Stephen Welsh handed first Scotland call-up after Swans start

The centre-half has started all seven games since his summer move, and new Scotland boss Sébastien Pocognoli has handed him a first senior call-up, with former Swan Ollie McBurnie also recalled.

Richard Bond

Published: 15th September 2026

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Stephen Welsh has been named in the Scotland squad for the first time, rewarded for his impressive early-season form for Swansea City.

The 26-year-old centre-half is included in new head coach Sébastien Pocognoli’s squad for the Nations League fixtures against Slovenia, home and away, North Macedonia and Switzerland.

Welsh has been a mainstay of Vitor Matos’ side, starting all seven of their games this season as the Swans climbed to second in the Championship, most recently in the 3-1 win over Burnley.

Matos has been pleased with his new centre-back, saying after Welsh and Filip Lissah started together at Derby for the first time that he was “really happy with both” his defenders.

The call-up caps a rapid turnaround for a defender who left Celtic in the summer. He spent last season on loan at Motherwell, arguably the strongest campaign of his career, before mutually terminating his Celtic contract to join Swansea.

That move has paid off quickly, and international recognition has followed inside two months.

Welsh is not entirely new to the international set-up, having captained Scotland at Under-21 level before this step up to the senior squad under the country’s new regime.

McBurnie recalled after four years away

There is a Swansea name of the past in the squad too, with former striker Ollie McBurnie handed a recall.

The 30-year-old first featured for Scotland in 2018 but won the last of his 16 caps in 2021. He has never scored for his country, though he did convert one of the penalties in the shootout that sealed Scotland’s place at the delayed Euro 2020 finals.

McBurnie had fallen out of favour under Pocognoli’s predecessor Steve Clarke, and with some sections of the Scotland support, but the new head coach framed his return as a fresh start.

Pocognoli said it was “a new journey” and that the striker fitted the way he wants his side to play.