James Penrice earns Scotland call-up after a patient rise

A new face in the squad, he will also be among its older players at 27. The selection rewards a progression the defender describes as a “slow rise”.

His career began at Partick Thistle, followed by loan spells at East Fife and Livingston, where he later moved permanently. Penrice says he considered another path when Partick Thistle dropped to League One: “There was part of me that thought I was done.” He was playing part-time, and when Covid hit, he was looking at courses and thinking about life after football.

The defender says he knuckled down before moving to Livingston. Davey Martindale, his manager at the time, told him it was his last chance to get full-time football, Penrice says, and he took it. A good personal season at Hearts followed, before a move to Greece — a series of changes he says feels striking when he thinks back to where he was at 20.

His return to Rangers came before his Scotland selection. He scored on his debut for the club, a day after joining on loan from AEK Athens, and went on to become an important player for Derek McInnes’ side. Penrice says he knew that returning and playing for Rangers could give him a chance of making the Scotland squad. He also describes the move back as a decision to push on: playing for Rangers was his aim, while the international call-up is an added bonus.

“I always thought if I kept playing and kept performing it would come. Thankfully it has,” he said. He believes young players can sometimes feel their careers are over at 21 or 22, even as teenagers are winning World Cups. At 23, he was still in League One. His message is to work hard, persevere and believe in yourself. “You need luck, but you can create your own luck,” he added.