Scotland's Under-21s began a new chapter with a commanding 5-2 victory over Azerbaijan. The match, played on Wednesday night, saw Rangers winger Findlay Curtis play a pivotal role, contributing to all five goals.
This impressive performance was the first under new head coach Tony Docherty and assistant Steven Naismith, who have taken over from Scot Gemmill. Their appointments are part of a broader restructuring of Scotland's international youth coaching setup, initiated by the Scottish FA's new chief football officer Craig Mulholland.
The revamp aims to create a more direct pathway for young players into Sebastien Pocognoli's senior men's side. Docherty's team adopted the same 3-4-2-1 system favoured by Pocognoli, with players like Curtis, Tyler Fletcher, and James Wilson, who have previously been involved with the senior squad, featuring prominently.
Further changes across the youth teams include new coaches for the Under-19s, Under-17s, and Under-16s, with the goal of developing a 'Scottish DNA' that combines passion and hard work with technical improvement and ball dominance.