Liverpool’s Doak has been a surprise call-up to Scotland’s Euro squad

Uncapped Liverpool winger Ben Doak was the shock inclusion in Steve Clarke’s provisional Scotland squad for Euro 2024 on Wednesday.

Doak has not played since December with a knee injury, but Clarke has had to find solutions with a number of players ruled out for the tournament.

The 18-year-old shone at times for Liverpool in the 2022/23 campaign but was limited to just five appearances this season before suffering a torn meniscus.

Right-backs Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson are both ruled out, as is Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson, who won Serie A midfielder of the year this season.

Bristol City’s Ross McCrorie, who is yet to make an international appearance, is also selected as an option at right-back.

Celtic’s James Forrest is being rewarded for his strong finish to the season with a first Scotland call-up in three years.

Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, Aston Villa captain John McGinn and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay are all included.

Clarke has named 28 players but the squad will have to be whittled down to 26 before the tournament in Germany begins.

Scotland face the hosts in their opening match before taking on Switzerland and Hungary in Group A.

Clarke’s men play Gibraltar on June 3 and Finland four days later in warm-up friendlies.

Scotland qualified for a major tournament for only the second time in 26 years and had never made it past the knockout stages in 11 previous attempts at the European Championship or World Cup.

“We have to be the team that makes history,” Robertson told Sky Sports.

“Getting out of the group has to be our aim. It’s a tough group but we think we can give any team a game.

“We set out to create a little piece of history and we’ve achieved that by reaching two tournaments.

“But to be able to qualify out of the group would be a massive step, it will accelerate us further and give us more belief than we already have.”

Scotland’s provisional squad for Euro 2024:

Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn (Norwich City), Zander Clark (Hearts), Craig Gordon (Hearts), Liam Kelly (Motherwell)

Defenders: Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Kieran Tierney (Real Sociedad/ESP), Jack Hendry (Al Ettifaq/KSA), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Liam Cooper (Leeds United), Scott McKenna (FC Copenhagen/DEN), Grant Hanley (Norwich City), Greg Taylor (Celtic), John Souttar (Rangers), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Ross McCrorie (Bristol City)

Midfielders: Callum McGregor (Celtic), Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Billy Gilmour (Brighton), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Kenny McLean (Norwich City), Scott McTominay (Manchester United), Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Ryan Jack ( Rangers)

Forwards: Lyndon Dykes (Queen’s Park Rangers), Che Adams (Southampton), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts), Ben Doak (Liverpool), James Forrest (Celtic)

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