Holsgrove’s Scotland Dream and Hampden Rivalries

Jordan Holsgrove is 27, playing his football in Portugal with Estoril, and still looking north. The midfielder remains intent on forcing his way into the Scotland squad, and there has been recent contact between him and the national-team set-up. No caps, no guarantees, but the line is open – and Holsgrove is clearly not giving up on the idea of a dark blue shirt just yet.

At home, the focus tightens on Hampden and a Premier Sports Cup semi-final weekend loaded with familiar faces and split loyalties.

Reedijk vs Reus: Friendship on Hold at Hampden

On Sunday, Hibernian manager Marink Reedijk will meet an old ally in the opposition ranks. Hearts goalkeeper Beau Reus worked under Reedijk at Beveren, and the pair built a strong professional bond there. Now they collide under the arch of Hampden, with a place in the final at stake.

Reedijk has admitted he is relishing the reunion, but he made one thing clear: the affection pauses at kick-off. He joked he will “love him a bit less” during the semi-final, a neat line that underlines the edge to this Edinburgh rivalry. The relationship survives; the sentiment softens for 90 minutes.

Campbell Finding His Feet at St Johnstone

In Perth, Josh Campbell is only just beginning to feel like himself again. The St Johnstone midfielder has been working back to full sharpness after a spell of illness, and his impact is starting to show.

Coming off the bench on Wednesday, Campbell grabbed his first goal for the club in the draw with Motherwell. It was a timely contribution from a player still building rhythm, and a sign that St Johnstone may soon see the full version of the energetic midfielder they thought they were getting.

Falkirk’s Ambition: Top Six or Bust

Down the leagues, Falkirk are refusing to think small. Ben Krauhaus has made that perfectly clear. The midfielder, who scored away to Aberdeen to seal a third straight win for John McGlynn’s side, has nailed the club’s colours to the mast: another top-six finish “has to be the goal”.

That win at Pittodrie extended Falkirk’s momentum and hardened the belief that last season’s push was no one-off. Krauhaus’ words match the performances: this is a team that expects to sit in the upper half, not simply hope for it.

Aberdeen Told to Stand Up at Hampden

Aberdeen arrive at their own Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers with confidence running low and questions circling. One of their greats has delivered a blunt message.

Joe Harper accepts the mood around the club is fragile, but his demand is simple: Aberdeen must “fight with all they’ve got” at Hampden on Saturday. No room for self-pity, no hiding place.

Harper has also thrown his support behind Nicky Devlin. If the 33-year-old is called upon to start on the big stage, Harper believes the “experienced campaigner” can handle the occasion. In a semi-final clouded by doubt, that kind of backing matters.

The Transfer That Got Away

Away from the cup noise, Tony Mowbray has lifted the lid on a transfer path that almost ran differently. The Blackburn Rovers manager revealed they were looking “pretty hard” at Elijah Just before the New Zealand midfielder left Motherwell for Swansea City in the summer.

Blackburn watched, assessed, and ultimately missed out as Swansea made their move. Just’s next steps will be followed closely now, not least by those at Ewood Park who wondered what he might have brought to their midfield.

From Holsgrove’s distant Scotland dream to the cut-throat reality of Hampden, from Falkirk’s ambition to Blackburn’s near-miss, the stories stack up. The next few days will decide which of them gathers real momentum – and which ones are left wondering what might have been.