Inverness teenager and Ross County player Dylan Smith makes mark on European stage for Scotland in Malta
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Ross County manager Malky Mackay has spoken of his pride after Inverness teenager Dylan Smith made his debut for the Scotland Under-17s side.
The 16-year-old started in a Euros qualifier against Malta, which Scotland went on to win 6–0.
It is another mark of the progress being made by the young defender after he impressed Mackay in pre-season and made his senior Staggies debut away at Ibrox earlier this season.
Mackay knows the national set up at that age group well, having spent four years as the Scottish FA’s performance director, and is close with under-17s head coach Brian McLaughlin.
Within hours of the match finishing, County’s manager had a report of how Smith had done.
Mackay said: “I’ve spoken to Brian McLaughlin, and he did well.
“From the 15-year-old that was kicking about in the summer to pulling on a Scotland jersey in the Euros and winning the game, I’m so proud of him.
“We had a good chat with his mother in the summer about how we were going to get him down to Oriam on a train when he had never left Inverness before, and now he’s gone to Malta.
“He’s had a hell of a few months when you think he’s had his SPFL debut at Ibrox in front of 50,000 people with his mum crying in the corner, and now he’s playing for his country.
“We’re very proud of him at the football club, and he’s got more work to do when he gets back here next week to become a player who plays regular football in our first team before going on to bigger and better things.”
Some of Scotland’s brightest stars now were once in Smith’s position. Mackay saw their progress first hand, and he strongly believes in the value of international competition like Smith has now experienced.
“We took the Under-17s to Croatia in 2017 for the finals tournament, and it was fantastic to be involved in – some of those guys are playing in the Champions League now,” he recalled.
“I invited all of our academy heads, because it’s not until they see the quality of 17-year-old opposition like the Czech Republic or Croatia that you start thinking we need to raise the standards of our academy.
“These 16 and 17-year-olds will become the Scotland players of the future.
“When I went in at first, we had a gangly little right back in the under-16s playing against Croatia with size 11 feet, and nothing was really working properly unless the ball was at his feet. That’s Nathan Patterson.
“Calvin Ramsay was over with my under-16s playing in the Victory Shield in the pouring rain on the west coast of Ireland, and now he has signed for Liverpool.
“Billy Gilmour was another one. It’s funny seeing these lads at 16 or 17, and then some go on to play for Scotland and become stars.”
Getting into the Scotland squad is not easy for any Ross County player, but the hard work is not over for Smith with Mackay adding: “I’ll have a sit down with Dylan and I want him to write out a report for me on what his experience was.
“Our youth team is not one that people just pop along to watch. In the central belt, they’re regularly playing with everybody’s eyes on them at 16. That’s where players get spotted.
“It’s not easy for a Ross County player to get into that squad, but there are processes that mean we are touched on as well at times. That’s how this came about, so I’m delighted for Dylan.”
