Experienced Brondby captain Luis Binks eyes Scotland debut under Pocognoli

Every footballer has a story, but few are as unconventional as the one Luis Binks recounts while surrounded by the palm trees of La Manga, Scotland’s current training base.

At 25, the Brondby centre-back and club captain is battling for a starting spot in Scotland’s defence ahead of Saturday’s clash with Slovenia. Sebastien Pocognoli’s appointment has reshaped the backline, with Grant Hanley and John Souttar replaced, opening the door for new talent.

Binks, who qualifies for Scotland through a grandmother from Dunbar, is one of eight uncapped players in Pocognoli’s squad — a significant overhaul under the new manager.

Binks reflects on the early days of his career at Montreal Impact in MLS, back in February–March 2020, when he was just 18. “I’d been at Tottenham since I was very young, but I just wanted to go and play first-team football,” he recalls. “That was my biggest thing — to not get caught up in the whole youth system. I feel that if you get caught in that, it’s not real football. I wanted to test myself.”

That mindset took him to Montreal, where his manager was Thierry Henry.

“I’d signed in February, and then Covid lockdown hit in March. I hadn’t found an apartment yet. I was in one hotel and Thierry was in another. Mine got shut down.”

“He was staying at the Ritz on his own, and they wanted to move me to a hotel near the airport. I didn’t want to go — it felt like prison, almost. One day he called and said, ‘Do you want to move to where I am? You can go on the other floor.'”

The Ritz-Carlton, a 129-room five-star property, had just two residents: Henry and Binks.

“I’d go for morning runs, and he’d be sat in reception on his own. When I got back, he’d still be there. I’d spend hours with him, trying to pick his brains.”

“One night I was in my room playing PlayStation, and he rang to ask if I fancied a pizza. There we were, driving around Montreal looking for one. It’s surreal, but that was how it was.”

“I say it now like it’s nothing, but there’s a big aura around him. I was nervous, but I asked him who the best defender he’d played with and against was, and why — and it was a good conversation.”

“It’s a bit of a blur now, but I always remember him talking about Sol Campbell and what made him great, and how I could improve as a defender.”

“I owe a lot to him because he gave me my first chance in senior football.”

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