Stoke boss Michael O’Neill believes Jacob Brown deserves Scotland call-up

The 23-year-old forward has scored four times this season for the Sky Bet Championship club.

Michael O’Neill, pictured, believes Jacob Brown’s Scotland call-up is deserved (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Jacob Brown’s first call-up for Scotland is a measure of progress made with Stoke according to Potters boss Michael O’Neill.

The 23-year-old forward, who has scored four times this season for the Sky Bet Championship club, was a surprise inclusion in Steve Clarke’s squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Denmark.

“It’s great for Jacob and I think it shows the progress he has made since he came to the club,” O’Neill, who brought Brown to Stoke from Barnsley last year, told City’s official website:

“We bought him as a young player. He was very raw but we saw a lot of things in his game and I think he’s continuing to develop and progress.

“I had a conversation previously with Steve Clarke about him and I knew they had been watching him.

“I think it’s great for him to get involved. Just to be around the squad and to be involved is a positive as he’s never had the experience of being away with an international team before as far as I know.

“It’s two very important games with Scotland in a position to clinch a World Cup play-off so it’s an exciting time for him to get involved.”