Bowie seizes his Scotland chance after World Cup qualifying setback

Scotland forward Lawrence Bowie has experienced a week of contrasts, moving from disappointment to a standout performance for his national team.

On Tuesday, his first international start was cut short to just 13 minutes at Hampden Park after teammate Jack Hendry was sent off during a loss to Switzerland. Days later, in an away fixture against North Macedonia in Skopje, the picture looked very different.

The 24-year-old, who came through the ranks at Raith Rovers and later played for Hibernian, scored one of the goals in a 2-0 victory, finishing with a well-placed strike. He started the match up front alongside Oli McBurnie in a highly attacking 3-4-1-2 formation introduced by head coach Sebastien Pocognoli. Bowie's statistics from the game stood out: seven shots in total, four on target, five shot attempts from inside the box, and 11 touches in the opposition's penalty area — all team highs.

A fresh start under a new coach

Bowie, who is currently on loan at Italian club Sassuolo, described scoring for his country as an incredible feeling and said the new manager has placed significant trust in him. He explained that Pocognoli's preferred playing style suits his strengths, particularly his ability to run into space behind defenders and use his physicality against opponents.

He noted that the longer international break has given the Belgian coach more time to communicate his tactical ideas to the squad. Bowie also acknowledged that many Scotland fans still remember him primarily from his time at Hibernian, but said his move to Italy's Serie A has exposed him to a different level of competition, helping him reach what he feels is a new level of performance.