Scotland’s Under-21 team will be taking a leap into the unknown at the Stade de Lattre today when they face Togo in their Group B opener in the Toulon Tournament.
Coach Scot Gemmill ordinarily leaves no stone unturned in his analysis, but he has been thwarted at every turn in his bid to find footage of today’s opponents.
He acknowledges that could afford the African side an advantage, given the ease with which they can clue up on the likes of Oliver Burke, Ross McCrorie and Allan Campbell, but he vows his side will have a plan in place to deal with whatever The Sparrow Hawks throw at them.
“It’s hard to get footage of Togo. There is none and, believe me, I’ve tried,” Gemmill said with a smile. “Normally we would split the preparation into what we do, and then really focus on the opposition.
“They will probably find it easier to access video than we have found it to get some on them!
“We will still prepare properly and, regardless of what Togo do, we have to trust our own system. Defensively our team will be organised and we will quickly assess how Togo are playing, what they are trying to do and how they are trying to hurt us.”
Travelling to France as a free agent is Daniel Harvie, who is hoping the tournament will provide him with a shop window to show clubs what he can do.
Harvie, inset, who has already had inquiries from clubs in the top two divisions in Scotland, said: “People take notice of these tournaments, there are a lot of scouts, a lot of people searching for the next big thing. We can just see what happens after that.
“There are a few clubs I spoke to during the break we just had, but I had a chat with my agent and we decided I would come over here [to France] without agreeing anything and see what happens, maybe have a few good games and open the door a bit more. That’s the plan.”
The Scotland under-19 internationalist said he had to turn down a new contract with Aberdeen for the good of his career. The gifted defender was restricted to just three appearances for the Dons this season as he struggled to displace Andy Considine at left-back.
Harvie also had to cope with injuries and, having excelled for Dumbarton during the previous season, getting a taste for a regular starting berth with 34 outings, his bid to make a mark in the Granite City fell frustratingly flat.
Nevertheless, Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes was keen for the teenager to stay at the club for a further season, albeit with no assurances that regular first-team football would follow. Harvie took the bold move of rejecting the deal.
“My contract was up this year and the manager [McInnes] offered me a new one and asked me what I wanted to do,” he said. “I told him I needed to play regular football, every week, I can’t lose any more time sitting on the bench and playing in a couple of games a season.
“Especially at this age, looking to go forward in to the Scotland Under-21s, I need to be playing and impressing. I wasn’t getting that and we agreed that I needed to go and play somewhere.
“I could have stayed there, been comfortable for another year and just bided my time, but I’m looking forward to seeing what else is out there and throwing myself into a challenge. Hopefully it’s a step back to take two forward.
“It’s a tough decision to leave a great club with great people, like Aberdeen, but I need to play. I was worried about it when I first made the decision, thinking ‘what if it doesn’t go to plan’, but I’m happy now and know there are more clubs out there for me.”
Following the test against Togo, Harvie and co will face a daunting clash against France on Wednesday before their final group game against South Korea on Saturday.
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