A HUGELY popular figure inside the dressing room, Liam Kelly has emerged as a trusted member of the Scotland squad in recent years.
He has been capped three times by his country, two of which have arrived in 2026, and forms part of a competitive goalkeeping department.
In the lead up to the start of Scotland’s FIFA World Cup campaign on Sunday morning, we take an in-depth look at our representatives:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY
While progressing through the Rangers Academy, Kelly represented Scotland as a youth international.
He was involved in the Under-16 and Under-17 set-ups, before his first Under-19s selection arrived in 2012.
Kelly made 11 appearances for the Under-19s across a three-year span, and his form was rewarded in 2016 with an Under-21s debut.
The goalkeeper’s first exposure to the Scotland senior side arrived in 2019 when he was selected in Alex McLeish’s squad for the side’s European Championship qualifiers against Kazakhstan and San Marino.
Although he was regularly involved in squads in subsequent years, establishing himself as one of the finest goalkeepers in the division at Motherwell, Kelly had to wait until October 2023 to make his Scotland bow.
It arrived just two days after Steve Clarke’s men secured qualification to 2024 European Championships in Germany as Kelly lined up between the posts against a star-studded French outfit in Lille.
"It's quite surreal to be honest with you,” Kelly said after the match. “It's something you never expect.”
His influence was such that he was named in the 26-man squad for European Championships the following summer.
The 30-year-old then won his second cap for his country earlier this year in a friendly clash against Ivory Coast in Liverpool before replacing Craig Gordon in the second half in Scotland’s recent victory over Curaçao at Hampden.
THE SEASON THAT WAS
Kelly made three appearances for the Gers last campaign, with all three arriving in the domestic cup competitions.
Indeed, it is testament to his leadership qualities that he wore the captain’s armband in two of his appearances.
His first outing of the season came against Alloa Athletic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup, before he was given the nod in the Scottish Cup home triumph over Annan Athletic in January.
He kept a clean sheet that evening and also celebrated another cup victory when the Gers hit Queen’s Park for eight without response in the next round.
“I think people can see that I am more than capable of being a sure steady pair of hands and trying to do well whenever I play,” Kelly told the official Rangers matchday programme ahead of the Scottish Cup clash against Annan earlier this year.
“As a department it is a really settled place. The best thing about us is that we are trying to learn and get better every day.
“We are constantly on each other, trying to get better, and trying to improve, constantly assessing each other's performance and trying to bring the best version of ourselves for Rangers.”
WHAT HE SAID
Speaking to the official Rangers website earlier this week, Kelly said of his pride at being selected: “It is a huge honour to be selected to represent Scotland at the World Cup. It’s something every kid dreams about growing up.
“I know how proud my family and friends are, and that means everything to me. They’ve supported me every step of the way, so to be able to share this moment with them is something I’ll never take for granted.
“Now that we’re here, we want to go and make our mark. We will give absolutely everything to create special memories on the biggest stage for our country.”
GROUP STAGE OUTLOOK
The group stage campaign begins on Sunday morning for Shankland and his teammates, squaring off against Haiti in Boston, kick-off 2am 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 their 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.
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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