Stephen Welsh: From Celtic academy to Scotland squad ahead of Slovenia clash

Stephen Welsh, 26, has emerged as a Scotland regular after featuring in the 2-0 win in Skopje on Saturday and is in the squad for Scotland v Slovenia in the Nations League at Hampden on Tuesday, 6 October (19:45 BST). He has three senior caps and looks set to add to that total in the final match of this international window.

Welsh began his career in Celtic's academy and left the club after what he called "18 years of ups and downs", posting a video of himself as a child in a Celtic shirt with the number 18 and the name 'Lennon' on the back. He made his Celtic debut in the spring of 2020 but saw opportunities limited as the club repeatedly signed centre-halves; he played 70 games in total and turned down approaches from Udinese and Toulouse during his time there. "It's not easy but at a club like Celtic, they always want to improve, bring in more players because that keeps the competition," Welsh says. "It's football. You're not guaranteed to play even though you want to."

After a loan spell at Mechelen, Welsh moved to Motherwell where Jens Berthel Askou played a pivotal role in his development and gave him the platform to progress to Swansea City. He is now part of a Swansea side managed by Vitor Matos and is alongside his former Motherwell teammate Elijah Just; Swansea sit top of the Championship after eight games. At international level, Welsh is noted for being composed in his defending, accurate in his distribution and convincing in a partnership with fellow newcomer Luis Binks.

Reflecting on Scotland's win in North Macedonia, Welsh said: "A bit of relief. We felt there could have been a lot more goals. Five or six and you probably couldn't have argued. To get your first win under your belt is a good feeling. Hopefully it pushes us on now." The victory ends the international window for the squad with Slovenia visiting Hampden on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

Welsh described the 3-0 defeat by Switzerland, a match shortened by Jack Hendry's early red card, as "a 'sore one'". "We had to suffer for a good 80-90 minutes," he explains. "That can take its toll mentally but we showed how strong we are going into North Macedonia. It will mean a lot for the squad, for the manager to come back home and put on a good performance and finish the camp with a win. You need to keep building on that. That's the standard that we want to set."

On the mental challenge of his career path, Welsh reflected: "That's probably the thing that people don't see. What you need then is a good support group around you, good family, good friends. My agent was excellent for me. They just need to be there. That's the main thing, just be there." He added: "Psychologically, it can affect players but I don't think it affected me too much. I never took anything personally. That's just the way it goes. The best players, technically, probably don't [always] get to the top. It's the players that are mentally strong."

Welsh credits Berthel Askou with changing his trajectory: "Going from Celtic to Motherwell doesn't look the most brilliant move in the world, but…" he said. "How he coached me on and off the pitch, it was top level. I didn't realise how good a decision it was to join Motherwell until close to the end of the season, when you start getting the recognition. I would say that's all down to how he coached me." He continued: "He just gave me pure belief. He made the game so simple for the team and that helped me as well. Every single day, so detailed, how he analysed teams, how he analysed specific ways of playing against teams. The biggest influence on my career by a distance. He completely changed how my career path turned out."

Sebastien Pocognoli, the new Scotland head coach, has shown trust in Welsh, and three caps should become four on Tuesday if he plays. The immediate next step for Welsh and Scotland is the Nations League fixture against Slovenia at Hampden on Tuesday, 6 October (19:45 BST).