THERE are quite a few players in the Scotland squad out in La Manga who are living the dream, but in the case of Claire Emslie it is written all over her face. Bright eyed and confident, her footballing life is working out very sweetly, thank you, for the 22-year-old from Edinburgh.

The considerable disappointment Emslie must have felt after being omitted from Scotland’s Euro 2017 squad was tempered when, a few days later, it was announced Manchester City had signed her. It was a move her former manager, Willie Kirk, was resigned to as the attacking player’s performances for Bristol City had attracted the interest of most of the top English clubs, including Chelsea and Arsenal.

Over recent months it has become a bigger mystery why Emslie was overlooked for the Euros. She was given a debut substitute appearance by Anna Signeul in a 3-2 friendly win against Iceland in Reykjavik in 2013, but didn’t reappear until last January when she came on, again as a late sub, in another friendly against Denmark.

For much of the intervening period Emslie was at Florida Atlantic University, but when she joined Bristol City in June 2016, and very quickly made her mark on English football, she remained largely overlooked. Her international minutes under Signeul were a paltry 40 from the two substitute appearances.

“It was what it was,” Emslie replies when asked how she felt about not being selected for Scotland’s first major championship. “I had Man City to look forward to in the summer, so I worked hard and just focused on that.

“I did the things I could control – which was to be prepared for my season at Man City, and to try to impress Shelley [Kerr] when she came in. I’m happy to be one of her players and hopefully have success with her.”

Emslie’s first start for Scotland coincided with Kerr’s first game in charge. There was an almost instant return when the attacking wide player scored her first international goal after 27 minutes in the 3-0 friendly win over Hungary. It was a superbly struck effort, and was repeated off the opposite foot a month later when Scotland beat Albania 5-0 in Paisley.

“When I was a kid and playing in the park with my dad, anything I did on my right foot he would make me do on the left,” Emslie says. “At that point I was primarily right footed.

“If I did 10 right foot passes I had to do 10 with my left. If I only did five I’d have to start again until I got 10 right. It was the best thing I’ve ever done because it has allowed me to play on both wings. I can use my left or right equally and that’s a huge part of my game.”

Neil Emslie’s persistence and insistence having paid off, the player, who takes inswinging corners on both sides and likes to run at defences, helped Bristol City win promotion to the top level of English football in 2016 and started to build up admirers at more affluent clubs.

“My agent told me there were some big teams interested, but when I heard about Man City it was an easy decision for me,” she says. “That was the team I wanted to join because of the players they’ve got and the success they’ve had. It’s just a huge club and they treat the women’s team on a par with the men’s team.

“We train at the CFA [City Football Academy] which is where the men are. All the facilities they have on one side of the building are mirrored by the women’s on the other side – the gym, ice bath facilities, treatment room, physios, everything. The internal media is brilliant as well.

“We’re always on the City TV programmes and on billboards along with the men. They’ll say they have action from the weekend and there will be photos of Kevin de Bruyne and Steph [Houghton, the England captain], or me alongside Raheem Sterling. They’re proud to have a women’s team, which I don’t think can be said of all clubs.”

Even the effervescent Emslie hasn’t quite got herself on talking terms with Pep Guardiola yet.

“I’ve seen him at training and I’ve walked past his office but I haven’t spoken to him,” she reports.

Just as she has started to do for Scotland, Emslie is rattling in the goals for her new club.

“It took me seven games to get my first, but since then I’ve scored six and they’ve been coming a lot easier,” she says. “I’ve always loved scoring goals. That’s where I find my enjoyment in football. I’ve hit a bit of form recently and am hoping to continue it until the end of the season.”

According to fellow Scot Kirk, who also coached her at Hibernian before taking her to Bristol City, Emslie is one of those rare players with an insatiable appetite for training ground work. She also hates losing, even in a fun small-sided bounce game.

Not that these things should matter, but Emslie is also very marketable and if her progress continues anything is achievable. Kerr, who started her for the fourth game in succession against Norway on Friday night, concurs.

“I’ve said since she was young she has the potential to be a star in the game,” the head coach says. “She has been in really good form at her club. As well as her goals, her ratio of assists is really good.

“At times Claire could be more selfish and score more goals herself, but as her assists demonstrate she’s creating chances for others as well, and that’s important too.”

It didn’t work out well for Scotland on Friday, when they were beaten 3-0 by a superior Norwegian side. Yet even amidst a disappointing team performance, there was no doubting who was Scotland’s best, and most vibrant, player.