ACADEMY graduate Findlay Curtis has enjoyed a remarkable rise from his Rangers senior debut 18 months ago to a fully-fledged Scotland international.
After netting his first goal for his country in a friendly victory over Curaçao last weekend, the teenager, who celebrates his 20th birthday on Tuesday, is primed to make an impact on U.S soil.
In the lead up to the start of the FIFA World Cup, we take an in-depth look at each of our representatives:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY
Curtis’ Scotland journey is even more extraordinary considering it took until Under-19s level for the youngster to represent his country for the first time.
By that point, the winger had already made his domestic and European debut for Rangers, following appearances against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup and Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League.
It was in March last year where Curtis received notification of a maiden international call-up as Scotland Under-19s embarked on a camp in southern Spain.
He made his international debut in a 1-1 draw with Sweden at Pinatar Arena, and it was entirely fitting for Curtis that he managed to grab an assist on his Under-19s bow.
“It was quite hard watching other boys get called up,” Curtis told the official Rangers website at the time. “But I just kept my head down, kept on working hard, and my reward has come.”
A post-season Under-20s camp followed for Curtis, who featured once again for his country in a clash against Slovakia.
And as his performances at club level continued on an upward trajectory, he soon couldn’t be overlooked for a first Under-21s cap.
He came off the bench in a defeat to the Czech Republic back in September, before he was given the nod from the off against a talented young Portuguese outfit.
The second half of the campaign brought a loan move to Kilmarnock for the 19-year-old, and his form for the Ayrshire side piqued the interest of Steve Clarke as he cast his net far and wide ahead of the March friendly internationals.
"He came into the Rangers team, and I liked him, and I thought he was quick, direct and tries to make things happen," Clarke said of Curtis when quizzed on the winger’s selection back in March.
The manager wasted precious little time in rewarding the teenager with his senior debut as he played the closing stages of the friendly clash with Japan at Hampden.
It was a taster of what was to come for Curtis, who was on the scoresheet for Kilmarnock in a win over Dundee United at Rugby Park, where the national team boss happened to be in attendance.
By the end of the campaign, it was impossible to ignore the winger’s contribution, and it was a fitting reward for his hard work when he was selected in the final squad for this summer’s tournament and, prior to Tyler Fletcher’s late call-up, he became the youngest member of the travelling Scotland squad.
THE SEASON THAT WAS
Curtis’ campaign last time out began in emphatic fashion when he netted Rangers’ first competitive goal of 2025/26 with a sumptuous strike in UEFA Champions League qualifying against Panathinaikos.
He was a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup that evening, but he justified the selection in the second half when he stepped inside off the left-hand side and curled a quite sublime strike into the far corner.
Curtis’ emergence at the start of the campaign was a welcome surprise for the side as he scored once again just three games into the Scottish Premiership season when he netted off the bench against St. Mirren in Paisley.
That followed a strike against Alloa Athletic in Premier Sports Cup action, and by the first international hiatus of the season, it was clear that the teenager carried a significant goal threat.
However, opportunities dried up for Curtis as the first half of the campaign progressed, making just the solitary league start, at home to Hibernian in December, for the remainder of the calendar year.
He was brought back into the fold for the Scottish Cup victory over Annan Athletic in January, where he teed up Bojan Miovski in the first-half and was a menacing presence throughout, before he started away to Porto in UEFA Europa League action and was again the architect when he assisted Djeidi Gassama’s opening goal.
But upon his return to Glasgow from Portugal, he was heading south down the M77 motorway to Kilmarnock to complete a loan move until the end of the season with Neil McCann’s side.
Assisted by Billy Dodds at Rugby Park, Curtis was linking up with two familiar faces from his time around the Gers first-team squad in the 2024/25 season.
He was immediately entrusted by the Ayrshire club and registered his first assist on just his second appearance in a home victory over St. Mirren.
A further seven appearances arrived before the league split, with the teenager scoring his first goal in Killie colours against Livingston in March.
It was thereafter where he really seized responsibility for a Killie side desperate to avoid relegation, scoring against Dundee United before bagging a brace away to St. Mirren the following weekend in a crucial contest at the foot of the league table.
He couldn’t stop scoring, and when the season finale away to Livingston rolled around, he netted his fifth goal for the Rugby Park outfit with a fine first-time finish in a 4-1 triumph.
WHAT HE SAID
Speaking to RangersTV last month, Curtis said of his international journey: “I was an Academy boy last pre-season, and I managed to work my way up to being a first-team player.
“I wasn’t in the first couple of Scotland squads in my age. I’m lost for words really, and it’s a blur to me that I’m in the World Cup squad.
“It was 28 years ago the last time Scotland were at a World Cup. I’m going to go there and do my best, and hopefully we can do what no Scotland team has ever done before and reach the knockout stages.”
GROUP STAGE OUTLOOK
After victory over Curaçao at Hampden seven days ago, Scotland will play a tune-up friendly on U.S. soil this evening against Bolivia in New Jersey.
Their group stage campaign then begins the following week, squaring off against Haiti in Boston, kick-off 2am Sunday morning UK time.
Haiti qualified for this summer’s showdown by finishing second behind Curaçao in Concacaf Group C before winning their third-round qualifying section with key victories against Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Scotland will then have six days to rest and recover before going again, this time against Morocco in their second group stage fixture.
The African outfit have certainly raised expectations following their semi-final run in Qatar four years ago, while they enter this summer’s tournament as African Cup of Nations winners.
Last on the group stage schedule for Clarke’s side is the small matter of Brazil, the most successful country in World Cup history.
Although Brazil's route to qualification was far from perfect, tasting defeat to Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia along the way, they are now managed by the seasoned Carlo Ancelotti, with the fixture set to take place in the punishing climate of Miami.
SCOTLAND’S GROUP C FIXTURES
Sunday, June 14 – Haiti v Scotland – Boston, Massachusetts – Kick-off 2am (UK time)
Friday, June 19 – Scotland v Morocco – Boston, Massachusetts – Kick-off 11pm (UK time)
Wednesday, June 24 – Scotland v Brazil – Miami, Florida – Kick-off 11pm (UK time)
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