Top U21 prospects in Scotland - Miller, Holm and McCausland rise

The Scottish Premiership has been an attractive market for top European clubs to find bargain transfers across the last decade. Virgil van Djik epitomises this pathway with Southampton acquiring the Netherlands international for €15.7 million from Celtic in 2015 before selling him to Liverpool for €84.65m just 30 months later. Van Djik developed into one of the best defenders in the world while John McGinn, Andy Robertson and Odsonne Eduoard have all been successful signings for English clubs. Talented Scottish youngsters have also become more desirable for English Premier League sides due to restrictions imposed by Brexit, preventing the signings of under-18 year olds from overseas.  

Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have signed the best Celtic and Rangers youngsters

Liverpool’s Ben Doak, Manchester City’s Josh Adam and Aston Villa duo Rory Wilson and Kerr Smith have all moved south from Scottish clubs in the last 18 months. Billy Gilmour joined Chelsea from Rangers pre-Brexit in 2017 while former youth teammate Nathan Patterson moved to Everton in January 2022 in a €14 million deal. Italian clubs have also explored the Scottish market with Bologna signing Aaron Hickey and Lewis Ferguson with Josh Doig moving to Lecce. Several talented youngsters have emerged this season in the Scottish Premiership and we’ve analysed some of the best prospects.

Top 8 U21 prospects in the Scottish Premiership

Odin Thiago Holm is the only non-British player on this list and he possesses huge potential. Celtic signed the 20-year old for €3m from Valengera last summer and his market value has grown by €200k in the recent update. The gifted midfielder has only made three starts for Celtic but he’s showcased his technical ability and willingness to receive possession under pressure. Holm fell out of favour with Brendan Rodgers after a reckless and costly red card against Feyenoord in the Champions League but he’s now started two of Celtic’s last three league games and he’s a superb prospect.

Ross McCausland has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Rangers and he’s been assigned his first ever valuation of €1m. The 20 year old made his senior debut in 2022 but he had to wait until this November to land his first start against Livingston. Phillipe Clement has deployed the winger regularly and he also made his international debut for Northern Ireland last month. McCausland’s future at Ibrox looked uncertain with his contract set to expire and with Brentford were amongst several suitors after his impressive displays, but Rangers convinced him to sign a new long-term deal.

Lennon Miller is one of the most prodigious Scottish talents and it’s highly unlikely that he will remain at Motherwell long-term. Still 17, Miller has emerged through Motherwell’s renowned academy and he’s already established as a key player in midfield. Miller’s value has risen exponentially from €200k to €800k after making 14 first-team appearances and scoring his first professional goal against Elgin. The Scotland Under-19 international is an industrious midfielder and he’s attracted attention from several Premier League clubs including Aston Villa and Newcastle. Miller is currently sidelined with a broken patella and he recently signed a one-year contract extension until 2026 but English clubs will come calling next summer.

At 21, Connor Barron is the oldest player on this list and value has increased by €200k after featuring regularly for Aberdeen this season, including making his European debut. Barron excels as a deep-lying midfielder, combining the ability to start attacks with his combative nature. The youngster recently captained Scotland Under-21’s to an impressive win over Belgium but Aberdeen are in danger of losing him for a nominal fee. Barron is free to talk to clubs from January as his contract expires in the summer after initially rejecting a new deal, but Aberdeen plan more talks with one of their prized assets.

Bailey Rice progressed through the ranks at Motherwell alongside Miller, but he decided to join boyhood club Rangers in June 2022. Rice became Rangers’ second-youngest post-war debutant against Livingston in February 2023 and he’s widely regarded as one of the best prospects in Scotland. The 17-year-old possesses a maturity beyond his years with an excellent passing range and he’s been on the fringes of the first-team this season, making two appearances.

David Watson has emerged as a key player for Kilmarnock this season, making 21 appearances in all competitions and he registered his first senior goal against Celtic. Watson’s value has increased to €250k and he penned a new deal until 2025 last summer. Tottenham Hotspur have tracked the midfielder and he’s one to keep an eye on with Kilmarnock unlikely to be able to rebuff a significant bid. Watson scored a last-minute winner against Aberdeen recently at Pittodrie as his reputation continues to rise. 

Dylan Smith’s market value has grown from €50k to €250k after establishing himself as a first-team player towards the end of last season. The 17-year-old has made seven appearances so far this season but he’s not featured in the last two games since Derek Adams replaced Malky McKay. Smith is a Scotland Under-19 international and he’s likely to depart this summer with his contract due to expire with Everton amongst several interested clubs.

Aidan Denholm has forced his way into Hearts’ first-team plans this season, despite initially being released last summer. Denholm continued to train alone at Hearts training facility and manager Steven Naismith eventually offered him a new deal, while he was on-trial with Wigan Athletic. The 20-year-old's perseverance has been rewarded with appearances this season and his Scotland Under-21 debut with his market value rising to €200k.