The Liverpool defender may be far removed from the financial tangle that has left his former club fighting for their survival but the sense of shock and feelings of sadness hit home as he considered the plight of his friends and former team-mates.
The 20-year-old, currently enjoying a loan spell at Blackpool, met up with Rangers trio Ross Perry, Gregg Wylde and Darren Cole yesterday as they joined Billy Stark's Scotland Under-21 squad for their Euro 2013 qualifier with Netherlands tomorrow. The friends discussed the effect Rangers' plunge into administration has had on the field, but for Wilson – who moved to Anfield in the summer of 2010 – appreciates that it is the situation away from the pitch that is of greater importance as administrators Duff and Phelps consider redundancies.
"I don't think anyone knows what to make of it at the moment," Wilson said. "It is all still so raw. I feel really sorry for the boys that are still there; not so much the fact they have gone into administration but that they don't quite know what is going on. That is the most difficult thing for them.
"It's incredible to see the way it has gone at a club of that stature. It has happened to other teams before, such as Leeds, so it should not be a shock to anyone. But with me having played there, it was a shock to me. Not being there, I cannot comment on what's gone wrong. I don't think anyone could, but the sooner it gets sorted the better."
Wilson returned to Scotland after Blackpool's npower Championship fixture with Bristol City as preparations begin for his national service at St Mirren Park tomorrow. After checking-in to the Under-21's training base in Clydebank, he checked-out the progress of his Anfield team-mates as they went in search of Carling Cup glory at Wembley. The penalty shoot-out defeat of Cardiff City ended Liverpool's wait for more domestic silverware but Wilson had no qualms about being outcast from the drama and celebrations following his January move to Bloomfield Road.
"I probably would not have played if I was there, so there was no mixed emotions for me," he said. "I was delighted for the boys to get the trophy. They deserved it for the way we have played in the Carling Cup. That could be a springboard for Liverpool to go forward because they want to get higher up the league. They have also qualified for the Europa League having won the cup but the Champions League would be massive for Liverpool and we just need to keep going until we get that."
The young Scots, too, stand on the brink of a substantial achievement, with victory over the Dutch taking them a step closer to the European Championships. Stark will be without the services of James Forrest, the Celtic winger, after he was drafted into Craig Levein's squad for the friendly with Slovenia while Lewis Toshney, his Parkhead team-mate, has been replaced by Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Graeme Shinnie.
It is the fitness of Jordan Rhodes, the Huddersfield Town striker, that will be of most concern to the under- 21 coach, though. The prolific forward has made a huge impact south of the border this season after his superb scoring exploits in League One and will, if fit, lead the line against the Dutch.
"Jordan is quite a character," said Stark. "He is such a focused individual and such a good professional in every sense. He is a dream to work with. I am sure his inner confidence has had a lift from his recent form, but I think that has always been there and that is why he is a goalscorer. If he misses chances, he gets in there for the next one. He is not perturbed by missing chances. He is also really good in the air and great at heading. When you play with wingers, that is a handy thing to have."
