5 Scottish Players Who Are Dominating Overseas

Many fans can agree that Scottish football is currently in the best place it’s been for a long time with the national team consistently qualifying for tournaments and its players shining in both the Scottish and English Premierships, here are some of the Tartan Army who are showcasing their skills all over Europe…

Ollie McBurnie

After making a shock move to Las Palmas from Sheffield United in July, McBurnie has clearly settled into his new life in the sun, becoming a regular player in the side, recording 8 goal contributions in 29 appearances which whilst it may not seem all too impressive, McBurnie has only started 16 of these meaning that he contributes to a goal in 50% of his starts, a relatively good number for a side fighting relegation in LaLiga.

Ollie McBurnie’s summer move to Las Palmas still feels like one of those transfers you get 4 years into a Football Manager save.

6 months on from his move, how is the Scotsman getting on?

Words for @FootballLeagueW https://t.co/ZEDGRtWqtG
— Sam Armitage (@SamArmitage304) February 14, 2025

Scott McTominay

Arguably the best example of a Scotsman playing abroad, McTominay has shone ever since his move to Napoli from Manchester United in August of last year. Thanks to manager Antonio Conte the midfielder has been given far more freedom to play in his natural position as a number 8 compared to him previously having to play much deeper for Manchester United leading to his poor performances in England, thanks to this, he has recorded a double digit goals tally in a season for the first time in his career netting 11 goals in 30 appearances, starting 29 of these games. On top of this he is a serious contender to be a member of the Serie A Team Of The Season with an average match rating of 7.43 (Fotmob, 2025).

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 “Mctominay IS the difference maker at Napoli.”

From nearly never joining the club, to potentially being the reason Napoli win a Scudetto https://t.co/4nJ8BNwvIt
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) April 29, 2025

Billy Gilmour

Following his fellow countryman to Napoli, Billy Gilmour has begun to make a name for himself in Italy after multiple unsuccessful spells at Premier League clubs such as Brighton and Chelsea. Whilst not playing as consistently as his partner in McTominay, Gilmour has made 22 appearances so far this season, earning himself a solid average match rating of 7.03 (Fotmob, 2025) across the 2024/25 season.

Lewis Ferguson

Whilst having a subpar season compared to previous years, Ferguson made himself a key part of Bologna's squad last season, making 33 appearances and contributing to 10 goals whilst playing as a holding midfielder, solid numbers as far as defensive midfielders are considered. He signed for Bologna in 2022 after shining at Aberdeen and then continued to improve, showing his brilliance across his first two seasons eventually winning the Bulgarelli award last season, being named Serie A’s best midfielder in the 2023/24 season as well as becoming the clubs captain.

Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson on why he made the move to Italy and the challenges he faced. 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/u201OLwiNm
— Destination Calcio (@DstnCalcio) April 2, 2025

Che Adams

Since joining Torino in summer 2024, Che Adams has quickly become an important part of their squad, scoring 9 goals and providing 3 assists in 32 Serie A appearances. Despite a slow start and an eight-game goal drought, Adams turned heads with a stunning 45-yard strike against Empoli, which he called the best goal of his career. His performances have helped stabilize Torino during a rough transition period marked by key departures and a managerial change. Now the club’s top scorer, Adams is on track to match or exceed his best-ever league tally, proving to be a vital asset in their Serie A campaign.