Pocognoli prefers his teams to play with high intensity in and out of possession, so McBurnie’s defensive output is as encouraging to him as last season’s goal tally.
Even so, mention the Hull striker to the Tartan Army and many will bristle at the idea of a recall.
With no goals in 17 caps, the Scotland partnership has yet to click, and he hasn’t featured since March 2021. He has started only seven times, four of those during Alex McLeish’s difficult second spell.
Supporters are more likely to recall his place in the infamous 3-0 defeat in Kazakhstan than his start in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final win over Israel. He also converted a penalty in the iconic shootout victory against Serbia—something that deserves recognition.
Questions about the Leeds-born forward’s commitment were circulating at least a year before that night in Belgrade. A clip on Sheffield United’s in-house channel prompted claims he was reluctant to join up with Scotland. Then-assistant Steven Reid defended him, and a year later Steve Clarke said the striker didn’t deserve the “bad press.”
That backing came around the time McBurnie withdrew from a Scotland squad but played for his club two days later. During a prolific run last December, he called a return to the national team his “ultimate goal.”
Achieving it would give him the chance to prove his international pedigree—and to mend a strained relationship with supporters.