup winners.

Clearly, the heritage is there, but will Scotland see a return to those heady days of footballing greats?

The changing conditions of the 1990s

An oft-raised question has now become: "If the Scots were so capable of producing strong footballers, why haven't they produced a world-class player for so long?"

In short, a set of social conditions and changing player benefits saw a steady downturn in youngsters' involvement in the sport through the 1990s, with many Scots lads moving away from the idea of aspiring to a professional football career.

The rise of hooliganism and general anti-social behaviour saw many youngsters leave the amateur ranks of the sport through the late 1980s and '90s. As a result, the number of up-and-coming potentials rising through the ranks began to dry up. Other social pressures were also tending to drive kids with an interest in the sport to become passive supporters rather than active players.

At the same time, the financial rewards for professional footballers were becoming less attractive than the previous decades, and this further eroded the potential Scots player market.

A return to the glory days?

Football remains the most popular sport of choice with youth in Scotland. With the drive towards sports participation as opposed to passive spectatorship and an increased focus on youth fitness and wellbeing in recent years, it is highly likely that Scotland will move back towards the earlier years of producing top-flight players of renown.