Sometimes, the solution to a problem can be hiding in plain sight. On 19 May, Steve Clarke assembled his collection of players to embark on a World Cup journey. Despite featuring and scoring for a Hellas Verona side heading for relegation from Serie A, and with a perennial problem of strikers not firing regularly for Scotland, Kieron Bowie was overlooked.
Given the loyalty Clarke showed to those who had served him so well, it was not a huge surprise. Neither was the impotence of the national team in the USA as they conjured up just one John McGinn goal. "I received a message from him saying that I'm not in the squad but these things happen and it's just about how you bounce back from it to be honest," said Bowie.
"I scored goals in a struggling Verona team and that was as much as I could do. I was happy with where I was at and I was happy with how I'd played. "I just spent a lot of time at home with my family and then a little golf holiday to Portugal for a week and that was all I did." Two going on four, five or six on good night for new Scotland era Scotland beat North Macedonia in Nations League for Pocognoli's first win Bowie may have been cursing his luck again on Tuesday when his first international start was reduced to a mere 13 minutes following Jack Hendry's red card in the Hampden loss to Switzerland.
The former Raith Rovers and Hibernian forward was one of the main Scotland heroes in Skopje after sending a deliciously whipped finish into the net in the 2-0 win over North Macedonia. Playing in a new 3-4-1-2, Bowie started the game up top with Oli McBurnie in an ultra-attacking line up set out by Sebastien Pocognoli. Throughout the game, his stats stacked up.
The most shots with seven, the most on target with four, most shots in the box with five and the most touches in the opposition box with 11. "You play all your life to represent a country and to score a goal is just an unbelievable feeling," said the 24-year-old Fifer. "This manager's come in and he's put a lot of trust in me.
"I think the style that he wants to play definitely plays into my strengths. I think you've seen today a lot of times running them in behind and just showing strength against occupying defenders is one of the main things. "It's a process but I think everyone's enjoying that process and it's a bit of a change." The word "process" has been used so many times by the Scotland head coach and his players in recent days it's probably the new team motto.
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