Wilson sets Scottish sights high

Scotland coach Tommy Wilson is hoping the combined influences of Luís Figo and Archie Gemmill can inspire his side to success at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Poland. It is the first time in 20 years the young Scots have reached a major finals and despite being drawn against Spain, Portugal and Turkey, the former Saint Mirren FC defender is optimistic.

Tough draw
"I was a bit disappointed with the draw, but I expected it to be honest," Wilson told uefa.com. "Having said that, we've beaten Portugal and the holders France in the last year. We were undefeated in the qualifying round without losing a goal, so we go to Poland without fear. We couldn't have got it any tougher, but with these guys the bigger the challenge the better they become."

Gemmill inspiration
Their form in getting to Portugal has been so good that ex-Scotland midfielder Archie Gemmill, who shares the managerial duties with Wilson, has predicted the team are capable of winning the title. It is a bold statement from a player who was an integral part of Ally McLeod's Scotland's side that returned home unfulfilled from the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. Since Gemmill scored one of the best goals in World Cup history against the Netherlands in that tournament, Wilson says his presence is a huge inspiration for all.

Belief
"Archie's been in the game for 40 years, has played in major tournaments and won honours at the highest level," said Wilson. "It's great for me and the players to call on that experience. He is actually quite conservative in his views and I don't think he would make that statement if he didn't believe it or if he didn't feel the players were capable of going all the way."

Figo example
Although Scotland have failed to qualify for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup, a new generation is emerging and Wilson is urging them to follow Figo's example by using these finals as a platform to future international recognition. "When we played Portugal recently I saw a quote from Figo who said the experience he had gained playing for his country since the age of 15 had been invaluable," Wilson added. "I think our guys getting the opportunity to play against other countries is great for their development and it prepares them to be international players in the future.

Promise
"Steven Fletcher has been a bit of a talisman for us, scoring important goals from the start, and has formed a good partnership up front with Calum Elliot. I also have to mention Scott Cuthbert who has been our captain and one of our best players for the past two years. It's difficult for him to break into the Celtic [FC] first team but on and off the field he's been fantastic, a great example."

World Cup aim
Success for the Scots would be finishing second in their group and going on to contest the semi-finals - but even a third-place slot in the first stage carries an incentive. "First of all it's great to be there," said Wilson. "Secondly there's an opportunity to qualify and possibly get to the semi-final and hopefully the final itself, but finishing third would guarantee qualification for next year's [FIFA U-20] World Cup in Canada which would mean we would keep this squad together for another year. So there are targets for us all along the way."