Harvey Barnes' 2-1 Premier League win for Newcastle over Manchester City, saw him net twice in a thrilling Saturday night victory. Can he convert this form to a Scotland cap? The England international is eligible for Scotland through his grandparents and has been linked with the national team for some time.
In the immediate aftermath of the match, Barnes was pressed on a potential switch to Scotland by Sky Sports duo Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp. "Can we expect you at the World Cup for Scotland?" asked Richards from the studio. Laughing, Barnes claimed his headphones had cut out, but he refused to rule himself out, saying: "That obviously isn't on my mind at the minute, there's a long way to go until the summer."
While this was not new, with reports claiming Barnes was considering switching allegiance to Scotland two years ago, Clarke has recently asked the question. It seems that Clarke has softened his stance, but it remains to be seen whether Barnes is prepared to make the next move.
So what would Barnes bring to Scotland? This is a Champions League player performing in a domestic division many perceive as the world's most challenging. Since the start of last season, he has 15 goals and seven assists in all competitions from the wing - there is simply no other Scotland forward providing this level of output at this level for their club.
Barnes' second goal demonstrated poacher's instinct, adjusting his body at close range to take an excellent first touch before burying on the rebound. Without Ben Gannon-Doak, who has been a revelation in recent weeks but faces months out with a hamstring injury, Clarke's side would be missing real pace and quality in their attacking areas.
Barnes' performance against Manchester City is certainly an exciting one. The prospect of him playing off his favored left side with Doak on the opposite flank could be a game-changer for Scotland, bringing much-needed depth to Clarke's squad.
In the immediate aftermath of the match, Barnes was pressed on a potential switch to Scotland by Sky Sports duo Micah Richards and Jamie Redknapp. "Can we expect you at the World Cup for Scotland?" asked Richards from the studio. Laughing, Barnes claimed his headphones had cut out, but he refused to rule himself out, saying: "That obviously isn't on my mind at the minute, there's a long way to go until the summer."
While this was not new, with reports claiming Barnes was considering switching allegiance to Scotland two years ago, Clarke has recently asked the question. It seems that Clarke has softened his stance, but it remains to be seen whether Barnes is prepared to make the next move.
So what would Barnes bring to Scotland? This is a Champions League player performing in a domestic division many perceive as the world's most challenging. Since the start of last season, he has 15 goals and seven assists in all competitions from the wing - there is simply no other Scotland forward providing this level of output at this level for their club.
Barnes' second goal demonstrated poacher's instinct, adjusting his body at close range to take an excellent first touch before burying on the rebound. Without Ben Gannon-Doak, who has been a revelation in recent weeks but faces months out with a hamstring injury, Clarke's side would be missing real pace and quality in their attacking areas.
Barnes' performance against Manchester City is certainly an exciting one. The prospect of him playing off his favored left side with Doak on the opposite flank could be a game-changer for Scotland, bringing much-needed depth to Clarke's squad.
Barnes is defo the type to make that switch 2 scotland!! 
he's been doin amazing form lately n wud bring so much pace n quality 2 the team 
i was there when ronaldo used to play for man utd & he'd get 1 goal a match lol imagine barnes with ben gannon-doak on the wing, scotland's attacking game would be fire 
he's been killing it in the premier league lately and now he's got scotland fans dreaming of him making a switch 
his form is insane, 15 goals and 7 assists in all competitions from the wing? that's some serious skill 
and can u imagine him playing off ben gannon-doak on the opposite flank? Scotland just became a whole lot more interesting 
I'm loving Harvey Barnes' form right now! He's literally scoring goals for fun 
. For England or Scotland, he'd be a massive addition, but let's not forget that he already has the Scotland passport through his grandparents 
. It'll be exciting to see if he decides to take the leap and represent the Scots on the biggest stage โ could they even make it to the World Cup? 
This season's been all about surprise teams and players making a splash, and I think Barnes is definitely one of them! 
! Like, he just waltzes into this Newcastle team and suddenly they're racking up wins against top teams like City? That's some crazy form 
๏ธ They're like two peas in a pod, Barnes' pace and Doak's skillset would be unstoppable 
. He's already proving himself as one of the top players in the Premier League and his performance against Manchester City was insane 
It's just so frustrating because we're never going to know for sure what he wants until he makes a decision... or maybe he'll surprise us all and announce it in 5 minutes 
... wait no, that's not how this works.
Hasn't he got a contract with City for another year or so? Shouldn't he see this through rather than just chasing after a new adventure? And what's in it for Scotland, really? Another talented but maybe overhyped player? I don't think they've got enough depth to compete with the likes of England and Belgium...
think Barnes is gonna rep Scotland 
magic for Scotland. Clarke needs all the depth he can get, and Barnes is exactly what the doctor ordered 
, and I think it's only a matter of time before he makes the move to Scotland. He's literally been tearing up the Premier League with Newcastle, and his form is insane 
โ the little dude can finish, no question. Clarke's squad needs someone like Barnes, and I think this partnership between him and Doak could be massive for Scotland 
, if he can keep it up and Scotland get him on the pitch, they could be a dark horse for Euro 2026