Luis Binks trains at La Manga as he vies for Scotland debut

Luis Binks, the 25-year-old Brondby centre-half and club captain, is training with Scotland at La Manga this week as he pushes to win his first cap in Saturday's Nations League opener against Slovenia.

Binks, who qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent from Dunbar, is one of eight uncapped players in Sebastien Pocognoli's first squad after the Belgian replaced Steve Clarke; a central defensive spot has opened up since Grant Hanley and John Souttar were jettisoned. The Brondby defender has experience across several countries, having progressed from Tottenham and spent time at Montreal, Bologna, Como and Coventry before joining Brondby.

Recalling his move to Montreal in February 2020, Binks said he was 18 and had left Tottenham because he "just wanted to go and play first-team football." He added, "That was my biggest thing, to not get caught up in the whole youth system. I feel that if you get caught in that, it's not real football. I wanted to test myself."

Binks described the early Covid lockdown there, when he and manager Thierry Henry ended up the only residents at the Ritz-Carlton: "I'd signed in February and then we went into Covid lockdown in March," he said. He recounted Henry inviting him to move floors, sharing runs and even driving around Montreal together looking for pizza, and recalled Henry speaking about Sol Campbell and how he could improve as a defender.

"I owe a lot to him because he gave me my first chance in senior football," Binks said, reflecting on Henry's influence. His club career also included a spell at Bologna, where he befriended Aaron Hickey, before later moves to Como and Coventry and, in the summer of 2025, a transfer to Brondby.

At Brondby he was named captain after a year at the club. On that responsibility he said: "I wasn't really scared of the unknown," adding, "It was a chance for me to go and play again, hopefully play in Europe, fight for titles, cups. I want to win things. That was my whole reasoning." He also noted, "People would say they could see that in me," and, "I'd only been at Brondby a year, so to be rewarded with that [captaincy] is a good sign. There's a lot of responsibility that goes with it."

Speaking about his first Scotland camp and the forthcoming trip to Ljubljana, Binks said: "I woke up every day with it on the top of my mind," and, "It's pretty cool. It's a bit of a weird feeling you don't get with club football. I'm buzzing to be here." He concluded, "With Scotland, having been called up, the next thing is to try and play. It's my first camp, my first time meeting everyone, but deep down I want to leave a mark on this team."