Lennon Miller calls on Scotland Under-21s to relish crunch double-header

Lennon Miller says Scotland Under-21s must embrace their high-stakes double-header against Belgium and Kazakhstan next month as they bid to qualify for a first major tournament since 1996.

The Scots are second in Group B, ahead of Belgium on head-to-head record and goal difference.

The Scots host their only remaining challengers for the runners-up spot behind group winners Spain at Tynecastle on October 11 before concluding their qualification campaign away to Kazakhstan.

If Scot Gemmill’s side remain second following those two matches, they will be guaranteed at least a play-off and could qualify automatically for the finals in Slovakia as one of the three best runners-up.

“We’ve got to look forward to them, they’re obviously big games,” midfielder Miller told the Scottish Football Association. “Belgium are one of the best teams at the age group, but we’ve got to go and challenge ourselves against teams like that and hopefully we can get a result.”

Motherwell midfielder Miller marked his first start for the under-21s by scoring and providing a couple of assists as Scotland stayed on course for the finals with a 5-0 win over Malta in Ta’ Qali on Monday.

“As a midfielder you need to add goals to your game,” he said. “It’s partly what you’re measured on, along with assists, which is what I wanted to do coming into this season and I was thankful to get a few.”

Scotland’s hopes of topping the group were all but ended by Friday’s 2-1 home defeat by Spain, but Miller feels this month’s double-header has been largely encouraging.

“We knew Spain, as the pot one team, were going to be a different challenge, but I thought we were excellent on Friday as well,” he said.

“It was a different type of performance to Malta. In Malta we were excellent attacking-wise and I thought we were disciplined behind the ball as well. Every time we lost the ball we won it back within a couple of seconds.”