SCOTLAND manager Steve Clarke may not be concerned about the lack of game-time that Billy Gilmour has had in the lead up to tomorrow night’s game against Moldova, but there is one risk at the back of the midfielder’s mind; a repeat of the cramp that ended his game against Israel at Hampden.

Anyone who has seen the footage of Gilmour’s over-enthusiastic celebration of Scott McTominay’s last-gasp winner against the Israelis in the 3-2 victory would have seen a swift change in his facial expression, as a joyous knee slide ended with the youngster in a heap clutching the back of his hamstrings.

"I hadn't played in a while and I played that full game,” Gilmour said. “I did the knee slide and it was like someone had shot me. I just felt my hamstrings go.

“If you look back, I tried to stand up and I fell back on Kieran (Tierney) or Callum (McGregor). KT was telling me: 'You can't be cramping up – you’re young.' But I knew I was done!

“The boss was looking at me and I told him: 'I'm done - can't run anymore!' But what a night it was.

"That was a crazy game. When they scored that free kick early on, I was like: 'Oh my God...oh, no.' I was constantly thinking: 'we need a result here'.

"I really enjoyed the game and we got back into it. When we got the penalty, I'm thinking: '(Lyndon) Dykesy's gonna score' but he misses and I'm thinking: 'Oh no, is it going to be one of those nights?'

"But it was a great team performance after that and Scott McTominay came up with that last minute winner and Hampden erupted.

"I love coming away with the Scotland team. They are all good boys and want to do well for our country and for me to get the opportunity to keep playing, I get a buzz from it, of course.

"I want to do well and play as many games as possible and help us get to big tournaments.

"These games coming up are massive and need to make sure we get the right results.”

It is a sign of Gilmour’s prodigious abilities that duty, not only do people expect him to be starting week-in, week-out for English Premiership strugglers Norwich, but that many expect him to be holding down a regular place in the Chelsea midfield before too long.

That expectation naturally extends to international duty, with Gilmour fully relishing how much Scotland’s success now rests on his own shoulders.

“Of course, there is going to be expectations on you when you’re at such a big club like Chelsea,” he said. “But I’m just taking it all in my stride.

“I’m going out onto the pitch and enjoying my football, and putting in the best performances as I possibly can.

“With Scotland I have so many great players around me such as Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Cal McGregor - top players at top clubs - guys who also have also got expectations as players. So it’s there as a whole and as a team. We’re expected to do well.

“We have a cluster of younger guys in there. I was with Fergie (Lewis Ferguson) in the 21s and also David Turnbull and Nathan Patterson as well.

“For us to come up to the full squad is great experience for us. We’re learning every day in training and those senior boys and leading us in the right way for the future.”