Sebastien Pocognoli says he will not beg players to represent Scotland after naming his first squad as national team manager on Tuesday. The Belgian, who succeeded Steve Clarke, picked a 28-man party in which half the players were not involved at the World Cup under his predecessor.
Seven of the players named have never won a cap: Robbie Ure, Luis Binks, Colby Donovan, Luke Graham, Stephen Welsh, Josh McPake and goalkeeper Jon McCracken.
Oli McBurnie returns to the squad for the first time since he was overlooked by Clarke in March 2021. The forward scored 19 goals for Hull City last season, with Sergej Jakirovic's side now sitting fourth in the Premier League. Scott Bain, Kieron Bowie, Lennon Miller and James Wilson also come back into the fold.
Personal calls before Spain camp
Pocognoli revealed that he phoned every player in his squad individually ahead of a training camp in Spain next week, before Scotland face Slovenia in the Nations League the following Saturday.
Explaining his approach to persuading dual-eligible players, Pocognoli pointed to his conversation with Binks, a former England youth international who now plays centre-half for Danish club Brondby.
"I think the most important thing is that I don't need to convince players to represent their country," said Pocognoli. "For me it's timing, the timing was right with him. We can avoid the topic about many players who can eventually be there for the same situation."
"But the feeling and the timing about him was the right one. But if I have to convince players to represent Scotland, he will not be there."
Barnes and Hackney situation
Pocognoli was also asked specifically about Harvey Barnes and Hayden Hackney, who were both born in England but remain eligible to play for Scotland.
"Like I said, it's about timing. Just about the feeling," he replied. "And the doors are never closed. So, we will see in the future. But we just need to feel if it's the right timing or not."
Pocognoli, who previously managed Union Saint-Gilloise and Monaco, was appointed by the Scottish Football Association after Clarke stepped down following the World Cup. Scotland's next fixtures also include a quadruple-header against Switzerland and North Macedonia, with every one of the 28 selected players still competing for a place in those matches.
Why he called every player
Pocognoli explained that ringing the entire squad was not standard practice for him but drew on experience from working with Belgium's youth teams.
"I do not usually do it because I normally work with clubs, but I had the experience with the Belgian youth team when I tried to connect with my players," he said. "The camp is five days and the first days, the first approach, the first eye contact can give a lot of advantages. I did that over the last two days and they all reacted well."
"It wasn't just 'you are selected, I will see you'. It was informal conversations. I will continue to do this in the camp."
Conversation with Clarke
Pocognoli also revealed he held a lengthy discussion with Clarke, who led Scotland for seven years, before announcing his first squad.
"For me, it was important to speak with him. I contacted him and he was open to have a discussion," Pocognoli said. "It was class from him, and I was very happy to have that 10-minute conversation."
"We talked about the national team, the culture. It was not about talking about what was working and what was not. What happened in the past was fantastic, but I need to make my own perception."
"But he was talking about his own experience and what it means to represent Scotland. And he was really positive about me and very kind, to be honest. I think we will see him around the stadium which is right given what he achieved in the past."
