Luis Binks is pushing for his Scotland debut this weekend after being named in new manager Sebastien Pocomboli's squad for the Nations League opener in Slovenia.
The 25-year-old Brondby captain is one of eight uncapped players selected by Pocognoli, who has dropped experienced defenders Grant Hanley and John Souttar from the group.
Scotland travel to face Slovenia on Saturday in Ljubljana, looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats in World Cup qualifying. They currently sit third in their World Cup group with three points from three matches, having lost 3-0 to Brazil in their last outing in June.
Binks qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent from Dunbar and has taken a circuitous route to international recognition. He came through Tottenham's academy but left England as a teenager in search of first-team football.
"I'd been at Tottenham since I was very young, but I just wanted to go and play first-team football," Binks said.
That search took him to Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer in early 2020, where he was handed his professional debut by then-manager Thierry Henry. "I owe a lot to him because he gave me my first chance in senior football," Binks added of the Arsenal legend.
Spells in Italy with Bologna and Como followed, along with a season at Coventry City, before he moved to Danish Superliga side Brondby in the summer of 2025. He was named club captain ahead of the current campaign.
Pocognoli's first squad signals a shift towards younger options, particularly in defence where the experienced Hanley and Souttar have been omitted. With Scotland conceding four goals in their three World Cup qualifiers so far, defensive reinforcements are a priority.
The new manager will be without several key attackers for the Slovenia trip, including Che Adams, Lawrence Shankland and Scott McTominay, who are all currently sidelined. This places added importance on building a solid defensive foundation away from home.
Scotland's recent form shows three wins and two losses from their last five matches, but they have lost their last two games without scoring a goal. The 1-0 defeat to Morocco in June preceded the heavy loss to Brazil.
The match against Slovenia represents the start of Scotland's Nations League campaign and a chance to build momentum ahead of further World Cup qualifiers. Pocognoli will be assessing his new-look squad in training this week before finalising his lineup.
Binks will be competing with other centre-backs in the squad for a starting berth as he aims to cap his well-travelled career with a first international appearance. The full squad list is available on our squad page.
Following the Slovenia fixture, Scotland's next competitive match is another World Cup qualifier, with the team four points behind group leaders Brazil in the standings.
Read the full report at bbc.co.uk
