Harvey Barnes is at the centre of a great debate at the moment as the Newcastle man could potentially join the Scotland national team ahead of the World Cup.
That is despite him already representing England in a friendly previously, but with Scottish grandparents, Harvey Barnes could still switch allegiances.
Barnes discussed the Scotland option earlier this week in the wake of their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The Newcastle United ace said he hasn’t really thought about it yet, but admitted the door is not ‘closed off’ despite a lack of progression on that front at this stage.
Time will tell whether this avenue is pursued by Barnes and the Scotland national team setup, and we may have to wait until Steve Clarke’s next squad for an answer.
Scotland supporters debate Harvey Barnes call-up
Barnes was not one of the Newcastle players on international duty this month, and has no real chance of getting into the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
But, should he make the switch to Scotland? Fans North of the border have had their say, and it’s clear they are torn on what the right call would be.
Plenty of Scottish fans see Barnes as adding quality and flair to the squad, especially in a position they need strengthening.
One said, “He’s got Scottish lineage, he’s more than a decent option, we need more in an area that he can play with a high degree of competency.”
Another replied, “We need to take the best available players. If he fancies it, he comes. Let’s not go down the blind loyalty avenue again.”
A third added: “We are screaming out for a left-sided forward as we are relying too much on Doak and there isn’t anyone else really with pace in our squad… Would 100% call him up.”
However, other supporters are not pleased with the idea of Barnes jumping into the squad now that they’ve qualified for the World Cup.
One said: “I’d rather lose with the guys that got us there than win with guys jumping on the bandwagon!”
Another added: “No thanks. The squad has been built on unity, togetherness and a sense of team pride. That’s more important than any individual, particularly one who previously didn’t want to take part in all of that.”
A third wrote: “Why, when we got there without him? He calls us ‘they’ not ‘we’ which suggests he does not see himself as Scottish. We have great players so why do we continue to get players from other nations?”
World Cup dream could be good news for Newcastle United
Obviously, the decision will ultimately come down to Barnes and the Scottish FA, not the fans. But, one thing’s for sure: Newcastle having another player gearing up for a World Cup can only be a good thing.
The Newcastle United squad has the likes of Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw, and Dan Burn chasing a World Cup spot. For Barnes to join that list would mean the winger likely steps up his game even further and looks to prove himself to Steve Clarke and the Scotland fans.
He’s already been performing well for Newcastle despite the recent blip in results. Given the Magpies’ lack of creativity out wide, Barnes taking his game to the next level could help unlock the best from the likes of Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, when he returns from injury.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
