Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak: 'I have no doubt in my mind we're going to World Cup'

Not many 20-year-olds blow out their birthday candles wishing for a World Cup appearance in the coming year.

But Ben Gannon-Doak has proven over the years he is far from your average boy.

The dazzling Bournemouth winger brought in his latest big day out in Turkey, where Steve Clarke has taken his squad for a warm weather training camp in the lead up to their two final and crucial World Cup qualifying group stage games.

The Scots are safe in the knowledge a play-off place is in the bank, but Gannon-Doak and his pals have their eyes set on automatic qualification.

Avoid defeat in Greece and come out on top in the winner-takes-all meeting with Denmark next Tuesday and they will have done that.

Easy. Almost as easy as the birthday boy told BBC Scotland: "I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to go [to the World Cup]."

Gannon-Doak's confidence mustn't be mistaken for cockiness. In fact, he's the farthest from it. Even though he'd have a case for being so.

At 16, he decided to leave home and head for the bright lights of the Premier League and Liverpool, something that "humbled" him.

"When you join a club of that stature, you see how high the level can really go," Gannon-Doak told the BBC in Antalya.

"It humbles you a lot and shows you how far you need to go, but it also shows you that when you do well against those players, you can do it against anyone."

In the summer, the Cherries churned out £25m for the teenager, who many members of the Tartan Army are hanging their hats on in the quest to reach a first men's World Cup of his lifetime.

But the soft spoken, polite Gannon-Doak plays all that pressure down. His football does the talking.

"I don't really feel that responsibility, to be honest," he added of the supporters' hopes.

"There's some players who have done a whole lot more than what I've done in my career in the squad.

"We've actually got a really good squad as well, so I don't really feel the responsibility is on me, I think it's on all of us to play well as a team.

"Obviously, it would be great if I go and make a big contribution, but I really don't care how we do it as long as we do it."

And do it, Gannon-Doak, is sure Scotland will.

He missed the trip out to Piraeus for the Nations League play-off in March through injury - and it was certainly felt across the two legs - but started against the Greeks last month when the Scots snatched an unlikely late win.

"They'll be looking for a bit of revenge this weekend," the birthday boy, who was ending his day on the golf course with a few team-mates, despite being "not very good at golf," said.

"Obviously, we're all aware we weren't at our best against Greece, but we still won, which is a sign of a good side.

"We're all just relaxed. When we get closer to time, we'll focus up and we'll go out and get the job done."

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