Scotland told World Cup hopes rest on star whose last cap was five years ago

Scotland have been told that the difference in qualifying for the World Cup last-16 could hinge on bringing one star out from the cold.

Oliver Burke has outscored both of the Tartan Army’s regular striker options this season, but hasn’t been capped for over five years.

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The 28-year-old took his Bundesliga tally to four as one of four different second-half scorers in Union Berlin‘s 3-1 win over RB Leipzig.

Burke, who was also the fastest man on the pitch after clocking a top speed of 34.92 km/h, has enjoyed a historic start to the campaign.

The forward, who joined Union from Werder Bremen last summer, became the first Scot to score a Bundesliga hat-trick in September.

Yet Burke, who won the last of his 13 caps in 2020, continues to remain on the outskirts of Steve Clarke‘s team selection.

That is despite scoring more than the two goals Lyndon Dykes has for Championship Birmingham City and Che Adams’ three Torino strikes.

European football expert Andy Brassell believes Burke could be a major dark horse option for Scotland at the 2026 World Cup.

“Oliver Burke is a real conundrum,” he exclusively told talkSPORT.com. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.

“He’s a very different player from when he first came through. Now he’s very much a central striker.

“But a big weekend for him; it was an explosive finish. And a reminder of, on his day, just how good he is.

“He’s someone who doesn’t just score goals; he scores important goals, and he scores goals that win games.

“He’s someone who, these days, is pretty muscly, but he’s still quick.

“He’s good in the air, he’s a really good finisher and scores all different types of goals. I guess, you could argue, he still lacks that consistency, because, of course, only four goals in the league for Union.

“But bear in mind, Werder Bremen wanted to keep him at the end of last season, when he ran out of contract, and he chose to go to Union, where he felt he could be the main guy.

“Obviously, because he’s moved through so many different clubs, people start to whisper, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’

“I think when he’s got the chance, and used in the right way, he’s shown that he’s got the ability. There’s no doubt about that.

“It would be great if he could do it more consistently, and hopefully Union is the place for him to do that.”

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When was his last Scotland cap?

Burke made his senior international debut as an 18-year-old in 2016, having once been labelled ‘the Scottish Gareth Bale‘.

RB Leipzig then paid a then-record fee for a Scottish player to sign him from Nottingham Forest as a teenager for £13million that year.

Burke returned to England 12 months later with West Brom, before enduring stints around the EFL, Celtic and now the Bundesliga again.

His last cap came as a substitute against Israel in 2020, with his record standing at just one goal in 13 appearances for Scotland.

But as Brassell argued, Burke has evolved into a different player, with Scott McTominay being the country’s only goalscorer at Euro 2024.

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Burke could be the difference to reach last-16

For the first time since 1998, the Tartan Army will compete in FIFA‘s showpiece tournament and will once again face Brazil and Morocco.

Scotland lost to both countries en route to a group stage exit, which was all they’ve managed at the last two Euro Championships.

Brassell added: “I definitely think Scotland should keep an open mind, because they’ve not got top-level strikers.

“Even with Che Adams doing okay in Torino, I think in terms of talent, Oliver Burke is as good as they’ve got at centre-forward.

“I guess the question is, can he do that on a regular basis?

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“I would have thought, in a situation where Scotland are going to be playing, particularly against Brazil and Morocco at the World Cup, on the counter, Burke is perfect for that.

“Because he does have the pace, you can play him on the fringe of a halfway line, get the ball over the top and he’s away. He’s good enough and he’s cold enough to finish as well.

“So, whether there’s another reason not to pick him, and he’s been out of the Scotland picture for a while now, we have to acknowledge that, whether people have their doubts over him, whether they don’t particularly like him on a personal level, whether there’s doubts about him because he’s never quite hit it in British football.

“As I said, the best of him at Union has been excellent this season.

“The best of him was really good as well, before he ran out of contract there and scored some goals that meant points.

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“At least to have him in the squad, to me, seems like sense. No other centre-forward that Scotland have got can do what Burke does.

“If he’s not great in all of the games, fine, but if he pops up with an important goal, you could be talking about the difference between Scotland getting to the last 16 and not getting to the last 16.

“Give him a go.”