Scot Gemmil praises Stuart McKinstry for the job he is doing at Leeds United after naming the teenage midfielder in his squad for Scotland Under-21s’ next fixtures, via BBC Sport.
Scotland face Kazakhstan and Belgium on November 12 and 16 in their latest qualifiers for the European championship. They sit fourth in the five-team Group I after their opening two games, while leaders Belgium have played four times.
McKinstry is yet to make his international debut at U21 level after previous inclusions between U17 and U19 levels. Gemmil will hope the Leeds talent can help Scotland claim a first win of their qualifying campaign, after drawing with Turkey and losing to Denmark.
McKinstry’s inclusion in Gemmil’s Scotland squad comes a month after the 19-year-old’s senior Leeds debut under Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine awarded the former Motherwell prospect his first-team bow against Fulham during the Whites’ Carabao Cup win.
Bielsa introduced McKinstry on 75-minutes and is yet to offer minutes in Leeds’ Premier League fixtures so far. But has named the youngster on the bench three times over the Whites’ last five top-flight fixtures.
Gemmil praises McKinstry after Leeds breakthrough
Gemmil believes this is just the start for McKinstry at Leeds and with Scotland U21s after his Whites first-team breakthrough. Praising what he has already achieved at Elland Road and the man who sits in the West Yorkshire dugout.
“He is doing great,” Gemmill said. “He is obviously at a great club, playing for a really top coach that is highly-regarded around the world. It’s fantastic he has put himself in this position, but it’s also just the start of his professional career.”
McKinstry will certainly hope the early months of 2021/22 are only the start of his Leeds and Scotland careers. The midfielder will be itching for his Premier League bow after taking a seat on the bench in recent games.
Bielsa also left him an unused substitute as Arsenal knocked the Whites out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. Despite introducing three young players in Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville and Sam Greenwood alongside Mateusz Klich and Liam Cooper.
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