Scout Report: Scottish football’s hottest prospects

Scottish football is earning a growing reputation as a proving ground for talented young players.

Previous success stories include Virgil Van Dijk, Kieran Tierney, Andrew Robertson and, more recently, Aaron Hickey and Josh Doig.

The Scottish top flight has begun exporting young stars with regularity, with Serie A in particular taking notice of the treasure trove of talent on offer.

We used the Twenty3 Toolbox to scout out some of the league’s standout players aged 21 or under who look set for a strong 2023.

Liel Abada (Celtic)

The first profile we looked at was a wide forward who offered a goal threat.

Using the Discover tool, we prioritised goals, shots, dribbles and touches in the opposition box to find players that fit the bill.

Israeli right winger Liel Abada was top of the list – and for good reason. 

He has been electric for Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic this season, recording eight goals and three assists in 1,060 minutes of football.

Abada ranked top for expected goals (4.64), dribbles completed (40), and touches inside the opposition box (89) – showcasing his goal threat from the wing.

In addition, he has demonstrated his playmaking ability, registering an impressive 21 crosses and assisting 26 shots, while also recording 3.01 expected assists.

We then used the Discover similarity search to see how his profile best translates in the Premier League, rating on a scale of 0-100%.

The top three suggestions were Miguel Almiron of Newcastle (77%), Arsenal’s new attacking recruit Leandro Trossard (74%) and Liverpool’s talisman Mohamed Salah (73%).

Celtic will be thrilled with his performances this season and will be hoping they can retain his talents this year as clubs begin to circle.

Malik Tillman (Rangers)

Next, we aimed to unearth a creative, ball-carrying midfielder able to unlock the staunchest of defences.

The criteria in this instance was a player who plays a high volume of attacking third passes, is largely successful with their take-ons and is capable of setting up goals.

The best match was Malik Tillman, who has enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in Glasgow, scoring five goals and recording four assists since joining Rangers from Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old is a tall, powerful dribbler with great feet and composure in front of goal. So far, he has racked up 26 shots, 55 successful dribbles and won 99 attacking duels.

Tillman’s playmaking has been equally impressive as he looks to play killer passes into his team-mates. 

He ranks highly for his age category in through-balls completed (eight) and shots assisted (21).

His skillset makes for a lethal combination in and around the box, where he is able to disrupt defences with his close control and shooting ability.

Bayern will be watching his development closely but, for now, Rangers will continue to enjoy the fruits of Tillman’s labour in the Scottish Premiership. 

Ben Chrisene (Kilmarnock)

Next, we looked for a full-back who was both astute defensively and influential in attack.

This player must be able to carry the ball with confidence and offer a threat in the final third whilst remaining secure out of possession.

Kilmarnock’s Ben Chrisene – on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa – was given the best rating of 86% based on the specified criteria. 

The 19-year-old left-back ranked top in the aforementioned age bracket for successful defensive duels (149), interceptions (72) and possession regains (139).

He is less polished going forward but has still shown flashes of potential, assisting nine shots, completing 49 final third passes and completing seven crosses.

Chrisene still requires further development before his big breakthrough, but the signs are promising.

Leon King (Rangers)

Finally, we searched for a central defender able to both play from the back and be commanding in their defensive duties.

Topping a very short list was Leon King, 19, of Rangers, who recently signed a contract extension amid reported interest from a host of Premier League clubs.

He has already faced some serious challenges – featuring at the heart of defence during Liverpool’s 7-1 rout at the Ibrox in the Champions League earlier this season.

However, he has shown real promise in the Scottish Premiership, putting up some impressive numbers.

He ranked top among players aged 21 or under for defensive actions (104 attempted, 84 completed), defensive duels (56 attempted, 36 won) and ball recoveries (118).

King has not looked out of place on the ball either, ranking in the top four in that age category for pass receptions (311), passes completed (426) and successful long balls (36).

Unfortunately for the youngster, he is yet to make his first appearance under Mick Beale given the return of Connor Goldson and Ben Davies.

King’s experience will prove vital to his development and Rangers will hope he can force his way back into the side and fulfil his potential in 2023.

All graphics in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.