Anthony Ralston isn’t getting many starts at Celtic right now so it’s always a boost for his match fitness and development to see him feature for Steve Clarke’s Scotland.
Due to injuries and selection issues, Ralston has actually been given the nod in Scotland’s last seven internationals stretching back to June and won his 15th cap away to Croatia on Saturday night.
The right-back played the entire 90 minutes of a 2-1 defeat as the Scots continue to find life difficult in the top division of the Nations League.
Gibraltar are the only side that Scotland have beaten in over a year, and despite competitive performances, they just can’t seem to find that winning touch.
It doesn’t get much easier this week either, now facing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal at Hampden on Tuesday night.
Anthony Ralston given ‘solid’ review for Scotland display vs Croatia
Like most of his teammates, Ralston’s performance against Croatia was a mixed bag. That’s to be expected against an elite international outfit away from home.
Journalist Kevin McKenna stated in The Mail on Sunday, “He gave Borna Sosa far too much space in the early stages. Eventually found his feet and tried to get forward when he could. A solid night’s work for the Celtic man.”
For The Herald, David Irvine’s verdict chimed with that, saying, “Fairly solid, if unspectacular, performance from the Celtic right-back. Preferred to Nicky Devlin despite his limited minutes at club level and largely proved his worth against a quality outfit. Deliveries into the box going forward were poor but that was endemic of the Scotland squad as a whole. Lost Sosa in the build-up to Croatia’s second.”
The consensus continues with The Scotsman’s view, as journalist Mark Atkinson concluded, “The reserve Celtic right-back is growing into life as Scotland’s first-choice in that area. Croatia pushed forward down his flank but Ralston was dependable and put in some strong blocks. Tried to get forward when possible to support Doak and kept the inexperienced winger in check. A decent shift in a trying venue.”
All three outlets give him a 6 out of 10, which is commendable against difficult opponents. Ralston will be encouraged that Clarke continues to trust him, and he continues to get valuable minutes with football scarce at the Bhoys.
It’s pleasing to hear a balanced view because, if you look online, plenty of Scotland fans’ opinions of the Celtic defender tend to be coloured by club bias. He’s far from the disaster for his country that can sometimes be portrayed.
Anthony Ralston’s role at Celtic aided by Scotland duty
Alistair Johnston remains the prime pick for Brendan Rodgers in the Celtic defence, and that’s unlikely to change this season unless the Canadian takes a drastic dip in form or suffers an injury problem.
Ralston has started just once in 2024/25, the 5-2 Scottish League Cup against Falkirk at Celtic Park.
However, he has been used on five occasions as a substitute, so it’s clear the manager isn’t afraid to turn to him as a depth option to relieve Johnston when needed.
With the schedule busy well into the new year, Ralston will be called upon often, whether in the starting eleven or from the bench. So, the more game time he gets with Scotland right now, the better for Celtic.
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