Scotland Under-17s are in Croatia for their fourth UEFA European Championship finals in a row where they play their first game on Wednesday (3 May).
Scotland’s best finish was in 2014 when they reached the semi-final stage, losing out to the Netherlands.
Having already beaten the reigning champions, Portugal en route to reaching the tournament, confidence is high within the squad.
How the competition works
The teams are split into four groups of four, with the top two from each proceeding to the knockout phase.
Group A: Croatia, Spain, Turkey, Italy
Group B: Scotland, France, Hungary, Faroe Islands
Group C: Germany, Republic of Ireland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Group D: Netherlands, England, Norway, Ukraine
Scotland’s UEFA European Under-17 Championship fixtures
Wednesday 3 May: Scotland v Faroe Islands, kick-off 11am (UK time), Stadium Lucko
Saturday 6 May: Scotland v Hungary, kick-off 3pm (UK time), Stadium Lucko
Tuesday 9 May: Scotland v France, 3pm (UK time), Stadium Velika Gorica
Friday 12 May/Saturday 13 May: Quarter-finals
Tuesday 16 May: Semi-finals
Friday 19 May: Final
Who to look out for
Zak Rudden
Along with Glenn Middleton and Jack Aitchison, this is his third European finals.
Rudden is a product of the Rangers youth system and his goals for their youths propelled him onto the international stage ahead of his time.
The tall striker has power, a great touch and a bag full of tricks.
Glenn Middleton
The Norwich City striker scored four goals in three games in the elite round. He signed a two and a half year deal with the Canaries at the start of the year.
Jonny Mitchell
The young Falkirk defender is one of six performance school pupils included in the squad and will be undertaking Maths and English SQA exams while over in Croatia for the tournament.
The head coach’s view
Scot Gemmill said: “We’ve qualified unbeaten and conceded only one goal so we’re really confident at the moment.
“There was a lot of responsibility on our shoulders to guide the team through the qualification stage.
“It wasn’t long since we had the team together for their elite round and that has helped create a buzz around the squad.
“We’re ranked sixth in Europe at the moment and it’s upto us to ensure our performances match the ranking.
“In the past we’ve been playing against teams who are older than us but the players feel strongly that this can be their year as they are coming up against people of the same age.”
Scotland’s route to the Euros
Scot Gemmill's side defeated Malta, Wales and reigning European champions Portugal in the qualifying round last year before recording victories over Montenegro, Serbia and Switzerland at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in March.
How to follow Scotland’s progress
Eurosport will show eight group matches, including Scotland’s clash with France.
There will then be extensive coverage of the knockout phase starting on 12 May.
The matches will also be covered on the Scottish FA Twitter account.
Scotland Under-17 Squad
Goalkeepers
Jon McCracken (Norwich City) PS
Ryan Mullen (Celtic)
Defenders
Daniel Church (Celtic)
Robbie Deas* (Celtic)
Jordan Houston (Rangers)
Lewis Mayo (Rangers) PS
Jonny Mitchell (Falkirk) PS
Aaron Reid (Hearts) PS
Stephen Welsh (Celtic)
Midfielders
Kerr McInroy* (Celtic)
Seb Ross (Aberdeen) PS
Lewis Smith (Hamilton)
Elliot Watt (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Forwards
Jack Aitchison (Celtic)
Innes Cameron (Kilmarnock)
Lewis Hutchison (Aberdeen)
Glenn Middleton (Norwich City)
Zak Rudden* (Rangers) PS
PS - player has participated in the Scottish FA Performance School programme
*player is suspended for game v Faroe Islands