MY GOAL WITH BORO HAS TO BE THE PREMIER - AND SOON!

TOMMY Conway never got off the bench during Scotland's European Champicampaign, on-ship but that didn't stop him enjoying every second of his fortnight in Germany.

- Chris Dunlavy

The 22-year-old was summoned in the most dramatic of circumstances, as injuries to Lyndon Dykes and Ben Doak on the eve of the tournament left manager Steve Clarke bereft of centre-forwards.

Conway was plucked from the Under-21s, made his international debut in the final warm-up game against Finland and within ten days was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Andy Robinson and Scott McTominay as Flower of Scotland blasted around the Allianz Arena.

"It's one of the proudest moments I've ever had when I was standing there singing the national anthem at the Euros," recalls the new Middlesbrough forward, a bystander as the Scots lost 5-1 to hosts Germany en route to a group-stage exit.

"Seeing my family there. Hearing the fans singing. Honestly, the whole thing gave you goosebumps. It was an incredible night.

"Every day in training I'd look around and see guys like Andy, Scott, John McGinn, and that's just to name a few.

Those players, what they do on and off the pitch you see what it takes to play at the highest level. It was an amazing learning experience and I can already see that I've adopted some of those things that they do.

Hunger

"Would I have liked to play more? Yeah, of course. But the whole thing just gave me this hunger to try and make more memories like that with Scotland for years to come." Conway's rapid-fire rise through the international ranks stands in contrast to a club career that began - of all places at lowly Yate Town.

A product of the Bristol City youth system, he spent the Covid-curtailed 2019-20 season with the seventh-tier Bluebells, and a year later was playing in National League South with Bath City.