Clarke must start Curtis as Scotland face Curacao

Clarke must – Findlay Curtis has been limited to 10 minutes in Scotland’s past Hampden outing against Japan and remained an unused substitute versus Ivory Coast—yet Steve Clarke has framed his Rangers winger as the kind of option “for right now.” With warm-up matches beginn

Hampden doesn’t just host friendlies. It tests decisions.

Steve Clarke has another one on his hands this weekend as Scotland open their World Cup warm-up schedule against Curacao at home on Saturday. before traveling to face Bolivia in New Jersey the following weekend. And while Clarke has publicly spoken about Findlay Curtis as a player suited to the present—“If he’s in the squad. he’s for right now”—the winger’s Scotland opportunities so far haven’t matched the promise.

Curtis earned his first Scotland call-up after a run of impressive performances on loan at Kilmarnock. Clarke described him as someone who “brings something a little bit different. ” and added that young players matter for the future. But when Scotland faced Japan at Hampden, Curtis was introduced for just 10 minutes off the bench. A few days later, against Ivory Coast, he was an unused substitute.

To understand why the spotlight now sits so firmly on Curtis, you don’t have to dig too far back. Those two March friendlies ended with Scotland suffering two 1-0 defeats, losing momentum, and drawing boos from fans. The bigger frustration for many supporters wasn’t only the scorelines—it was the sense that the team returned from those games without learning enough. especially in Curtis’s case. where a moment of momentum could have been seized.

This weekend, it’s different. If Clarke is serious about making Curtis part of the plan rather than simply part of the squad, the match against Curacao at Hampden is the obvious place to show it.

Curtis’s club form over the last six weeks of the season gives Clarke little excuse to keep him sidelined. On loan at Kilmarnock, he scored four goals in four matches, helping Killie move clear of relegation trouble. As a wide player. the winger was described as being as good as anyone else in the Scottish Premiership—quick. direct. and with an eye for goal. The argument is simple: confidence like that shouldn’t be suppressed by parking it on the bench.

The timing also matters because of what Scotland are still navigating with Ben Gannon-Doak. Since returning from injury, Gannon-Doak hasn’t managed a consistent run of games. He has not started any football match since picking up his injury for Scotland against Denmark last November. For Bournemouth. he made only four appearances off the bench late in the campaign. seeing a grand total of 52 minutes of action.

Scotland may want his energy and match sense if he can be managed carefully for the World Cup. But there’s also an understandable concern that he could head to America lacking sharpness if he hasn’t been playing regularly.

That’s why Curtis becomes a key option—perhaps Scotland’s closest like-for-like alternative. There is also a route that could satisfy both needs at once. Curtis could start on the left, with Gannon-Doak on the right, offering a glimpse of what the Scotland lineup could look like moving forward.

Clarke, for all his talk about the young boys and what they represent, now has a chance to back up his words with a decision that would be felt immediately. Start Curtis against Curacao, let his pace and fearlessness take hold from the beginning, and give Hampden something fresh to roar for.

Curtis himself could have chosen comfort after his call-up. He had the option of staying with Rangers for the second half of the season. sitting with the steadier routine of bench minutes. Instead. he wanted to go out and prove himself—an attitude that Clarke and Scotland will be hoping translates straight into international impact. Friendlies exist for exactly these moments: to test things, discover options, and build belief.

Hampden will be lively. The boos from a couple of months ago are expected to be left behind as the Tartan Army look to give the team a fitting send-off. If Clarke persists with safe options and players Scotland have seen “100 times before. ” it risks feeling like another exercise with no learning attached. Starting Curtis, by contrast, offers a real chance at something that feels like a decision with purpose.

On a night when the crowd could turn the page, there’s a simple question Clarke has to answer with his team sheet: does Curtis get his chance to shine now—or does the future again get postponed?

Scotland Steve Clarke Findlay Curtis Curacao Hampden World Cup warm-up Ben Gannon-Doak Kilmarnock Rangers Japan Ivory Coast Bolivia New Jersey