SCOTLAND UNDER 21s boss Scot Gemmill insists he will have no complaints when his starlets Billy Gilmour and Mikey Johnston get promoted to Steve Clarke’s full squad and revealed it’s only a matter of time before they are promoted.

The young Scots face Lithuania at Tynecastle before a crunch trip to Czech Republic next month after they got off to a brilliant start in their group with a win against Pot One side Croatia away, which followed up a routine victory against San Marino.

Gemmill has named an almost unchanged squad for the double-header with only Reading’s Tom McIntyre back in the group, after he missed out the last time.

Chelsea starlet Gilmour has been widely tipped for a call-up for the full squad, after he made his debut for the Stamford Bridge club before being rewarded with a new deal. And Celtic winger Johnston can’t be too far away either after becoming a Hoops regular.

Gemmill said: “If Steve wants any of them, he just has to make it known and they’re his. That’s what we’re all working towards.

“Of course Steve could still come to me. We’ve had conversations.The actual team and squad doesn’t get submitted to UEFA until 24 hours before the game. So the phone could ring at any moment.

“It’s not a worry to me that we could lose a couple. We’re ready to react to that. It will happen. It’s just a matter of when, not if. It’s something we’re all working towards. It’s the nature of the business and the objective of the 21s.

“The sooner it happens the better for all of us. Billy’s new contract is another indication of how highly Chelsea regard him and how highly his manager regards him.

“I’m sure it gives Billy unbelievable confidence people are putting their money where their mouth is showing him he has a future at that level and club.

“When he comes with us we can give him that different experience at international level and we’ve got a big responsibility to help him keep pushing to achieve his maximum potential.

“I remember watching him for the younger groups, the Under 19s, the Under 17s, before that at the Performance Schools and it all comes back to a huge attributes he has which is his mentality and willingness to get better and work hard. He’s also got the correct temperament and won’t get carried away with things and remain level.

“All the top young players need that side to their character to show they can handle being in the environment in the top clubs.”

And Gemmill, who revealed Hearts hero Aaron Hickey is set to be included in Billy Stark’s squad for the Under 19s qualifiers next month, pointed out that Scotland managed to win in Croatia WITHOUT both Gilmour and Johnston, who were injured.

He said: “We were also without David Turnbull, Tom McIntyre and Ben House, as well as Billy and Mikey so the fact we can go and be competitive away from home against Croatia shows we’ve got good players, almost a couple for every position.

“That’s how I think it should be and it’s what we all want.

“There is strength in depth now. There are players who are not in the squad who will be in the squad in future. That’s how it should be - it should never be easy to get into the national team at any age level.”