Kristi Montgomery Earns First Scotland Call-Up for Nations League

Kristi Montgomery has been handed her first Scotland call-up as Sebastien Pocognoli reshapes his squad for a demanding Nations League schedule.

The Blackburn Rovers midfielder steps up from the Under-21s after Kieran Tierney and Kenny McLean withdrew, and will now be part of the senior group for a four-game run against Slovenia (home and away), Switzerland and North Macedonia.

At 22, Montgomery arrives on merit, not on a hunch. She has started all eight Championship matches this season for Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn side, anchoring the midfield and proving durable in a league that rarely gives players time to breathe.

Tierney and McLean’s absence strips 119 caps of experience out of the squad. That loss comes on top of an already depleted core: Scott McTominay, Che Adams and Lawrence Shankland were all unavailable before Pocognoli even named his first competitive selection.

So the door has swung open to fresh faces. Montgomery becomes the eighth uncapped player in a 27-strong group, joining Luke Graham, Robbie Ure, Luis Binks, Colby Donovan, Jon McCracken, Josh McPake and Stephen Welsh in a squad that suddenly looks far younger and far less predictable.

There is experience returning too. Oli McBurnie, Scott Bain, Kieron Bowie, Josh Doig, Lennon Miller and James Wilson are all recalled, while Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour is back in the fold after injury forced him to miss the World Cup. His presence immediately lifts the technical level of the midfield and restores a familiar pivot in the centre of the pitch.

Some big names miss out. Dominic Hyam, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst, Grant Hanley, Anthony Ralston and Ross Stewart are among those overlooked as Pocognoli stamps his authority on the group and trims some of the more established options.

One notable name remains at Under-21 level. Manchester United teenager Tyler Fletcher, who stepped in for Gilmour during the recent USA trip, stays with the youth setup this time, making way for the Napoli playmaker’s return while keeping the pathway open for future senior involvement.

For now, the spotlight falls on Montgomery. From Championship ever-present to full international in a single autumn, her rise underlines the new head coach’s message: perform, and you will be picked.