Colby Donovan has been singled out by Scotland boss Sébastien Pocognoli as an example of clubs giving young stars an opportunity within the country.

Donovan was called up to Pocognoli’s first Scotland squad for the previous international window, but wasn’t given his first senior cap.

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Pocognoli has stressed that prospects must be given more minutes to develop.

The Celtic right-back has not been called up for Scotland’s upcoming games against North Macedonia and Switzerland, but Pocognoli wants more from the country’s top clubs in order to aid the progress of its young stars.

Donovan, who signed a new long-term Celtic deal until 2031, has gone from strength to strength since his debut last year.

But Pocognoli believes there’s a responsibility with clubs like Celtic to trust their young stars more.

“The Scottish league misses Scottish players in the biggest teams”, he said (Glasgow Times).

“The league is intense and competitive, but I am not looking at this, I am looking at who is performing at the big clubs. I believe that’s the closest level to international level.

“And for that you need to play Champions League, Europa League, Conference League in some stage of the competition.”

Donovan has made 21 appearances for Celtic this season, including four in the Europa League. Since the return to domestic action following the previous international break, the 20-year-old has featured nine times in all competitions.

Pocognoli is clearly monitoring his progress.

“Donovan is a good example, he played some good games for Celtic, and I tried to help to accelerate his progress, then he signed a new contract and plays week after week.”

The Scotland head coach mentioned Rangers’ Findlay Curtis as another example, before saying:

“We need to support those types of players because we need them.”

While Pocognoli may be talking about the wider picture with regard to youngsters within the country, Donovan’s rise to becoming a first-team regular will only strengthen the case for a first senior cap.

Kieran Tierney is the only Celtic representative in the latest Scotland squad, which is far from what used to be the case. Several other squad members are plying their trade down south or overseas, leading to widespread discussion over the development of stars currently at clubs such as Celtic, Rangers and Hearts, to name a few.

It’s been an issue raised for quite a while now. There is a seeming reluctance for the biggest clubs in Scotland to grant youngsters more opportunities.

With managers under constant scrutiny, they may be hesitant to take those risks with results on the line.

Donovan is an example of a prospect seizing his opportunity, even if it has come in the absence of Alistair Johnston.

While competition for places in the national team is fierce, Donovan’s previous call-up suggests he isn’t far away from a debut.

That may encourage other Celtic academy players to believe that there is a pathway at the Hoops, rather than opting for elsewhere.