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Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour has spoken publicly about the heartbreak of missing out on the World Cup due to injury, admitting that the setback has been 'a tough one to process'.

The 24-year-old Napoli player was ruled out of the tournament just one day before Steve Clarke’s squad departed for the United States on Sunday. Gilmour sustained a knee injury during the first half of Scotland’s warm-up match against Curacao at Hampden Park on Saturday.

His spot in the squad has been filled by 19-year-old Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher, who made his senior debut as a substitute at half-time during Scotland’s 4-1 victory over the World Cup debutants.

In a heartfelt message shared on Tuesday, Gilmour wrote, “I don’t have the words to describe how I’m feeling right now. Being so close to achieving a childhood dream—to play in a World Cup—and then losing it to injury is incredibly difficult to accept.”

He continued, “Your support and kind messages over the past few days mean everything to me and haven’t gone unnoticed. Thank you so much for that.”

“I’ll be back soon doing what I love most, but for now, let’s get behind the boys and cheer them on. Come on Scotland!” he added.

The Scotland team arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sunday to begin their pre-tournament training camp and held their first session on American soil on Monday.

They are set to play a friendly match against Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday before heading to their World Cup base in Charlotte.

Scotland will compete in Group C of the tournament, where they will face Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil. This marks their first World Cup appearance since 1998.