Ryan Christie Targets World Cup Last 32 After Euro Pain
Ryan Christie says the pain of Scotland’s exits at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 will fuel his push for a place in the World Cup knockout rounds next month. The 31-year-old Bournemouth midfielder wants Scotland to reach the last 32 for the first time in their history.
Christie and Scotland at Hampden
Scotland are due to play Curacao in a warm-up friendly at Hampden this afternoon before flying to the United States for Group C. The group brings Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, and Christie wants the squad to carry the Euros frustration into those games rather than leave it behind.
“Probably from the last Euros, most of us who were there still have that feeling of what could have been. We maybe let ourselves down a little bit. You need to carry that into this tournament,” he said. He added: “It is a bit of extra motivation and can add bite to our play. We are desperate to go over there, give a good account of ourselves, be successful and get out of the groups.”
Steve Clarke's World Cup squad
Christie said Scotland have already moved on from the disappointment, but he wants that feeling kept close. “So that’s the frustration. We’re over it, qualifying for this World Cup certainly helped that. But you need to take that feeling and remember it because you don’t want it to happen again,” he said.
The squad for Steve Clarke includes Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon-Doak, Lyndon Dykes and Aaron Hickey, all of whom were injured at Euro 2024 and are now back in the 26-man group. Findlay Curtis, who has made one international appearance, is also in the squad, and Christie said the younger players are changing the group’s make-up.
Christie and the younger players
“It’s those younger boys pushing through who are not only helping but actually setting the standards themselves and bringing a new dynamic that we’ve not really had,” Christie said. At 31, he is one of the more experienced voices in a Scotland side that is heading to a World Cup finals for the first time in his career and trying to turn Euro disappointment into a first for the country.
