We don’t need to worry about who our Euros striker will be, says Gordon Strachan

GORDON STRACHAN is off to Euro 2024 — as The Scottish Sun’s top new columnist.

A Tartan Army legend, he won 50 Scotland caps, played at two World Cups, and also bossed the national team for four years.

Strach, 67, gave debuts to several of Steve Clarke’s stars, and will bring expert insight and analysis to SunSport during the Euros.

A proud Scot, he’ll team up with fellow columnists Kris Boyd and Bill Leckie in the weeks ahead.

SunSport is the ONLY place to read Strachan’s unique take from Germany.

He said: “I can’t wait to watch Scotland in action at the Euros and if you want my thoughts, SunSport is where you’ll find me.”

I ONCE likened it to seeing my missus run off with some gorgeous hunk.

That I was initially so gutted about no longer being Scotland manager, I couldn’t even bear to watch the team play.

But time has been a great healer in the seven years since then.
I’m no longer imagining Lesley walking hand in hand with big Charlie Mulgrew!

Now I just can’t wait to watch Scotland in action at the Euros.

I’m not going to Germany for any TV work for the games against the hosts, Switzerland and Hungary.

If you want to know my thoughts about what’s going on then SunSport is where you’ll find me.

And I’ve got to tell you that I’ve got nothing but optimism and excitement for the coming weeks. Sure, we could have had more wins over the last wee while.

But that has made zero difference to how I’m feeling about our chances.

The injuries we’ve suffered, and the players who are missing out, also hasn’t got me concerned.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a shame for Lyndon Dykes, Nathan Patterson, Aaron Hickey, Lewis Ferguson and Ben Doak that they’re not making it.

But our top players are all there.

And, crucially, we haven’t lost any of our main midfield men — and that’s vital in my book.

I’d worry if we were weak in that area.

But we’re not and, in actual fact, that’s our strongest unit — in the middle of the park — which is why I’m optimistic.

We have people who can score goals, guys who are playing at the highest level when you think about Scott McTominay, John McGinn, Billy Gilmour and Callum McGregor.

That four is backed up with the likes of Kenny McLean, who has never let Scotland down.

Listen, we clearly don’t make a ton of chances in games and I’m sure Steve Clarke would prefer it if we created more.

But it doesn’t bother me that we rely more on the midfielders than our striker to score our goals.

The bottom line is that no Scotland No 9 is ever going to get four or five chances per game.

That’s just never going to happen against the top sides.

But the fact is our goals come from midfield.

Not only do our guys stop the opposition playing, they are clever enough and strong enough physically to get forward.

We’re capable of keeping the ball against good teams too now.

Gilmour won’t ever do anything spectacular — he won’t often score you a goal or be the guy with the assist — but his bravery on the ball to start moves is phenomenal.

He’ll take it anywhere and his first touch is always setting someone up — and that should never be dismissed.

The set-up means that our striker’s main job is to hold on to the ball, look after it and be a nuisance.

That then allows the midfield boys to join him.

McTominay scored seven goals in the qualifiers, so when people say we need a striker, I say, ‘Do we?’.

We have one. It just so happens he plays in a different position. And McGinn was doing it before McTominay.