'Brilliant' Gilmour will bounce back despite 'strange career'

"Letdowns" have been the theme of a "strange career" for Billy Gilmour, but Pat Nevin expects the Scotland midfielder to respond after being ruled out of the World Cup.

The Napoli player picked up a knee injury in Saturday's 4-1 friendly win over 10-man Curacao, which led to the 24-year-old being replaced by Manchester United teenager Tyler Fletcher in Steve Clarke's squad.

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"It's going to be painful [for Gilmour]," fellow former Chelsea man Nevin told BBC Scotland.

"I've been there a couple of times myself. You feel as if everyone's had the biggest party in the world, you're not invited, and all your mates have gone."

On the setbacks Gilmour has suffered throughout his career, Nevin said: "He has to get used to all these negatives that have happened.

"He's a brilliant, brilliant player, but look at his career. They loved him at Chelsea, but he had Jorginho in front of him.

"Norwich, it didn't go well for him... Brighton, it didn't go well even though he was playing well. At Napoli, Stanislav Lobotka is playing every week ahead of him, but they still love him there.

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"He is having a strange career, lots and lots of letdowns. The nice thing is he has a great, strong personality."

On the surprise news that teenager Fletcher will replace Gilmour, Nevin said it was "really tough" on the players Clarke has left out but added: "You don't get on the bench time after time for Manchester United if you're useless."