Scottish football has had its critics in recent weeks.
It’s been discussed that arguably its three biggest clubs, Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen, have given 0% of their minutes to Scottish players aged 21 and under.
Motherwell and Kilmarnock are the only sides in Scotland’s top flight to have given over 5% of their minutes to native players under 21.
If young Scottish players aren’t developing in their country’s top division, where do they go to find the necessary minutes to aid their path to the top of the game?
A tried and tested method for nurturing young players is the loan system.
This allows young players to learn what it means to be a first-team player, gain valuable game time at a good level, and show their parent club they’re ready to stake a claim for a spot in their first team.
Scottish Premiership clubs have often nurtured their players through leagues such as the Scottish Championship, Scottish League One, and NIFL.
All three of these leagues have teams willing to give young players a chance.
In this scout report, we will discover four players on loan from Scottish Premiership clubs who are putting in eye-catching performances.
An assessment will be made of their potential to step into their side’s first team and their next steps after the conclusion of their loan deal.
Tobi Oluwayemi Scouting Report At – On Loan From Celtic
Claiming the number one jersey at Celtic is no easy task.
Former England international and Premier League winner Joe Hart was the undisputed number one prior to the 2024/25 season.
Upon Hart’s retirement, Celtic replaced the Englishman with another Premier League winner, Kasper Schmeichel.
However, Celtic also have a promising goalkeeper impressing the Scottish Championship in their ranks.
Tobi Oluwayemi, 20, had previously come through at Tottenham’s youth academy before Celtic acquired his services for their u18 side.
After a couple of loans with Austrian second division side Admira Wacker and League of Ireland’s Cork City, Oluwayemi is enjoying his first taste of senior football in Scotland.
have had a tricky start to the season.
Currently sitting second from bottom, the Fife club have failed to find consistency throughout the season.
Despite their poor run of form, Oluwayemi is putting in some impressive performances between the sticks.
The England U20 international has kept four clean sheets in eight appearances, and his shot-stopping ability has been impressive.
He averages 2.69 shots per 90 minutes, with 61.8% of these shots being reflex saves.
Here, Oluwayem is faced with a forward bearing down on goal.
He runs out and makes himself big, allowing him to tip the striker’s effort around the post.
Under Brendan Rodgers’s tactics and previously Ange Postecoglou, Celtic have become renowned for their ability to play a possession style of football that involves attacking methodically through the thirds.
This style requires a goalkeeper who can play out from the back.
Oluwayemi possesses great confidence in possession.
He has taken up a position outside his penalty area and is almost operating as a third centre-back, providing an overload in his side’s build-up play.
Oluwayemi is 97.7% accurate when playing short passes, proving his reliability when passing to his defenders.
Oluwayemi can also be direct when needed.
In this situation, he plays a long diagonal ball that finds his side’s left back, who has advanced down the flank.
Oluwayemi’s impressive accuracy rate of 56.6% for long passes shows he can play more direct passes when needed.
Oluwayemi will hope to continue impressing with his performances.
As difficult as it will be to fight Schmeichel for his number one spot, performing well may help him earn a favourable move.
As Oluwayemi approaches the last six months of his Celtic contract, he could have a host of options in June if Celtic decides against renewing it.
Kyle McClelland Scouting Report At Coleraine – On Loan From Hibernian
Hibernian are going through a tough period.
Sitting rock bottom of the Scottish Premiership, fans have been greatly upset by the transfer business conducted under current owners, the Gordon family.
Despite recent struggles, the Edinburgh side is one of Scotland’s biggest clubs, and over the past twenty years, it has produced some of the country’s best-known players.
Celtic legend Scott Brown and Rangers Icon Steven Whittaker have come through at Easter Road.
Josh Campbell is a current example of Hibs’ youth development.
He also previously took out several loans before eventually becoming a regular in The Cabbage’s first team.
Kyle McClelland, who spent last season on loan at Queen of the South in Scottish League 1 and has now moved across the Irish Channel to NIFL Premiership side Coleraine FC, hopes to replicate Campbell.
The Glasgow-born centre-back has represented both Scotland and Northern Ireland at youth level.
Under Coleraine manager Dean Shields, who made over 100 appearances for Hibernian, McClelland will hope to gain the needed first-team experience to impress his parent club.
Kyle McClelland Radar Chart
McClelland’s strengths are evident from his radar chart.
He excels at winning balls in the air, as seen by his percentile rank of 95.2 for aerial duels win percentage.
Here, McClelland easily rises above his man and wins the ball in the air.
Impressively, he has a win percentage of 65% in aerial duels.
One area that McClelland must improve is his ability to win defensive duels.
Having a percentile rank of 32.3 for defensive duels win percentage compared to other centre-backs in NIFL, the former Rangers academy player has been easily dribbled by on several occasions.
In this example, McClelland has been dragged out wide and is in a 1v1 situation with a winger.
The wide player skips by McClelland with ease and makes his way into the penalty box.
McClelland has shown he has many of the technical capabilities needed for the modern game.
McClelland has shown an ability to play forward by scoring over 80 in percentile ranks for progressive passes, passing accuracy and passes per 90.
Here, McClelland has the ball at his feet.
He comfortably passes it to one of his teammates, showing for the ball in midfield.
McClelland will hope that this loan move will be a stepping stone in the right direction for his career.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, McClelland will be hoping to have done enough to earn a new deal.
However, if he has failed to impress Hibernian, he will hope to have caught the attention of clubs who want to acquire his services.
Adam Emslie Scouting Report At Cove Rangers – On Loan From Aberdeen
Aberdeen have made a dream start to the campaign.
They’ve made an early title charge and remain unbeaten.
They’re currently level on points with Celtic at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.
Despite their success, Aberdeen are failing to breed young players.
Aberdeen’s average squad age is 26, and they are only made up of 16.1% Scottish players.
One talent to have emerged through the Aberdeen academy and is impressing in Scottish League 1 is Adam Emslie.
Currently on loan at their feeder club, Cove Rangers FC, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder has been one of the division’s top performers.
Adam Emslie Radar Chart
Emslie’s radar chart shows his qualities in attack.
His percentile rank is above 80 in both goal contributions and expected goal contributions.
The attacker has four goals and three assists in 14 games.
Here, Emslie has made his way into the back post, allowing him to get on the end of a cross that has been drilled along the ground towards the forward.
He passes it by the helpless goalkeeper.
Despite only having a percentile rank of 36.7 for dangerous passes per 90, Emsile does have the ability to create chances for his teammates.
Averaging 1.7 key passes and 10.72 progressive passes per 90, he’s demonstrated the capacity to find teammates in dangerous positions.
In this situation, Emslie is driving at the opposition’s backline.
He then plays a clever reverse pass in the direction of a forward runner who can get a shot off on goal.
The former Scotland u17 international has also proven his ability to do the defensive side of the game.
Although he has a relatively low number of defensive duels, he has impressed with a defensive duels win percentage of 62.7%.
As the opposition progresses down his flank, Emslie, in black, works hard to get back and delays the attack before eventually tackling his opponent.
I predict that given the performance level Emslie has already demonstrated this season, Aberdeen will be keen to further his development.
A loan move to the Scottish Championship may be on the cards come the start of next season.
Kieran Offord Scouting Report At Crusaders FC – On Loan From St. Mirren
St. Mirren have had a decent start to the season.
The Paisley club’s hierarchy recognised this and rewarded manager Stephen Robinson with a contract extension last month.
The Northern Irishman has given only 1% of his side’s minutes to Scottish players under the age of 21.
By effectively using the loan market, he hopes to develop his side’s best prospects.
One of St Mirren’s top talents is 20-year-old centre-forward Kieran Offord.
Having spent previous loan spells at the lower levels of Scottish League football, Offord has been sent on loan to Robinson’s native Northern Ireland to gain experience playing for North Belfast club Crusaders FC.
Offord has made a great start to his time in Northern Irish football.
The former Scottish U19 international has seven goals and two assists in 16 games.
This has already been Offord’s best scoring season at the senior level.
In this example, as the ball is fired into the penalty area, Offord shows great invention, scoring a bicycle kick.
One element of Offord’s game that has made him stand out is his ability to glide by opponents.
His dribble success rate of 67 demonstrates his efficiency at taking on players.
Here, Offord displays his sharpness by taking his first touch past the pressing player and then blazing past his opponent with his electric speed.
Offord has also proven an ability to press effectively, as is required of modern-day strikers.
His defensive duels win percentage is 77.9 percentile, ranking higher than other NIFL strikers.
In this situation, Offord has cut off half of the pitch by screening an easy pass that would allow the opposition to switch play.
Offord reads the trigger as the centre-back progresses forward, takes a heavy touch, and eventually wins the ball back.
Offord is only dribbled by 0.3 times per 90.
Offord is doing all the right things to impress Stephen Robinson.
He hopes his performances will bring him closer to becoming a regular in St. Mirren FC‘s first team.
Conclusion
Despite Scotland’s top clubs failing to develop players in their first teams, there’s a host of talent representing Scottish Premiership clubs at various levels in the UK and Ireland.
Many will be able to use their experience of being out on loan to further their careers, regardless of whether they make it at their parent club.
