Kieron Bowie went from being left out of Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad to scoring Scotland’s second goal in a 2-0 win over North Macedonia in Skopje. The 24-year-old striker missed out on Clarke’s group for the tournament in the USA, and he told reporters he was not surprised by the decision.
“I received a message from him saying that I’m not in the squad but these things happen and it’s just about how you bounce back from it to be honest,” said Bowie. “I scored goals in a struggling Verona team and that was as much as I could do. I was happy with where I was at and I was happy with how I’d played.”
He spent the break at home with his family, followed by a week-long golf trip to Portugal.
Bowie’s First Start
Bowie’s first international start came on Tuesday, but it was a brief one. Jack Hendry’s red card in the Hampden loss to Switzerland reduced Bowie’s time on the pitch to just 13 minutes.
The landscape changed quickly after that. In Skopje, Bowie was one of the main heroes of the night, sending a deliciously whipped finish into the net in the 2-0 win over North Macedonia.
Playing in a new 3-4-1-2 formation, Bowie started the game up top with Oli McBurnie in an ultra-attacking line-up set out by Sebastien Pocognoli. Throughout the match, his stats stacked up across the board.
The most shots: seven. The most on target: four. The most shots in the box: five. The most touches in the opposition box: 11.
A Goal Worth Remembering
“You play all your life to represent a country and to score a goal is just an unbelievable feeling,” said the 24-year-old Fifer.
“This manager’s come in and he’s put a lot of trust in me. I think the style that he wants to play definitely plays into my strengths. I think you’ve seen today a lot of times running them in behind and just showing strength against occupying defenders is one of the main things.”
Bowie’s performance in Skopje was a complete turnaround from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup squad. The young striker has been through a difficult few months, and the goal in Macedonia provided the perfect antidote.
The New Manager’s Style
The word “process” has been used repeatedly by the Scotland head coach and his players in recent days. It has become a familiar refrain, almost a new team motto. But there is truth in it.
Pocognoli is trying to implement a radically different system to his predecessor. Not only that, it’s a different mindset. All while trying to embed a clutch of new players.
“It’s a lot longer international break,” he explained. “We spend a lot more time together so it’s good for him to get his message across and his ideas. Also, we play more games so we have to train a little bit less of course.”
Bowie, who made his Rovers debut at 16, added: “I think people, obviously Scottish fans, have the same idea of how I was when I was at Hibs and that’s all they can remember. But I feel like since I moved to Serie A, it’s a different challenge against more experienced players and at a higher level. So, yeah, I feel like I’ve definitely kicked into another gear and I feel like I’m showing that.”
A Fresh Start
For Bowie, the call-up to the Scotland squad was an opportunity to prove himself under a new manager. He spoke about the conversation he had with Pocognoli before the game.
“He said to me ‘you don’t need to prove yourself, just go and do what I know you can do’ and I feel like I’m just doing that,” Bowie said.
The loan move to Sassuolo has given Bowie experience against more seasoned players, and he believes that has pushed him forward.
What Comes Next
The win in Skopje was a statement performance from Bowie. He was everywhere in attack, and his stats show he was constantly threatening throughout the match.
The goal will give him confidence ahead of future matches. For a player who has been overlooked at times, scoring for his country carries extra weight.
Bowie’s stats tell the story of his influence. Seven shots, four on target, five in the box, 11 touches in the opposition box — he was the constant threat throughout.
Key Facts Box
- Bowie scored Scotland’s second goal in a 2-0 win over North Macedonia in Skopje
- He started the game in a 3-4-1-2 formation alongside Oli McBurnie
- His stats: seven shots, four on target, five in the box, 11 touches in the opposition box
- He was reduced to 13 minutes in Tuesday’s Hampden loss to Switzerland after Hendry’s red card
- Bowie made his Rovers debut at 16 and previously played for Hibernian
Bowie’s late call-up to the Scotland squad paid off with a goal in Skopje, and his stats show he was constantly threatening throughout the match. The goal will give him confidence ahead of future matches, and it shows that sometimes the solution to a problem can be hiding in plain sight.
Source material: “Bowie seizing Scotland shot after World Cup disappointment,” Yahoo Sports.
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