Henderson previews Scottish chances at Euro 2020: 'Scotland being in a major tournament is long overdue'
PDC
Ahead of the start of Euro 2020, which begins on June 11, Dartsnews looks ahead to this tournament with several darts players. In this article John Henderson previews Scotland's chances.
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The Scots are assigned to a group with Croatia, the Czech Republic and England. Surviving the group stage should be possible for Scotland, says Celtic fan Henderson.
How does it feel to see Scotland back in the big time for the first time since 1998?
''It's long overdue since Scotland being in a major tournament. France 1998 was far too long ago. It's exciting to be involved, the whole country is buzzing for it. I can't wait.''
The squad isn't centred around one megastar like some other nations, but who do you think is Scotland's most influential player?
''The Scotland squad is a young squad but got some quality players. Guys like McTominay of Manchester United, Robertson of Liverpool and McGinn of Aston Villa these will be key players on Scotlands quest for success at the Euros.''
Would you rather see Scotland beat England but lose to Croatia and Czech Republic, or lose to England and beat the others?
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''I would rather we win all three, but maybe that's a big ask. There's always been a big rivalry with England and I'm sure most Scottish people will be more focused on the England game but for me it's not just the England game that matters. It's getting through the group what is the most important aspect.''
What should Scotland's aim be for Euro 2020?
''It's going to be tough but all honestly Scotland are capable of getting through this group the way we've been playing. You just never know what can happen in the knock out stages. Hopefully they go into it with Scottish spirit and get through the group, that's what they should be aiming for.''
With no settled centre forward and Oli McBurnie out with injury, who should lead the line for Scotland?
''QPR's Lyndon Dykes has been in good form. I think he will be like a target man for Southampton's Che Adams to get onto some knock ons and hopefully score a few.''
If you were the manager of the Scottish national team, which players would you put in your starting eleven?
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Goalkeeper: David Marshall
Defence: Stephen O'Donnell, Kieran Tierney, Scott McTominay, Andrew Robertson
Midfield: Stuart Armstrong, John McGinn, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie
Forward: Ché Adams, Lyndon Dykes
What's your favourite Scottish moment at a major tournament?
''There's a few watching archive moments, like when Archie Gemmill scored the wonder goal in the 1978 World Cup against Holland. Also John Collins scoring the opening goal at the opening game against Brazil at the 1998 World Cup, but unfortunately we lost 2-1.''
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I stumbled into the world of darts quite by accident back in 2013. For a Journalism School assignment, I had to produce a live sports report and as it happened, the European Tour event in Veldhoven was the only available option. That weekend, I caught the darts bug. The post-match interviews especially appealed to me, as darts players tend to be much more open and approachable than what you usually see with footballers on television.
After a few detours, I joined Dartsnieuws.com in 2017 as editor-in-chief. I don’t have much competitive experience myself, although I once entered a PDC Development Tour weekend just to experience what it’s like from a player’s perspective. I even managed to win a leg against a Tour Card holder and, quite by accident, earned £50 in prize money.
In 2022, I was also involved in the founding of the TOTO Dart Kings, a commercial darts team, where I worked as media manager for three years. Unfortunately, due to new legislation in the Netherlands, that project came to an end in 2025.
Through my work in darts, I’ve been fortunate to travel to some incredible events, from Premier League nights at Ahoy Rotterdam, to several World Championships, and even the US Darts Masters at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Beyond darts, I’m a passionate sports fan in general. You can always wake me up for a game of tennis or padel, and I love following football, tennis, padel, cycling, Formula 1, and ice skating.
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