Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder John McGinn was on hand at Hampden Park on Monday to give a send-off to the Homeless World Cup team as they prepare to represent Scotland at the 2024 Homeless World Cup in South Korea.
Award-winning charity Street Soccer Scotland has selected the eight players who will represent Scotland at the much-loved global football tournament, which will be held at Hanyang University in Seoul later this month.
The eight-day footballing festival will be the first time the Homeless World Cup has been held in Asia since the tournament was introduced in 2003 and promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for up to 500 players from across the globe.
The tournament is an aspirational goal for individuals seeking a better future, and a powerful way to challenge how people think about homelessness.
READ MORE: How the Homeless World Cup turned life around for England’s Scottish manager
Previous tournaments have taken place in iconic locations such as Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, under the Eiffel Tower in Paris as well as other major cities like Melbourne, Amsterdam and Mexico City.
64 teams have been invited to participate from 49 Homeless World Cup member countries - 44 teams in the Men’s Homeless World Cup and 20 teams in the Women’s Homeless World Cup - at this year's event.
Countries competing for the cup this year include the Netherlands, Argentina, France, Germany, Portugal and England.
The Scotland Homeless World Cup team, made up of players from Dundee, Glasgow and Livingston, had the opportunity to watch the Scotland national team take part in a training session as Steve Clarke's side prepare to host Poland in Thursday's Nations League A Group 1 opener before travelling to face Portugal on Sunday.
Ahead of the send-off at Hampden, David Duke, founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland, said: "As a former Homeless World Cup player myself, I know what this means to the players. It’s a testament to their hard work, team spirit and resilience.
"The Homeless World Cup has the power to transform lives – as it did mine - and to shape attitudes towards homelessness, using the universal language of football.
“Overcoming homelessness, or any form of trauma, takes time and support. That’s exactly what the Homeless World Cup and Street Soccer aim to do this, and every, year.
“Hope, purpose and relationships are a big part of everything we do – on and off the pitch. I’m very proud of the squad we have, and I want to see the country rally behind this winning team.”
READ MORE: New Netflix movie inspired by work of pioneering Scottish homeless charity
Speaking pitchside at Hampden, Scotland Homeless World Cup team player Craig Owens, from Glasgow, shared his excitement at being chosen to represent his country in South Korea.
He told The Herald: "I can't wait for it. When I was told I'd made the team I thought it was a wind-up. I couldn't believe it. I've told as many people as I can.
"The camaraderie among the team is excellent. As long as we put in a good performance I'll be happy. It will be good to meet and link up with other people too from all over the world. Hopefully we can do our best and bring something home.
"There's a lot of emotions going through my head at the moment. I'm just so proud."
Team coach Ross Alexander, who represented Scotland at the 2012 Homeless World Cup in the historic Zócalo Square in Mexico City, added: "I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited for the boys. They are all looking forward to it too and are keen to do well and work well as a team.
"It's hard to put into words what it is like to represent Scotland at The Homeless World Cup. You need to go and experience it to actually understand what it is and what it's about. It's not just about the football, it's about the experience.
"We've had a lot of good chats with the players about the tournament and we've passed on our own experience about what to expect."
You can follow the team’s progress online via Street Soccer Scotland’s website at https://streetsoccerscotland.org/team-scotland/
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