YOUNG TERRORS MOORE, O'DONNELL & MACLEOD TO REPRESENT SCOTLAND

Three Young Terrors have been rewarded with international recognition thanks to their high-performance levels throughout the season, with Craig Moore, Lewis O’Donnell and Rory MacLeod all being called up to the Scotland U17s squad to face England twice at Oriam this week.
 
Craig and Lewis are an integral part of the U18s, frequently anchoring the midfield together in a 4-2-3-1 system and are therefore accustomed to playing with one another. The former made his first-team debut aged just 16 years and 88 days old against Rangers, playing 70 minutes before unfortunately having to be withdrawn with an injury following a fabulous recovery tackle on Scott Wright. Lewis is a regular for the national team at his age group, involved in multiple squads throughout 2021. The midfielder, alongside Craig, was part of the side that achieved qualification to the Elite Round of the UEFA U-17 Championship Qualifiers, which will take place in Cyprus/Israel this year.
 
Rory is the Young Terrors’ top scorer, his tally for the season sitting at six and accompanied with a healthy amount of assists. The 16-year-old, who can play in the number ten role as well as striker, penned his first professional contract in December which will see him remain at Tannadice until 2025. Rory also received his first involvement with Tam Courts’ first-team, included in the squad for last weekend’s draw with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. In October, he was part of the Scotland U16s side that retained the Victory Shield with a 2-0 victory over Wales, Rory netting the opening goal with a clinical front-post header.
 
U18s Head Coach Ryan Moon gave his thoughts on the trio’s Scotland call-ups. “It is great for Craig, Lewis and Rory to be rewarded with another opportunity to represent their country. Nothing is a given in football, so it is important they continue to work hard on a daily basis to maximise their ability. Craig and Lewis have the opportunity to build upon their previous experiences within the under 17 squad, and Rory takes the step up for the first time after representing his country at younger age groups. They go with the support of everyone at Dundee United and we wish them and the squad all the best for the double-header games.