"Hopefully in Scotland we change our attitudes to smaller guys who are struggling to develop and we give them time," Kris Boyd tells SSN
Wednesday 4 March 2020 12:55, UK
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd hopes success for young Scottish players like Billy Gilmour could see a change in coaching attitudes in the country.
Gilmour impressed for Chelsea in their 2-0 FA Cup victory over Liverpool on Tuesday night having broken into the first team under Frank Lampard this season.
The dimunitive 18-year-old midfielder came through the Rangers academy before making the move to Chelsea two years ago.
Boyd hopes Gilmour's emergence marks the turning point for a mentality shift in coaching in Scotland.
"He got the chance to showcase his skills on Tuesday and now he's getting spoken about to a worldwide audience," the former Scotland international told Sky Sports News.
"Hopefully in Scotland we change our attitudes to smaller guys who are struggling to develop and we give them time as they're exciting players up here that seem to be getting cut adrift too early.
"With the right coaching, we can get away from the robot type and let them become who they can be if they're given an opportunity."
Gilmour has played 11 times for Scotland Under-21s but is yet to receive a call-up to the senior team. Boyd expects that to change when Scotland play Israel in their Euro 2020 play-off semi-final later this month.
"I actually said a few months ago that it would give the squad a lift to bring someone like Billy in," added Boyd. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's called up for the Israel game, when you see the ability he's got."
Gilmour's performance against Liverpool has also won praise from his former manager at Rangers, Mark Warburton, who watched the midfielder come through the club's youth academy.
"He can physically handle it and showed a great desire with and without the ball," said QPR boss Warburton.
"For a young player, he's enormously talented. He's being extremely well managed and looked after very carefully. He's made great progress since he's moved south and a bright future hopefully lies ahead of him."
